欧美视频

John Qui帽ones, left, a longtime ABC newsman and host of the "What Would You Do?" television program, made a public presentation in the 欧美视频's Nahm Auditorium after being introduced by Dr. Lover Chancler, assistant professor of child and family development and director of the Center for Multiculturalism and Inclusivity at UCM.

WARRENSBURG, MO 鈥� From growing up in a life of poverty to becoming a successful ABC network news veteran who has interviewed everyone from homeless individuals to world leaders, John Qui帽ones shared his thoughts on the power of 鈥渄oing the right thing鈥� with a 欧美视频 audience Feb. 23 in Nahm Auditorium.

Known for his long-running hidden-camera program, 鈥淲hat Would You Do?,鈥� Qui帽ones鈥� inspirational message was made possible by the university鈥檚 Center for Multiculturalism and Inclusivity, and was the first talk in what the university hopes will become on an ongoing series of presentations by distinguished campus visitors.

After meeting earlier with various student groups, Qui帽ones鈥� public presentation highlighted his personal journey from meager surroundings to breaking down barriers that enabled him to live out his Latino American dream. Along the way, he has accumulated a national fan base from experiences such as serving on the anchor desk at ABC鈥檚 鈥�20/20鈥� program and reporting for 鈥淧rimetime,鈥� while also garnering accolades that include seven Emmy Awards.

During his presentation, Qui帽ones spoke about diversity and inclusion, and noted the importance of valuing other individuals. He connected this sentiment with a number of examples from his 鈥淲hat Would You Do?鈥� program that often places people in situations where they face ethical dilemmas or interactions with others who are different from themselves. It reveals how people sometimes think and act when they believe no one is watching, the guest speaker said.

鈥淚 created the show to remind America that, yes, there may be differences among us, but also great similarities. You know, we are all human with the same basic desires and dreams and ambitions and the need to be loved and the need to love others and be accepted,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a show that鈥檚 all about confronting issues like discrimination, racism, bullying.鈥�

He said that as a journalist for more than 30 years, he has been pleased to shed light on the 鈥渢hings that people sometimes don鈥檛 want to hear about, and sometimes they don鈥檛 want to see.鈥� His television program is a conduit for demonstrating why such a goal is important.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a show I created because I wanted to unlock the power and the light that exists within each one of us, so that we are all better equipped to say, 鈥榶ou know, that鈥檚 wrong.鈥� Or, 鈥樷�檋ow can I help?鈥� And what a better tool to do that with than on national television with hidden cameras,鈥� Qui帽ones said.

鈥淲hat Would You Do?鈥� gets people to think about different kinds of injustices. It encourages viewers to consider how they should respond in situations where someone is treated wrongly, whether that may be a spousal abuse situation or over issues related to the color of their skin, their religious beliefs, sexual orientation, and more.

While his long-running television program has put Qui帽ones in the spotlight as a champion for encouraging people to 鈥渄o the right thing,鈥� he is often inspired by the examples set by those who unknowingly become part of his program. One person he remembers fondly was the result of a segment filmed in New Jersey which featured a disheveled, grungy, homeless man who had fallen with a beer can in his hand and was ignored by passersby. 

鈥淪o we got an actor - an elderly actor - to play that role,鈥� Qui帽ones said, He added  that while posing as a homeless person, this man convincingly collapsed near a street, but when 88 people initially walked by, no one stopped to help him.

鈥淧eople were stepping over him. One lady made the sign of the cross and kept walking.  And we were blown away,鈥� Qui帽ones remembered. 鈥淚 said, I guess if you are homeless, you are not going to get a lot of help here. So I was about ready to come out with the cameras, but before I could get out there though, we heard the tapping of a walking cane on the sidewalk鈥�suddenly into the frame of a hidden camera comes this beautiful African American woman who is stumbling along with a cane because she has suffered a stroke. And, guess what? She鈥檚 homeless herself.鈥�

Qui帽ones said the women stopped and began to ask people passing by if that had a cell phone that she could use to call 9-1-1 to provide assisstance for the man who had fallen. Thirty-seven more individuals walked by but didn鈥檛 assist, Qui帽ones said.

鈥淪he then stumbled down and did something we didn鈥檛 expect.  She, on hidden camera, takes the beer can out of the actor鈥檚 hand and stumbles over with her cane to the trash can and throws it away, as if she is thinking, maybe  if I give  him a little bit of dignity and people don鈥檛 think he鈥檚 a drunk, maybe people will stop to help. But guess what? Forty-two more people we were counting go by and no one was stopping,鈥� Qui帽ones said. 

鈥淪he stumbled down again, saying to the man (as overheard on his hidden mircrophone) 鈥楽ir, I don鈥檛 know your name, but I鈥檓 going to call you Billy. And my name is Linda Hamilton. Don鈥檛 you worry my man, I鈥檓 going to stay here until help arrives because I am homeless, too.鈥欌��

Qui帽ones said another woman finally stopped and provided a cell phone that could be used to call 9-1-1. Amid all the commotion that followed this woman's assistance, when Qui帽ones emerged with the camera crew to speak to those involved, Hamilton had already slipped away.

 

When the story aired, viewers aided in efforts to find her, and they set up a Go Fund Me page to help her financially. Weeks later, after Hamilton was located, the program host sat with her on church steps and interviewed her while delivering good news.

鈥淪o we got her $8,000 in the bank which viewers had sent in, and we got her a house to live in that ABC paid for, we got her medicine for her heart condition, and the thing that made her most excited of all - we got her her own cell phone,鈥� Qui帽ones said. 鈥淪he was jumping up and down with joy like a 12-year-old with her first phone. I said, 鈥楴ow Linda, when you witness an injustice, you can call 9-1-1.鈥欌��

As the interview continued, Qui帽ones asked Hamilton how she felt about people on social media labeling her an 鈥渁ngel鈥� and a 鈥渉ero.鈥� 

鈥淪he gave me this dead-on look, straight in the face, and said, 鈥楴o way鈥� Let me tell you what happened that day. I think God put me on that corner of that street on that day because he knew you were there with your 鈥榃hat Would You Do?鈥� cameras, and he wanted to teach people a lesson, and who better to teach that lesson tham someone who has walked in the shoes of the homeless.鈥欌��

鈥淭onight I leave you with that message,鈥� Qui帽ones told the UCM crowd. 鈥淭he next time you witness an injustice, racism, bullying, someone stealing, and the little voice in the back of your head says 'do something,' remember the words and the actions of this woman, Linda Hamilton, a woman who was homeless, who had suffered a stroke and yet she stopped to help a stranger, not because she was going to be on national television 鈥� she didn鈥檛 know that 鈥� not because she was going to get $8,000 in the bank and medicine for her heart and a house to live in and her own cell phone鈥�her heart told her it was the right thing to do.鈥�