For Once, Bystanders acted

Edgar- That is very heartening. Do you remember the Kitty Genovese case?

http://www.newsday.com/community/guide/lihistory/ny-history-hs818a,0,7944135.story

I hope that people have learned from this sad chapter in our history.

That reminds me of a scene from the Death Wish movie
when a team of construction workers, inspired by Bronson's example,
chased n pounced on a mugger.

Pity the blind woman did not have a pistol.

I always have a rope.

That happened only about 2 miles from me.
It was a nasty story.
It proves that u can rely on no one else for defense.
U need to be able to defend your OWN life.

This defensive incident on that bus is unusual.

Note that in your linked story,
the murderer said that he killed Kitty because she did not FIGHT BACK.
That point is instructive.

From the Reginald Denny case in L.A.,
we know that even if police all across America
actually SEE a violent crime being committed
( a murder, if the victim fails to survive ) thay will not necessarily help the victim.

Q.E.D.: u need to be able to rely on your own defense.

I understand your point,
and I tend to agree that pistols are not necessarily
a panacea for everyone, in all circumstances.

Like all tools, guns can help to solve specific problems,
under appropriate circumstances, for those who are able use those tools.


About maybe 20 years ago, I was having a lite meal
in a fast food place with Marvin,
the brightest fellow I have ever met in Mensa, when another customer
at another table became loud. I mentioned to Marvin
that I wondered what the noise was about, whereupon he abruptly
became alarmed that I even address the subject, implied that I
shoud not consider it, nor even silently look over there.
In my opinion, based upon my observations of the world,
that mind set is more prevalent than the leader of the crowd
who saved the blind victim on that bus.

Do u agree that this case, on the bus,
is an exception to the general rule
that more ofen than not,
people just passively accept their roles as idle spectators to violent crime?
either that, or hit the road, apace ?

Indeed, I remember reading in the newspaper about a youthful
officer in the NYPD who was celebrating his birthday at a party
in his basement, attended by many of his friends in the police.
Obviously, thay 'd never even consider any use of alcohol in such circumstances.
There was clowning around posing for pictures,
including posing with his police friend (?) pointing a cocked
revolver at the birthday boy 's head. When the revolver
accidentally discharged (having been cocked) effecting an unauthorized encephalectomy
upon the birthday boy, there was very precipitous and motivated
use of the stairs in a mass exodus of police running the other way.


I expect u to disbelieve the following,
but I have seen video of blind men target shooting.
I can 't imagine how thay do it,
but . . . for what its worth.


`

U never know.

I can tie a running slip knot with thirteen loops in a New York minute.

We have had so many pro and anti gun threads that I no longer care to discuss it. I made a mistake to throw in my little rib like that.

Ive always wondered about the historical derivation of a hangmans knot. In boating, Ive always used a hangmans knot to secure eyelets or even clevises for quick clamping a tool to the boat, or boat to a dock or even a dinghy being towed along.