So let me tell you a story.
This is the story of Catherine Susan Genovese, commonly known as Kitty Genovese. At approximately 3:20 on the morning of March 13, 1964, twenty-eight-year-old Kitty Genovese was returning to her home in a nice middle-class area of Queens, NY, from her job as a bar manager. She parked her red Fiat in a nearby parking lot, turned-off the lights and started the walk to her second floor apartment some 35 yards away. She got as far as a streetlight when a man grabbed her. She screamed. Lights went on in the 10-floor apartment building nearby. She yelled, “Oh, my God, he stabbed me! Please help me!” Windows opened in the apartment building and a man’s voice shouted, “Let that girl alone.” The attacker looked up, shrugged and walked-off down the street. Ms Genovese struggled to get to her feet. Lights went back off in the apartments. The attacker came back and stabbed her again. She again cried out, “I’m dying! I’m dying!” And again the lights came on and windows opened in many of the nearby apartments. The assailant again left and got into his car and drove away. Ms Genovese staggered to her feet as a city bus drove by. It was now 3:35 a.m. The attacker returned once again. He found her in a doorway at the foot of the stairs and he stabbed her a third time--this time with a fatal consequence. It was 3:50 when the police received the first call. They responded quickly and within two minutes were at the scene. Ms Genovese was already dead. The only person to call, a neighbor of Ms Genovese, revealed that he had phoned only after much thought and an earlier phone call to a friend. He said, “I didn’t want to get involved.”
Now I ask you to ponder this scenario and apply it to what you see on an everyday basis. Not murders. Not brutal killings. Just..actions. Everyday actions that we choose to look the other way on because it’s easier for us to say nothing and keep ourselves clean and uninvolved.
And ask yourself..as much as innocent bystanders try not to get involved, how innocent are they when the carnage is over and nothing but destruction remains? Are they too not as guilty as the chaos bringers? Do they not share the blame for their own inaction? COULD they have stopped the events that took place? Or would their actions have made no difference?
Deep thoughts, Jack. Deep thoughts.
And just so you don’t think I’m all doom and gloom..here’s a quote from last night that made me laugh so hard..
“Wait..I wasn’t clicking it. I thought you were.”
“Well..I wasn’t clicking it..I thought it was you.”
“Blissie..”
“Sorry.”
:)
Until next time,
B
