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Post by devilschaplain2 on Apr 4, 2009 13:13:46 GMT -5
I found an incredibly depressing article concerning a 25 year-old woman from Queens, N.Y. named Maria Besedina who was raped in the NYC subway. Although she screamed for help as she was dragged down the stairs, and many people including the subway conductor witnessed the crime, no one came to her rescue. The crime was committed in 2005 and there are still no suspects, meaning the rapist is probably still out there, abusing more women. A judge recently ruled that there was no negligance on the part of the subway conductor as he did muster just enough energy to call the command center in order to notify the police. Maria Besedina-Another Unfortunate Rape Victim news.aol.com/article/subway-rape-victim/414280?icid=mainwww.nypost.com/seven/04022009/news/regionalnews/rape_victim__subway_workers_inaction_dep_162562.htmAnd now my opinion of humanity has just fallen another notch....
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Post by peanutfan on Apr 4, 2009 13:36:17 GMT -5
I feel like I should be surprised, but really...I'm not.
Our culture has inoculated us with such a sense of "me first, everyone else never" that it would have surprised me more if someone in the station had done something as stupid as throw a bag of Skittles at the guy's head to distract him and give Maria a POSSIBLE chance to escape, but did nothing else. I can't even promise I would have done more than that...I hope that I would, but such things can't be told for certain until you face the situation, and I haven't.
Given the fact that some criminals have successfully sued their victims when they (the criminals) were injured in the course of their crimes, it just doesn't surprise me that the judge ruled "no misconduct" on the conductor's part. For better or worse, subway conductors aren't trained to be security guards; that's what the metro police are for. Yes, it would have been nice if the conductor had gone above and beyond, but he did his job by informing central command to get the police, and I just can't find it in my heart to hate him for not being willing to risk more than that. If anything, I pity him and all the other nonintervening bystanders for being so jaded against human suffering or fearful of reprisal that they couldn't find it in themselves to help.
I don't blame the bystanders; it's a part of the sick culture we live in that other people aren't worth helping, especially complete strangers you'll never see again. But I am very, very saddened by this.
What say we put the Republican theory of media influence into effect and start including more of those golden-hearted outlaw bikers who stop crap like this when they see it in our movies and TV. Maybe it'll have a positive effect.
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Post by Thejebusfire on Apr 4, 2009 14:47:58 GMT -5
I'm fucking speechless. That's just horrible.
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Post by Mira on Apr 4, 2009 16:37:44 GMT -5
A weird thing happens when multiple people witness a crime. They are more likely to ignore it because they just figure that one of the other witnesses will help.
Its a sad thing indeed.
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Post by deliciousdemon on Apr 4, 2009 17:11:51 GMT -5
A weird thing happens when multiple people witness a crime. They are more likely to ignore it because they just figure that one of the other witnesses will help. Its a sad thing indeed. Or bystanders don't take it seriously. I see people mock fighting or arguing or shouting all the time in the city centre and I never assume that anyone is in danger. I hope that I could recognise a real situation and call the police--but I think a lot of people would feel potentially embarrassed for getting the police involved if there was no need.
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Post by Lady Renae on Apr 4, 2009 17:47:20 GMT -5
This is why so many people think I'm a thrill-seeking psychopath. If I saw that, I would engage in violence on the son of a bitch, and fast. If I could not restrain him, I would injure him so he could not get away. Failing that, I would fight him until the cops showed up or one of the other of us was either dead or unconscious. I would claw the asshole's eyes out if I had to. Before doing this, I would pull out my cell phone and call the cops. I would inform them that a woman was getting raped, I was about to go stop him, and they needed to make sure an ambulance or two came along as fast as possible because unless the guy was a coward, a weakling, or a wimp, there would most likely be some serious injuries by the time they got there; then I would put the phone on speakerphone and set it in my back pocket so they wouldn't lose the connection since my phone has GPS, and I would engage in the interference.
Coming from a man, people see this as anywhere from honorable to badass to stupid yet understandable. It is not, however, condemned.
From a female, especially one such as myself, it elicits shocked, disgusted, horrified, terrified, and severely pissed off reactions from virtually everyone, and people would even try to restrain and prevent said female from getting involved. As far as I'm concerned, all those people can fuck the hell off.
If you won't do something, I will, and you can't stop me. Learn to give a damn, people. Seriously.
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Post by devilschaplain2 on Apr 4, 2009 18:09:45 GMT -5
This is why so many people think I'm a thrill-seeking psychopath. If I saw that, I would engage in violence on the son of a bitch, and fast. If I could not restrain him, I would injure him so he could not get away. Failing that, I would fight him until the cops showed up or one of the other of us was either dead or unconscious. I would claw the asshole's eyes out if I had to. Before doing this, I would pull out my cell phone and call the cops. I would inform them that a woman was getting raped, I was about to go stop him, and they needed to make sure an ambulance or two came along as fast as possible because unless the guy was a coward, a weakling, or a wimp, there would most likely be some serious injuries by the time they got there; then I would put the phone on speakerphone and set it in my back pocket so they wouldn't lose the connection since my phone has GPS, and I would engage in the interference. Coming from a man, people see this as anywhere from honorable to badass to stupid yet understandable. It is not, however, condemned. From a female, especially one such as myself, it elicits shocked, disgusted, horrified, terrified, and severely pissed off reactions from virtually everyone, and people would even try to restrain and prevent said female from getting involved. As far as I'm concerned, all those people can fuck the hell off. If you won't do something, I will, and you can't stop me. Learn to give a damn, people. Seriously. Yeah, the first thing that went through my mind was that I'd have gone Bernie Goetz on his ass.....
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Post by Mira on Apr 4, 2009 18:11:07 GMT -5
Wow, it seems a lust for vengeance is a highly sought trait in a mod.
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Post by devilschaplain2 on Apr 4, 2009 18:13:09 GMT -5
Wow, it seems a lust for vengeance is a highly sought trait in a mod. Yeah but if it's violence directed at cowardly scumbags like rapists then I think we can give her a free pass (or a machete so she can hunt him down).
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Post by Lady Renae on Apr 4, 2009 19:22:16 GMT -5
It isn't a lust for vengeance so much as a willingness and ability to do whatever it takes to protect others. A few of my friends call me a dragon for that reason, though I'm not sure exactly why.
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Post by Old Viking on Apr 4, 2009 19:42:24 GMT -5
Good for you, Lady Renae. Crowd psychology or no, I don't see how people can simply stand by. I'm getting long in the tooth for hand-to-hand, but I like to think that, in a situation like this, I would at least try to help.
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Post by the sandman on Apr 4, 2009 21:08:58 GMT -5
Wow, it seems a lust for vengeance is a highly sought trait in a mod. That's an awfully broad brush you got there....
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Post by Mira on Apr 5, 2009 3:21:32 GMT -5
I am sure you hack up playgrounds in your free time, Mr. Mod.
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Post by antichrist on Apr 5, 2009 11:06:13 GMT -5
This is why I want to go back to smaller towns. It's been proven over and over that people are more likely to actually help in smaller population areas.
I've actually been berated by 911 operators for calling things in. People who were laying on the ground were "probably drunk", and in a couple of other cases they were short with me because "people have called that in already". How the fuck was I supposed to know that? In two cases it was a fire, would you rather I ignored it? Would they rather everyone just assumed someone else called it in until the fire took off?
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Post by Aqualung on Apr 5, 2009 11:37:49 GMT -5
That's so sad that no one would stop to help her.
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