Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 8/7/84; site ucbvax.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ucbvax!wildbill From: wildbill@ucbvax.ARPA (William J. Laubenheimer) Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Re: Goetz annoying after awhile.... Message-ID: <4293@ucbvax.ARPA> Date: Mon, 21-Jan-85 18:29:41 EST Article-I.D.: ucbvax.4293 Posted: Mon Jan 21 18:29:41 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 22-Jan-85 06:20:24 EST References: <3279@alice.UUCP> <1168@teddy.UUCP> <318@cybvax0.UUCP> Reply-To: wildbill@ucbvax.UUCP (William J. Laubenheimer) Organization: University of California at Berkeley Lines: 36 Keywords: Goetz Summary: >NY Assistant District Attorney Susan Braver: >"... alleges that Goetz pulled out his gun and shot two of the youths in >the back as they moved away from him. 'Then he methodically fired at >two others who fled in the opposite direction,' Braver alleged... 'By >his admission, he intended to kill every one of them.'" >Source: Jan 4 Boston Globe. >Mike Huybensz ...decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh Under the standards of the jungle law that seems to govern parts of the NYC area these days, most groups of the sort encountered by Mr. Goetz regard an attack on any of their members as an attack upon the entire group. Therefore, Goetz, thinking that he had been placed in a situation where his life was in jeopardy from this group or a member thereof, and choosing to meet this threat by shooting a member of the group, at that time placed himself in mortal jeopardy from all members of that group. In order to remove himself from this position of mortal jeopardy, Goetz would have to arrest or incapacitate every member of that group. Any member of that group left at large would probably consider himself bound to attempt to kill Goetz in order to satisfy group honor, probably making such attempt before Goetz left the subway system. Goetz, despite his superior armament, obviously felt himself outnumbered by his younger opponents, and decided that the only way he could ensure his safety was to shoot them all, regardless of the fact that they appeared to be fleeing. If he had then turned the victims over to an appropriate authority (NYC or transit police), the only question I would have about the whole case is whether Goetz was justified in shooting in the first place. Why did Goetz leave? I think he just got scared. Glad I don't live in NYC, Bill Laubenheimer ----------------------------------------UC-Berkeley Computer Science ...Killjoy went that-a-way---> ucbvax!wildbill