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From: david@fisher.UUCP (David Rubin)
Newsgroups: net.legal,net.politics
Subject: Re: NYC subway "hero"
Message-ID: <491@fisher.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 19-Jan-85 10:40:46 EST
Article-I.D.: fisher.491
Posted: Sat Jan 19 10:40:46 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 20-Jan-85 05:43:49 EST
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Xref: watmath net.legal:1330 net.politics:6979

I've been rather concerned at the haste of many to beatify Goetz
without knowing what the man actually did.  Some interesting facts
that are now coming out:

	(1) Goetz, in his videotaped confession to Concord, NH police,
	    never claimed that the famous screwdrivers (tools for
	    breaking into video game coinboxes) were brandished.
	    Instead, he said the four apporoached him for $5, and the
	    "gleam" in the eye of one of the delinquents led him to
	    believe they were having fun.  He concluded that that fun
	    was to beat him senseless. So far, so good.

	(2) After he produced the gun, the "gleam" turned into a look
	    "fear".  Natural enough.

	(3) As the delinquents attempted flight, Goetz gunned them
	    down (two were shot in the back).  He claimed that the
	    reason he stopped shooting was that he ran out of bullets.
	    He admitted he shot one of his harrassers a second time,
	    when the first bullet left him wounded but standing.

	(4) Some of his bullets of the dum-dum variety, indicating
	    that the infliction of pain was as much on his mind as
	    self-defense.

	(5) He expressed regret at not having been carrying his car
	    keys at the time, as he would have gouged out the eyes of
	    his victims as they lay on the subway floor.

I conclude Goetz was a homicidal maniac, and I'd rather be on a subway
car with the delinquents than with him.  Compare Goetz's case with
that of the anonymous Chicago man who, when confronted with an actual
threat to his life (two hoodlums armed with knives), shot one and
permitted the other to flee.  Maybe that man was a hero, but Goetz is
a nut.

						David Rubin