Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 7/1/84; site wuphys.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxj!houxm!ihnp4!mgnetp!we53!busch!wucs!wuphys!del From: del@wuphys.UUCP (Dave de Lake) Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Re: How to get my Goetz, or, don't stop the crime-shoot the suspect Message-ID: <192@wuphys.UUCP> Date: Fri, 18-Jan-85 22:41:58 EST Article-I.D.: wuphys.192 Posted: Fri Jan 18 22:41:58 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 20-Jan-85 05:47:07 EST References: <3252@alice.UUCP> Organization: Physics Dept., Washington Univ. in St. Louis Lines: 61 > > Well, I've finally blown my cool on this issue. > > Goetz had a gun. He clearly was in command of the situation. Why > (assuming he was ALLOWED to carry the gun, another loaded question) > didn't he say "Freeze, sucker, or I'll waste you!" and then back out of > whatever situation he was in, or wait/summon New York's finest. > Because in a previous attempted mugging Goetz found out just how effective "New York's finest" are allowed to be under a criminal justice system which appears to protect the criminal more often than the victim. > Why? Damned if I know. I don't know the tactical situation either! It's probably pretty hard to think clearly when you are probably about to get threatened by four guys on the subway. > None the less, assuming that he did have the superior weaponry, > it seems to me that he could have bluffed his way out of the situation instead > of blowing the hoods away. (I'm assuming for the purposes of this article > that they were criminals, since that puts Goetz in the worst situation, as far > as being endangered. If they weren't, his legal and ethical position is even worse.) Ditto > > I don't think Goetz is a hero. I think he is an anti-hero. > I'm more than a bit disgusted with those who think he IS a hero. > People who have been shown time after time after time that the criminals seem to get away with such crimes without compensating the victims probably think he is a hero. People who won't get mugged on the subway next week because some punks are afraid to try it might think he is a hero. I agree that he is not a hero, what he did was wrong; on the other hand, what he did was probably what he considered the ONLY way to achieve his perception of justice. Goetz at least as much of a victim of society as the punks. > > I'll say it once more. I think that people should be allowed to buy guns, > and to keep them. I also think that anyone who buys a gun MUST BE CLEARLY > educated as to the EFFECTS OF FIRING the weapon. You mean that it could kill someone, or that it could save your life on the subway? *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** Message? What message? Oh is that the idea behind this? Dave Lake @ read it off the top you lazy scum...