Re: Bernhard Goetz (was: the 1980s) (680143)

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Posted by Peter Rosa on Wed Mar 24 22:09:16 2004, in response to Re: Bernhard Goetz (was: the 1980s),
posted by Windsor Terrace Economist on Wed Mar 24 21:15:14 2004.

Goetz was a young, slightly built engineer from Poughkeepsie. He had been robbed before, and injured in the robbery -- that's why he got the gun. He had been asked for money. The teens were carrying screwdrivers, but not weapons. He said, "I've got five dollars for each of you," pulled out the gun and started shooting. Could he have said "buzz off" and been left alone? Did he assume he was going to be assaulted because they were black? Was that a fair assumption? Etc. Etc. Etc. And of course the subways were much worse, and seemed menacing too.

It would be interesting to compare subway crime statistics at the time of the Goetz incident with today's. I would not be suprised if violent crime rates were 2X what they are now, and of course the perception was very bad too.

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