And I am reminded, on this holy day, of the sad story of Kitty Genovese. As you all may remember, a long time ago, almost thirty years ago, this poor soul cried out for help time and time again, but no person answered her calls. Though many saw, no one so much as called the police. They all just watched as Kitty was being stabbed to death in broad daylight. They watched as her assailant walked away. Now, we must all fear evil men. But there is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men.

The phenomenon of bystander apathy is more complicated than mere "indifference" FYI.

Those who can act and don't are deserving of being sheeple.  Cowards die a thousand deaths.

then why, ON THIS SITE, have i seen threads like "if you were at ____ and someone started to rob the store, would you draw down?" and half the answers are "no?"  

ROCCO!

Quoted: then why, ON THIS SITE, have i seen threads like "if you were at ____ and someone started to rob the store, would you draw down?" and half the answers are "no?"

That's a Robbery   It's different than a woman screaming    
Kitty was stalked and stabbed over a half hour period

Damn, that's bad...

Quoted: And I am reminded, on this holy day, of the sad story of Kitty Genovese. As you all may remember, a long time ago, almost thirty years ago, this poor soul cried out for help time and time again, but no person answered her calls. Though many saw, no one so much as called the police. They all just watched as Kitty was being stabbed to death in broad daylight. They watched as her assailant walked away. Now, we must all fear evil men. But there is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men.

Just as another point of clarification, she was NOT killed in "broad daylight" - but around 3:00 AM.

Again, I encourage people to understand the psychological phenomenon of bystander apathy before incorrectly assuming that peoples' inaction in invariably an indication of "indifference" or "selfishness" or similar dispositional inferences.  Wikpedia actually has a pretty decent summary: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect

Quoted: then why, ON THIS SITE, have i seen threads like "if you were at ____ and someone started to rob the store, would you draw down?" and half the answers are "no?"

+1

Good question.  I also have heard the same thing from members here on ARFCOM, "Nope, I wouldn't get involved.  Not my business."

Let's just hope that for those who take this position, none of your family will ever need help.

CMOS

Quoted: Quoted: then why, ON THIS SITE, have i seen threads like "if you were at ____ and someone started to rob the store, would you draw down?" and half the answers are "no?"   That's a Robbery   It's different than a woman screaming     Kitty was stalked and stabbed over a half hour period

i see no difference.  it's the selfish indifference by people who have the ABILITY to help who CHOOSE to not do so.  What if the robber shoots the clerk?  You could have saved that innocent life, but instead decided to not get involved.

all that is required for evil to flourish is for good to do nothing

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: then why, ON THIS SITE, have i seen threads like "if you were at ____ and someone started to rob the store, would you draw down?" and half the answers are "no?"   That's a Robbery   It's different than a woman screaming     Kitty was stalked and stabbed over a half hour period i see no difference.  it's the selfish indifference by people who have the ABILITY to help who CHOOSE to not do so.  What if the robber shoots the clerk?  You could have saved that innocent life, but instead decided to not get involved. all that is required for evil to flourish is for good to do nothing

Yep, Spiderman made that same mistake.

Connor: You know what I think is psycho, Roc? It's decent men with loving families. They come home every day after work and they turn on the news. You know what they see? They see rapists, and murderers and child molestors. They're all getting out of prison. Murphy: Mafiosos. Getting caught with twenty kilos. Getting out on bail the same fucking day. Connor: And everywhere, everyone thinks the same thing: that someone should just go kill those motherfuckers. Murphy: Kill 'em all. Admit it. Even you've thought about it.

Hoping they eventual release the sequal "All Saints Day".......

Now you will receive us. We do not ask for your poor or your hungry. We do not want your tired and sick. It is your corrupt we claim. It is your evil that will be sought by us. With every breath, we shall hunt them down. Each day we will spill their blood until it rains down from the skies. Do not kill, do not rape, do not steal, these are principles which every man of every faith can embrace. These are not polite suggestions. These are codes of behavior and those of you that ignore them will pay the dearest cost. There are varying degrees of evil, we urge you lesser forms of filth not to push the bounds and cross over into true corruption, into our domain. But if you do, one day you will look behind you and you will see we three and on that day you will reap it. And we will send you to which ever god you wish.

Quoted: i see no difference.  it's the selfish indifference by people who have the ABILITY to help who CHOOSE to not do so.  What if the robber shoots the clerk?  You could have saved that innocent life, but instead decided to not get involved. all that is required for evil to flourish is for good to do nothing

Absolutely Citizens should get involved

The Question I pose to people who refuse to own Guns is this

An intruder enters your home and has your wife at Knifepoint
But you don't own a Gun and feel that just giving him what he wants will end the confrontation
Then he begins to stab your wife
You attempt to stop the intruder but he's too powerful and he hits you repeatedly and you pass out on the floor
You've already hit 911 on speed dial and the Cops on the way
When they arrive you're wife is still being assaulted at knifepoint
What would you want the cops to do when they arrive ?

Answer: I'd want them to Kill him

Okay you don't believe in the taking of another Human Life and Refuse to own a Gun but you expect someone else to Kill when you are clearly unable

In some States or Counties the Cops don't want Citizens to get involved
They want to be the Exclusive Authority in your personal defense

Your Situation about a Robbery is Hypothetical and given a Real Situation I think you have to be discerning
If it's Five guys in the Bank ( This happened to a Co-worker ) I think it would be dumb to draw down on Multiple Bad Guys by yourself
There was a Bank Robbery here osme years back and a Former NYPD Cop laid low then chased the guys and would up ramming their car some miles down the road
You think the Cops would have been appreciative
Instead he was Chastised on TV for his involvement
In a Perfect World Citizens would deal with Criminals swiftly without fear of repurcusions

My personal incident
2 AM there's pounding on my door
I run downstairs and it's my neighbor ( young girl 21ish) she's hysterical telling me about a Carload of guys that followed her home
I'm in my underwear so I pull her in the house my wife starts to calm her but immediately dials 911
I throw on Pants as fast as I can stuff my feet in the nearsest pair of shoes and grab my Gun and run outside
It took me all of minute maybe    They were gone  I'm on a dead end street so I think they just reversed it out of there
It took the first Patrol Car 45 Minutes to arrive
And then it was a supervisor and he refused to take a report
Waited another 10 minutes or so for a Patrolman to arrive and take her report

Quoted: Your Situation about a Robbery is Hypothetical and given a Real Situation I think you have to be discerning If it's Five guys in the Bank ( This happened to a Co-worker ) I think it would be dumb to draw down on Multiple Bad Guys by yourself There was a Bank Robbery here osme years back and a Former NYPD Cop laid low then chased the guys and would up ramming their car some miles down the road You think the Cops would have been appreciative Instead he was Chastised on TV for his involvement In a Perfect World Citizens would deal with Criminals swiftly without fear of repurcusions

who cares what TV thinks?  doing what's RIGHT isn't always what's popular.  it may also not be what is the safest for YOU, but perhaps is the right thing to do.

And shepards we shall be, for thee my lord.................

A bump before I go out for the night.