Who remember the Central Park jogger case...?

[Karl]

Watched a documentary on the Central Park 5 just a few months ago on Netflix. It is really troubling the things that can happen to you when you look a certain way and are from a certain part of town. We also need to remember this kind of thing happens not just in the USA but anywhere that basic human rights are violated.

I may have mentioned on the forum before that when i was a teenager visiting the Bronx I actually met one of the youths involved in the Bernie Goetz case. He was still in a wheelchair resulting from the gunshot and eventually died I believe. Honestly though, I have mixed feelings about the Goetz case as I do think they were planning to rob him. However Goetz clearly lost it and went past the point of just defending himself.

Happy for the Central Park 5.

...that Goetz case had me conflicted as I had street level experience [The University of the Streets ]...on the fine line between living and dying at the hands of a gun - (looked into the barrel of gun *5 times and lived through the death of acquaintances killed on the streets of New York).

Unfortunately in the New York of that time...and I suppose under any similar circumstance regardless of locality it is a split second decision on gunning down the assailants or no. ...and once there is more than one assailant...once a decision is made to start shooting you cannot stop baring being hit and limit on weapon occurs, unless all the standing assailants flee.

It is just too bad when guns come into play that to terminate return of fire or fire once initiated except for the circumstances above, must be done at one's own peril.

The limits on human physical capability determines decision on terminating fire. -- e.g. range of vision...and time constraints within which to make determination...sensible determination on 'next act' in context of personal danger.

*Had originally written 3. On thinking on the incidents, I recalled 5!

[Islandman]

Five times! Wow.

Years ago I was robbed by 2 teenagers on Shortwood Road. Fortunately they didn't have guns, only knives. Yet when it was over and they took off I remember thinking that if I had a gun there is NO DOUBT I would have taken them both out. Once that self-preservation instinct takes over all bets are off as to how you will react.

[HL]

Dinkins to me was status quo. As the first Black mayor he had to appease certain groups. Giuliani was different. He did not care a rats' ass who was happy or displeased.

He had just put John Gotti out of commission, and his next project was to clean-up NYC. And he did.

After he balanced the budget...he turned his attention to quality of life issues.

You mention Times Square...add 42nd St to the list...

Simple quality issues like j-walking, honking of horns, pan-handlers, squeegee-boys--the list goes on.

During this time president Clinton had his policy on crime in full swing. That with Giuliani's methods reduced crime in NYC drastically.

Again I may not agree with is politics--but his management style is great for turning any system around.

BTW: Jamaica would do well to hire him to turn thing around....

[Karl]

Five times! Wow.

Years ago I was robbed by 2 teenagers on Shortwood Road. Fortunately they didn't have guns, only knives. Yet when it was over and they took off I remember thinking that if I had a gun there is NO DOUBT I would have taken them both out. Once that self-preservation instinct takes over all bets are off as to how you will react.

Looking back on it - FULL 100 with you on that WOW!
Was in the cab business and the things I saw and heard would curl the blood.

...can understand how you felt. I remember on a few of those occasions the first reaction immediately after the incidents and even during 1 where I ran - Would have made Quarrie luk lacka bwoy - was blinding rage!!!