One night you’re home in your domicile sound asleep and you are woken at 3:20 A.M. by a woman outside screaming. You wake up see what all the commotion is and you peer out of your bedroom window; pulling back the curtains to a lurid view of a man stabbing a woman. You make a quip remake to your spouse saying it’s a relationship quarrel, it will end. Not thinking it would be her life that would.

The lady, Ms. Genovese, was coming home from work one night when this tragic event occurred. She pulled into the parking lot and noticed a man in the corner he followed and stabbed her. She screamed, “Oh, my God, he stabbed me! Please help me! Please help me!” Then one man from the apartment buildings yelled down, “let that girl alone.” The man stabbed her again she shrieked, “I’m dying! I’m dying!” According to Martin Gansberg the whole thing could have been avoided.

The elapse time in between stabbings was sporadic and left plenty of time for any of the 38 on-seers to get help. Not one person felt the need to obviate because they thought she was safe. WRONG! If you were put in that position what would you do? Call the Police? Yes. This act was not meticulously planned out, but still no one stopped him. Most people would do all they could to help a victim; not stand by and watch. They would not do anything rash to put themselves in harms way, which is understandable. It was a lax move on the on-seers part to not make a simple phone call.

Looking back on this night all we can do is conjecture what the people were thinking. They seemed to have felt no need to help a woman being stabbed. Put yourself in her shoes. What if that was happening to you? A man coming back several times over a time period of 35 minutes to keep stabbing you and all you can do is scream. You see people watching, you hear someone yell, but no other action was taken. If you had the chance to help someone, would you step in and help?