Thirty Eight Who Saw Murder Didn't Call The Police by Martin Gansberg is the unfortunate story of Catherine Genovese, a woman who was stabbed thrice by a psychologically unstable man, and left to die by the thirty eight neighbors in her apartment building. Miss Genovese was stalked by her assassin upon returning from her place of employment at her bar nearby. The time was approximately 3:35 AM in the residential area in Queens when Miss Genovese was first attacked. Upon being attacked she yelled out " Oh, my God, he stabbed me! Please help me! Please help me!" despite her cries for help the apathetic citizens simply ignored the commotion some assuming it was " a lover's quarrel" (Gansberg 103). After the woman was stabbed three times she finally died on the doorstep of her apartment. Only after she passed away did her neighbor decide to call the police. The police arrived in two minutes, if someone had called earlier that woman might be alive today.
Upon reading the story of Miss Genovese and the thirty eight witnesses to her murder I felt sickened at the lack of humility and apathy the thirty eight demonstrated. Personally I do not know how I would react in the situation if it were 3 AM and I heard blood curdling screams from outside of my window. It did not help to know that the police arrived so quickly but only after Miss Genovese had been fatally stabbed. Overall this passage saddens me and only further fuels my pessimistic view of humanity.
In my opinion the theme of Gansberg's passage is to do the right thing when your fellow man is in trouble. For example call the police when someone is being attacked, help someone who is stranded on the side of the road, or help a child find his lost mother. Too often do we just pass others in trouble without giving them a chance. Who knows you could save someones life just by dialing 911.
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Alex Simpson
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