Richmond High
Oct. 30th, 2009 12:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
drewkitty"Richmond High gang rape, lack of action from onlookers outrages community"
http://www.contracostatimes.com/richmond-school-homecoming-rape
I wrote a story for a college fiction class which described pretty much that. The venue was a party in a private home in a rich area, not out in public. The main character's dilemma was whether or not to call. The class instructor frostily informed me that such things did not happen and graded the essay a C-.
Idiot fool.
I am also thinking of the similar gang rape involving the DeAnza College baseball team last year in which no action is being taken. The victim in this case was rescued by female soccer players who interrupted the rape.
The sociologist in me is neither surprised nor dismayed. Thugs will gang-rape unless they are prevented or deterred. Once the crime has commenced, they will not stop until they are made to stop.
So the question for ordinary people is whether or not to make that call.
My quite possibly uncomfortable question for you is this:
Would you have?
http://www.contracostatimes.com/richmond-school-homecoming-rape
I wrote a story for a college fiction class which described pretty much that. The venue was a party in a private home in a rich area, not out in public. The main character's dilemma was whether or not to call. The class instructor frostily informed me that such things did not happen and graded the essay a C-.
Idiot fool.
I am also thinking of the similar gang rape involving the DeAnza College baseball team last year in which no action is being taken. The victim in this case was rescued by female soccer players who interrupted the rape.
The sociologist in me is neither surprised nor dismayed. Thugs will gang-rape unless they are prevented or deterred. Once the crime has commenced, they will not stop until they are made to stop.
So the question for ordinary people is whether or not to make that call.
My quite possibly uncomfortable question for you is this:
Would you have?
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no subject
Date: 2009-10-30 11:38 pm (UTC)Yes.
Date: 2009-10-31 02:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-01 08:55 pm (UTC)Approached personally to put a stop to the crime, gotten photos, reports, etc? If safe to do so, yes. If within the means I had at hand with acceptable levels of risk, yes. I'm well enough aware of the potential threats and the dangers of attempting to intervene against probably armed and criminally dangerous perpetrators while unarmed yourself (or inadequately armed, outnumbered, etc), that I might make the decision to observe from a safe distance and wait for the police to arrive rather than get myself killed in a futile attempt to stop a crime without the means to enforce that action.
But yes, I'd definitely call the police and inform them of crime in progress and assist in any way requested by police.
I'm also well-enough aware of the dangers and hazards in attempting to act on one's own and/or play vigilante that, on notifying police and awaiting their imminent arrival, I'd also follow their instructions and requests and do my best to NOT get in their way or impede their actions-- as well as ensure that I do not present a threat to them or appear to be another perpetrator/criminal.