In the article Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn 't Call Police, author Martin Gansberg recalls the events that occurred on the night of March 13, 1964. "38 respectful, law abiding citizens" (120) stood idle as Kitty Genovese was hunted down on three separate occasions and murdered. Not once was an attempt made to alert authorities, an action that may have resulted in Kitty 's life being spared. When questioned, the spectators had a multitude of excuses for why they had not notified authorities, some of which included, "I didn 't want to get involved," (122) and even, "I was tired" (123). This article demonstrates the violence of this time period and the unwillingness of humans to assist those in need. This span of time is known for its "complex transition" (120) …show more content…
Not only did the reaction of Kitty 's neighbors demonstrate how gruesome this era was, but they also displayed a recurring theme in American history. Nobody that noticed Kitty 's altercation attempted to aid the helpless woman. When interviewed, most replied, "I didn 't want to get involved" (122) or some form of that response, such as, "I didn 't want my husband to get involved" (122). One woman even responded with, "We thought it was lover 's quarrel" (122). Although none of these are reasonable excuses, they do not reach the level of selfishness one man 's response does. A man emotionlessly responded, "I was tired" (123) so he "went back to bed" (123). Another human 's life should prioritized in front of personal wants and should not be an alternate choice to one 's desires. When human nature is thought of, a constant characteristic that appears in people 's minds is the ability of human 's to place themselves in front of others. This characteristic combined with a gruesome period in American history resulted in a horrific event that is still talked about today. America has moved passed this era of violence and trouble, but should never forget the innocent life that was lost due to the carelessness