# I think I've located the dumbest and/or sickest person in the world **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 6, 2006, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-ive-located-the-dumbest-and-or-sickest-person-in-the-world/355659 "2006-05-06T09:44:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-ive-located-the-dumbest-and-or-sickest-person-in-the-world/355659/21 "2006-05-07T05:10:55Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] In 1968, he managed to escape briefly and used his temporary freedom to rape a woman in front of her husband. He was recaptured (apologizing to the couple for the “inconvenience” he had caused them) … [/QUOTE] Further proof that the death penalty is sometimes warranted. Indeed, had he been executed, he wouldn’t have been able to “inconvenience” that poor woman or anyone else, ever. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-ive-located-the-dumbest-and-or-sickest-person-in-the-world/355659/22 "2006-05-07T20:58:33Z")
Actually, I wasn’t being sarcastic. There was no 911 system and most everybody would have had to go find the phone book to find the number for the police, although I guess you could also dial 0 for operator. **KayElCee** posted a good article that has a sidebar all about what it was like calling the police in those bad old days. Interesting reading. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-ive-located-the-dumbest-and-or-sickest-person-in-the-world/355659/23 "2006-05-07T22:23:27Z")
Why has no one mentioned the obvious homophobia in this case? Kittie Genovese was an open **lesbian** , living with her lesbian lover. This in a working-class NYC neighborhood, in 1964. Many of those neighbors thought that was offensive, and apparently didn’t seem to care much when she was assaulted. Is that surprising? Even now, 32 years later, gay & lesbian kids are assaulted daily in schools across this country, and most of the time, the witnesses do nothing. Even teachers are witnesses, and they usually do nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-ive-located-the-dumbest-and-or-sickest-person-in-the-world/355659/24 "2006-05-08T03:13:00Z")
[QUOTE=t-bonham@scc.net] Why has no one mentioned the obvious homophobia in this case? [/QUOTE] The link provided by KayElCee provides considerable detail about the case, none of which is particularly consistent with homophobia among the witnesses. Do you have some specific reason why it’s “obvious”? ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-ive-located-the-dumbest-and-or-sickest-person-in-the-world/355659/25 "2006-05-08T05:07:32Z")
Sorry **bluethree** I thought you were being sarcastic particularly when you said “they’d have to dial all 7 numbers”. [bitter sarcasm] Yes, that would be quite labor-intensive and for what? To stop a rape or a murder? Hell, give that dialing finger a rest and save it for something _really_ important - dialing for a pizza delivery or to be the 17th caller in a radio contest. [/bitter sarcasm] Anyway, that’s the way I thought you meant it to be taken. 🙂 **KarlGauss** - I agree with you. Winston Moseley is a great justification for invoking the death penalty. ---
**Author:** ![beebee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47774/32.png) [@beebee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beebee)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-ive-located-the-dumbest-and-or-sickest-person-in-the-world/355659/26 "2006-05-08T09:41:30Z")
there are times when it pays to live in a neighborhood full of yentas. if she had been stabbed here, 50 or so people would be out with guns, baseball bats and golf clubs. and cell phones. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-ive-located-the-dumbest-and-or-sickest-person-in-the-world/355659/27 "2006-05-08T20:31:30Z")
I thought about it some more and realized that they only had _dial_ phones back then, too. They didn’t just tap 7 numbers, they had to _dial_ them. The point I’m trying to make is that it was a totally different mindset back then before 911. Like the sidebar in KayElCee’s article says, the operator would argue with you, the police officer or clerk would tell you to mind your own business and not call the police, etc. Anyway, it looks like the press painted a wildly inaccurate picture of the whole affair. Only three eyewitnesses, someone did call during the first attack, etc. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-ive-located-the-dumbest-and-or-sickest-person-in-the-world/355659/28 "2006-05-08T20:34:50Z")
[QUOTE=bluethree] Anyway, it looks like the press painted a wildly inaccurate picture of the whole affair. Only three eyewitnesses, someone did call during the first attack, etc. [/QUOTE] If so, that’s great. However, people in groups are still largely useless without a leader, as such it’s fairly difficult getting help without making eye contact or identifying a specific individual and asking them personally to come to your aide. There’s a good chance you’ll stumble upon a group with an eccentric individualist who will set an example and motivate the entire group to be useful, but are you going to take that gamble? ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-ive-located-the-dumbest-and-or-sickest-person-in-the-world/355659/29 "2006-05-08T20:38:46Z")
Good lord. That guy has got to be a textbook sociopath. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-ive-located-the-dumbest-and-or-sickest-person-in-the-world/355659.md?page=1)