"Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police" by Martin Gansberg

This is a re-written journal entry, the prompt from which is found on page 124 of the Patterns for College Writing book, responding to the narrative article "Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police" by Martin Gansberg located on pages 120 through 123.


How could something like this happen? How? I want to ask myself over and over again why and how this event was allowed to unfold and run its course, but then I remind myself, it was an event over and done with before I was ever born. I have a very strong sense of justice, I believe, and I greatly fear getting into trouble or danger in general. I know that in that situation, I would want to call the police-- but a part of me feels I would be much too timid or afraid to actually press send after punching in the number. I think, despite how I spoke earlier in class, I'd be too scared to actually make the call. I'd make someone else do it. I'd... I wouldn't be able to. I, personally, would be in a shock.

That being said, you can very well assume that I wouldn't be able to bring myself to go outside and help. I hide, cringing, scared, probably crying, and would want to do anything to involve myself. I'd pretend it didn't happen. I'd block my ears to not hear the cries of help I would be too terrified to aid. Call me a hypocrite, but it's just not something I am capable of. It's like I had said the other day in class, when reading my free-write aloud-- I think I think too much, and I think far too much on my fears. And that, I fear, will be my greatest downfall.