bernie goetz arrested.

[DesertFlower]

4. i disagree. the man was mugged

2 or 3 times and decided to arm himself. i lived in new york till late '89 and there was a lot of crime. i worked on 42nd and 6th. i worked late a lot. i got a limo after 7pm because it was considered dangerous to ride public transportation. most companies provided limos after 7pm -- some were 8 pm. i carried mace. there were times when it was late at night and i walked down 42nd st. to get something to eat.

i lived in a predominantly white jewish neighborhood and my next door neighbor was mugged 4 times -- not by blacks, but by whites. seeing a black person in my neighborhood was rare.

i had a friend/co-worker who resembled bernie. he was mugged in the subway on a holiday in the daytime. he had to use crutches for a month.

i remember one night i was working late. i went into the lawyer's office to see if he was ready for me. he was white as a sheet. i said "john what's wrong"? he said "i just saw a woman get shot". it was 6 pm at night. he went out to get a sandwich. this was an innocent woman who got caught in crossfire. it was on 6th avenue right outside bryant park.