Martin Gansberg, a reporter for New York Times, wrote a sad, emotional and unforgivable essay about the death of Kitty Genovese in 1964. This essay titled "38 Who Saw Murder Didn't Call Police" is not a mundane essay that only gives some detailed accounts about how Genovese was killed by her assailant. It is an essay that depicts vivid details of the murder and neighbors who witnessed the murder and showed no emotional reactions toward the gruesome event. Gansberg"s underline meaning of this essay is to let the general public critically think about the definition of what a human being is? Do human beings have feelings? In Gansberg's essay, he pointed out two very important reasons that caused the 38 neighbors who witness the murder to be unemotional toward the ill fate of Genovese. The sad, pathetic and unforgivable reasons are selfish and apprehensive feelings that deeply embedded in the human nature. This is what caused the down fall of Genovese and many other similar events in our society. .
Selfishness is in everyone's nature. This is a trait that God blessed to human beings so they can protect themselves. Selfishness is commonly misinterpreted. It is, in this current society, despised and hated by most people. But without it, human beings are vulnerable to be attacked by others, exploiters. It is the limit of selfishness differentiates human beings from animals. For example, a group of mountain goats get stalked by a mountain lion. The mountain lion take one of the members of the goats. The rest of group would only stand at a distant and watch the lion devours their "friend or neighbor." But as human beings, should the neighbors of Genovese just watch or go back to sleep while she is being murdered? Gansberg's answer could be deferred to be "No." He wants the normal, general population to rethink of what is the right criteria of being selfishness. Gansberg thinks human beings should raise their emotional awareness and their moral standard.
