MovieChat Forums > Woman on the Run (1951) Discussion > I See Why!!

I See Why!!

posted 14 years ago by HillieBoliday
7 replies | jump to latest

Good responsible citizens who actually witness crimes don't want to
get involved!!

He probably should have just suggested to the man in the upstairs window
to call the police......and then got the H*ll out of there!

I heard shots next door to my apartment building about 30 years ago;
didn't see the crime committed, but I did see the perpertrator come out.

Fortunately, he did NOT see me, and to the frantic urging of my father
who was also there at the time, I kept quiet for the safety of myself
and my young daughter!

Now on the other hand, the neighbor who lived across from the victim,
is the one who called the police. Although she also saw him, she couldn't
identify him....told the police that.....they took her down to the station
for more questioning, kept her ALL NIGHT LONG, although there wasn't much
she could tell them to go by.

That night, the police went to every apartment in my building asking
questions. I gave them specific answers: "I don't know who did it."
"I couldn't identify him." "I did not come out of my apartment."
"No, I did not see what happened." "Yes, I heard the shots."
All of my answers were the truth! When they asked me if I saw anyone
leaving the apartment...I answered..."Can't say that I did."
They took that answer to mean that I didn't see anyone..I meant
something totally different! LOL!!

My neighbor was sooooo stressed and worried after that; just in case that guy
was coming back....that she moved out......and WE DID TOO!!

The police WERE NOT CONCERNED about protecting her nor her identity!

I would never want to NOT HELP the authorities in catching someone who
needed to be caught, but I sure would use some wisdom as to how I was
going to give them information. Now, I think it's wise that the authorities
have a hotline that you can call and leave information...so much safer!

"OOO...I'M GON' TELL MAMA!"

[–] jangelic 13 years ago

When you say the Police were not concerned w protecting her or her identity, what exactly does that mean? you mean they didn't whisk her away and give her a new identity? Our court system allows anyone accused to face their accuser, you cannot be an anonymous witness to the defendant.

"Don't be a snitch" is a saying you hear implying that no one likes a rat. It also might implies that you'll get hurt if you turn someone in. yes, hard to say what I would do in a situation like that, but I'm sure the victim and the victim's family would urge Urge URGE you to help out. That's a tough one, do the right thing? or risk retaliation...

Too bad you didn't speak up, though.

[–] Local Hero 10 years ago

We all decide what we are and what we stand for, and only you know what you're comfortable with, but from my perspective, you made the wrong decision. You made a shameful decision. You made a decision I couldn't live with myself for making.

"I would never want to NOT HELP the authorities in catching someone who
needed to be caught..." Clearly, this is not true. You thought about your own convenience, not someone else's life.

[–] liscarkat-2 9 years ago

The original poster made the right decision. Nobody has any obligation to place himself or his family in jeopardy. The police do not care and will not help you.

[–] Local Hero 9 years ago

No one has a legal obligation, no, but they have a moral obligation, they have an obligation every day to decide who they are and what is the content of their character. If fear rules a person's life and keeps that person from making very basic right choices in life, then that person isn't really alive. A certain level of cowardice has to be shrugged off in order to be a human being.

[–] nomad472002 9 years ago

I guess it depends where you live. If you live in a jurisdiction where you are allowed to carry a firearm and defend yourself, then you can make an informed decision as to what level of risk you are willing to undertake.

If, on the other hand, you live in a place where you are not allowed to carry, and where self defense is strongly discouraged, (where only the criminals have guns), that is a different level of risk altogether. Adding yourself to the list of corpses, just to be a stand-up citizen does not help the victim at all.

I can remember when there was a gang-related killing not far from where I live. No one wanted to rat the gang banger out. A media-type said something like "Have a little backbone, people..."

That's easy to say, sitting in the safety of your office, and hiding behind your computer screen, encouraging others to put their lives at risk to identify people with guns, and hoping that they don't get you. It's a lottery, with your life at stake.

Yes, if you're not allowed to protect and defend yourself, you can be a coward, or you can be brave. And dead. Your choice.

[–] stargazer1701-1 8 years ago

I wonder if Hillie Bolliday has had sleepless nights about the decision they made about not getting involved. What happened to them was 30 yrs ago after all.

I got involved once. I saw an SOB beating on his girlfriend on the street. I pinned the SOB down on the sidewalk, neighbors must have seen what was going on through their windows because the cops came right away and slapped the cuffs on the guy. The cops thanked me, took my statement and off they went to book the SOB. I would have welcomed the SOB to come after me, but he never did because this was a coward. I dated the girlfriend for a few months after that. She called me her knight in shining armor. And she was wonderful.

Smoke me a kipper. I'll be back for breakfast

[–] SamoanJoes 8 years ago

The story of my life.