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January 29, 2005
Your Money or Your Life
I have this theory that you should NEVER cooperate with a mugger. This theory rests on the premise that the odds of them shooting you are small (since if they planned on killing you, they would probably shoot you first, then take your money). Moreover, I think you should always resist crime--kind of like the U.S. policy of never negotiating with terrorists.
I thought I could really stand behind this idea until I read this article from CNN, which reports that Nicole duFresne, 28, an aspiring playwright and actress was shot dead after a mugging. According to the article:
Witnesses told investigators that one of the men grabbed for the other woman's purse and duFresne intervened, asking, "What are you going to do, shoot us?" A man then fired one shot at her, police said.
She later died at the hospital from the gunshot wound to her chest. The robber escaped with his accomplices and no arrests have been made.
What is truly horrifying about this (at least for me), is that this is exactly the type of thing I could see myself saying (if I wasn't peeing my pants in fear, that is). In my head, this is precisely the sort of behavior that we should encourage--stand up for yourself! Don't let the muggers win! I just never seriously considered the possibility that they really would shoot you.
I think I need to reinvestigate my position. It brings to mind an argument I had with a previous boyfriend, who was adamant that, in the hypothetical event of a mugging, I give up my purse with no argument. His argument hinged on the fact that, as the man (and I open the floor to challenges on this supposition), he would be obligated to step in front of me to take the bullet and/or single-handedly fight off all the assailants.
Men. <rolls eyes>
