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Entry: Cowards, Bullies, and Killers Link: http://www.takimag.com/site/article/cowards_bullies_and_killers#1087 Post contents: What about the widely publicized incident about a month ago, in Chicago, when an off-duty cop beat up a barmaid in front of several passive onlookers? (see http://youtube.com/watch?v=Nz6YJtnLtus) Pundits and talking heads bewailed the misconduct of the policeman, but there's nothing newsworthy there -- pathological punks have beat up women from time immemorial, but the truly shocking revelation on that video is the behaviour of the bystanders -- one of them thought it a good opportunity to place a phone call -- to the police, presumably -- I'm sure he feels proud that he chose to "get involved." Time was when mass cowardice could prompt some soul-searching (remember Kitty Genovese?) but by now the new norms of behaviour are thoroughly ingrained. Sent at: 2008 09 08