printBy now you’ve seen the surveillance-tape images again and again: an ancient woman pushes her walker along the foyer of an apartment building. A robust man moves in, and punches her in the head repeatedly. Before she goes down, the centenarian reaches pitifully for the purse the thug has snatched. He turns to finally flatten her.
This is a scene lacking in any nuances. At a time in her life when she ought to be shown respect, a frail lady is treated with brutality. That the woman, Rose Morat, is talking brave, and being made a celebrity for her tough-old-biddy stance after the fact does nothing to change that she was a helpless victim. To pretend otherwise is plain perverse.
The camera caught a frail lady being handled like garbage. She displayed no spunk, because people her age are too frail to fend off such a feral attacker. She survived, not because of her gumption, but because her attacker did not plan to kill her.
This is not how the network nits are covering the story. CNN has been running an up-beat segment in which the centenarian receives an award for bravery. To the sound of the theme from Rocky, Rose Morat shuffles into a room of cheering twits.
Not every story is a story of triumph. Sorry, thanks to this twisted hoopla, the thug is the winner, not the woman with the walker. This feel-good reporting distracts from the reality I described–and the real business at hand: Repeat the description of the criminal again and again; show his face up close; encourage his community to rat him out–that’s how this story should be handled.
A small consolation is that once in custody, inmates will probably restore a serious tone to the tale. I believe even thugs have a code of honor they adhere to.
It’s also too bad that this frail little old lady wasn’t armed, as in some recent incidents where the thug got shot by an elderly person who was prepared to defend himself or herself.
Dear Ilana,
About two years ago, a similar incident was reported in India. Four young men (age 18-24) broke into a house where two elderly women (both approx 60 yrs of age) lived. These youths had weapons (knives and swords). As the women offered resistance, the assailants chopped the wrist off one lady and struck the other on the head with a sword. All this happened in the dead of the night. By morning, one (the elder of the two ladies) had bled to death, and the other barely survived. The attackers: Four muslim young men. The victims: Two elderly Hindu Women. The place: INDIA (a SECULAR country).
It is not at all surprising that the mugger in New York is “guessed” to be a black. The propensity to sin may not be race, gender, religion dependent. BUT there is nothing as intense as the HATRED in the minds of Blacks toward whites (check your own south african news links), and muslims against non-muslims. I won’t be surprised if the black mugger (in New York) is also a muslim!
Why are such incidences becoming so common? Stupid policies, political correctness, loss of values …? Well, Ilana, you have been writing on such matters for long, and rather well. Keep up the good show.
Amen Ilana and amen Ms. Maltzman. Those that prey on the elderly and children do indeed get special recognition when they finally, deservedly get their time in the joint. Just about every inmate, no matter how vicious or depraved, leaves children and old people behind when they are incarcerated. This lowlife will indeed get his if they get him inside.
In re: Ilana’s SA links, referred to by AB above, a “Friendly Warning”
DO NOT look at the “farm murders” link on WhySouthAfricaSucks.com after you’ve eaten a meal.
Bless you for your honesty. It’s such a rarity that I’m getting all warm and fuzzy.
We are way to concerned with the dignity of the assailed, which is why we tell such horrendous lies about their nonexistent heroism, which spills over to the guilty. A society without much heroism or dignity is forced to make it up.
En, maybe we are too concerned with the dignity of the assailed. However, IMO, in contrast to the mainstream media’s overweening concern for the assailants, the assailed deserve at least some sympathy/empathy/respect.