The Sad Story of Kitty Genovese

‘And Isaiah answered, “Here am I Lord. Send me.”’  

Isaiah 6:8

Some anniversaries provide time for reflection rather than an opportunity to celebrate and yesterday’s 50th anniversary of Kitty Genovese’s murder on the streets on Queens was one of those. Her stabbing death in the middle of the night on March 13th, 1964, stunned a nation, not because of the senselessness of the violence but because of the number of people who witnessed the attack and heard Kitty’s cries for help, without anyone coming to her aid or calling the police.

The Kitty Genovese murder has become the focus of many case studies over the years on the subject of how, why and when people get involved in the troubles of others. One study coined the phrase ‘The Bystander Effect’ based on it, summarizing their findings that as more people witness something, the less likely each one is to help because they believe someone else will intervene or call the police. In the early morning hours of that spring night, no less than 38 people went to their windows, turned on the lights in their apartments, and, in tragic silence, witnessed the murder of the 28-year-old young woman. And a nation was forced to grapple with the question of why would civilized people, behind the safety of their locked doors, turn away from another human being in dire need of assistance.

In reality, we all face many problems in life that need fixing and require addressing, in our personal lives, in our marriages, in the churches we attend, and in the places we work. But, as this story reminds us, the existence of a problem is not the real issue we have to confront. No, the challenge we face is whether apathy and fear will win the day, as they did with Kitty Genovese’s neighbors, or whether we will choose to respond with action. We can hide from problems; we can run from situations where something not of our doing is clearly wrong, or we can choose to be the solution. Gandhi is often quoted for his short statement confronting the reticence of so many, simply saying, “Be The Change.” His was a call to model the behavior that we see missing in our circle of influence. His was a call to be the solution to the problems that have become obvious to us. His was a call to be the answer to the situation that needs someone to step forward and be the vessel of change in your home, your marriage, your church and your workplace.

We cannot afford to be like the 38 silent witnesses that night in 1964 who felt no responsibility to act because there were other witnesses. We have a God given responsibility to be part of the solution. Hiding, running, staying silent, and remaining passive can never be our options. Change has to start somewhere and my prayer is that it will begin, at this sad anniversary, with you and I.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church