Bernard Goetz anniversary

Today is the 20 year anniversary of the Bernard Goetz subway shootings. I would not have known if I hadn't been listening to the Hannity show on the way home from work.

Goetz was a guest on today's Hannity program (I forget the name of the guest host). He commented on how drastically the crime problem has been reduced in New York in the last 15 years. He credited the backlash against the Central Park rape with helping to clean up the mess. He also commented that one reason politicians at the time were so outraged against him was the negative publicity New York City received worldwide. Photos of the subway were transmitted around the world - graffiti, garbage and all. The subway is much cleaner today. I never would have thought it possible.

Goetz, his "incident" and the resulting publicity were big parts of the anti-crime backlash that helped sweep Rudy Giuliani into office.


20 year anniversary