I live in a relatively peaceful town in New Hampshire (aside from college kids and such that love to riot over baseball games). It came as a surprise then when I was out for an evening walk with my then girlfriend that I saw a man getting knifed on main street in full view. I wanted to do something and I was about to but I got pulled away by a very distraught girlfriend. I think about it to this day, and I don’t know if that fellow was ok or not.

Tough world sometimes, but I think if it happened again I would likely refuse to bow to my own safety since my peace of mind has been bothered since that incident and I feel like I could have done something. This is likely to have people saying “Don’t be a hero,” but existentially I feel it is better to do something positive than to do nothing at all. Standing by and watching things happen is partly why docility is an acceptable way of dealing with definitive social problems.

Glad you’re ok though Chris. Sad story in any case.

As a dad of an 11-year-old and a wife out of town for a few weeks AND our nearest family an hour and a half away, I think ALL the time about what would happen if something happened to me.

It would have been a lot worse for Kate to see if you stepped in and someone pulled a knife or gun with you in the middle.