The Mother

1. What is the subject of the article? Robbed at Gunpoint, Some Bronx Victims Resist.
2. Who is involved? Victims of robbery, the groups involved in committing the robberies, and the family members of the victims are involved.
3. When did the events occur? April 28, 2013.
4. How does the article relate to Civics? This article is related to Citizens and the Law. This article explains how many American citizens are standing up for themselves against the breakers of the law. Criminals aren’t getting much success out of trying to rob innocent citizens. Crime rates are dropping, but are becoming more violent due to the victims refusing to give up what rightfully belongs to them.
5. How does this information impact people? The Bronx area has been known to be an area of high-crime rates. The residents that live in or near these areas are susceptible to robbers during the night. The result of more crimes in an area is that the innocent citizens of these areas are likely to be more resistant to robbers. This may cause fewer robberies to occur, but an increase of fatalities. Because of the increase of fatalities, the Government will focus more on the robber and his firearm. That will motivate the Government to come up with a solution to ban guns.
6. What are your thoughts about the subject presented in the article? My personal opinion about victims of robbery resisting to give up their property is foolish. Refusing the demands of a person with a firearm is not the wisest choice to make. Money and items are replaceable, but a life isn’t. People are putting their lives in danger because they do not want to give the little money they carry in their bag or pocket. Yes, it’s courageous of a person to not give up what is theirs to a robber, but it may cost you your life. Like the saying goes “You only live once.”
7. *How will the increase of “victim hardening” affect the community over time? As other people living in the community realize that victims are refusing robbers and getting away with all their property, they will begin to refuse the robbers as well, whenever they are faced with the same decision. “Victim hardening” will spread throughout the community and robbers will cease trying to rob people. The crime rate will decline immensely and the residents of the community will worry less about being robbed at gunpoint.
8. *What might be the main cause of people refusing to give up their property? There are many factors to why someone would put their life on the line to keep their belongings. The robber might’ve picked on a person who was in an awfully bad mood at the moment and they weren’t scared of the robber or they had nothing to lose. For others, it might just be that they aren’t scared of guns or the harm that could come their way from getting shot. It all depends on the environment of a person and how tough the person is.
9. *Would you be the type of person who stands up to a robber carrying a firearm or the type of person to give in to the demands of one? Honestly, I would just let the robber go with whatever items I’m carrying with me. Either way, the robber will end up escaping. The difference between the two choices is that the robber will either escape with your belongings or empty handed, but