Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends

Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends
By Phil Ochs

Look outside the window, there's a woman being grabbed
They've dragged her to the bushes and now she's being stabbed
Maybe we should call the cops and try to stop the pain
But Monopoly is so much fun, I'd hate to blow the game
And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends.

The above lines were written by Phil Ochs as a commentary about the murder of Kitty Genovese which happened on March 13-14, 1964, in New York City. She was attacked 3 times in an alley and finally died from her stab wounds. What made this murder stand out from all the others is that 38 people heard her screams for help and witnessed the attacks yet no one came to her aid. No one even called the cops. I remember thinking when this happened that America had sunk to a new low. After all these years, I still remember the song and I still remember her name.

It took awhile, but America has sunk to a new and even more abysmal low. On March 31,2005, Terri Schiavo died of starvation and dehydration, ordered by her husband and sanctioned by the courts of this land. She was murdered in plain site and anyone who attempted to stop the atrocity was promptly arrested. Asinine lies were regularly fed to a mind-bogglingly stupid public ("she looks so peaceful . . ") It has been enough to gag a maggot.