Y'know...a couple weeks ago, at Massachusetts and North Capitol, as I was waiting to cross the street, a guy approached me, got to within eight inches of me, grabbed my arm, and demanded money. I looked at him, sneered, and turned away from him. Find out the next day that a woman was mugged at that very corner later that day.
Watching this circus the past few days, I wonder what people would be thinking of my behavior. Was my sneer at the black homeless guy racist? Did I drive him to mug a woman by using my white patriarchal privilege to refuse to give him money? Did I assault him by aggressively turning away from him when he innocently invaded my personal space?
If we're at the point now where even avoiding confrontation is an act of aggression...what's the down-side to going all Bernhard Goetz on the next guy that grabs me and demands money?