Reply #12: Hang on a sec. This dude was threatening people with a fucking knife. While I respect Mr. Diaz's

[Warren DeMontague]

turn-the-other-cheek mentality, you'll excuse me if I don't get the warm and fuzzies over this story.

Yes, in the course of the meal, Mr. Diaz asked the mugger for his knife, and got it. Hopefully, he had a positive effect on this kid. Maybe if I lived in NYC, I would view mugging as just another economic transaction, robbing people at knifepoint merely another dangerous and exploitative low-paying employment situation.

But let's be real fuckin' honest, here: the kid wasn't out 'doing some difficult job', he was fucking MUGGING PEOPLE. He was risking more than his own freedom- he was directly threatening others with being sliced open with a knife; for their money.

There's a difference between being compassionate and being a total fucking idiot, or a chump.

I don't have a ton of sympathy for violent criminals- I guess I must be some kind of heartless asshole. Did Mr. Diaz do 'the right thing'? Maybe. Maybe this will cause this kid to turn his life around. I would certainly hope so. Or maybe, he'll use the 20 bucks to get a better knife, go on mugging people, and the next time he'll actually stab someone.