Hey guys,
I’m actually not a big fan of TV and my television at home is more used as a decoration. However, the case of Johnny K., which was broadcasted by Stern TV on 12 December 2013, really shocked me.
Johnny K. and his friend Gerhard C. were bashed up brutally by six young men on October 14, 2012. Johnny K. died of brain hemorrhages. His sister and his friend Gerhard C. are deeply upset. The cuplrits were convicted, but they seem to be unrepentant. Five of them are still out of prison since they don’t have to go to prison at once. They claim to be treated unjustly. According to their opinion they didn’t do anything wrong. They keep going to parties and keep boasting with what they have done.
Johnny’s sister and also Gerhard C. are insulted in the worst manner on Facebook. Their hatred isn’t directed towards their crime as it actually should be, but it’s directed towards the suffering victims that are left behind. Those can’t do a lot against it and try to approach the public. I think this is very brave. I hope that everyone will become a little braver and that we can speak up against injustice.
I remember something that happened in the Tram. One year ago, I took the M10 to Ostbahnhof. A man, who was around 50 years old with an insane expression, raddled clothes and who smelled of urine and old beer, was accosting other passengers. He did not only accost them, but he was also screaming. He screamed out horrible things that reminded me of scenes of zombie movies. He was talking about burst heads on his lap and about blood.
Suddenly, he directed himself towards a young man who was frantically looking at his book. He called him ugly and started to hit the pole of his seat. The other passengers were stone still. No one wanted to move and everyone could feel the aggression in the air. I was sure that he’d hit the poor man soon. So, I decided to go to the driver’s cabin and to inform the driver. I told him about the man and that he was really frightening the passengers. He told me that he would chuck him out if he continued to behave like that.
So, the train drove on. I believe I heard some hay rolls rolling along the gang. Calm before the storm. And there it was, the storm! It was directed towards me! The insane man came right towards me. He was totally furious and yelled at me. I was a traitor in his eyes. He didn’t beat me, because he always hit the pole. Anyways: I panicked. Somehow, I could pass him and ran towards the other end of the train. He followed me. Now, I understood what he was actually yelling: “I’m gonna kill you!” I was frozen in shock and the worst thing was that no one, NO ONE even took a look at me, said something or helped me. Even the guy with the book and the glasses, who I actually wanted to help, ignored me. He was probably relieved that the crazy man had found another victim.
The train stopped. I exited and ran as fast as I could through the park. The mad psycho was seriously following me! I was absolutely panicked. Fortunately, I reached the door of my doctor’s office, and I was safe. The crazy man was gone. I didn’t meet him afterwards. Fortunately, he also didn’t appear in my dreams even though he was a perfect character for a nightmare.
My summary? Would it have been easier to keep my mouth closed? Probably yes, but I would do it again. I would also hope for someone to help me in such a situation. Afterwards, I found out that it is harder for people to look away and to ignore when you approach them directly. Don’t say: “Can someone help me?” Say something like: “You over there, with the beard and the glasses and the green umbrella, please help me!” I will remember that for the next time.
I hope for more courage and mindfulness from my fellows. Jürgen Fliege would complete the sentence with: “Let’s keep our eyes on each other together!”
Image source: http://koptisch.wordpress.com/2012/10/17/berlin-mahnwache-fur-totgeprugelten-jonny-k/
