Franklin E. Zimring

“From any perspective of rationality, the thing to do with a robber is to cooperate politely.” So sayeth Franklin E. Zimring in The New York Times article Robbed at Gunpoint, Some Bronx Victims Resist. “You don’t have much money on you; it’s nuts for the victim to refuse. Here’s the second layer of nuts: You’ve got a rational robber. If the victim refuses, why doesn’t he just find somebody else?” Mr. Zimring is a criminologist at Berkeley Law School. Their motto: “Big Ideas, Bold Action.” And there’s your morning dose of unintentional irony. But wait! There’s more!  . . .

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