You're standing in front of a neighborhood store when a man walks up to the front door carrying a rifle, dons a mask, enters and demands money from the clerk. Customers in the store rush out. The armed robber goes behind the counter, opens the cash registers, grabs cash and then fires at least three shots into floor.

He walks out, and heads for the getaway car that's waiting for him some distance away.

What would you do?

The question is prompted by what took place Friday afternoon at the J&D Supermarket on Belmont Avenue. The brazenness of the hold-up is made all the more dramatic by the fact that there were people inside and outside the store. Yet, no one attempted to intervene.

Is that why violent crime in Youngstown remains such a major problem? Criminals seem to believe that they're untouchable. The only time force is met with force is when gangbangers cross paths.

Here's another question: If you were licensed to carry a firearm and were packing, would you have shot first and then asked questions?

Law-abiding residents are tired of being held hostage in their neighborhoods. They want something done, but what?