22 January 2009

Back to "Business As Usual"...
At least here in the Summit CIty (aka Fort Wayne), we can definitely make that statement.
We've already see Caroline Kennedy drop her bid for Hillary Clinton's senate seat (smart move), Hillary finally sworn in as Secretary of State (bad move), President Obama RE-sworn in "just in case the first one didn't count" (OK move), and President Obama trying to get Camp Delta in Gitmo shut the hell down (REALLY bad move). It's not that I don't think we need a "detaineee area", it's just the "NIMBY-ITES" (from Bob's lexicon) will be out in full strength when this nation decides WHERE to house these terrorists. You keep Achmed Al Kaboom (and his camel-jockey posse) FAR AWAY from me, thank you very much!
I mean, we've got enough problems on our streets JUST in this city, so I sure don't want these detainees housed (for example) by FWHA in some rental crib near me, if you get my drift.
Got enough weirdos around here for several lifetimes.
And speaking of problems in OUR city...
So far this year (and it IS still JANUARY), the score is:
Good Guys - 3
Perps - 0
That's right.
The THIRD homicide of the new year happened yesterday on the city's (all together kids.....) SOUTH side (thank you).
The Belmont Beverage store, located at the *V* (corner) of Rt. 27/33 and Tillman Rd had a visitor around 1430 hrs yesterday, and he WASN'T there to BUY anything.
Shots were fired, and the would-be robber stumbled into Tillman where he died (yeah, I AM smiling). The store clerk was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg and is listed in fair condition.
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090122/LOCAL07/301229990
This makes "Number 3" in the betting pool, as to HOW MANY homicides we'll have THIS year. I said we'd be at least to TWENTY FIVE (again), so I'm off to a damn good start. And the best part is that all three were committed by the GOOD guys.The first two were actually committed by FWPD officers, acting in the line of duty (no problem there).
But wait...we're not through yet.
Later in the evening, around 1930 hrs, a 15 year old was wounded as a result of a drive-by shooting between two cars. The wounded teen went to a house in the 4500 block of Spatz St, on the city's (once more with feeling, boys and girls....) SOUTH side (thanks so much). No names have been released.
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090122/LOCAL07/301229910
Granted, I'll be the first one to tell you that parts of this city ARE NOT safe to traverse at night...and with good reason.
It's all the damn CRIME, people.
Been saying that for ages here.
And it's the MAJOR cause of the lack of RETAIL in this part of town, as well as the "rep" this part of town has deservedly pursued and achieved.
Been saying THAT for ages, too.
I can see Belmont Beverage closing, just like the VIP Video store that closed after that clerk killed a would-be robber last year (nice shooting).
Tasty Pizza (on Fairfield St.) was the scene 2 Decembers ago of a store employee being gunned down. Haven't seen any arrests in that case yet. And the store has been robbed THREE times since, the latest happening just about two months ago. I can see them closing soon enough as well.
No one wants to point at the REAL cause of all this, however.
And that's a damn shame for the decent people living down here.
Although (illegal) guns are the weapons of choice for these thugs, they are but a tool used in the commission of all these crimes.
So enacting more stringent laws against GUNS is not, nor ever will be the definitive answer.
It's the PEOPLE!!!
Until and unless you can corral these animals and get them turned around from lives of crime, you are NOT going to see ANY change around here. And if anyone thinks they're merely "misguided young people", I'd say get your head out of the sand, or out of your ass and take a good, HARD look at what you're dealing with. These are not "kids" as YOU remember them.
Of course our city has already taken steps to "corral" them in...it's called:
"PLACE THEM ALL IN ONE AREA OF THE SOUTH SIDE SO WE CAN KEEP TRACK OF THEM. "
Yeah...that's not going to work, and the reasons are so numerous that I couldn't begin to list them here. Although, I will admit that certain city agencies have made it POSSIBLE for this to occur with annoying frequency, much to the chagrin of decent people that have been forced out of their neighborhoods.
You need something with high walls, gates, and people to patrol to keep THEM the hell INSIDE, otherwise they WILL get out and cause havoc elsewhere (like in those nice neighborhoods up NORTH...or out in ABOITE).
The issue "could" be addressed IF these people were held ACCOUNTABLE for their actions. If they knew what the f$ck PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY was, we wouldn't even be having this discussion, and if the "little things" like CIVILITY, a sense of MORALITY, and true, honest-to-God RESPECT were practiced, along with what a TRADITIONAL FAMILY used to be, things would be a HELLUVA lot better.
But, as I've been fond of saying lately: "It's all about being entertained", and sometimes, following the aforementioned aspects of HUMANITY seems a bit claustrophobic for certain people. They like to practice their FREEDOM.
And America is the LAND OF THE FREE.
It's just NOT the land to practice the FREEDOM OF IRRESPONSIBILITY.
I'd love to be able to state that this city will have a year with a lot fewer shootings, rapes, murders, robberies, burglaries, etc...but YOU know, and I know "that dog just ain't gonna hunt".
And all we'll see in the way of action on behalf of the city "leaders" will be more "programs" to "help" people like this...programs that have (to date) produced little if nothing in the way of true reform or rehabilitation.
We are meant to believe that tossing GOOD money after BAD is called MAKING PROGRESS.
I'm just not seeing it, folks.
We're tripping ourselves up with our "tolerances" these days...and for what?
Safer streets?
Better learning environments?
Sorry people...not happening.
Perhaps having that return to days when humanity MEANT a lot more than it apparently does today would be a damn good start.
Perhaps that fresh outlook might be found in times past, where we summarily discarded it, and then patted ourselves on the back for our "progressiveness".
We had best do something...and soon, lest we fall further into the pit of apathy and disillusionment.
Today would be a good starting point.
But if NOT today...then WHEN?
Just something to make you think, isn't it?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Make that 4 times that Tasty Pizza was robbed since the fatal shooting. They were robbed Jan. 14.

http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090116/LOCAL07/301169965

Also yesterday there was another armed robbery in the 4200 block of Fairfield. Might have been the gas station.
I read over the weekend that Tim Pape gave $25,000 of the 5th Districts Cedit money to the Urban League. Too bad the money can't go to Tasty Pizza for bullet proof glass.

Bob G. said...

BR:
Thanks for the update.
Hard to keep track with ALL the "stuff" going on.

Be nice if Pape (or Hines) was actually IN TOUCH with the area's problems.

What can the Urban League POSSIBLY do that will prevent crime in their area, that getting more security cams or ballistic glass for frequently robbed businesses would NOT do?

It makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Thanks for the comment - welcome aboard!

B.G.

Tim Zank said...

BobbyG! As soon as I flipped over to the local TV news and heard "would be robber" "liquor store" and "south side" and "dead" all in the same sentence, I thought immediately, "Hmmm Wonder if Bob was driving by Belmont and stopped to help a local business out by taking out the trash"!!!

Anonymous said...

talk about robbin. yesterday kids within 2 miles of my house where robbed at their school bus stops her in indy. i will be driving my daughter to school for the next 3 years.