Tales From the SOUTH Side...
Yesterday I alluded to the post I was going to type up today, so here it is.
I was talking about how many times, TOLERANCE trumps common sense.
We see it every day in our travels.
In many cities, what I like to call the "small sh*t" is often overlooked, or merely shrugged off.
And to some people, that opens the door to allow them a carte blanche mentality to do not only MORE of that small sh*t, but actually gravitate to LARGER "sh*t"...all in the name of "tolerance".
Now, what we should be aware of is that tolerance, when applied in moderation (as most anything in life should be) is a GOOD thing.
However, when tolerance becomes an overwhelming factor in how our society will function, we all become a little less "functional" AS a society.
When we allow that which, in decades past, we would consider "bad behavior", bordering on the reprehensible, we ALL suffer.
Take loitering, for example. (ahhh...now you know where I was going with this...)
I mentioned "Mr. park bench" yesterday, and of late, this "hanging out" near the corner (or OUR property) is something I consider a troubling trend.

This person happens to be one of TWO "gentlemen" that the FWPD rousted from the house down the block back on 29 April for a domestic w/ battery call (amazing, huh...nice guy).
And it's not JUST this person.

There ARE others.
We also have a "twosome" that will meander about the corner AND intersection, wandering in and out of the street for HOURS after school lets out. Now, the last time I checked, they have a perfectly GOOD house right down the block where they can be, instead of our intersection (or corner). I don't know WHY they prefer to be UP HERE, but in my opinion, it has to stop, because it sends a LOT of the wrong messages to everyone else in the area.
When you live in an area that sees drugs deals either curbside or at specific houses, having a corner utilized as a "lookout post" is another layer of "safety" for those dealing the drugs.
Better to KNOW if and when the police are nearby, than to have them suddenly be upon you, and stop you for suspicious behavior (or worse). Plus, the dealers love to get a heads-up, so they can flush the drugs at their house, or hop in the car and book out of the area altogether.
We already HAVE such corners and intersections in Fort Wayne, and I don't really want to have one in front of MY house.
I tend to be a bit Draconian in that way.
We don't need to have the intersection become a place of "business" for those selling poison to people.
We don't need to be...TOLERANT of such behavior.
Besides, having numerous people at an intersection becomes a public safety issue, should a drug deal go bad and gunfire break out, or even having some horseplay when traffic is coming...not really a good idea.
Several years ago, we had issues between the FWPD and the black community for this whole "Racial" profiling thing.
Seems too many blacks were being pulled over (in a predominantly BLACK neighborhood) by officers for traffic violations, which is just plain old good police work. Erratic driving or improperly illuminated vehicles are not aspects of SAFE driving, right?
Well, the police backed off, even though I had an article published defending the police, stating it was CRIMINAL profiling that was being initiated, NOT racial profiling.
I mentioned that you could have ALL BLACK officers down here, and you would STILL have claims of "racial" profiling.
To some people, it IS all about RACE, even when it isn't. So WHO becomes the (real) racist HERE, hmm?
So, the police back off a tad...in the name of "tolerance".
And that is why today, we have chronic noise violators that are never caught, along with drivers that have had a blown out license plate bulb on their vehicle for YEARS with no citation issued, even when the description, tag number, and TOD they motor through the area is provided (gratis) by yours truly to the FWPD.
I'm not on anyone's payroll when it comes to watching the neighborhood for signs of dubious or suspicious behavior.
But I do consider what I've been doing for years down here a necessary things, considering the level of tolerance being displayed by the city when it comes to such behavior by it's citizens.
You get to a point where looking the other way is simply NOT an option.
Whatever laws and ordinances the city has laid down should be OBEYED by EVERYONE, or they mean nothing.
That includes respecting the rights of other people (like me).
There is always a time for some tolerance when it comes to the learning process.
We can excuse people for being ignorant until they become educated in the ways of our society.
That methodology has worked damn well with everyone who came TO this country since it's discovery.
There is NO reason to believe it will not work today, so the whole "tolerance" issue becomes a moot point.
It's when people refuse to become learned, fail to adhere to rules and regulations, and otherwise do what they damn well please...and "we" TOLERATE it, that it becomes a real problem.
Why should some get a free pass when it comes to acting like a normal member of our society, allowing everyone else to carry the load?
Seems to me that what''s good for ONE, is good for ALL, unless proven bad for all in the first place.
We don't play "pick and choose" when it comes to our laws.
We don't allow SOME to obey it, while allowing others to ignore it.
And we shouldn't tolerate such blatant disregard for those laws. They are there to protect us ALL, and to assist ALL of us to become better citizens of this country.
Like I said, when we allow some people to get away with all the "small sh*t", they will take that as a sign to try something BIGGER...which they invariably will.
If you allow your child to cheat at school, they'll learn fast enough that THIS is the way to get ahead in life.
Same goes for theft...or lying...or running wild and unsupervised...or being allowed to hang with the wrong crowd.
Think of it like riding a bike...
The MORE you do it...the EASIER it becomes.
So you see, there IS a level of MORALITY that enters into this.
We can be very tolerant when it comes morality, or civility, or integrity.
Hell, those are damn near "lost arts" in the human condition.
But we should never "settle for" or TOLERATE that which hurts all of our society for any reason, because there IS no real "reason" for it...only EXCUSES.
And the best place to begin honing our skills when it comes to tolerance is with all the small sh*t, before it evolves into the BIG sh*t (that we can never seem to get a handle on).
Teach people about littering...and noise...and public intoxication...and settling disputes in a civil manner.
THESE are damn good starting points for everyone.
Hold people accountable for THEIR actions....make THEM responsible for the consequences. We are (still) NOT "Our brother's keeper".
Tolerance does it's place in society, but it should NEVER be at the levels we are subjected to these days.
We're all unique, one-of-a-kind products from our Creator, and that should mean something to damn near everyone.
Let's see if we truly VALUE that uniqueness without growing over-tolerant to the point of apathy.
I think we have it within each of us become better.
But we'll never find out, unless we attempt that which we find difficult.
That is how we better ourselves, and our nation.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.