Tales From The SOUTH Side...
Yes, boys and girls...time one again for some of THOSE stories from the ever-growing tome relating to living in the ghettohood.
And always keep in mind that THIS could happen to you in YOUR neighborhood.
All it takes is ONE house to get the ball rolling.
The rest will take care of itself.
*** Yet another shooting on the SE side (and another fatality).
(( Gunshot victim found near South Anthony dies at hospital / Journal Gazette
Fort Wayne – A 38-year-old man who was found at McKinnie Avenue and South Anthony Boulevard with a gunshot wound late Monday night later died at a hospital, Fort Wayne police said.
An unknown woman called 911 shortly before midnight saying a man had been shot behind a BP gas station, police said.
Police found the Fort Wayne man lying in an alley.
Medics took the victim in critical condition to a hospital, where he died early Tuesday.
Detectives and officers interviewed neighborhood residents. No arrests have been made, police said.
Police have not released the victim's name pending notification of family. ))
If you recall, this corner (and gas station) is the VERY SAME place where numerous shootings have occurred over the last few years (5 shootings just in 2008).
The FWPD have even added officers to that area, in the hope of stepping down the level of violence in that area.
Guess someone fell through the cracks this time.
I would consider this the county's 16th homicide (14 in Fort Wayne - the two local papers have differing totals) even before the coroner's ruling.
(I DO know this part of town AND it's inhabitants quite well)
We're getting closer to my magic number of 25 (homicides) for the year, yes?
(( Editor's update: The bovy of the slain black male was indentified by his tattoos and then by his brother. The victim has been Id'ed as Lee Bradshaw, 38. No motive and no suspects yet.))
But, around here, it's not ALL about "Murder, Inc".
*** Try this one on for size:
(( 3 bandits hit bar on Wayne Trace
Holly Abrams The Journal Gazette
Fort Wayne police investigated an armed robbery at a southeast-side bar Sunday.
The robbery was reported just before 6 p.m. Sunday at the Grand Saloon, 2908 Wayne Trace.
Three men entered the bar – two armed with handguns and the third with a sawed-off shotgun – and asked a female employee whether anyone else was in the bar, according to police reports. When she said there wasn’t, the robbers threatened the woman, with one of them saying he would shoot her if she was lying.
The woman again told them no one else was there, and the men then took an undisclosed amount of cash and a laptop computer, the report said.
The men fled west on foot on Manford Street.
All three men wore white T-shirts, black shorts and had white shirts covering their faces. All three are also in their early 20s and black.
One man was described as about 5-foot-10 with a thin build. Another was about 6-foot-1 and heavyset, with braids in his hair. The third man was was about 5-foot-10 with a thin build and had short black hair. ))
Wow...would have never guess these perps were BLACK. It MUST be a "poverty" issue...or a "cultural thang".
Oh, yeah...that's got to be it.
I mean, they're probably ALL "good boys", right?
(yeah)
At least the woman wasn't shot...
Still, it's comforting to know that the criminals obviously have NO trouble getting firearms down here.
A bed of nails would be MORE comforting at this point (imho).
*** We've also got a problem with kids playing football of basketball IN our streets.
Now, there IS a perfectly good playground well within walking distance (several blocks over from where we live) along Pettit Ave.
But, I suppose that's too damn far to meander over to, in spite of the fact that there is ALSO a "snack shop" along the very same street that these people frequent with great regularity. This tends to tie up TRAFFIC along Pettit, which is one of the busier E/W streets down here.
I don't know WHO thought that having people walking all in the street (because these people simply DETEST sidewalks...we've already proven that - too civilized for them) stopping by some snack store was a really good idea along a busy thoroughfare.
I'm just not seeing that happen.
So, the "kids" (read more like wild animals) play in the streets around here...with traffic zooming merrily along.
Now, as a baseline for not pursuing such activities, let's take a look at this:
(From the Fort Wayne, IN code of ordinances, Chapter 99)
§ 99.008 ENGAGING IN GAMES OR SPORTS.
It shall be unlawful for any person to play baseball, polo, tennis or football on the streets or sidewalks of the city, and it shall be unlawful to engage in any other games or sports upon such streets or sidewalks to the annoyance of travelers or residents thereon.
('74 Code, § 25-9)
This ALSO includes Basketball (now).
All I can say is THANK GOD no one's playing POLO in the streets. Can you imagine the horse crap all over, not to mention said horses getting spooked by those "dang new-fangled auto-mobiles"?
It'd really BITE to have to raise and lower a TENNIS NET too, right?
(sorry, Venus...go someplace else)
Also, along those same lines...when it comes to LITTERING:
§ 99.001 DEPOSITING OR LEAVING LITTER, RUBBISH OR DEBRIS UPON STREETS AND SIDEWALKS; FAILURE TO REMOVE.
(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to place, throw, drop, deposit or sweep any litter, rubbish, refuse, trash, debris, garbage or slops in, into, on or upon any street, roadway, sidewalk, bridge, alley, space between sidewalk and curb or edge of roadway, park, playground, public building, public ground or any public place within the city. ('74 Code, § 25-4(a))
(B) It shall be unlawful and a separate offense for any person placing, throwing, dropping, depositing or sweeping any litter, rubbish, refuse, trash, debris, garbage, or slops on or upon any street, roadway, sidewalk, bridge, alley, space between sidewalk and curb or edge of roadway, park, playground, public building, public ground or any public place within the city, whether intentionally, unintentionally, carelessly, negligently or accidentally, to fail to promptly remove the same. ('74 Code, § 25-5)
Now, why do you think that MOST people already know something about these ordinances, but a specific group of the populace doesn't give a rat's ass about these laws, hmm?
it must be the manner in which these people are brought up, don'cha think?
In other words, they're raised to not give a damn about anyone else, and certainly NOT about the city in which they reside (at the taxpayer's expense, I might add).
I suppose I "could" spend all damn day, making "citizen arrests" for such violations, but I'm not on anyone's payroll...AND I have no qualms about using deadly force.
Not the best combination to assuage such people from ignoring the law, is it?
I'm like a miniature (in stature) Officer Tackleberry (from the Police Academy flicks).
I can see it now...
Some ignorant person drops a potato chip bag along the curb, so I go out, draw my pistol and shout "You'll pick that bag up NOW, mister! -
I'm making a citizen's arrest for violation of Fort Wayne street code chapter 99.001...!"
Oh, that'll go over like a pregnant pole-vaulter.
I've better ways to use up my year's minuscule allotment of "dumb".
Besides, it's the CITY'S ordinance....so the CITY should be ENFORCING stuff like this, right?
You have kids playing football in the street, then get them the hell to a playground!
Now, I used to play Frisbee in the street with one of the neighbors that used to live here and his daughters, but we stopped when cars were a block away, and waited for them to pass. And we were NEVER running all over other peoples' properties, either.
In other words, we weren't scurrying about like some untamed animals just loosed from their cages, kapeesh?
Not so around here.
No parental guidance OR supervision to speak of.
No boundaries for these hellions.
And certainly NO respect for anything or anyone else (and that includes property trespass).
Like I always say...LAWS are there NOT for the LAWFUL such as ourselves - they are created solely for the LAW-LESS.
We can (for the most part) police OURSELVES pretty damn well.
Must have been that nasty upbringing we had...all those MORALS...and CIVILITY...and MANNERS.
Turned us into some kind of respectful, integrity-laden citizens.
How dare we go against the grain of current society?
We dare because we NEED it today...more than ever.
We truly become equal one to another when we ALL get on the same page when it comes to respect.
You get respect by earning it.
You give it to get it, as the saying goes.
To do less is to take the easy way out.
Everything is life worth achieving is worth the effort put forth.
Therein lies the lesson for today.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.