Monday Musings...

Greetings once again, and welcome to another week in Hoosierland where the weather can change by the minute...and often does.
Today's weather will be cloudy this AM and perhaps a few scattered showers mixed in. Temps will reach around 70 degrees, along with a touch of morning fog in outlying areas, especially those farther north.
At this rate, mowing the lawns will come sooner than we realize.
-- Saturday was an RPIA, as Wifey and I called the po-po THREE times for one "neighbor" (read arrogant, disrespectful pot-smoking asshole) that has a hearing problem with his loud car stereo...like this is HIS personal area for living...the rest of us be damned...Sorry, that won't work for me, and could be dangerous to HIS health in the future.
We had TWENTY-TWO major noise violations in less than a 12 hour period...and no police patrols to catch the perps...not a good thing.
(time to break out the paintball pistol or slingshot and have me some fun...lol)
Just another "broken window" down here...one of so many, unfortunately.
Wait until I post the MONTH totals for missed revenue and violations along those lines...
In any event, we shall be moving forward into the day, so sit back, pour yourselves a long tall beverage and see what's in today's offerings.
*** First up, we had HOMICIDE NUMBER SIXTEEN over the weekend, and it just so happened to be another police-action shooting.

Coincidental, this shooting came on the heels of a morning rally and march along S. Anthony Blvd, with thise there wanting an end to all the violent behavior in the city.
Talk about some weird IRONY there, hmm?
Here's the latest update to this story (and ongoing investigation):
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130429/LOCAL07/304299958

This all took place at Gaywood St and Congress Ave around 1600 hrs, and ended in the 4300 block of Spatz Ave.
(And the comments on the initial story are overwhelmingly IN FAVOR of the police...I commented as qwell, and you can find it HERE:)
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/police-investigating-shooting-on-spatz-avenue
So, here we have a TEENAGER...shot dead by police, and this person who decided to run FROM the police during a routine traffic stop with a HANDGUN (that was gotten illegally, no doubt) already had TWO outstanding warrants for misdemeanor invasion of privacy (with his baby-mama) and contempt of court.

WHY he decided to flee was anyone's guess, but whenever you choose flight instead of compliance in regards to police, you're asking for trouble.
And Davonte Jamar Haney, age 19 of Fort Wayne found it...and in greater quantity than he ever bargained for.
He leaves behind TWO children, a 1 year-old son, and a 2 year-old daughter....again, KIDS having kids.
He got his GED from Wayne high school (he never graduated apparently), and had worked for Comcast for a short time before recently starting a new job.
SO again, we have to ask WHY, when he had something going for him in life, did he choose the wrong path to travel?
Interestingly enough, the picture the media is using IS a MUG SHOT...
Could this have been part of that "disregard for authority" I often mention?
Perhaps.

Makeshift memorials dotted the side of a vacant house (another typical scene down here) where Haney was shot by officers.

Witnesses started the USUAL epitaphs as well...his brother Michael Carter (not the same last name - another typical scene down here) said "He just tried to live right. He was a sweet guy."

Guess he didn't TRY all that hard, did he?

(Otherwise it would have ended better for him and his children)

Witnesses "say" he was in compliance with police and raised his hands when told to do so, yet, such "claims" appear to be casting aspersions AT the police...(yes, another typical scene down here). Never bvlame YOUR community - ALWAYS blame the cops.

Amazing how THIS occurrence had witnesses, but when it's black-on-black crime, all the witnesses around THOSE shootings "dinseehuthin"...
A community double standard here?
Could be.
Things would have been SO much better had Haney just LEFT the handgun in the damn SUV he was a passenger of, right?

Now, it would appear that whatever progress was made between the black community and the FWPD has taken a hard hit, and recovering from something like this (on behalf of that community) will take a lot longer now.
Well, the FWPD officers were JUST doing their jobs, and we cannot fault them for that, nor should we.
The character of the FWPD is not at question here, but rather that of the perp/victim.
When faced with the potential for deadly force being used AT them, they police have to make the call to protect themselves, because the slightest hesitation can mean the difference between going home after shift, or becoming the next statistic...it's that simple.
Let's let the investigation run it's course...
*** In a related story, writer Stacey Stumpf (of the J-G) had a really GOOD article in Sunday's paper about this year's homicide rate.

Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130428/EDIT10/304289974/0/SEARCH
Personally, I think it's a good read and compliments the situation in the city very well.
Perhaps there are TOO damn many guns on the streets...IN THE WRONG HANDS, I may add.

And maybe NOT ENOUGH guns in the hands of the LAW-ABIDING citizens.
Still, this story only touches upon the RESULT of such a problem, and not the basic causes OF that problem.
The "tools of the trade" are what's at issue here, and not the things that allow such "tools" to be utilized in a murderous manner.
We have to again look to the decay of morality across the board, the lack of respect and lack of ethics in society today.
The embracing of the thug-lifestyle and blatant disregard for human life and property is at the core of these issues.
*** And that brings me to the final story today...the rally along S. Anthony Blvd.
Here's that story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130427/LOCAL/130429538/0/SEARCH
This took place just a few hours BEFORE Haney was shot and killed by police and not that far away, either.

And, depending on which media source you believe there were between 75 to over 100 participants, holding signs that read WE SHALL OVERCOME, and PICK UP A BOOK, PUT DOWN THE GUN.
(I usually pick up a book ABOUT GUNS, but that's just me)
There should have been a lot more people there, considering the numbers that showed up for those "strategy" sessions at the Urban League earlier in the month.
Curiously enough, the head of the local NAACP, Dr. Saharra Bledsoe was PRAISING the march, but later seemed to be annoyed at the police-action shooting. Well, you can't have things BOTH ways in the ghettohood - either you fight crime wherever it shows up, OR you (as has been the case for far too long) IGNORE it, and let in happen. If anything, Dr. Bledsoe should have taken a NEUTRAL stance, allowing the investigation to play itself out.
I feel there was a bit of a knee-jerk in that aspect, but we shall see.
*** Lastly today...how many times do I say it all comes down to CHOICES in life?
(Yeah...TOO many, I know)

And how many people are dead set (no pun intended) on making BAD choices, like Davonte Haney?

Well, we could argue about the vicissitudes of decision-making until the sun sets, and probably not scratch the surface of the matter.

We could also always come back to that Broken Window Theory, and state with conviction that such shootings in this city are the DIRECT result of allowing those small things to go unnoticed and unresolved for so damn long.

Playing catch up when things have become damn near overwhelming isn't the best way to handle life's situations...or is making our streets any safer, as long as the continuance of those small things is allowed.

We ALL have to follow the same rules, no matter how much we dislike it...that's how we remain a lot safer and better able to address problems whenever they arise. To do less is basically to do nothing, and that's not going to work out all that well for any of us.
The answers to much of what this city faces when it comes to public safety are right in front of whoever decides to see them.
All that is needed is to take them to heart, rather than blow them off.
And I think that is the best way to go at this point...the ONLY way, in fact.
Have yourselves a great week.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.