Humpday Happenings - Patriot Day Edition...

And we have a fairly loaded boat setting sail this morning in the Heartland, so I'll try to be as concise as I can.
The Hoosierland weather today will again be HOT, with temps again reaching into the mid-90s, but never fear, because some RAIN moves in later today into early tomorrow and with it, much cooler temps.
So, to help commemorate those who lost their lives on 9/11, let me quote Todd Beamer and say "Let's Roll".
*** First up is our Motto of the Week:
"As life is action and passion, it is required of a man that he should share the passion and action of his time, at the peril of being not to have lived."
So, who said that? The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back on the home-front...
*** The president's speech last night...(sigh)...sorry, wasn't swayed over.
Brit Hume (FOX NEWS) said it best" "That was a speech in search of a purpose". 
And we'll let it go at that.
*** The FWPD have been jumping about more than a frog on a hotplate over the last 12 hours and here's why:
1) Another early morning shooting on the city's SOUTHEAST SIDE around 0230 hrs at Lillie and Eckhart streets leaves one man dead.

Here's the link:
http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/One-Dead-In-Shooting-On-The-Southeast-Side-223255681.html
Yep, we can now officially say we have had MORE homicides this year (so far) than in ALL of LAST year.
Sure getting a handle on those GANG, DRUGS, and ILLEGAL GUN problems, aren't we, Rus?
((Update - William E. Martin, 38 has been arrested in connection with this shooting per WANE))
2) A battery leaves one man in critical condition.
Here's the story link:
http://www.wane.com/news/crime/downtown-beating-leaves-man-critical
This happened around 0400 hrs this morning in the area of the 100 block of West Wayne St. near downtown.
((Update - Dennis T. Tyson, Jr. has been arrested in connection with THIS beating per WANE.))
3) A robbery at a brand new gas station by three armed thugs.
Here's the story link:
http://www.wane.com/news/crime/fwpd-three-men-rob-new-gas-station
This happened around 0430 hrs at 3217 East Washington Blvd.
An employee stocking shelves in preparation for the opening had his wallet and keys stolen, his vehicle taken (1999 black GMC Sierra), and the thugs took items from the store, placed them in a trash can (you can take lots more that way) and left the business. Two men left on foot, and the third drove off in the employee's Sierra.
And like the song goes "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad".
*** In a related story by Megan Reust of WANE, FWPD "capo" Rusty York is interviewed about a disturbing trend.
Here's the link w/ video:
http://www.wane.com/news/local/chief-york-responds-to-disturbing-trend-mre
Yes, friends, just as HOMICIDES are on the rise, so are SHOOTINGS!
(big surprise, eh?)
You who follow this blog already KNOW as much, though, as I have said time and again about the number of shootings and signal "113"s...(shots fired).
It's just the law of averages that dictates how often someone gets struck by all those bullets being capped off on a DAILY basis down here on the ghettohood.
The overwhelming number OF shootings occur (you guessed it) on the city's SOUTHEAST SIDE (56 out of 65 so far this year).
That boils down to an EIGHTY-SIX PERCENT of the shootings in ALL the city.
Chief York says that shootings are on the uptick NATIONWIDE (I thought crime was going DOWN?), but that doesn't excuse why it's happening HERE...NOW, does it?
He says we're seeing more and more youth (predominantly BLACK, which he DOESN'T mention) gravitating to gangs...so what's with all the youth programs we already have (and are still creating) to entice youths AWAY from such a lifestyle?

York says there's no telling HOW MANY MORE shootings and homicides we'll see this year (that's very comforting to know), but did say that more homicides were solved THIS year than in recent years (with more homicides, the law of averages again works WITH you).
How's about we state the OBVIOUS here...we have a MINORITY problem, and that community isn't stepping up ENOUGH to address the issue?
The STATS as to WHO was shot or killed back that much up, aside from police-action shootings.
-- You got TROUBLE my friends...right here in River City. With a capital "T" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for POLICE...as in we need MORE, not less on the damn streets.
*** Finally, today marks the 12th anniversary of the attacks in the USA.

The Pentagon, WTC and Shanksville Pa, were the sites of the heinous radical Islamist crimes against our people and this nation.
It also marks the FIRST anniversary of the attack in the Benghazi Embassy that left FOUR Americans dead...and to which we have YET to have any answers forthcoming from this administration.

We will memorialize the fallen, remember the loved ones lost, and recall where we were when these events unfolded before our eyes.
And like so many are keen to say "We should NEVER forget".
We are a resilient people, and deservedly so.

America was founded on principles and values that defined not only who we were, but who we would become in generations following the founders.
When it came to 2001, we got answers as to who was behind those attacks.
Today, one year after Benghazi...we're still waiting.

Pentagon memorial

Flight 93 memorial

WTC reflecting pools

The sites in America that marked that day 12 years ago are ripe with memorials...as they should be.
We have nothing for The Libyan Embassy attack, save for what we create HERE in our country to remember the fallen.
I believe that every one of us plays some part on a larger stage, and we're often not aware of it.
We're usually too busy with so many other things that we become sidetracked.

But today, on this Patriot's Day, we WILL pause...and we WILL remember, not out of any feeling of guilt or shame, but because remembering is what REAL Americans do.
We grieve, we mourn, and then we move forward with a renewed sense of purpose.
Let such things be our guide today...and for the days to come.

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