Monday Musings...

It's the start of another week, and more me, the last remnants of my 62nd year on this old rock.
Amazing how times flies when you busy with life, isn't it?
Anyway, I'll be bringing you some "postcards from the edge" as it were a bit later on.
In the meantime, our Hoosierland weather also waits fo no one.
Today will see us with temps reaching into the mid-to-upper 80s (told you it was going to feel more like summer) partly sunny skies and that damnable humidity hanging around. And do not rule out the possibility of a pop-up rain shower (or two).
Don't worry, in a couple months we'll be griping at the COLD weather...isn't that always the way?
Seems moderation only seems to work out in a person's LIFE and not when it comes to the weather.
In any event, let's all get our morning drinks close by as we see what is going on elsewhere...
*** First out of the hangar is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
August 17 -
---Today is NATIONAL THRIFT SHOP DAY

Guess Goodwill and the Salvation Army will see more business then?
---And, it's NATIONAL LOVE YOUR FEET DAY

Guess we better follow that, because those tootsies get us damn near everywhere we need to be, right?
(Wifey got her feet loved at the mall Saturday...heh)
*** Next up, as is with most ANY weekend in Fort Wayne, we had a (double) shooting incident that resulted in the death of a woman on the near east side of town (not that far from the downtown area.

Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/1-dead--1-injured-in-shooting-8259741

This took place early Saturday morning, around 0320 hrs in an "after-hours" club located at 3032 Maumee Ave. Could be homicide number SIXTEEN (unless someone fudges those numbers again)
The building, which is across the street from Omnisource, is called Choppers Kickstand (restaurant?) and the room next to the place is apparently rented out for "other uses".
When police arrived, they found a woman outside the building suffering from a gunshot wound. She was taken to hospital and died a short time later.

Not long after, another (male) victim showed up at another hospital with a gunshot wound. He is listed in serious condition.
Police said the victims appear related as far as the shootings go.
Now, the FWPD spokesguy seems to "think" officers know what went on, but have no suspects, didn't say if a firearm was recovered, and haven't mentioned about interviewing witnesses...in other words...not a whole helluva lot to run with at this point. But police ARE asking for OUR help.

Okay, you want MY help?
Here's what you do...PATROL, PATROL and PATROL some more.
Get the officers assigned to specific sectors to KNOW the "lay of the land", as it were.
When an officer can tell you WHO lives in their patrol radius, which businesses are legit, and which ones are "dubious", and what vehicles frequent specific houses to all hours, THEN you might not need the help of OTHERS, because YOU people will know as much (if not more) than those living in the areas being patrolled...right?
At least, that's the way things USED to be done...and, it worked a lot better to keep a lid on things.
Moving on...
*** Next up, "da prez" wants to demilitarize our police departments. I mentioned this a couple months ago, but he's not finished quite yet.
Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/us/Police-gear-plan-toget-tighter-control-8263373

Beats becoming a statistic

Now excuse me, but when the BAD guys have AKs and other paramilitary weaponry, what's the best defense against that?
Is it LESS military gear for THE GOOD GUYS?
I...think...not...!
Okay, so MAYBE police don't need fully-tracked vehicles (but DHS needs MRAPS?) to use with their SWAT teams (the FWPD has a Vietnam-era Commando V-150 armored car), and maybe they don't need grenade launchers.

It's a STAND-OFF weapon for a REASON.

I think they DO need launchers to get tear gas rounds into buildings or into crowds for dispersal at distance.
Naturally, Ferguson is brought up...
I say if the people didn't act like savage animals with the rioting and looting, going off like several hundred loose cannons, then MAYBE such police tactics would not have to be used.
Even with militarization of the police (there) look at all the businesses that were trashed.
I think a strong offensive approach from the jump WAS warranted, and SHOULD have been deployed.
Don't let those with criminal activity on their minds be allowed to disrupt non violent protesting, and when they do, come down hard, fast and continuous.

Nothing about "burning down the house"

People do have the right to PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY, but they do NOT have ANY right to loot, pillage and plunder our cities.
Simple as that.
*** And in a related story about the "Big Brother" aspect to our government, there's this little gem:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/courts/Dangerous-or-sane--owners-of-seized-guns-get-day-in-court-8225955

Not just a philosophical issue here.

I did not KNOW the (Indiana) STATE laws would allow seizure of firearms WITHOUT a warrant if a person is "perceived" to be dangerous.
That perception could apply to ANY of us, and that paints this societal canvas with a very BROAD brush, does it not?
I will grant you that when an IMMINENT danger presents itself, the ability of law-enforcement to take guns AWAY from individuals who would harm either themselves or others DOES become paramount.
And the LACK of doing so results in the recent tragedies we've seen across this nation.

But, that damn "perception" thing keeps getting in the way.
WHO determines what a person's perception really is BUT that person  alone?
WHAT is the "criteria" for such determinations?
How I perceive something might be quite different from how nine other people see something.
I tend to base my perceptions on FACT...what I see, hear, document, and then make an informed decision about.

Learn to be objective

That's how MY perception works...and it might not be likewise for the person next to me.
It's like the police-shooting "media circuses" which draw undue attention to regular policing, but with a racial tone assigned to them, based on how OTHERS perceive the situation, and that is based more on EMOTION than the facts.
You can easily see how things can spiral out of control and certainly out of context.
This is a very slippery slope to find ourselves on, and we'd best beware and take a hard look at this law, before people who SHOULD be allowed to have firearms are denied their 2nd Amendment right.
Get the mentally unstable and criminally-intent off the streets and take away THEIR firearms, but keep the "perception" at arm's length.
Better to go with the FACTS and not what we "feel" in this case.
*** Last back to the runway...since I am rapidly approaching the start of my 63rd year here, I'd thought we might look at that pivotal year -  1952.

I'd like to take time to acquaint all of you as to some of the things that took place in the year I was born.
I'll be doing this all week, and I think it's important not only from a historical aspect, but also allows us to see how much we, as a society have "evolved", and I use that word with much caution, for I feel in some ways, we have stood still, and in other ways we've actually regressed.
Few are the ways that we have moved forward, other than through the passage of time.
Let's look at some of the POLITICS of the year that was...1952::
--President Truman announced he would not seek a second term.

--Queen Elizabeth II takes the crown after King George VI dies.
--England's PM, Winston Churchill announces that the UK has the atomic bomb.
--The USA ratifies a peace treaty with Japan.

--The U.S. Army SPECIAL FORCES are created.
--Decree 900 in Guatemala orders redistribution of uncultivated land
--East Germany announces the creation of the National People's Army.

--Puerto Rico becomes a self-governing commonwealth of the USA
--Ceasefire negotiations in Korea are postponed while U.S. airstrikes hammer North Korea
--Martial law is declared in Kenya due to the Mau Mau uprising.

--Dwight Eisenhower is elected president of the United States, defeating Adlai Stevenson.
--The U.S, National Security Agency is founded.

--Cuba undergoes an almost bloodless coup led by former president Fulgencio Batista, promising to be a friend of the people until a free election
--The National Prohibition Foundation is incorporated in Indiana

--And, the United Nations begin building their HQ in NYC.
So, there you have it...the highlights in politics from the year I was born.
Wish we could say world events have quieted over the decades...guess not.
Tomorrow, a look at some of the movies, music and literature of that year.
Should be fun for all.

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