Tales From the South Side...
Yes, boys and girls...time once again for another installment of why living in my particular part of Fort Wayne is a study in patience and self-control, as well as seeing all the reasons why our society has been in decline for decades.
** First up, Mrs. Bobby G. was on her way home yesterday from "baby-sitting" aka teaching the unwashed masses of youth who would much rather be at the mall, playing HALO, or out stealing a car or robbing an elderly person, when she became part of a police call.
When she called the house and explained the situation to me (why she would be a tad late), I had to smile a bit.
What follows is the tale of a concerned citizen.
Wifey was noticing a car weaving along the streets, stopping in the middle of intersections, and basically being a hazard on the road, so she did what ANY decent person would do...she called *911*.
When dispatch got on the horn, Wifey explained the situation, and said she was going to follow the person.
The driver of the car was going slow, and actually hit one vehicle parked along the street. Wifey continued calling out cross streets and giving a vehicle description.
When officers got on scene and pulled the driver over, the missus was asked to stick around for a statement...no biggie...it's just SOP with a witness, especially where property damage has been incurred.
Seems the driver of the car in front of her was elderly, and perhaps should not have been on the road.
Now Wifey didn't know if he was drunk, under meds, having seizures...or what.
She probably saved at least one person's life, as a result of her actions...perhaps more, considering that school had recently let out, and buses were also traversing the streets, along with kids walking about.
She done good...she done REAL good, as we would say.
Now, I have GOT to get her to a shooting range...and teach her some hand-to-hand, just in case there's an unruly kid in class...LOL.
Mrs. Bobby G. could have just as easily decided to NOT get involved, take another route home, and be done with it.
She could have also read where this person killed a child crossing a street.
But she made a choice to act...and act appropriately.
As a result, the situation was resolved with a minimum of problems and no injuries.
Now...if the FWPD ever needs a "veteran" of LOW-SPEED pursuits...I got your candidate RIGHT HERE at the house, people!
In a somewhat related story, check out THIS link about a man given BACK his license AFTER a (deserved) suspension:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20091203/LOCAL07/312039968/1002/LOCAL I find it interesting that Judge Fran Gull was the one who amended his felony down to a misdemeanor, so this drunk could get his license back...she dropped the ball GOOD on THAT one.
The drunk driver, Brian Mansfield, killed one person (on Rt 24) and sent another to the hospital on 24 November, and had a BAC of 0.37 (FIVE TIMES the legal limit). It's called the judicial system.
Flawed?
You tell me.
Better yet, tell the family of the dead mother of the teenage daughter in the hospital.
** There is more info coming out regarding the latest homicide in town.
((Suspects in pizza driver slaying ID’d - Michael Zennie / The Journal Gazette
Two men who have been in police custody before are suspects in the robbery-slaying of a pizza deliveryman late Sunday, Fort Wayne police announced Wednesday.
Andre A. Washington, 20, and Deangelo M. Bennett, 18, are suspected of shooting 32-year-old Ian Jacob Crace to death in the 2800 block of Schele Avenue, police said.
Police were already looking for Bennett (seen on left). He is wanted on a warrant after failing to appear in court in September on a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge filed in August, court records said.
On Tuesday, detectives released his name and photograph, calling him a "person of interest."
He is now a suspect, and police are hoping the public can help find him.
Police arrested Washington (seen on right) – also wanted in connection with the killing – in February 2008 on a robbery charge, though it was dismissed five days later, according to court records.
Detectives believe the pair robbed Ian Crace, a delivery driver for Pizza By Vito, of his pizzas and shot him to death about 10:30 p.m. Sunday.
Crace graduated from North Side High School and attended Indiana University in Bloomington, according to family members.
His killing was Fort Wayne’s and Allen County’s 20th homicide this year.
Police ask anyone with information about the whereabouts of Bennett or Washington to call
Crime Stoppers at 436-7867.))
(( Editor's note: An update to this story - one suspect in custody. H/T to Leo Morris @ Opening Arguments blog. Here's the link:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091203/NEWS/912030331 ))
Maybe the police should also check out some of the "cribs" I've got in MY area...seems we have too many people crammed into too FEW houses. And many of them are what I term "newbies" to the area.
Getting a description of men like this is difficult, as they all wear SIMILAR CLOTHING (baggy pants, athletic shoes, dark-colored hoodies...you get the idea)...part of the "dime a dozen look" crowd...what a cool way to "express your individuality"...by all dressing ALIKE.
Also, maybe a THOROUGH search of the ALLEYS in the area, complete with checking out open or broken garage doors, backs of vacant houses, etc., might be a good idea as well.
Anyone care to check out the car that was "abandoned" on my block since the shooting took place?
It was tagged by Parking Control...(I'd impound it and dust for prints, but that makes too much sense).
There are just WAY TOO MANY places for someone to "get lost" around here, and it would behoove the department to investigate these places, and have Code Enforcement follow right behind, to board them up.
It wouldn't surprise me one damn bit to find out that Bennett or Washington (or both) are in my area.
You WILL both be caught, guys...consider it one of life's INEVITABILITIES.
** Lastly...I'm not much of an advocate of "global warming", so I'm laughing my ass off at the recent developments concerning this HOAX against the people of this planet. This actually makes the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot believable!
So that makes me an "enemy of the state", I guess...fine by me.
Listen, I've said this many times right here...Mother Nature takes care of her own, and especially when it come to her very own WORLD.
Our planet walks a fine line when it comes to our "locale" in the universe. Just a few degrees in another direction as we orbit about our sun, and our ecosystem will change. A few hundred miles farther away from the sun...again, things WILL change.
If the moon shifts IT'S orbit...things change. If the sun tosses off a few solar prominences, things change.
And WE, as the human race, are relatively HELPLESS to do anything about it...except sit back, grab some popcorn, and watch it happen.
Besides, we've got plenty on our collective plates as it is.
We've no shortage when it comes to crimes, wars, famines, disease...we got it all.
So, don't you think that for us to involve ourselves in the affairs of Planet Earth and it's "Gaia", if you will, is becoming a bit arrogant, as if WE can change the universe in it's course?
Mother Nature could toss us aside as easily as the dinosaurs.
And our sun probably WILL burn this rock to a cinder in a few million years.
It's noble to believe that we can keep the current ecosystem totally intact on this planet, but to pursue wasteful alternatives that will return little if any real value back to the planet is folly.
We have to strike an "accord" with the Earth...
We need to stop trying to change something we simply cannot.
And we should try to become better stewards of that to which we have been entrusted.
The Earth will warm and cool at it's OWN rate, and in it's OWN good time.
We, as inhabitants here are expected to adapt...or perish.
It's that simple.
Now, get out there and get some Christmas shopping done...we've ONLY got about THREE WEEKS left. Santa needs some helpers.
Have yourselves a good day, and ...
Stay safe out there, America.