Friday Follies...
Well, looks like we made it to the weekend relatively unscathed.
And it's a typical January around here...
Plenty of COLD weather, all that "lake effect" snow, coming in dribs and drabs, putting JUST enough of that white stuff on the roads and streets to make driving more challenging for everyone.
Trouble is, there's more than a few folks out there that don't LIKE being challenged this early in the morning (and some not at all it would seem)...and it shows.
Police and fire departments were REAL busy yesterday with accidents.
Every few minutes I'd hear a "25" come across the radio (accident - property damage), especially along out local chunk of the interstate.
And then you'd hear a call for a "hook" soon afterwards after arriving on scene
Today, probably more of the same - the temperatures are cold enough so that any salt dumped down isn't going to be all that effective until later in the day.
It's days like this, that I recall a witticism my Dad would say about life...
"If it ain't one damn thing...it's another."
Shoulda kept a money jar and dropped a dollar into it ever time he said that...talk about being "socially-secure"...LOL.
Moving on...
*** An update to the story I posted here about that NE side shooting.
Yes, friends, we DO have a winner of the FIRST HOMICIDE IN FORT WAYNE lottery!
Here's the article in today's paper:
(( Published: January 7, 2011 3:00 a.m.
1st homicide victim of ’11 paralyzed in ’99 shooting - Jeff Wiehe The Journal Gazette
FORT WAYNE – Fort Wayne’s first homicide of the year occurred when someone mishandled a gun and accidentally shot a close friend, a man who had been paralyzed from a gunshot wound more than a decade ago.
Robert T. Portee, 29, was found dead inside an apartment at 1202 Lake Forest Drive on Wednesday.
Several people inside the apartment were questioned by detectives. The shooting was declared an accident by police, who said a friend holding a gun accidentally discharged the round that killed Portee. The Allen County
Coroner’s Office ruled Portee’s death a homicide. The county had 30 homicides last year.
It was at least the second time Portee had been shot.

In 1999, a customer at a gas station Portee was trying to rob shot him in the neck. The wound left Portee a quadriplegic "living in his own hell," according to Allen Superior Court testimony at the time.
In that case, Portee was convicted of attempted robbery and pointing a firearm, both felonies. He was given a suspended prison sentence.
Portee’s close friend has not been identified or charged with a crime. After being interviewed by police, the person was released.
The investigation will soon be completed and forwarded to the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office, police said.
It is unclear whether that person will eventually face charges, but some accidental shootings in Allen County have resulted in prison sentences.
--In 2005, 22-year-old Christopher O. Lawrence shot and killed 16-year-old Chase Richards.
Lawrence told investigators he did not realize the gun was loaded and was trying to scare Richards.
Lawrence was convicted of reckless homicide and sentenced to nine years in prison.
--In 2006, Sodonna R. Green pleaded guilty to reckless homicide after she shot 20-year-old Morgan Craig in the head. She told police she pointed the gun at Craig after they exchanged words and it went off as they fought over it.
Green was given six years in prison.
--And last year, Deyante Stephens pleaded guilty to reckless homicide after he shot and killed Christopher Ty-Ron Caldwell at Caldwell’s mother’s home.
Stephens had walked into a bedroom where Caldwell was. He saw a shotgun inside a closet, picked it up and pointed it at Caldwell. The gun went off, and the round killed Caldwell.
Stephens, who was forgiven by Caldwell’s mother in court, was given four years in prison. ))
Like I said in yesterday's post:
What part of "PRACTICE GUN SAFETY" did any of these people NOT understand?
Back on 28 December, Bob Aldridge had an OP-ED about this VERY topic.
Here's the link to THAT article entitled "Proper gun handling a healthy obsession":
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20101228/EDIT05/312289957
Mr. Aldridge runs the IFTNRA website:
http://www.iftnra.com/News.html
He's a firearms EXPERT and INSTRUCTOR and holds regular classes throughout the year.
I mean, it's not like there are NO resources at anyone's disposal to know HOW to PROPERLY handle any firearm, right?
The FWPD did carry out an assault rifle and a pistol-grip shotgun from the residence (and other weapons).
The person that accidentally shot Portee had NEVER handled an assault rifle before (as was reported on local TV news), so WTF was everyone thinking when they handed a LOADED and (obviously charged) weapon TO that individual?
If you want to "show" someone a firearm...ANY firearm, the FIRST thing you do (if you're practicing correct safety with a weapon) is CLEAR the weapon, which often includes dumping the magazine and racking the slide or otherwise EJECTING any round in the firing chamber.
With wheel guns, you have to flop open the cylinder and eject the bullets (usually all 5 at once, because you never let the hammer rest on a loaded chamber, in case of dropping the weapon ON that hammer and making it go BANG)
You don't have to be an EINSTEIN to figure this sh*t out, folks...it's plain old COMMON SENSE.
It's also called "becoming familiar with your weapon", as in READ the manual that accompanies it...you might save a life along the way.

(who wants to bet that a gun manufacturer tries to get SUED over this?)
Could this have been avoided?
I suppose, but given the nature of the people that possessed the firearm, I'd think it highly UNLIKELY that something like this would have NEVER happened.
Some folks just don't take all that well to "book-learning".
Just pick it up and use it...or get in and drive it away (never mind figuring out how the damn thing works and what can go WRONG if it's mishandled)
they move into a house...
They've got NO IDEA whatsoever on what it takes to MAINTAIN a dwelling (or for that matter, an apartment).
They look at a toilet as a "universal disposal" (ever wonder HOW MUCH drugs are dumped there yearly?)
Walls are made to be punched with one's fist.
Kitchens are rarely used for COOKING (and in some cases, if they ARE, it often results in a GREASE FIRE).
That stove is "auxiliary heating" for the winter months.
It's little wonder that however bad the INSIDE of the place is being trashed (and believe me, they ARE...seen it first-hand...a LOT), it WILL migrate to the OUTSIDE of the house or apartment, and eventually to the areas surrounding such a dwelling.
And THAT is how to "build a ghetto"...
It's IRRESPONSIBLE PEOPLE that cause blighted areas...NOT poverty...NOR racial discrimination.
It's those who choose to "buck the system"...play it like a cheap-ass fiddle for all it's worth that causes a slum area to "evolve" (or is that DEVOLVE?)
Funny thing about that...those that TRY to do something to turn an area around or stop the decline are all too often in the minority of the minority.
Those people are way too few in number, and very often out-gunned and out-numbered.
(sounds like a recipe for disaster, doesn't it?)
Shouldn't have to be that way, but thanks to a city's selective apathy, that's what happens.
And, as is the case, the blight is permitted to "expand"...to move outward to other neighborhoods to start fresh.
Sooner or later, all those that left once good neighborhoods to move someplace else are going to find a lot LESS of that "someplace else" to move to.
Staying and fighting the status quo is not for the faint-of-heart, trust me.
I am often wondering WTF I am doing here...why I don't bug the hell out like everyone else has done.
I figure this is OUR house, free & clear...don't owe anyone anything...no financial Sword of Damocles hanging over our head.
Why would be go get some shovels and dig a nice, deep, expensive, mortgage-laden HOLE when the economy is so damn tenuous anyway?
That's bit too far on the lunatic-fringe side to suit my taste.
Better to stay the course...ride out the storm and keep what we have.
Better to chase the undesirables out, that have US chased the hell out.
It's called fighting for one's PRINCIPLES.
Nothing lasts forever, but there's nothing saying you can't having something FOR A GOOD LONG WHILE, right?
Welcome to OUR house, folks!
And when it comes to the Missus and this house, I will always play it safe for all concerned.
You don't allow the riff-raff to run the show
You stand for what you believe in...what you KNOW to be right.
Like I say, it's not for everyone, nor is it easy.
But if everything WAS easy, we'd get pretty damned bored pretty damned fast, right?
Have yourselves a great weekend (and keep warm).
Be well, make a difference to someone, and, as always...
Stay safe out there, America.

It STILL Never Gets Old...
And a Happy EPIPHANY to you all.
Today is the day I take down the Christmas decorations...or "Little Christmas" as Mom used to call it.
It's the day associated with the Magi coming to Bethlehem.
Here's the WIKI for the *411*:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(holiday)
With that behind us, let's get busy being RIGHT (again).
When you're right, there does come a certain satisfaction...the knowing that for all the years you paid attention in school, listened to your folks, and even trusted your instincts, you can pretty much make some damn good conclusions based on what facts are presented, and by keeping one's eyes and ears OPEN.
And there are even times you wish to God you could be wrong, but you're not.
Such is the case with THIS:
*** We can now claim our FIRST shooting victim of 2011 (and we're ahead of last year, when the first shooting took place on 12 January).
Only this time, they say it's an "accidental" shooting.
Here's the link (reprinted below):
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110106/LOCAL/301069965
This happened on the city's NORTHEAST side (instead of the "usual" SE side we've come to know and love).
And the neighborhood LOOKS pretty normal...like a lot of those "good" neighborhoods I hear tell about.
(and how like OUR neighborhood USED to be in times past)
But, if you scratch the surface of this pristine area, you might find something else beneath.
Here's the FULL story on this event:
(( Published: January 6, 2011 3:00 a.m.
Police: Shooting death appears to be accident
Jeff Wiehe The Journal Gazette - Cathie Rowand The Journal Gazette
She leaned over and spit on the ground between sobs.
Then the woman with a blonde swath through her black hair went back to her phone, her other hand clutching the visor she wore to work at a fast-food restaurant.
She was outside her brother’s home amid a swarm of police cars and ambulances.
Soon, friends and family were rushing to her. She shouted to them before they could reach her.
"He dead," she said. "Robert dead. He shot. Robert dead."
This was the misery after an apparent accidental shooting Wednesday, one that claimed the life of a man who lived in an apartment at 1202 Lake Forest Drive, near Lake Avenue and North River, Maplecrest and Maysville roads.
Police were called to the ranch-style apartment at the front of the typically quiet northeast-side neighborhood, at 2:53 p.m.
Officers found a man dead from an apparent gunshot wound.
Detectives were questioning people at police headquarters late in the afternoon. Initial information from those involved indicated the shooting "was not an intentional act," officer Raquel Foster, city police spokeswoman, said.
No arrests have been made, and the name of the man killed has not been released. People at the scene identified the man as Robert Portee of Fort Wayne.
Hours after the shooting, a Facebook page was set up as a memorial for Portee.
"Please, Lord," said another woman at the scene. "It’s my nephew. It’s Robert. It’s Robert. Why, God? Why, God?"
Later, the same woman would walk in circles, calling various numbers on her cell phone and getting through to no one.
She talked to herself, hoping against hope that her nephew was all right, that it was just a bad rumor, that he was really OK, even though news had already traveled to others that he was dead.
Another woman crouched behind the brick wall of a carport and cried while a friend embraced her. The attempts to soothe the woman’s pain were futile.
"Robert, where did you go? Where did you go?" she said.
Several men at the scene were frustrated as they tried to get information about the reported shooting.
Some said police told them nothing about what had happened.
Officers brought a chair for one extremely anguished woman.
But her anxious pain wouldn’t allow her to remain seated.
Soon after sitting for a breather, the woman was back up.
"I don’t know what to do, I don’t know how to feel," she told those around her.
Then she fainted, dropping to the ground.
She spent the next half-hour inside an ambulance, eventually emerging with tears still staining her cheeks.
She was gathered into the arms of her friends and family.
She said all she wanted to do was go home.
As the sun dipped closer to the ground and the weather turned colder, the victim’s sister became angry.
She marched between the squad cars and ambulances. She marched across the lawns. She didn’t know where her brother was.
The hospital?
It didn’t matter where, that’s where she wanted to be.
The only thing she wanted was to see him.
"Why am I still here?" she yelled.
"He’s gone. They know he’s gone. Why are we still here? I want to go see my brother.
I want to go see him. I want to say goodbye." ))
Now, it's interesting to note that there was a BRANDON PORTEE that was a homicide victim LAST year (2 March)...whether they're related remains to be seen. Robert Portee was also a black male, in case the thought was crossing your mind.
And yet, this was a "nice" neighborhood, as the article states.
(not any longer, it would appear)
If you READ the story as posted (here) verbatim from the newspaper, you will see a lot of things.
On TV, one young white male was interviewed on WANE and stated "My mother says we're moving".
Yeah, that's ONE way to deal with things...run the hell away. I've seen THAT occur in MY neighborhood.
Look at the way the woman in the story REACTS...how she SPEAKS, how she's attired.
I've seen my share of a LOT of diverse people, and it always comes down to the "BASICS".
If you've been a reader here for some time, you ALSO know that' I've mentioned frequently that the "blight" that infested MY area "was coming to a neighborhood near you...soon enough".
Well, looks like it's HERE (or is that THERE?), and now the same problems exist in that area.
By the way, if you look at this picture of Robert Portee (from Faceboo - intersting read)) you might have to admit I'm correct when I said he was BLACK.
Funny thing, his "likes" include:
Getting Paid
Getting Tattoos
Getting High
(not anymore, Bub)
Sorry, but those particular "ideals" just don't seem to mesh all that well with any college-bound person or professional wanting to make something of himself.
Doesn't even sound like anyone that wants to TRY and make anything of himself. Guess he didn't have a "plan" in place, or didn't know how to be charitable to HIMSELF.
And, I reckon he made a few BAD decisions (most likely that LAST ONE, whatever it was).
But, it WAS "accidental"...so it's been said.
(and CAESAR was an honorable man, as well....sure)
I suppose the phrase "treat every gun as if it were loaded" didn't enter Mr. Portee's lexicon or vocabulary (makes a great case for getting GOOD grades in English, doesn't it?), and since we can no longer ASK him, the point in now moot.
I'll bet the residents are taking a good, HARD look at those "apartments" on their street TODAY.
(or they SHOULD BE)
As to the FWPD officers that had to secure and clear the scene...welcome to a (new) blighted area, people.
I would suggest doing a tour down HERE to get you all fully acquainted with the "nuances" you're going to be seeing.
But that's not all...there is another "sorta-kinda" related story that caught my eye:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110106/LOCAL/301069958/1002/LOCAL THIS story is about 25 "rent-to-own" houses that will be set out in WAYNEDALE (there goes THAT area).
There's already $5.7 MIL sunk into this new "project". (how's THAT for an ironic use of that word?)
Now, I'm not calling the people in Waynedale NAIVE, but they best get used to seeing things they haven't seen before with THIS housing gig.
Of course, there ARE "tax breaks" (really?), and has been on the Indiana Community and Housing Developments' "radar" for a while, but NOW, they get to go build them (and Lord knows what they will allow to move into them...But I already KNOW).
This project is backed by CANI (Community Action of Northeast Indiana), and the first thing that gets the hairs on my neck standing up are the words COMMUNITY ACTION, because I know (from recent experience) what is behind that facade.
The city couldn't get housing to sell (Renaissance Pointe) in another part of town, due to citizen outcry (bad rep) about more CRIME (and such other things that would disturb THEIR quality-of-life).
So, the city comes to WAYNEDALE, and decides to trash THAT area next.
Already have a few (small) apartment areas that see their share of crime (off of Bluffton Rd, near Engle), and they also include Willow Crack (I mean CREEK) Crossing Apartments...used to live there (and damn glad we left after getting broken into while we were both at work).
I miss that place about as much as I miss pounding my balls flat with a wooden mallet!
(sorry about the visual, but you see I have such FOND memories of living...excuse me...EXISTING there)
Interestingly enough, Glenn Beck (yesterday) made a reference to the downfall of DETROIT...and stated it was BY DESIGN.
I have stated HERE that the SE side of Fort Wayne was left to the "dogs" over the last two decades as well...BY DESIGN. And now, the sights are set on the SW side of Fort Wayne...and once again, we shall see that this will be perpetrated (such an appropriate word to use here) against the decent people in Waynedale...BY DESIGN.
After all, it's GOOD to have people dependant upon the government, don'cha think?
I didn't think you DID...and neither do I.
We must ALL depend on ourselves, first and foremost.
Then we can depend on ONE ANOTHER next.
We succeed or fail based upon our OWN merits...our OWN level of integrity, and our OWN willingness to challenge ourselves.
Anything less is governmental dependency.
And no one in ANY government could never hope to "take care of me" the way my PARENTS did before I could take care of myself.
Plus, I have NO desire to return to the "playpen"...I wish to move FORWARD in life.
As do all of you.
I think that's a pretty good starting point for any of us; to trust in ourselves...do for ourselves.
And a prayer offered now and then never hurt any person one bit, either.
That also...NEVER gets old.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

Humpday Happenings...
First humpday of the "new" year...or as I like to call it:
Cinco De Enero.
I have to begin today's post with a reference to yesterday's Glenn beck Show (radio or TV - either one works)
He is starting off this year with a challenge to ourselves. (sounds a lot like my posts from times past)
He calls it the E4.

And those four "Es" stand for:
- Enlightenment
- Education
- Empowerment
- Entrepreneurship
It's an intriguing premise, I must say.
WE, THE PEOPLE, are the key to the reclamation of this nation BACK to it's original intent and spirit.
Gotta say we're both on the same page there....I've said that for quite a while now.
I know I'm getting pretty damn sick and tired of being "told" (by those in the ivory towers), as to how my life should be conducted.
I'm a "big boy" (grown up, that is...I'm still only 5'7" tall...LOL), and I CAN think for myself these days.
And that can be said of most of us, I believe.
If we had a decent upbringing, and paid the hell attention to what we were taught as "young'uns" from our parents, teachers and even relatives, we carried all that forward into adulthood...or at least we should have.
And we've arrived at some point where we began thinking FOR OURSELVES.
We take command of our OWN ship of life, and chart our OWN course, as it were...
We've navigated uncertain waters, came too close to the shoals on more than one occasion, and perhaps even beached ourselves in order to rest a spell and get our bearings before we set out to sea again.
We've been storm-tossed, becalmed, and even towed a few times, in order to reach a "friendly port".
Now, I use these nautical terms, because they paint a picture we can all relate to. Even the most land-locked among us (probably living in Kansas...lol) can visualize in our mind's eye what these things mean...and how they relate to our lives. Hopefully, we've become good captains of our very own ships of life along the way.
And yes, we've probably made some errors in judgment in our voyage, but like any good seafarer, we come away from the experience more "seasoned" and better able to deal with a similar problem should it ever occur again.
So, on the whole, as a people, in general...we don't do all that bad.
In many respects, I fully agree with Beck's challenge to ourselves.
Hell, I challenge myself almost EVERY day.
Sometimes, just waking up is a challenge (all the body parts don't like to get up at the same time).
But there is always a "plan", if you will.
The day you wake up without ANY plan in mind whatsoever, or decision to make in the day you'd best check the old PULSE.
Every single day we are alive is filled with one decision after another...think about it.
There is not a solitary thing you do in ANY day that is not performed after you make some sort of decision.
Even NOT deciding to do something is a decision. For most all of us, getting that decision-making "coffeepot" brewing is second-nature.
We go from task to task, item to item, and decide on the WHATS, HOWS, WHENS, WHERES and WHYS...
And we barely blink in the process.
That's pretty amazing stuff.
Our minds are racing along in hyperdrive, doing whatever it is we're supposed to be doing (even if it's taking a nap) and we try to accomplish as much as we can in the time we have.
Sometimes, we get it done, while other times we don't.
Not a big deal (unless you're putting out a fire or doing the Heimlich maneuver on someone).
And at day's end, we look back and usually ponder one of two things:
1) Where did all the frigging time go?
2) Damn, I got a lot done!
We want to always do MORE than we can, in whatever capacity.
That's a marvelous part of the HUMAN CONDITION.
And, you could even say it's pretty darn charitable, too.
We LIKE to help...sorry, that's just the way we were "made".
Now, we all know that CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME, right?
Pretty simple to figure out.
If we can't exhibit charity in our OWN home to our OWN families, how the hell can we take this gig "on the road"?
Are we being charitable to OURSELVES?
What do we give to ourselves each and every day?
Are we giving ourselves the ability to better ourselves? Are we being charitable with ourselves when it comes to knowledge...or wisdom? See, we have to begin WITHIN, in order to proceed OUTWARD to others.
Do we take the time we need to get THAT done?
Is THAT part of OUR (daily) plan?
Well, it should be, if we are to renew ourselves with much of that American spirit our ancestors had within them.
And, by God, I think we can all do it, and benefit greatly from such a thing.
As you go through your day today, make sure you have a plan and make those good decisions.
Doesn't take but a thought to get that ball rolling. Think of it as a subliminal "hint" to yourself.
Do something that promotes charity within yourself, and then find a way to extend that to another.
And the smaller you start out, the better.
That way, you will see the growth that comes from planting the seeds of such things.
This nation has always been one that set the pace for others, and it's high time we took back that mantle.
We CAN do it..we SHOULD do it...and we MUST do it.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

Off To An Interesting Start...
Well, the Missus and I managed to make it THREE days into the new year before something decided to occur.

And as somethings go, this event is even larger than that damnable ice storm we had two years ago, which I considered a pretty decent (and somewhat costly) something.

We never had anything like THAT happen in Philly.

But, like many things in life...you take your somethings one-something-at-a-time.
*** Our Uncle Leo, a WW2 vet passed away yesterday afternoon (in Portland, IN) at the age of 91.
It was just one year and fifteen days since his wife, our Aunt Wanda passed (19 December 2009).
The good news, is that they're back together again.
They did make a great couple and in the all too brief time I have known them, they definitely secured a place in my heart.
The bad news, is that I shall now miss Leo, as I have Wanda.

To every YIN...there is a YANG.
In some ways, they were like my "surrogate" parents - they were about the same age, came from a similar era, and had many of the same values my folks did.
It's like losing one's parent all over again, in some respects.
Yet, there does come a day when you have to let a loved one go because it is THEIR time.
All that they were supposed to do has been accomplished.
One journey ends...and another begins.
That's the way things are SUPPOSED to go...the natural way.
If the Missus and I ever go back to the Back 40 Junction for a meal, there will be mixed emotions...
You see, we always would meet Leo & Wanda there for lunch (great buffet) at least once a year...for no reason other than to see them and chat for a while.

We drove south from Ft. Wayne, and they drove north from Portland...and we "met in the middle", as it were.
It was one of those "traditions" you come to look forward to.
Well, the MEMORIES of those traditions will remain forever.
And because of that, both of them will always be with us.
I suppose that's not so bad a legacy, and I can only hope for coming halfway close to it for myself.
Moving onward...
*** I said yesterday that I was going to talk about the homicide rates for Fort Wayne.
This is a case where death comes rather UN-naturally, and often accompanied with violence.
It's devastating to the victim's families when a loved one is here one minutes, and then gone the next, thanks to some thug, or predatory human refuse.
Once in a while, it's retaliatory in nature, so the victim might even have had it coming.
But the facts are these:
-- We have seen a RISE in homicides in recent years, thanks mainly to gangs and drugs.
(so much for wanting to legalize controlled substances, hmm?)
Gangs, as we have come to know, exist for only ONE purpose - MAYHEM.
That's all well and good in a world where anarchy reigns.
The world we LIVE IN though, is another animal altogether.

I honestly suggest reading one or all of these articles - they are enlightening and sobering to say the least
Here's the J/G story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110102/LOCAL07/301029917
Here's the list of victims for 2010:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110102/LOCAL07/301029894
And here's N/S article:
http://news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110101/NEWS/101010301
With the map of homicide locations (too many in the SE):
http://fwnextweb1.fortwayne.com/ns/special/extra/homicide2010.pdf
Much is similar, like the list of people killed, but there are a few differences pertaining to those interviewed.
And the locations of these killings tells us much as to how the city is "divided".
But this all smacks back to the PAUL HELMKE years (when he was mayor)...
Yes, that's the same Paul Helmke that runs the Brady Institute for Gun Control.
Paul couldn't (or wouldn't) do a damn thing to halt the flow of crack cocaine into this city back in the early 1990s (especially on the SE side, where the majority of minorities were moving to), and apparently didn't know that GANGS (and the usual violence that comes with them) soon follow the drug flow.
But now, he wants GUN control.
Granted that taking guns out of the hands of CRIMINALS would go a LONG way to lower the homicide rate.
-- There are statistics that state we have over THIRTY different gangs represented in the state of Indiana...(and that is as of 2007)
And we have other cities to thank for that...like Detroit, and Chicago, and Cincy, and so on.
Wonder how much better THOSE cities have made out over the years with their gang members emigrating to Indiana?
(Short answer: They stink-on-ice, and that's on a GOOD day)
-- We have a black community that does little if ANYTHING when it comes to PROACTIVE resistance against the rising tide of violence (and at the hands of their OWN people, against everyone else).
We may see a prayer service, or a media announcement that "something needs to be done"...and then we hear the deafening sound of CRICKETS...
What I HAVE seen is a small group of WHITES that pray over the spots where homicides have occurred, sprinkling the site with Holy Water.
(hey, at least THOSE folks are DOING SOMETHING)
There is never the outcry that SHOULD be coming from the black community.
Get off your African-American asses and get out ONTO the damn streets, go door-to-door, and get the message out to ALL your people, not just those who stop by on Sunday for the free lunch after service.
Preaching "to the flock" is easy.
Preaching to those who NEED to be preached to...well, that's a whole other ballgame.
Interesting thing about minorities in general who live in cities larger than those small towns...they always seem to group themselves back together.
I used to think it was only because they liked being around their own kind, but it's more than that.
It's part of the city plan to keep them corralled.
That works well...with the BAD folks. Better to keep them in ONE spot where you can "keep an eye on them".
Trouble is, you allow them to dwell and multiply in areas where DECENT people STILL RESIDE (like yours truly).

That makes things SO much more "fun" in our part of the city.

And here I thought we wanted racial "equality" and integration...doesn't look like that's happening at all.
Apparently, it's SEGREGATION most of these folks STILL want.
Well, it DOES make sense, especially if you're wanting to promote YOUR culture, YOUR values, and YOUR "rules" for the street (as opposed to societal norms).
Be nice if you could all find some damn ISLAND somewhere, but then, you wouldn't have the government doing everything FOR YOU, right?
You'd have to fend FOR YOURSELVES.
(I give that grand experiment a month...at best)

No working class to prop all of you the hell up...whatta shame for you.
Now you know why cities have this gig going on....for the MONEY.
It's never about the people...just the money.
That why we have more ghettos than Poland used to have, and our ghettos are far worse than those once found in Hell's Kitchen, NYC. It's ALLOWED to occur.
People are ENTITLED to it.
It's their RIGHT (as some would have you believe).
They do have the right to PURSUE HAPPINESS...and not have it handed to them every month in the form of a government check drawn against YOUR hard-earned tax dollars. That's promoting slothful behavior...bad behavior.
And with bad behavior and a degradation of mores comes the obligatory criminal activity...like HOMICIDES.
I will predict (with a level of certainty) that we will very likely have TWENTY-FIVE homicides (again) in Fort Wayne for 2011.
I would be surprised if that number fell short, but would NOT be surprised if it was higher (even from 2010).
Homicides (imho) are the direct result of allowing too many "broken windows" to occur in society.
When you brush off a lot of the small sh*t. because "people will be people", and only respond to situations that have escalated beyond the realm of talking, and into actual physical confrontations, then you've got a damn good recipe for someone killing someone else aka the BIG SH*T!
And most times, it's over something totally STUPID.
As a society, we've lost a large part of ourselves when it come to "socialization".

People cannot rationalize and socialize normally in order to preevnt hostility from arising.
Respect has flown the coop ('cause we left the cage open).
Civility is a lost art (and someone broke all the crayons)
Ethical behavior has become an orphan (and tore down the orphanages in the process)
People believe they have more and more "rights" when they actually are over-abusing all the PRIVILEGES that society used to extend to them.
For example, you do NOT have a right to DRIVE.
You have to FIRST prove yourself CAPABLE (by testing) and then you are allowed the PRIVILEGE of receiving a LICENSE which QUALIFIES you to get behind the wheel of a vehicle and start going from *A* to *B*.
Our society has marvelously blurred the lines between RIGHTS and PRIVILEGES.
And it's the lack of understanding of those two that often results in the death of an individual.
Actually, you have neither the RIGHT nor the PRIVILEGE of taking another life.
That used to be called a SIN (unless it was direct retribution in the Old Testament manner).
Self-defense in a life-threatening situation is another matter altogether.

Morality is something sadly missing in all these peoples' lives.
So it's no wonder we see the level of violence in their community.
The bad news, is that other races are catching on, want a "piece of the action" and feel "entitled" to do likewise when it comes to criminal activity.
The good news, is that's it's job security for law-enforcement.
(as long as they get to go home at end-of-shift)
When it come to the entitlement-driven portions of our population, homicide is never the BEST answer - just the EASIEST one for the morally-challenged.
Human life...ANY life should never have to be devalued to such a degree where killing becomes commonplace.
There is hope, but ONLY when people can that effect proper change and make tough decisions on how to deal with this are allowed to do their jobs.
Can we reverse the climbing rates of homicides?
Not overnight, we can't.
But we CAN act to stop the tide from rising...
That is the greatest tool at our disposal...our ACTION.
Doesn't matter how small it might be, either.
It's the INACTION of many that allowed this to take place.
It's our ACTION (now) that will remove it.
Unless we want to become a statistic, like the people on last year's homicide list.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

Monday Musings...
Welcome to a brand new year...which happens to look eerily similar to the last year we had.
All we have to do is get used to writing or typing 2011 instead of 2010, right?
New Year's (very early morning) was another "typical" ghettoesque soiree through our friendly neighborhood version of the TWILIGHT ZONE, but that was OK, because I happened to be watching that TWILIGHT ZONE marathon they had on the Sci-Fi Channel...talk about LIFE IMITATING ART...LOL.
We had the usual gunfire, which began (in force) a bit earlier than usual (around 2315 hours - the very first shots I heard were around 2200 hours), and some of it was only a few houses away in the next block north of us.
I saw a muzzle flash from a house that will be the subject of closer scrutiny THIS year, rest assured.
And the FWPD WILL be advised of the happening that occurred there.
Another asshat shooting off his weapon was one street over on Warsaw St, and I'm surprised the one good neighbor I know from that block didn't call us up about it. The rain kept the fireworks to a minimum, and the shootings were confined to people leaning out of doors (in order to stay dry).
I thought I heard of a shooting call come over the radio that left one person in serious condition around 0110 hours, in the vicinity of Parnell and Coldwater roads (further north), but nothing showed up on ANY of the media sources, so I guess it was unfounded.
And we also had the all too numerous code "55's" (fights) and code "46,96's" out the wazoo (domestics with battery)
Nice to know that the way SOME people ring in the new year is by wailing the snot outta each other...how "quaint" .
(rolls eyes)
I AM guessing that celebratory gunfire is STILL okay (and illegal, according to city ordinance) however, because we surely had enough of it in OUR area.
Odd thing was...not ONE SINGLE call into dispatch from anywhere in a three block radius of our house.
(astounding)
Was like an evening in Fallujah...just needed an MRE...and more sand...and camels.

Lotsa camels (that spit).
The rain we had during the evening also played into our hands by keeping "da boomcar boyz" at bay...very few dared to thump about.
Now, there's a curious superstition that goes along with New Years and making NOISE.
That being the noise is made by people to supposedly ward off any "demons" for the coming year, bringing prosperity instead..
This is an instance where the word IRONY comes into play.
You see, the people (and I use THAT word loosely) MAKING all the damnable noise ARE the demons THEMSELVES... (WTF?)
Yepper...how coincidental is THAT, hmm?
And even if they were NOT demons outright, all the chronic noise they DO provide, would sufficiently ward off any AND all demons for DECADES (they're that far ahead)...as well as chase away all the normal folks (which it pretty much has over the years).
So, we might as well call them DEMONIC in their intent.
*** We had our share of homicides last year, but that's due in no small part to this city being comfortable with all the "broken windows" around them.
This city COULD (if it wanted to) DECREASE the number of murders significantly, but that might entail ENFORCING the laws on the books, and perhaps losing some while adding a few, which would only go to promote PUBLIC SAFETY.
For example:
If I were the Chief of police in this city (and God knows the city would be so ill-prepared if that were to happen, which it won't), I'd just have to make some zero-tolerance and wholesale changes for the new year.
Think of these as being a lot more PROACTIVE, instead of the commonplace REACTIVE stance seen today.
(And no, I wouldn't have a mandatory death sentence for jaywalking, littering, or loitering, but it's a nice thought...and thanks for asking...LOL)
So here goes:
1) I would enact a law whereby NO ONE can have BLACKED-OUT windows on ANY vehicle...period.
This is NOT Arizona where the temps are high enough to melt your dashboard and the sun will fry your retinas...not even close.
Hell, I've seen blacked out windshields...now how the frack is that so much BETTER while driving AT NIGHT, hmm?
I would do this for only ONE REASON - to PROTECT any and all LEOs that might have to stop that vehicle.
It's for THEIR safety this needs to be done. An officer doesn't have side-scanning radar or x-ray vision to see INTO a suspect vehicle, and they should never be placed at risk by having such vehicles that cannot be viewed from the officers perspective when approaching said vehicle.
If that pisses off some people...tough sh*t. If they have nothing to hide, it shouldn't be an imposition.
So to them I would say, shut the f$ck up, lose the window tint, OR get your vehicle cited and/or impounded...your choice.
2) I would set up (static OR rolling) "checkpoints" to monitor noise in specified neighborhoods, and if that means I buy something called a "Boomerang" (currently in use by the military to pinpoint snipers) for the department to locate noise that is above acceptable levels FOR that neighborhood...so be it.
Every officer assigned also gets a DECIBEL METER...to monitor noise levels.
And if THAT cheeses off some group of citizens...tough sh*t (again). Find somewhere ELSE to play your 130 Db crap...like on an airport RUNWAY (where noise like that is considered "normal" with all the jet engines ramping up).
3) For lesser crimes, I would most definitely institute "work-release" programs in the blighted neighborhoods...totally supervised with ARMED officers (reservists or retired LEOs). And this would entail "guests" of the lockup CLEANING UP blighted areas...getting one's hands dirty, and even doing manual labor (something new for most of them, BUT they could always sing some spirituals to pass the time).
Let the other thugs see THEM cleaning up the mess (in leg-irons) that other thugs left...and let that serve as a reminder that the same thing is coming to THEIR crib soon enough.
4) You want a "performance muffler" on YOUR vehicle? Become a rally car driver in the BAJA 1000.
You want to drive around with a muffler full of holes, or even NO muffler? Become a damn stock car driver.
Anyone with HALF a functioning brain should KNOW that a leaking muffler can cause CO poisoning real easy, especially in winter, when the windows are up. The CO seeps up into the passenger cabin and you "get the nods" while driving...great way to check out on life, if that is your intention, but consider the NOISE, as well as the damage you could impart to other people's property or to people themselves because of YOUR laziness to get it fixed.
Anyone that has a vehicle that displays unusually high noise, due to ill-functioning mufflers...'ya got ONE WEEK to get it taken care of...then the car gets IMPOUNDED. That's why in Philly they have yearly INSPECTIONS for vehicles. You pass, you get the registration renewed. You fail, you get nothing until the problem is resolved.
Ditto for ANY burned-out bulbs or headlamps on a vehicle. A citation first up with a one-week window to get it taken care of...period.
If LEOs in Columbus, OH can do it, they sure as hell can do it just as well (and as often) right here.
5) ANY and ALL "domestics" where one party is arrested would automatically generate a search warrant for illegal substances and/or firearms for that residence. That way certain items that could escalate a minor quarrel into something a lot more "major" would be removed...permanently!
6) Any drug arrests where a charge of "intent to distribute" is applied would be a mandatory FIVE year sentence with (at least) a $100,000 fine - ditto for any "firearms by a known felon" cases...NO exceptions whatsoever!
You cannot look to ANY solutions when you don't even address the problems OR the causes OF those problems.
You can't win any "war" on drugs when all you're doing is shooting blanks.
I believe that these things DO represent some of the major causes to greater crime issues.
Think of it as kinda like a "Joe Arpaio" approach to common sense law-enforcement.
*** I would also take a long, hard look at the "confidential informant" gig the FWPD has in place.
Too many times, the CI gets away with all kinds of crap...well that would end RIGHT after the first breach of protocol.
Even if you're a CI for the city (or feds)...you screw up ONCE...bye bye. Do NOT pass "GO", do NOT collect $200...simple as that.
Sure, the LEGAL ramifications of things like the above would somehow become convoluted, but THAT'S where a really GOOD prosecutor EARNS their paycheck. And if they can't handle it, we kick THEM out and get someone in the position who CAN...and WILL.
As long as crime is handled in a manner that does NOT fully protect the public (as well as those who serve and protect), it's not going to be eradicated, or even abated in any meaningful fashion anytime soon.
A HARDER stance with NO wiggle-room for the perps is what is needed. No more hand-holding...no more "trying to understand the criminal"...no more slap on the wrist BS. These people KNOW full well what the hell they're doing. Why do you think they DO it in the first place?
(short answer: because they can often get away with it)
When crime becomes "unpopular", and by that I mean it becomes inconvenient for these thugs to get taken off the streets, THEN, you will see crime go DOWN. And you'll be able to do that without busting the department's budget along the way...another WIN-WIN (imho).
*** Something else I would do, which removes some of the "complaint-driven" aspect to the whole nature of PARKING CONTROL, is this:
Allow the assigned people to actively prowl an area, looking for violations...like people who incessantly love to park well within the FIFTEEN FOOT DISTANCE from a FIRE HYDRANT. Hell, hire more people part-time, and make the jobs "commission-based".
That's sure to find the people in violation of parking ordinances...like all those that are double-parking or park the WRONG way on a street (east bound on the west bound side, for example).
The things I mentioned, while not being popular in "certain" neighborhoods, would go far to re-establishing a lot more of that "quality-of-life" stuff we're always hearing OTHER people in better neighborhoods (who DO enjoy that) touting constantly. It would provide the impetus to make ALL neighborhoods better, starting with the ones that NEED it the most. That is when people would start to take pride in their areas again...the way they used to.
People looking out for one another, instead of selling drugs to one another, or even shooting one another sounds a helluva lot nicer to damn near ANYONE.
Make it uncomfortable to commit crime and crime leaves the area.
Make it difficult to breed apathy and laziness, and people will take more responsibility.
Make it damn near impossible to be a worthless human being, and people will become worthwhile again.
It's something that CAN be realized IF, and only if those with the authority are willing to make tough choices in order to hold everyone to the SAME STANDARDS for human living.
No more ignoring what some people do because of race, religion or creed.
We are ALL AMERICANS first and foremost.
And we hold ourselves to higher standards than most everyone else, because we are a unique people...living in a unique nation.
But, if there are those among us who would deprive others of their God-given rights and the privileges extended to us by our founding documents, then THOSE are the ones that need to be taken to task.
When you deny, or seek to tread upon the rights of others, you then abrogate your rights in the process.
This is not some legal "mumbo-jumbo" designed to obfuscate the masses.
It's nothing more than good old common sense, and was written to that end.
*** Tomorrow, we'll take a peek at the specified crime called homicide (in Fort Wayne), as both newspapers have written articles about the past year's numbers.
I promise not to make your head explode along the way. (that would be a bugger to get off of the carpet anyway, right?)
But it's something that I'm very sure is mirrored in whatever city YOU find yourself living.
In the meanwhile...
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.