Tales From The SOUTH Side...

Welcome back to another edition of our "tales", which differ from those found in the tome of Grimm, or those found by Strauss in The Vienna Woods, in that mine happen to be ALL TOO TRUE.

We'll be looking into that, but FIRST, it's time to find our the answer to the WHO SAID THAT? quote:

"Never lead soldiers into combat before having made sufficient trial of their courage."

This is attributed to the Emperor Maurice, The Strategikon, c.A.D. 600 (Maurice's Strategikon, tr. George Dennis - 1969)

And wouldn't you just KNOW that good old "Mo" has his OWN WIKI:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_(emperor)
He was Byzantine Emperor from 582 to 602.
His reign, which ended tragically was considered to be the last of the classical antiquity era (Romanesque).
It's a pretty good read, and his STRATEGIKON (not to be confused with a convention in San Diego for strategists...lol) was considered THE manual for (combined arms theory) warfare until WW2, even if present day historians now believe it was written by Maurice's brother.
Interesting to see that even way back then, similar problems plagued HIS empire much like things do today in America.
Meanwhile, back at the palace...
*** Another shooting on the...(...all together, gang...)...SOUTHEAST side (well done...heard every one of you).

Here's the story from the J-G with pictures from WANE:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120808/LOCAL07/120809599/1043/LOCAL07
And here is the story with VIDEO from WANE:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/police-respond-to-reported-shooting-near-anthony-and-pettit

Seems this guy was mowing his lawn when a silver-tan Impala rolls up the street. Mower guy runs and eleven shots ring out, with one round grazing the man's hip. Three rounds wound up going into a neighbor's house, busting one corner window.
The neighbor, when interviewed seemed (to me) to slightly giggle...now it could have been just nerves, but I'm not really finding anything "humorous" about this, other than the fact that with 11 rounds expended, only ONE hit...poor shot, no doubt.
We used to call that...a need for MORE RANGE TIME.
Still, the neighbor (and her husband) is planning to look for another place to live.
She's going to BUG OUT!
This shooting took place on Euclid St.near Pettit Ave.
I say, get with YOUR OWN community LEADERS, the CITY leaders, and FWPD top brass (chief & quadrant commanders/deputy chiefs), and DEMAND that something be done so that YOU don't have to leave YOUR home and go elsewhere.
Make the BAD GUYS go elsewhere...chase THEM away instead.

Now the mower guy obviously KNEW the perps in the car, otherwise he wouldn't have "booked" before they even got close enough to cap off those rounds. Both shooter and victim must have some sort of "connection", because a random act at THIS time of day is rare.

These thugs prefer to wait until after dark, when they think no one can see them (unless they SMILE...lol).

Fortunately, the vehicle description went out soon enough and the vehicle was pulled over at that good old intersection of Anthony & McKinnie, where the driver and shooter bailed.

I was following this on the radio, and heard the take down by FWPD officers of the DRIVER. The passenger (and shooter) is still AT-LARGE.

The driver was damn lucky he wasn't shot by officers on scene, as he began to reach for his waistband (saggy pants?) and made a furtive move.

Good judgment by one officer prevented another shooting, as no weapon was revealed.

The car, a newer Impala (looks like a damn unmarked POLICE CAR, doesn't it, or at least an NCE vehicle - wonder how such gangstas GET the $$$ to buy this stuff?) was flat-bedded off scene.

And another round of expended ROUNDS goes into the SE side books..until the NEXT one (which might occur sooner than we all think).
It makes you wonder if this shooting wasn't a retaliatory act from the Oliver St. shooting that grazed an infant (also in a house) when these (100 or so) moolies held some kind of ad hoc "block party" the other day.
I'm sure the FWPD are pursuing that angle, because even since the DRIVER of this last shooting is in custody, NO description of the shooter/passenger was available...(you're kidding me, right?)
(( blink-blink ))

Yeah, somehow this particular form of "street justice" or the whole "we'll handle our OWN sh*t" isn't in the best interest of ALL the populace in this city, or this neighborhood, but there's not enough to go on with no other witnesses, or the "I din see nuffin" BS.
I dunno, a few slaps up against the head of that driver with a hefty PHONE BOOK might jog his memory (the pre-Miranda days netted so much more information, regardless of the methods used to acquire it).
I'm sorry, but when you trample on OTHER PEOPLES' rights, placing them in danger or fear of death...you just kissed ALL your rights the hell off.
Be nice to get back to some of that JUDGE ROY BEAN kinda justice...that would put some fear BACK into all these thugs, because what we currently have that passes for justice THESE days just ain't cutting it.
*** This is a case for the fact that sometimes, you CAN fix stupid...after a fashion.
Here's the link:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/man-attempts-to-hold-up-pop-shop

So, you go into a shop to apparently ROB the place, and trip as you enter the store. Then you point a handgun and demand cash.
It's then you hear the clerk call back to another employee: "Grab the shotgun".
The robber took the hell off, was pursued several blocks by the clerk, until the man got away.
Yep...it's called poor planning, folks.
Other than the robber wearing a hat and bandana, no other description was made available.
(whatta dumbass)
BTW, the robber got away with nothing, and no injuries were reported.
At least it didn't happen on the SE side...for a CHANGE!
(not that there's much LEFT to rob at that time of night around here anymore)
*** USA still behind China for first place in the Olympics...

We're only TWO behind in Gold medals and FOUR behind in overall medals.
And Great Britain passed Russia for 3rd place...again.
Here's the current breakdown:
http://www.london2012.com/medals/medal-count/
Women's beach volleyball and men's basketball is producing the expected results...winning.
And some USA track runners might give police a real "run for their money" (pun intended) IF they ever decide to become career criminals.
The way they ran AND vaulted would amaze damn near anyone.
Perhaps they might instead JOIN the ranks of LAW-ENFORCEMENT...make it harder on a fleeing CRIMINAL for a change...now THAT would be worth paying to watch.
*** Lastly today...the SE side of Ft. Wayne has been a write-off for way too long...that's a given.

Yet, it shouldn't HAVE to be that way...not with the people this city STILL has down here that are NOT criminals or thugs.
Everything the city does or tries to do is REACTIVE in nature...same for the FWPD top brass...they all REACT to what happens, instead of trying to prevent what happens.
And a reactionary stance does no damn good to those just wanting to live their lives, and be left the hell alone.

In good neighborhoods, the city will seemingly bend over backwards to keep the status quo, and the residents look out for one another...a very PROACTIVE stance.
But, when an area is allowed to become infested with the law-breaking vermin, and a generation of folks grow up not only distrusting the police (who only uphold the LAW), but seek to take matters into their own hands when it comes to their OWN sub-culture, it's a fine setting for chaos at beast, and anarchy at worst.
The innocents caught in whatever cross-fire taking place are the REAL victims here...NOT the thug that got shot by another thug...OR his family and friends. They tend to be part of the PROBLEM by either doing too little to avoid such problems, or, as is so often the case,...do NOTHING to help police or their fellow citizens.

As we become less civil as a society, such things will grow in nature and scope.
The answer is simple...become MORE civil (again).
You might not be able to legislate stupidity (yet), but you CAN hold people accountable for their OWN behaviors, actions and personal responsibility.
That alone will cure so many ills that are festering in our nation today.
And it's high time we got back on track towards that end.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.