Kids & Crime, What Is Wrong Here?
What the hell is wrong with our country?
Why are we allowing crime to be excused in cities across the U.S.? I don’t give a damn about the political affiliation of the city, we should all be outraged by this. What happened to the old adage, “It takes a village?” Maybe the villagers are simply afraid to do anything?
Did you hear, read or see the story of the retired police chief from California who was living in Las Vegas? While he was out enjoying a bike ride just recently, two juveniles in a stolen car spotted him. The passenger in the car – also recording video – excitedly encourages the driver to run the bike rider over. They did and they recorded it. They celebrated their accomplishment. They left this man, who had served others for years before deciding to enjoy life, they left him to die. He did. He later died of his injuries. He was just riding his bike when these cowards came up behind him and murdered him.
Can I make that any more clear? They F’n MURDERED this man for no other reason than they were somehow entertained by their act.
I can’t even describe to you here my disgust or my anger at what happened.
The problem here is, these things – these stories – happen almost everyday but they don’t seem to be sexy enough or provide the political angle the media desires. What’s worse is the victim in these cases all too often turn out to be the one(s) that carry out the crime, while the actual victim(s) are then victimized for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The two juvenile murderers were eventually taken into custody. At last check, the intention is to try them as adults. They stole four cars that day, and committed three hit-and-runs. One of the mothers would be recorded saying, “I don’t know what happened to my son.”
There’s part of the problem. You know what I am talking about here. Get involved! To hear a parent say they don’t know why or what happened is bullpoop to me. Perhaps mom should be investigated and possibly deemed guilty by association?
How about the brazen and violent middle-of-the-day attacks on business, you know, what the press is calling non-violent misdemeanors where organized mobs rush a business, ransack, assault, steal, vandalize, steal and steal? One of the latest in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia. A judge there dismissed murder charges against the officer involved in the shooting of Eddie Irizarry, who died.
So, as has become the norm, rather than accept the ruling, residents – and those posing as such – used the ruling as an opportunity to commit crimes; to steal. Most have no vested interest in the victim, probably don’t even know who he was. All they know is it’s time to join the crowd and take what isn’t mine but excuse my actions away with some sort of unity with whatever the crowd is acting out over. That’s it!
In recent days, Target announced it is closing 9 stores beginning next month. But check out where these stores are located: East Harlem in New York City, two locations in Seattle, three locations in Portland, and three locations in San Francisco and Oakland. Why? Because the retailer can no longer sustain these locations, that is, absorb the losses created by the multiple-event crimes they have experienced.
Sure, it is easy to blame this on Target’s poor choices of late. It is also easy to blame the closures on political party affiliation. I’m telling you here and now, someone needs to stand up and shout until they go hoarse, “We have had enough. WE WANT OUR DAMN COUNTRY BACK!”
Even as the host of a (at times) politically-driven talk show I find that I just get tired of political pundits and those that fancy themselves as such, doing their best to keep fanning the flame of division. Hell, as I write this blog, I am listening to a host doing his best to ‘act’ on behalf of a party while seeking to scare his listeners into, well, I don’t know what the intention is.
Have we really lost control of our kids? Of our country? When 16 and 17-year-olds steal cars and use them in video game fashion to hit pedestrians and murder retired police chiefs out for a bike ride – taking video of their “scores,” when a judge’s decision acts as a starting point for blatant vandalism and theft, when we cheer for the wrong team and are attacked for it, when we are afraid to even speak for fear of offending and setting off a catastrophic chain reaction…friend, we are no longer a united country.
I refuse to believe I might be the only one shouting.
The thoughts and opinions shared here may or may not reflect that of KGNC, its staff, management or Alpha Media.
You can contact Michael J. Stevens at [email protected]
