ARGUMENTS FOR TAKING THE BACK ROADS: CIRCUS WINTER CAMP [2019]
Waking up to the sound of gunfire isn’t nearly the rarity that it should be. Most of the time, the shots are fairly distant, over a quarter of a mile away. Last night, they were a lot closer, no more than a couple of blocks to our East. A single shot. No follow-up. I thought about going out to check before calling the police, but those are the kinds of actions that can get you killed. I stayed in bed and called no one. By the time cops arrived, no one was going to be around. This was around 2:30 this morning.
The dogs, sensing that spring break is over, want to go out at 5:45 this morning. As we stepped out into the dark between rain showers, the familiar “berries and cherries” of police lights could be seen at the entrance to our subdivision. A few years ago the dogs would have been straining at the fence to see what had happened. The lights have become so common in the neighborhood that the dogs ignore them now. Only the sound of sirens irritates them.
Coming back inside to avoid the rain, I turned on the local news. SEVEN teenagers between the ages of 12-17 were shot downtown around 11:30 last night. While all the victims are in stable condition, no suspects have been named. Local police are considering the possibility that there was more than one gun involved. This is the third weekend in a row with mass shootings. I find it interesting how this coincides with major sporting events in town all three weekends, bringing out a higher number of people than IMPD seems capable of policing.
Is this merely a local problem? Of course not. The law enforcement circus is a national disgrace. Opening this morning’s Washington Post, I see a headline that disturbs me deeply: The FBI is visiting people because of their social media. Every day. The person in question this time was a Stillwater, Oklahoma resident, Rolla Abdeljawad, who had the foresight to record the encounter. The “FBI” agents refused to identify themselves. Refused to show her their badges. Told the Muslim woman, “Facebook gave us a couple screenshots of your accounts.” The FBI refused to comment. Ms. Abdeljawad has been vocally pro-Gaza in her recent posts. No one is investigating whether the three men were real FBI agents or anti-Muslim troublemakers.
Welcome to the circus. No one’s responsible for their actions, especially if they’re drunk. No one’s responsible for their children running around downtown at 11:30 at night (even if they are leaving a sporting event). No one’s responsible for the harassment of non-Christians. It’s all one big, wild, raucous, many-ringed demonstration of carelessness, from sea to shining sea. Flack vests not included.
Waking up to the sound of gunfire isn’t nearly the rarity that it should be. Most of the time, the shots are fairly distant, over a quarter of a mile away. Last night, they were a lot closer, no more than a couple of blocks to our East. A single shot. No follow-up. I thought about going out to check before calling the police, but those are the kinds of actions that can get you killed. I stayed in bed and called no one. By the time cops arrived, no one was going to be around. This was around 2:30 this morning.
The dogs, sensing that spring break is over, want to go out at 5:45 this morning. As we stepped out into the dark between rain showers, the familiar “berries and cherries” of police lights could be seen at the entrance to our subdivision. A few years ago the dogs would have been straining at the fence to see what had happened. The lights have become so common in the neighborhood that the dogs ignore them now. Only the sound of sirens irritates them.
Coming back inside to avoid the rain, I turned on the local news. SEVEN teenagers between the ages of 12-17 were shot downtown around 11:30 last night. While all the victims are in stable condition, no suspects have been named. Local police are considering the possibility that there was more than one gun involved. This is the third weekend in a row with mass shootings. I find it interesting how this coincides with major sporting events in town all three weekends, bringing out a higher number of people than IMPD seems capable of policing.
Is this merely a local problem? Of course not. The law enforcement circus is a national disgrace. Opening this morning’s Washington Post, I see a headline that disturbs me deeply: The FBI is visiting people because of their social media. Every day. The person in question this time was a Stillwater, Oklahoma resident, Rolla Abdeljawad, who had the foresight to record the encounter. The “FBI” agents refused to identify themselves. Refused to show her their badges. Told the Muslim woman, “Facebook gave us a couple screenshots of your accounts.” The FBI refused to comment. Ms. Abdeljawad has been vocally pro-Gaza in her recent posts. No one is investigating whether the three men were real FBI agents or anti-Muslim troublemakers.
Welcome to the circus. No one’s responsible for their actions, especially if they’re drunk. No one’s responsible for their children running around downtown at 11:30 at night (even if they are leaving a sporting event). No one’s responsible for the harassment of non-Christians. It’s all one big, wild, raucous, many-ringed demonstration of carelessness, from sea to shining sea. Flack vests not included.
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