Beating of the Young Girl

We have seen the video of the young girl being beaten on the sidewalk by another young girl while the security guards and citizens watched. It makes you grit your teeth. Of course, we do not know the history behind it but that is beside the point for this discussion. The fact is, this was in America where we look in dismay at other countries where innocent people are beaten in the streets. This is no different, it is a terrorist attack.

Upon seeing the video several times, I finally picked out what appears to be an adult directing the young girl who was doing the beating. That woman should be arrested and questioned by police.

It is a shame that we have streets in our nation where people have to fear for their lives. Police should not be allowed to avoid such streets simply because they have a history of problems. It is the city leadership's responsibility to not let gangs rule any part of their city. Citizens expect it.

As for the security guards, what they did was within the rules for security guards but not within the rules of being human. Security guards are nothing more than private citizens who are employed to protect private property through deterrence. They have no police authority and can be sued just like any other citizen who over steps the law. It is an awkward job. At the same time, they do have the same rights as a private citizen. They can engage in self defense which includes the application of force to protect themselves and others.

We keep seeing these type of things and it is heartbreaking. Bullies are alive and well. I experienced it in school. My children experienced it. It is still a major problem in schools and on the streets. Some children are blessed with more strength than others, it is sad that they use that superior strength to bully instead of protect the weaker. They learn from adults.

Gangs,Guns and Drugs

We could conclude that if the world would stop using illegal drugs there would be no market for drugs. By the same token, if the drug traffickers would stop sending out drugs, the use would stop too.

Those are only dreams though. There is too much money to be made for the pushers to stop and people are too bent on escaping their troubles to stop using drugs. At least, as a whole. The amount of illegal drugs used is proof enough of that conclusion.

It should be no mystery, by now, that there is a lot of money in illegal drugs. People are easily willing to kill to protect their drug selling territory. That is the heart of the gang problem in this country. With Afghanistan being the largest producer of opium, it is no wonder that the Taliban protects their territory so violently.

Basically, what we have are little gangs on street corners and the big gang in Afghanistan all doing the same thing which is protecting their drug turf.

That is not a solution, but I think it states the problem. I think, we would like to think that there was some noble cause behind the unhesitating killing of innocent people but there is not. It is just greed.

Guns

I'm not promoting it either way, guns or no guns. Let me say that a person that has no respect for a weapon should not own one. They are not toys. They should be studied to learn their use. Buying a gun and sticking it in a hiding place to be picked up in an emergency is a good way to become the victim. If someone owns a gun they should learn how to use it safely. I certainly can see though that people are arming themselves. Just a brief visit to a street where pawn shops stand told me that people were checking them out. I went in a couple looking for a Winchester 30-30 because my daddy use to have one and I wanted one to keep. I saw someone looking at one of those mean looking shotguns that showed no signs of being made for squirrels. Down the street 4 young fellows went into another shop with their shirttails out and pants barely hanging on. Wonder what they were looking for?

The gangs are armed and regular folks are getting armed. I hope that means absolutely nothing. It is apparent that the police are unable to stop the gangs or the drug trafficking. Oh they catch a few users but the network is alive and well. The cold hard fact is there is money in drugs and people will kill to keep that money flowing.

I don't know what it will come to. The police have the sworn duty to protect citizens. So what happens when they do not. When gangs wonder around intimidating people in stores, parking lots and on neighborhood streets it sort of puts people in a bind as to what to do. I know as a husband and dad myself, I have a higher responsibility to protect my family. Another fact is you can't fist fight people with guns.

In reality it is not a world of sweetness where you can just be nice to everyone and they will be nice to you. There are times when force must be meet by force. Governments know that. That is why they got armies and such. I hope there is no shooting. Bullets leave a mess and take lives. It is not glamorous like in the movies where the actors get up to make another movie. Death is final. Maybe, the reaction will be that when the good guys are armed and the bad guys know it, maybe, there will be respect for each other and peace for us all. We can pray that it be so.