Dying For A Laugh

In the latest episode of The City That Bleeds, a fourteen year old girl is at the forefront. The girl, named Arteesha, allegedly walked up to two men sitting on their front steps near Patterson Park. Then, little ol’ Teesha whipped out a handgun and demanded that they hand over some cash. The sight of the young girl trying to strong-arm them really tickled their funny bone. So, naturally, they laughed at her. Somewhere along the line, Arteesha must have felt a bit “disrespected” and responded by busting a cap in both of the men. Sadly, one of the men died.

Oh, did I mention that both men were Hispanic. And even though there’s been a recent rash of assaults on Hispanics in the area, this one’s not being treated as a hate crime. Hmmm.....

Not surprising, the excuses have already started rolling in. Even though the girl was supposed to be in juvenile custody, she was able to walk around unsupervised with a freggin’ handgun. How does that happen? From the articles I’ve read (the links are at the bottom), the family is blaming everyone except poor Arteesha. (I like to refer to it as the "not my baby" syndrome).

One of the local news stations reported that the girls mother said, “Yeah, she’s got anger management issues and drug problems, but I didn’t think she’d hurt anybody.” There should be a law against idiots breeding! (By the way, lil’ Annie Oakley didn’t even live with her mother. She lived with her aunt.)

The aunt quickly jumped on the excuse bandwagon by saying that the girl “didn’t hate anyone”. Really? She didn’t seem to be too fond of the two Hispanic guys sitting on the front steps!

Adding to the impressive line of defenses, another aunt said, "She just gets real violent in school and throws chairs around every now and then, She don't deserve to be in no juvenile justice!". So, where does she deserve to be, in the next WWF title match?

And a cousin of the shooter said, “She’s not a murderer. She’s fourteen.” Ummm, I'll at least meet you half way on that one that one, cuz. Yes, she's fourteen, but she is indeed a murderer.

Another brillaint cousin chimed in with, "I don't know where she would get a gun. We don't allow our children to have guns." First off, the girl lives in Baltimore, where guns are about as plentiful as guys who "will work for food". And secondly, saying that "my children aren't allowed to have guns" is kind of like saying "I don't let my kids play in the middle of the 695."

With "parents" like this, maybe it really wasn't the fourteen year old's fault. If all of these people are so readily willing to defend her now, where were they before she blasted the two guys off of the steps?

Hey, I don't mean to make light of the situation. The whole thing actually pisses me off. A man is dead and a young girl is going to spend a long time in prison. It really is sad. And, once again, it didn't need to happen. At what point will parents start taking some responsibility? If you choose to have kids, you owe it to them at least to give them a chance in life. Anyone can be a mother or a father. But it takes some dedication and effort to be a parent! If you expect the community to raise your child, prepare to be disappointed.

Another senseless tragedy that shouldn't have happened........

http://www.foxbaltimore.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wbff_vid_4997.shtml

http://wjz.com/local/beating.death.hispanics.2.1877944.html

http://www.wbaltv.com/news/24754954/detail.html

KW

Wood Shampoo

In a time of lame excuses and frivolous lawsuits, it’s not surprising that police are too often accused of using excessive force. Sure, we hear the occasional stories of a criminal getting “thumped”. But we seldom hear about what led up to the thumping.

We’ve all seen the video clips. Does everyone remember Rodney King? No doubt, he’s the poster child of the wood shampoo. Sure, the police kicked his ass. But maybe, just maybe, he had it coming. After all, he led the police on a high speed chase through city streets and then fought the cops when they finally stopped his vehicle. This was conveniently left out of the video. And when the dust settled, Rodney became an urban folk hero and the police were once again cast as the villains.

The police, especially in the inner cities of America, have an extremely tough job. Being overwhelmingly outnumbered by the criminals, all the cops can do is to react to the crimes. Prevention is virtually impossible. But still, cops go out and do the best they can to make our streets a little safer.

And what do they get for their efforts? Opposition from the very communities they try to protect! City cops will tell you that when a crime is committed in a bad neighborhood, it’s almost impossible to get anyone to come forward with information. For one, most of the people would rather “protect their own” rather than cooperate with “the man”. This stems from generations of underachievement and lack of education. They are taught from an early age that the cops are the bad guys. But it’s really just a lame excuse for their bad decisions in life.

Still, police go out every day in our cities and put their lives on the line. Everything they encounter will prove to be unpredictable. So, when someone defiantly disobeys a direct order, the cop has to respond. If he has to use force, so be it. And if things continue to escalate, the cop may be required to thump a head or two with his nightstick (aka Wood Shampoo). If only the poor thugs would listen!

Aside from all this, police sometimes have to stand their ground and send a message. If they don’t take control of things, the word will spread that the cop is a punk. This has the potential to put the cop, as well as the community, in an extremely dangerous position. So, like it or not, a thumping is sometimes a necessity.

Years ago, my father had an issue with break-ins. Although the bulk of them involved his garage, there was at least one break-in of his home. One night, a burglar was caught in the act of cleaning out my dad’s garage. As luck would have it (not for the thief!), a cop happened to be nearby. Let’s just say “a message” was delivered loud and clear to the intruder. Instead of selling off my dad’s tools for some crack money, the dumbass got to spend the evening with some nice people at the ER.

Even though, at the time, I had mixed feelings about “the message”, I can tell you this: The word must have gotten out. After roughly twenty years, my dad never had another break-in. Funny how that works!

So, as sort of a public service announcement, let me try to save any potential dumbasses out there from getting their heads peppered by a nightstick:

• Don’t break into people’s homes (garages are bad too)
• Don’t lead cops on high speed chases, especially near the end of a shift.
• Don’t mouth off to cops. Instead of unleashing a barrage of profanity, try saying things like “Yes sir”, “No sir” or "Nice gun"
• Never, ever put your hands on a cop. This will ultimately result in a wood grain tattoo across your forehead. It will be even more humiliating when you have to explain it to the homies back in the cell block..

If I helped at least one loser, I consider my job done.......

KW

NY Construction Workers Take A Stand

In the ever changing drama of the Ground Zero mosque, we now have a new twist. Many of the potential construction workers are saying that they won’t build a mosque on the controversial site. They give various reasons but the most compelling has got to be the personal attachments. Many of their friends and coworkers were murdered here nearly nine years ago. And many of today’s workers still feel the pain and heartache of having to help dig through the smoldering rubble in search of their fallen comrades.

I heard a story about a young construction worker who reported for his first day of work on September 11, 2001. He never got to tell his family about his first day at work at the Twin Towers because he never made it home.

When you hear things like this, it’s not hard to understand the opposition to working on the mosque. How can they be expected to build a place of worship to Allah when so many of their friends were killed in his name at this very site?

I’ve got a lot of respect for these guys. In a time when work is not so plentiful, they rather forgo a paycheck than compromise their principles. We need more of that New York attitude across the country!

Aside from all this, construction workers will probably face pressure from their unions, who will likely side with President Obama’s appeasing stance on the issue. Of course, Obama made some predictable “freedom of religion” comments at a Ramadan dinner last week in front of a group of Muslims (how convenient!). Yeah, we all know about the First Amendment, you silly President. However, this has nothing to do with freedom of religion. It has everything to do with common sense.

No one has said that Muslims don’t have the right to build their mosque. Of course, they have the right. But the wounds haven’t healed from that fateful September day. And they probably never will. Building a mosque will only pour salt on the wound. And let's stop pretending that Muslims aren't aware of this.

Let me break it down as simple as I can to the Muslim community. For sensitivity and tolerance to actually work, it has to be a two way street. Let's remember that you only make up roughly one percent of the US population. So, is respecting the wishes of the majority of America really too much to ask? If you’re truly serious about mending fences and building a mutual respect, you’ll build your mosque away from Ground Zero. It’s the only sensible thing to do. And if none of this resonates with you, let’s try this: You can build a mosque at Ground Zero when we can build a synagogue in Mecca.

I heard a great idea from one of the NY construction workers earlier today on one of the news channels. He basically said, “How about if we move the site of the mosque one yard for every life that was lost here on September 11?”

You gotta love New York!

KW

The JetBlue Drama Queen

Ok, by now I'm sure almost everyone has heard about the infamous hissy fit by the JetBlue flight attendant. The star of all this drama, Steven Slater, has milked much more than the traditional fifteen minutes of fame. And it seems there are still “new developments” every time I open up one of the news sites.

For anyone who may have slept through this one, I'll give the quick version to bring you up to date.......

Mr. Slater was a flight attendant for JetBlue Airlines. On Monday, he was apparently having a bad day. At some point, he got into an pissing contest with a passenger over a piece of overhead luggage. During the exchange, Mr. Slater was allegedly thumped in the head with the luggage. He traded some words with the passenger, a few f-bombs were dropped and then they parted ways. Shortly afterward, while waiting for approval to exit the plane, Slater decided to take the stage. He turned on the plane's microphone and proceeded with a profanity laced tirade directed at the passengers, especially the one with whom he had the altercation.

Immediately afterward, Slater basically said “I've had enough of this bullshit. I'm out of here!” Then, he grabbed a couple of beers, deployed the planes emergency chute and proceeded to slide out of the plane and into infamy. Woo hoo!

I have to admit, I love the image of a guy who's reached the breaking point, sliding out into the sunset with a cold beer. The whole thing is kind of like Office Space on an airplane.

But then, the story gets even more strange. Slater left the airport and drove home. When the police came to his house to arrest him a short time later, he was apparently in the middle of a compromising position with his gay partner. I guess he was deploying his own chute??

I can't understand this. If I were this guy, instead of rushing into a sexual tryst, I would have been calling all of my friends, saying, “Hey Dude, you're not gonna beleive this! Guess what I did at work today!!” You have to admit, he had a hell of story to share!

As strange and funny as it seemed, somehow Slater was labeled a hero. Proving once again, that anything is possible in America. He was mad as hell and wasn't going to take it anymore! He was standing up for the little guy! At least, that was the portrayal from various media sources.

However, as the story continues to unfold, it appears that Slater may be a bigger jerk than some of the passengers who drove him to this. It's been reported that he was rude, obnoxious and possible even drunk. Who knows what to believe anymore?

And now, Slater is saying that he is interested in coming back to work! Is he serious? Can he really expect JetBlue or any airline to welcome him back as if nothing happened? If he does, this guy is even more warped than we think! I think he should stay away from airports for a little while.

Aside from all of this, there are some other things that are a bit concerning. For instance, don't you think a flight attendant sliding down the emergency chute with beer in hand should generate at least a little investigation? After all, the rest of us us would be manhandled and strip searched for trying to smuggle a pair of nail clippers onboard. But Steven the flaming flight attendant can make his dramatic exit without any follow up? Come on!

And how was he allowed to leave the airport so effortlessly? At the very least, you would think that someone from JetBlue would have stopped him. From what I understand, every time the emergency chute is deployed, it costs that airline $25,000. I would think that Slater's supervisors would have an issue with him over that alone. And, of course, there's that little issue of cursing out the passengers over the intercom. That type of thing is usually frowned upon.

There's no telling where this story will end up. But, at least for now, Steven Slater will remain the envy of disgruntled employees everywhere.....

KW

Murder At Marley Neck

Less than two weeks after writing about a senseless murder in Baltimore, I find myself  here again. This time it involves a 7-11 clerk in my own Glen Burnie neighborhood. The story is still unfolding but this is what I've read so far:

Sometime around 3:30 am today, three thugs attempted to rob a local 7-11. In an attempt to escape, the store clerk, Youssef Attia, tried to run out of the store. He was abruptly brought down by a gunshot to the back. He lay dying on the floor as the three robbers fled with approximately $35.

Mr. Attia was a 48 year old Egyptian native and a father of two young children. This is troubling on so many levels....

Here's a guy who comes halfway around the world in search of a better life only to have it extenguished by three losers looking for a quick buck. This isn't supposed to happen in America.

Through the years, I've stopped in this particular 7-11 many times. It's just a couple of blocks from my home. I believe that the same family owned and ran the business. They've always been nice to me when I would occasionally stop by to grab a cup of coffee or a hot dog. And, although I don't know the family personally, they are still part of my community and it's upsetting to see what they're going through.

As of now, the three killers have not been caught. They were last seen running down Marley Neck Boulevard shortly after the shooting. I'm sure they'll be caught before too long. Criminals tend to be stupid. They often lack the mental capacity to earn a decent living at a real job. So, they take the easy way out and rob convenience stores. Unfortunately, civilian casaulties are a by-product of their pathetic lifestyles.

Could this senseless murder have been prevented. I would say yes. For instance, the three losers who committed the crime could have chose productive, honest paths in life. Perhaps they could have gotten an education and landed good jobs thus eliminating the urge to rob, steal and kill. The kicker here is that it would have required a little more effort than shooting a defenseless cashier in the back.

Here's another thought.....It could have possibly been a happy ending if Mr. Attia had a .45 behind the counter this morning. He could have saved his own life and, in the process, painted the back wall with the brains of the three thugs. The community would be safer and the local funeral home would get a three for one deal.

Oh, you think I'm being caulous and insensitive? Try explaining that the two young children who will never get to hug their Daddy again......

KW

Coddling Our Future

As I look around these days, I can’t help but notice our society's transition into mediocrity. Standards seem to drop lower with every new generation. And overachievement seems to be a thing of the distant past. How did we get to this point?

I believe it starts at a young age and it’s gradually reinforced through adulthood. Today, mediocrity oozes from our public school systems. If the kids can’t pass an exam, we’ll just keep lowering the passing grade until everyone aces it! After all, we can’t have the kids failing. It might hurt their feelings.

And speaking of hurt feelings, many school teachers have stopped using their red pens for grading papers. Why? Because red is thought to be too “stressful and demoralizing”. As a result, purple ink is gaining popularity in school systems around the country. Purple is thought to have a much more “calming” effect on the students. Are you freggin’ kidding me?? When did Dr. Phil take over the classroom??

I remember a few years ago (I believe it was somewhere in California) where a certain district(s) of schools was showing a less than stellar academic performance. There was a suggestion that Ebonics (a butchered up, inner city version of English) be taught in the local schools. It might make learning easier for some of the kids, since “regular” English was too hard for them to comprehend. Yes, I'm serious. Fortunately, the powers-that-be eventually decided that this was an asinine idea.

When I went to school, there was usual a handful of people who would make the Honor Roll. These were usually pretty bright kids who actually spent time studying. Have you looked at the honor roll lists today? I think there are only a handful of kids who don’t make it! Come on, I’ve seen some of these kids. And let’s just say that Mensa isn’t going to be calling them anytime soon. What message does it send when the lazy kids get the same accolades as the kids who study hard?

We even see the coddling on the playground. No need to keep score because everyone is a winner here! Sure, little Tony is about as athletically gifted as Stevie Wonder with broken leg, but let’s give him the MVP trophy anyway! Personally, I think that building someone up with false hope is cruel. How can you ever learn from your mistakes if you’re never allowed to fail?

On top of all of this, we tend to be so overprotective of our kids today. Even something as simple as riding a bike these days requires a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, hockey gloves, etc. I saw a kid riding a bike the other day. He had so much protection on, he looked like the little brother from “A Christmas Story” (You know, the one who was so bundled up that he fell in the snow and couldn’t get up).

(A little side story; I was a kid during Evel Knievel’s prime. I, along with most of the neighborhood boys, idolized the infamous stuntman. So we would set up wooden ramps and jump our bicycles over everything from burning trash cans to drunken winos! Oh, if Mr. Knievel could have only seen us! And other than a few scrapes and bruises, we all survived. And none of us ever wore pads or a helmet. Amazing!)

The result of all this is that many of today’s kids are sent out into the real world without much of a chance. Although they may feel like they know it all, they really don’t have a clue. And since they’ve had things handed to them their entire lives, they naturally develop a feeling of entitlement. They feel that the world owes them a future. Working towards it is often overlooked.

I’ve heard of young adults coming into job interviews and, more or less, turning the interview around. Way back in the day, when you went into an interview, you would tell your potential employer what you could do for them. But in today’s coddled society, it’s not uncommon to hear the applicants say things like, “So, how much vacation do I get? When can I expect my first raise? I don’t work weekends. I can’t work late during the week because it will interfere with my softball games.”

And you can see the result firsthand in normal daily transactions. For example, when dealing with some of these youngsters in retail locations, they’re attitudes can be horrible.  I’ve been in restaurants that have resembled more of an adolescent playground than an eating establishment (I even witnessed a fistfight between two young waitresses in Pittsburgh a few years ago). I’ve had cashiers yapping away on their cell phones during my whole check-out process. I’ve spoken to young service reps that obviously needed a refresher course in grammar and pronunciation. It goes on and on...

With the liberal mindset of “we can’t hurt anyone’s feelings”, I don’t really see anything changing for the better. It, no doubt, hurts our society now but it really affects the future of our kids. Instead of making them strong and self-sufficient, we’re making them irresponsible and dependant. This “dumbing down” of America has got to end.

Note: I think it’s only fair to say that there are indeed plenty of kids who work hard and will go on to great (well deserved) things. I don’t want anyone to think that I’m talking about ALL kids here. However, anyone who doesn’t see that our youth is being overly coddled has got to be blind or just conveniently ignoring it. If this trend continues, our future is in serious jeopardy…..

KW