Last weekend, I watched a video that showed about 6 1/2 minutes of violence in Tampa, FL. I was really disturbed by this video. Judging by the comments of the woman making the video (?from her iPhone or Android phone?) this was avidly watched by onlookers as they jostled each other to get a good vantage point to watch. I saw two groups of young men beat down (separately) one person. Then, as if this were not enough, another group of youths targeted a guy inside his parked car. He had locked the doors, etc. and was not about to get out of his car. The group jumped on his car, surrounded it and beat on it as if they were trying to tear it apart to get at him. Suddenly, gunshots were fired. The youths on and around the car scattered. And some onlookers must have called 911 right away because in a few seconds there were multiple sirens of police cars headed that way. In moments people got to their cars and were bugging out. During one of the beat downs, a young mother, with a child on her hip was one of the onlookers trying to get a better vantage point. So, here is my question: Is this evidence of a dramatic ramping up of violence in general or is this just an isolated example of stuff that has been going on all along--and I am just getting clued into it now???
Sadly, humans acting inhumanely is nothing new; and those inner cities have been bubbling cauldrons of hate and violence for quite a while. It certainly isn't getting any better though, so the only direction for it to go is worse. As long as our society is defined by the pursuit of material things, and our children are brought up learning to "milk the system", preferring to lie and cheat rather than work; we can only look forward to a continuing decline in our society. People who can take a long hard look at the rampant violence in this country, the pathetic condition of our economy, and the chaotic state of the world, and not feel the need to prepare for the coming hard times, are beyond help.
Crime and criminality increases the less civil we are Crime and criminality increases the less civil we are as a society. Cowardly gang behaviour bullying individuals, although a problem for the victims, are more like symptoms of larger problems in the community and society in general. Sadly, watching the unfolding of street drama is an irresistible draw for those who don't seem to get enough of it from TV ("reality" cop shows), that is until they discover that watching a TV show won't get you shot or assaulted. Hooray for the person who used their phone to alert the police that there was trouble in the "ville....boo to those who merely shared the moment with other brainless boobs on Faecesbook.
Alas it is the moral decay of our society. Alas, it is just the moral decay of our society. We no longer remember old rome and the gladiatorial games. Gone are the days of 'Little House on the Prairie'. Gone is the sleepy 'Walton's Mountain'. Gone is 'Mayberry R.F.D.'. Hello 'Make a fool of yourself in front of a national audience', government scandal, continuous wars and corporate greed. For those over 30 society seems to have changed for the worse. Under 30, meh, same same. My prediction, we will be returning to the coliseum to watch the homeowners fighting the DHS with sticks while the bankers dance in the firelight in the not too distant future.
I like the vision of bankers dancing in the firelight especially if their butt buddy pols are there with them. Such nice targets they would make for those of us in the shadows.
This is why I cary a pistol. I've had a hard life, been homeless once, was beaten and left for dead. Ain't gonna happen again.
