I heard some very good news today. The Police apprehended a 19 year old male with a handgun at Dufferin and Lawrence, right near my work. I feel so much safer now that I know he’s been put in jail or at least driven to the jail and then undoubtedly released on bail after a good talking to.
So what is going on in this city right now? Is it a gun epidemic? Was it too hot this summer? There has to be some reason for all the gun violence lately. Or is it a deeper problem that has yet to be identified? Could it have anything to do with the violent TV shows and video games that our youth have grown up on? Have they become hardened by the constant barrage of violence that now they are acting out what they have been watching for years on TV and it seems natural to them?
I certainly don’t have the answers but I know that the violence is real. I hear about it every day on the Television and Radio and calmly think to myself, oh that happened in Scarborough or that happened in Rexdale, but twice this summer it has happened close to my work. That is starting to make me feel a little uneasy. I’m not concerned that I would ever be a target because I do not run in those circles, but I could easily be a victim or a stray bullet, or someone I know could become a victim.
How many people are like me though? That shut a part of themselves off from the horrific news and rationalize that they are safe because it happened in another part of the city? I’m sure there are many people that do that, not only here but in other parts of the world where they have to live in dangerous times. It must be a natural survival instinct to allow us to carry on. It allows us to live our day to day lives rather than becoming prisoners in our homes, too afraid to venture out. But I do wonder about how long it will take for the violence to take over the natural ebb and flow of peaceful living? How long before we find ourselves living in a Mad Max, Road Warrior type of world?
I hope its a long way away and not just around the corner. I don’t like having to bury my head in the sand to cope but I’ll do what I need to do.
3 comments:
I hear ya Jack. Now I know why I'm so tired in the morning and can't drag myself out of bed. :o) It is more fun!
You raise a very good point about the people that are committing these crimes, more often than not they are not even landed immigrants, but usually are here illegally. I would think that if I was hiding out in a country illegally that I would want to keep a low profile. Of course, they know that it will take months, maybe even years to deport them.
Not sure what the answer is but it would seem that something has to change before things will improve.
Working in downtown Atlanta, I have to figure that I'm somewhat near folks with guns everyday. But I can't say that I've ever felt unsafe. Bad things happen everywhere...but I still think most people are generally good. Why focus on the guy that might have a gun when so many others have smiles and fried chicken?
I feel completely safe thanks to the Liberals' gun registry. I get all warm inside every time I think of all the criminals that registered their weapons. Team Martin in 2006!
Yeah, right...
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