1115. Light and the Shadow of Doubt

Imagine for a moment you are a 17 yr old white girl walking home at night through your gated community. Suddenly there is a vehicle following you and the man in the vehicle is staring at you and whispering into his cell phone. You turn back and scream for the man to stop following you. He continues, so you get away from the road, moving into the grassy area between the houses. He gets out of his car and follows you. What happens next?

Change the variables of the story only slightly–make the white girl a black boy–and you have the story of Trayvon Martin. The victim, Martin did everything I suggested above, including leaving the scene. Did he call the cops? No. Did he run away? Yes, until chased. Cornered and alone Martin faced his attacker and wound up dead. That attacker called it a good shooting. That attacker claimed to be standing his ground, despite admitting he left his vehicle and pursued Martin on foot. Given the state of racial and gender politics in America, the attacker, Zimmerman, would have gotten the death penalty if he shot a white girl. He didn’t so for the longest time what he did wasn’t even a crime. Now it is a 2nd degree murder trial. Lets see how the media reacts.

1114. Reflections on a Monday Night

About to embark on another summer semester. In essence that means my vacation is over until the 20th of July. No matter, I don’t seem to do well with free time on my hands anyhow. I don’t use the time for anything professionally constructive. No, I just sit around, eat chips, and play Minecraft. Having purpose is a big deal. While I don’t necessarily enjoy the non-stop responsibility, I realize that having it keeps me out of trouble.

I think as a parent I need to be thinking the same way. Those three Bengal cats I refer to as my children (or spawn) need structure and purpose less they result to random acts of violence and property destruction–my property of course. When I look around at the calmest people I know it is usually the ones who are working towards some high order goal. It may be the pursuit of a medal in the Spartan Race series, or the private quest for a satisfying body, or a husband, or a wife. It is the purpose that cements these few and puts them on the path to patient understanding.

I need to find that path quickly. Nobody wants to see me in jail for abandoning a screaming kid on the side of the road.