27 April 2007

What is wrong with today's society

Prepare for the rant of ALL rants.

I am in Kroger's parking lot driving home. I see 3 teenagers (2 girls and a boy) and the boy points a small gun at me.

He fired.

I know now, it's a fake gun. But for a brief second, I didn't know.

It was a cap gun.

I got out my phone and called the sheriff's department. They asked me to follow the kids. So I put on my flashers and followed for about 20 minutes. Telling them where I was every second. Every block or so, the kid would turn around and aim the gun at me and fire.

Now, I am fucking pissed off.

They finally stop riding their bikes at a corner and I pull forward past them and wait. The officer shows up about 2 minutes later and tells me to wait.

Which I don't.

I follow behind him as he puts on his lights and sirens and pulls the kids over.

I pull about 200 feet ahead of him and wait.

I watch as he takes the pistol away from the kids and walks up to my car. I am shaking like a leaf. he tells me "well, it was just a cap gun from Walgreens".

My internal response - "SO??? Rat bastard kids just pointed a gun at me and fired". Of course, I didn't say that.

So I called my friend who's husband is with the sheriff's department and he says to call back and ask an officer to come and fill out a report. So I do. The dispatcher says she will have that officer call me. No...NOT what I asked for.

So he calls me. HEre's how it goes:

Him: Ma'am, this is Sgt. Moore
Me: (Thinking - YOU are a SERGEANT???)
Me: (OUt loud) Sir, I appreciate you responding to my call, I really do, but I am still upset as to what happened.
Him: Ma'am, there is nothing I can do, I didn't get their names.
Me: Sir, I am still upset. Someone pointed a gun at me, and fired. How is that OK?
Him: There is nothing I can do criminally to them. The DA would never let charges stick because it didn't look real
Me: Sir, when a gun is pointed at me, I didn't have time to look and see and comprehend if it was real. I just know a gun was pointed at me.
Him: I understand, but there is nothing I can do.
Me: I know that sir, and believe me, I know you have a tough job and I appreciate what law enforcement does, but I am a tax paying citizen. How is that right that a kid can point a gun at someone and it be okay?
Him: It's not okay
Me: Then why did you not at least go talk to their parents.
Him: Because the gun didn't look real.
Me: Sir, again, I didn't have time in those first few seconds to know if it was real or not. Put yourself in my shoes.
HIm: I understand ma'am.
Me: And they are lucky that I am not some Bubba with a gun that shot back because they felt threatened.
Him: I understand ma'am
Me: Sir, in today's society, this should NOT be okay. It shouldn't be. With all the shootings and threats of violence in schools, you cannot even talk to their parents.
Him: Ma'am, I didn't get their information
Me: sir, that isn't my fault. I know your hands are tied. I know that police officers can't do much against kids in this neighborhood. That their parents won't do anything to the kids and probably will come after you. But I am a victim and this is ok.
Him: Ma'am, I apologize.
Me: Well, unfortunately, I am disappointed in you, I am disappointed in the sheriff's department. I am disappointed in everyone. This behavior has been completely enabled by law enforcement and by society. If I had done this when I was growing up, you can bet that the deputy would have taken me by the scruff of my neck home to my parents and had a long talk with them. But now, it just doesn't happen. And that is sad. This is yet another reason why in 2 weeks I am moving from here. All these rich kids know they will get away with whatever they want because your hands are tied. You know that if you go talk to the parents about their behavior you will have a complaint filed against you. And that is sad. That is sad for our future. That is sad for our safety.
Him: Ma'am...
Me: Sir, I appreciate your time. Have a good and safe night.
click.
****************
See - I am fucking polite and respectful of law enforcement. And this is the thanks I get. I get a gun (fake) pointed at me - and that's OK. That's allowed. Why?? Because it doesn't look real. Screw you Montgomery County Sheriff's Department. Screw You.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am with on this one, for sure. More examples of what is wrong with this world. Where are the parents who teach their kids right and wrong? I'm glad you are moving.

Thanks for de-lurking on my blog, by the way. I am looking forward to getting to know you and your blog!

xoxo

Anonymous said...

Yikes. That is terrible. I can't believe they didn't even get their names.

What kind of law enforcement is that?

Anonymous said...

That just makes me sad.

Unfortunately, I think more and more parents are lax with their children than they ought to be.

Heather said...

I know exactly what you mean. When I was growning up, the whole town knew whose kids we were and if we did anything wrong, even if we thought our parents weren't looking, we got in trouble from whoever did see us and then we got it twice as bad at home because those people would call our parents in the meantime and tell them what we did.
I talk to my kids constantly about what is right and wrong and I use examples of kids I see now to tell my kids what I will not tolerate.
I'm glad some of these laws are here for kids who really need them, but they are being misused by kids who just have bad attitudes.
Good for you for telling that "Sergeant" off!

Anonymous said...

If that kid had pointed the "toy" gun at an officer, you know somehting would have been done. I believe the officer should have put the kid in his car and took him home to his parents. That is what they used to do in the past (and I live in Montgomery County).
Shuttle Mom