Picking Up Right Where We Left Off
The calendar might suggest it's a new year, but it doesn't seem as though much of anything has changed 'round here. Where shall I begin?
How about a little something from the Department of Standing Headlines - 5 shot in New Year violence
And, as should be expected, we see our number-one punching bag, the allegedly-honorable Mayor Thomas M. Menino, is still refusing to let reality cloud his judgment when it comes to fighting crime in his city.
That's funny. I specifically asked the city for permission to exercise personal responsibility in providing for my family's safety and was denied said request - in the name of "common-sense", "progressive" politics.
And, oh yeah...FOR THE CHILDRENTM.
Who let this guy past the razorwire?
Come on, lady. Just get yourself a 24-hour, armed security entourage. I'd think that simple safety measure would be a no-brainer for anybody.
Sorry. Permission denied. NEXT!
Moving on, we jump on the red line to Quincy, Massachusetts, where we see the police chief's policy of refusing to issue firearms licenses bearing fruit.
Because, as we all know, a gas station attendant taking a knife to the eye is somehow morally superior to one who shoots some scumbag armed robber dead on the floor.
Meanwhile, over the border in New Hampshire, where Menino says Boston's violent street thugs are getting their Uzis and AK-47s out of Cracker Jack boxes:
I blame, um....um.....
How about a little something from the Department of Standing Headlines - 5 shot in New Year violence
The gunfire that helped drive the city’s murder rate to a 10-year high in 2005 marched grimly into the New Year yesterday, leaving five Bostonians with bullet wounds, one of them a teenager.
And, as should be expected, we see our number-one punching bag, the allegedly-honorable Mayor Thomas M. Menino, is still refusing to let reality cloud his judgment when it comes to fighting crime in his city.
In his fourth inaugural speech yesterday, Mayor Thomas M. Menino declared that the burden of fighting Boston's violent crime wave rests not only on police but on city residents, who, he said, must overcome fear and turn in neighbors engaged in illegal activity.
"Personal responsibility must be our mantra," the mayor said, "from every single person on every single block. If you know someone who has an illegal gun, or you are witness to a crime, you must speak up and keep the specter of fear far away from our neighborhoods."
That's funny. I specifically asked the city for permission to exercise personal responsibility in providing for my family's safety and was denied said request - in the name of "common-sense", "progressive" politics.
And, oh yeah...FOR THE CHILDRENTM.
The mayor's remarks set off thunderous applause from the crowd of about 800 dignitaries and supporters pressed together on polished wooden chairs at Faneuil Hall, which was festooned with flags and sprays of white roses for the occasion. But just a few miles away, on the streets of some of the city's highest-crime neighborhoods, the reaction was anxious, skeptical, and in some cases even angry.
[snip]
"You've got to be willing to take your life in your own hands if you come forward," said Jay Thomas, 42, of Dorchester, who was at a bus stop near the Dudley MBTA station. "I wouldn't do it. I worry about my life. There aren't enough police officers out there to protect me."
[snip]
James Hubbard, 45, of the South End, suggested the mayor could not understand the realities, saying of Menino: "He has the police with him 24 hours a day."
Who let this guy past the razorwire?
Idalia Hernandez, 28, who lives near Columbia Road in Dorchester, said she sees and hears trouble often, but she prefers to stay quiet. "I worry about him," she said, nodding to her 20-month-old son, Deric, who she had bundled into a stroller. "We need more police."
Come on, lady. Just get yourself a 24-hour, armed security entourage. I'd think that simple safety measure would be a no-brainer for anybody.
Elaine Corbin, 54, a mother of three and lifelong Roxbury resident, said she wants the bloodshed to stop, she wants her children to feel safe, and she wants to hold the troublemakers accountable. But when asked if she would come forward after witnessing a crime, she hesitated.
"How do you intend to protect those who come forward?" she asked, addressing her question to Menino. "You can come to this community and for some reason you get our votes, but you keep saying the same garbage for the past five years. ... Nobody is going to protect us but us."
Sorry. Permission denied. NEXT!
Moving on, we jump on the red line to Quincy, Massachusetts, where we see the police chief's policy of refusing to issue firearms licenses bearing fruit.
A Quincy gas station clerk refused to give in to a knife-wielding robber, and their New Year’s Eve battle was caught on surveillance tape.
The surveillance video shows a white man wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt enter the U.S. Petroleum station on Washington Street, and wait for the clerk to acknowledge him.
You can see the suspect pull a knife from his back pocket. A struggle follows, as the clerk fights the would-be-robber, pushing him towards the door.
As the suspect was shoved out the door, the video clearly shows him using the butt end of his knife to jab the clerk in the eye. The clerk was able to flag down help from a couple of customers outside.
He was taken to Mass General Hospital, where he underwent eye surgery.
Because, as we all know, a gas station attendant taking a knife to the eye is somehow morally superior to one who shoots some scumbag armed robber dead on the floor.
Meanwhile, over the border in New Hampshire, where Menino says Boston's violent street thugs are getting their Uzis and AK-47s out of Cracker Jack boxes:
A Merrimack man has been charged with breaking another man's finger by smacking him with a metal T-square.
I blame, um....um.....
