Wednesday, August 10, 2011

No post title

I don't know if I want to write this or not but I'll try.

Today at work I was engrossed in the usual none mental task (physical labor tends to do that) It's a job with a paycheck anyway. But in the process I hear around six gunshots ring out. These didn't sound like fireworks either. About three minutes later all hell breaks loose. Cop cars racing up the street sirens blaring. One after another petal to the metal. Then a parade of helicopters in the air. Police choppers and news crews hovering over head. My first though was that it must be a bank being robbed which is usually the case from what the locals told me. But no at that particular moment somewhere between the first and sixth shot a young man lost his life. He had just hit his 22nd birthday. A troubled past and problems with alcohol lead to the young mans' demise. But in todays' environment it's even harder to make a comeback. The deck seemed stacked against him from the start. Try getting a job now with even a hint of criminal record and see your job application land in the circular file.

Desperation is a funny thing. It can make you do something very stupid like the young man or give an air of confidence as in "I don't have anything left to lose so why not try the impossible". It's gained me a job or two over the years in tough times.

But for the young man the choice was made. For him it was suicide by cop. There was no turning back once he met them in the front yard with a knife and shotgun in hand. And it's truly sad what might have been if only a different choice was made.

12 comments:

Ranch Chimp said...

Howdy Demeur! ... I read over this case in the Seattle News, just to see if it was a case of foul justice actually, but it look's clean, and appropriate aftermath from official's, but then too, it's still early of course, just saying in the newspaper media it looked cut and dry.

But my comment's here I will post are because of the desperation you mentioned as far as a young man feeling all hope is lost or whatever, and of course ... it was the man's "choice". It is indeed hard for an ex- offender to get hired, with the job market (not sure how bad/ good Seattle's is) ... but what many dont do because of frustration due to the time's, etc ... bring these miseries upon themselves thinking ablout it intensely. What I mean is, as you put it as far as resume's/ job app's being thrown to the side, etc ... yes ... damn near every big reputable company will do that. But I also want to point out that there are network's of smaller companies that also specifically focus on hiring ex- offender's even with felony record's, and many small businesses will hire as well, in so many trade's, in some cases, such as Dallas (I would think Seattle as liberal as it is would have something similar, in Texas you can even vote with a felony ex, too many ex's dont have or seek the info that's out there) I have seen it easier for ex- offender's to get work because of the search programme's/ referal's that they get,(as odd as that may sound) from inde as well as gvmnt sponsored group's, I know several people who are ex's with felony record's for that matter who recently got work and in past, also a few small business owner's who are ex's themselves here in Dallas that unofficially discriminate, by ONLY hiring ex's. I actually helped an ex get a job only a month ago, is why I wanted to comment here, he didnt go to any agency, lost a previous job he had as a welder, he's 40/ 41 year's old ... I talked to a feller I know here in the neighborhood down the street on Forest Ln of a 24/ 7 adult dvd sales/ rental and video arcade, who is a manager there who asked to send him down cause he need's 2 to fill day and night spot's ... the guy was hired the same morning he went to do the cashier thing ... it dont pay as much as his welding job, it pay's $10 buck's an hour to work night shift, but it's a breeze job that dont require much or even physical. His conviction he went down for was felony possession of cocaine and firearm's, he went down on a duce/ 2 year, done a 6 month on it ... had a couple earlier misdemeanor prior's from younger. So to just give up and throw in the towel is more psychological than anything how I see it, he may have had other isue's too, that just overwhelmed him.

Just wanted to add that here ....

Randal Graves said...

We all have a different tipping point, sounds like this poor dude passed his.

S.W. Anderson said...

It's sad and awful, and I suspect there will be a lot more of it in coming years.

You can't lock large numbers of healthy, strong young men out of the chance to make a decent living and improve their lot in life for long before you start getting bad outcomes. Not just bad outcomes for individuals and communities, but for cities, regions and the whole country. It's not unlike sealing up a teapot full of water and putting it on a burner. Give it time and something's going to blow.

jmsjoin said...

Man this is life in our degrading America. It really stinks but sadly it will get much worse. While I was reading this I was listening to a blurb about what is going on in England and the person was saying they were surprised it has not hit here yet but it will. I don't know if some have the spine. Anyway in London it is going to make for a tenuous 2012 Olympics.

The Blog Fodder said...

When young men between 15 and 35 hit 25+% unemployment, countries historically erupt into revolution. The suicide of a young man in Tunisia was the tipping point that started the "Arab Spring".

BBC said...

In read about that on the P.I. site this morning.

Had times in my young life when things were hard and I had little, including money, but I never turned to anything bad because of it.

Some folks just don't know how to handle and deal with life.

Don't need no stinking links, hahaha

BBC said...

There's a young man here that is always in trouble and while he can't get hired he gets by being self employed. Of course his mother helps him a lot also, too damn much if you ask me.

The cops would do us a favor if they dispatched him, he's already cost the taxpayers a ton of money.

Demeur said...

I've worked now closing in on 40 years and have never seen it this bad. I did the unemployment (super extra training) thing last fall with absolutely no luck. While there I noted that almost everybody there was in their early to mid 50s with 20 to 30 years of experience. I finally got a job through the union which is temporary. After this it's anyones' guess.
Unless these lazy greedy congressmen and women get off their asses and do something about it there just may be a coming revolution.
Nothing like blaming the people who had nothing to do with the current economic meltdown. Yep to them it's the police and the firefighters and teachers who caused all the problems. Nothing like the spoiled brat blaming his parents for blowing his allowance.

Billy you may have lived through some tough times but I can tell you it's nothing like what we're going through now.

RC I just heard today that Texas has the highest rate of minimum wage jobs of anywhere in the country and Texas is billions in the red. That's a great endorsement for your governor wanting to be president.

BBC said...

Billy you may have lived through some tough times but I can tell you it's nothing like what we're going through now.

Speak for yourself, I'm doing just fine.

BBC said...

On 938 bucks a month.

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