Autumn

Autumn

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Not At My Door

As is my every morning habit I stepped outside the shop and sipped my first cup of coffee. It was a beautiful day of bright sunshine and cool gusty wind with a scent not unlike honeysuckle. I felt good until I heard the slap.

It was a older man, maybe fifty or sixty, and appeared to have just crawled from beneath the local park dumpster. Greasy, dressed all in black, his light t-shirt ripped; he drooled, so much so a puddle had formed between his black chucks. In his right hand he held a needle. He used his left to slap his exposed right vein. The syringe, I'm sure, held the poor old man's nirvana 

On my bench in front of my shop. Not gonna happen.

"No, not here. Move it on down the road."

I didn't yell. I simply pointed my cup of coffee in his direction and gestured. He glanced my way and reached and took his plastic bag and shuffled to his feet. He then placed the vile of death, that dirty syringe, between his teeth. Another creamy stream of slim dropped from his mouth. The old man slid his watery focus on me and shuffled toward the sidewalk.

Two steps, stop. Two steps, pause. In the meantime school children boarded the bus. Six steps later and midway my parking lot he again stopped, dropped the plastic bag, quickly removed the needle from his mouth and slapped his arm.

This time I yelled, "Get the hell away from here."

Drool dripped. Then, "Okay, you have a nice day."

They, the pimps, hookers, meth heads, crack girls, and this addict all materialize from the park across the street. I have grown to hate this park with its swings and slides and fountains. The tall pines and birds and squirrels are fine. The rest I'd blow to charcoal if given permission. I'd tear down the public restrooms with its picnic benches and little cast iron grills and especially the fountain...its nothing more than a democrat outdoor shower.

Just last week one of my friends yelled, "Hey, Stephen, you gotta see this..." I walk over, he points towards the swings. A young black woman sat on a swing with her arms wrapped around a man's waste. She held him very close. He had his shirt tail lifted, his low-rider shorts lowered to half mast and ever so often she lift her head and check the surroundings as she preformed her service. This in spite of the fact not ten yards away children played.

Like animals....well, almost. Animals at least have class.

The old smack addict slowly worked his way onto the neighboring business property and tried once more to shoot his junk. But this time he glanced in my direction. I simply yelled, "No."

He went.


I propose here and now the States issue all veterans and former military a lifetime license. This license gives discretionary powers to all holders to shot on sight any booger we deem worthy of lead poisoning. Not an open obligation. Limit the harvest to ten (10) boogers per day, with ear tags, and rollover. If said veteran only fires five shots on a given day he's then allowed to carry over the other five and tag fifteen critters the next - and so on.

 
 I guarantee crime stats will drop like a rock.

The poor old sod finally reached nirvana the next street but one.

Stephen




38 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Which is a good thing. These cities are awful. Thanks, my nice friend.

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  2. It wouldn't take us long to clean 'em all up,would it?

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    1. No it wouldn't. If we acted as one at the very same moment in time, and in concert across this nation - within minutes we'd be free from not only the yoke around our necks, but those criminals that put our families at risk.

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  3. OK. The junkie: He's sick. Very likely schizophrenic, and got hooked because it calmed down the voices in his head. Him I pity. The hooker and her client deserve to be disposed of, or at the very least held at gunpoint until the cops come. Preferably cops with children.

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    Replies
    1. We agree on the junkie...and the rest. Thanks, my friend.

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  4. Stephen, I know you're a peaceful kinda guy, but sometimes you have to step it up like you did. Some people can't be helped or don't want to be.

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    Replies
    1. True, I'm very slow to anger...but there are times when it's best not to step on my toes. I give credit to my wife as she's kept my awful emotions in check for many years. There was a time, I ashamed to admit, when I wasn't a very good man. I've mellowed in my old age, but trust me, my aim is still very true. Thank you, Matt. You've been a great friend.

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  5. Not a bad idea, Stephen. I've done as you did with that homeless man; it makes the skin crawl sometimes.

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    Replies
    1. I guess we live in a new world....sad, isn't it. Thank you, my good friend.

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  6. And that's why I LOVE Winter. Why we may get a few homeless and panhandlers during the Summer months. Winter has a way of getting rid of the riff raff so we start off clean again the next year.

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  7. Stephen,
    I don't know if you are aware but the last two weeks when I open you blog I also get an audio advertisement, this time it was an All State insurance ad.
    Are you doing this on purpose or is it on my end?

    Mike

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    Replies
    1. No, Mike I wasn't aware of the advertisement. I certainly didn't authorize it on my end and haven't authorized it. I apologize. Thanks.

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    2. Oops, excuse the repetition.

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  8. Many veterans are caught up in the homeless and druggie lifestyle. So, would you give those vets the same rights to shoot as you would have?

    A beautiful little park in a nearby small town was overrun with gay guys and their antics. The police cleaned up that park. I wonder why the police in your town don't do the same. I would not want my children going into the bathroom with gays servicing each other!!!!

    Everybody should get a room. I wonder where that woman's self=respect and sense of propriety went. When was it destroyed? Was it ever a part of her life?

    I don't have a gun, but I would not like that going on in my sight whether it was my home or place of business.

    The druggie? Wow, no hope there as you witnessed him. I am glad your wife tamed you a bit.

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    Replies
    1. No,I would not give them a license...would you license a child to drive, practice medicine, design an electrical grid.
      As to the park, you'll need to ask the Duval County Sheriffs Office, not me.
      And, anything between my wife and I isn't your business. Now, please go away...again.

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  9. Some times I wonder what happened in someones life to start down that road.....no bright eyed kid says I want to be a junkie when I grow up, and some want to legalize drugs.

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    1. Bubba, I can only guess perhaps the lack of respect and love, and or mental illness. Thanks, my friend.

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  10. Stephen . . this is so dark . I mentally resist the facts of your too effective recounting. I shake my head and try to remind myself how fortunate are those of us who neither live nor witness the deprivation that you bravely confront in this post.

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    1. Thanks, Sweet Cathy. It wasn't bravery on my part. More of an aggravation. I've had to deal with these poor souls for years. If it isn't a local crack girl (you know what I mean) it's drunks, or your basic everyday knuckle head. My business is located in the historic district across from a large city park. It's attracts the homeless and criminals like bees to pollen. Just life. But, it gives me rich material.

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  11. Stephen,

    I would have done the same thing! The cops, are they aware of what's going on in this park.

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  12. The cops, oh yes. Every so often they move in and clean out the park. Two days later the riffraff return. Thanks, Sandy.

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    1. Instead of cleaning the park out in a couple of days, maybe the local pd needs to initiate a directed patrol for a couple of months on site at the park. We used to do this and boy does it make a world of difference.

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    2. They tried bike patrols...then quit. No explanation.

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  13. Replies
    1. Oh, forgot...let's keep this our secret. Privacy is priceless.

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    2. :) Glad Dixie and I only stopped at an interstate Holiday Inn on the way South then. Goodness, you better move, my dear Sir!

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    3. Thankfully I live several miles outside the zone of my business location. But, yes, I should move. To Montana, or Idaho. Thanks, my friend.

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  14. Let me get this straight you want to license Veterans and former Military to do this service but not ordinary "civilians" ??? I see that as somewhat elitist of you, are current, former and retired military somehow superior to the run of the mill folk? If so please tell me how! I look forward to your answer and the reasoning behind it.

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    1. Valid point, my friend. Maybe in the heat of moment I forget all the good civilian firearm owners out there...very elitist of me indeed. So, let's get together and draft the license application.

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  15. "I propose here and now the States issue all veterans and former military a lifetime license."

    C'mon... I want in on the action too.

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    Replies
    1. Heck yes, why not. But, we draw the line at felons, firearm owners or not. Gotta keep it legal.

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  16. Stephen - i am glad that you were gentle in persuading the man to move along. i honestly don't know how you can stand it every single day. i would lose my nut and start shooting drunks, prostitutes and druggies even though i feel for them as humans. but i just couldn't stand to see it everyday. i feel bad for you that you must put up with this kind of thing at your place of business.

    your friend,
    kymber

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    1. It's not a big deal, kymber. I've dealt with this for years. Thanks, my friend.

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