It is instructive, however, to note that none of you picked up on that, you just went for the red meat of my seeming stupidity.
Again, I apologize. I guess my post was a continuing reaction to the attacks on my country as a socialist bastion. They used to be posted frequently here, not so much anymore.
Truly, my heart goes out to the family of this young girl. In some ways I was simply pointing out that living in so much fear that you always have to lock your doors was not a great way to live.
Please, no flaming, I already flamed myself.
I’m sure a lot of us wish that we lived where we felt comfortable enough not to worry about locking up all the time.
The city where I live in Orange County, CA was like that when I moved here in the late ‘60s. Long time residents would even leave the car keys in their car. They would ‘hide’ the keys on the sun visor or under the car seat but that was about it.
Look, when I was younger, my grandfather used to leave the keys inside the car in the ignition whenever we went anywhere - church, the store, the park, etc. Now, that is unthinkable - at least to me.
Our media refuse to report the great number of black-on-white crimes just like the one above, and show everything as hunky-dorey on the TV, that we supposedly should trust each other, nothing to worry about, crime is down, etc. - leaving your doors wide open is NO problem, and that to not do so means you are a racist and hater.
This is the attitude I have to combat with my 23 year old daughter every single day - and one of the reasons I longer sleep well at night. She rolls her eyes at me when I remind her to lock her apartment door at all times even, and especially, when she is inside.
But, after her last apartment was robbed while her roommates were inside asleep (last week), her close friend robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight by a black man on a Sunday morning on the street in front of their building, and she had her cell phone stolen off of her lap by a black man that came up behind her, snatched it and ran off - she is starting to realize things are as safe as what is being portrayed on TV and the media.
Maybe I'm just getting old, or maybe I'm a crazy, overprotective mother, I don't know...but I do know this: I do NOT want to be sitting in front of my daughter's casket in church screaming and crying because she was too trusting of this world -- like the case above.
With that said, all the best to you, friend, and please stay safe. I want you to have a nice, long, safe life.
and, it USED TO BE an American trait of independence and pride....we've lost it....