I don't know
for sure, but it seems like the world is getting meaner. I sometimes feel as
though every time I step out of my door that peril lies just outside. Maybe
it's just me being paranoid, but as Kurt Cobain was attributed as saying ,
"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you."
It could be the times we live in,
these days of financial uncertainty. I especially feel this way when I am
behind the wheel of my car. It's as though some people feel that being in control
of 2000 pounds of plastic and steel gives them power they aren't experiencing
in the rest of their lives.
When that power is not recognized,
there is an unprecedented level of anger that comes to the surface and is
displayed in bizarre ways. Like using their vehicle as a weapon.
Forget the term Road Rage. That term
seems far too timid for the level of what can best be described as venomous
hatred toward fellow travelers. Drivers nowadays , in growing numbers, are
taking it to an entirely different level.
No longer is an extended middle
finger a sufficient display of your
disapproval with other drivers ineptitude while attempting to navigate the mean
streets of Southern California. Now the point needs to be driven home by
instilling fear into your fellow driver.
This is not to say the middle finger is not an effective
way to covey your feelings initially, but it can be a jumping off point that
can escalate into a more intense situation. This is depending on the intelligence
level of the mobile Neanderthal you are dealing with.
If your digit exchange is with someone
of a higher I.Q. it is basically a two
finger conversation and then you both move on your merry ways. It is generally
with your lower level primates that you run into trouble and you can tell almost
immediately if you have one of these crazy apes on your hands.
They are the ones who feel that they
need to have a conversation with you, audible or not. If that doesn't satisfy
their increasing madness, and they are headed in the same direction as you are,
watch out. Their next step is probably going to be one of two things. Tailgating
you at a dangerously close distance or
speeding up to get in front of you so they can slow down causing you to
hit your brakes.
If one of these things happen, a
word to the wise. Get away from them as quickly as possible. The evening news
is littered with stories of potentially bad outcomes when dealing with baboons
of this variety. Do your best not to become a statistic.
Another area of automotive nastiness,
that has become a recurring topic on the news lately, is the over the top
violence being display by numerous police agencies across the Southland.
It is not an exaggeration when I say
that not a week goes by when we aren't treated to another tale of one or more
officers losing their tempers and roughing up a suspect before they make it to
the patrol car.
You would think in these days where
everyone is carrying a cell phone with a camera in it that these supposed keepers
of the
peace would be a little more
cognizant of the fact that they are under constant surveillance. Often it looks like they don't care, but they
should.
I have always been a champion of the
police. I mean who are you going to call if you have a problem? Your local gang members? These people are the
public servants that we put our trust in. That is why it is such a shock when
we see these beatings and shootings.
As much as we all would like to
blindly put our trust in them you have to remember there isn't a group of individuals
anywhere that is immune to the bad apple syndrome. So if there ever was a group that needs to be
put under a microscope constantly it is our police agencies. For the most part,
they are the ones that others look to as barometers on how to act and react .
So,
our boys and girls in blue, you need to lead by example and be more
aware of the image you are portraying to the public. If it is viewed as
acceptable behavior to react violently and in a mean spirited manner,
regardless of the situation, it will continue
to create a circle of viciousness that none of us want.
Like they say....Monkey See, Monkey
Do.
Bill Dunn has been a published opinion columnist for 14
years. Any comments can be sent to
either our exalted editor at tmiller@beaconmedianews.com
or to Bill directly at
dunnsinferno@casegod.com You can also
find Bill on Facebook at : www.facebook.com/WhenAllisSaidandDunn
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