Jordan Neely killing/Daniel Penny charges

Well, shit. Kid Rock ... that changes everything.

 

Not so much that Kid Rock said it, or even what he said - all to be expected I think - but what wide headline play it got.

 

The Cost of White Discomfort

 

"Discomfort" ... come on, man.

 

Don't look at me. I don't write 'em.

 

True ... but you know that thing I said about "villains"? Well, turns out it was only partially true. As re: the aftermath of certain tragedies, a whole shitpile of villains tend to emerge.

 

At the end of the day, I can't help feeling like this is one of those flash in the pan stories that will generate angst on both sides -- in support of the victim, in defense of the accused -- and ultimately change no one's opinion about a damn thing. I don't know if that makes me cynical, but I don't see how this is going to change policy or how anyone reacts to a given situation. Maybe until I stop seeing homeless, mentally ill people who are occasionally acting aggressive at the Stamford train station every damn day -- the station my wife and I both use -- will I stop carrying pepper spray and not have my head on a swivel.

That's the thing: I don't wanna kill anyone. I don't wanna shoot anyone. I don't wanna choke out a homeless guy. I want to be able to protect myself, temporarily disable someone, and get everyone out of the situation alive. There's still no guarantee of that, but what else can we do to protect ourselves?

 

In the absence of any real evidence folks certainly mount their hobbyhorse to argue their self-interest. Whether it's Kid Rock or this New York magazine writer, or you or me or any of a million others.

Much worse of course are the cynics who see it as a way to score cheap political points or make money.

 

I don't know, but it's a lot more complicated than simply arming ourselves.

It's going to be things like remaking the national mental health care system and reimagining policing.

There also has to be some thought given to housing; and to rewriting involuntary commitment laws - again; and to getting the worst psych cases out of public spaces like the subway.

 

Well, that's all well and good, but in the meantime before ALL that gets tackled, I'm gonna arm myself with a relatively safe weapon. I looked into flash bangs, but they're prone to exploding if left near heat sources...

 

I’ve ridden MARTA in Atlanta several times and the trains in Chicago, DC and St. Louis as a one-off. Nobody is going to confuse them for a limo ride to prom, but they were/are functional and felt safe. What is the dynamic that makes NYC so different? Is it just the sheer size of the system?

 

Ask Emmitt Till's family about the cost of White discomfort.