Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Bad Decisions

What makes people make bad decisions?

God knows I've made more than my share in my life. But none of them--thank God--have resulted in the end of my life. Yet.

Early this morning, though, two people made bad decisions that ended theirs.

A Toledo Police Department detective, working undercover in the vice narcotics division, and his partner stopped and attempted to arrest two people who were apparently engaged in suspicious activity.

Both men fled. The police detectives chased them. One of the suspects turned and fired at the detective chasing him. The detective was struck in the chest and killed. He was not wearing a bulletproof vest (undercover police officers usually don't).

This detective was the first TPD officer killed in the line of duty in more than 36 years.

The suspect in the shooting has been arrested. He is 15 years old. If tried as an adult and convicted, he faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison.

I will mention no names in this entry. If you're curious, go to The Blade's website and find the answers for yourself.

I mention no names because that is not the topic of this post. The topic of this post is why people make bad decisions.

Consider:

Why would two highly experienced police detectives stop their car at one in the morning in a cold and heavy fog to spprehend two people?

Why would a 15 year old white male be out on the streets at one in the morning apparently attempting to buy or sell drugs? With a gun?

Why would said suspect not only flee from a police officer, but then turn and fire on him?

And, more importantly, why do people make bad decisions that can lead to the end of their lives? Is this a conscious choice? Or is it instinct?

Have we, as human beings, truly not progressed further, emotionally and intellectually, than the first neanderthal in prehistoric times that bashed his fellow neanderthal over the head in order to steal his fresh kill?

Can we ever become better than that? Are we not capable of making good decisions in times of crisis?

As much as I would like to say yes, the truth is that throughout the course of history, bad decisions have outnumbered good ones by a considerable margin. And the only reason that we as a race have not destroyed ourselves many times over is because at several key points in history people have made good decisions.

Whether this was by the grace of some Higher Power or simply the result of enough good people being in the right place at the right time, we may never know. We can only hope that the trend continues.

In the meantime, I will mourn the loss of an experienced police detective, who leaves behind a wife and two children. And I will mourn the loss of the life of a young boy on the cusp of adulthood, who may never again experience another day of freedom.

Both of them made bad decisions. Only one will have to live with it.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Bravo, Dixie Chicks!

First an aside: Sorry I haven't posted in quite a while. I've been UNBELIEVEABLY busy the past few weeks. My office is in the midst of a political transition to a new boss and I've been doing a lot. Most of it unwillingly.

But I had to post today. Last night, The Dixie Chicks took top honors at the Grammy awards, earning five, including best album and best song.

And may I say again, Bravo!

Any group that can take the kind of abuse they have suffered for nearly four years and not only suck it up but EMBRACE it and then record a song that is basically a four-minute long FUCK YOU! to all of the people who gave them, in no particular order, hate mail, disc destruction parties, death threats, and constant verbal and written abuse, just to name a few things. I really can't blame them for being just a little--no, a LOT--bitter.

And no one else can and should blame them, either.

And last night proved it.

And now, I offer to you the lyrics from the song "Not Ready to Make Nice":

Forgive, sounds good.
Forget, I'm not sure I could.
They say time heals everything,
But I'm still waiting

I'm through, with doubt,
There's nothing left for me to figure out,
I've paid a price, and i'll keep paying

I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should

I know you said
Why can't you just get over it,
It turned my whole world around
and i kind of like it

I made by bed, and I sleep like a baby,
With no regrets and I don't mind saying,
It's a sad sad story
That a mother will teach her daughter
that she ought to hate a perfect stranger.
And how in the world
Can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they'd write me a letter
Saying that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should

I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should

Forgive, sounds good.
Forget, I'm not sure I could.
They say time heals everything,
But I'm still waiting


(Lyrics from cowboylyrics.com)

I really think you should pay particular attention to one particular section: "It's a sad sad story That a mother will teach her daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger".

Seriously. Where do people think kids learn this stuff from?

Good night, and good luck.