Someone recently broke into a local church and went on a rampage. The person smashed stained glass windows, turned over pews and damaged books. He tried to spark a few fires throwing candles and oils about but failed. He succeeded setting fires outside the church in trash cans and damaging a couple of cars. The man plead not guilty.
I've attended the church many times. It's beautiful and grand. The people are nice. I like the community. I like many faith communities. They are like different bouquets of flowers, or dances or songs: different lovely expressions of humanity.
I'm not a regular attendee though I am a fan of good people getting together to reflect and improve their emotional and spiritual lives. I read through several reports on the church vandalism and a couple seemed to insinuate it was justified because of XYZ.
All I could think is why would someone want to destroy something beautiful? And if the person had contempt for a particular person, how is it okay to land that contempt on a community of people? And why did the reporter throw that butter knife in? Other reports chose a different angle. One mentioned that Bob Hope had been a parishioner. That reporter wrote toward the starry-eyed reader whereas the other wrote toward something darker from their reader. All reports mentioned "allegedly."
So, there's no proof. That's what "allegedly" means.
That is surprising.
The area has become increasingly compromised. In these modern tech times, I expected some sort of video to be available. Perhaps churches don't put cameras around their properties.
I wrote of a woman going on a rampage tearing through my apartment building a few months ago.
https://steemit.com/rage/@jnetsworld/do-you-stand-for-peace-2018-05-10-16-59-40
And a fellow steemians in Knoxville wrote of being assaulted on her way to brunch. These incidents happened in broad day light!
Are you feeling it in your part of the world? There are a lot of people not living thriving stable lives. There are encampments dotting neighborhoods here. In the city and in the suburbs. People living in their cars. Too many are falling through the cracks and many of us are not qualified nor have the confidence to know how to handle a situation when a person becomes violent.
Most folks are on the side of peace and want to enjoy their lives quietly and privately. I don't know how long peace will maintain in neighborhoods when hypodermic needles are being found in playgrounds and parking lots. My Nextdoor is brimming with stories of people getting assaulted in the grocery store parking lots. As I plan my errands, I find myself needing to consider personal safety.
In Los Angeles!!!
In a nice neighborhood!!!
I truly hope the year will turn around. Otherwise, there goes the neighborhood.
JNET
Steepshot