Kudos to Kenneth Englund

It's Sunny here. [Not. Nighttime and very cold but can't complain with what's goin' on up north.]

Once upon a time, in a land called the United States of America, thieves crept onto a man's property (actually, a neighbor's vacant property) and began to steal. The non-thief (i.e., innocent local landowner) heard or saw something that wasn't quite right. Since he lives out in the boonies, he was especially vigilant because neighbors and law enforcement weren't exactly 200 feet or 20 yards or even two blocks away. That's just called livin' in the country. Sometimes you find or see or hear things while you're out inspectin' your property or drivin' around or just lookin' out the window. So Mr. Englund catches a couple of thieves in the middle of the act and then chases after them with an unloaded shotgun. Now Mr. Englund is facing a couple of charges. Is this for real?

Fortunately for my headache, the people of the area, state, and country are coming out offering Mr. Englund support. This 74-year-old man did nothing wrong, even if the goddamn gun had been loaded and he had shot(!), thank you very much. I hope the prosecutor comes to his senses up there in good ol' Minnesota.

People in all areas of our country hear the worst all the time about methheads (and other druggies), serial killers, pedophiles, and plain-old goddamn thieves. So can they be overly paranoid? Yes, but people in our country have also always been taught to defend themselves, other people, and property against those kinds of people. Not indiscriminately, of course. And not that they were always druggies, serial killers, and pedophiles. Thieves have been around forever, but other scumbags, like rapists, snake oil salesmen, and rural home invaders have always existed, and defending ourselves against them is ingrained in the American psyche.

Although the charges against Mr. Englund have been reduced, they still exist, and continuing this persecution and prosecution of Mr. Englund makes zero sense. Even the male thief says so! Shit, now my headache is back just thinking about it!

Once upon a time, in a land called the United States of America, thieves crept onto a man's property (actually, a neighbor's vacant property) and began to steal. The non-thief (i.e., innocent local landowner) heard or saw something that wasn't quite right. Since he lives out in the boonies, he was especially vigilant because neighbors and law enforcement weren't exactly 200 feet or 20 yards or even two blocks away. That's just called livin' in the country. Sometimes you find or see or hear things while you're out inspectin' your property or drivin' around or just lookin' out the window. So Mr. Englund catches a couple of thieves in the middle of the act and then chases after them with an unloaded shotgun. The sheriff's department apprehends them due to the local man's actions. Mr. Englund receives: a citizenry award from the local sheriff's department, a year's supply of free shotgun shells from the local shops, a potluck dinner hosted by his church and the township, a hearty thank-you-and-anything-you-need handshake from his neighbor, a free tank of gas for his truck from the nearest gas station, and 10 lottery tickets from an anonymous yet grateful citizen. Now that's life in America as it should be.

Sunny