Tuesday Hit and Hurry

You may not see much in the way of original posts from me for awhile as I adjust to my new schedule.  I was going to call this thread Hit and Run, but out of respect to innocent victims who are left for dead by heartless motorists, I opted for Hit and Hurry.  A hit and hurry is an equine event for open jumpers where speed is the determining factor of who wins the class.  And away we go...

Shane Victorino is the poster child for professional athletes with impulsive behavior.  He's a fast base-runner, but not always the most sensible base stealer.  When I see him stepping off first, I want to hide my eyes from the impending doom.  He doesn't have the sense to steal bases without explicit instructions.  Hence the Daily News headline last year when his failed attempt to steal second cost the Phils a play-off game:  DON'T GO SHANE!

Shane is an exciting ball player.  He's a strong outfielder and an excellent slugger, but common sense isn't one of his strong points.  That's why out of the melee that happened Friday night between the Phils and the Giants, only Victorino got a suspension.  The low-life pitcher who beaned him got fined an unspecified amount, as did the Ali-wannabe catcher, Eli Whiteside.  Meanwhile, unless Victorino can successfully appeal his suspension, he sits for 3 games.  Why?

Because when he left the batter's box to challenge Ramon Ramirez, he didn't go right for the pitcher or second base.  His indecisiveness resulted in the bench-clearing brawl even more than the dirty tactics of Bruce Bochy and Ramirez.  Had he made his point without shoving an umpire out of the way, chances are Ramirez would be the only one looking at a suspension.  Now we'll never know.

So Michelle Bachmann is being hunted again, this time by Newsweek Magazine.  An unflattering headline is accompanied by an even more unflattering photo of the Minnesota congresswoman.  A few weeks ago, you may recall she was under scrutiny for daring to suffer from migraine headaches.   Love her or hate her, you have to say one thing for her: She hangs tough and is probably the only Tea Party pol who can garner the sympathy of the National Association of Women.    Remember, politics makes strange bedfellows.

Mayor Michael Nutter had the nerve to tell like it is when it comes to the flash mob violence that some black teenagers have committed in random and shockingly violent attacks in Center City.  This columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer has a problem with that.  My advice to her? Get over it.  Yes, I agree, there is disparity in the way police and politicians will react to violence committed in some areas vs others.  There could be a few reasons for this.  First, if people grow up with little or no hope, they tend to accept the bad things that happen to them as inevitable, and they don't react the same way that people who are not living in a culture of violence and doom react, hence part of the reason for the disparity in treatment.  Second, we have too many people in Philadelphia who think that young people beating each other up is a normal way of life.  It's not, and the sooner we stop treating it like it is and teach young people a better way to settle their differences, the better.  As I have said before, if you raise a child with violence by beating the tar out of them before they know how to talk, you risk the chance of that child thinking this is normal.  No one should be surprised when that child tries to settle his differences the same way his mother did with him - with a pounding.  Third, the mayor was spot on in his comments about fathers who are nothing more than sperm donors and leave society to do their jobs for them.  At some point, the chickens are going to come home to roost, and a combination of paternal neglect and random reproduction results in sudden terror unleashed by a few bad kids. An area of the city where people are spending their hard-earned money to enjoy themselves and relax on a Friday night turns into a nightmare.

Who among us thinks it's "normal" to knock someone's teeth out or beat a man so badly he has to have his jaw wired?  One of the thugs was overheard laughing, saying: "It's not our fault you don't know how to fight."

Whose fault will it be when someone's idea of fighting back is shooting one of these miscreants?

Decent people of any race or color should be offended by the violent flash-mob behavior that has put Philadelphia in the shame headlines.  There are no good reasons for this disgusting behavior, only poor excuses that will do nothing but perpetuate the problem by failing to admit it.

Enough of the secular world.  I was a little disappointed when the priest exited the sacristy for Mass in green vestments.  I knew right away it meant no mention of St. Edith Stein.  Well, I might have to give him a pass.  He is a Franciscan, after all.  I look forward to Thursday's Mass, on the feast of St. Clare.  Don't know if I mentioned this already but  the Monastery of St. Clare is just a few clicks down the road.  I hope to visit it some day.  Meanwhile, as soon as I have an office, I will hang a San Damiano crucifix, and then I will make sure the Carmelites are well-represented in Franciscan territory.   It's all good.

See you next time.