Murder

Earlier today, I stood on a spot near where I live.

The sun shown bright in a clear, blue sky as a 

strong wind blew snow across the landscape,

very much like sand across barren desert dunes.

Last winter, an entire section of townhomes was burned 

to the ground due to the carelessness of a tenant.

The remains were recently torn down, leaving

an empty scar in this poor neighborhood.

I've walked that stretch of the neighborhood 

too many times to count over the years and, 

seeing the chain link fence surrounding 

the site is disappointing, to say the least.

Most disheartening, though, was to know that 

on Wednesday night, a sixteen-year-old boy had been 

shot twice in the chest, and left to die in the dirty, 

frozen slush in the gutter across the street 

from the barren lot. Sayyid Abdul-Haqq was a

sophomore at Speedway High School. He took his 

schoolwork seriously and, when not in the

SHS library, could most often be found at the

town's library. His young nephew looked up to him,

saying he wanted to be like his uncle, to go to

school. Here was a boy with a goal, 

who inspired his family, but who met 

his death alone in the cold gutter.

He was on his way home from the store.

Given the weather, he was probably returning from 

the convenience store a couple blocks away.

This is a poor neighborhood, where people often 

have to juggle between which bills will be

paid - heat? Phone? Electric? Will there be money

for food? Gas for the car? If he went to the store

for milk, did the person who shot him see

he got change from a $10 bill?

Indeed, did he even have that much?

This is not a neighborhood of people who have

money, but one where a bit of small change

can seem like a windfall.

Nor is this a unique story, but it sure as hell

is new to Sayyid's family, whose hearts are broken.

The temperatures are dropping and it will be very cold

during the coming week, but right now

 the only colder place on Earth is the heart 

of whoever pulled the trigger.

***
Anyone with information related
to the murder of Sayyid Abdul-Haqq
can contact Crime Stoppers at 262-TIPS, 
or text INDYCS with their tip. 
You may also contact the 
Speedway Police Department 
directly at 246-4300. 
All information will remain anonymous.

Why We Pay Taxes

It's nearly a weekly ocurrance; a fire engine backed up 

by an ambulance enters my apartment complex, 

sirens screaming, lights flashing, and horns blaring, 

"Get out of my way! Get out of my way! 

Somebody needs help!" Someone in the neighborhood 

must have respiratory issues, because a few minutes later, 

the fire apparatus leaves, while the EMTs remain behind, 

presumably to check on the person for whom 

they were summoned.

This afternoon, however, they all came, 

from the station house about a mile away, 

as well as other stations two or three 

miles distant. Someone had reported a fire

in their apartment, where the firefighters,

clothed in Nomex, oxygen masks, heavy boots,

 and electronic gear swarmed upon the blaze.

Here, a battalion chief dons his turnout gear 

and gathers his equipment, while three firefighters 

from one of the more distant stations, 

walk towards the scene.

Adams, Able, and Ardizzone, stride in step, 

intent upon the task that faces them.

In coordinated, well-rehearsed routine, the men and women

entered the home, the aerial ladder was deployed, hose laid out

and charged. Additional men went to the roof, where they cut

through with a chain saw to get any flames that may have

escaped detection from inside. 

It really was over within a short while, all but the checks 

of the residence, the paper work, and the clean-up.

With a multi-person dwelling, they take no chances, whether

the number of lives involved is one or one hundred;

I have been awakened at 3 in the morning to evacuate my

building because of a blaze just around the corner.

It is a mission. They come when we are in dire need 

to provide medical assistance, to put out fires, 

to save us, our loved ones and our pets from misfortune

and misadventure. They are paid with our taxes. 

There are people who want no taxes to be collected, 

who would be very indignant if no one came to put out 

the grease fire, to splint up a broken arm and take

them to the hospital, to rescue a cat from a tree.

Today, the firemen brought out three red-tailed boa 

constrictors that belonged to the women,

a mother and daughter, who kept them as pets.

It is already happening in communities in our area.

There's no money to pay EMTs, so they are laid off.

Some towns have disbanded their police forces

due to a lack of funds. The bureaucrats are doing their

best to break down our educational system, too.

Money keeps them in office, while they ignore 

the needs of the community that paid the revenue.

"My way or the highway" is not good for people,

but it may just get its narrow-minded self elected if 

thinking people do not vote in the coming elections.