Image via WikipediaI've pretty much always hated violence. There was a lot of it about when and where I grew up. Skin heads. Punks. Sectarian troubles. Gangs. Neds. When we lived in London violence was definitely there, but with luck and experience you could pretty much avoid it. When I first moved there, I thought it'd be too dangerous and frustrating to ride my motorcycle to work. Then on the crowded London Underground one day, I watched two guys start to fight because one wanted off the train and the other didn't want to lose his spot on the carriage. From then on I rode my bike whenever I felt able. I figured that on the Underground you took a low probability risk of a random stranger trying to kill you, either by knife or bomb. On my bike I took the view that there was a greater honesty and predictability, as pretty much every car, truck, bus and taxi driver would kill you if gave them the chance.
Being here in Los Angeles you don't really see the violence so much, actually you don't people much as we are always in our cars. I even sign up to the local police email system, nixle, and although sometimes there are a few ongoing events, it doesn't seem like there's the concentration of 'minor' violence here - certainly not in the valley.
If you've managed to come to see any of the theatre that we've produced here in Hollywood, then chances are you might of spotted Chris. He's a big guy, quiet, gentle and distinctly cheeky - there's more than one of our female friends whose asked his status - but he had a long term girlfriend at that point. He helped set up and run the sound, lights and even operated a camera when we were live streaming.
On St Patrick's Day night Chris was leaving a bar in Hollywood and spotted 4 guys beating someone up. I'd like to say that he should have just called the cops, but I wasn't there so I don't feel I have the right to such an opinion. The outcome was that Chris was stabbed and now has staples and 280 stitches in his side. He's leaving for Florida now for a long recuperation with his parents.
With incidents of violence there is usually nothing interesting or unique to be said. It all seems so pointless and horrific.
I wish Chris a simple, speedy recovery and hope he returns soon.
Tweeted comment from Uberggeek2: http://tl.gd/9ji167
ReplyDeleteWow, that's awful!
I think you've said it all about violence: there's nothing you can say. Because if violent impulses were expressed in words, there'd be no violence. And despite what we might like to think, it's really neither here nor there. It's everywhere at one time or another.
But maybe there's something to say about people. It's a good thing there are people in the world like Chris who realize that although violence is inevitable, it's not acceptable. I sure can't say anything about his decision that night either. But violent impulses aren't the only ones that sometimes choose the right brain over the left. Sometimes in these situations, one acts in ways that seem necessary but afterwards, one can't quite even explain to oneself. But whatever choices they make, it's important there are people like Chris who recognize the difference between inevitable and acceptable. They're what balance out the thugs in the world, and have so far kept the planet from spinning off entirely into a moral black hole.
I hope Chris is feeling much better soon too.