This isn't about travel, and it certainly isn't entertaining, but one of my students (whom I have known since her freshman year) and one of my former students were both shot this weekend.

They were at a party at one of their friends house, some young men came to the party and started with the gang signs. One of the girls tried to tell them that this wasn't that type of party, and asked them to leave. It turned into an argument and when a friend of the girls came to quiet it down, a fight ensued. The trouble makers left, only to return a short while later and opened fire on the house, injuring the two girls.

Thankfully, they are both going to be okay, although one of them has a broken leg as a result of the gunshot.

I guess what I am trying to say, is that in today's society, you can never be too careful about who you engage verbally or physically, be it in traffic, at the mall, or in a social setting.

Glad your friends will be okay. Hope the punks get caught.

Glad they are okay. I wish them a speedy recovery.

I've had a friend's friend shot, at the wrong place at the wrong time, he was just trying to save a friend. Caught one in the leg artery, and now he is in a better place.

And the worst part is whenever the local police can't solve the case, they just label it Gang-Related violence, tainting his and my friend's reputation.

Please keep us updated if those people does get caught, so at least we got another excuse to pop a champagne.

Very scary. My wife is a school counselor and deals with stuff like this every day...my best to your students as they recover.

having been in 2 gun stick ups.. that's scary as hell and your girls are very very brave.

I wish them the best.

A friend of ours was shot and killed while teaching at a middle school 9 years ago. It was national news and so was the 13 year old shooter being tried as an adult. His children were very young and are growing up without a father. Children with guns rarely understand the consequences of their actions. They see rap videos and video games and think they are cool and invincible. So many lives ruined so foolishly.

quote:

Originally posted by Dom'n'Vin'sDad:
I guess what I am trying to say, is that in today's society, you can never be too careful about who you engage verbally or physically, be it in traffic, at the mall, or in a social setting.

The world only gets crazier and, for many many people, life has very little value.

There's much to be said for just stepping away. It takes greater strength to do that than to give in to emotion.

Those people find their match, always, sooner or later. I regard it in somewhat of a Darwinian way. The real shame is when innocent people get sucked into these senseless affairs.

quote:

Originally posted by Dom'n'Vin'sDad:
I guess what I am trying to say, is that in today's society, you can never be too careful about who you engage verbally or physically, be it in traffic, at the mall, or in a social setting.

When I was younger (teens & 20s), I routinely would flip off other drivers if they offended me in some manner on the road. Also, several years ago, I was at a park getting ready for an off-road ride and some guy in a parked car kept staring at me. I asked him what he was looking at and pretty much engaged him in a fight. Both are stupid things to do because anybody could be packing a gun. It just is not worth it.

Lots of kids shot when I was in high school including a good friend that was killed by a random drive-by while he was walking home from baseball practice. Where I grew up that threat was always there so you just had to be cautious of where you went and who you hung out with. Not until I moved away did I realize how crazy it was. Now living in the London, the police don’t even carry guns

quote:

Originally posted by vinole:
A friend of ours was shot and killed while teaching at a middle school 9 years ago. It was national news and so was the 13 year old shooter being tried as an adult. His children were very young and are growing up without a father. Children with guns rarely understand the consequences of their actions. They see rap videos and video games and think they are cool and invincible. So many lives ruined so foolishly.

I remember that. A well-known PI attorney went after the gun distributor because the boy used a cheap "Saturday Night Special" handgun that his grandfather owned, and won a verdict. But it was overturned by the appeals court.

Learned my lesson many years ago in the early '70's. My friends and I were stupidly throwing snowballs at passing cars when one guy stopped, backed up, and pointed a gun at us, before driving away. Never did it again.

quote:

Originally posted by mneeley490:
Learned my lesson many years ago in the early '70's. My friends and I were stupidly throwing snowballs at passing cars when one guy stopped, backed up, and pointed a gun at us, before driving away. Never did it again.

That must have left a deposit in your snowsuit.

quote:

Originally posted by mneeley490:
Learned my lesson many years ago in the early '70's. My friends and I were stupidly throwing snowballs at passing cars when one guy stopped, backed up, and pointed a gun at us, before driving away. Never did it again.

A kid died where I live about six years ago for basically doing the same thing. I think it was water balloons, might have been eggs. Dead. Good kid from all accounts, just doing what kids do and some nut wasted him.

I'm sorry for your kids. I just don't understand why life is not important to gang bangers. I read about these types of occurrences in Oakland, Richmond, Vallejo and SF. It's too bad this is migrating east to the Central Valley.