So...gunfire in Kenosha last night. Two dead.
Bound to happen, so it was just a matter of who and when. I had it at 80/20 that it would be civilians instead of LE, but I also have it at 50/50 that sooner or later, one of those activist idiots is going to fire at the police, at which point things are going to get very, very ugly.
Had an interesting conversation with an old sheep dog who is a lot wiser than I'll ever be. He was a State Trooper for almost 30 years, and to this day he is remembered and revered as one of the best to ever wear the badge. As gentle a man as you'll ever meet, but he has zero tolerance for what he affectionately terms "horse poop".
He was talking about the riots, and pointed out that by allowing them to go virtually unchecked, politicians are setting a new "normal". He said that at some point order will have to be restored, and that when that point is reached it will be much more difficult, and much more physical to put a stop to the rioting, since the agitators are now accustomed to being allowed to riot virtually unchecked. He referenced other cities...and there are a few...where the initial rioting was quickly checked, and noted how things have remained relatively quiet there ever since.
He thinks it's going to get worse before it's over, and I'm afraid he's right. I've known him long enough to know that he doesn't waste words, and when he does speak it's a good idea to listen.
Nobody wants the images of the 60's...the fire hoses, the German Sheperds, the billy clubs...to be seen on our streets again. Well, nobody with an ounce of humanity in their heart.
And that reluctance to act early and decisively is possibly going to result in things much worse than getting knocked off your feet by a fire hose. There are just too many potential flashpoints out there right now to ignore that reality. If events continue on their current trajectory, someone is going to make that critical mistake. A shot will be fired. And then another, and then another. And then.....
I hope I'm wrong. I'm worried that I'm right.