IN MY HOOD!

My son was mugged yesterday in my neighborhood. I live in East Rogers Park near the Morse L stop. He was jumped by a group of black guys in the alley who took his cash and phone. At first I was angry that they hurt my son and took all of his ID and brand new (cheap) phone, but the anger subsided when I realized my son was not seriously hurt and they returned his wallet with his ID.

I am still angry they punched my son in the face and corrupted his love of this city. He had moved here from Texas to escape the verbal and mental abuse from his dad's new wife. We both looked forward to his fresh start and the chance to explore all of his new options now that he graduated from HS and was in a city with countless choices and opportunities.

I came to realize that I feel sorry for the kids who mugged my son because they obviously lack a positive male role model in their lives. Also, I realized that their mothers must not love them enough to teach them that they need to graduate HS and then get a real job to support themselves. No one taught them that ganging up on one individual to steal their stuff was not a real job, but was mere thuggery and NOTHING to be proud of. As a mother, I went out of my way to insure my boys were not hanging around with a "bad crowd" who would encourage this type of behaviour. I always knew pretty much who my kids were hanging out with and where they were at all times. I knew the parents of my kids friends and kept in touch with them to help the kids stay on track. I feel sorry for the thugs because they obviously did not have someone at home this invested in their futures.

The money they took from my son was his first paycheck after having worked an entire weekend at a neighborhood fest busting his butt to clean and help out. I can replace his hard earned cash, but it will take a while to restore his faith in our beloved city.

Stupid People

I was reading the news and came across two stories that back my claim that stupidity should be the test for procreating.

A woman was pulled from the lake in the early morning hours by fishermen when the group she was partying with on a boat decided to ALL jump off the boat at 1:30 am to go for a swim. Apparently the boat floated away and it looks like 2 of the four drowned. First of all, drinking and boating REALLY don't mix any more then drinking and driving. Second of all, I thought it was basic common boating sense to either a) anchor the boat before ALL jumping off or b) leaving one idiot behind to rescue the others or at least call for help.

A man, fleeing the scene of an accident, blew a stop sign and crashed into.........wait for it..........a police car. The cop has his police lights activated at the time. The man was charged with aggravated DUI, reckless driving, etc. It doesn't say what time the accident happened, but it is my guess, it was after 10:00 pm. Which reminds me of another story.

A young high school student was killed by a drunk driver as he pedaled home from a convenience store. The student was a good kid, well liked and apparently doing well in school. He was struck and killed around 1:30 am.

Every single time I read the papers about someone getting robbed, shot, mugged, etc., the first thing I do is note the time of the crime. Almost EVERY SINGLE TIME the incident occurs after 10:00 pm (more like after midnight) and before 6:00 am. What is it with stupid people and being out after dark? Does the darkness beget stupidity or merely attract it?

All of these incidents are tragic, but tragically, they were all avoidable. Who the hell goes out boating on a lake at 11:30 pm? REALLY?

This just in: Two teens were shot over the weekend after a confrontation between two groups in downtown Evanston, police said. The teens, 16 and 17, were discovered at about 11:42 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Benson Avenue and Davis Street, said Evanston Police Commander James Pickett.

I REST MY CASE!