Open disrespect for rule of law and/or for law enforcement and/or community standards in any country or society is pretty much a stupid play. Redress or recourse is available to every citizen of this country in a court of law. Not so much in other places around the globe. Pushing the envelope with law enforcement on the street does not (or very rarely) put the odds of a positive outcome for us into a favorable light. It simply does not. For some of us, it seems to be one of only a few ways we think we can demonstrate our pride, our reason for being, our macho persona. "Check out my credibility, babe." There are surely other outlets for that, like sports, body building or any form of self improvement otherwise.
I've heard it said many times before that "pride is all we got." That is true only if you want to make it so. Even if all of your options at any given time are bad ones, there is always one that is least bad. Education is truly our biggest problem, and that is NOT about giving everyone a college degree, then sitting back to watch our personal vision of utopia unfold. Self improvement can take a variety of pathways, all of them good options. We restrict ourselves much more than anyone or anything else restricts us. We huddle into smaller and smaller groups of like thought and dress and mode of responding to all things and beings outside our circle of distrust, our safe place of inbred ideas and attitudes. We seem to listen to others only to hang on one word or one phrase that we think proves their real intent (never good intent). We are the problem. All of us.
I've heard it said many times before that "pride is all we got." That is true only if you want to make it so. Even if all of your options at any given time are bad ones, there is always one that is least bad. Education is truly our biggest problem, and that is NOT about giving everyone a college degree, then sitting back to watch our personal vision of utopia unfold. Self improvement can take a variety of pathways, all of them good options. We restrict ourselves much more than anyone or anything else restricts us. We huddle into smaller and smaller groups of like thought and dress and mode of responding to all things and beings outside our circle of distrust, our safe place of inbred ideas and attitudes. We seem to listen to others only to hang on one word or one phrase that we think proves their real intent (never good intent). We are the problem. All of us.
