Is it the weather? Is it sheer stupidity? Is it an inability to separate real from imagined? Is it a learned response? What is it that makes people fight? And is it more prevalent here in the city, or am I just more exposed to it by living in a densely-populated place?
Two days ago I came home for lunch to a block filled with (mostly) young people battling in the street. It appeared to be between two houses in particular, but there was some spillover. Fortunately the most lethal weapon I saw was a wiffle bat, though there was one broom. No knives, no guns - which is fairly unheard of in this neighborhood. Just a bunch of yahoos yelling amidst the ebb and flow of bodies back and forth across the street. The police came, all six cars worth, and settled the fracas. Again. The same crew lit up the block two weeks ago. I am mostly only concerned about the child in one of the houses and her ability grow up unscathed by her mother's behavior.
It's a spectator sport, of course. All those who were not involved were out on their porches watching. Given the relatively low physicality of it all I suppose that's to be expected. Still, it was a pretty unhinged vignette. The looks on peoples' faces ranged from bemused to just shy of true malice. I did overhear one person say that someone ought to call the cops, but no one jumped at the opportunity.
The next day brought an even sadder scene, also on my way home for lunch. Two teenaged girls were duking it out on the sidewalk while their mothers egged them on! I didn't stick around to see if the parents got into it as well, but it sure wouldn't have surprised me. What on earth were they all thinking? That's just so far removed from my experience. I don't get it.
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