This post is evidence that stupidity does not care about race, gender, age, or anything else. It takes up residence wherever, and in whomever it likes. An adult-age young person was arrested this morning just outside my humble abode. For context, while I live in an urban setting, my building happens to be the part-time residence of California’s current attorney general, Oakland's former Mayor, and likely re-run governor, one Jerry Brown. So one might think they are safe here - they would be wrong!Earlier this morning I was abruptly awakened by what sounded like a gunshot. I looked outside and saw nothing. I returned to spy damage in my wall of what appeared to be the result of a discharged weapon. Further searching along an assumed trajectory showed a bullet lodged in an opposing concrete surface. Damn, somebody (namely me) could have been killed!
Regardless of the statistics, the culprit was not a young black male, with sagging pants, but rather a fair-haired white female who was visiting my next-door neighbor, a British-accented fellow who happened to have, on premise, a registered and loaded handgun. Despite explicit warnings (I'm told), the woman retrieved the weapon, and, minus any permission, fired it through the wall into my apartment. Yep, that's right, through the wall over the sofa. After questioning her, the OPD charged her with negligent discharge of a firearm, and provided a free back-seated, hand-cuffed, ride to downtown Oakland. I can only assume that her comments to them did not give them pause to option her a "oops, my bad, I'm just a harmless white girl' citation and cut her lose. BTW, the charge (CPC 246.3 is a 'wobbler', misdeameanor or felony) and carries a max of one year in jail.
So for those who like to believe that only blacks are violent, reckless and stupid, or that this blogger believes this because I write about such things, here is one piece of home-grown data to chew on when it comes to the agnostic character of stupidity. Said trigger-happy, authentic 'white chick' did not get a pass from the OPD, nor did I have to display any race cards to get proper action. Today undoubtedly goes down as a good day for me, since I did not actually catch the lead projectile so carelessly, and violently, launched in my direction.
James C. Collier
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Technorati Tags: Acting White: Acting Stupid In Oakland, SWF, Arrested, Gun, Police, Acting White
Wow. The stupidity of her actions is beyond description. It's wonderful that you weren't hurt.
ReplyDeleteHad the same thing happen in the apartment above me once. The shooter turned out to be a drug mule and was relieved of her residency quickly. Apartment complex never did come and fix the bullet hole in my ceiling. Good times.
ReplyDeleteOne OPD officer said that most injuries/fatalities from weapons happen as accidents from mishandling stupidity, like today. He even recounted the DEA agent giving a gun safety demo to kids, who shot himself in the foot. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see someone addressing these tough issues James. I've only read the article about the "Life in the Crosswalk." I feel like we are starting to go the wrong way again in this country with racism. It is sad to see after so much progress that people seems to be going backwards in my eyes in the last year.
ReplyDeleteYour neighbor (the male Brit) could use a course in firearm saftey; namely, store guns so they are not accessible to unauthorized persons.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry she will get off scott free.No charges will be pressed,but plaxico burress does two years for the same thing.
ReplyDeleteI too wonder why the neighbor LET her have the gun to start with?
ReplyDeleteAnd loaded TOO?!?!
I think he deserved ride downtown also.
"Stupid" comes in ALL colors.
Glad to read you weren't hurt.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the owner will get his gun back? Similar situation happened on my block - a guy down the street "accidently" discharged his shotgun and struck son in the leg. He was arrested but not convicted - and he got his shotgun back.
First, glad you weren't hurt, second it would be interesting, if further follow-up was possible, to find out what, if any punishment this person received.
ReplyDeleteDid not know you were an Oaklander....I was raised there.
ReplyDeleteOne of my best friends was on Jerry Brown's committee when he was mayor....I visited Jerry's house several times, and was definitely NOT in love with his cast of characters milling around....creepy, in fact.
So I am not surprised to hear this...the law of attraction, as they say. Glad that you got thru it unscathed.
"No charges will be pressed,but plaxico burress does two years for the same thing."
ReplyDeleteYou have no rational reason to assume no charges will be filed, but whatever happens in this case, you can't compare it to Plax - no matter how similar the actions are, they occurred in different states with different laws. People frequently forget that federal law is not applicable to the majority of crimes and states may have major differences in classification and punishment.
For the record, I disagree with NY's law (the law covering carrying an unlicensed handgun, not discharging one) and think its too harsh. I also believe the Plax was made an example - b/c he's a celebrity, not b/c he's black.
"Your neighbor (the male Brit) could use a course in firearm saftey; namely, store guns so they are not accessible to unauthorized persons."
Change "unauthorized persons" to "idiots."
I'm glad you're ok.
ReplyDeleteOMGoodness!
ReplyDelete