Tea and Vitriol

 Let's face it, in our automobile centered world, you're bound to get a violation ticket sooner or later. It might be as simple as a parking ticket, for being too long on one side of an alternative parking street or simply not being able to get back and put more money into your parking meter on time. Or being parked in a "No Parking" zone. I daresay these are the most common. And you generally don't see police officers on these occasions. Moving violations are a bit trickier. You might be driving on a road where the speed limit changes frequently and there is inadequate signage designating the speed for that stretch of the road. Police cars are equipped with devices that measure the speed of vehicles in traffic, and if you are going far faster than the speed limit designates, you ARE going to be pulled over, with police car sirens blaring and lights flashing. Then you had better pull over, unless you are some sort of criminal with warrants out for your arrest. The

Last year, our fair city had the fifth highest homicide rate in the nation. Per capita, we were the deadliest. Not bad, considering that Rochester, New York is a middle-sized city of only 210, 000 souls. Nowhere near the size of New York City or Chicago. Early this morning, at Ontario Beach Park, a man in his 30's was shot and killed. There had been a crowd at the parking lot of the beach. They promptly dispersed when the police showed up to investigate...after 3:30 AM! What the Hell were people doing out there at 3:30 in the morning, when everything out there closes up shop by 2 AM? Who knows? What we do know is that the current mayoral regime of Malik Evans has been totally ineffective in developing strategies to curtail violence apart from a lot of talk. That's all he and his administration are good for. His answer to our frequent homicides, as well as non-fatal shootings and stabbings, has been to declare a "State of Emergency" to calm those people who still have