More crime and worse(?) in the city

Last Saturday I was teaching Motorcycle Safety Class in Charlestown and I decided to use my wife's car as it gets better gas mileage than mine and she was out of town. Mistake. I left my truck parked on West Springfield Street and someone was nice enough to take a rock smash in the passenger window in broad daylight and steal the contents inside.

I received a comment from someone:

dear mr. mccrea i was the victim of a very violent crime due to an altercation involving two groups of employees who worked at a restaurant in the back bay. The bars employees(the foggy goggle)was responsible for my being stabbed in the head with a large kitchen ,splitting my head open and leaving me permenentley scarred city hall refused to give me a hearing because the owner is boys with menino

Of course I can't verify the veracity of this but it speaks to many issues. The fact that the person doesn't or can't go public speaks to our 'back room' culture here in the city. The fact that someone wants to bring this to my attention, when I have no political office or power, shows the desperation that some people have to be heard.

I think of Johnny Cash, The Man In Black, who always wore black in tribute to those who are oppressed, who didn't or can't get justice. People should go out and enjoy their lives, have fun and appreciate our wonderful city. But we can't forget that there is much work to be done to truly bring a land of equality.

It was such an easy decision to not march in the St. Patrick's day parade. There is an interesting column in today's New York Times about gay marriage and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom who is running for Governor now. He has already served two terms as Mayor and he is about the same age as Sam, Michael and me. Interestingly he has been reading Martin Luther King's "Thoughts from a Birmingham Jail" which I quote from as well. The time is always right to do what is right. I hope Michael and Sam might take some inspiration from that and do what I think they know is the right thing to do and support completely gay marriage.