I don't get it. Not at all.
I just came home from Burger King and got into this minor argument with my sister about how dangerous my neighborhood is and whether it is safe to be walking around at night. She fears that I might get mugged or stuck up, but I argue that my neighborhood is safe and the people are passive. The probability of being attacked is near-nil.
So fives minutes after she signs off a friend messages me, "Lao! i just needed to share something!!!" She then gives a short exposition about her past hour, when she witnessed a gang attack a man right outside her window.
"a few moments ago, there was a man who was chasing another man in our street. i think they are in a gang. the other guy was left lying on the ground. he got hit by a bottle of beer, i guess. i looked outside the window. and they were right in front of our home... waaaaaah. then i saw the other guy, pointed his gun to the guy on the ground. then fired."
Okay, this is like one of those incidents in Jasper Fforde's books where everything seems too coincidental to be realistic. If I had an entropy measurer, all the beans and peas would be seperated. But here's the thing -- what is the probability of that happening right after I get into an argument about that exact subject matter. What's the probability of that guy being attacked in the first place? What's the probability of that happening to me? Actually, the right question to ask is, what happened to the guy who was shot? Apparently, he's still alive -- so don't you worry. Supposedly, the gun was improvised and the vicitm was taken to the hospital.
Does that mean I'm going to set a curfew for myself? No! Why? Because I won't let a little fear inhibit my way of life. Why fear when the probability of getting into a car accident is far greater than being shot? Why worry about "dangerous" neighbors when my teachers are just as or even more vicious? Am I making a stupid argument? Maybe, but I'm not going to run and hide because of a few bad men.
3 comments:
Ugh, that picture is terrible.
Wow. I don't even know what to say. I can't believe that happened and pretty much ruined your argument.
Just kidding, it didn't ruin your argument.
Wow, I still can't believe a guy got shot. What was the fight about, I wonder? And what do you mean the gun was "improvised?"
And for the record, I wasn't upset that you were walking around at night. Obviously you have to walk around at night if you want to go anywhere. I was nervous because you had your brand new laptop out in public and then had to walk home at night with it. NOT that I think all your neighbors are dangerous thieves, but it just takes one.
I don't know. This from the girl who used to watch shows in downtown London and wait on the streets for looong periods of time in the wee hours of the morning to catch the last bus back to the hostel.
I'm sorry about the argument, though. I felt like a mom. Or at least like our mom. :)
wait, is that picture real?? is that really the guy?
i feel sick to my stomach.
ok, the more i think about this the more i feel terrible. that picture really freaks me out. the poor guy! that's awful.
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