So on my second trip to FoodLion in the same day, I met a retired Cop. He had 23 years on the Force after getting out of the Army. I asked him why people get violent so much nowadays. He told me this:
"In my experience, people make bad decisions in a hurry- due to one of these things: Alcohol, Drugs, Anger, and in rare cases...grief. If you can get them to talk, you can usually calm down. The worst calls are always Domestic Disputes, those can go South fast...and are hard to figure out. The Gang Stuff is just Lord of the Flies in real time. They are just kids with no guidance...and guns. Basically if you just stay away from strong emotions and aren't drunk with a firearm handy, you are pretty safe. It only takes a second to change your life and end someone else's. "
I thought he put it all in pretty concise terms. I was fascinated that he thought Gang Bangers were just children who never grew up and followed the Lord of the Flies trajectory. It's weird to think of a 25 or 30 year old man as a kid, but in his mind, they were just that; angry full grown kids without any real guidance. Just boys looking for Family.