Saturday, Two Murders

There are two worlds in Charleston, and I live caught between them.

As tour books hum a siren song of beauty, grace, plantation tours and southern breezes, the daily dramas of the cities' residents continue, as they have for generations, to play out on Charleston's wrought iron gate lined streets. But what transpires in the daily grind, especially here on the east side will never be found in history or guide books.

There was no gentlemen's duel, no street fight with fists old school style, rather a drive-by last night. It was close enough to hear the gunfire, followed by lots of commotion as family and friends ran toward the scene with the news spreading like a computer virus via cellphone. Knowing the shooters were already long gone, and curious, for some reason, this time, I ventured out into the mayhem, which is not what I normally do when there is restlessness on the city thoroughfares. The police were just arriving, spectators were gathering, and someone was shining a light on a man lying face up on the sidewalk. He was not moving. Well, I picked a great time to be nosy, now didn't I? There is a lot of bliss in ignorance, and death just looks so much more palatable when its on our tv screens, doesn't it? As I stood for a second, stunned, a man shreiked, "Noooooo."

I turned around and walked back down the block thinking about the stillness in the victim. He was gone. I did not know this person, yet I am sure there is a story that led him to this particular sidewalk on the east side on this particular night. Someone else out there in the world obviously knew which sidewalk the man was standing on too. But where does an average white girl living in the hood go with this story? We'd have to dive into drug violence and personal vendettas being carried out the streets of Charleston. We'd have to talk for REAL about vengence, and not cover it up with race or vocabulary stifled by politically correct censorship. We'd have to talk about raising kids. And where do we go with solutions, anyway? Legalize? Declare War? How exactly do you stop, eradicate, distinguish...a mindset, a lifestyle? These boys are horse-traders of a different sort, that's all.

I understand what's going on here. Maybe it's time to get the hell out. Summer always seems to make people ornary "up in here." I love my neighborhood, but this sh*t hits (pardon the pun) too close to home.

Saturday, August 21, one of the drive-by murders occurred very close to this little blog's home-base. May the Universe take in the energy, and God rest the sole of one, Darron Heyward. Our thoughts are with the people that loved him.
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/aug/22/2-men-killed-in-separate-shootings/

Update by Live 5 News: Neighbors React to Deadly Shootings