So, I just saw a story where a man was attacked by a crowd that numbered 2000-3000 and killed according to authorities.  He was trying to prevent the crowd from hurting his friend when they turned on him.  The small silver lining?  His friend managed to escape with his life.

So, was this some crowd in the Middle East that stoned him?  No.  Some protest march gone awry?  No.  It was a crowd celebrating Juneteenth Day in Austin, Texas.  That’s right, people celebrating the end of slavery beat a man to death.  Why?  The car he was in struck a 3-4 year old child.  [Edit - Appears my sources -- thanks SwankyConservative for the correct info --  may have had the age of the girl incorrect, but it sounds like the rest of the story is essentially correct.] The child sustained non-life threatening injuries.  The crowd wanted to kill the car’s driver.  When the passenger tried to make peace, the crowd beat him to death. 

So, the crowd (or at least 20 or so members of the crowd) put the man to death in a gruesome execution for riding in a car that was involved in an accident.  Vigilante justice…in Texas…hmm…never would’ve seen that coming.  But, thanks to some folks here in Milwaukee, I have to put away my righteous indignation and hang my head in similar shame and disgust. 

Why?  Well, a Juneteenth celebration crowd pulled a 33 year old man from his car and beat him after about 100 people smashed his car.  Fortunately, he was taken to a hospital where he was treated and released.  Then a fight broke out between 3 teenage girls.  A man tried to break it up, then left and came back with a gun and fired 5 shots into a crowd.  Another man who was also trying to break things up was shot in the shoulder.  No other injuries.  Oh wait, I forgot about the police officer who received stitches after one of the female combatants punched him and the face shield on his riot gear shattered.

Shouldn’t Juneteenth Day be a happy occassion?  Why so much angst?  Why in the world would people just start beating the crap out of someone they don’t know?  Why does any argument seem to descend into violence these days?  It’s sad, just sad.  Unfortunately, I don’t have those answers.