We’re at the “Find Out” Part in the “F*ck Around” Game

Nice white boys always win.

My husband and I had to go to court yesterday. 

In the ongoing saga of dealing with the consequences of my neighbor’s grandson shooting a bullet through my house, the case was heard.

It turns out that the boys were shooting at a dilapidated playhouse in the backyard. Our house is not far behind the structure. 

As feared, the young men shooting, both 21, got off with a slap on the wrist. Charges were dropped from a felony to reckless endangerment, and if they meet all of the conditions of the probationary period of one year, the charges will be expunged. They will have to surrender their firearms, refrain from owning another for one year, serve 50 hours of community service, and take a gun safety class. Any deviation or other crimes committed will result in mandatory jail time.

I wonder if they were not white and if they had not had a fancy lawyer if the punishment would have been more severe. 

Those boys should be grateful that they got off so easy and that we accepted the plea deal terms. If we lived in the next county, there would have been no possibility of dropping the felony charges, and they would have been serving time. 

My husband was surprised that now the neighbors want no part in taking responsibility for the financial consequences of their actions beyond home repairs. But I knew better. Welcome to my world, honey. Where no one follows the golden rule, and no one can be trusted. 

We should not have to be financially responsible for treating the PTSD that resulted from their actions. 

We will be getting a lawyer. Sadly, it’s come to this, but we shouldn’t have to bear the burden of their crimes. But I guess the world isn’t fair. 

I don’t know what I expected, living in such a conservative, gun-friendly county. 

Another surprise? My husband was doing some work in the attic, and he found another bullet up there. He’s not sure where it entered. So there are now multiple bullets, not just one. 

Ugh. I’m tired of being angry. I’m tired of being disappointed. I’m tired of feeling that I bear the brunt of the punishment. I’m just over it. I want my life back.

I have to say that going to criminal court was really enlightening. There’s nothing like seeing prisoners taken from a secure area, in handcuffs, and led to the defense table. So weird. Just like TV. 

The lawyers, dare I say, seemed almost bored. They do this every day, I suppose. 

There was even a defendant who only spoke Spanish. The court didn’t have a translator. The judge asked if anyone spoke Spanish. Seriously? You’re going to trust someone not vetted to interpret for this man? Yikes. Red flag. Fortunately, the case was postponed until a translator from the county could attend. I was relieved.

Of note also is that there was yet another school shooting today. This one was in Iowa. It barely made the news.

What will it take for lawmakers to get serious about gun safety? The NRA has spent over 27 million dollars to influence our legislative representatives, and the legality of the methods they use to find and utilize these funds has been questioned.

I was already a supporter of improving gun safety laws, but after my experience, I’m even more passionate about this issue. Because now, it’s not an issue in the abstract. I’ve now been on the receiving end of someone’s negligence with a firearm. Now it’s personal. 

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I sincerely hope that the young men who shot at my house have learned an important lesson. But they also need to realize that their actions have consequences; a rippling effect into their community. And if that means having to hold them financially accountable, so be it.

As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.