Those who engage in games
involving cards will be familiar with the word “ante.” Ante
means adding money – akin to an admission fee – to the prize pot
as a means of ensuring all players have a stake in the game. This
applies to those “fold” or quit before the end of the hand.
Unfortunately, in football, baseball, soccer, tennis, bicycle racing, NASCAR, even pickleball, the players have no obligation to ‘give it their all’ when participating in their respective activities.
Keep in mind I am not a card player to any extent and would much prefer a sharp stick in my eye than play poker. That being said, those professional or amateur gamblers should be delighted their activities are more equitable than most because of the ante before each hand.
My past few weeks have largely been spent indoors because of the oppressive heat and humidity; during a local forecast, a weather babe said the temperature was 98º Fahrenheit with 94% relative humidity resulting in a heat index making the air feel like 187º Fahrenheit; that’s 3,087º Celsius, I think.
In any case, those indoor days were spent by reading the news during which I discovered there is an epidemic of monumental proportions of juvenile delinquents on the loose committing crime after crime after crime. These crimes consist of armed car jacking, robbery, assault, car theft, evading and eluding, drug possession, narcotics sales, and home invading – all of which I consider violent and dangerous.
Too often, these news stories only cover the heinous crimes themselves, not the follow-up trial results and possible sentencing. And because these crimes are committed by juveniles they are often dropped, reduced, or prosecuted in juvenile court in which convictions are only good until the young criminal’s 21st birthday.
At that time, these miscreants are turned loose upon society after spending time – usually years – incarcerated with other youthful offenders where they all share stories and techniques ready to be tried on the streets once released.
But watching television shows such as On Patrol: Live, COPS, First 48, and a variety of other crime-related programs, my sainted wife and I are often exposed to gritty, sensational examples of the horrible mistreatment of the frequently helpless in our communities.
As an example, Hyundai's and Kia’s are stolen at an alarming rate because of a reported flaw that enables the less-honest in the world to easily steal these vehicles; instructions were conveniently displayed on the internet. Once stolen, those cars and SUVs are misused to commit other crimes, or exploited by the youthful thieves as a life-size video game of bumper cars.
Police invariably chase these reprobates until they crash into houses, other vehicles, or into trees. Immediately thereafter, a foot chase begins with copious precious resources being expended on tracking and retrieval and apprehension.
Drugs, guns, drugs, stolen items, and more guns are normally found in or near the vehicle-in-question as well as the wrongdoers. One can only imagine why all this contraband winds up in the vehicles; I’m pretty certain, though, that they were not enroute to the police department to turn them in.
Still, the stolen cars, damaged buildings, destroyed mailboxes, parked cars, other travelers, and innocent citizens are regularly subjected to extensive damage or injury. The answer to who is ultimately responsible for the financial damage caused by their mayhem is the same: Insurance companies.
But who pays the ultimate price? The people who own the affected businesses, stolen cars, damaged homes, torn-up yards, crashed parked vehicles, and the physically injured people. All these victims are suddenly forced to pay exponentially more for insurance because of the exuberant young delinquents.
Many years ago, if a youthful offender was brought to court for a crime they committed, the were usually mandated to make restitution to the victims of their follies. For instance, if you stole a car and ultimately crashed or damaged it, the judge made the kid pay for it until the debt was complete. If the kid was too young, the parents were forced to repay any and all damages. That’s equity.
However, along the way, liberal do-gooders constrained the courts of have mercy on the parents – some of whom fully knew of their progenies’ ill intents. Suddenly, the crime became the burden of the victim on whom the onus to “make whole” was squarely placed upon the unfortunate affected party. In other words, since I have no ability to correct your child I should have no responsibility for your brat.
Need proof? Ten years ago Saint Hillary Clinton published a book, “It Takes a Village.” That brilliant literary work was a knock-off of an age old African village slogan about how the entire village is responsible for the upbringing and responsibility of the actions of their children. Awfully convenient timing, I’d say.
Television has become a terrific medium because the freshly arrested teens and tweens and those old enough to know better are exposed as to how they behave and act once apprehended. Smiles, smirks, wide grins, hand gestures, along with unrepentant language absent of sorrow, are excellent reasons to take into consideration any penalties during sentencing.
I propose all the burden – financial and otherwise – ought to return to the criminals themselves plus their parents who created these absolute burdens to society. No ifs, ands, or buts.
My insurance is high enough, my vehicles cost me too much, and my life and that of my sainted wife are too precious to be lost on arrogant deadbeats and scofflaws and ne’er-do-wells. Make them pay and pay dearly.
And just as when you place your ante for a rightful place at a poker game, you immediately – upon birth – have a tacit stake in the game of life by giving birth and subsequently raising that child to be good or evil. The choice is entirely up to the parents, not me.
That’s what we need to end the carnage.
