Happy Black Friday, the ordinary Yucky Topics Distract ourselves from Pandemic and Politics Edition
RantWoman as an adult has never been one to stream out and shop Black Friday specials. Most years, RantWoman observes either observes Buy Nothing Day or maybe devotes a little time to funky Christmas gifts: sewing reflective tape onto a reusable canvas shopping bag for each family member, ordering matching shirts from the Lands End sale page for Brother-in-Law and Irrepressible Nephew, that sort of thing. But on years when the late RantDad's birthday falls on Black Friday, RantWoman has to give herself permission to mope. RantWoman is going to mope anyway so she might as well give herself permission.
RantWoman gets to remember RantDad, a talented musician, a devoted if not always adept father, and the sort of personality who made good copy for the local arts reporter every couple years when she needed a good story. RantDad's 60th birthday fell on Thanksgiving the year before he died. RantWoman surprised everyone by flying to MT to help celebrate.
RantWoman gets to remember two fatal bus accidents a continent and almost a decade apart.
In one Blind College Roommate died for being 5 feet tall and blind and crossing the street in front of a bus at dusk. RantWoman first learned of the accident from one of those "who died and why are you calling me" phone calls, someone who has NEVER called RantWoman for any other reason than that news. RantWoman does not hold that circumstance against him. There are many layers of story. Maybe the most important point: the accident is one reason RantWoman finally decided years later just to admit that she is perfectly fine with having become a bit of a pedestrian safety and transit geek.
The bus that went off the Aurora Bridge after a passenger who apparently had been suffering mental health issues shot a Metro bus driver
CW: further Graphic details
HistoryLink article: Bus plunges off Aurora Bridge
RantWoman first heard the news while eating a burrito in Greenwood and listening to the news on a tiny walkman with cheap earbuds. RantWoman really did not engage with many details of the trauma until just now, looking for the above press items. RantWoman remembers at the time just being really glad she could avoid the Aurora Bridge and take the Route 48 to her house in the CD. Now of course, besides general prayers for all bus drivers, RantWoman also offers anniversary prayers for the bus driver's brother and other survivors: sometimes the driver's brother has offered memorial comments on the anniversary.
The other point that muddled across RantWoman's mind: this bus crash is one of several tragedies RantWoman can think of where MAYBE having adequate community mental health, SOCIAL WORKERS, in the picture upstream might have helped prevent a tragedy, social workers and making it more difficult for people struggling with mental illness to get guns.
Readers who have already had their fill of memorials at this point are invited to stop here. Readers who have room in their heads or hearts or both for more, RantWoman has been muddling the comments above around in her head with dueling email streams: Defund the Police. DON'T Defund the Police and here's why. And if you haven't decided here are some sarcastic Twitter comments about sending in social workers after the fact for a bunch of different tragedies which show up on the police blotter.
Forget Santa Claus making a list of who's naughty and nice though. RantWoman started making a mental list of police-involved shootings and other tragedies where having social workers in the picture upstream might have gone a long way toward preventing some of the tragedies. RantWoman means to massage this topic more thoroughly and probably will also come up with "What if taxing the rich needs to be in the picture too?"
Stay tuned, and in the meantime, let's all troll for signs of better as the holidays progress!
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