I’m no great shakes as a writer. But I know a metaphor when I see one.
As any reasonably sentient person is aware, Little Rock is only marginally safer than Kabul. Last weekend, 17 people caught slugs. Which would be an alarming number for Chicago or Los Angeles. It is a testament-for lack of a better word- to the shooters’ lack of skill and ignorance of combat tactics that only 3 of the 17 died. Speaking of lack of skill, last Friday a shoot out erupted @ 3:30 pm in the River Market, Little Rock’s major entertainment district. At least nobody was injured in that particular fracas although a late model Chevy appears to have gotten shot up pretty good.
Metaphor alert!
And earlier this week, mayoral candidate Steve Landers accidentally left his personal firearm in the restroom of a downtown restaurant. Of course, Landers does not have a security detail (much derided by many) as does Frank Scott, the man Landers is trying to unseat. As an aside, if LRPD has identified legitimate threats concerning Mayor Scott, which it says it has, then I have no issue with him traveling with security. I can easily envision any of a number of people that aren’t thrilled by the notion of an African-American Mayor. And some of those guys can get excitable. So I’m good with it.
But let’s go back to the metaphor that dropped out of the sky last Monday or Tuesday. Frank Scott’s major opponent apparently feels the need to pack heat -and he is trained and licensed to do so-while he’s out on the hustings shaking hands and kissing babies. That pretty much serves as the perfect metaphor for Little Rock and the Mayor’s office in the present state of-let’s face it-mayhem.
Then again Landers was a car dealer. People hate car salesmen worse than they hate lawyers. Which maybe moves last week’s “opposite of safety first” episode slightly less useful as a metaphor.
What is clear is that the LRPD seems to be outmanned and outgunned. So much so that certain political columnists around here-people, unlike myself, who are trained and licensed in the use of metaphors-have called on the Governor to add more State Troopers to this area to help local law enforcement take up the slack. I’m good with that.
Little Rock has so much going for it. I didn’t live here my entire adult life because I hate this town. People that come to visit invariably are impressed by Little Rock’s beauty, friendly people and excellent restaurants. We have got a lot to work with. But lest you think things are bad here-and you wouldn’t be completely wrong-go spend a couple of days just down the road in Jackson, Mississippi. Jackson is dangerous as hell, as in almost a free fire zone. Municipal services are practically non-existent. The public schools are terrible. Its tax base-or former tax base-left for Madison County, Mississippi years ago.
Little Rock has got problems. But it ain’t Jackson. It ain’t Chattanooga either. Chattanooga is a comparably sized city that works. Little Rock could be known as a city that works.
But it can’t be if people are afraid to go out at night. Or go to the River Market in broad daylight.
Or to hit the campaign trail for the Office of Mayor unarmed.
I remember when Jackson, Mississippi was a nice town. I never want to speak of Little Rock in the past tense. But things got to change. And change in a hurry.
