When to care.

You know you are an urban yout' when : You casually talk over calling an ambulance for the prostrate old drunk down the street with the younger drunks across the street. That you can say "Do I need to call on that old drunk down there? He looks like he done fall out" and it makes perfect sense to all parties.

Ultimately, about eight of us stood in the middle of the street peering down the street at Old Fred, those of us that could see that far, saw one of two things, we saw Old Fred 1) struggling to sit up or 2) trying to swim, it was hard to tell. His drunk friends decided that since he was trying to sit up so he was okay. "Moving", "end stage alcoholism", "resting" versus "passed out". Speaking with the men  they felt that as long as you are sitting up its all good. They had a point, it is much harder to aspirate on your own vomit if you are sitting up-right. You also have much less far to fall when you pass out again, much lower chance of injury. And besides, he had moved himself and now he was on the grass!

And no, I do not feel bad about labeling him an Old Drunk. If I see you doing the breast stroke on the side walk at low tide I'm going to call you a drunk. You might be a young drunk or you might be an old drunk but you a drunk.

Now I know the next time when I see that old drunk passed out by the gas station that his proper name is "old Fred" and under what circumstances I should call for help: If he's moving don't call, if he's not, call. Or don't.

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Today is April 19, 2012. On this date in 1995 one hundred and sixty eight people were murdered by a rightwing zealot . Miraculously, the monster was found almost immediately. He was tried, convicted and  June 11, 2001 ,he was humanely executed, ideally, 168 very small charges should have been surgically planted all over his body and slowly exploded over time. His associates were tried and convicted and sentenced to various terms. May they all rot in hell for eternity.

The Oklahoma City Bombing , lest we forget, we should never forget.
The victims.