1:30 AM. Just another warm Saturday Spring late night in Amherst. About a hundred revelers—most of whom just stumbled out of nearby bars—hang out in front of Antonio’s Pizza by the slice while an Amherst PD Mountain Bike officer keeps a close eye.
An hour earlier I watched three officers shut down a block party at notorious Hobart Lane that collectively included about 500 partygoers.
Captain Scott Livingstone pointed his flashlight with one hand and his trigger finger of the other hand and barked to a group of 25 or so “Go somewhere else!” And they sheepishly slinked away.
"What's in the cup, Missy!" he demanded from another young women gingerly holding a large plastic red cup that she quickly put down on the sidewalk in an upright postion and scampered off, her high heels clickety clicking. Livingstone swiftly closed the distance and swung his locked right leg in a perfect arc catching the cup at the very top, neatly knocking it horizontal (without getting any of the foamy contents on himself.)
Texas Rangers got nothin up on Amherst PD!
Again making my point that not everyone wearing a uniform is fighting the Battle of 9-11.
ReplyDeleteOur oversized police force hassles college student, and enforces the moralistic notions of every busybody and prude. Most notably our nation's idiotically high drinking age.
Terry Franklin
Larry love this feedjt widget. I got inspired, placed it on my blog and found it to be very revealing. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteNo, not everyone wearing a uniform is fighting the Battle of 9/11. Flight 93 passengers, most of whom did not wear a uniform, fought the battle--and they fought it ever so gallantly.
ReplyDeleteThe Amherst Police Department (like the Amherst Fire Department) is one of the most understaffed in the state.
So I’m curious: what age is it okay for kids drink, or smoke pot?
Hey Max. Yeah that what’s great about our blogging community: I discover something interesting on another blog and post it on mine and you find it on mine and post it on yours, and the tons of bloggers who come to yours will post it on theirs.
Viva la blogging!
Well, half the countries in Europe don't have a drinking age. The half that does, it's 16. Except England, where it's 18 -- but that's where the Puritans came from before they headed here. Europe isn't some special Utopia or anything. But it's not an uncivilized Hell either.
ReplyDeleteI think it's bad that our country treats young adults like "kids."
It shouldn't surprise anyone that when you treat people like children, they end up acting like children.
Combat veterans from Iraq or Afghanistan are literally treated as kids by our laws, once they return home. Why don't we think they are mature?
I saw your earlier photo of the teenagers on the Common smoking marijuana. I too am unhappy with the way things have developed with the annual marijuana legalization rally. I blame the situation on town officials more than anyone else. It used to be that rally organizers would walk around looking for people smoking pot, and if so, telling them "Not here. Put that out."
Now this odd arrangement has developed, which the Collegian article described as "Don't 'embarrass' us, we won't 'embarrass' you." More accurately: "If you kowtow, and act properly deferential to us Authority Figures, and you properly play your role as silly children acting naughty, we won't take you away in chains and put you in cages -- on this one day. Of course, we'll continue to do that on the other 364 days, when we have you in lesser numbers."
It used to be a dignified political event. But though it is now somewhat lacking in dignity, it's good to see the politics is still there.
It's interesting that the Dems -- Stan, Ellen, Mr. Scibak of Hadley -- none of them have ever come to the rally, much less spoken on stage. But this year, all of their Republican opponents were there.
You've really got to hand it to Ron Paul for restoring life to the Massachusetts G.O.P.
Terry Franklin
I still consider 16 a “kid” (pimple faced or not) and at that age they should be protected from themselves with control laws for alcohol or cigarettes (or sexual consent). Yeah, if I had to guess, those kids in the photo sharing pot were all about 16.
ReplyDeleteExtravaganja promoters should have had private security roaming the crowd to prevent just such occurrences, as it really does not help your Public Relations. After all, the supposed main reason for the festival is “creating awareness”.
Hey Terry,
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as a college student who has grown up in Amherst, I personally know a lot of high school students and college students who could do with a little bit of "harassing" as you put it.
As far as society treating kids like kids, I see plenty of childish behavior from college students even when their are no "laws" treating them like kids. And to be honest I see a lot of childish behavior from people usually considered well into their adult years.
When are we going to get adults who instead of making excuses for childish behavior (read stupid behavior), will tell people that if you want to get treated as adults, it's time to begin acting like adults. This strategy worked for me.
Robert Phillips
I have an 18 year old who is at times a "kid" and at times a "young adult." It's a fine line at that age and most use it to their adavantage depending on the situation. But at this point I do not see her or her friends having enough maturity to drink!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad my younger two were busy at baseball practice that day and not sitting on the common with friends...