Sending Messages

The video image of the recent destruction by an American rocket of a speed boat carrying suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean sea provided laughter on a late night TV show as if the participants were watching a Road Runner cartoon. But even if the men on the boat were participating in a deadly trade, it was not funny. Eleven human beings were obliterated in an instant.

I don’t know how the military knew the boat was carrying drugs, and I don’t know if it was legal for our military to attack it in international waters, but the destruction of the speedboat sent a clear message to all drug traffickers and their backers. The waterways are no longer safe for their traffic. To fully understand the strength of this message click on this link to a 13 minute account of modern weaponry, or see the video below on the US naval presence off the coast of Venezuela. The video is a must see even if you only watch the first half.

The news last week carried another message of a different kind. A local court (I don't remember where) convicted a man of using a knife to repel a home invader. The message of the court decision was clear. In the opinion of that court, it is not ok to defend yourself from a home invader. If you attempt to do so, you, not he, will go to jail. To drive home the message, a local policeman advised people to leave their car keys at the front door so that potential car jackers will not have to enter your house. Who could fail to understand or take advantage of such a message?

That case reminded me of the situation in California where a law specifies that thefts of less than $950 will not be prosecuted. People were quick to get that message. New businesses appeared that organized small crime. Other businesses went out of business. A few years ago on our annual trips to Alameda we would observe a huge Walgreen’s going up on its main street. On our last visit it was gone along with many other Walgreen’s throughout the state because of rampant shop lifting.

Some powerful messages often go unspoken. Many years ago, a co-worker told me he owned a 44 Magnum of the type used by Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Harry movies. Other than a childhood BB gun, I have never owned a gun. When I asked him why he owned such a powerful weapon, he replied, “Better to be carrying a coffin, than to be carried in one.” That sounded creepy to me and I never thought to purchase a gun myself, especially with a house full of small children. 

Nevertheless, from that time on I always felt a little safer in the realization that a potential home invader might think that instead of an unarmed wimp like me, there might be a Magnum toting guy like my co-worker inside waiting for someone to make his day. 

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