From Dan Tepfer, CT Post:
It was pandemonium outside the Main Street courthouse Friday morning, people beating each other with baseball bats and wrenches while others stomped on cars following a controversial slaying sentencing.
State, local police and judicial marshals rushed to the rear of the Fairfield County Courthouse as dozens clashed. At least six people were later arrested and several others treated at the scene for injuries.The violent eruption came just one day after police and marshals thwarted a gang hit outside the Golden Hill Street courthouse. Neither incident were related, police said.
Full story here.
0
Two City families, one Martinez and the other Rivera, have decided to bring their “issues” downtown for all to see. Anger spills over into violence with equipment that can do mortal damage, or at least that is one way things can turn out.
Anger often happens when people have lots of time to dwell on actual or seeming injury to a person or group, such as a family. Anger brings action that is later regretted and/or forms the basis for more anger on the part of more people.
Three weeks ago I heard four women from YANA (You Are Not Alone), a group that has been formed in Bridgeport with survivors of violent acts to themselves or family members. They have an amazing story and can be a public treasure to be shared in situations that seem to be intractable. If someone knows a member of either family, a referral to meet one of these volunteers and to consider the future may be a first step in changing the direction of the journey. Time will tell.
We have a culture of violence in the United States and it’s not getting better.
*** Thank God gunplay did not unfold during the dispute; sometimes the only way to gain some type of closure due to an injury or death, etc. is to release some stress. Either verbally, physically or both! When I was a kid in the farmlands of San Lorenzo P. Rico; Boxing headgear, 16-oz. gloves and cheap plastic mouthpieces along with Vaseline and water jugs were kept in a shady grass area away from the elders’ eyes and ears for times of personal closure, regaining ones respect, making a personal point or just releasing bottled-up stress and energy. Both state their personal reasons and feelings for wanting to engage in the gentelmen’s or lady’s art of settling ones differences by boxing and living to talk about it another day. So let’s have a boxing mixer at the Bpt. Sheehan Center with time given to the participants (six weeks) to prepare for the actual event. No guns, knives, clubs, etc. with short story notebooks for the participants to write their personal reasons before and after their fights on why they disliked their opponents, etc.! Pictures will be taken before and after each fight, men and women, boys and girls along with both family members as well.