Because of my interests, I can generally define time periods by what services and stacks I used. The last time my Mom broke her right arm, I was a heavy Twitter user and was mostly getting paid to work with Rails though had started to transition into Django. Those of you who followed me on Twitter will remember the long string of fucks I uttered when my Mom broke her arm that time and so will know they're about to read something spicier than usual.
The last time my Mom broke her arm it was because of ice. And I have hated that fucking restaurant for about 15 years because of it. This time however, the negligence is just even negligenter (?). This time it's so negligent that calling the individual responsible negligent is insulting to negligent people.
As some of you know, my Mom and I both have a heart problem. While I am currently one angiogram up on her, her resting heart rate is a lot faster than mine so we're calling it a draw for now. Like any good heart patient, my mom goes for walks or rather she did.
One day last week she was out for her usual walk. This individual had his two dogs offleash (despite the signs saying 'this is not an off leash dog park' every 15 fucking metres). When they saw my mom they took off as the individual had zero control over his dogs. They jumped on her, bit hard enough to rip through her jacket but most dangerously they knocked her down and she broke her arm.
It's her right arm, her dominant writing arm and she can't bathe for six weeks. If you know my Mom you know how important cleanliness is to her so you know how hard that is. You know how sociable she is and how independent she is; so you'll know she likes to go out for coffee with her friends and do all her own grocery shopping. Well, she can't drive for six weeks so I guess she's entertaining. She's 78 and getting up and out of bed with only one arm is really difficult for her. And the pain is absolutely immense.
But even worse, she knows it was preventable.
If the individual had had an ounce of foresight, he would have known he couldn't control his animals and wouldn't have walked them off leash in a park that forbids it. Granted, if the individual had an ounce of respect he wouldn't have flaunted breaking the law in front of signs that say not to do that either, but that's a different can of worms.
And you know, it turns into this really weird legal situation as well. My mom could have a civil remedy but I've got to tell you, when you have as much foresight and respect as this guy has, you likely can't be relied upon to pay your debts. So, blood from a stone. The dogs injured my mother badly and I mean, maybe there will be something criminal that comes out of it. But you know, if his gun wasn't stored properly and my mom's arm was broken with it, he would be in a lot more trouble than he will be as a result of this.
Heck, your dog attacks someone in Canada right now and it's not really that big of a deal. We've seen countless cases over the last few years where nothing comes out of it. But good heavens, I think if you fart on your rifle without genuflecting three times you serve jail time. Are guns and dogs really that fundamentally different when it comes to their ability to harm people?
I'm very pro gun control. My dad was a police officer and after a friend of his was shot and killed, my patience for guns dropped to less than zero. I know it's irrational to carry something like that for 45 years, but I'm an acquired taste for good reasons. But if I was a gun owner, I would feel picked on because you know, we have seen many cases in the last few years where responsible gun owners have lost things whereas irresponsible dog owners just carry on their merry ways.
This is kind of bullshit.
I'm in a really bad mood right now and I'm aware that I just wrote something a little political. And I'm sure that I'll later go back and delete this so if you happened to stumble upon it, I'm sorry you had to read this. But hug your parents if you can because they're special people. And if you're a responsible dog owner, I appreciate you a lot. I am not ranting against dogs or dog owners. Heck, I love dogs. Rather, I am ranting about irresponsible dog owners because from my perspective, I think responsible dog owners like you are getting rare. I meant no offense.