Book of D: Un-Independence Day

Where did my country go? Yeah, it's a rhetorical question. As I sit here in my wonderful and recently renovated great room, watching one of those foreign flicks with subtitles that I adore beaucoup, it hits me hard that this country is never going to be free or independent for anyone  - especially not for minorities. The pondering of such things stemmed from an event that occurred just a few minutes ago. I logged onto a server that hosts a family thread between my niblings and myself. I was bidding everyone on the thread a pleasant night and asked if they had had a nice day. My nephew who lives in the south part of town said that the cops had been in his neighborhood about two hours earlier and made people who were setting off fireworks to discontinue doing so and to disperse into their respective homes. My nephew added that there were several police cars out there enforcing the firework's ban. I was kind of perplexed and ambiguity set in; conversely, I was kind of glad that the popo were doing their jobs because, as a concerned homeowner, it worries me that too many people ignore firework's bans and such. I didn't want my nephew's home to get caught in the middle of a careless fire. I was worried about my home, too, which is why I decided to run the sprinkler system. As I finished watering the front lawn and turned off the system, I received a text from my college friend who lives in the north side of town. She said that people in that neighborhood were still setting off fireworks. I told her about the police being at the south side of town enforcing the ban. She stupidly said something to the likes of 'well, that is a rough side of town and people there don't appreciate laws nor about taking care of their property.' She didn't know I have a nephew who lives on that side of town, but she soon learned that I did as I read her the riot act. She apologized. We ended the convo on a good note. But, I didn't pursue asking her for the favor I had wanted to interject with during the communication. Regardless of all the favors I've done for her, especially during grad school. 

It dawned on me that in the neighborhood where my spouse and I live, there were no police out enforcing bans or laws or whatever. I could hear way too many fireworks going off and never heard police sirens. But, this neighborhood isn't considered a bad part of town. Sure the homes are older, but most people take really good care of their respective homes (and lawns). Although my spouse and I once considered having a home built in the more prominent north part of town or just buying a turn-key one, we opted to remain where we are. We're only three blocks away from my sister and her family, which is cool during holidays, birthdays, or family game night. Plus, we have an understanding with our immediate neighbors, and although we're not chummy, we watch out for one another's property. I feel better living in this neighborhood because there is a mixture of people. The best part is there are no H.O.A. rules and fees. We've gradually renovated our awesome home throughout the years and are not far from paying off our mortgage. Moreover, we're in an area of town with a more mixed salad of races and ethnicities, per se. If we moved to the north side of town, we'd be living in an opulent area where H.O.A. fees are not just a setback but so are the people. If they're not white,  belligerently racist and ultra conservative, they're sycophantic minorities trying to fit in. Just like my friend who texted me earlier and foolishly stated that the cops are prejudiced against the south side because it's predominantly brown, black, and trashy. That friend, by the way, is Hispanic and her husband works in the oilfield industry. He's a roustabout with no college education who makes a six figure income. Yeup. Only in Midland! Anyway . . . Fuck the north side. Fuck the popo. But, mostly, fuck independence day in 'Merica.