In memory of George Morales

...whose vehicle was ticketed every Monday for a month, until the police finally noticed he lay dead inside:

Police made a gruesome discovery earlier this week while getting ready to tow a heavily-ticketed van – a decomposed body in the back seat.

It was that of a missing man, and now his family wants to know to how officers could ticket the vehicle numerous times -- and never notice what was inside.

His daughter suspects George Morales, who suffered from diabetes and heart problems, may have felt ill, and pulled off the road for a nap. A window was cracked. The odor became overpowering. After the car was ticketed each Monday for a month, a marshal, about to tow the van, noticed a body in the back seat.

"If you see a car has already three to four tickets and you just slabbing more, at least call 9-1-1 and say there's a car here that's not moving," Jennifer Morales said.

The NYC Medical Examiner's office has told the family it appears George Morales died of a heart attack. There was no word from police as to why tickets were repeatedly issued without taking a look inside.

Nor do I expect there ever will be. Americans are increasingly under pressure to give up the guns (and religion) they "cling to" and trust the State to protect them, physically and economically. If police don't notice a body in a parked car for a month, what gives anyone the idea they're guaranteed to arrive in time for a crisis? There's a reason for the saying "there's never a cop around when you need one." Such quips grow around hard experience, and shouldn't be dismissed out of hand.

You are responsible for your own safety, security and happiness--no one else. Regrettably, most Americans are bumbling around just as oblivious to the situation around them. This fallen world is an unforgiving place, and only the alert can hope to survive, much less prosper.