At what cost?

There was robbery across from I where I live. A mountain bike was stolen. The owner discovered it in the  morning when he was about to drive his wife to work.  He remembered no dogs barking but recalled his wife turned off the light in the driveway.

The village overflows with security.  At the main gate, four are posted at all times, and one in each Phase ( there are eight phases). The Phase guard roams at night, checking on unfamiliar faces and noises.

I guess, a thief has many tricks under his hat.  Just like Ivan Padilla, the leader of a carnap gang who was shot, then died, after a shoot out with lawmen.  Now, there are those who question why Padilla was only taken to the hospital six hours after being shot at.

C'mon.  I am a firm believer of human rights.  But like a conservative, I a more attuned to the rights of the victims, not the criminal. 

So, last night the houses in our phase had their driveway or gate lights lightened up.  But the thief, just like the other criminals who always return to the scene of the crime, opted not to attack. Maybe, he'd return another night.

It's appalling how lawlessness seems to be the norm than the exception.  I blame the slow hands of the law enforcement and the justice system for such an aberration.

In Toronto, there'd been cases of home invasion, too.  Usually, the gang consists of ethnic minorities who preys on rich people belonging to its ethnic group.  In the condo where I live, security is limited to one guard at the main lobby, who roams the building and the basement parking. There had been incidents of petty car vandalism, but no major robberies or entries.

Teens, during summer breaks, loiter around the property and leave trash but generally do not break the law. 

It was a rainy night - no stars - when the neighbourhood thief attacked.  The prey (mountain bike) could be seen from the outside.  The fence was low, the dogs were puppies. The light was turned off. Perfect time for a petty crime.

I wish there would be moon and stars each night so the residents do not have to turn on their lights, what with Meralco charging so much for power usage. It's very costly to guard one's property and life, nowadays. 

The moon, aside from being source of light, is a source of joy.