13 Yr Old Sets Field on Fire with Fireworks, now for the rest of the story...

Enough of this bickering...

This thread is in the Gray Area Forum, which is intended for members (and the ATS Staff are members) to post their personal experiences.

For those unfamiliar:

Understanding The Gray Area

[color=#e0e0b0]The Gray Area is a discussion forum that provides a dedicated area for members to post their confessions, disclosures, and related extraordinary personal experiences. Like the highly speculative Skunk Works forum, The Gray Area will tolerate topics that may be unusually hypothetical or unproven for the purpose of vetting the stories of thread-starters by the ATS membership at large.

By nature, The Gray Area tends to involve unproven claims and anecdotal testimony that may arouse skepticism in some members.

As always, skepticism is fine, but only when expressed in accordance with the AboveTopSecret.com Terms And Conditions Of Use.

In particular, Courtesy Is Mandatory. Insults, ridicule, harassment, abuse and similar behavior constitute a direct attack on what this forum is intended for, and will be treated accordingly.

Members unable to politely discuss unusual, unproven or unorthodox subjects should avoid this forum.

If anyone is unable to grasp the purpose and spirit of this forum, then I would suggest refraining from posting in a Gray Area thread.

Thank you for your cooperation and have a nice day.

reply to post by V1g0r0u5




I don't really see how the OP, or anyone else can actually prove this story?
What kind of proof could you give?

I guess that's why it's in "The Grey Area" instead of some other forum or BTS.


I admit the style in which It's written does seem a little suspect and it seems like one of those feel-good stories and so on.... but it could just as well be true and jazzed up for the purpose of the thread?

Or perhaps the Police officer is a keen writer and just happened to relay the story in such a manner.

I guess the content of the story and It's message, however "cheesy" it is, It's what's really important here.

I understand people questioning it but no matter how hard you push and whatever you say, Do you really think you're going to get the response you're looking for?

Do you really think the OP will just admit that it was done to counter all the cop-bashing threads?

I highly doubt it.

It may well be a story they heard at the station and one that was circulating around and decided to post it here?

Either way, Just let it go man... What's the point in carrying it on?

You will not get an admission, whether it's true or not, you will not get the answer you're looking for.

FWIW, I would not post anything that isn't true.

I love ATS entirely too much to jeaprodize my membership here and especially my position as a staff member.

reply to post by Mirthful Me


Is asking for the state or city where it took place requesting personal information?

You know cause I could just like google "city/state + fireworks fire" within the last oh idk week?

reply to post by mryanbrown


I googled it, there wasn't anything.

reply to post by elevatedone


Is that a no, it isn't requesting personal information and you still wont say?
Or yes it is asking, and as a courtesy you mentioned you checked and found nothing?

reply to post by elevatedone




Found one firework/grass story?

Although I guess without knowing the area, I guess It's pointless.

www.reporterherald.com...

reply to post by elevatedone


Ok, now were getting somewhere.
How did your friend get this story to you?

Regards

Ps. If not a cop, are you in politics? You are very good at responding to inquiries without really answering the questions.

reply to post by mryanbrown


I don't think "he" would want me giving out the city and state this happened in. If I talk to him tonight, I'll ask.

I googled it myself, looking for a news story and didn't find anything.

reply to post by V1g0r0u5


no, definitley not a politician.


I'm simply not going to answer that. I got the story from him, thats all that needs to be said.

sorry.

Wow this just shows the mentality of some people. Why do some people have to turn everything into something nasty and think it's all lies? I bet when they watch a YT video of someone saying a hologram hit the world trade centre or we didn't land on the moon they believe that because it's 'just some regular guy trying to get the truth out' (not gain loads of publicity obviously). Is it because a mod posted the story and a mod is seen as an 'authority figure' that it must all be lies?
Grow up some of you

Originally posted by AgentSmith
Wow this just shows the mentality of some people. Why do some people have to turn everything into something nasty and think it's all lies? I bet when they watch a YT video of someone saying a hologram hit the world trade centre or we didn't land on the moon they believe that because it's 'just some regular guy trying to get the truth out' (not gain loads of publicity obviously). Is it because a mod posted the story and a mod is seen as an 'authority figure' that it must all be lies?
Grow up some of you

I don't see anyone turning it into anything. People asked questions... I see you turning it into something though. I see you calling people asking simple questions for verification conspiracy theorists...

Which is kind of ironic... Cause it's ATS you know.

reply to post by blupblup


You're right... I'll let it go.

I didn't realise this was in the Gray Area

Sorry guys if I came on a little strong.

Regards

Triple digit heat again today, and we haven't had any rain in weeks, so with no yards to maintain or mow here I sit, once again, with the A/C on just tooling round the Intertubes.

As such I thought I'd check back to see any replies I may have missed here.

Jeezus H. Kee-Ryste people.

I realize in today's day and age, with one YouTube video after another where LEOs are seen to be overstepping their bounds and perhaps approaching and/or reacting to situations in an overt and disproportionately-aggressive manner, BUT ... DAMN...

I don't live in an urban environment, where it would seem the vast majority of those type incidents occur, so with that and the fact that I've never had a negative interaction with law enforcement whatsoever, I have to ask,
"Is it That unimaginable or difficult to believe that this individual officer conveyed to a friend something that happened in the course of their duties ... which they were touched by, Proud of, and felt the desire to share? ... off the record, if you will."

A sort of, Hey. Guess what happened today ... on a good note.

I've gone back through the Entire thread, read every response, as well as the opening post a time or three, and can only come away with a sense that this was conveyed in a sort of melancholy manner ... with the officer feeling so elated in hindsight that he just had to share it with someone.

Not made up. Not tell everyone you know. Not see what I did. Nor look at me.

More just one of those situations we (hopefully) all occasionally encounter where we're afforded the opportunity to help a fellow human being along their way.

Much akin to the time I changed a tire for to elderly women in the parking lot at Walmart. It was raining, I was decked out in full suit and tie business attire, yet these ladies were dead in the water with not a clue what they were going to do.

It took all of 15 minutes and they were on their way.

Did I feel good? Yes. Did they go on and on expressing their gratitude and appreciation. Certainly.

Didn't cost me a dime, except for a few minutes of my time, Yet when they offered up monies in return for such I merely asked that they do something similar if/when they encountered someone in need of assistance down the road. Pay It Forward, if you will.

Anyway,
That's my take on the whole matter. An individual who felt proud that they had been presented with an opportunity to play the role of humanitarian and merely wished to share their delight over the same with a friend.

... no matter if it be in a somewhat storybook fashion.

I couldn't wait to get home and tell my wife how good it felt. Not chest thumping. Not guess what I did. Just to share the sheer joy and overwhelming sense of having possibly Made A Difference in someone's life ... to include them hopefully doing the same down the road for another.

I see no reason to doubt the veracity of this person's claim nor the efforts of the officer involved.

Actually hats off to both for sharing the same. We need more of this in today's day and age ... which often appears to be All to negative.

reply to post by elevatedone


This is a nice story, I like the fact that finally we see something positive on this site regarding "The Man" (law enforcement)

What Im kind of curious about though is why this officer was being such a crybaby... maybe Im being insensitive. I mean, sure he did a nice thing, especially the part where he paid for the damages out of his pocket, but is it really worth crying over?

Im just under the assumption that cops are supposed to be tough guys, especially since they are used to seeing a lot of effed up stuff. If this guy cries over something as small as a little trailer park kid lighting fireworks, what happens to him when he sees something REALLY heart wrenching? Maybe he was just feeling really sensitive that day?

I dont know... Im not trying to offend anyone, and like I said maybe Im being insensitive. I am well aware that grown men cry from time to time... even that Indian shed a single tear when that one dude threw his trash out of the car window.

[edit on 8-7-2010 by WhiteDevil013]

Well. Good to go. I think its a good practice to be good to people even if they are rude to you...

First off..Im a COP too...

Generally people have a certain persona of "How a police officer should be." I drive by stores and talk to the public and get out of my car as much as I can to let people know Im there for them. Even if someone is completely wrong and even rude to me sometimes (Because its an inherant reaction to authority) I still dont write them tickets (speeding) and try to actually help people in messed up situations...no one is exempt..not even law enforcement from the universe testing you with tought situations.

Originally posted by Reconer
Well. Good to go. I think its a good practice to be good to people even if they are rude to you...

First off..Im a COP too...

Generally people have a certain persona of "How a police officer should be." I drive by stores and talk to the public and get out of my car as much as I can to let people know Im there for them. Even if someone is completely wrong and even rude to me sometimes (Because its an inherant reaction to authority) I still dont write them tickets (speeding) and try to actually help people in messed up situations...no one is exempt..not even law enforcement from the universe testing you with tought situations.

I want to take the moment for a little PSA since this has become mostly police/cop "stuff".



@1:45

John Harris wonderfully describes the differences between a police officer and a peace officer. Both exist within the United States also. It's astonishing that despite being a different country, everything is nearly identical within America.

Originally posted by mryanbrown
I want to take the moment for a little PSA since this has become mostly police/cop "stuff".

The Kernel is confused. Isn't that what the thread is about?

reply to post by Kernel Korn


I thought it was about a personally inspiring story regarding forgiveness and personal judgement relevant to the situation at hand.

Then somewhere in there, it became about the cop, and not what happened.