On Saturday night/Sunday morning there was a tragic shooting at the Ludwig compound known as "Trickle Creek".
It seems that a bunch of kids decided to play "Capture the flag" at around 4:30am on Sunday morning at the compound. Although I'm sure the kids parents told them to stay away from the Ludwig ranch, Kids will be kids, and, after all, it was only a prank. Unfortunately, Someone took it a little too far.
Early news reports said that the kids were caught in the crossfire and that three (at least) bullets entered the cab of one of the trucks. One of the bullets passed through the arm of a 19 year old man, and entered a 16 year old girl, killing her.
The area has been in an uproar ever since, with the makings of a civil war, or at least a lynching in the minds of many residents.
Ludwig blames the parents, the parents blame the Ludwigs, and the citizens, (For the most part) are laying the blame squarely on the shoulders of the media. This can be seen by the way that the town meeting held on Monday explicitly forbade media to enter the hall.
How can something like this happen in my backyard? How can a man who is going to court for various explosive and vandalism charges be allowed to have a weapon? This is the question on my and many of my neighbours minds.
Ludwig expressed sadness and concern for the dead girl's family, while railing them for letting their 16 year old girl be out at 4:30am. He seems to think that it wouldn't have happened if the parents had a tighter grip on their children.
So. Who do we blame for this senseless killing? Does it fall on the shoulders of Ludwig, the media, the kids, or the parents?
I for one, see laying the blame as a moot point. Maybe the kids shold have been home in bed. Maybe Ludwig shouldn't have had a weapon. Maybe the parents should have made their kids understand that this is a dangerous man. Maybe the media should have been more responsible in their reporting.
Or maybe the police should not have tried to incite violence.
The RCMG (That's Royal Canadian Mounted Gestapo) in collusion with AEC West, proceeded to put a stop to oilfield vandalism by setting Ludwig up with a phony oilwell bombing. They then held meetings with the community to discuss the bombings, while laying the blame on Ludwig. I ranted about this a few weeks ago, so I'll not repeat myself. If you want to read it, go ahead.
Don't get me wrong here, I'm not on Ludwig's side. The guy is a loon! But that doesn't give the government the right to frame a man. All it did was make me and most people I know less trustful of the RCMP, as we can not believe anything that they tell us. and by default, it made me listen a little more carefully to what Ludwig's had to say.
Kids learn what they live, and I wonder how many of those children formed their opinions of the case at the dinner table. With mom and dad discussing what to do, and the media's irresponsible reporting, and the police holding "Town Hall" meetings telling the residents not to go out and lynch him and his ilk, while showing them the proper way to tie a noose.
So, even though they were told to stay away, the kids figured to have a little fun in the middle of the night, and, sadly, one little girl paid for the fun with her life.
And now, the police have the compound cut off, with no arrests, and no-one forthcoming about the shooting, and more town hall meetings, and some devastated parents. And still no answers. Or solutions.
This has gone way too far. Most people that I have discussed this whole mess with agree that we need to have an end to the situation. I have been predicting for a year that someone was going to get killed, but never did I think it was going to be an innocent little girl.
Somehow, though, I don't think this will be the last blood shed in the terrible continuing saga of Trickle Creek.
My deepest condolences to the families of the victims. I hope we can settle this thing before another innocent has to die.
-Skuncle