Take back the night!

Love and light - common. Not so common - love and night. 

When did doing things after dark get scary?  

I remember when I was growing up it was just beaches and parks (as far as public spaces) that were closed after sunset. Why? Maybe some could say resources. But why?  So cities could save money on patrolling them?  Maybe because dumb-asses did stupid things in them after dark? 

What we need to do is to take back the night. Do people of Barrows, Alaska not leave their house for over 65 days?  Or do they just arbitrarily decide when public spaces close? 

Why in some cities have they made it so that if you are merely walking down the street after dark, you are suspected of loitering unless you have a dog tethered to you and that you should be prepared to be stopped by the police in said case?  Merely for walking in non-daytime hours?  Do only bad people come outside after dark?  It shouldn't be that way, just like the LGBT shouldn't be able to confiscate the rainbow symbol. If it's true then we (not the police) need to take back the night and not by forming neighborhood watches but by actually using the streets at night. By actually enjoying our world in all its periods. Maybe that was the best statement William Pharrell could have made with his 24 hours of recording of the "happy" song. I'm not saying that was his intention. Though perhaps that could be extrapolated. That it is our world, our streets, we can be happy (not afraid) in them. The government shouldn't have the right to tell us when and where to use our public spaces, (and most especially not our private ones, accepting that we are following the "harm principal: the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others- not including consensual harm between adults, and purposeful harm to oneself, of course).  Their job is just to be there when and if we need them to be there, not before that time, ensuring we are all coloring between the lines.

 Plus. If I do some dumbass stuff; like drink a fifth of vodka and try and swim across a river then I shouldn't need the police to rescue me, or my family to sue said police for not rescuing me, I should accept that I was a dumbass. Maybe, if there is some kind stranger there, or a loving friend I get talked out of it or helped when I am in need? Maybe..... but it seems to me what we need more of in this world is holding hands and less shackling them. 

I don't know.  That's my take on the situation.  So many topsy turvy things in our world that to address each and every single one would take more lifetimes than I have. M