Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Colt State Park



One of my favorite places to go sailing - and running - is Colt State Park in Bristol RI.

As the website for the Rhode Island Division of Parks and recreation says...

Colt State Park is often referred to as the 'Gem' of the State Parks System. The entire western border of the park is an open panorama onto Narragansett Bay. Open year round, the park offers four miles of bicycle trails passing along the Bay and through 464 acres of groomed fruit trees, carefully nurtured flowering bushes, and manicured lawns. Rich in history, it proudly displays ten large playfields, a historical museum, and six picnic groves containing 400+ picnic tables.

Not to mention a couple of excellent boat launching ramps with more than adequate parking for trailers.



I wasn't there on Sunday.

Just as well because apparently members of the Blood gang from Fall River, Providence and New Hampshire decided to meet at Colt State Park for a Memorial Day weekend cookout.

What? Gangs have cookouts? Who would have thunk it?

Wait. It gets worse.

As (one assumes) sometimes happens at Blood gang cookouts, there was a little disagreement which turned the cookout into a shootout. One man was shot. One man was stabbed. They are both now in hospital.




Yikes!

In idyllic, peaceful Colt State Park!

Is nowhere safe any more?

I think I'll go sailing this afternoon.

In Bristol.

See ya!


11 comments:

jbushkey said...

Is there still time to checkoff the bow mounted harpoon option on your RS Aero?... just in case

Doc Häagen-Dazs said...

One could say (I guess I say it) that at least when they are killing each other, they are accomplishing something. But on the Central Coast, we are still in mourning when a shitty fooking freak killed off six very promising University students, last Friday night. Completely overshadowed Memorial Weekend activities. Very close to home.

Tillerman said...

Sorry if my levity about this incident offended you Doc. That massacre in California was horrifying and shocked the whole country, I am sure. Though why we should be shocked when yet another mentally ill young man goes on a killing rampage, I don't know. It seems to happen every few months and everybody is outraged for a while but the politicians do absolutely nothing to prevent future occurrences. What is wrong with us?

Doc Häagen-Dazs said...

Skipper, I reference Michael Moore's comment which has gone viral. Here is the money para:

" . . . . The gun, not the eagle, is our true national symbol. While other countries have more violent pasts (Germany, Japan), more guns per capita in their homes (Canada [mostly hunting guns]), and the kids in most other countries watch the same violent movies and play the same violent video games that our kids play, no one even comes close to killing as many of its own citizens on a daily basis as we do -- and yet we don't seem to want to ask ourselves this simple question: "Why us? . . . . Even when 90% of the American public calls for stronger gun laws, Congress refuses -- and then we the people refuse to remove them from office. So the onus is on us, all of us. We won't pass the necessary laws, but more importantly we won't consider why this happens here all the time. When the NRA says, "Guns don't kill people -- people kill people," they've got it half-right. Except I would amend it to this: "Guns don't kill people -- Americans kill people." Enjoy the rest of your day, and rest assured this will all happen again very soon."

Tillerman said...

Thanks Doc.

O Docker said...


More than a touch of irony that this should be the scene of such violence.

Idyllic, peaceful Colt State Park had been the family farm of Samuel P. Colt, whose uncle amassed a fortune perfecting the production of the Colt revolver.

The uncle, one of the most respected industrialists of his day, was a master salesman, doubling his profits by selling guns to opposing sides in several conflicts, including the US Civil War.

A chilling Memorial Day reminder that guns seem to be as American as apple pie.



Tillerman said...

Colt! That Colt! I never even knew.

Talking of "respected industrialists" I couldn't find (in the Google) any Koch State Parks. But there is a David H. Koch Dinosaur Wing at the Natural History Museum.

Baydog said...

If they had just sprung for Heinz instead of White Rose ketchup, this may have all been avoided.

Tillerman said...

"It Has Been Said That When You Put Ketchup on A Hot Wiener, It Is a Sin ... Here It Is Against the Law!" Rhode Island Statute 1928:03 - 1776

Baydog said...

Ketchup is for hamburgers...mustard is for wieners

Doc Häagen-Dazs said...

Ketchup is always an insult to the chef, IMO.

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