Recently I joined a private social network for people who live in my neighborhood. It’s called nextdoor.com, and if there isn’t already a group for your particular neighborhood, it’s really easy to start one. What’s really cool is that I get informed about favorite local haunts and best kept secrets, recommended area service providers, current crime waves, lost pets to keep an eye out for… anything that it’s good for neighbors to know.
Because of this, I got a very important heads up. It’s that time of year for a game called Senior Assassin, which, up to this point, I didn’t even know was a thing. (I’m so out of touch.) Apparently high school and University students play it toward the end of the school year.
Actually, it kind of sounds like fun. You start with a group of participants. Everyone gets the name of an opponent that they’re supposed to “assassinate” with a mock weapon, like a water balloon. When you eliminate that person, you take over the name of the person they are supposed to be hunting, and so on, until the group shrinks to one survivor, who is the winner. There are lots of variations on this game, but apparently it’s really popular.
The problem is, it’s also ripe for disaster. Currently, this game is being played in my neighborhood, and the kids are trespassing to do it. And those who are stupid enough to use weapons that could be mistaken for actual weapons, like water guns, are asking for trouble. Some neighbors might be a little jumpy seeing a boy with what looks like a gun in their back yards, and might take matters into their own hands. That’s when the game stops being fun.
I don’t advocate violence. At the same time I’m all for kids being kids. I just hope they’ll stick to water bottles and nerf balls as weapons and avoid trespassing. You have to be careful about crossing that line. You never know who will take you seriously. And in this gun-toting country, that could be really scary bad.
The View from a Drawbridge 