6 JUL 08: FREE TO BE, MODERATELY

So how's your holiday weekend going? Are you rejoicing in our country's independence? Or have you been to a convenience store for $3.95-per-gallon gasoline, and now doubt we're really independent anymore?

A lot of great-sounding words are tossed around at this time of year. For instance, Independence Day is supposed to be a celebration of our freedom. Unless, of course, you were scheduled to work on Friday - and if you didn't show up, you risked being free of future paychecks.

The last 11.2 years in Columbus have taught me a lot about freedom. The saddest lesson I've learned is that some people can't handle it. They seem to take their definition of "freedom" from Janis Joplin - you know, "just another word for nothing left to lose."

Columbus Police saw a savage case of this Friday, when two men tried to rob Millie's Market on South Lumpkin Road. They struck at 11:00 a.m. on Independence Day - as if they thought officers would be busy at the Fraternal Order of Police lodge across town, grilling hot dogs.

This robbery and shooting marked the second time in a week that I wound up awfully close to a crime scene. I do my laundry at the strip mall where Millie's Market is located. I walked back and forth past the store around 10:00 a.m., heading to a convenience store for a snack. Should I be thankful that the criminals decided to sleep late on a holiday?

I stepped outside with my laundry around 11:15 a.m., saw police tape outside Millie's Market - and my first thought was that another party was about to start. Millie's held "Military Appreciation Day" outside its store 15 June. I won't be surprised if a "Public Safety Appreciation Day" takes place this fall.

The robbery ended with an employee shot, two men arrested, and store owner Lefty Incarnacion with a bloody gash on the top of his head. I've known Lefty as a business acquaintance and customer for several years, and he does NOT deserve to be treated this way. He's a charitably-minded man - and more fitting of the nickname "Righty."

Millie's Market was broken into in February. After Friday's incident, Lefty Incarnacion admitted to WRBL he might sell the store for the right price. But by Saturday, the "Nuyo-rican" side of him was healed -- and Incarnacion said the store was there to stay. Which is more than could be said for the gospel recording studio down the center, which vanished in recent weeks.

But the timing of this struck me - an armed robbery and shooting on Independence Day?! On a day marking freedom, do criminals really think they're free to steal other people's money? I mean, even the Internal Revenue Service office was closed....

It took me back to Independence Day 1997 - and a man who shot off fireworks in my apartment complex courtyard, when they were completely banned under Georgia law. He even did it as a toddler wandered around the lawn. Apparently his freedom to break the law lasted until a child was burned in the eye.

I tried telling the man he was violating Georgia law, but he openly didn't care. So I went on with my previously-planned evening walk - and happened to come across two police officers one block away. Amazingly, the fireworks had stopped when I returned home....

This sort of behavior hasn't changed, even with the new Georgia rules allowing sparklers. People at the Booker T. Washington Apartments shot fireworks much more powerful than that Saturday night - enough to cause bright lights in the sky. And enough to make me wish Independence Day permanently fell on Wednesday.

But then, I have to remember something - the freedom we enjoy in this country was born of rebellion. The "founding fathers" of the colonies revolted against the British king 232 years ago. Yet you'll never hear a church pastor condemn them at this time of year, for following the example of Satan....

Maybe it's time people took more care in explaining what the real definition of freedom is - and explain freedom has limits. You are NOT free to steal other people's money, or break laws established by the city and state. Not even if people like John Hancock and George Washington did something along those lines. And not even if Dr. House and Jack Bauer seem to do it on TV a lot.

We'll end today's lecture there, and check other news from the weekend....

+ Holiday fireworks shows were staged across the Columbus area. One man in the know tells me the price for a basic show this year was about $8,500. So yes, you guessed it -- even with a tight economy, fireworks in the South still are a boom market

(The fireworks show ending Thunder on the Hooch lasted about 15 minutes. It made the Columbus Catfish with their five-minute post-game shows look - well, minor-league.)

+ Mississippi eliminated the Columbus Lions from the indoor football playoffs 52-50. The Lions led 40-18 at the half - but then they played more like Falcons.

+ Northern Little League pounded Pioneer 13-1 in the district major baseball tournament. Did you notice Randy Morris is back as Northern's head coach? If he can win two World Series titles in three years, Morris could receive the ultimate compliment - and be hired as an assistant coach at Northside High School.

+ Atlanta's baseball team demoted outfielder Jeff Francoeur to minor-league Mississippi. Francoeur's batting average has dropped so low that fans who used to dress as "franks" now show up as Vienna sausages.

+ Instant Message to the couple which was married at Golden Park Saturday night: I jogged by your reception under the third base stands, and was tempted to stop and ask for details. But if my sweat wound up on the bridesmaids' dresses, they never would have worn them again. Not that they really would have, of course....

SCHEDULED MONDAY: Holiday break ends, as we catch up on a pile of election e-mails....

>> How did our poker night go Thursday? Find out at our latest blog -- the all-new "On the Flop!" <<

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