Experts in autocracies have pointed out that it is, unfortunately, easy to slip into normalizing the tyrant, hence it is important to hang on to outrage. These incidents which seem to call for the efforts of the Greek Furies (Erinyes) to come and deal with them will, I hope, help with that. As a reminder, though no one really knows how many there were supposed to be, the three names we have are Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. These roughly translate as “unceasing,” “grudging,” and “vengeful destruction.”

We are in a Federal shutdown, and there is a limit to how many of the aspects of things not happening one can research into and make a story out of. So here is something completely different.

You know how Karma is never around when you need her? Well, this is a story about a day this week when she was absolutely on the spot at exactly the right moment, and had the right people right there and ready to act for her.

It seems that, last Thursday, in Charlotte, NC (yes, that Charlotte, where the tiki-torch brigade caused such damage a year ago last fall) a woman carrying shopping bags was walking down the street when a man she did not know grabbed her and attempted to force her into his car. The adrenaline rush must have been epic, since she manage to break away and run. It was latish, so she didn’t have a lot of choice, but she ran into the first place that was open.

The Bushiken Karate Charlotte Dojo.

The owner and Master (roughly, the sensei’s sensei), Randall Ephraim explains:

There were still some kids in the dojo being picked up by parents and a couple of adult students cleaning up when a young lady came through our doors and stated that someone was trying to harm her.

A big male entered the building. I asked how I could assist him and he stated that he was there for the lady. She insisted that she did not know him and tried to kidnap her.

By this time, the woman (whose name does not seem to have been released, I assume to protect her privacy) had put Randall between her and the door. Randall, of course, told the man to leave, and four of his black belt students got into position in front of the woman.

But the man continued to attempt to get into the Dojo, “aggressively pushing and swinging.”

So Randall picked him up and took him outside.

Once outside he attempted to attack again and was dealt with accordingly.

The Root goes into some detail about the meaning of the word “accordingly” as it is used in the black community and in the karate community. The description brought a smile to my face.

The short description is – he was taken away unconscious and on a stretcher (although apparently not before trying to assault the police officers who came to arrest him.)

The police later told a reporter, who passed the information on to Vice, that the assailant (identified as August Williams) was on drugs at the time and has a history of drug- and assault-related arrests. As reported by The Root:

According to Mecklenburg County records, Williams was charged with first-degree attempted kidnapping, assault on a female, simple assault, resisting a police officer, injury to personal property and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The woman who was his targeted victim will now be taking karate classes at the Dojo.

Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone, do thank your dear friend Karma for being so on the spot on this occasion. Tell her we love her.

The Furies and I will be back.

Cross posted to Care2 HERE.