Two weeks ago our city was thrown into the national spotlight again and we were reminded of a sordid time in our past all because one insensitive and ignorant idiot yelled a single word at a member of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team. One word, made up of six hate-filled letters, set off a firestorm.

Which got me to thinking of a day about a year ago when I heard another word that ticked me off no end. It is a four-letter word that most everyone uses several times a day – “just.”

You see it was early in the morning of June 12, 2016, and the world was learning all the horrific details about a massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. A single terrorist, who was armed to the teeth, had stormed into the club about 2 a.m. shooting everyone in his path. He murdered 49 innocent party-goers and wounded 53 more. After learning of the shocking event, I did what I do every single weekend morning – head for the local convenience store to purchase coffee and newspapers.

While waiting in line, I overheard two neighborhood men discussing what had occurred in Florida. One of them ended his part of the conversation by saying, “My God, 49 dead!” The other guy responded with, “So what, they’re just gay!” I could feel my temperature rise and my right fist tighten into a rage-filled ball ready to knock some sense into this flippant fool. “Just gay!” I yelled, surprising everyone in the store, including myself. “Just gay! Those poor souls are just someone’s sons, daughters, or loved ones.”

Being the parent of a gay son, I couldn’t fathom the dismissive tone of that knuckle-dragging caveman’s comment or the fact that he felt so comfortable saying it in a crowd. Publicly shamed as he was, he didn’t utter another word while I was in the store.

I was stunned by his insensitive attitude toward the sudden, cruel loss of 49 innocent lives and I was equally stunned by how one generally innocuous word had sent me over the edge.

Now I’m not comparing my little meltdown to what happened to Adam Jones at Fenway, not by a long shot. I was just surprised at how much one word got to me.

My son Patrick isn’t just gay. He’s smart (a master’s in education from Suffolk University); he’s an animal lover (he has given me and my wife five grand puppies); and he’s funny as hell.

The Keaney and Piers families love Patrick and his husband Walter unconditionally, not because of what they are, but just because of who they are: two wonderful people. Just like those victims in Orlando whose families loved them and now grieve their loss. God bless them.

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Turning to my regular report:

St. Patrick’s Day, 7:36 a.m.

As mentioned above, you usually don’t know what word or phrase may make an individual go ‘nanners’ and lose his or her mind. The suspect in this story apparently turns into the Hulk if you mention the word “wheat.”

Officers responded to a call for an assault & battery at the Dunkin’ Donuts on Gallivan Boulevard. On scene they observed a 46-year-old Weymouth man bleeding buckets from a deep gash near his right eyebrow and with significant swelling to the top of his nose. The store manager explained that the victim asked one of her employees if his “breakfast sandwich on wheat was ready.” I guess this innocent request insulted the cook so much that he slapped a cup of coffee out of the victim’s hand, then threw a punch squarely at the victim’s snout, leaving him with a fractured nose and a six-stitch cut near the bridge of his honker.

Now I could understand if maybe he ordered a sandwich on a pretzel bagel. I can feel my blood boiling just thinking about it, but a wheat bagel? C’mon.

The 20-year-old Dorchester lad was arrested and charged with A&B causing serious bodily injury. I’ll say this: Even after years of being tickled constantly, the Pillsbury Doughboy never lost his cool.

April 7, 1:15 a.m.

A report came into 9-1-1 for a report of a robbery at the 7-11 store at 730 Morrissey Blvd. On arrival the officers spoke with one of the clerks who said that a white male had entered the store brandishing a knife and demanding money. When the clerk didn’t move fast enough, the suspect jumped over the counter and took a few boxes of cigarettes. But he was then scared off when a second clerk entered the store. The suspect was last seen scurrying like a rat across the boulevard making good his escape.

But not so fast my friends: Many of you recall this column reports on Dorchester’s most inane and foolish criminals and this brainiac is no exception. Because back at the crime scene, on the floor behind the counter lay the suspect’s wallet, giving us his name, address, Social Security number, and foot locker shoe size! A warrant has been issued for a 27-year-old Raynham man who wears a size 12EEE.

March 1, 8:25 p.m.

A pair of plain-clothed officers observed a man standing in the parking lot of McDonald’s on Gallivan Boulevard next to a poorly-spray-painted moped. The man got on a bike, started it up without using a key, and then took off without wearing a helmet. The officers stopped him on Myrtlebank Avenue. It was obvious that the $2,000 moped, now a streaky black, was originally blue. In fact the paint was still sticky in places, and attached to the rear of the bike was a motor vehicle inspection sticker!

The 45-year-old South End rider stated that he got the bike from his cousin, a “Junior Green,” even though he didn’t know where his cousin lived (or how to spell “Junior,” for that matter). All of which led the officers to charge him with larceny over $250, to which the genius replied, ”You’re arresting me for no reason, I doubt it hasn’t been reported stolen yet”!! Oh, from the mouths of idiots. But it gets even better.

The suspect was transported from the scene in our police wagon to the C-11 Bed and Breakfast. On arrival, when he was being taken out of the back of the wagon, officers noticed that he was only wearing his right sneaker. One of the officers went into the wagon and retrieved the left sneaker. Inside it was a medium-sized plastic baggie full of heroin. This ignoramus pleaded that the sneaker and the contraband weren’t his!!! He was charged with five different felonies.
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On June 10, from 10 a.m. rto 1 p.m., we will be at the McKeon Post parking lot on Hallet Street holding our annual C-11 Bike Rodeo. Free bike helmets and a raffle for three new bikes will be held, along with a cookout. We hope to see you there!