Alabama is First...

No, silly humans, not in anything good. Our state takes first place in Black Friday violence this year. Remember a few years ago when a woman was injured at a Black Friday shopping brawl in Muscle Shoals? Well, at least this year the violence took place in Birmingham.

Riverchase Galleria is a huge shopping mall. Yes, they still have those in places. Footaction is a national chain of shoe stores. This year the store was releasing a new tennis shoe for the holidays. An argument erupted among several young males, and one is dead - ostensibly shot by police.

Oh, there's more... A 12 year-old female bystander is in critical condition, possibly paralyzed for life. A 70 year-old female bystander is in serious condition after she fell trying to escape the gunfire. A second shooting victim was not seriously injured.

But wait, there's still more. The dead man had a concealed carry permit. His family says he was just defending himself against aggressors trying to jump queue in their dishonest pursuit of tennis shoes. No matter the legality of this young man's gun, he's still dead. 

A civil rights attorney from Florida has arrived in the state to sue the Hoover police for depriving this man of his life. No, we have no idea who started what, but authorities say the victim didn't shoot the two injured by bullets at the Galleria. 

So, yes, Alabama has another first. What does that say about us? Many like to divide various states into segments, or mini-states. Alabama is usually divided into three or four. The Shoals is in the techie north, so we can say this gun violence doesn't affect us. Really?

How many prospective firms stop to consider exactly where the Shoals is in relation to other state locations? Alabama is Alabama. God help us...