Final Word from Friday, July 23, 2004
The original "shot heard round the world" came on April 19, 1775, and was the start of the American war of independence. The latest shots heard round the world are more worthy of a Pink Panther movie than Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. A Czech policeman fired at a jaywalker who fled after crossing the road on a red light. The maximum penalty for this is Kč 200 ($8), but the officer whipped out his pistol and took aim. Faster than a speeding bullet, news of the crazy Czech policeman spread around the globe, from Tokyo to Eugene. Police President Jiří Kolář, who looks a bit like Czech-born Chief Inspector Dreyfus from the Pink Panther movies, came down hard on his bumbling underling and said he'll be sacked. How can the CR convince the world that it's only a coincidence that the "The Birth of the Pink Panther" is being filmed here this summer?