Some of you may be wondering why I didn't post my usual salute to Veterans' Day yesterday. I wanted to but for two things - Arden and I were traveling and I was sick. No worse time to be sick than when you're on the road. And no - I don't have Ebola. As far as I can tell I had food poisoning. Gotta stop eating in restaurants while traveling...
Veterans' Day is the one holiday each year that is for me and my fellow veterans. Sure, Independence Day is for me - it's for all Americans. Labor Day is for all Americans - even if it was created as a socio-economic tribute to the workers by labor unions, of which I have never been a member.
Christmas is to celebrate the birth of our Lord. New Years is just that. Memorial Day is not for all veterans, as some believe, but for those who sacrificed their lives in defense of our great nation. Presidents' Day is the day they chose to honor the birthdays of two of our greatest Presidents by combining their birthdays into one holiday that doesn't usually fall on either day.
Martin Luther King day honors Dr. King and is about freedom and civil rights. Columbus Day honors the founding of North America. And Thanksgiving is for all to give thanks for the blessings we have been given by our God and Creator.
Veterans' Day is for people like me - those who at some time in their lives put on the uniform of the United States military and spent some years doing what they were told to do in service to their fellow Americans. Some of us were soldiers, some were pilots, some were medics, some were sailors, others Marines and Coast Guard. But we all served our nation, our Commander(s)-in-Chief, and our fellow Americans.
The old saying "A veteran is someone who, at some point in his/her life, writes a blank check to "The people of the United States of America" in the amount of "Up to and including my life," didn't strike me as something that applied to me until a dear friend pointed it out. I didn't go into harm's way when I was in the Air Force - except maybe being in Germany in a time when the Red Army Faction was blowing up American targets and kidnapping and executing random US military personnel, because there were no wars going on at the time. I never saw combat. However, I was subject to go if and when it was necessary. And would have proudly accepted the call.
My son's mother was in the Air Force at the time as well. Together we had to sign paperwork that said if we were both ordered to duty in a war zone who would we leave our son with in the meantime. There was a single mother who lived in our apartment building, also active duty, who has to sign that same paperwork. Ever have to make a decision like that? (Chances are they wouldn't have made my wife and I both go and leave our son behind but we still had to make that designation.)
Everyone who joins the military makes sacrifices. They lose some of their freedoms - such as complete freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom to wear what they want, freedom to quit a job they just don't care for, etc. They are under the control of the government for the time they are in. The government tells them where they are going and what they are to do. And they can't say much about it without serious consequences.
Families of veterans sacrifice as well. They too are subject to the whims of the government. They must choose to follow their beloved service member to his/her assignment or be separated from him/her for the duration. And there are many assignments to which a spouse or loved one cannot follow.
Less than 0.5 percent of Americans serve in our armed forces. That's about 1.6 million out of 300,000,000 plus citizens. When you think about it that's not a lot of people to defend our nation and her people - particularly since we are involved in global affairs. It's a pretty big sacrifice. Winston Churchill said it best: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."
So a day late and a dollar short, I want to offer a sincere thank you to my fellow veterans and your families for your sacrifice, your courage, and your honor. Together we stood and accepted the call of our nation. Together we stood, as the prophet himself did in Isaiah 6:8, and said to our God and our country: "Here am I. Send me."
Most of us would do it again in a minute if necessary. We are brothers and sisters in arms. We are the few who put country ahead of self. We are the 0.5 percent.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Friday, November 7, 2014
Do Elected Officials Maintain Common Sense After Elections?
Everyone by now has heard about the openly lesbian mayor of Houston who has singed an ordinance which allows people of the city to use any bathroom that is open to the public, male or female, depending on what "gender they identify with." It matters not what gender they are, says the mayor. What matters is who they identify with. In other words, a man can now legally enter a women's bathroom in a mall just by saying he identifies as a female.
Understandably, many people are upset about it and believe it could lead to many problems, particularly sexual predators using it as an excuse to get close to victims. Imagine a peeping Tom dressing as a woman so he can enter the lady's room to see what he can see? Unimaginable? Certainly not in today's society.
A group of five Christian pastors led a petition drive to reverse the ordinance. They garnered over 50,000 signatures - three times the number of signatures necessary to place the ordinance on a ballot so the people can decide whether or not it's something they want in their city. Subsequently, the city's legal office subpoenaed sermons, speeches and other public remarks made by those pastors, ostensibly to see if they were "using their churches for political reasons."
A legal firm, representing the pastors pro bono, have taken up the cause saying that the city's subpoena of the sermons violates the First Amendment. Senator Ted Cruz and others have also criticized the mayor's office.
“For far too long, the federal government has led an assault against religious liberty, and now, sadly, my hometown of Houston is joining the fight,” Mr. Cruz said in a statement. “This is wrong. It’s unbefitting of Texans, and it’s un-American.”
“If he didn't have the cell phone he wouldn't have lost control of his cell phone and my grandson would still be alive,” Stephen Abrams told the court.
"(4) by a person who is an operator of an authorized emergency vehicle while acting in an official capacity;"
Understandably, many people are upset about it and believe it could lead to many problems, particularly sexual predators using it as an excuse to get close to victims. Imagine a peeping Tom dressing as a woman so he can enter the lady's room to see what he can see? Unimaginable? Certainly not in today's society.
A group of five Christian pastors led a petition drive to reverse the ordinance. They garnered over 50,000 signatures - three times the number of signatures necessary to place the ordinance on a ballot so the people can decide whether or not it's something they want in their city. Subsequently, the city's legal office subpoenaed sermons, speeches and other public remarks made by those pastors, ostensibly to see if they were "using their churches for political reasons."
A legal firm, representing the pastors pro bono, have taken up the cause saying that the city's subpoena of the sermons violates the First Amendment. Senator Ted Cruz and others have also criticized the mayor's office.
“For far too long, the federal government has led an assault against religious liberty, and now, sadly, my hometown of Houston is joining the fight,” Mr. Cruz said in a statement. “This is wrong. It’s unbefitting of Texans, and it’s un-American.”
I must agree - not only about the subpoenas but about the ordinance as well. In 2006, the LGBT community made up 4.4% of the population of the City of Houston. So 8 years later it could be as high as 8 or 9%. That leaves over 90% of the population that is not part of that community. So I would bet that the majority of Houstonians (?) are against this new ordinance for a variety of reasons. Even though the numbers of LGBT supporters are growing I would still make that bet. And the mayor should be checking with all of her constituents before passing such a major ordinance. Such a small minority should not be dictating the moral behaviors of such a large majority.
The mayor, reacting to pressure from the pastors' attorneys and the public, has backed off of her request for sermons and speeches, but not before attempting to justify the subpoenas by saying the pastors were politicizing the pulpits. She obviously doesn't understand that for most Christian pastors this is a moral and Biblical issue rather than a political one.
Now let's move West on I-10 to the lovely city of San Antonio. A liberal city on the San Antonio River, it's home to The Alamo, the River Walk, the Tower of the Americas and many other interesting and historical attractions. I always enjoy visiting and have several good friends who live there.
On the radio yesterday I heard about a new city ordinance in San Antonio that is just another example of the loss of common sense by elected officials. Beginning in January of 2015, hand held cell phone use will be illegal while operating a motor vehicle.
The law - 19-255, begins with "(1) ENGAGING IN A CALL means talking to, dialing, or listening on a hand-held mobile telephone, but does not include holding a mobile telephone to activate or deactivate the device."
You may use a phone that is mounted to the vehicle, on speaker mode, or via a Bluetooth device but you cannot hold it, even for GPS use.
An article I read said that one of the reasons they passed the ordinance is because last year a six year old girl was struck and killed by a driver who admittedly dropped his cell phone and was searching for it on the floorboards, distracting him while he was driving.
While my heart breaks for this grandfather and the girl's parents, the driver wasn't distracted by talking on the phone. He dropped the phone and instead of pulling over to search for it he searched for it while continuing to drive. That can happen if you are eating a sandwich and drop it. And how many of us have spilled coffee or soda on ourselves while driving? Will they next outlaw eating and/or drinking while driving?
This seems like nothing more than a money making scheme for the city. Why do I say that? Section (f) of the ordinance - the next to the last section. "(f) An offense under this section is not a moving violation and may not be made a part of a person’s driving record or insurance record."
They're not going to make it a moving violation or give you points for using a phone. They're simply going to fine you $200. I can't help but wonder if the police officer who pulls you over will say "Go and sin once more," after writing the citation...?
The other interesting section exempts all EMS personnel from the ordinance if they are on duty.
...because we all know that EMS personnel, whose vehicles are fully loaded with communications equipment from radios to computers, need to be able to make their calls while driving.
Fortunately, the law does allow drivers to call 911 to report an emergency or illegal activity.
While I am OK with banning texting while driving (because it takes rapt attention to type a message on a phone), talking on the phone while driving, whether it's a hand held or mounted phone, is really no more distracting than having a conversation with a passenger or disciplining your kids in the back seat. Dialing the phone is distracting - even if you're using a mounted phone - unless you're using voice dial. But how many people do that?
Setting a GPS system while driving is just as dangerous as texting. And with this new law, even if I set my GPS on my hand held phone and set it on the dashboard I will be in violation of the law because I'm using a phone that is not mounted to the vehicle. How much sense does that really make?
People will undoubtedly violate the ordinance anyway. It's human nature. Cell phones have a tendency to make people feel self-important, as evidenced by people who use their phones in movie theaters, restaurants, etc., completely oblivious to what's going on around them. I doubt this law will change that. About the only thing it will change is the revenue for the city. But isn't that the idea?
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Dear Republicans....
Congratulations on your big victory last night. Americans sent a message to the President, to the Democrats, and to you. That message is "We're tired of our nation going in the wrong direction and we want you (the Republicans) to do something about it." So what are you going to do?
From the conservative standpoint, come January things will be better for several reasons.
OK. Those are good things. So what else can we expect?
From the conservative standpoint, come January things will be better for several reasons.
1. As of January Democrats will no longer be in control of the Senate. Bills will actually go to the President's desk. It will be up to him to sign or veto the legislation - each and every one.
2. The Republicans will be able to prevent the President's liberal appointments to various offices, including the Supreme Court.
3. Harry has made it OK to go with a simple majority vote of 51 on many things. That will be a plus for Republicans now (although I truly doubt he'll leave it like that. You'll be seeing that change back in December, I'm sure.)
2. The Republicans will be able to prevent the President's liberal appointments to various offices, including the Supreme Court.
3. Harry has made it OK to go with a simple majority vote of 51 on many things. That will be a plus for Republicans now (although I truly doubt he'll leave it like that. You'll be seeing that change back in December, I'm sure.)
OK. Those are good things. So what else can we expect?
Already there are calls for the Affordable Care Act to be repealed. That's a good thing except... what is your alternative? What will you offer the American people who have lost their current plans? Health care reform - doing something to curb the ever-rising costs of healthcare for the average citizen, is something that should be a consideration. What will you do?
What will you do to help create jobs? Corporate tax cuts, combined with a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, will help. We have the highest corporate tax rates in the world. That's why so many jobs are going overseas. What are you going to do to fix that?
Anyone with a working brain knows that the "Republican war on women" is a creation of the Democrats. So that's not a problem. But honestly, forget about the whole abortion issue for a while. I'm not advocating abortion nor am I saying it's a good thing. However, I have serious doubts that Roe vs Wade will ever be overturned. The only way that will happen is if there is if all three branches of government are controlled by conservatives. That can't happen for at least two years. So focus on things you can do now, please?
What are you going to do about ISIS? The President's half-hearted air campaign is being waged to make him look like he's doing something. For the most part ISIS is laughing - and advancing. The White House has stated their goal is not to take back conquered territory but to stop them from gaining any more. ISIS apparently isn't paying attention because they keep advancing - even acquiring American made weapons from Syrian rebels that we are arming. They have established their caliphate in the Middle East with our President's blessing. What are you going to do about that?
The borders of our country are nearly non-existent and the President is threatening to make things worse. He has already stated he will sign an Executive Order to get what he wants in immigration reform. He really only has two options - to stop all deportation or to order the Border Patrol not to do their jobs. Or both. Both of them would be impeachable offenses since he took an oath to uphold and enforce the laws of the land. He hasn't upheld them very well so far. What are you going to do about it?
Ted Cruz (R-TX) wants to repeal Common Core. A great idea if you have an alternative plan. Our public schools were not doing well before Common Core. They won't do well after it unless you have a plan to improve them and the education system. What is your plan?
Conservatives in Washington have two years to learn to communicate their message of conservatism to the public and to lay out their plans for 2016 and beyond. You need a spokesperson who can connect with the people. Who might that be?
The Republican party is happy and united today. But what about tomorrow? In-fighting, attacks on Tea Party Republicans by the establishment elite, even underhanded tricks like getting Democrats to cross party lines to vote against your Tea Party challengers all are leading to the destruction of the party as it is supposed to be. Over 50% of Republicans believe the party needs to return to its conservative roots yet the new conservatives (Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Mike Lee) are ridiculed and condemned by the likes of John McCain and Thad Cochran, as well as by Republican pundits like Karl Rove. The American people want unity and conservatism, not progressivism and in-fighting. Get your act together!
The economy still sucks and we are nearly $18 trillion in debt. What are you going to do about that?
You won a major victory last night. But what's important is what you do from here. I would remind you that you won the House in 2010 but Barack Obama was still re-elected in 2012. We will be watching.
Again, I ask you.... what is your plan?
The borders of our country are nearly non-existent and the President is threatening to make things worse. He has already stated he will sign an Executive Order to get what he wants in immigration reform. He really only has two options - to stop all deportation or to order the Border Patrol not to do their jobs. Or both. Both of them would be impeachable offenses since he took an oath to uphold and enforce the laws of the land. He hasn't upheld them very well so far. What are you going to do about it?
Ted Cruz (R-TX) wants to repeal Common Core. A great idea if you have an alternative plan. Our public schools were not doing well before Common Core. They won't do well after it unless you have a plan to improve them and the education system. What is your plan?
Conservatives in Washington have two years to learn to communicate their message of conservatism to the public and to lay out their plans for 2016 and beyond. You need a spokesperson who can connect with the people. Who might that be?
The Republican party is happy and united today. But what about tomorrow? In-fighting, attacks on Tea Party Republicans by the establishment elite, even underhanded tricks like getting Democrats to cross party lines to vote against your Tea Party challengers all are leading to the destruction of the party as it is supposed to be. Over 50% of Republicans believe the party needs to return to its conservative roots yet the new conservatives (Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Mike Lee) are ridiculed and condemned by the likes of John McCain and Thad Cochran, as well as by Republican pundits like Karl Rove. The American people want unity and conservatism, not progressivism and in-fighting. Get your act together!
The economy still sucks and we are nearly $18 trillion in debt. What are you going to do about that?
You won a major victory last night. But what's important is what you do from here. I would remind you that you won the House in 2010 but Barack Obama was still re-elected in 2012. We will be watching.
Again, I ask you.... what is your plan?
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
We Voted!
Last night my wife and I set our alarm for 6am so we could get to the polls early. The polling places opened at 7am and we wanted to beat the crowds. When the alarm went off I was awake but Arden wasn't so sure she wanted to get up early after all. By the time she got up, we got dresses and had our coffee it was nearly 8:30. (Who can vote accurately without coffee...?)
Anyway - we traveled the five miles or so to our rural polling place and discovered we were the only ones there. Our neighbor directly across the street greeted us at the door. She was a volunteer polling assistant. We showed our IDs and our voter registration cards, signed our names verifying we were who we said we were and making an official notification that we were voting, and went to the voting booths. It didn't take long and as we were voting, more and more people arrived.
Our neighbor said we came at the right time. She said at 7am the line was out the door. That worked out well for us.
Today my wife and I cast our votes for a stronger Republic that is the United States of America.
We didn't cast our votes for socialism, more welfare and food stamps, bigger government and greater entitlement programs. We cast our votes for individual freedoms and the responsibilities that come with them.
We didn't cast our votes to allow our borders to remain open and for people to continue entering the country illegally. We cast our votes for border security and enforcement of our immigration laws.
We didn't cast our votes for continued and ever-increasing political correctness. We cast our votes for the freedom to disagree with anyone without being called a racist or some kind of "phobe" (attach your own prefix.)
We didn't cast our vote giving politico-religious groups the right to take over our nation and/or vilify anyone in the country who disagrees with them. We cast our votes for religious freedom that does not advocate violence against non-believers.
Today we voted for the separation of powers between the three branches of our government so that no one branch, particularly the executive branch, can do whatever they want whenever they want.
We voted against amnesty for illegal aliens and against any executive action that would lead us closer to that.
We voted against the government sticking it's hand even deeper into our pockets to take more money for those nearly 47% of Americans who depend in the Obama administration and the Democrats for a living.
We voted against the evil that is Obamacare.
We voted against a Justice Department that selectively enforces the laws of the land.
We voted against an Internal Revenue Service that targets political groups that oppose the President.
And we specifically voted to take control of the Senate from the irrepressible majority leader, Harry Reid.
We voted today to take back our country - not from a black skinned President but from the policies he and the Democrats have pushed in this country that have kept our economy from growing, kept us from expanding our own natural energy development (that doesn't involve the failing green energy programs), left millions more unemployed and out of the work force, and has reduced our overall national security.
We voted against President Obama and the Democrats. And we're proud of it.
We voted for the Republic that is the United States of America!
Anyway - we traveled the five miles or so to our rural polling place and discovered we were the only ones there. Our neighbor directly across the street greeted us at the door. She was a volunteer polling assistant. We showed our IDs and our voter registration cards, signed our names verifying we were who we said we were and making an official notification that we were voting, and went to the voting booths. It didn't take long and as we were voting, more and more people arrived.
Our neighbor said we came at the right time. She said at 7am the line was out the door. That worked out well for us.
Today my wife and I cast our votes for a stronger Republic that is the United States of America.
We didn't cast our votes for socialism, more welfare and food stamps, bigger government and greater entitlement programs. We cast our votes for individual freedoms and the responsibilities that come with them.
We didn't cast our votes to allow our borders to remain open and for people to continue entering the country illegally. We cast our votes for border security and enforcement of our immigration laws.
We didn't cast our votes for continued and ever-increasing political correctness. We cast our votes for the freedom to disagree with anyone without being called a racist or some kind of "phobe" (attach your own prefix.)
We didn't cast our vote giving politico-religious groups the right to take over our nation and/or vilify anyone in the country who disagrees with them. We cast our votes for religious freedom that does not advocate violence against non-believers.
Today we voted for the separation of powers between the three branches of our government so that no one branch, particularly the executive branch, can do whatever they want whenever they want.
We voted against amnesty for illegal aliens and against any executive action that would lead us closer to that.
We voted against the government sticking it's hand even deeper into our pockets to take more money for those nearly 47% of Americans who depend in the Obama administration and the Democrats for a living.
We voted against the evil that is Obamacare.
We voted against a Justice Department that selectively enforces the laws of the land.
We voted against an Internal Revenue Service that targets political groups that oppose the President.
And we specifically voted to take control of the Senate from the irrepressible majority leader, Harry Reid.
We voted today to take back our country - not from a black skinned President but from the policies he and the Democrats have pushed in this country that have kept our economy from growing, kept us from expanding our own natural energy development (that doesn't involve the failing green energy programs), left millions more unemployed and out of the work force, and has reduced our overall national security.
We voted against President Obama and the Democrats. And we're proud of it.
We voted for the Republic that is the United States of America!
Michael Brown's Parents To Speak To UN? Really?
I have read some ridiculous things in the last few years but this one takes the cake. I read an article this morning that says the parents of Michael Brown, the young man who was killed by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, in August, will be traveling to Geneva, Switzerland, to "take their case" before the The United Nations Committee Against Torture. Really?
The case hasn't even been settled yet in Ferguson. It hasn't been settled by the Justice Department, where Eric Holder is working hard to find anything he can use against Officer Wilson. Apparently Michael Brown's parents are simply not satisfied that Officer Wilson hasn't been charged and tried for murder just two months following the incident.
I'm sure the leak of autopsy information and the leak that the grand jury will most likely not be indicting Wilson in the case has led these grieving parents to make this decision but since Michael Brown was not tortured in any way, what possible reason would they have to take their desperate request to the United Nations? And why would the United Nations even be interested in hearing it unless they simply want an open door to involve themselves more deeply in the American government? Opening that door would be a mistake and a grave risk to our sovereignty as a nation.
Michael Brown's parents are hurting. I get that. No one knows better than I how it feels to lose a child to tragedy. What Michael was doing or had done up to the moment he was shot doesn't make the pain the parents feel any less. I get it. But these private citizens and their lawyers want to push their own "justice" to the outcome they desire without allowing local and federal authorities to complete their own investigations of the case. Theirs is an agenda that should not be - keep involving more and more people, agencies and organizations in the case in hope that at least one of them will eventually take their side.
What right or authority do Brown's parents have to take a local case to the United Nations anyway - particularly when they have not been settled here in the United States yet?
According to their web page - Ferguson to Geneva, "Our goal is not only to achieve justice in Ferguson, but to unite governments around the world against the human rights violations that result from racial profiling and police violence."
According to Saint Louis Public Radio, Brown’s parents, Lesley McSpadden and Michael Brown Sr., will go with a Saint Louis University Law professor Justin Hansford to plead their case. The law professor has written a 13-page complaint against the U.S. justice system specifically complaining about:
Leaving Michael Brown’s body in the middle of the street uncovered
Too many white police officers in Ferguson
Racial profiling
Militarization of police departments
Treatment of protesters
All U.S. police departments
And calling for:
Immediate arrest of Officer Darren Wilson
Firing Police Commissioner
Demanding an apology from Governor Jay Nixon for protester treatment
A firm definition of use of force
‘Front facing’ cameras at all police departments
Let's look at these one by one.
I have no idea why Brown's body wasn't covered. It seems to me they could have done that out of respect for his family if nothing else. It is common practice with most police departments.
The Ferguson Police Chief says he has tried (and failed) to hire and maintain black officers on the Ferguson PD. Is this true? We don't know. And neither do they.
Racial profiling is a phrase used all too often when law enforcement is white and a suspect is black. Did Wilson profile Brown? There is no evidence I've heard that indicates he did.
Police departments nationwide have acquired surplus military equipment through a government program that they use in accordance with the situation at hand. When they are confronting angry, violent mobs who are bent on breaking the law (and often attacking police) I see no logical reason why police should not use everything at their disposal to protect life and property. If you run afoul of the police who are well equipped it's most likely your own fault.
They also want the immediate arrest of Darren Wilson. On what charge? Murder? To arrest one for murder there must be concrete evidence that a murder was committed. So far that evidence hasn't panned out and the grand jury is not done deliberating. Arresting Wilson just to make some people feel better would not only be a mistake but it borders on illegal. Any intelligent attorney should know that.
They want the Police Commissioner fired. For what? What has he done that warrants firing?
Governor Nixon should apologize, alright - but not to the protesters. Violence begets violence. Governor Nixon should apologize to Officer Wilson for convicting him in the court of public opinion before the facts of the case were even close to being revealed.
The case hasn't even been settled yet in Ferguson. It hasn't been settled by the Justice Department, where Eric Holder is working hard to find anything he can use against Officer Wilson. Apparently Michael Brown's parents are simply not satisfied that Officer Wilson hasn't been charged and tried for murder just two months following the incident.
I'm sure the leak of autopsy information and the leak that the grand jury will most likely not be indicting Wilson in the case has led these grieving parents to make this decision but since Michael Brown was not tortured in any way, what possible reason would they have to take their desperate request to the United Nations? And why would the United Nations even be interested in hearing it unless they simply want an open door to involve themselves more deeply in the American government? Opening that door would be a mistake and a grave risk to our sovereignty as a nation.
Michael Brown's parents are hurting. I get that. No one knows better than I how it feels to lose a child to tragedy. What Michael was doing or had done up to the moment he was shot doesn't make the pain the parents feel any less. I get it. But these private citizens and their lawyers want to push their own "justice" to the outcome they desire without allowing local and federal authorities to complete their own investigations of the case. Theirs is an agenda that should not be - keep involving more and more people, agencies and organizations in the case in hope that at least one of them will eventually take their side.
What right or authority do Brown's parents have to take a local case to the United Nations anyway - particularly when they have not been settled here in the United States yet?
According to their web page - Ferguson to Geneva, "Our goal is not only to achieve justice in Ferguson, but to unite governments around the world against the human rights violations that result from racial profiling and police violence."
According to Saint Louis Public Radio, Brown’s parents, Lesley McSpadden and Michael Brown Sr., will go with a Saint Louis University Law professor Justin Hansford to plead their case. The law professor has written a 13-page complaint against the U.S. justice system specifically complaining about:
Leaving Michael Brown’s body in the middle of the street uncovered
Too many white police officers in Ferguson
Racial profiling
Militarization of police departments
Treatment of protesters
All U.S. police departments
And calling for:
Immediate arrest of Officer Darren Wilson
Firing Police Commissioner
Demanding an apology from Governor Jay Nixon for protester treatment
A firm definition of use of force
‘Front facing’ cameras at all police departments
Let's look at these one by one.
I have no idea why Brown's body wasn't covered. It seems to me they could have done that out of respect for his family if nothing else. It is common practice with most police departments.
The Ferguson Police Chief says he has tried (and failed) to hire and maintain black officers on the Ferguson PD. Is this true? We don't know. And neither do they.
Racial profiling is a phrase used all too often when law enforcement is white and a suspect is black. Did Wilson profile Brown? There is no evidence I've heard that indicates he did.
Police departments nationwide have acquired surplus military equipment through a government program that they use in accordance with the situation at hand. When they are confronting angry, violent mobs who are bent on breaking the law (and often attacking police) I see no logical reason why police should not use everything at their disposal to protect life and property. If you run afoul of the police who are well equipped it's most likely your own fault.
They also want the immediate arrest of Darren Wilson. On what charge? Murder? To arrest one for murder there must be concrete evidence that a murder was committed. So far that evidence hasn't panned out and the grand jury is not done deliberating. Arresting Wilson just to make some people feel better would not only be a mistake but it borders on illegal. Any intelligent attorney should know that.
They want the Police Commissioner fired. For what? What has he done that warrants firing?
Governor Nixon should apologize, alright - but not to the protesters. Violence begets violence. Governor Nixon should apologize to Officer Wilson for convicting him in the court of public opinion before the facts of the case were even close to being revealed.
The use of force has been defined in most law enforcement agencies as "the amount of effort or restraint that one, usually a member of law enforcement, must use to gain control of an unruly situation or person." That force increases or decreases as the situation changes. When you have an unruly and violent mob you come out heavily armed to let them know what could happen if they persist. That doesn't mean you use it - unless the mob dictates that to be necessary. And then you use it until the situation is under control.
The last one I can agree with. In 2014, every police department should be using personal camera technology to alleviate any doubts about what happened. Had Darren Wilson been wearing one it may have shown full well that Michael Brown attacked him in the car and charged him before being killed. That said - does anyone really believe that a camera showing Michael Brown to be the aggressor and attacking Wilson would satisfy the mob in Ferguson? There would always be the "But he was unarmed!" crowd that would completely overlook the damage done to Wilson when Brown hit him. Cameras only resolve issues when people are open to them being resolved honestly.
Bottom line is the Michael Brown's parents will never be satisfied that "justice" was done for them unless the get the outcome they want - regardless of the facts and evidence. It's understandable in a way. Grieving parents will do anything to help alleviate their pain. But if Wilson is not indicted by the St. Louis County Police or the Justice Department, is the President going to allow the UN to step in and do something? Let's hope not. And if the UN doesn't do anything then what? How will the Browns and the mobs in Ferguson ever finally resolve this? I'm thinking winter might help some but what happens after that? If you don't believe the facts and evidence in the case, regardless of how overwhelming it may be, how will you ever resolve the issue?
Monday, November 3, 2014
VOTE!
Tomorrow is a day that should be celebrated across the country. It's a day that allows Americans to choose how they want their government to proceed and who will lead it. Sadly, it has also become a day of misinformation, dishonesty and, in some cases, intimidation. For others it is a day of complete disinterest.
Election day for federal offices was set aside by Congress in 1845 as the Tuesday immediately following the first Monday in the month of November. This means the earliest election day can be on November 2nd and the latest can be November 8th (if the first day of November is a Tuesday.)
Eight states plus the US territory of Puerto Rico have made election day a civic holiday. In Puerto Rico bars are closed on election day and drinking alcohol in public is against the law - something that might not be bad to initiate here.
Television coverage of the vote is at an all time high. Reporters and exit poll workers hover outside polling places in hopes of getting information about which way the election is going before anyone else.
In 2008, members of the New Black Panther Party stood outside a polling place in Philadelphia in their uniforms, carrying sticks, and intimidated white voters in an attempt to help Barack Obama become President. The Obama administration, particularly Eric Holder, refused to prosecute the case saying it was blown out of proportion. It was the beginning of a long controversy concerning the Attorney General's attitude toward crime and prosecution in the black community.
Election day is the chance for Americans to change the leadership of the country if they're unsatisfied with what they see in Washington. Some people say it doesn't matter who gets elected, that both parties are the same and all politicians are the same, but I think Barack Obama has proved that assumption to be incorrect. Obama's famous "fundamentally transform the United States of America" speech was something that some people thought was a good thing. We know now that Obama's plan for transformation was not good for America.
Obama's transformation has given Americans less freedoms. Period. Let's look at a few examples:
1. Government spying on citizens is at an all time high. The NSA stores data from everyone's phone calls in the name of national security.
2. President Obama has given himself the authority to indefinitely detain any American citizen he deems a threat to national security without due process.
3. President Obama has given himself the authority to kill any American citizen on foreign soil that he deems a threat to national security or deems to be assisting terrorists.
4. The Obama Justice Department has secretly and illegally wiretapped phone systems of media agencies as well as the private phone lines of at least one American journalist and his family.
5. President Obama has intentionally left our nation's borders open, allowing hundreds of thousands of people, including some Muslims terrorists, to enter the country illegally.
6. President Obama has forced Americans to buy health care insurance or be fined for not doing so.
7. President Obama has caused many Americans to lose their health care coverage because the new law deemed the plans they had to be insufficient.
8. He has caused religion-based organizations to challenge the law in court because they were forced to pay for birth control medications they rejected on religious grounds.
9. President Obama has lowered the number of Americans who participate in the work force and has increased the number of Americans on government assistance by nearly 100%.
10. President Obama has reduced the standing of the United States as the leader of the world to being ridiculed and dismissed by many nations.
I could go on but this post isn't about Obama. It's about the election and the importance of voting. It is also, as he has said recently, about his policies.Republicans want to take control of the Senate to make it more difficult for President Obama to effect more of his changes on us. The President wants to grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens, thus gaining that many new Democrat voters. It is expected that he will do so but only after the election so it won't hurt Democrats' re-election chances.
Some Democrats have already made public their intent to vote Republican in this important election to send President Obama a message. Republicans and conservatives don't care about their reasons if Democrats want to do this. The more the merrier. Republicans maintaining the House and taking control of the Senate is essential if Obama is to be stopped from making more changes.
Whatever you do - do not stay home tomorrow thinking the Republicans don't need your vote! Tomorrow is your chance to stop the madness! Republicans need your vote. The country needs your vote. It's time to stop the "hope and change" and bring some sanity back to the federal government!
VOTE!
Election day for federal offices was set aside by Congress in 1845 as the Tuesday immediately following the first Monday in the month of November. This means the earliest election day can be on November 2nd and the latest can be November 8th (if the first day of November is a Tuesday.)
Eight states plus the US territory of Puerto Rico have made election day a civic holiday. In Puerto Rico bars are closed on election day and drinking alcohol in public is against the law - something that might not be bad to initiate here.
Television coverage of the vote is at an all time high. Reporters and exit poll workers hover outside polling places in hopes of getting information about which way the election is going before anyone else.
In 2008, members of the New Black Panther Party stood outside a polling place in Philadelphia in their uniforms, carrying sticks, and intimidated white voters in an attempt to help Barack Obama become President. The Obama administration, particularly Eric Holder, refused to prosecute the case saying it was blown out of proportion. It was the beginning of a long controversy concerning the Attorney General's attitude toward crime and prosecution in the black community.
Election day is the chance for Americans to change the leadership of the country if they're unsatisfied with what they see in Washington. Some people say it doesn't matter who gets elected, that both parties are the same and all politicians are the same, but I think Barack Obama has proved that assumption to be incorrect. Obama's famous "fundamentally transform the United States of America" speech was something that some people thought was a good thing. We know now that Obama's plan for transformation was not good for America.
Obama's transformation has given Americans less freedoms. Period. Let's look at a few examples:
1. Government spying on citizens is at an all time high. The NSA stores data from everyone's phone calls in the name of national security.
2. President Obama has given himself the authority to indefinitely detain any American citizen he deems a threat to national security without due process.
3. President Obama has given himself the authority to kill any American citizen on foreign soil that he deems a threat to national security or deems to be assisting terrorists.
4. The Obama Justice Department has secretly and illegally wiretapped phone systems of media agencies as well as the private phone lines of at least one American journalist and his family.
5. President Obama has intentionally left our nation's borders open, allowing hundreds of thousands of people, including some Muslims terrorists, to enter the country illegally.
6. President Obama has forced Americans to buy health care insurance or be fined for not doing so.
7. President Obama has caused many Americans to lose their health care coverage because the new law deemed the plans they had to be insufficient.
8. He has caused religion-based organizations to challenge the law in court because they were forced to pay for birth control medications they rejected on religious grounds.
9. President Obama has lowered the number of Americans who participate in the work force and has increased the number of Americans on government assistance by nearly 100%.
10. President Obama has reduced the standing of the United States as the leader of the world to being ridiculed and dismissed by many nations.
I could go on but this post isn't about Obama. It's about the election and the importance of voting. It is also, as he has said recently, about his policies.Republicans want to take control of the Senate to make it more difficult for President Obama to effect more of his changes on us. The President wants to grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens, thus gaining that many new Democrat voters. It is expected that he will do so but only after the election so it won't hurt Democrats' re-election chances.
Some Democrats have already made public their intent to vote Republican in this important election to send President Obama a message. Republicans and conservatives don't care about their reasons if Democrats want to do this. The more the merrier. Republicans maintaining the House and taking control of the Senate is essential if Obama is to be stopped from making more changes.
Whatever you do - do not stay home tomorrow thinking the Republicans don't need your vote! Tomorrow is your chance to stop the madness! Republicans need your vote. The country needs your vote. It's time to stop the "hope and change" and bring some sanity back to the federal government!
VOTE!
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Visiting History
Yesterday, Arden and I went to breakfast in Granbury, Texas, followed by a short walk around the historic town square. There was a hot rod show going on (a small one) with about 15 cars, ranging from the early 40s to the mid 70s. All of them were beautiful with my personal favorite being a white over red 1956 Chevy Belaire. We walked through a store that sells home furnishings and knick knacks - everything from new furniture and accessories to overpriced antiques. Nice place to visit. Wouldn't want to shop there.
As we were headed back to the car I noticed the historic county jail museum was open. Given my career in corrections I had always wanted to tour it but had never found it open. Yesterday I finally got that chance.
From that front office, through a large, heavy, steel door, was the sheriff's living quarters. All Hood County sheriffs were required to be married because it was the wife's duty to feed the inmates. Imagine how that would go over today.
The living quarters originally had a living room and two small bedrooms. The kitchen was in a separate building in the back with a dog run in between. That area was eventually closed in to make one large living room/kitchen area. The building is not air-conditioned and in the summer the heat from the stove inside the house must have made it unbearable. Tour guides say as bad as that was it was even worse for the inmates upstairs with no outside air coming in.
The jail was in operation until a new one was built.... in 1978. In 1968 the extra bedroom was turned into a dispatcher's office with the installation of a radio and phone center. I don't know how long the rule was in effect that the sheriff had to be married and his wife had to feed the inmates.
Graffiti on (and carved into) the walls is original, as are the fixtures. At least one inmate visited the jail three years in a row, consecutively, and carved the year under his name each time.
If you're ever in Granbury and the jail is open it's well worth the whopping $2 entry fee to see it for yourself. I wonder if I can get a job there? I do have some experience....
As we were headed back to the car I noticed the historic county jail museum was open. Given my career in corrections I had always wanted to tour it but had never found it open. Yesterday I finally got that chance.
The old jail was built with local stone in 1865. There are three cells on the second floor. One is more like a room (with a steel grate door and another, solid steel outer door.) It was used to house the female "visitors" and is behind the dark window on the left side of the picture. Originally glass with bars over it, the window was covered with sheet steel by one of the modern sheriffs who decided it was too easy to effect an escape with just bars. (It had been done effectively in the past.) The inside of the cell is pictured here. The toilet has been removed but the drain is visible under the bed.
The men were kept in a separate area on the other side of the building. The dark window on the right side denotes the men's area. There are two cells in that area that are side by side with a secure walkway in front of them. Each cell secures separately. The walkway secures with the door pictured. Inside the walkway is one toilet and one sink for all of the inmates. Each cell has two sets of bunk beds in it.
The lever pictures allowed the deputies to open and/or secure the cells from outside the secure area. It was quite modern for its time. The locking hardware was made in St. Louis. The cell walls are solid steel with barred windows on the side and on the back that allowed the deputies to see inside the cells by means of a walkway that goes around the entire structure. The windows to the outside of the building are covered with sheet steel.
The tower that is the front of the building was built specifically to accommodate gallows in the event there was a court ordered hanging. Historic records show that while no inmate was ever officially hung on the gallows inside the jail, seven inmates hung themselves with bed sheets during the time the jail was open. It is rumored some of their ghosts still live there.
The only official hanging sanctioned by the court took place about a mile from the old jail and was done outside. It occurred in 1876. There is no explanation of why it did not take place inside the jail, although one reason may be because historical records say about 2000 people were there to witness it.
Upon entering the jail through the front door you are inside what was the sheriff's office and the intake area. Once the prisoner was processed he/she was escorted up a very narrow and steep stairway, through a large trap door and into the cell area. I can only imagine how much fun it was escorting a large, drunk man up those stairs. Sadly, I failed to get a picture of those stairs.
From that front office, through a large, heavy, steel door, was the sheriff's living quarters. All Hood County sheriffs were required to be married because it was the wife's duty to feed the inmates. Imagine how that would go over today.
The living quarters originally had a living room and two small bedrooms. The kitchen was in a separate building in the back with a dog run in between. That area was eventually closed in to make one large living room/kitchen area. The building is not air-conditioned and in the summer the heat from the stove inside the house must have made it unbearable. Tour guides say as bad as that was it was even worse for the inmates upstairs with no outside air coming in.
The jail was in operation until a new one was built.... in 1978. In 1968 the extra bedroom was turned into a dispatcher's office with the installation of a radio and phone center. I don't know how long the rule was in effect that the sheriff had to be married and his wife had to feed the inmates.
Graffiti on (and carved into) the walls is original, as are the fixtures. At least one inmate visited the jail three years in a row, consecutively, and carved the year under his name each time.
If you're ever in Granbury and the jail is open it's well worth the whopping $2 entry fee to see it for yourself. I wonder if I can get a job there? I do have some experience....
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