Will a New Tea Party be Parent Driven?

 Now is the time! Parents have a new reason to seize the bully pulpit from the politicians and their minions!

It began to gain steam when parents were becoming aware of what their kids were being taught in their classroom thanks to being able to observe during the shut down when the kids were doing remote learning.

I do take them to task for not knowing before that.  If one has children one has the obligation to be involved in all aspects of that child's life which certainly includes what goes on in their classrooms.

However, when it became apparent that sexual counseling seems to be allowed for first graders and up without parents being told, and critical race theory seems to be running rampant in parts of the country, the parents did begin to stand up and make themselves heard.  For that, they were arrested and labeled domestic terrorists.  What type of official could even think that?? I could go on for days on that one.

Now they have a new cause for which to give voice. School safety.  What precautions are demanded by school districts and are they being adhered to? It is as important as what's being taught.  As we've so tragically seen once again.

Take it a step further.  Make sure law enforcement isn't allowed to get complacent and make sure the training they have meets the potential threat to the children. 

I've long thought it's time for a third party in this country. If we are truthful with ourselves, we know what each party represents and where their strengths and weaknesses lie. Neither meets the smell test for good governance. A third party can essentially take the politics out of a lot of issues.  Become the Common Sense party for the sake of the children. Politics have no place in the life of a child and should not be forced upon them. When they're old enough to understand the ramifications of politics maybe common sense will prevail.

Parents, it's in your hands.  Believe that your children are our future. Do whatever is necessary for them to live. And learn. No one can do it better. Do you have the collective will to make yourselves really heard? Forget about the slings and arrows. Just do what's right so we don't lose another 19 young ones to a sequence of events that could and should have been averted.

Cop Killers, Killer Cops

I have a friend with whom I became a pen pal during the Iraq war.  He has experience in security work, was a military policeman and is black.  I spoke with him at length this morning regarding the Blue vs Black vs White mess we find ourselves in these days.

He gave me quite a bit to digest but it all goes back to what values you are taught within the family unit and the decisions you choose to make with or without that teaching. The values are there staring you in the face as you go through life. Where do the parents learn the proper values to pass on?  From their faith in the teachings of God.  He took me to ground zero of a different sort and it made a great deal of sense.

He took the issue from being neither black against blue or white but rather an issue of choice of behavior consciously made.  His feeling is that those who partake as agitators and the violent rowdiness that often ensues is done with full knowledge that it is wrong.  They know that because of the political climate they will most likely get a pass.  It matters not at all that they know they are in the wrong.

On the blue side of the equation we talked about the over kill of their actions. No pun intended. That one bullet should do the job.  Emptying the magazine into a person is most likely not necessary. Is it a lack of training or character? Perhaps a combination but no matter which it is a matter of choice on the part of the shooter.

Then there is the media's contribution.  More whites are killed by police than blacks. Yet we rarely hear those stories.  Why is that?  It's a matter of choice.  It's a whole different issue as to why so many, regardless of race, are killed in the first place.

So how do we fix all of it?  I would think some of the ministry in communities where such activity  runs rampant are trying to fill two roles.  That in teaching the value of faith in God and  surrogate parent to too many.  That shouldn't be their role but perhaps it's better than no parenting at all. It still boils down to choice.  Conscious choice.  Whether or not to even attend services.  Whether or not to parent. Whether or not to make the right choice.

There are always consequences.  You either live or you die.  You either love or you hate.  You either make the right choice or you sacrifice your freedom to make any choice at all sooner or later.

I guess what it all boils down to is that I had this conversation with a black man who isn't "black" to me.  He's a friend.  A good friend.  And a very wise one.

The Pain Of Change

I was so glad to learn Carly Fiorina's people shamed CNN into changing the debate participant rules.  Why is it the Republicans are trying so hard to marginalize her while the Dems cling so desperately to Hillary? The two couldn't be more different in both experience and character!  It seems to me the clamor for a female candidate is focused on the wrong woman.  But then the Dems have long had the women's vote and the stuffy old Republicans just don't get it.  A bit chauvinistic are they?

Have you noticed that much of what Obama is  expostulating on now has only two alternatives? His way or total disaster.  His nuc agreement or war.  His climate change mandates or the world is going to disappear in a horrible, tortuous, painful expulsion from the universe.  Sheesh! What's going to be horrible, tortuous and painful are his last months in office.  That and watching Congress continue to malfunction.

The war on police. Wow.  We have a friend whose son is a beat cop in D.C. He tells his dad that all the cops get insulted, threatened and spit upon no matter their ethnicity.  Nothing like equal opportunity thugs. We need more men like Milwaukee police chief David Clark at the helm of departments across the land.  Men who see it as it is and aren't afraid to say so.  I worry about him though.  I'm sure he's a target.

I'm wondering if politics will get back to "normal" or if we're seeing the beginnings of a "new normal" that is positive for a change.  I don't think Trump will get the nomination but I'm willing to bet it won't be a old school politician, even a young one.  Fortunately people are beginning to have their voices heard and the astute have picked up on it. It just so happens the most flamboyant of them has taken the lead.  I'm still watching Florina, Carson, Cruz and Kasich to be the wild cards that become mainstream before it's all over.

Maybe Bush should let it go.  He strikes me as a man who doesn't have his heart in it but is doing so because he's been pushed and doesn't want to disappoint.  Well, he is disappointing and hardly inspirational.  Warm and cuddly and loving isn't necessarily inspirational. It is, however, a bit cloying.

So here we are.  Back to what this blog used to be all about.  Just musing.

We NEED Our Police

As I was browsing clip art for this post I came across the banner to the left.  I think it's a great idea and if there is a police officer out there who would like some senior citizen support, let me know.  By that I mean support from those of us who grew up wanting to be a policeman because we admired them and respected them.

As we got older we came to realize being s policeman was more than an exciting job and a cool uniform.  It meant being tough when it was called for and putting oneself in danger when it was called for.  Still many wanted the career and thank heaven for that!

In scanning headlines this morning I see the murder rate in New York City is up 15%, Baltimore continues to get bloodier, shootings involving children are up 500% and a Washington D.C. reporter was shot dead after being used as a human shield.

Don't ask where are the police.  They aren't wanted. After all they're filled with bigotry and racism and just add to the problem.  I think not.  

There is so much discussion about why there is so much discontent and violence and what can be done to change it.  Strengthen the family unit.  Better education for the kids so they will have opportunities other than crime.  That's wonderful.

In the meantime we need our police.  Yes, they sometimes make bad calls and sometimes, as in any large population, there are some bad eggs but by and large that is not  the norm. Yes, they are hardened and sometimes seem to be less than sensitive.  Well, put yourself in their shoes and deal with what police in cities like New York and Baltimore and even Ferguson have to deal with day in and day out. See how warm and fuzzy you are after a week.

I think about the police officer here in Coeur d'Alene who lost his life in the middle of the night during a traffic stop.  Does it matter what the race of the shooter was?  No. What would have happened in that neighborhood at that time of night if the officer had not stopped the man or had not been there at all?  Some type of crime you can be sure.  No one prowls neighborhoods late at night just to admire the lawns and gardens.  More likely they're checking out easy access, lack of barking dogs and maybe a pile of uncollected newspapers. As it was the officer was there and was killed for his effort, for doing his job. It could have been anyone in that neighborhood who awakened to a noise and went to investigate.  

Let the police get back to work so little kids aren't afraid to walk to school.  The ones who should fear indictment are the corrupt or inept officials that put unreasonable constraints on them. Or the Justice Department who deems itself the ultimate poo bah in how cities should run their departments.  How many have ever served?  How many realize the risks and the anxiety that comes with the territory? How many know the hard edge of of fear when confronted, or the sense of futility when they are called out time and time again?  We not to understand where the police are coming from, not the perpetrators of mayhem who are the first to cry foul.

Adopt a cop.  I like it.  Not a bad movement to see started!

Why Can't Cops Protest?

Am I in the minority?  I do not think the police turning their backs on Mayor DeBlasio was in poor taste nor was it an insult to their fallen comrades. If nothing more it was a show of support for the two officers who died because vehemence toward police had gotten out of hand. How else were they going to let it be known they aren't happy with their treatment.

If the Sharpton/DeBlasio race baiters have the right to protest then I think the police should too.  Actually I think they've done it with class considering what they could do.  After all, they are the ones armed to the hilt.

All they did, however, was turn their backs on the person they have a grievance with in the only venue where they could be sure he got the message.  Or at least couldn't deny getting it.  They didn't turn over and burn cars, they didn't break windows, beat civilians nor rob businesses. They didn't rain debris on unsuspecting pedestrians. They merely turned their backs. On the one person with whom they had a grievance.

Is our discomfort because of the brotherhood they share?  They have each others backs in a way no other profession other than active duty combat soldiers do.  Daily they face the worst of us more than the best.  Sure, not all of them are good guys and sometimes we lose patience because it takes so long to weed out the bad ones.  We don't like their 'attitude'.  But what would we do without them?

We want their respect.  Is it too much for them to ask the same from not only those they protect but from those to whom they must answer?  I think not.

I'm willing to wager if we should ever have another, God forbid, incident like 9/11 who do you think would be leading the first responders?  I think I can safely say it wouldn't be the likes of Bill DeBlasio.  Most likely it would be a cop.  We need to remember that. 

Reap What You Sow

"What do we want? Dead cops.  When do we want it? Now!" Free speech or shouting fire in a theater?  According to the racist adviser to the White House it's free speech.  To anyone with an ounce of sense looking at the current climate it's akin to crying fire in a theater.

I hope all the race baiters are happy that two NYPD officers lie dead.  Now, right before Christmas a boy is without his father and a bride without her groom.  Thank you Mr. Mayor and Mr. Sharpton and all those with whom you are complicit.

Now Mr. Sharpton is asking the Feds for protection because he has received death threats.  I can't imagine why. Okay, how 'bout we protect him behind bars where he belongs for a multitude of sins including non-payment of taxes which have been ignored.  Yet he struts around anointing himself as spokesperson for justice for blacks.

What would I like to see?  When the two officers are laid to rest I'd like to see hundreds of thousands of people lining the streets of New York in support of their police and every other police department in the nation. I'd like to see it led by blacks chanting "Police lives are important!" Or maybe  "What do we want? Respect for our police.  When do we want it? Now!"

It's about time we start enunciating the facts of daily life.  Police are the thin blue line between safety and chaos.  The higher the crime area the greater their presence and the greater the danger to their lives. If those who are committing the crimes are black then they are the ones who will be apprehended and punished or if they resist they are likely to be shot.  And killed. The same applies to everyone, no matter their race.

Instead of lionizing a man who was killed while police were trying to arrest him for a crime he had a habit of committing or a teen who thought attacking an officer and trying to get his weapon let's look at the facts of the case.  Yes, it's tragic when someone loses their life but lets put the blame where it belongs.  On the one committing the crime.

Of course black lives are important.  So is mine and so is yours and so, especially, are the lives of those who have taken an oath to do what is necessary for us to be able live those lives in peace and without fear.

I don't fear the police.  I fear the likes of Al Sharpton, Bill di Blasio and those in the administration who feel it necessary to propagate fear and division in order to justify their being. I have trouble getting my arms around the idea that their lives, too, are important.  Perhaps they are as a lesson as to how not to live my own.

Cops And Robbers

There are two sides to every story and it seems in the case of the current protests neither side has it exactly right. Forget that 90% of the protesters who are there are there to protest no matter what.  For many of them it's a way of life and I always wonder who foots the bill for their travel, their bail and the fancy signs they carry.  But this isn't about the protesters.

It's about the cops, for one. They aren't totally innocent in all of this.  They tend to be by nature aggressive.  Of course they have to be.  Meek and mild doesn't get the job done.  But too often they come across as over armed bullies and behave in the same manner.  In defense of that behavior, when the majority of the people you deal with are criminals of one sort or another your defenses and defensiveness are always up. People not used to functioning in that environment get their own defenses up and unintended conflicts occur. What I'm suggesting here is the police need to know when to mind their manners and better sense who they're dealing with.

Now for the blacks who refuse to do more than cry victim.  I've addressed it before and won't go into another lengthy diatribe but attitude and behavior do a lot to put police on edge.  Plus the numbers who are disproportionately involved in arrestable crime.  When there are so many who have raised themselves above ghetto mentality and have become fantastic role models for any race, you know it can be done.

I'm tired of the blacks versus police argument.  The police have a job to do.  If the blacks are the ones most often on the receiving end of the baton ask why.  It's not because of their race.  It's because of their behavior.

Until we all behave by the same code we will continue to be misunderstood by one another. The black population reminds me of other social misunderstandings we harbour.  Take gays who flaunt their lifestyle, are in your face with it knowing full well their behavior is offensive to many. Or other foreign groups who refuse to learn English.  All are minorities of their particular segment of their populations yet they garner the headlines making it difficult for those who would and have risen above it and have become one with the country as Americans.

Perhaps the media, too, needs some retraining.  They need to return to objective reporting.  Truth should trump ratings.  Why doesn't it?

Good Cops, Bad Cops And Grand Juries

How could a New York grand jury have gotten it so wrong considering the turmoil  following the one in Ferguson getting it right?

In watching the Ferguson mess I felt, from information available on TV news and the papers, that the grand jury made the right decision knowing there would be outrage fomented by racist agendas. I felt the officer got a raw deal and no where nearly enough support from his peers., the public and the media.

Along with that I've heard the pundits who are also lawyers praising grand juries as a vital piece of our justice system and that evidence counts. So what do I think now?  While I agree with the decision in Ferguson it has become clear that the justice system has become politicized with media compliance.  We pretty much know how things played out.  Little was made of Michael Brown's true character nor of Darren Wilson's. Did justice prevail?  Certainly not from the officer's point of view where he has lost his career for having done his job as he had been trained to do.

Fast forward to New York where another grand jury has decided not to indict officer Daniel Pantaleo for the choke hold that lead to the death of Eric Garner who's crime was peddling untaxed cigarettes on the street and arguing with police when he was confronted. Okay.  Using choke holds in New York is illegal.  Period.  The video shows that Pantaleo used one to subdue the giant of a man. He died.  As in Ferguson the cop, along with those who helped him, were white, the perpetrator black. That's where the similarity ends.

That's according to video.  What we don't know is what this grand jury heard as evidence.  I'd like it to be made public just as was Ferguson's.  Why was the decision the same when evidence of both incidents as reported by the news is so vastly different?

It's no wonder people are outraged. The President and his surrogates should stay out of it because at this point nothing more can be seen than their color and perceived bias. White cops are now targets for every hot head on the streets looking to settle a score.  Blacks who will revert to violence will only harm their cause to an even greater degree and the rest of us are pretty much on our own!

There are cool heads on both sides but both seem to be having trouble making themselves heard. Until the decision of this grand jury is fully explained the outrage will continue.  Perhaps even after since it follows so closely on the heels of Ferguson.  My guess is that it has set race relations back decades because of misguided actions of the Farrakhans and Sharptons, football players and even members of Congress.  Misguided in some cases.  No more than ill will in others. There is no trust on either side.  It won't be easy to re-establish.

It's Christmas season.  Peace and good will toward men. If you think it was lost to the frenzy of commercialism, it's even more lost to the frenzy of self interests and lack of leadership on both sides.  The networks need to reign in the race baiters, black and white, and for once dig into a story and tell the truth of it.  Is that even possible any more?

Police Overkill?

It scares me when I see the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri. It seems to be coming more and more common place and I wonder if it isn't time for police departments to go back to the very basics of training and make some adjustments.

While the stories that make the most headlines seem to be between whites and blacks, it's not just that.  We have plenty of white upon white conflicts in our area and someone usually gets shot.   Whatever happened to taking a suspect down with a billy club?  Do they even carry them?  Or even mace or tasers? Why must it always be lethal gunfire?

I listen to a nearby sheriff always ask us to put ourselves in the officer's position.  I get that, but must he always use his gun?  Recently an officer even took out a black Lab in a van because the dog lunged at the partially opened window when the officer approached. Anyone who has the slightest knowledge of dogs knows this is going to happen if someone gets too close to 'his' vehicle! A walk through any parking lot teaches that to you.

So what's the deal? Not only does the training have to be more inclusive of less lethal techniques perhaps the character and personality traits of those applying to serve need closer scrutiny too.

It seems to be going the other way with little departments like ours getting military surplus vehicles which are hardly called for in most circumstances.  Between the militarization of police departments and the focus on lethal methods of taking a suspect, I'm very leery of police.

I don't believe there is mal intent.  Rather a certain sloppiness in execution because of the ease of what is acceptable procedure.

It's a dilemma when in some circumstances officers are forbidden by higher authority from even doing their jobs.  The border mess is the best example. To the circumstance where one shot is all it takes on the other end of the spectrum.  In the case in Missouri it was several shots.

It's the people in between who bear the brunt. Anyone can make a move that seems threatening when there is no such intent.  But to be killed for it?  It's a slippery slope and it's time to throw some sand on it to stop the trajectory!

We Should Not Forget Racism Flows Both Ways

Usually I would have commented on an incident like this and moved on. Now, it would seem, Henry Gates himself says it's time to move on .

The turn around came so fast it made my head spin. I know Obama can be persuasive, but still...

Did he have an ulterior motive when he stated plans to use the incident to improve fairness in the criminal justice system? He continued to say, "in the end this is not about me at all."

I'm not so sure.

We know he had consulted his legal team and was considering a lawsuit. I present a rationale for reading articles to their conclusion. It would seem he vowed to make an documentary on his arrest to "tie into a larger project on racial profiling."

Did he see opportunity here and exploit it?

I am fully aware racial tension still exists in this country and no amount of denial will make it go away. Just like the neo-Nazi's still have a presence in northern Idaho even if we prefer to think they have been eradicated. They have not and on occasion remind us of just that. Such seems to be the case of Professor Gates use of an arrest to further his own agenda.

Two things you might find of interest. One is a website he oversees, The Root. The other is the narrative on the arrest report. Click on the image to enlarge it or follow the link.

While I understand many prominent blacks defending Professor Gates, it would appear that he may be equally culpable in the escalation of this incident as a few unwise words from the President. We should also understand that racism is not a one way street.

Yes. Racism is alive and well. We do not need people of prominence making an issue of it when it's questionable there is an issue to be made.

As for police behavior, Professor Gates should be glad he is in Cambridge rather than Spokane. He'd likely have been tasered or worse and if a lawsuit had been filed the police would probably been found guilty of - nothing. It would not have mattered what his race happened to be.

Neighborhood "Watch Out!"

I'm sorry Mr. President, but you were the one acting "stupidly" after first admitting you weren't present and didn't have all the facts regarding the arrest of you're friend, Henry Gates, then claiming the police acted stupidly. That, in of itself, was a display of bad judgement on your part. The fire storm it kindled is much worse.

First, this is how I see it had it been my own circumstance. If a neighbor noticed anything untoward on my property, I would want them to call the police. I would want the police to respond in a timely manner and approach the intruder with caution - especially if I was the one being mistaken as such!

If asked for identification, I would gladly show it. I would not mouth off to the officer no matter what color he/she was. Nor if it were a black officer, or Hispanic, or Asian would I think him/her racist if I did mouth off and was arrested because of my conduct.

But that's me. I'm not a high falutin Harvard professor with a chip on my shoulder and an over estimation of my recognizability!

That's where it should have stopped. Obama didn't have his teleprompters handy and ended up with his foot in his mouth. Gates mouthed off and got arrested for it. End of story.

I wish. What began with a good deed turned sour by bad behavior has been blown into a full scale racial incident. I am so disgusted with the news coverage of this. Since it's been on the news 24/7 since it happened it's impossible to escape. Why is the media trying so hard to make it into something it wasn't? Anchors are pushing the racial profiling angle. I haven't seen Jesse Jackson yet. That may be an issue of timing on my part, but the oh, so solemn Al Sharpton is weighing in anywhere he can.

Police officers from around the country are being interviewed. Black police officers. They have, to a man, supported the officer involved, yet I've heard more than one anchor state, in effect,"Oh well, he is a cop!"

We are never going to conquer racism or even control it if every time a white officer arrests a badly behaving black or vice versa.

Obama should either apologize to the officer for an inappropriate comment or just shut up. Defending his comment is just fomenting the controversy. I'd not like to think it is by design but if this continues to simmer with the President, or his spokespeople, in the middle of it I will do more than begin to wonder.