On the Seventh Day of Christmas

Two great gifts to the world: Judeo-Christian values; and the United States of America.

Day Seven-“The U.S. military is the greatest defender of freedom in the world .”

Number 7 from “Twelve Great Reasons to Love a Great Country,” from The American Patriot’s Almanac, by William J. Bennett and John T.E. Cribb; Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2008

On the Sixth Day of Christmas

Two great gifts to the world: Judeo-Christian values; and the United States of America.

Day Six-“No other country has welcomed and united so many people from so many different shores.”

Number 6 from “Twelve Great Reasons to Love a Great Country,” from The American Patriot’s Almanac, by William J. Bennett and John T.E. Cribb; Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2008

Walking the Point, the Cops’ Perspective

“Walking the Point” is the title of a piece honoring the sacrifices made by police officers. The piece is quoted below.

I have not previously heard of the use of the phrase “Walking the Point” in the context of law enforcement. We do use “point” as in “I’ve got the point” during surveillance work to signify that the officer is taking primary responsibility in the reporting on the status of a surveillance target.

The original derivation of the phrase undoubtedly hails from the military. Daryl S. Paulson wrote the book, Walking the Point: Male Initiation and the Vietnam Experience, in 2005.

The quote below is listed on several websites, but I could not find an attribution to the original author. The point of the piece is well made and worth repeating often to remind us that we all owe a deep gratitude to others. I salute the unknown author.

Walking the Point

There are some things that you just can't do without suffering - very literally and profoundly - casualties; and our job is one of them.

You can't race cars without crashes, you can't dig mines without cave-ins, and you sure as hell can't send cops out into the streets of a violent society without violent deaths.

Our fallen brothers knew that and did it anyway--as we all do or have done. ........Their friends will tell you they did the job because they loved it, and any of us who can't say that should envy them for it. At least they died as rare and precious people: doing what they loved to do, and doing it for the noblest of reasons.

That is something we can never explain outside of our profession.

You see, you can't be a good cop simply because you couldn't get another job.

You can only be a good cop because you want it. And there is an answer as to why they died, something I learned half a world away many years ago as a young Marine, preparing to face an enemy in combat for the first time. It was then that my sergeant explained that, like it or not, there are only three rules in war:

Rule Number One is "YOUNG MEN DIE"

Rule Number Two is "YOU CAN'T CHANGE RULE #1"

Rule Number Three is "SOMEBODY HAS TO WALK THE POINT"

You see, when soldiers advance, knowing the enemy is near, there is always one man way out in front of everyone else. His duty is to look and listen and sense that first contact; to spot the enemy, pinpoint the ambush, fire that first shot, and as a consequence, take those first shots.

It offends the logical mind and denies the instinct for survival. It ages and saddens and wizens, and frequently kills those who take their turn "Walking the Point." But it must be done, or there would be no protection for the rest, just more bloodshed, and more grief. For the "Point Man" is there to save lives, even if he gives his own in the process.

Society may not be a company of soldiers, but it certainly has (and needs) somebody walking the point.

Every time you go out the station door, every time you answer the radio call, every time you stop to check out something suspicious, and remember... YOU CAN'T CHANGE RULE #1.

If I could say something directly to the people in our society, it would be this. I know some of you will remember our brothers, but that's not good enough. I want you to honor them for what they did for you-that which they needn't have done. I'm not just talking about what they did on the day that "routine" call or stop went horribly bad. I mean what they did for you day after day, in darkness and light, rain or shine, on holidays and on their loved ones' birthdays, without ever expecting even a "thank you" in return. They volunteered to "Walk the Point.”

Link in this Blog:
Walking the Point: Male Initiation and the Vietnam Experience


Uu-ah Sheepdog! Hunt the Wolf and the Jackal!

On the Fifth Day of Christmas

On the Fifth Day of Christmas

Two great gifts to the world: Judeo-Christian values; and the United States of America.

Day Five-“We enjoy one of the world’s highest standards of living.”

Number 5 from “Twelve Great Reasons to Love a Great Country,” from The American Patriot’s Almanac, by William J. Bennett and John T.E. Cribb; Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2008

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

Two great gifts to the world: Judeo-Christian values; and the United States of America.

Day Four-“This is the place where dreams can come true.”

Number 4 from “Twelve Great Reasons to Love a Great Country,” from The American Patriot’s Almanac, by William J. Bennett and John T.E. Cribb; Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2008

Sheepdog Barking is Now a Twitter

I am trying to stay up with the latest and greatest Internet innervations. As such, I’ve joined Twitter as an augmentation and a pointer to this blog, Sheepdog Barking.

Twitter is a free blog community allowing a posting of no more than 140 characters at a time. The uniqueness of Twitter is that the reader can select and follow the postings of their favorite people, which are directly sent to the reader’s own Twitter site. Alternatively, the reader may go directly to the selected Twitter’s site just like any other blog.

The concept of Twitter is to allow writers to share the little everyday things in life. As the Twitter home page says:

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

For instance, a fellow Twitter might post that he is sitting in the backyard having a cup of coffee.” Yawn, like who really gives a fat rat’s a…?

Well, apparently a whole lot of people actually do because Twitter is very popular.

I won’t be putting up any such inane postings on Twitter, but I will be posting notifications of new blogs on Sheepdog Barking, and I’ll let you know bits of information that I find interesting. For example, I Twitter posted that Bill Bennett’s new book, The American Patriot’s Almanac, is a good read and that Al Martinez has a new blog piece up entitled, Up Paula’s Nose & Other Stories. My Al Martinez Twitter post has a direct link to his blog posting.

I have not yet figured out all the possibilities of using Twitter, but it seems quite convenient when you want to stay abreast of a limited number of people. So far, I am only following Hugh Hewitt and a For Sarah Palin Twitter accounts. I’ll gradually add more when I see who has posted substantive information.

My Twitter address is: http://twitter.com/SheepDogBarking

Can you believe it? What a twit I’ve become!

Links in this Blog:
SheepDog Barking on Twitter

Up Paula’s Nose & Other Stories

The American Patriot’s Almanac

On the Third Day of Christmas

Two great gifts to the world: Judeo-Christian values; and the United States of America.

Day Three- “No other country has done a better job of establishing equal rights for all citizens.”

Number 3 from “Twelve Great Reasons to Love a Great Country,” from The American Patriot’s Almanac, by William J. Bennett and John T.E. Cribb; Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2008

On the Second Day of Christmas

Two great gifts to the world: Judeo-Christian values; and the United States of America.

Day Two-“America really is the land of the free.”

Number 2 from "Twelve Great Reasons to Love a Great Country," from The American Patriot’s Almanac, by William J. Bennett and John T.E. Cribb; Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2008.

On the First Day of Christmas

Two great gifts to the world: Judeo-Christian values; and the United States of America.

Day One- “The United States was the first nation in history created out of the belief that people should govern themselves.”

Number 1 from "Twelve Great Reasons to Love a Great Country," The American Patriot’s Almanac, by William J. Bennett and John T.E. Cribb; Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2008.

Something to Learn from Canadians & Their “Highway of Heroes”

See what a grassroots movement has become as Canadians honor their lost Warriors along the “Highway of Heroes.”

Link in this Blog:
U.S. media pays tribute to ‘Highway of Heroes'

Vets Are Not Forgotten In This Heart

“The Nation That Forgets Its Defenders Will In Turn Be Forgotten”

Integrity is Not a Word Applied to the LA Times

Do journalism schools teach that a journalist writing on a news page is free to mix the reporting of facts with their own opinion? I thought that news and opinion were supposed to be clearly separated. Isn’t that why there are delineated areas in newspapers for news and commentary?

I ask because I am not a trained journalist, and I write pieces, like this one, injected with personal analysis, which is a nice way to say that I write opinion bolstered by alleged facts.

I gave up reading the LA Times because I was disgusted with the consistent presentation of opinion in news pieces. In that kind of environment, how can a reader of a news article have any confidence that he is reading objectively reported facts?

Every once in awhile I glance at the LA Times headlines on the Internet. Yesterday this news headline caught my eye, Sarah Palin returns to a chillier Alaska. 1

Throwing caution to the wind, I plunged into the article and found these gems by LA Times Staff writer Kim Murphy.

Gem number one:

But wait -- what fairy tale is that? After several months co-starring with its governor in one of the hardest-fought presidential campaigns in modern U.S. history, America's 49th state bears little resemblance to the friendly, folksy place Palin left in August. 1

“But wait -- what fairy tale is that?” Say what?? And, because Sarah Palin was absent from Alaska for 3 months, the place went to hell in a hand basket? It’s a good thing Palin did not become the Vice President. It doesn’t sound like Alaska can exist without her. I wonder how they got by for all those years before she became governor.

Gem number two:

With her vice-presidential carriage turned back into a pumpkin…1

Hmmmm, no bias here. Just good solid, objective reporting.

Murphy quotes Sarah Palin’s Alaskan approval ratings as if she thinks that they buttress the mendacious piece:

Palin's approval ratings in Alaska, once in the stratospheric 80% range, have tumbled to a mere mortal 65%. 1

Mere mortal? Most politicians would be more than pleased with such a mortal rating.

A report out of Alaska yesterday states that Sarah Palin is fully vindicated in the controversy over the firing of the Public Safety Commissioner. Coupled with Murphy’s obvious bias, why should Murphy be afforded credibility for this statement?

A minor dust-up over the firing of her former public safety commissioner has blossomed into two full "Troopergate" investigations, with some lawmakers threatening to lead off the coming legislative session by sending some of Palin's senior aides to jail.1

Can anyone find a good reason to continue reading Ms. Kim Murphy’s scholarly journalistic work? Of course, it just struck me! I don’t know why I did not think of it earlier. It must be a mistake by the paper’s layout people. Murphy’s piece was supposed to run either on the Op-Ed page or as an official column but somehow it ended up in the news section. You just can’t get good help any more. No wonder the LA Times is bleeding red ink all over its financial ledger.

The LA Times was a great newspaper until it devolved into a partisan rag by letting their news writers’ personal opinions leak into the news pieces and for their selective publishing or not publishing to the advantage of their political preference.

The LA Times is not exceptional among the liberal news media where integrity no longer seems to be a foundational characteristic. I accept that the majority of the mainstream media is blatantly biased in the liberal direction. So naturally, I don’t expect them to treat conservatives with a balanced perspective. But in truth, they don’t treat out-of-favor liberals much better. Consider what the liberal press has done to Joe Liberman and Hillary Clinton. Hillary was their darling until Barack Obama showed up. Hillary is no different than she has ever been, but now she is treated like yesterday’s ripening garbage. Actually, I don’t think that the mainstream media, nor many of the Democratic Party power figures, ever liked her. But, you wouldn’t know that until she became expendable with the arrival of Obama.

Link in this Blog:
1. Sarah Palin returns to a chillier Alaska

The Prez Elect Wants You to Get An Ass Whoopin’

Sheepdogs are used to getting physically banged around whether it is on the streets or in training. I’ve been no exception in my career, but that is not to say that I have sought it out. It damn well happens at the most inconvenient times. When violence raises its ugly head, you better be prepared to protect yourself. Consider the opinion of this unknown author

Why I Carry a Gun

My old grandpa said to me, "Son, there comes a time in every man's life when he stops bustin' knuckles and starts bustin' caps and usually it's when he becomes too old to take an ass whoopin'."

I don't carry a gun to kill people. I carry a gun to keep from being killed.

I don't carry a gun to scare people. I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.

I don't carry a gun because I'm paranoid. I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.

I don't carry a gun because I'm evil. I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world. I don't carry a gun because I hate the government. I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.

I don't carry a gun because I'm angry. I carry a gun so that I don't have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.

I don't carry a gun because I want to shoot someone. I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.

I don't carry a gun because I'm a cowboy. I carry a gun because, when I die and go to Heaven, I want to be a cowboy.

I don't carry a gun to make me feel like a man. I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.

I don't carry a gun because I feel inadequate. I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.

I don't carry a gun because I love it. I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.

"Police Protection" is an oxymoron. Free citizens must protect themselves. Police do not protect you from crime; they usually just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.

Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.

It is no secret that Barack Obama is staunchly anti-gun. The populous would be well advised to not let him get away with fulfilling the leftist desire to disarm law-abiding citizens. If someone wants to disarm you, it might be prudent to ask why.

The unknown author is correct about the oxymoron of “Police Protection.” What is that statement about prying my guns from my dead, cold fingers?

The Entitlement Society has Spoken

Shame, Shame, Shame!

Thoughts on the Eve…

On the eve of perhaps the most important U.S. Presidential election of our time, here are some bits and pieces that come to mind.

If the other side’s guys win, I won’t hate them.

If my side’s guy and gal win, the other side will hate them.

I saw a car today with an Obama sticker on it. It didn’t think much of it until I saw the driver, a female black. I realized that if I had seen her without the sticker it would still have been a good bet that she’d vote for Obama. If I’d seen Condi Rice, and not recognized her, I’d have lost my bet.

I saw a car festooned with American flags and stickers. Incongruently, there was an Obama sticker on the car as well. Why incongruent? Go to any heavily liberal city, San Francisco or Santa Cruz for instance, and see how many American flags you see. The other side’s champion, Barack Obama, refused to wear an American flag pin until the political heat got to him.

I think that Obama is basically an honest guy forced to conceal his true nature to get elected.

The mainstream media sold its soul to the devil of leftism.

Tomorrow night I will be either relieved and happy or sad.

Tomorrow night the other side will be either ecstatic or seething mad and flinging accusations of racism and theft of the election.

When the sun rises on Wednesday morning, it will rise to the reaffirmation of traditional American values or to the steady footfalls of socialist storm-troopers and the growing vulnerability to fascist forces intent upon the destruction of the greatest country the world has ever known.

To My Old and Dear Warrior Friend

My Friend, you and I are old, and we’re going to die relatively soon. You, a retired military warrior and I, a soon to be retired civil warrior, fought different battles, but really the same. As old warriors, it is our purview to wallow in the cynicism resultant of too many fights over too many years. I reject that temptation because I can’t allow myself to live in a state of self-indulgence. There is still a fire in my belly, other than the one caused by good whisky. Joining you soon off the field of battle, I’ll be sheathing my sword for the exclusive use of a pen while continuing to subject my words to the abuse and critique of whomever happens upon my missives.

You, the world traveler and educated observer, reject my entreaties to expand your writing beyond a closed circle of confidants and former colleagues. Don’t you agree that you are essentially talking to yourself? I contend that you have a continuing warrior mission to speak to and hopefully be understood by those who fail to perceive the danger amongst us and the threatening hordes just over the horizon.

During our discussion on Islamo-fascism, you stated that you are not about to again risk “getting your tail shot-off for Mom’s apple pie.” I understand, but in truth, considering our age and unsuitability for the field of battle, neither of us is likely to live long enough to get our tails shot off, as you say, for “Mom’s apple pie.” I might still take a bullet from some damn doper, but probably not from an Islamist.

While you married and enjoy many years with your bride, you made a conscious decision to not have children. You had good reason to seriously doubt whether you would survive to raise the next generation. I made the same choice only to have it undone when I married a woman with adult daughters, who subsequently gave us grandchildren. The girls adamantly dubbed me “Dad” and then “Grandpa” when that time arrived. The grandchildren call me “Papa.” Go figure, I never thought I’d be here.

In response to my comments on the burgeoning Muslim threat, you wrote back and I subsequently accused you of throwing the baby out with the bath water. That was not intended to be just an old metaphor. You did not have a five year old granddaughter asleep on your lap just prior to writing your piece. I did, and the fact that I do have grandchildren shapes my perspective in a manner in which I doubt that you can empathize.

You were a great warrior and made many sacrifices for your country while slogging in the jungles and soaring high in the cockpit. And, yes the politicians and brass lied to you. But, consider this: what is our country if not the future of our children and their children? I don’t think that you understand the bigger reason why you, as a warrior, played such an important role. And, that’s because it never slept on your lap.

You said that you never run from a fight. So, pick up your pen and step back into the fray. Pick up the most powerful weapon that you’ve ever held in your hands. A gun can dissipate an immediate threat, but it can’t kill an evil idea. The pen is the only weapon that can change minds.

The fire, my Friend! The fire is still in my belly, more so than ever before.

Uu-ah Sheepdog! Hunt the Wolf and the Jackal!

Will an Obama Presidency Destroy the Country?

Should Obama attain the presidency, he will accelerate the Democrat Party’s de facto destruction of traditional American values.

The current credit and liquidity problems hurting all Americans are a direct result of the Democrat Party’s socialistic demands forcing the mortgage industry to fund mortgages for people who could neither afford nor previously qualify for a home mortgage. And of course, the mortgage industry took advantage of the situation.

With an Obama presidency, he and the Democrat Party will again decrease military and intelligence capabilities and once again increase the probability of lost American lives and property.

Obama is the philosophical leading edge of a populous slide away from traditional American Judeo-Christian values and the capitalist system toward a socialistic European system where equality is valued over liberty. How do we know that Obama is not a supporter of traditional American values? Let’s count the ways.

Obama is closely linked to William Ayers despite Obama’s protestations that he was only eight years old when, unrepentant to this day, Ayers and wife Bernadette Dorn, as members of the terrorist Weather Underground organization, were trying their best to destroy the United States of America with bombs. Ayers is still trying to subvert America with his current programs to brainwash and radicalize young students. The first association between Obama and Ayers, of which we know, was in Ayers’ home kicking off Obama’s political career.

Obama actively supported ACORN with funding and training. As shown by recent federal indictments and FBI investigations, ACORN is actively engaged in fraudulent voter registration in support of the Democrat Party’s quest for potential voters living off, or hoping to live off, the Federal dole and beholding to the Democratic Party.

Obama spent twenty years in a “Christian” Chicago church best known for its black liberation theology under the tutelage of his good friend Rev. Jeremiah Wright. From the pulpit Wright spewed racist hatred and Anti-Americanism. Obama publically supported Wright until forced by political considerations of the presidential campaign.

Obama is a supporter of black separatist and racist Louis Farrakhan, head of the Nation of Islam. There are well documented triangulated links among Obama, Wright and Farrakhan.

Obama’s political left philosophies are well documented in his legislative voting record as an Illinois state representative and a U.S. Senator. Obama confirmed his leftism by his recent assertion that he wants to spread the wealth around. Anyone with half a mind can figure out that means confiscating money lawfully earned by someone and giving it to someone who did nothing to earn the money. For those without a half a mind, that is socialism.

Obama’s character may be judged by the company that he keeps: Ayers; Wright; and Farrakhan. Obama’s character is judged by others who endorse or support him: Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela; Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua; various European socialists; and Ahmed Yousef of the Hamas terrorist organization. There is a reason why these anti-American people like Obama. They believe him to be a kindred spirit.

As evidenced above, there are common themes accompanying Obama’s leftist philosophy: anti-Americanism; and black racism. Of course, it is possible that Obama is nothing more than an intellectual fraud and political opportunist exploiting the left and black racism for his personal gain. I don’t think so.

Since Obama is the most leftist potential President in history, given the chance he would probably damage America more than Democrat Jimmy Carter, the worst American President in history. Did you like the disastrous Carter economy and the significant part he played in loosing Islamo-fascism on the world? Obama and the Democrat Party controlled Congress will continue the relentless path to total socialism and the death of the values that created the greatest country the world has ever seen. Lose our traditional values and we are headed to the dust bin of history as a second rate nation. We have no one to blame but ourselves if we elect Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Kerry and others of their ilk.

If your values correspond with those evidenced as Obama’s, you are morally obliged to cast your vote for him. What then does that make you? You would not be a traitor, but you are discarding the freedoms won by the blood and sweat of others. I maintain that you are an ingrate and your actions are contemptuous. But hey, that’s just my opinion.

Here’s the opinion of Samuel Adams:

"Contemplate the mangled bodies of your countrymen, and then say, 'What should be the reward of such sacrifices?' ... If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!"

Capture a Terrorist and Release Him in the U.S.

Seven years ago the U.S. captured 17 ethnic Uighurs in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Uighurs are Chinese Muslims, originating from Xinjiang, a remote Chinese area bordering Pakistan, Afghanistan and other countries. The Uighur people want to succeed from China, and they have been stirring the Chinese pot with terrorist attacks. These are the people who made all the terrorist noise during the recent Olympics in Bejing.

China has long said that insurgents are leading an Islamic separatist movement in Xinjiang. (1)

The U.S. captured these characters in 2001 and held them in Guantanamo Bay.

The government said the detainees at the U.S. naval base in Cuba had admitted receiving weapons training in Afghanistan and were a national security
risk. (1)

Now, U.S. courts have ordered the release of the Uighurs.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina on Tuesday made a dramatic decision ordering the government to free the detainees by Friday. Urbina said it would be wrong for the Bush administration to continue holding the detainees, known as Uighurs (pronounced WEE'gurz), since they are no longer considered enemy combatants. (1)

But, release them to where? No country seems to want the Uighurs except China, and some people fear that repatriating them to China will result in their torture.

The Bush administration also said it was continuing "heightened" efforts to find another country to accept the Uighurs, since the detainees might be tortured if they are turned over to China. (1)

The Beijing government has repeatedly urged the U.S. to turn the Uighurs over to Chinese authorities. (1)

Let’s see no one except China wants them because why? Could it be that they are trained Muslim radicals? Certainly China wants to get their hands on them for interrogation, and I suspect they’d never again ply their terrorist trade. But, wait! There are plans to release them into the U.S.

The detainees were scheduled to arrive in Washington early Friday and appear in Urbina's courtroom for release to local Uighur families who have agreed to help them settle into the United States. (1)

Judge Urbina was appointed to the U.S. District Court in July 1994. Does it surprise you that he is a Bill Clinton appointee? With judges like this, who needs any more enemies?

If you agree with Judge Urbina, undoubtedly you will be voting Democrat in November and you really are stuck on stupid.

Let’s repatriate the Uighurs to their homeland with parachutes from 30,000 feet, and the Chinese government can look for them, if they wish.

Link in the Blog:
Chinese Muslims' release into US blocked for now

Character Expressed For Good or Bad

I’ve written previously about when all else fails, look at a person’s character to judge whether or not to support a political candidate. It has been my experience since George H. Bush that the Republican candidates for President and Vice President are respected by their security details because those details are treated with kindness and consideration by the Republican candidates. The same cannot be said for the Democratic candidates. Far from it. For the most part the Democrats are detested. I translate this to positive character traits or the lack there of respectively.

I have not been in touch with Secret Service personnel during this Presidential campaign so I have no idea what the agents think of Obama and Biden. But, judging from the comments made by a member of the press corps, I’m guessing that Obama may be continuing the Democratic elitist attitude.

…I would love to have someone from Obama's campaign explain why the entire press corps, the Secret Service, and the local police idled for two hours in a Miami hotel parking lot recently because there was nothing to do and nowhere to go. It was not an isolated case. (1)

That’s shades of the arrogant Clintons and Kerrys.

Speaking about Obama,

The national headquarters in Chicago airily dismisses complaints from journalists wondering why a schedule cannot be printed up or at least e-ailed in time to make coverage plans. Nor is there much sympathy for those of us who report for a newscast that airs in the early evening hours. Our shows place a premium on live reporting from the scene of campaign events. But this campaign can often be found in the air and flying around at the time the "CBS Evening News with Katie Couric" is broadcast. I suspect there is a feeling within the Obama campaign that the broadcast networks are less influential in the age of the internet and thus needn't be accomodated as in the days of yore. Even if it's true, they are only hurting themselves by dissing audiences that run in the tens of millions every night. (1)

Read the article and see for yourself the contrast with the McCain campaign.

Positive character counts and McCain/Palin have it while Obama does not. I don’t know yet about Biden.

Update 10/9/2008: Apparently Biden is a scofflaw. Read how he failed to pay his bills. (2)

Link in this Blog:
(1.) Reporter's Notebook: Seeing How The Other Half Lives
(2.) CPA Got Stiffed by Joe Biden

Jackal In Sheepdog Clothing

Most people are Sheep mercilessly fed upon by Wolves. Sheepdogs live to protect the Sheep and confront the Wolf. (1) There is one more creature.

Raise your right hand and repeat after me. “I, (name is stated), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”

By honoring the oath of office, the U.S. evolves toward a corruption-free law enforcement model, unlike many parts of the world. Nevertheless, police corruption does exist within individual U.S. officers and occasionally entire police units. In the last 17 years or so, the Chicago Police Department (2), the Los Angeles Police Department (3), and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office (4) have suffered the effects of corrupt special police units.

In the old days, police corruption expressed itself as pay-offs from organized crime or the extortion of individuals and businesses. Today, those endeavors pale in comparison with the massive amounts of cash and drugs that can be stolen from drug dealers. Former Police Chief Joseph McNamara wrote in his piece entitled, “Gangsta Cops,” (5)

The Drug War is not only ruining society, it is corrupting police forces across the country and it will continue to do so as long as our current policies are in place. (5)

McNamara states,

In my research I've been horrified to uncover a pattern of thousands of
predatory crimes committed by police officers in the past 30 years that are all connected to the Drug War. In studying these crimes, I've discovered two things: (5)

First, the nature of the Drug War encourages, almost demands, corruption. (5)

Second, the corruption bred by the Drug War is happening across the country, from police officer to police chief or sheriff. (5)

This corruption exists not just among a few individuals scattered across the country, but among corrupt gangs of cops. These gangs have surfaced in big cities and small towns as well as rural areas across America. We cannot end cop gangsterism by merely plucking a few bad apples from the barrel. We can only end it by ending the Drug War policies that breed it. (5)

Now, that’s a damning indictment on the part of Chief McNamara.

The Chief is an out-spoken opponent to the “War on Drugs” and as such he seems to overstate the pervasiveness of drug related police corruption. He qualifies his statements with,

It is true that it's only a small percentage of the total number of police officers that ever commit these crimes. But they do enormous damage-not only to their victims and the community, but to honest cops. (5)

There is a minority of officers operating as rogue cops. But, police corruption does not appear suddenly and fully developed. It is a progressive developing cancer.

An entry level scenario for officers just stepping onto the slippery slope of corruption might go something like this. An officer detains a person known to be a drug user without advising his Dispatch personnel. The person is either legally or illegally searched and a minor amount of drugs or drug paraphernalia is discovered. Confiscating the contraband, the officer does not arrest the individual, but instead gives him a personal cell phone number. The subject now “owes” the officer and is expected to call when he gets some information about someone selling narcotics. When the officer receives the information, the subject is directed to arrange for the purchase of illegal drugs. After learning where and when the drug transaction is to take place, the officer miraculously happens upon the prearranged location and arrests a narcotics seller for the possession of illegal drugs.

The above scenario is pretty good police work, don’t you think? However, there are those nasty details about: unlawful detention; illegal search; destruction of evidence; inducing criminal acts; entrapment of individuals; false police reports; and perjury.

What was it that Chief McNamara said? “…the corruption bred by the Drug War is happening across the country, from police officer to police chief or sheriff.”

So how does a police chief or sheriff become corrupt? It could be dirty money in the form of campaign contributions for a sheriff and perhaps kickbacks to both for influencing who may or may not be targeted in the Drug War. I doubt that there is too much of that, but law enforcement managers are playing into the corruption in another way; it is called “stats,” short for statistics.

It is incontestable that illegal drug usage drives the crime rate, for which law enforcement is judged. Too high a crime rate causes police administrators to come under pressure from their political bosses. Often times, the police manager’s simplistic answer is to demand an increase in the number of arrests (stats.) Today’s preferred term is “productivity,” which is a polite way to say arrest anyone for anything. The officer failing to meet the expected “productivity” is judged negatively. Conversely, the highly productive officer is lionized, regardless of whether or not he makes disguised, unlawful and unethical arrests.

McNamara stated,

Corruption among our narcotics officers will go on no matter what. So long as cops are pressured to fulfill a drug arrest quota, they'll feel justified in making illegal searches and committing perjury concerning the circumstances of the arrest. They'll commit these felonies as long as they produce the kind of statistics that the brass wants. And many will follow the road of temptation, from theft right on down to murder. (5)

That holds true for all officers, not just narcotics officers.

Potential corruption issues are magnified when a law enforcement agency establishes a special unit to specifically increase agency “productivity” if the unit is staffed in part with unethical officers and supervisors. In such cases, it won’t be long until the foot on the slippery slope of corruption degenerates into a full-blown scandal. Rogue units are a direct result of inept management, at best. Rather than inept, if a manager knowingly sets the stage leading to unlawful police activity, he is corrupt. The corrupting factor may not be money, but it could be the desire for personal power or to protect his job.

Early stage police corruption violates civil rights, destroys the public confidence and undermines respect for the law.

I’m grieved that some officers raised their hands, gave the oath of office, were accepted into the Sheepdog fraternity, and eventually abandoned and abused the sacred trust. Inept and/or corrupt managers and officers no longer support and defend the Constitution. They no longer qualify for the honorable “Sheepdog” appellation. These people are now “Jackals,” a close and vile relative of the “Wolf.”

Uu-ah Sheepdog! (6)
Hunt the Wolf and the Jackal!

Links in the Blog:
(1) Sheepdog Barking header

(2) Chicago Police Corruption Probe Under Way

(3) City Will Pay $810,000 in Rampart Lawsuit

(4) Deputies Portrayed as Criminals Trial

(5) Gangsta Cops

(6) Uu-ah to All You Civilian Sheepdogs

Nude Portrait of Sarah Palin, Malevolence from the Left

There is no shortage of slime emanating from the leftist and the Democratic Party side of the spectrum. Witness the latest, a Chicago tavern owner hung a nude portrait of Sarah Palin, painted by the owner’s husband, in the “dive” bar.

Elliott, whose wife, Tobin Mitchen, owns the Old Town Ale House on Chicago's North Side, painted a nude portrait of the Republican vice presidential nominee and hung it above the bar, where it's now a prime attraction among his display of more than 200 celebrity portraits and other racy art. (1)

I wonder how many of the celebrities adored by the left are portrayed nude.

"I've been following her religiously," he said Monday at the bar. "I had never heard of her before, like everyone else. I find her bizarrely fascinating, even though I pretty much despise everything she stands for." (1)

Elliott joins other disgusting left side slime pandering people like Al Franken in their basic disrespect for humans with differing political persuasions. The irony is that these people see nothing wrong with their actions. They have a defect in their hearts.

I’m glad that I don’t have to live with a heart of malevolence like these people. I never in my wildest thoughts ever considered such disgusting actions even concerning a person for whom I hold the lowest of regard for her traitorous action, Jane Fonda.

Link in this Blog:
(1) Nothing conservative there

Truth is Often Simply Stated

Words from others:

“Barack Obama has put out an ad that simple minded John McCain cannot use a computer. Well guess what: Barack cannot land a jet plane on an aircraft carrier at night.”

“If you are still voting Democrat, you are stuck on stupid.”

Democrats, Including Obama, Created the Financial Crisis

Despite the political rhetoric from the Obama campaign, the Democrats are responsible for the financial crisis generated by the real estate crisis.

For the first time in history, a serious Fannie and Freddie reform bill was passed by the Senate Banking Committee. The bill gave a regulator power to crack down, and would have required the companies to eliminate their investments in risky assets.1

But the bill didn't become law, for a simple reason: Democrats opposed it on a party-line vote in the committee, signaling that this would be a partisan issue. Republicans, tied in knots by the tight Democratic opposition, couldn't even get the Senate to vote on the matter.1

But we now know that many of the senators who protected Fannie and Freddie, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Christopher Dodd, have received mind-boggling levels of financial support from them over the years.1

Block key financial legislation; Take huge amounts of money; Lie to the voters and blame the Republicans: Do you expect any less from the Democrats?

Link in this Blog:
1 How the Democrats Created the Financial Crisis: Kevin Hassett

Forever Missed Never Forgotten

Frances Ann Cilente-7 Years Ago Today

Originally Published 9/11/2005 as Francis Ann Cilente Remembered.

On 11/16/74, Fran entered the earthly world dependent upon her parents, John and Louise, for her every need. When she departed this earth on 9/11/2001, Fran was a self-sufficient woman full of hopes, dreams and expectations.

After graduating from Berkeley College with a degree in business, she strode confidently into the world of high finance. Fran worked on the 105th. floor of World Trade Center One as an executive administrator for Joseph Shea, Cantor Fitzgerald Executive Managing Director, and Jonathan Uman, head of corporate development at eSpeed, Inc., a subsidiary of Cantor Fitzgerald. Jonathan Uman was particularly fond of Fran, and she became close with both he and his wife.

Fran excelled in her profession, made possible by her people skills, enthusiasm and zeal for learning. Prior to her work at Cantor Fitzgerald, Fran was a medical assistant, but lost the job to lay-offs. Fran loved to help people, and that is why she was saving money to enroll in a nursing program.

Fran’s Aunt Judith worked across the street from the WTC. She and her godchild would take work breaks and meet in the Tall Ships Bar and Grille. The bartender would have Frannie’s Diet Coke waiting as “Sunshine” rushed into the establishment. Fran certainly lived up to the “Sunshine” appellation because she always had a smile upon her face.

Theresa described Fran as not only her sister, but her best friend. They spent many hours together shopping, going to Mass, or traveling to exotic beach locals such as the Cancun, the Bahamas or other Caribbean islands where Fran loved to sunbathe.

Generous to a fault; here’s a story told to me by Danielle, and it is representative of Fran’s character. Danielle stated that she was in need of some business attire during an unfortunate time of her life. Danielle and Fran rode the Staten Island Ferry together and did not really know each other all that well. Nevertheless, Fran didn’t hesitate to loan Danielle some business suits. What you have to understand is that Fran loved good, fashionable clothes and shoes. Fran was “born to shop,” and so you know that the loaned suits were fashionable items.

Fran utilized her skills with ceramics and other crafts to make holiday decorations for her and others. I’d be willing to bet that there are many other such stories about Fran and her generosity.

I’m told that Fran loved animals, especially her cat, “Kitty.” And, so trips to the zoo were fun. A couple of weeks prior to her passing, Fran took boyfriend Daniel McCurdy to the Bronx Zoo for a six hour tour.

Like many women her age, Fran was beginning to think about getting married and starting a family. While she and Daniel had not yet seriously discussed marriage, they frequently met for coffee at Starbucks. Though Fran and Daniel’s coffee liaisons were not generally known, it appears that their relationship was developing. Daniel said this:

"We spoke about marriage here and there but we never sat down and talked about it," Mr. McCurdy said. "I would have married her. That's where this was going to lead up to."

Laura rode the Staten Island Ferry to and from work with Danielle and Fran. During the trip they often snacked on Now and Later candy. Laura says that she can not now eat a Now and Later without thinking of Fran. Sometimes it is those little things that become treasured memory triggers.

Many people have written nice things about Fran. I found the words of a stranger intriguing. Here’s a little of what Paula Roderick, Lt Col, USAF (ret), had to say:

A year ago today, like the rest of the nation, I was watching the horrific aftermath of the events of 9-11-01 on television. The reporter was doing a piece on the tens of thousands of family members and friends who were desperately searching for their lost loved ones. I remember a young woman (your sister, Theresa?) was holding up a poster with your picture and a phone number. She was interviewed for just a moment before the camera went on to the next face. I'm still not sure exactly why, but your face touched my heart so deeply I felt compelled to write down your name and to contact your family. I wanted them to know that they were not alone. That people all over the country were aware you were missing and we were praying for you. So Fran, while we never met, I'm so glad I saw your photo that day. Your life was full and meaningful; filled with a loving family, strong personal relationships, rich experiences, and big dreams. You are loved by so many who remain devoted to your memory. Your life and the way you lived it did make a difference. You will not be forgotten.

It is obvious that Fran touched the hearts of many, and they love her. Her passing left a void that is filled with pain and loving memories. The positive impact that Fran had on others is a testimony to a life well lived. That’s about the best that we can ask for in life, and it is not measured in the number of years spent on this earth.

Rest in peace Fran. You did well.

Signs of Obama Desperation

The teachers unions are long time dedicated supporters of Democratic Party political candidates. And, they expect the Democrats to oppose Charter School vouchers because the successful voucher system allows parents who abandon the public school system to obtain quality education for their children. The parents are judging public schools a failure and awarding the public schools with the grade of “F.”

Barack Obama is promising to double funding for charter schools and replace inferior teachers, embracing education reform proposals normally more popular with Republican candidates.1

While teachers unions typically oppose the idea of performance-based merit pay, Obama is embracing the idea along with demands that teachers who don't meet standards are removed from the classroom. Obama's campaign said teacher performance could be judged by peer review, student test results, classroom evaluations or other processes.1

Obama is getting desperate.

The pitch was an appeal to moderate voters in this presidential election swing state, where the fight over education reform has been the focus of a longtime partisan battle.1

Obama must be gambling that the teachers unions will understand that his education proposal is just so much hot air.

Link in this Blog:
1. Obama embraces charter schools in education plan

The Clang of a Lie

Sometimes you hear about things that strike you as a blatant lie. Barack Obama’s recent allegation that he once considered joining the military is one such an example.

Mr Obama was asked by George Stephanopoulos of ABC's "This Week" programme whether he'd ever thought about military service and replied: "You know, I actually did. I had to sign up for Selective Service [a means of conscription in case of war] when I graduated from high school.1

"And I was growing up in Hawaii. And I have friends whose parents were in the military. There are a lot of Army, military bases there.1

"And I actually always thought of the military as an ennobling and, you know, honourable option. But keep in mind that I graduated in 1979. The Vietnam War had come to an end. We weren't engaged in an active military conflict at that point. And so, it's not an option that I ever decided to pursue."1

The aspiration was not mentioned in either of his two volumes of memoirs.1

Obama has a tough row to hoe considering that he is trying to get elected at a time when Islamo-fascists are actively attempting to fulfill their centuries old desire to conquer the world. Obama has no military background, and he is dogged with the impression that he is actually a Muslim. It does not help when he makes a slip of the tongue and actually states on a national television interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos that he is a Muslim.

"Let's not play games," he said. "What I was suggesting -- you're absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith. And you're absolutely right that that has not come." 2

Under stress, we humans sometimes will make a misstatement, and sometimes we inadvertently reveal something that we are trying to hide. I wonder which one it was when he stated that he is a Muslim. In reference to his desire to join the military, I’d bet that one is a lie.

Links in this Blog:
1. Barack Obama 'wanted to join US military'

2. Obama's verbal slip fuels his critics

In The Other Room…, No Thanks to the Supporters of Oprah

In the other room sleeps a child; my granddaughter; five years old.

Fight for our children’s future. Fight for justice and opportunity for all.1

Americans are good people, but most never have the opportunity to test or have their personal mettle tested.

Long ago, something unusual happened to me that taught me the most valuable lesson of my life. I was blessed by misfortune. I mean that sincerely. I was blessed because I served in the company of heroes and I witnessed a thousand acts of courage, and compassion, and love.1

Most Americans never serve in the company of real heroes. Instead, many worship at the altar of cultural heroes, the pseudo-heroes courtesy of the entertainment industry and sports. And as such, the worshipers have little foundational appreciation for the social necessity of positive personal character traits. How else can you explain the continued veneration of O.J Simpson and Kobe Bryant by so many?

Our code said we could only go home in the order of our capture, and there were men who had been shot down long before me. I thought about it, though. I wasn’t in great shape, and I missed everything about America, but I turned it down.1

John McCain’s character was forged by the torture and brutality of his Communist North Vietnamese captors.

Barrack Obama’s character was in-part forged by the racism of Trinity United Church of Christ with its black liberation theology. Obama’s character is additionally expressed by his friendship and political association with William Ayers, a member of the leftist Weather Underground that bombed, among other places, the U.S. Capitol.

Only after Obama was burned by the media exposure of Rev. Jeremiah Wright did Obama repudiate Wright. Obama was comfortable at Trinity United Church of Christ for over 20 years, and he allowed his children to be steeped in the blatant racist teachings.

Oprah Winfrey bailed out on Rev. Wright and his church of racial intolerance after several years of attendance.

According to two sources, Winfrey was never comfortable with the tone of Wright's more incendiary sermons, which she knew had the power to mamage her standing as America's favorite daytime talk-show host. "Oprah is a businesswoman, first and foremost," said one longtime friend, who requested anonymity when discussing Winfrey's personal sentiments. "She's always been aware that her audience is very mainstream, and doing anything to offend them just wouldn't be smart. She's been around black churches all her life, so Reverend Wright's anger-filled message didn't surprise her. But it just wasn't what she was looking for in a church." Oprah's decision to distance herself came as a surprise to Wright, who told Christianity Today in 2002 that when he would "run into her socially … she would say, 'Here's my pastor!' " (Winfrey declined to comment. A Harpo Productions spokesperson would not confirm her reasons for leaving the church.)2

So, Oprah’s veneer of deniability proves that she is smarter than Obama.

Oprah made her fortune and fame pandering to females and adeptly exploiting a market which enriched her personally beyond belief. But, she window-cases her true roots of black-centricity and leftism and abandons female issues by refusing to invite the most exciting American female of recent history, Gov. Sarah Palin, onto her show prior to the November elections. To do so would be seen by leftists as giving aid and comfort to the political enemies on the right.3

You don’t have values if you are not willing to make some sort of statement in support of values. For instance, Jane Fonda is a fine actress, but I refuse to watch any of her films because I judge her to be a traitor. Little things do matter and set the stage for big things that really matter.

Give Oprah credit for making her statement of values, and she is losing viewers as a result of the Palin booking controversy. But, some fans just don’t care that Oprah’s values stink because she has become god-like to them. The attitude of these people leads to the gradual abandonment of the American Dream as a greater proportion of the electorate supports the likes of Obama. These people, both elected and electorate, with their lack of insight, knowledge or depth, threaten the peaceful sleep of my granddaughter because their decision making is flawed in a dangerous world.

Links in this Blog:
1. Sen. John McCain Acceptance Speech Republican National Conventions 2008

2. Something Wasn’t Wright Why Oprah Winfrey left Rev. Jeremiah Wright's church

3. Oprah Refuses to Book Palin

Sarah Palin Needs No Teleprompter

GOP VP nominee Gov. Sarah Palin has been the butt of vicious left-wing blogs and rabid liberal media ever since she was picked by Sen. John McCain as a running mate. Not only do they attack the Governor, but Palin’s daughter is attacked for being pregnant. Palin has taken it all and last night she dealt the cards right back at Obama and his ilk.

Here is a report that Palin’s teleprompter broke during her speech.

Halfway through Sarah Palin's speech tonight at the RNC, people following the speech noticed she was deviating from the prepared text.1

According to sources close to the McCain campaign, the teleprompter continued scrolling during applause breaks. As a result, half way through the speech, the speech had scrolled significantly from where Governor Palin was in the speech. The malfunction also occurred during Rudy Giuliani's speech, explaining his significant deviations from his speech.1

You probably recall when Obama fell on his face when his teleprompter broke. See the video here. 2

The more you see of Obama, it is obvious that he is an intelligent pretty face with no substance, accomplishment nor founded principles to guide him when he can’t read his scripted speeches.

Links in this Blog:
1. Sarah Palin "Winged" Her Speech Because of "Broken" Teleprompter

2. Obama is Inarticulate When Not Scripted

Palin Sticks It to Obama

The Dems are screaming that Gov. Sarah Palin does not have the experience to be V.P. and a heartbeat away from the Presidency. The truth is that she is more experienced than Obama, who’s greatest political accomplishments include voting “present” instead of aye or nay when he was an Illinois state legislator. The man refused to take a stand 100 times?

Obama’s other professional accomplishment is that he was a “community organizer” in Illinois.

Here’s Palin response to her critics on the topic of experience:

"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except
that you have actual responsibilities."1

Link in this Blog:
1. Palin to jab Obama, cast herself as outsider

Beauty of Nature & Malevolence of Man, All in One Day

What a marvelous day I had riding my Harley Davidson Ultra Classic from Petaluma, CA, down to Santa Cruz. Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on a motorcycle is always a treat no matter how many times I’ve done it. The cool morning fog streamed into the San Francisco Bay welcoming me back to familiar territory.

Leaving Highway 101 in San Francisco, I transitioned to the coast route, the famous Highway One, aka Pacific Coast Highway. It is nothing less than gorgeous, and it did not disappoint.

In no hurry, I took the opportunity to spend a little time at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse and lunched at Davenport amongst a gaggle of motorcyclists, mostly sport bike riders.

Back on the road, the speed limit is 55 miles per hour, and I re-set my cruise control and basked in the beauty of the day. Several automobiles and I were smoothly motoring down the highway when a yellow Harley blew past us on the left challenging the oncoming northbound traffic; Another rude motorcyclist. His black motorcycle helmet looked odd with a red stripe painted from front to back and bracketed by a pair of white stripes. I’ve never seen a motorcycle helmet painted in that scheme, and it reminded me of a football helmet. Actually, if it were not for the red stripe, it could have passed for the road-kill skunk I’d seen earlier in the day.

Upon entering the outskirts of Santa Cruz, the traffic soon loaded-up. The rude motorcyclist bullied his way forward by changing lanes, cutting off cars in the process. Nevertheless, I came upon him stopped at a red light, the first motorist in line. He sat in the left portion of the lane affording plenty of room for me to stop beside him. I noticed that he was wearing a black leather vest with no distinguishing marks and red laced tennis shoes. He looked in my direction, and I nodded a greeting, as we motorcyclists are wont to do in such situations.

My friendliness was returned with a surly, hard stare. The tension was palpable. Now I noticed the sheath knife hanging at his waist and the Hells Angels stickers on the motorcycle’s right front fork. Great, I’m stopped, most likely, next to a Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gang (OMG) hangaround, the lowest tier of Hells Angels membership. And, he’s not in the least bit friendly. That explains all the red and white colors.

Clearly, I’ve hurled an insult by having the audacity to pull-up next to him. I suppose that I was expected to maintain a deferential distance to his rear and by not doing so I lacked the prerequisite “respect.” People have been beat-down for equal or less. When the traffic light turned green, he shot forward with all the noise his bike’s exhaust system could muster like someone shoved a hot poker up his butt. That put me in my place, don’t you think?

For all the good the bluster did him, he was soon again stuck in traffic. I changed lanes and passed him with just a little more Harley throttle than necessary, as if to say, “Suck on my tailpipe, Jackass.” He followed me briefly and then faded out of view. What could he have done anyway? Brought his knife to a gun fight?

These OMG types are accustomed to intimidating people. I don’t get intimidated well. But hey, I’d be nuts to expect any more from someone who is trying to make his bones, to show what a badass he is, and become a full-patched member of a pack of hyenas. He’ll do better when he is backed-up by his buddies and can rat-pack some hapless person.

I’ve Had It With the Sound Bite Idiots

Most people are Sheep; Decent people in a state of denial and dependent upon Sheep Dogs to make the personal sacrifices required to repel the Sheep slaughtering Wolves. Sheep come dressed as conservative, liberal and everything in-between. Unfortunately, there are not enough Sheep Dogs to control the electoral process, and as such the country is dependent upon the Sheep People to be adequately educated and wise enough to elect competent and responsive representatives.

I classify myself as a realist with an optimistic overlay. Unfortunately, the overlay is becoming pessimistic. Why, you might ask? Quite simply, I am disillusioned by the lack of sophisticated knowledge on the part of a goodly percentage of my fellow Americans.

Many people are sound bite stupid and have lost, or never had, the ability to think critically. They don’t possess the gumption to educate themselves, even if they are college educated. And, these people vote. The most alarming among these people are those who ascribe to a “liberal” agenda, which has become strikingly leftist for the Democratic Party leadership. You’d be hard pressed to pick a more leftist representative than Barrack Obama.

So what’s wrong with a leftist agenda? Nothing, if you long to mimic Europe both socially and politically. Nothing, if you fancy massive redistribution of income through the confiscatory tax policies of the Democratic Party. Nothing, if you like the courts legislating from the bench and nullifying both the will of the people and the work of the legislatures. Nothing, if you hope to de-industrialize the U.S. Nothing, if you value equality of results over equality of opportunity and liberty. Nothing, if you are willing to allow the destruction of traditional American values. Nothing, if you assume that minorities require special treatment, which is institutionalized racism. Nothing, if you encourage increased governmental power over the individual. Nothing, if you like the timidity of a foreign policy which turns its back when bully countries trample their neighbors. Nothing, if you support a spineless domestic/foreign policy which invites those who seek to subjugate us with theocracy.

I want nothing to do with a liberal agenda. No, let’s call it what it really is, leftist. Must I point out that leftist socialism is the root of Communism? Probably! The political preferences of many Americans indicate that they don’t get it. Or worse yet, maybe they do and their spines are jelly.

Being a grandparent is both the best and the worst. I’m anguished that we have not prepared a healthy world for our little ones. The babies are supposed to spend a few formative years in innocence. Tell that to the children in Georgia who are being crushed by the treads of the Russian military machine. Tell that to the deliberately slaughtered children of Afghanistan, Iraq and the Sudan. Tell that to the Chinese babies who are conscripted into the athletic development machine for the glory of a police state. Tell that to the children who are sold into slavery. Tell that to the children slaughtered and maimed by Islamo-fascist Chechnyan nationalists at the Beslan school massacre. Think that sort of thing can never happen in the U.S.?

The world is cruel with inconsistent kindness. Those who believe better of humankind won’t think so when the tank tread rolls over their neighbor or when he is lying beheaded in the street after having his throat slit by an Islamic scimitar. Come to think of it, it’s already happening to neighbors in another land, isn’t it? No amount of wishing, meditating, praying or declaring oneself a citizen of the world will change these facts.

The unraveling of this great country fuels my anguish. I am passionate on these matters, especially because I so love my grandchildren. I don’t have that long to live, so I shout on their behalf.

I have another area of anguish. I apologize to my extended family because my stridency offends. I do love them, but the country that my grandbabies are to inherit is too important for me to stand-down. I hope my relatives eventually understand that their grandbabies are at risk as well.

I am afraid that I will eventually begin to hate those who facilitate the peril to my grandbabies. I hope not because there is little that I can do concerning the intellectual laziness of the voting sound bite idiots.

Religious Double Edge Sword

Attending the Olympics in China, Pres. George W. Bush made a pitch to the Chinese government to honor religious tolerance. Apparently the President is pushing “religion” because he knows that when enough Chinese people adopt a religion it will set the stage for the current Chinese government to eventually fold or potentially evolve to a form of government more amenable to a peaceful co-existence with the rest of the world. Sounds like a good tactic, don’t you think? But, wait a minute! What if a new-found Chinese religion is Islam?

Under Mao Zedung (Mao Tse-tung,) the mainland Chinese government systematically suppressed and all but obliterated traditional religion in its fervor to instill the new religion of the times, Communism. Initially, the enthusiasm and lack of wisdom characteristic of youth carried the Cultural Revolution forward at the expense of the freedoms of the masses.

Fifty-nine years after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, the bloom is off the Cultural Revolution and the harsh Anti-Capitalistic realities of the Chinese Communist experiment. Left in the wake, I suspect, of the collapse of the godless Communist ideal is a gnawing hunger in the Chinese people for something spiritual. Mind you, China is still a police state and nationalistic, and, as such, it remains a dangerous adversary.

So, the President wants the Chinese people to have religious freedoms to enhance the possibilities of Chinese governmental change. But, for what religion is that likely to be? Would it be traditional Asian Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism or the more proselytic religions of Christianity and Islam? (1) Despite the Communist Chinese religious purge, religion did not die out and a small minority of Buddhists, Taoists, Confucianists, Christians (3-4%) and Muslims (1-2%) remain in the officially atheist country. (2)

Say what you want about the intentions of most Muslims to live in peaceful co-existence with the rest of the world’s religions, but I remain unconvinced. Radical Islam is ascendant, and it exists even within the oppressive Chinese police state. Today, while the Olympics are playing out:

"Terrorists" from the Muslim Uighur minority carried out the latest attack in north-west China, state media said, as it reported the death toll from the violence had risen to 12. (3)

China claims Xinjiang, populated by 8.3 million Uighurs, is home to Islamic terrorists intent on targetting the Olympics. (3)

Undoubtedly Pres. Bush is correct in his tactical move to influence the Chinese government toward religious freedom. However, there is a tremendous chance that any Chinese government relaxation on the control of religion will result in a significant escalation in Islamic violence.

The current U.S. foreign policy on China will eventually result in ever greater battles with radical Islam. The Chinese government may change, but Islam will not, at least not in the next few centuries. And, that is way too long a period for my taste.

The double edge sword is really a scimitar, is it not?

Links in this Blog:
1. Chinese Cultural Studies: Philosophy and Religion in China

2. CIA Factbook-China

3. Terrorists behind latest China attack

Obama is Inarticulate When Not Scripted

Ever since George W. Bush came on the national scene, the libs have bashed him as being stupid and inarticulate. I wish I had a dollar for every political cartoon bashing Bush.

Along comes Obama losing his teleprompter. And, low and behold, he can't ad lib his way through a speech.

The truth of the matter is that public speaking skills do not connote intelligence, knowledge, experience or wisdom. Pres. George W. Bush has all four while political upstart Obama only has the former.

What do you have to say now, sanctimonious Libs?

The Toxic Cop

Have you ever had to experience the toxic co-worker? You know, the one who is chronically sour, rude or hostile. It’s an unpleasant affair. But, what if that person is an active duty police officer? Now you have a malcontent with a gun. First this from psychotherapist Dr. Barton Goldsmith:

When you have toxic people around you, it's hard to feel good about life. They tend to wear you out with their negative actions and words. Judith Orloff, M.D., author of "Positive Energy," describes them as "energy vampires." The term makes sense, since toxic people can suck the life out of you. 1

A toxic person in the home is disastrous, but what if the person is a co-worker?

Dealing with toxic energy at work is almost as bad. You may find yourself taking on more than your fair share, just to keep away from someone else's negativity or to avoid being emotionally beaten up. Sometimes, it seems, all you can do is keep a low profile and dream of retirement. If it's causing you to feel physically ill, you may want to consider looking at other options. 1

Hmmmm, sounds like a hostile work environment.

In my schizoid world, I have one foot in the touchy-feely world of massage and energy, and the other foot in the touch-phobic, testosterone laden law enforcement world. That means that half of my professional world does not comport with the other half.

I can tell you from personal experience that negative energy is a real phenomenon. People exude negative energy even when not manifesting other overt symptoms.

There were times, when I first became a massage therapist, in which I failed to properly ground myself energetically. The end result was that I sometimes ended the giving of a massage session feeling as if I had been run over by a train. Once while working on a client, my forearms physically burned as if a flame had been applied to them. The burning sensation immediately vanished when the lady left my table. But, I remained a mess until I got some energetic cleansing the next day. One of my energy therapists said, “Boy, someone dumped a load on you.” That’s just a little too weird, don’t you think?

OK, so I bet that most everyone has experienced the malevolence of a co-worker. There was this character that I considered my nemesis. It got so that I would mutter a swearword under my breath every time I saw the grouch. That is, I did it until I realized that by doing so I was giving him the power to make me miserable. I then changed my mental imaging and refused to reinforce the negativity. Instead, I forced myself to be pleasant and to cheerfully greet him. I think it drove him nuts, and it made me feel better. I will admit, however, that I was happy to see him retire. No loss there.

When you deal with toxic people on a regular basis, you have to find the inner strength to cope. It can help to understand that you don't have to sink to someone else's level or leave town to make things better. Simply committing to yourself that you won't let someone else disturb your internal calm can work wonders. 1

My former co-worker, Mr. Grouch, didn’t appear to have the potential to go “postal.” That’s not always the case. I know of another person, an armed police officer, who is thought to be “psycho” by his law enforcement co-workers. He is described: as visibly hostile; exudes negative energy; has an explosive temper; holds grudges; is confrontational; and has the confidence of self-righteousness. This guy appears to be taking toxic to a potentially lethal level.

“There are those who get ulcers and those who give ulcers.” That’s a psychiatrist’s generalization according to Dr. Steven Marmer on Dennis Prager’s 7/25/08 radio show. According to Marmer, a member of the clinical faculty at the UCLA School of Psychiatry and a psychiatrist in private practice in Brentwood, CA., “The person with the most demons is the one giving the ulcers.”

To combat negative energy, Goldsmith recommends:

It also helps to keep some physical distance. A good rule of thumb is to maintain at least 3 feet of space between you and the offending party. The physically closer you are to toxic energy, the easier it is to be affected by it. 1

Three feet? I wouldn’t want to be within thirty feet of the “psycho.” And, I wouldn’t want him at my back either since I would be more fearful of flying lead than negative energy.

Workplace violence is not a comfortable thought. When a co-worker, who is hated by the ulcer giver, mentioned that while in the office he is keeping his gun close-at-hand, that told me something. Forewarned is forearmed.

Link in this Blog:
1. Dealing with toxic energy

Walter Williams Echoes Shelby Steele-Liberal Policies are Racist

Shelby Steele correctly argues that racism is well and active in the United States. Only, he is arguing that the racism is predominantly institutional and not personal. Steele contends that it is the condescending liberal agenda to “help” blacks that is racist at its core for the underlying assumption that blacks can’t make it on their own without the help of liberals.

Walter Williams echoed that position in his recent piece, Black Education.

…the welfare state has done what Jim Crow, gross discrimination and poverty could not have done. It has contributed to the breakdown of the black family structure and has helped establish a set of values alien to traditional values of high moral standards, hard work and achievement. 1

Two serious black thinkers are pointing their fingers at liberal policies. Take heed, the lower socioeconomic portion of the black community is destructing and no amount of well-intentioned “racist” policies will correct the situation. But, they can certainly continue the plight and exaggerate it.

Link in this Blog:
1. Black Education

My 4th of July, Actors and a Real Hero

It is 8:30 PM on the Fourth of July, 2008. Sundown, and the community fireworks have not yet begun. I am writing this blog while listening to a CD by the Los Angeles Police Concert Band. I had the pleasure of hearing the band live today at the Ronald Reagan Library. What a treat.

Fourth of July; A very good time to visit the library of one of our greatest Presidents; A President who furthered freedom like no other in the latter 20th Century.

There are several things to say about today. I’ll address the events chronologically.

The Library’s Fourth of July festivities began at 10 AM, and we, my wife and 5-year-old granddaughter, were there as the doors opened. What a marvelous family event. Kids games: three legged race; sack race; candy scramble; egg toss and water balloon toss. Kids crafts: necklaces; bracelets; fans; visors; and wind chimes. Patriotic bingo. Face painting, and balloon animals. There were speeches by actors depicting George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Music. Oh, what music! A Karaoke duo. A western band. And, the LAPD band. Did I mention Jumpies? Yes, two of them. Free watermelon and birthday cake. Plenty of food for purchase. Flags! Free American flags! All in all a fantastic holiday fest in the finest American tradition.

I was really treasuring my family time free of the responsibilities of a professional Sheepdog. You may recall my angst in my previous blog, “Damn It Lt. Colonel.”

Damn it, Dave! You’ve invoked the preciousness of my grandchildren and spoken the truth, as I know it must be. There is no relief from the burden!1.

What is the burden? Carrying a firearm everywhere you go on and off duty.

OK, so here we were at the Ronald Reagan Library. It is summer; Shorts, sandals and a polo shirt. I left my piece, the 45 caliber semiautomatic pistol that is my constant companion, in the car. We are in the festivities, and I’m now looking over the happy, celebrant crowd. I don’t see anyone that I make for a police officer. There is Library security people about, but no cops. Suddenly, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman’s words pop into my mind.

Everyone needs down time. But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself... “Baa.” 2

Back I go to my car, and I am strapped for the rest of the day. That simple act heightened my Sheepdog senses, and I was on the alert.

Sniffing the breeze, pissing on the trees: being the sheepdog. 3

It’s my fate in life. It’s my burden. It’s the least that I can do while my brother and sister warriors are patrolling the streets of America and foreign lands while I enjoy the day with my family.

I mentioned earlier that there were actors depicting the great American Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. But, what most people never learned was that there was a real live American hero present at the library. He was performing his duties as a Library docent. Even one of the other docents did not know the legacy of this man. Who was he? He is none other than Col. Clyde B. East. One of the most decorated military men of all time.

Lt. Col. Clyde B. East is one of the most decorated military veterans that this country has ever had the privilege of calling him their own. He flew in WWII, Korea, SE Asia and the Cuban missile crisis. 4

Col. East was assisting in the bingo room. I walked up to him, addressed him by his name, shook his hand and wished him a happy Fourth of July. As is his unassuming nature, he thanked me and we parted company. I hope that he understood my respect and the honor it was for me to shake his hand again. I did it once previously. Read about it in my earlier blog, “Col. East & Pres. Reagan’s Missed Opportunity.”

So, off I go enjoying the day. I’m being watchful and sniffing around. Mind you, I’m not pissing on any trees. Somewhere around 2 PM, I spot a Muslim family disembarking from a shuttle bus in front of the Library; an adult male and female and two young children, one a female about 8 years old. They aren’t hard to spot. The woman is wearing a hijab.

In contrast to the rest of the Library guests, the adult Muslims are wearing hard expressions upon their faces. The children are just children and look just like their age contemporaries. The family made directly for a table where they receive several small American flags. Then without out entering the Library courtyard, where the LAPD band is playing and leading to the event activities, the family joined a line for a children’s jumpie. They remain in the line for a few minutes and then leave the line without the children having the opportunity of enjoying the jumpie. The family proceeded directly to and joined a waiting line to catch a shuttle bus leaving the event. They were on-site less than 15 minutes.

This Muslim affair could be absolutely nothing. But, to a Sheepdog this is a possible pre-incident indicator for a terrorist attack. This could have either been a surveillance operation or a dry-run.

What’s a Sheepdog to do in such a situation? I notified the head of the Library security of my observations. I was gratified to subsequently observe that the Library raised its level of security deployment.

Our day at the Library ended. I had a marvelous time with my family. And, I treasure my moment with Col. East. Still, there is a cloud on the horizon my friends. I am not comfortable with the actions of the Muslim family.

With due respect to the legacy of Col. East, it is time for the rest of us to stand up for America and do our individual parts for the freedom that she represents.

Thanks Dave for keeping my nose to the grindstone. If my grandchildren were old enough to understand, I hope that they would thank you as well.

Uu-ah Sheepdogs! In the words of LTC Grossman, “Hunt the Wolf!”

Citations & Links in this Blog:
1. Damn It Lt. Colonel

2. On Combat, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman with Loren W. Christensen, PPCT Research Publications, 2007, 2nd edition, pg 186

3. Ibid pg 141

4. Col. East & Pres. Reagan’s Missed Opportunity

Damn It Lt. Colonel

Twenty nine years in the business. Retirement is just over the horizon. I will soon be free of the burden and responsibility of packing a firearm. It’s a damn nuisance and inconvenience. Or, will I?

Can you do that? Can you walk the warrior’s path for a lifetime, standing “wary and watchful” all your days to prepare for that one day that will buy your kids and your grandkids 20 extra years with you? You might even buy someone else’s grandchildren 20 extra years with them, making your brethren's day “long in the land” because you were there and you were ready.1

That is what warriors do.1

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman wrote the above quotes. Here’s why he wrote it.

My dad was a cop. He began his career on a beat and retired as the chief. He and my mother have both passed on and I would give anything to have another 20 minutes with them. My dad bought 20 extra years one day in a supermarket. He carried a gun nearly every day of his life, and he knew that if there were trouble my mom would grab him by his arm. So for a lifetime he always made sure she was on his left side. I almost never saw them together without my dad being on the right and my mom on his left.1

One day as they shopped together in a supermarket, a man came around the corner of an aisle, saw my dad and pulled a gun. He was someone who dad had previously put in jail, and he was not a happy customer. As expected, my mom grabbed my dad’s arm, his left arm. But his right hand was free and he pulled his gun. Then mom’s training kicked in and she cut behind him and dashed off to call for help.1

My dad resolved the situation... in a satisfactory manner. But I could have lost them both. I got an extra 20 years with them because my dad spent a
lifetime preparing for that one day. Their grandbabies would have never known them if their grandpa had not been a warrior who carried a gun and walked the warrior’s path for a lifetime in preparation for that one day.1

Damn it, Dave! You’ve invoked the preciousness of my grandchildren and spoken the truth as I know it must be. There is no relief from the burden!

Citations in this Blog:
1. On Combat, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman with Loren W. Christensen, PPCT Research Publications, 2007, 2nd edition, pgs 174-175