What Would Mary Jo Be Doing Today?

A great personal tragedy struck Senator Edward Kennedy in May 2008. A great personal tragedy struck Mary Jo Kopechne on July 18, 1969 at Chappaquiddick.1 Ted Kennedy is in his 39th year of life since Mary Jo died in his car as a direct result of his actions.2

Based upon media revelations on Kennedy’s current medical condition, he probably will not live all that long. When he passes, people will fall all over themselves heaping adulation upon his memory. Despite Kennedy’s many political accomplishments, his character, as revealed by the Chappaquiddick incident, does not warrant praise. I can’t imagine how he lived with himself all these years. A pox upon those who call him a great man and upon any who helped him avoid justice in the abandonment and death of Mary Jo.

Links in this Blog:
1. Chappaquiddick incident

2. Ted Kennedy

Radical Islamic Threat Demands an End to Law Enforcement Squabbles

The radical Islamic threat to the U.S. national security alone is reason enough to demand that law enforcement end its internecine squabbling. That doesn’t even take into account the looming conflict with China and its pervasive espionage program.

A current editorial piece by Dan K. Thomasson, entitled “The FBI doesn't play well,” excoriates the FBI for historically and currently running roughshod over other law enforcement agencies.

There is little new in recent reports of a long-standing feud between the nation's two top law-enforcement agencies, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In fact, since 1924 when J. Edgar Hoover took over the ineffectual and corrupt Bureau of Investigation in the Justice Department, the FBI has been at odds with nearly everyone, usurping the jurisdiction of every police agency from the sheriff's office to its own siblings, like ATF. 1

With 12,500 agents it has developed into a perfect model of arrogant uncooperativeness, demanding everyone else's information but refusing to give up its own. The result is a national police force that has been caught in one debacle after another without any detrimental consequences to its own operations but with the possibility of plenty for the welfare of Americans. The damage done to national security by the FBI's long-term feud with the CIA prior to Sept. 11, 2001 may be incalculable.1

Yes, that is the FBI’s long-held reputation. That’s why local law enforcement formed an intelligence gathering organization, the Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit, in the 1950’s.

As a result, twenty-six (26) law enforcement agencies met in San Francisco, California on March 29, 1956 to discuss problems and possible solutions. The most important result of that meeting was the creation of the LEIU – The LAW ENFORCEMENT INTELLIGENCE UNIT and the development of an organizational purpose that survives to this day.2

You will notice that LEIU was originally comprised of, “…local and state law enforcement agencies in the United States…” Federal agencies need not apply. It is only in the last couple of years that LEIU invited federal agencies to join the organization in a somewhat limited fashion. Someone had to offer an olive branch after 50 years.3

The sudden demand upon the FBI to take primary responsibility for terrorism dumped a huge requirement for change upon the Bureau with a concomitant economic impact. In 2005, the FBI considered an ill advised step.

The FBI, famous for its straight-laced crime-fighting image, is considering whether to relax its hiring rules over how often applicants could have used marijuana or other illegal drugs earlier in life.4

I wrote previously.

Drug use and financial problems are key issues in law enforcement since both can make a person susceptible to corruption and recruitment to treason. Obviously law enforcement agencies can not afford to have officers corrupted. What is amazing is that the FBI considers analysts, linguists, computer specialists, and accountants of lesser importance than sworn officers. Is that an example of sworn officer elitism or FBI bureaucratic ineptitude? A foreign intelligence agent compromising an FBI intelligence analyst could be a far greater coup than compromising a sworn FBI agent.4

But, the FBI is evolving.

The FBI has begun the most comprehensive realignments of its counterterrorism division in six years so it can better detect the growing global collaborations by terrorists and dismantle larger terrorist enterprises, according to senior bureau officials. 4

Recently, I wrote:

It took 9/11/2001 to start the monumental federal directional shift away from traditional law enforcement activities and toward the intelligence function. Terrorism is, after all, a primary federal responsibility. It is not an easy task for the F.B.I. to transform itself into an intelligence agency.5

OK, so the FBI has been the big bully in the law enforcement circles. But, it is not a one-way street. Other Federal agencies, as well as the state and locals, have contributed to the problem.

Despite their reputation, the FBI has some of the finest personnel with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working.

Here are today’s facts.

All terrorism is a local issue. Just because a local jurisdiction does not have a high likelihood of being on the receiving end of a terrorist act does not mean that the jurisdiction is free of the plotters and their cohorts. Doesn’t the local law enforcement agency have a responsibility to do all that it can to search them out? Waiting for the feds to singly address the problem is foolish because the national task is massive, resources are limited and the best information is more readily available to the local law enforcement agencies.5

Unconscionable are the law enforcement agencies which are simply giving lip-service to the need and don’t actually contribute to the cause. In essence, these agencies are lying to their city fathers and citizens.5

My previous admonition:

To the citizens with law enforcement agencies which are not carrying their weight to protect the American people, it could be you, your loved ones, or friends who pay the price of the negligence. These agencies are supposed to work for you. Tell your city leaders what you want your police force to do. Find your voice, and find it loudly!5

To the admonition, I add:

Call and/or write your Federal representatives and tell them to ensure that all of the Federal law enforcement agencies work in concert together and with the state and local agencies on the common goal of a safe America. Tell your Federal representatives to cut-off all Federal funds to any city, county or state jurisdiction that does not join an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.

It is a worn but true saying, “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” Start dialing and writing.

Links in this Blog:
1. The FBI doesn't play well

2. LEIU

3. F.B.I. Is Evolving To Meet the Need

4. FBI Suggests Lowering Requirements

5. Not All Law Enforcement Agencies Are Combating the Terrorist Threat

Additional on the Subject:
Domestically, How are We Doing on National Security?

Hells Angels Clubhouse Hides Hazardous Chemicals

In the comments section to previous outlaw motorcycle gang (OMG) blogs, OMG apologists argue that motorcycle gangs are not really bad. They describe the members as a brotherhood of patriotic guys who have been demonized by law enforcement. They want to be called clubs and given the respect due law abiding organizations.

Here’s an interesting turn of events. I wonder what the apologists will say about this find at the Ventura Hells Angels clubhouse?

Detectives conducting a search of a Hells Angels clubhouse Friday uncovered a large quantity of hazardous chemicals in a pit under a false floor, authorities said.1

Authorities found potentially dangerous electrical wiring and a large
pit containing petroleum distillates during the search.1

I don’t have any inside information yet, so I can’t say for sure what is the likely purpose of the hidden chemicals. It was probably not motorcycle oil. Could it have been the precursors for the production of methamphetamine or other illicit drugs?

Poor George Christie, the long time president of the Ventura chapter of the Hells Angels, is having a hard time.

Christie is expected to be charged with felony methamphetamine and cocaine possession and a misdemeanor count of being under the influence of those substances, Malan said. The charges stem from small amounts of the drugs found in an April 25 sheriff's search of Christie's Ventura home, according to authorities.1

Methamphetamine and cocaine possession by an OMG member? Well, that’s not definitive. Lots of “upstanding” people do that. But, what about the production and sales of drugs? Do you suppose that’s what the hidden pit is all about? Time will tell.

Here's the blog site with all the comments: Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.2

Update 5/18/2008:

In an article dated 5/18/2008, George Christie says that the chemical pit under the clubhouse is left over from the tenancy of an ambulance company.

George Christie, 61, described the hole as a sump used by the ambulance company that was housed there 30 years ago before the Ventura building became the Hell Angels' headquarters. Workers dumped oil in the sump when they maintained and repaired their vehicles, according to Christie.3

Detectives are trying to make it seem as though the discovery is tied to some sort of criminal activity, he said.3

We don’t know what the detectives are trying to do. We only know what was reported in the newspaper. In the previous article, it was reported that petroleum distillates were found. Is it possible that a discarded oil sump was at the location and that the HA used it as well? If so, what did they dump? Why a “false floor.?”

Homicide? It seems that the latest search warrant is the result of a homicide investigation.

On Friday, authorities said detectives executing a search warrant in a homicide investigation discovered the pit at the building at 65 Fix Way.3

Now, why would a judge think that there is enough evidence in a homicide case to authorize a search warrant of a Hells Angels clubhouse? OMG apologists; let’s hear your theories.

The latest article goes on to quote Christie.

Meanwhile, Christie faces two counts of felony drug possession and one misdemeanor count of being under the influence of a controlled substance, authorities said.3

Christie said on Saturday he takes only prescription medication prescribed to him after a bad motorcycle accident, which resulted in a hip replacement and a brain injury. Declaring the charges are without merit, Christie said, "All medications are prescribed in proper doses, and I don't share them with anybody."3

Sure, I believe you George.

Links in this Blog:
1. Chemicals found at Hells Angels site

2. Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang

3. Christie disputes authorities' claim about chemicals

Watsu, The Higher Plain

Arriving at the studio, they meet for the first time at the front door and know nearly nothing about each other except that both are massage therapists. She specializes in Watsu, an aquatic form of Shiatsu. He’s there to receive his first professional Watsu treatment.1

Facing each other in four feet of 98 degree water, hands outstretch and touch. They are alone; the two of them connected both physically and energetically. She guides him through a short series of deep breathing exercises. He leans back entrusting himself to her supporting arms. And likewise, she trusts him to receive her gift without his reaching out and exceeding the boundaries of the session. They remain in constant physical contact for an hour or so as she cradles, stretches and serpentines his body through the water. Deft fingers probe and urge rigid muscles to give up their tension.

The two, therapist and client, separate and return to their personal worlds having shared a transformational non-sexual session of healing touch: he with a profoundly improved physical and emotional state; and she with the satisfaction of a professional job well done.

Sensual or sexual? It’s a state of mind. We humans are both sensual and sexual beings in one, and it is impossible to draw a distinct line separating the physiological blending of both. However, it is definitely possible to separate the two cognitively.

Massage is very personal touching in a fragile environment fraught with danger. If either party acts inappropriately, a trust is destroyed and laws may be broken.

Many years ago during a massage ethics course, the instructor succinctly addressed the issue of sexual feelings during a massage session. He counseled that since humans are sexual beings, the problem is not that a sexual feeling may occur. Rather, they will happen occasionally and are normal. It is what you do with the feeling that is important. He stated that there are three choices: enter a state of denial and suppress the feeling, which will eventually lead to psychological problems; act inappropriately; or accept the feeling for what it is and move on with the massage session. The latter choice does work, and the feeling vanishes quickly. The same technique works for the massage recipient.

Our over-sexualized and yet prudish Western society has difficulty, for the most part, separating intended non-sexual contact from sexual contact. And, Westerners tend to view nudity and touch as mostly sexual. What an absurdity. The human body craves healthy physical touch, both non-sexual and sexual. Read Ashley Montague’s famed work “Touching: The Human Significance of the Skin” Harper & Row, for an in-depth understanding of the importance of touching the human skin.2

For those who can accept massage as non-sexual touch, it is a gift as old as the ages. Book a session of Watsu and experience the massage modality that takes you to a higher plain. It’s as if you returned to the womb.

Links in this Blog:
1. Watsu
2. Ashley Montague Touching: The Human Significance of the Skin

Incredible Team Hoyt

A child is brain damaged in birth, and his father dedicates his life to a father-son team in marathon and triathlon competitions; two people competing as one.

From Team Hoyt:

The goal of Team Hoyt is to integrate the physically challenged into everyday life. One way to accomplish this is to educate the able-bodied, making them more aware of the issues that the disabled face every day. Another is by actively helping the disabled to participate in activities that would otherwise be inaccessible to them. Team Hoyt targets both of these areas.1

Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father-and-son team from Massachusetts who together compete just about continuously in marathon races. And if they’re not in a marathon they are in a triathlon — that daunting, almost superhuman, combination of 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of bicycling, and 2.4 miles of swimming. Together they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,735 miles across America.2

It’s a remarkable record of exertion — all the more so when you consider that Rick can't walk or talk.2

See the video here.3

The photo is from the Team Hoyt web site.

There is no end to the human spirit.

Links in this Blog
1. Team Hoyt

2. Racing Towards Inclusion

3, Video of Dick & Rick

Three Religions-Islam is the Threat

Herbert Meyer, former Reagan administration special assistant to the Director of Central Intelligence and Vice Chairman of the CIA’s National Intelligence Council, shows a keen awareness of what we face in terms of the radical Islamic threat.

There are three major monotheistic religions in the world: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. In the 16th century, Judaism and Christianity reconciled with the modern world. The rabbis, priests and scholars found a way to settle up and pave the way forward. Religion remained at the center of life, church and state became separate. Rule of law, idea of economic liberty, individual rights, human rights - all these are defining points of modern Western civilization. These concepts started with the Greeks but didn’t take off until the 15th and 16th century when Judaism and Christianity found a way to reconcile with the modern world. When that happened, it unleashed the scientific revolution and the greatest outpouring of art, literature and music the world has ever known.1

Islam, which developed in the 7th century, counts millions of Moslems around the world who are normal people. However, there is a radical streak within Islam. When the radicals are in charge, Islam attacks Western civilization. Islam first attacked Western civilization in the 7th century, and later in the 16th and 17th centuries. By 1683, the Moslems (Turks from the Ottoman Empire) were literally at the gates of Vienna. It was in Vienna that the climatic battle between Islam and Western civilization took place. The West won and went forward. Islam lost and went backward. Interestingly, the date of that battle was September 11. Since then, Islam has not found a way to reconcile with the modern world.1

Today, terrorism is the third attack on Western civilization by radical Islam.1

Read the rest of Meyer’s assessment.

Link in this Blog:
1. What In The World Is Going On?

The Fine Art of Profiling

Despite the entire hubbub, profiling is an important cog of the wheel to protect us from the inevitable escalation of radical Islamic terror on the par with Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, China, Europe, and any where else populated by the radical shouters of “Allahu Akbar.”

I am not saying that profiling is 100% reliable, but you’ve got to admit that the picture below entitled, “How to tell if your cat is a Persian” is spot on.