www.TheEnemyBlog.com

Home of the Brave

    In the upcoming election, many people who are voting for John McCain are basing their support of him on his wartime service, and the heroics he displayed.  I've heard people who aren't supporting McCain have minimized his ordeal, stating that all he did was "get captured, tortured, and released." 

    This is simply not true.  John McCain demonstrated enormous courage, honor, and valor during his entire ordeal as a prisoner of war.  Being opposed to someone becoming the next president should not diminish their character or achievements. 

    On October 26, 1967, John McCain was captured by the North Vietnamese after his A4-E Skyhawk was shot down.  He was part of 20-plane mission to bomb a Hanoi power plant, at a time when Hanoi was more heavily fortified against air attack than "any city in history," according to author Robert Timburg. 

    What happened next is astonishing.  "Closing on the target, he weaved through air bursts and hurtled past Surface-to-Air (SAM) missiles that looked like airborne telephone poles. His instrument panel lit up, telling him a SAM had locked onto his aircraft. He punched out some chafe to confuse the missile's guidance system, then rolled in and released his bombs. He was pulling out of his dive when a SAM took off his right wing, sending his plane into a violent downward spiral." Article

  "Hauled to the shore by a crowd of 20 North Vietnamese, he was beaten, stabbed, kicked, spit on, stripped and struck - and had his shoulder broken by the fierce buttstrike of a rifle. He was saved by a woman who "applied bamboo splints to [his] leg and right arm." He was taken by an NVA truck to a French-built prison called Hoa Lo, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton" by the American POW residents.

    He stuck religiously to the Serviceman's Code of Conduct, providing his captors only with name, rank, serial number and date of birth - but refused to divulge any other sort of military information. In return, he was given further beatings and denied any medical care."

    According to Wikipedia, McCain was savagely beaten, tortured, and interrogated.  Once it was  discovered that his father was a top Admiral in the American military, and he was given medical care.  He lost fifty pounds, his hair turned white, and he was transferred to another facility for further imprisonment. 

    The North Vietnamese, in an effort to appear merciful, offered to release McCain.  McCain refused, unless the North Vietnamese agreed to release every man captured prior to him. 

    In August 1968, the bad guys got serious.  McCain, sick with dysentery, was beaten and subjected to rope-bindings every two hours.  He attempted suicide, but the guards intervened.  After four days, he was broken, and made an "Anti-American" confession.

    "He has always felt that his statement was dishonorable, but as he later wrote, "I had learned what we all learned over there: Every man has his breaking point. I had reached mine." McCain Wikipedia

    Even then, McCain continued to demonstrate acts of extreme courage.  He was beaten more because he refused to sign further "confessions."  He refused to meet with anti-war protestors because he did not want them to use his plight for their own purposes.  He was a prisoner of war for five and a half years.  To this day, he cannot raise his arms over his head due to the injuries he suffered at their hands.

    I would dare anyone to challenge the fact that John McCain, based on his wartime experiences, is a hero.  He is, and I acknowledge it openly.  I salute the man, and am proud to call him a fine example of American grit and will.  He is, most certainly, brave. 

    But war is not the sole domain of brave deeds.  Further, the President of the United States should not be elected solely on those facts.  As we are talking about bravery, let's discuss some other people who have demonstrated strength and commitment in adverse, threatening times. 

      "Dear Nigger Henry,
        You are (not) going to break this record established by the great Babe Ruth if     I can help it. ... Whites are far more superior than jungle bunnies. . My gun is watching your every black move."

(A Sample of one of the 3,000 daily letters Hank Aaron received during his historic run at Babe Ruth's All-Time Home Run Record.)

    The night Hank Aaron broke The Babe's Home Run Record, he did not know if there was a sniper in the stands, ready to shoot him.  He did not know if someone would make good on their claims against his family, his home, or his team. 

    But he broke the damn record anyway. 

    In August, 1945, Dodger's President Branch Rickey sat down with an unsigned black baseball player and asked him if he had "enough guts not to fight back." 

    Jackie Robinson said he did.  According to Sports Illustrated's Bill Nack, "Robinson was the target of racial epithets and flying cleats, of hate letters and death threats, of pitchers throwing at his head and legs, and catchers spitting on his shoes."

    Jackie Robinson made Rookie of the Year that year, went on to hit .311 lifetime average, and was voted into Hall of Fame his first year of eligibility. 

    It cannot be accurately contemplated just how large of an impact Jackie Robinson had on America by breaking the color barrier.  By being brave enough to stand up to an entire establishment, an entire culture, and say, "There's not an American in this country free until every one of us is free." 

    And the struggle goes on. 

  "According to an affidavit filed by an ATF special agent, the men met through the internet and planned to engage in a “killing spree” that included shooting 88 African Americans and beheading another 14. Targets included a predominantly African-American school. At the end of the alleged spree, the men intended to try to kill Obama."  Southern Poverty Law Center 

     Earlier this week it was announced that several rather befuddled skinheads were attempting to assasinate Senator Barack Obama.  I can't really imagine this is a great surprise to anyone.  I've had many discussions with law enforcement colleagues about the Secret Service's responsibilities for protecting Obama and his family from the white supremecists who must be itching for a chance to start their race-war. 

    I would suggest that Obama knew this as well, prior to even announcing his candidacy for the President.  I would suggest that it is something every black person in America must know.  If you are black in this country, and you try to do something that has been the sole dominion of white people throughout history, someone, somewhere, will try to scare you out of doing it.

    I would also suggest that it takes a certain type of courage to persist in doing so, knowing the possible ramifications. 

    There has been a lot of talk about the "Bradley Effect" recently.  The idea is that white voters will tell people they are publically going to vote for a black candidate, but when the curtain closes, and it is just them with their election machine, they pull the lever for ol' whitey.

    I can't fathom the thought-process behind this type of action.  To vote for someone is to take part in our most sacred tradition.  I would hope people would do so because the candidate they select best represents their interests and points-of-view.  

    I say it's wrong to vote for Barack because he's black.  I don't care if you're black, white, or green.  It's equally as wrong to vote for John because he's white. 

    In my opinon, a case can be made for the honor and bravery of either.  In the past several weeks, we've all seen efforts by both sides to downplay the historic achievements made by both men.  There have been many politicians who served their countries honorably in the military, including three recent candidates for President: Bob Dole, John Kerry, and Al Gore.  

    There are people reading this right now who are rolling their eyes as to the qualifications any of those men had to BE President based on their military service, and I would argue that if their prior military service doesn't automatically qualify them for your vote, why should McCain's? 

    If you are voting for McCain, do so because you believe in what he believes, not because he once wore a uniform.  

     I believe strongly that John McCain's background and military service play into his character and beliefs.  I will tell you this much: I wish John McCain had been elected instead of George W. Bush.  I wish John McCain had been President when 9/11 happened instead of Bush.  I wish all of you people screaming for McCain in '08 had been sensible enough to vote for him back when it mattered.  

      But now, John's time has come and gone, and we must look to the future.  For all that McCain has done in his life, he has not been a particularly effective politician.  For all of his wartime service, and honorable deeds, he has partaken in the largest sham in history: The American invasion of Iraq.  For all of John McCain's undoubted dedication and commitment to the men and women of the armed services, he has allowed them to go into harm's way under the misunderstanding of what they were trying to accomplish.

    America is about to enter a new period in history where, yet again, one man will stand up to an established cultural tradition that does not deserve to exist.  One man will pave the way for the rest of us, so that in the future, America will benefit from the contributions of all her citizens, not just the pale ones. 

    John McCain was a wartime hero.  Barack Obama is a hero for history.  At this time, I'd like to thank both men for their efforts to make our country better, and encourage everyone to make sure they vote fairly, accurately, and honestly. 

    May whoever wins demonstrate the same courage and character they've displayed previously.  It would certainly be a nice change of pace to see someone with honor occupying the highest office in the land. 

No Bagpipes, No Flags: Way of the Warrior Part 6

The suicide foundation says it has verified an average of 450 law enforcement suicides in each of the last three years, compared with about 150 officers who died annually in the line of duty. Douglas says no more than 2% of the nation's law enforcement agencies have prevention programs.

Suicide rates for police — at least 18 per 100,000 — are higher than for the general population, according to Audrey Honig, chief psychologist for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

USA TODAY

 

    This year I've written of police killed in the line of duty.  It's been a particularly brutal one in our region.  In March I began the Way of the Warrior series, discussing police work in our modern times.  The first post touched on a police officer in Upper Gwynedd  township who shot himself in his PD's evidence room. 

    It has happened again. 

    I did not know the officer from Doylestown who took his life a few days ago.  I do know people that considered him a good friend.  While I won't discuss the details of his passing, or the circumstances surrounding his life, I believe it is an important topic to bring up.  I am aware of the many police officers in my local area who read The Enemy Blog.  This one's for you guys.

 

    Do you hear that?  It sounds like someone screaming.    

 

   I am 34 years old.  I've been a police officer for nearly 12 years.  I spent three years in a small borough as a part-timer, then moved on to a medium-sized township which has been steadily exploding in population and activity.  I've worked most of my career as a patrol officer, being assigned to the Criminal Investigative Division of my PD over three years ago. 

    To take it one step further, I grew up in the same town my father was a cop in.  I grew up surrounded by police officers, police stations, police jargon, and the police lifestyle.  I was the only kid I knew who got to sit in a patrol car during the winter waiting for the schoolbus to arrive.

    I know cops who have tried to kill themselves.  I know cops who have found the dead bodies of cops they worked with.  I know cops who have thought about and spoken about taking their own lives.  I also know cops who might be thinking about it right now, but I won't know about it until it is too late. 

 

 

High-Risk Occupation

    According to PoliceDynamics.com the Suicide Rate for Police Officers if 3 times the national average.  The alcoholism rate is 2 times the national average.  The divorce rate is a whopping 60-70% higher than the national average. 

    The saddest figure of all is that our domestic violence average is the highest in the nation.  We, the men and women sworn to protect, are beating our loved ones more often than any other group in the country.

    

    The very first, and finest act of police supervision I have ever seen was during my first month in police work.  I was working for Chief Furlong in the borough.  A suspicious vehicle came up 611 as I was stopped at the red light on West Avenue.  They passed, and I turned to follow and check it out. 

    The car that had been sitting behind me at the light honked, but I didn't pay it any attention.

    That is, until I returned to the station to see that same car sitting in the parking lot, right in front of the front door.  All of a sudden the door flew open and Chief Furlong shouted, "Get the hell out of my station!" 

    A man came walking out, glaring at me, and got into his car and left.  I was stunned.  The Chief was a 40-year veteran of the department, and his demeanor was more like that of your grandfather than of the yelling-variety.  "What was that all about, Chief?"

    The Chief took a few breaths.  The color of his cheeks turned from apple red to rosy pink.  "That guy came in here and tried to tell me one of MY cops made an illegal turn on red!"

    "Oh crap," I said, getting nervous.  "It was me, I-"

    "I asked that jerkoff if he ever heard of a 'silent response'!  He said, 'No,' and I said, 'Get the hell out of my station!'" 

    "I'm sorry about that, Chief.  I was following some guy."

    The Chief cut me off again, holding his finger up.  "I don't care.  You were doing police work.  Never forget, it is us against them.  Okay?"

    Okay.

 

    You don't hear many stories like that anymore.  In most cases, complaints against police can be made over the phone, with no written statement ever provided by the complainant.  The Pennsylvania State Police takes complaints via a 24-Hour Toll Free Hotline, in writing, or in person. 

    During my time in Baltimore, the police department was being monitered by the Feds, and each officer was required to hand out a complaint card to every person they came in contact with.  The card contained explicit information as to how that person could file a complaint with the Internal Affairs Bureau. 

    In most instances, these extreme responses arise due to a bad deed by an individual officer (or several) and then mishandling of the situation by the department's supervisors.  In the Pennsylvania State Police's instance, Governor Ed Rendell had to appoint an independent monitor to improve procedures for complaints against troopers as they related to sexual misconduct. 

    That has somehow morphed into complaints for all misconduct.

 

Safe In Your Own House

 

    My father always told me, "It's not the streets that kill you, it's what they do to you in your own station."  I think he has a point. 

    And he wasn't just talking about "bosses."  I have had the pleasure of working for some great bosses, both as immediate supervisors, and at the highest levels of the departments I've worked for and dealt with.  There's also been a few bums. 

    But you kind of expect that.  As a young police cadet, or officer, you are imbedded with the idea that "The Bosses" will be watching what you do, and if they don't like it, you better look out. 

    Nobody tells you to watch out for the other cops.

    For all of our pomp and circumstance, all of our chest thumpery, all of our tee-shirts and "cop" jewelry, most cops will tell you that we couldn't stick together if we all had glue  uniforms.  Gossiping, back-biting, undercutting, Monday Morning Quarterbacking, you name it.  Whatever you want to call it, we do it, and normally, we do it for the pettiest reasons.  We don't get paid any extra if we make another officer look bad, we don't get their specialized position if we make them look bad (In most cases), we don't get the chance to fix the mistake if we are content to sit back and make them just look bad. 

    We get to gloat.  We get to say, "Ha!  That idiot couldn't do something in the heat of the moment, which I can proceed to pick-apart from a viewpoint of safety and leisure."

    Well, congratulations.  You are a hero, indeed.

    Now, if the police officer doesn't feel safe on the street, because we all know there might be some idiot waiting at every turn to take us out; and he doesn't feel safe in simple contact with people, because we all know that if they get offended they can file a complaint that will be handled aggressively; and he doesn't feel safe in his own station because he has to worry about people running behind his back to squeal on anything he says...

    What's left?

    A happy home life?  You mean the one constantly complicated by a rotating shift, sleep issues, last minute over-time, and other various stresses? 

    Not a good mix, right?

 

    One of my old partners used to say, "We should at least be safe in our own house."  He wasn't talking about the home where he lived.  He was talking about his station.  I wonder how many of us are safe there.

 

A Fluid Environment

    Police work, even very complicated investigations, is at once extremely difficult and fairly simple.  Even the most basic jobs* (*"Job"- a term for a radio call, such as an open door or a burglary call.) can range in the techniques required to handle it safely and properly. 

    Due to the very fluid nature of events as they happen, it is easy to sit back afterwards and critique what the officers did while on-scene, or what they put in their report.  I guarantee you we can open any case file on any investigation and find something that could have been done differently.  It's impossible not to.

    Even for very successful jobs, investigations, arrests and prosecutions, something happened a long the way that could have been done better.

    Regardless of the outcome, and except in cases of neglect or laziness, an experienced, competent supervisor will counsel you on what could have been done differently.  They will guide you toward becoming a better officer.  They will remind you that they have been involved in similar situations.

    

    And then, there's the other guys. 

    I have seen excellent officers psychologically beaten down until they curled up into fetal positions.  They no longer aggresively seek out situations that might require their help.  The over riding philosphy for them has become, "I can't get in trouble if I don't do anything."

 

    Wait.  There is that sound again.  I'm almost positive it is a child screaming.   

 

    I have been blessed, during every step of my career, to have guidance from cops who I can emulate, admire, seek advice from, and steal methods and traits from.  I do it to this day. 

    Recently, one told me, "You work for you."  

    We were talking about a friend of mine who has basically lost the will to work.  He's had it with the politics of the PD, the cumbersome mechanisms of the court, and the countless knuckleheads he encounters.  

    "I can see where he's coming from, because I've been there, but at the end of the day, you work for you, Bern.  It doesn't matter where you work, who you work for, how screwy the court is, or how many victims lie.  You have to look yourself in the mirror.  Be a cop." 

    

    I still hear that screaming.  I wonder where it's coming from.

 

Justice, or Just Us?

 

    Actually, I think I know now.

   

    It's a little girl in that car over there, the one behind the shopping center after hours.  The one that looks out of place.  The one only you would see because you were checking your beat.  You got out of your car and investigated it instead of driving past.

    On second thought, maybe it's coming from that house you just got a 911 hang-up at.  The guy at the door is telling you there's no problem.  Something just doesn't seem right.  There is a little boy in the back room, begging for help.   

    Actually, I'm quite certain the child screaming is the daughter of a police officer about to be killed on a traffic stop that you were thinking about not backing him up on.  I think you'd better hurry up. 

    The point is, we have no idea at what moment we will be summoned to answer that ultimate call.  The one we were sent here to respond to.  The call God helped us become police officers for, knowing that someday we'd be the ones responding to it.

    God has marked a date on your calendar, somewhere along the line, for an event that only you have the power to change.  It could be your first day on the job.  It could be your last.   

    I am asking you not to let the grinding shifts, the monotony of the beat you patrol, the captiousness of any supervisors, or the seemingly thanklessness of it all, defeat you.  Don't give up.  Someone, somewhere, desperately needs you.

    It might even be one of your fellow officers.

 

    I did not know the Upper Gwynedd officer who killed himself in March.  I also did not know the Doylestown officer who killed himself this week.  Despite what you think of their final actions, I'd ask you to consider that both of them probably helped countless people during the courses of their careers.  

    It is impossible for us to guess what drove them to their deeds.  I don't believe that we should judge them by that alone.  I believe it is within our collective hearts to have some sympathy for the pain they experienced, and accept that for as much as we deal with as a result of our chosen profession, sometimes it can just be a bit too much. 

 

    I make it a rule to not let ghosts haunt me.  Sometimes they try.  Sometimes I've found myself talking to the dead, trying to tell them things that I wish I'd told them when they were alive.  

    Some, I never met during their lives, only after they committed suicide, or died of an overdose.  I had to piece their lives together from photographs and interviews, from letters they wrote to loved ones right before blowing their brains and blood all over the words they wrote.    

    And you know what?  I miss them.  I miss every one of them and wish I could have known them, even just a little.  

    But it is inappropriate for the dead to walk the earth.  It is inappropriate for us to be haunted.  When the ghosts show up, I pat them on the shoulder and show them the door.  My concern is for the living. 

 

    Law Enforcement, as a whole, could do better in trying to monitor our ranks for signs of emotional distress.  We've come far in terms of developing skills for peer counseling after traumatic events, but there is farther we could go. 

    Until that time comes, it is up to us to care for our brothers and sisters.  It is up to us to speak out when something is wrong, and not let the darkness consume us.  It is up to us to pay attention to those we must critique and supervise and ensure that we are doing it in a humane, just fashion. 

   

     If you are a police officer in distress, or are concerned about one, please seek help immediately.  We need you too desperately to risk losing you. 

    You can visit the Police Suicide Prevention Center.

    Or the Police Suicide Prevention and Awareness  page at www.Suicide.org  You can simply Google "Police Suicide Prevention" and a whole host of pages will appear with a wide-variety of information. 

 

    If you are an administrator concerned about a fellow officer, please visit the above pages, or the National Police Suicide Foundation.   There are NUMEROUS programs available to law enforcement agencies to help prevent this horrible tragedy.

 

    

    

     

    

The Enemy Blog Prevails

"And the sucker to right gets cynical

cause the record's to the left and political

as you search the stores, attack the racks with your claws

for the Rebels Without a Pause

because the B Side wins again, and again and again    

yo, black, some of you are All In.."

(Public Enemy, B-Side Wins Again)

    The "Enemy Blog Exposed" page is officially out of business.

    LINK

    I'd like to thank the people who emailed me, commented here, and stuck by me through that particularly strange ordeal.  One thing I find ironic is that the author of the EBXposed complains about receiving an anonymous threat, and dares the person to come find him.  

    Yeah, that's a bitch, ain't it?  Now imagine how I felt when you did it to me. 

    That being said, I'd like to ask anybody who did make any threats to stop, because that is not what this is about.  The Enemy Blog is about ideas.  Granted, mainly my ideas, but I've always welcomed people to disagree and see if we can't reach a better understanding.  

    So I am going to make an offer to the person, or people, who were involved in "The Enemy Blog Exposed."  (Irene is going to go OFF on me for saying this...but, like I always tell her, "I gotta be me.")

    I have un-blocked all of the IP addresses for any "bad" comments I've ever received. 

    I am INVITING you to participate. 

    All I am asking you to do is leave comments that add to the discussion in a meaningful way.  You DO NOT HAVE TO AGREE WITH ME.  You are welcome to call me an idiot.  You just have to explain why. 

    Now, the last time I invited you back, you agreed, and then turned around and started your own page.  At the time, I felt like you weren't interested in actually making your own point, just in denegrating my character. 

    In truth, I feel that I showed you my character in the way that I handled this situation.  You attacked me anonymously, tried to humiliate me on a personal level, threatened to put personal information about me online knowing what a security risk that entails given the nature of what I do, and in the end....all you really did was call me a phony because I posted a quote by Eminem.

    I will tell you why I think you were unsuccessful. 

    The author of this page is just a man.  The one you seemed so hell-bent in "bringing down" or "exposing" is just a regular human being.  I'm not perfect.  I'll gladly tell you all of my mistakes, and the multiple ways I've failed during the course of my life.  The same as you.  The same as EVERYONE else. 

    But The Enemy Blog is not about me.  The Enemy is not even really "me," per se.  At least not all the time.  It's a voice inside me that tells me something is wrong with the world.  It's a voice inside me that says someone has to fight back. 

    The Enemy is an idea, disguised as a persona.  You can't hurt an idea, you can only defeat it by proving it wrong.  Does Einstein's personal short-comings make the Theory of Relativity any less true?  Does Newton's failings in life make Gravity less-real?  No.  (No, I am not comparing my ideas to theirs...god, everybody is so damn touchy nowadays.  I'm making what's called "A Point.")

    As we both know, when a defense attorney can't argue with the facts of the investigation, they attack the witnesses.  It's a last-ditch effort on their part to try and win over the jury.  "Maybe what you're saying is true, but you are such a low-life piece of garbage that you deserved what you got anyway."  I've seen it, you've seen it, you know I am right. 

    You tried to do that to me, all the while claiming that you had better ideas.  I am still waiting to hear them. 

    I would suggest you pick a new name, a new email address, and forget about all this "Exposing" nonsense.  If you can add something to this enormous discussion, please do.  Aside from the "banned words" list, you will not be edited, so long as you stick to the topic at hand and don't simply spill bile. 

    The Enemy Blog prevails because it is my heart and soul.  If your efforts were the same, I would cringe because I cannot imagine the misery of a person who has nothing but contempt and jealousy inside.  Somewhere within you there is a person who has more to offer than what you have so-far demonstrated.  I encourage you to explore opportunities to do so, and invite you to do it here. 

    Victoria Regina, 

    B.

Less Government For Who?

      One of the most irritating lies I continuously hear from the Republican Party is that they will bring "Less Government" into people's lives.  Every Conservative talking head, every broadcaster on Fox News, every other speech I hear Sarah Palin make, it's "Less government, less government, less government" or  "Barack Obama will bring more regulation, more government interference, more expenses."

    I am here to tell you that the Conservatives and Republican Party are not talking about you. 

    They are not talking about me.  They are not talking about ANYONE we know. 

    When Sarah Palin gets up on a platform and says she's going to fight for "Less Government" she is talking about Pfizer.  She is talking about Exxon.  She is talking about McDonald's. 

   Let me put it to you this way: If you REALLY think George W. Bush gave you "less government" intereference in your life, just try and put a pool in your backyard without getting a permit.  Try building a deck.  Try adding an addition to your house.  You will QUICKLY see just how much government exists for the common man.

    No, my friends.  The Republicans mean the type of "less government" that has brought us into the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.  This is what happens when corporations are allowed to run completely amuck, unchecked, and there is no oversight.  CEO's with multi-million dollar severance packages and workers with wiped-out pension funds.  That is what we get when we have Republican-Style "Less Government."

    In September 2008, Sarah Palin said: ""Under my reforms, the American people will be protected by comprehensive regulations that will apply the rules and enforce them in full.'' 

    But in March, 2008, she said: "I’m always for less regulation...I am fundamentally a deregulator." 

    According to an article that appeared in the Washington Post in September, 2008: A decade ago, Sen. John McCain embraced legislation to broadly deregulate the banking and insurance industries, helping to sweep aside a thicket of rules established over decades in favor of a less restricted financial marketplace that proponents said would result in greater economic growth....In the 1990s, he backed an unsuccessful effort to create a moratorium on all new government regulation. And in 1996, he was one of only five senators to oppose a comprehensive telecommunications act, saying it did not go far enough in deregulating the industry.  "I'm always for less regulation," he told the Wall Street Journal in March. He added: "I'd like to see a lot of the unnecessary government regulations eliminated." http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters/361590

    But, on September 16, 2008, John McCain called for MORE government regulation of the economy. 

    The BANKING and INSURANCE industries, two of the most unstable, corruption-prone, in-crisis industries we have today.  Two of the ones FUNDAMENTALLY responsible for the wretched state of affairs on Wall Street, and who do we have to thank?  John McCain. 

    Barack Obama has consistently called for increased regulations on oil-companies, lobbyists, gun-control, and a whole host of issues, and we should applaud him for it.  It's time for Washington to stop existing to create more and more of a gap between the wealthiest of us and the rest of us, and time for them to start protecting the citizens of this country. 

    Regulate away, I say. 

Prepared, Never Scared

"I came in the door, said it before

never let the mic magnitize me no more

but it's biting me, fighting me, inviting me to rhyme

I can't hold it back

I'm looking for the line

...still say a rhyme after the next one

prepared, never scared, I'll just

bless one..."

(Rakim, "Eric B. is President")

    

    Goddamn it, I've got a country to save, people!  I can't be getting involved in silly internet nonsense.  Ah well.  (Bro, I tried to read that whole "Eminem" thing...I just don't get your reasoning.  I am sure you can find more in this post to rant about.  Enjoy!)  

    But seriously, back to work.    I received a comment on my "Republicans: Wrong on Iraq, Wrong for America" post that I think deserves a detailed response.  Danielle has many reasons to feel the way she does, which I think are fairly evident by her comments.  I've known her for a long time, and have always found her to be as lovely as she is sincere and forthright.

      Danielle may be reflecting some opinions held by others who read the EB.  Feel free to weigh-in.

   "We are not in Iraq fighting Iraqi's we are in Iraq trying to catch the Islamic fundamentalist insurgents who threatened our freedom by slaughtering thousands of innocent Americans in our territory, using our planes and box cutters,simple little box cutters." (Danielle, The Enemy Blog)

    I'd like to quote two articles from the New York Times that specifically address this issue:

"It took just a few months after the United States' invasion of Iraq for the world to find out that Saddam Hussein had long abandoned his nuclear, biological and chemical weapons programs. He was not training terrorists or colluding with Al Qaeda. The only real threat he posed was to his own countrymen.

The (Senate Intelligence Committee - B) report shows that there was no intelligence to support the two most frightening claims Mr. Bush and his vice president used to sell the war: that Iraq was actively developing nuclear weapons and had longstanding ties to terrorist groups. It seems clear that the president and his team knew that that was not true, or should have known it — if they had not ignored dissenting views and telegraphed what answers they were looking for." NY Times "Truth About War"

     This second article deals specifically with the assertion that the people we are fighting in Iraq are the same ones who threatened us. 

"Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, also known as Al Qaeda in Iraq — did not exist until after the United States invaded Iraq in 2003. The most recent National Intelligence Estimates consider it the most potent offshoot of Al Qaeda proper, the group led by Osama bin Laden that is now believed to be based on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

But some students of the insurgency say Mr. McCain is making a dangerous generalization. "The U.S. has not been fighting Al Qaeda, it's been fighting Iraqis," said Juan Cole, a fierce critic of the war who is the author of "Sacred Space and Holy War: The Politics, Culture and History of Shi'ite Islam" and a professor of history at the University of Michigan. A member of Al Qaeda "is technically defined as someone who pledges fealty to Osama bin Laden and is given a terror operation to carry out. It's kind of like the Mafia," Mr. Cole said. "You make your bones, and you're loyal to a capo. And I don't know if anyone in Iraq quite fits that technical definition."

Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia is just one group, though a very lethal one, in the stew of competing Sunni insurgents, Shiite militias, Iranian-backed groups, criminal gangs and others that make up the insurgency in Iraq." NY Times: McCain, Iraq War, and the Threat of Al Qaeda

    Danielle has many personal reasons to defend the integrity and honor of the men and women fighting in Iraq right now.  She says: "The civilian casualties in Iraq were not killed by us. Please don't be mislead into thinking our guys just go in there murdering people. They died the same way many of our military died- terrorist attacks, car bombs, blowing up buildings, and all the other deadly tactics of the insurgents. "

    According to the Brookings Institute, a non-profit, public policy organization out of Washington DC, the following numbers are accurate as of October 2008: In 2005, an average of 7 IRAQI CIVILIANS were killed by US Troops per week.  In January, 2006, 4 were killed per week.  In August 2006, 1 was killed per week.  

    The US Military announced recently that approximately "One Iraqi civilian per day" were killed in "escalation of force" incidents in 2005.  You can view the entire latest Brookings report here: Brookings Institute

    In 2003, 39 US Military servicemen were charged with homicide in connection with the deaths of 20 Iraqi civilians.  

    There is, unfortunately, no accurate count of the total US Troop-caused-civilian-casualties in the Iraq war.  Iraq Body Count, an independent advocate agency estimates that as of 2006, between 40,000 and 45,000 Iraqi civilians were killed by US Troops.

    On that point, Danielle, I must beg to differ with you.

    On this one, you won't get any argument from me:  The insurgents are running from us into Afghanistan, we are following. They know we are coming. The area of Afghanistan where they are going isn't anything at all like where we have been the past several years. I am not at liberty to discuss it further, however trust me its not going to be pretty. However,you can sleep better at night knowing that there will be little to no civilians involved.

    However, you're setting yourself up for a big fall here with your next statement.  I know what you mean, and I know your heart is in the right place. 

    You said: If we give up chasing them, how do you suppose they will view us? How would one of your criminals view you if you were hunting him down and then gave up when things got tough? he would see you as weak, a coward, and he would not only continue his life of crime but he would push the boundaries of what he could get away with because he didn't get caught and he knows you won't arrest him.

    You know what I'm about to do right?  You know who I am about to bring up.  Matter of fact, just take a look at this next picture and tell me if you can guess what I'm thinking:

    I'll tell you this much: Osama Bin Laden would not have survived to September 11th, 2002, under the Enemy Presidency, Danielle.  I agree with everything you said in that statement more than you will ever know.

    "We will kill bin Laden; we will crush Al Qaeda. That has to be our biggest national security priority." Barack Obama during the second televised Presidential debate

"Find, Disrupt, and Destroy Al Qaeda: Obama will responsibly end the war in Iraq and focus on the right battlefield in Afghanistan. An Obama Administration will work with other nations to strengthen their capacity to eliminate shared enemies." Obama Homeland Security Platform

    Barack Obama will save us.

 

Whatever You Say I Am (Is The Enemy Blog Exposed???)

"And I am/ whatever you say I am

if I wasn't

then why would I say I am?"

(Eminem, "The Way I Am")

    I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later.  I suppose it's a sign of popularity.  A compliment, almost, albeit one that was unintentional.  It's one thing to be popular, it's another thing to be so popular that you spawn a page decrying your efforts.  Essentially, it's saying that The Enemy Blog is SO big, so powerful, so awe-inspiring, that people must begin working immediately to take it down a peg. 

    Well, just for the record, The Enemy Blog has grown exponentially in the past year and a half since it's creation, now approaching the 20,000 page views mark.  In that time I've touched on many issues.  I've spoken what I believe to be the truth about politics, life, fatherhood, modern culture, police work and anything else I can think of.

    Now, as of today, there is a page on the internet threatening to expose me as the fraud I am.  The charlatan.  The big phony.  It is titled, predictably, "The Enemy Blog EXPOSED."  

    You can find it here:  http://theenemyblogexposed.blogspot.com/2008/10/internet-can-be-powerful.html

    The people (person?) behind the page obviously know me, and are willing to write God-knows-what.  If you go to that page you'll see they make references to my "divorce", my lack of effort at work, the neighborhood I live in, that I live in a humongous "glass house."  Oh, and they make a point to call me "BJ."   

    I suppose they'll be putting up all sorts of fun personal information and everything else that they can think of to try and humiliate me, intimidate me, or upset me and the people in my life. 

    I don't know who is behind the page, though I have my suspicions.  The truth is, I really don't want to know.  I can tell you that not one single person in real life has ever come up to me and said the things these brave souls are willing to say behind fake names and email addresses.  To know who they are in real life would cause me extreme disappointment.  I would expect better of anyone who I know.  Especially my fellow cops. 

     That being said, their page is a reality, and I'd like to ask that if you go there, don't waste your time commenting.  Just let them be.  If it becomes a SERIOUS situation, I'll take the proper channels to deal with them. 

    I'd be lying if I told you I hadn't thought about pulling the plug. 

    I almost did it once before.  It was after someone I considered a good friend printed out a  page from a previous post and went to one of my bosses.  There were other issues as well.  I then began getting emails from a few readers who I'd never heard from before, but who had an experience to share with me, relating to something I'd written about. 

    For as much as it hurts my feelings to think that there are people who hate me enough to dedicate their time to something like "The Enemy Blog Exposed," there are people like Joan who I can't turn my back on.  

   One of the specific items "The Enemy Blog Exposed" focuses on is my "Delusions of Grandeur."  It's where I "dupe" you all into "believing" I'm an important person.  Apparently this is an unforgivable insult to the true hero's of the world.  I'm guessing the implication is that the authors are being noble in their quest to eliminate such an evil as me, but they're just hiding their (his?) identity for valiant reasons.  

    I can't recall ever trying to "dupe" my readers.  I have tried my best to be forthcoming about who I am, what I believe, and what I've experienced in my life.  You can see my face, email me in person, and know my name easily.  I don't mention where I work out of respect for the people I work with, and for.  While it is apparent that there are some who obviously have that information, it's only because they know me personally, sought me out on the internet, and are using this as a way to try and intimidate me.

    That is not going to happen. 

    There will always be bullies in this world.  Hopefully there will always be those who don't let them have their way.  There will always be people trying to push forward in this world.  There will always be those who can't do anything else but sit back and criticize.

    I will offer the same piece of encouragement to the people writing on "The Enemy Blog Exposed" here that I did in response to their original comments, and that I told "F.O. Real" via email when I let him back on this site: Your viewpoints and arguments can be made if you take the time to speak them intelligently.  Don't waste people's time with immature ranting.  Maybe, just maybe, by our hashing things out everyone would learn something.

    Personally, I'd have rather seen them put their efforts into explaining why they disagreed, and we could have debated it in public.  Perhaps, if their site is successful, they will eventually grow into their own voice and offer something meaningful to the rest of us. 

    For what it's worth, I am pressing forward.  I wanted to leave the "Republicans: Wrong on Iraq, Wrong for America" post up a little longer because it is getting a lot of hits off of Google, but I felt this had to be addressed.  I won't be mentioning "The Enemy Blog Exposed" after this.  You are welcome to comment here about your feelings about it, but after that, we'll move onto more important issues.

    Before I go, I'd like to say that while I don't think I am an "Important Person", per se, I do think The Enemy Blog is extremely important.  I think the people who take the time to read it are important.  I think every single person who emails me, leaves comments, and donates to the site are so important that I work my ass off trying to give you my best. 

    Just like the song says, "You can get with this, or you can get with that." 

    When you get with this, you get a man who stands up for what he believes in, who writes from the heart, and who does not hide. 

    When you get with that, you get mean-spirited words from an anonymous person(s?) who has nothing better to do than try to take shots at me.  Someone who is very, very afraid.  Of me?  I guess they must be. 

    I'd like to address two things specifically:  One, I don't physically edit comments.  I have a whole set of words that aren't allowed to be posted on my site.  It includes many different things.  If you wrote a comment and it was edited, the computer did it automatically, and I probably never even saw the original one. 

    Two: There is an inference that when I am working on "The Enemy Blog" I am shirking my police duties.  This is rather amusing to me.  The person who I suspect is actually behind all this has tried in MULTIPLE ways to cause me trouble at work and has always been unsuccessful.  You know why?  My work is untouchable. 

    If ANYONE in the whole history of my PD wants to put their record up against mine, I invite you to do it right this second.  That means you, especially, Mr. Jane, or Mr. F.O, or Mr. Nobama, or whatever other goofy name you want to call yourself.  The fact is, you can't touch me, or you would have a long, long time ago.

    The more I think about it, the more I know who you are.  The angrier I get that when you should be leading your men, you are worrying about me.

    I'm not going to get into the whole "I'm the best," thing again, because I don't want to give you any more ammunition.  But I will say this, and I'll say it with a straight face.  I'll say this without hesitation. 

    I am better than you ever were.  And you can't handle it.  You write your blog, you can run around behind my back talking shit, but the one thing you can't do is the job I do.  You never could.  That's why you aren't where I'm at. 

    I stand by every word I've ever put on this sight.  The Enemy Blog will never stop.  If that is the "risk" I must take, by suffering the insults of those who disagree, so be it.      

    Victoria Regina.   

     B.            

REPUBLICANS: WRONG ON IRAQ, WRONG FOR AMERICA

AMERICAN ME

    Recently I've been speaking with many Republican McCain supporters.  Several have weighed in on this site, although I wouldn't want you to judge the rest by the lack of intelligence shown in those petty examples.  My understanding of the Republican platform, especially as it relates to why they think they should vote for McCain is as follows:

    Soldiers fighting in Iraq are protecting our freedom.

    There are numerous slogans attached to this line of thought:  I'd rather fight them over there than over here, etc. 

    The Republicans are better suited for the defense of this country, more concerned with military readiness, more willing to spend money for our troops.

    John McCain will make a better Commander-In-Chief due to his military experience, and comprehension of military matters. 

    It is unpatriotic not to support the war in Iraq, as it is a slap in the face to the soldiers fighting overseas as well as their loved ones left home to carry on without them.

McCAIN ON THE IRAQ WAR

    On November 21, 2001, John McCain was interviewed on ABC, wherein he made the following claims:

    1. The Bush Administration would build a case for military conflict with Iraq.

    2. McCain stood in support of this.

    3. There were weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.  He pointed out how much trouble "little bits of Anthrax" had proven to be, indicating the need to address Saddam's acquisition of much larger scale weapons. 

    4. Iraq was connected to the September 11th attacks by virtue of the fact that Muhammad Atta had met with Iraqi intelligence officers in Prague. 

      We now know that numbers three and four were not true.

    You can view the interview here: McCain Interview

    On September 24, 2002, McCain told Larry King, "I believe the success will be fairly easy." 

    On September 29, 2002, McCain told CNN, "I believe that we can win an overwhelming victory in a very short period of time." 

     On March 24, 2004, McCain told MSNBC that "There's no doubt in my mind that once these people (the Saddam Hussein regime) are gone that we will be welcomed as liberators."  

    In April 2007, McCain told an audience at the Virginia Military Institute that under the leadership of General Patraeus, and the "surge", we had "Chosen a hard road, but it is the right road.  It is necessary and just."

    On McCain's website you can view his undiminished support for that "surge" as well as all things Patraeus.  In McCain's view, we are winning.  McCain on Iraq

DEMOCRACY OR ELSE!

     I don't doubt that there are some of you who have loved ones fighting overseas right now.  Or maybe a few who had to sacrifice at home while your husband or wife went off to serve.  I am not suggesting anything that would diminish their sacrifice or honor.

    To me, supporting the troops is protecting them from being in harm's way needlessly.  To me, I am defending your loved ones when I say that their blood is much too costly to be shed for anything less than absolute neccessity.  If there are those who would say that makes me unpatriotic, so be it.  I will not be silenced on that issue. 

    I can understand if some of you are having trouble seeing through the smokescreen erected by the Pro-War people in the Republican party.  They would love to see you keep waving your flag, agreeing with whatever they say, all in the name of patriotism.

    To disagree with the war is Un-American.  Of course, by that reasoning, we can wrap anything up in the American Flag and get away with it, right?  Any dissention or disagreement is akin to treason. 

    The truth is that the war in Iraq cannot be "won."  Not in traditional terms, anyway.  The best we can hope for is to stabilize the economy, the political structure, and the legal system long enough so that the second we leave it doesn't come collapsing down around their ears.

    The very idea that we could bestow "Democracy" on the people of Iraq is silly.

    Why? 

    Because they simply don't understand it.  Their culture, their heritage, the very fabric of their beings are not conducive to what we understand as "freedom."  We can give them all the legal freedoms we enjoy, and at the end of the day they are going to turn around and do exactly what their mullah tells them to do.  Or their cleric.  Or their warlord. 

    And I am not insulting the people of Iraq by saying this.  I'm insulting the sheer ignorance of the Western mind that would think another country would want what we have, simply because we have it.  

    There is simply no way to kill enough people to make that point sink in.  You can't bomb a country into our way of thinking.  It doesn't work. 

    John McCain was wrong about his reasons for us going into Iraq in the first place.  He was wrong about a quick and easy victory.  He was wrong about us being welcomed as liberators.  

    You still feeling confident that he's right about Iraq's future?

GET OUT OCCUPIER!

    Today, October 18, 2008, nearly 50,000 Iraqi's gathered in Baghdad to protest plans to extend the US mandate in Iraq.  "Get out occupier!" was just one of the things they chanted in unison.

    The demonstration was organized by by supporters of the militant Shia Cleric Moqtada Sadr, who controls 30 members of the Iraqi Parliament. 

    Still optimistic?

    To date 97,000 Iraqi civilians are dead because of our occupation. 

    That's one hell of a liberation, ain't it?  We're here to LIBERATE you, guys!  Hooray!  Oh, by the way, 100,000 of you won't survive this liberation.  Sorry.  That's 100,000 so far.  We're still there and the bodies just keep on dropping. 

    In my mind, the cornerstone of American Democracy is our various freedoms.  We cling to them like rabid dogs.  Nobody better screw with our Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, or Freedom of Religion. 

    Last week, Sunni militants killed a dozen Iraqi Christians.  Approximately one-third of Iraq's 800,000 Christians have fled the country due to threats against their families for their religious beliefs. 

    Do you see where I'm going with this?  You can have all the legislated Democratic freedoms in the world, but they don't mean squat if you have to worry about a group of psychotic sheep herders with AK-47's coming to kill your whole family if you don't comply with Islamic law.

    Democracy cannot be pre-fabricated and shipped out like the homes we see moving across the country on the back of eighteen wheelers.  It has to grow from within.

    The reason the American Democracy formed and grew strong was because people in this country were willing to fight for it, die for it, and keep it healthy.  The French didn't come in, kick the Brit's asses, and impose their rules on us. 

    America took freedom by force.  Our forefathers gave their blood to ensure we had the right to be free.  It was that important to them.

    There are no examples of a mass-Iraqi effort to the same prior to our arrival.  The sad reality is that we didn't go into Iraq because we were afraid they were developing Weapons of Mass Destruction, we didn't go into Iraq because their people asked us to help them support Democracy, and we didn't go into Iraq because of their connections to the September 11th attacks.

A BARREN OUTCOME

    Do you want to know the real reason we invaded Iraq?  Here is a quote that I think you might find interesting:  "Let's not forget, this is the guy that tried to kill my dad," George W. Bush, September 27, 2007, during a speech in Houston. 

    Worst of all, there was a President George Bush who had exactly the right perception of what an invasion of Iraq would result in.  It's a shame his considerably less-articulate son didn't listen.

    In 1998, President George Herbert Walker Bush wrote an autobiography titled A WORLD TRANSFORMED.  On page 483, the following passage appears:

    While we hoped that popular revolt or coup would topple Saddam, neither the U.S. nor the countries of the region wished to see the breakup of the Iraqi state. We were concerned about the long-term balance of power at the head of the Gulf. Trying to eliminate Saddam, extending the ground war into an occupation of Iraq, would have violated our guideline about not changing objectives in midstream, engaging in "mission creep," and would have incurred incalculable human and political costs. Apprehending him was probably impossible. We had been unable to find Noriega in Panama, which we knew intimately. We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq. The coalition would instantly have collapsed, the Arabs deserting it in anger and other allies pulling out as well. Under those circumstances, furthermore, we had been self-consciously trying to set a pattern for handling aggression in the post-cold war world. Going in and occupying Iraq, thus unilaterally exceeding the U.N.'s mandate, would have destroyed the precedent of international response to aggression we hoped to establish. Had we gone the invasion route, the U.S. could conceivably still be an occupying power in a bitterly hostile land. It would have been a dramatically different--and perhaps barren--outcome.

       

    A Barren Outcome indeed, Mr. President.

 

THE FINAL ANALYSIS

    One of the benefits of my job is that I get to meet all sorts of people, in all sorts of situations.  I've probably mentioned before that there were only a small few I considered "Evil."  Most of them, even those who'd committed very serious crimes, were regular folks who had collossal lapses in judgement. 

    I don't believe that John McCain or Sarah Palin, or maybe even George W. Bush, are evil people.  I don't believe they are actively trying to injure the country.  I do believe that they are wrong in their ideas about how we are supposed to go about conducting the business of running The Greatest Country On The Planet. 

    I also don't believe that all of the people displaying McCain/Palin signs are bad people.  They are simply wrong in their ideas about what it means to be a patriot vs. a Good Party Member.

    I am quite sure you are all Good Little Republicans.  I am sure when McCain comes to tax your health care and and replace your existing coverage with a $5,000 coupon, you will be thanked greatly for your support. 

    When the Iraq War goes on for years and years, draining this country of its resources both financial and human, when more Iraqi civilians die, and the Middle East situation grows to nuclear proportions, it will be okay.  Your Republican Leaders will tell you its for a patriotic cause.

    You can buy that if you want to.  In November, there are many people banking on the fact that you'll do just that. Good, good Republican.  

    Personally, I reject that line of thinking.  I will never let anyone tell me what I am "supposed" to believe.  You will never convince me that murder, greed, and lying can be justified despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.  I don't care what party you are from.  I don't care what flag you wrap it up in. 

    Are soldiers fighting in Iraq protecting American freedom?  

    I'd ask you to show me ONE American freedom that was threatened by Iraq.  

    Is fighting them "over there" better than fighting them "over here?"  

    Well, we're certainly giving them plenty of battlefield experience and knowledge of American military capabilities, aren't we? 

     Are the Republicans better suited for the defense of this country?

    I'd argue that the Republican leadership has done more to cause unrest toward America than at any other time in history.

    Will John McCain make a better Commander-In-Chief?

    Based on his previous positions on Iraq, I'd have to call his grasp of the situation dubious at best.  Plus, at his advanced age, he won't be doing the job for very long.  Then we'll have Ms. Palin.  "Fresh brownies, Mr. Putin?"

    Is it unpatriotic to not support the war in Iraq?  Is it a slap in the face to the soldiers fighting overseas?  To their loved ones left behind?

    No. 

    It is unpatriotic to sacrifice our most precious resource for anything less than absolute necessity. 

    This November make a decision not based on party-affiliation, my friends.  Make a decision using your better judgement.  Your finer sensibilites.  Take a stand against those in power who would use your loyalty and trust against you.  You are intelligent, rational people.  It's time to see the truth and rise up for America. 

 

 

The Many Sins of George W. Bush

"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 13, 2001

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., March 13, 2002

     I voted for George W. Bush. 

    The first time.

    I tend to get sick of people in power, and as they near the end of their terms, I am normally ready for a change.  I see a second-in-command as just a continuation of the person they are succeeding, and normally figure that it's time for some fresh blood.

    Let's face it, Bill Clinton gave his detractors plenty of ammunition.  Al Gore seemed like Bill Clinton, but without the charm.  I had voted for Clinton, cheering when he defeated George HW Bush, feeling as if the youth of the country had risen up and toppled the staid, stuffy President.  That election was the first time I truly became interested in politics, energized by Clinton's enthusiasm.   

    By the time his presidency was finished I was so sick of the endless lies and flagrant abuses of power that I left the Democratic party and became an Independent.  I also wound up voting for W. 

    Back then, W. was the absolute antithises of Bill Clinton.  He looked like simple, ordinary folk.  He didn't have the practiced, well-oiled slickness of The Man From Hope.  He seemed like one of us.

    Of course, if your father was head of the CIA and eventually President, you are not one of us.  If you managed to avoid the Vietnam draft by joining the Air National Guard, then not showing up for duty (but not getting in trouble for it), you are not one of us.

    If you can be elected President even after losing the popular vote, brother, you are nothing like anybody else. 

    But, regardless of all that, I supported W. and watched eagerly to see what bold, fresh ideas he would bring to the Oval Office.  Some of that good ol' Texas, down home, straight shootin' stuff. 

    My very first "uh-oh" moment with W. occurred on August 1st, 2001, when he lifted the Federal Ban on Federal Funding for Stem Cell Research, but ONLY for the 71 existing "lines" of stem cells.  It was a hollow victory, rife with cowtowing to the pressures of the religious right.  The 71 existing lines of Stem Cells that were cleared for Federal Funding were all but useless, in that only 12 of the lines had an adequate amount of material for testing, and all of them had been in contact with mouse DNA.  They were contaminated.  It was a meaningless gesture.

    Of course, over a month later, no one was thinking about Stem Cells. 

    I was on duty the morning of September 11th.  I work near a major military installation, and I sat in my police car staring out the window at the sky, wondering when the next plane was going to come hurtling down at us.  Like everyone else, I spent the next week glued to the television, hanging on every word the President said. 

    Do you remember that evening when the Senate stood together and sang?  I do.  I remember the flags on all the cars.  I remember the stories of heroism at Ground Zero, and Flight 93, and the Pentagon.  I remember the videos of people leaping out of the highest stories of the Two Towers to avoid burning to death.  I remember the tribute concerts, the celebrities, the human drama.

    And most of all I remember the President swearing to find and kill Osama bin Laden.  I'm going to repeat that quote from the top of this post. 

"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 13, 2001

    We will not REST until we find him, folks. 

    Shockingly enough, I was STILL on board when the Iraq invasion began.  I remember a discussion with my then father-in-law at the dinner table and I called him "foolish" if he thought we should not be going after Saddam.  Saddam had weapons of mass destruction, right?  He helped fund Osama, right?  He was instrumental in the 9/11 attacks and his destruction would ensure the safety of the American homelands.  His capture would immediately yield the information that would lead us straight to bin Laden and the final destruction of the Al Qaeda terror network. 

    On May 1st, 2003, President Bush landed on the USS Abraham Lincoln in Navy One wearing a  flight suit.  He gave a speech in front of a large banner that read "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED". 

    To make matters worse, only a few hours prior to the "Mission Accomplished" debacle, Donald Rumsfeld declared that major combat operations in Afghanistan were complete also. 

    On December 14th, 2003, I turned on the television and saw US Administrator Paul Bremer announce to the whole world, "Ladies and gentlemen, we got him." 

    For a brief moment, based on the cheers and response from the audience, I assumed we had Osama bin Laden in custody.  Nope.  We had Saddam.  We got him?  Him who?  Who cares about Saddam.  What the hell was everybody cheering about? 

     One of the worst things I have ever seen is this cartoon:

        Excluding the 19 hijackers who died (screw their wretched souls to the deepest abyss of hell), 2,974 people died in the September 11th attacks.  24 others are still missing and presumed dead.

    4,185 members of the American Military have been killed in the Iraq War.  3,388 of those soldiers died in combat.  As of this date 30,702 soliders have been wounded. 

    There have been over 96,000 documented civilian deaths from violence during the Iraq war. 

    Why does that cartoon bother me so much?  Simply because I know the soldier in that cartoon is like many of the men and women of our military.  They thought they were doing just that. 

    We failed them by sending them in the wrong direction.  To kill.  To be killed.  Their blood is on our hands, ladies and gentlemen.  Some hands are dirtier than others, to be sure.

    In 2005 nearly 2000 American citizens lost their lives due to Hurrican Katrina.  An additional 705 are still missing.  All forms of government failed at the handling of that crisis, including local, state, and federal.  Much criticism was leveled at FEMA, the federal agency directed to handle incidents such as Katrina, due to the President staffing the top positions with political cronies who were inept. 

    And if you don't agree that the president was responsible, here he is in his own words: “And to the extent that the federal government didn’t fully do its job right, I take responsibility," President George W. Bush. 

    Bush's entire administration has been rife with problems associated to his devotion to political lackeys who simply are not cut-out for the job.  Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Gonzales, etc. 

    At present, after eight years of Bush steering the ship, the American economy is facing it's worst crisis since the Great Depression.  Can the argument be made that it was not Bush who created the situation?  Yes.

    Can the argument be made that eight years was enough time for him to forsee the problem and implement measures to correct it?  Or, to have competent people working for him who could do that?  I believe it can.

    Further, the Bush administration has done nothing but injure America's reputation across the globe.  For those of you ignorant enough to say that it doesn't really matter what other countries think of us, I hate to tell you this, but when they control the oil, the technology, the manufacturing, and money, it matters a great deal.

    When the people who live in those countries hate us to the extent that they are trying to kill our citizens, it matters a great deal.

    And if all of that weren't bad enough, Bush has attacked policies protecting the environment from greedy corporations, removed civil liberties and enabled various agencies to circumvent the constitution, and attempted to secure the safe harbor of twelve million illegal immigrants. 

    In a few short months, America will finally be rid of this burden.  We will have the opportunity to regain our strength and standing in the world.  It is imperative that we choose our president carefully, based on what will be best for us, not what party they belong to, not what fears we might have from spooky stories they tell on talk radio. 

    Goodbye, George W.  You will live forever as an example of all that was wrong in a bygone era. 

    

    

You're the Journal, I'm the Journalist

"In this journey, you're the Journal, I'm the Journalist

am I Eternal?  Or an Eternalist?

....everytime I stop, it seems you're stuck

soon as you try to step off, you self destruct

I Came To Overcome Before I'm Gone

by showing and proving and letting knowledge be born..."

(Follow the Leader, Eric B and Rakim)

     I was away for the week, visting a variety of New Jersey shore towns, admiring the way they've built up Wildwood since the days of my youth.  I posted "Vote Obama or The Enemy Blog Will Kill You" before I left, and watched in horror as comments began to appear that I could not respond to.  I get email alerts whenever there is a comment posted, via my blackberry, but I can't respond to them.  Something about my blackberry can't handle the code of Typepad.

    The first post that caught my attention was from "McCain-Palin", which was heavy on Fox News type rhetoric and typically as light as they are on facts.  High on screaming meamie hystrionics and low on common sense.  Is this the best you McCain supporters can do? 

    The next comment came in shortly thereafter, from "Nobama", and was even more to the point.  "Nobama" is afraid of Obama turning our country into a communist country. 

    And for all you people who read both posts and thought, "I wonder if that's the same guy?"  Yep.

    It was.

    He used bogus emails, Biteme@gmail.com or something equally silly.  But he forgot, I can see IP addresses.  How many times do I have to tell you?  We can all play nice, and have adult discourse.  I promise to treat all opposing views with dignity and respect, but they have to be given with honesty.  Don't use a bunch of bogus emails to try and bolster your comments.  Just speak your piece and let your thoughts and words stand for themselves. 

    Silly Republicans, tricks are for kids.

    Of course, my readers didn't let me down.  It wasn't long before Irene got ahold of both comments and simply shredded them like a pitt bull devouring a rare steak.  I mean, damn, Irene.  When are you going to do the rest of us a favor and start a blog?

    Everybody left very well spoken comments, for which I am always grateful.  Even the two from numbnuts.  It is always fun to have a dissenting opinion.

    Opinions...That reminds me of a funny story. 

    The sum total of my journalistic training and experience were three years I spent writing for my High School newspaper "The Hatter" or something.  "Hat-Chat", that's what it was.  The administrator was one of the schools English teachers.  I remember the incident that finally drove me away from the paper was when one of our classmates came out of the closet.  He began openly telling people he was gay.

    The school was abuzz with details about how the "jocks" were going to kick his ass.  I wonder if schools are any different now.  I wonder if, as people become more accepting of one another things like this happen less.  I hope so. 

    But I digress.  He was gay, and there were people talking about beating him up because of it. 

    I wrote an editorial during one of the many classes that I did not pay attention in and handed it over to the teacher that afternoon.  He never responded.  I asked him about it a few days later and he said he hadn't read it yet.  I looked over the paper as it was about to go to print, when we cut the articles apart and smeared them with hot wax (This was before computers did all this for us, kids), and there was no editorial.

    I demanded an answer. 

    "We don't write about those kinds of things," they told me.

    So I did what any self-respecting young Enemy Blog would do.  I started my own freaking newspaper.  OPINIONATION was born during lunch-time discussions between me and two friends, Adam and Ryan.  Fueled by our young idealism, the music of Boogie Down Productions and R.E.M. and many a late night sitting around shooting ideas back and forth, we actually went to print with three issues before getting caught. 

    I remember that first day like it was happening now.  The three of us hit school with schoolbags full of copies and we put them everywhere.  Bathrooms, water fountains, library, lunch room, you couldn't look anywhere without finding a stack of OPINIONATION papers. 

    And my first period, sitting in Kinesiology, dissecting a large rat, Marnie Brown came in and said, "Look!  An underground newspaper!"  and every person in the class came over to her to read it. 

    The things the students said, pouring over the cover page (my first editorial), scorched my soul with wildfire.  That excitement grew exponentially throughout the school.  I left class and kids were talking about it in the halls, teachers were reading it at their doors.  I became concerned.

    We hadn't pulled any punches against the faculty of the school, who we felt ran it with too much of a focus on propriety and not enough on whatever the hell we were pissed off about.  I really can't recall now.  They weren't serious social injustices, I assure you, but they were enough that we began discussing articles from "OPINIONATION" in several of my classes.

    Our paper did, however, address a wide-variety of larger social issues that weren't being discussed in our mild mannered suburban surroundings.  We wrote about abortion, racism, homophobia, and the social-class system of the school.  I remember Adam writing a long editorial railing against the horrors inflicted on small calves being prepped as veal, and what a cruelty it was to have them serve us veal for lunch.  To this day I don't generally eat veal, and it's all his fault.  More importantly, we wrote from a kid's perspective, trying to deal with the overbearing opinions being foisted on us by our parents versus those of the outspoken artists we admired. 

    For whatever it was worth, we were speaking the truth, and it echoed like a gunshot.  I remember that the term I used to describe myself back then was, "Ninja Journalist". 

    Finally, it was my own fault that we got caught.  Some kid was running around telling everyone he was writing the Underground Newspaper, and I happened to hear him say it in the locker area.  I got so pissed that here we were taking all of the risk, and he was taking the credit.  Somehow...and I can't really be sure how, because the details are fuzzy, his fat ass ended up inside a locker. 

    And the next thing you know I was getting dragged into the Principal's office. 

    The Principal was actually not a bad guy, and has since become a very successful educator and proponent of an alternate schedule-system he first introduced in my old High School.  He told me that even if he wanted to expel me, he wouldn't, because he'd received multiple phone calls from parents who'd read OPINIONATION and were glad to see that the youth of the school had taken such interest in complicated social matters.

    But after we were discovered, it just wasn't the same.  The opinions of the paper were no longer those of the masses, they were just mine, Adam's, and Ryan's.  Suddenly, we became targets of the people who disagreed with our positions on homophobia, racism, and politics. 

    I can tell you that OPINIONATION never made any of us popular, or more attractive to the opposite sex.  I can also tell you that being a part of it taught me more than any journalism or sociology class ever could. 

    Many teachers came up to me after we were "outed" and congratulated me.  English teachers who'd never taken more than a passing interest in my papers began going over them in detail with me, telling me what to tighten up, what to expand on. 

    I was un-officially permanently banned from the "Hat Chat."  That's all right, I guess. 

    I lost touch with Adam and Ryan after graduation.  I don't know what fields they pursued, but I assume they were successful because both were truly stellar students with very keen minds.  Scratch that.  They were both truly stellar PEOPLE with very keen minds.  I am forever indebted to both of them that they went along with me on that crazy journey. 

    There are no copies of OPINIONATION in existence that I know of.  I certainly don't have any, though I wish I did.  I suspect I would be horrified to see my lack of writing ability, but probably proud of the ham-handed way I tried to make my little points and my juvenile shock at the world's injustices. 

    Let's see...how did my signing off go back then?  Ah.  That's it.  All right folks, one last time for those three kids back in 1992 huddled in Ryan's bedroom over that antiquated Apple computer:

Lick a Shot!

The Ninja Journalist   

Opinionation Editor-In-Chief 

                                                                                                         

"Vote Obama or The Enemy Blog Will Kill You!!!"

    So, the other day a friend of mine stopped by my office with a present.  He wasn't expecting to see me there, and he had a McCain Palin sign wrapped up in his sock.  He was seriously disappointed to see me, hoping to post it stealthily.  But, he just shrugged, unrolled it, and hung it up.  I shrugged as well, and said, "I'm all about equal representation." 

     "That's not the Enemy Blog way," he said.  "It's more, "Vote Obama or the Enemy Blog will KILL you!'"

    Hmm.  All right.  Not sure if that's the exact message I wanted to convey, but what the hell.  I liked it as a tagline, and thought I'd have some fun with it.  Of course, if the secret service comes knocking on my door, I will gladly direct them to the source of the quote.  

      I said, "If you want to ban stem cell research, or ban abortion in cases of incest or rape, feel free to vote McCain."

    What he said next kind of threw me.  "If you want to vote for a terrorist, vote Obama." 

    Huh.  What do you say to that?  How do you get someone to back down from that kind of position?  I can only imagine he was referring to the allegations that Barack is linked to a radical from the 1960's named Bill Ayers. 

    Ayers is an early education theorist, and was a founding member of the Weather Underground.  The Weather Underground was a radical leftist group who had several members responsible for a pipe bombing in San Francisco that killed one police officer and injured another.  Ayers himself was directly responsible for planting bombs, participating in riots, and attacking government buildings.  Ayers was cleared of all charges in 1977 due to federal misconduct.  As a free citizen, Ayers has since softened (he's nearly 60), but has not backed away completely from his convictions that it was necessary to fight against the Vietnam War in a radical fashion because he was so vehemently opposed to it.  Bad guy?  Yeah, I'd say so.  He certainly did some bad things.  This isn't about Bill Ayers, however, it's about the BIG CONNECTION between him and Obama. 

    And the BIG connection between Ayers and Obama is:

    (Drum Roll)

    They once lived in the same Chicago neighborhood.

    In 1995, while both were promoting education reform in Illinois, Ayers hosted a "Coffee" for Barack's first run at public office. 

    They served on the same charity board between 2000 and 2002 which met 12 times. 

    Since then?  Nada.  Nothin'.  Squat.

"Our opponent . . . is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect, imperfect enough, that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country," Sarah Palin at a speech in Englewood, California. 

    Most cops that I know, as you can well imagine, aren't Democrats.  They listen to a lot of talk radio.  They watch a lot of Fox News.  They are convinced that if we elect a Democrat, let alone a black Democrat, we'll all be on welfare, having third trimester abortions, while elementary schools hand out dimebags of weed.  

    They are afraid.  

    There are billion-dollar industries who keep themselves afloat by stoking those fears, promoting that type of tripe.  Not that they are weak-minded, just unbalanced.  To them, the Democrats are so horrific that if a Republican monkey ran for office against one they'd start investing in bananas.  

    I believe there are good Republicans, and I also believe that there are VERY bad Democrats.  You won't get any argument from me that both sides are completely screwy and we'd be better off getting rid of the lot of them.  

    This is also NOT an election about that.  

    I happen to respect John McCain.  I think he is a brave, outspoken man who has offered much to his country.  I also happen to respect Sarah Palin because she can look as hot (and seriously, she is easily in my Top 5 right now) as she does and still be articulate, forceful, and feminine.  

    That is all okay.  

    But...and you knew this was coming...this election is about the SOUL of our country.  It is about a moment in history when we, as a people, made a decision to be better than we have been.  It is about a time in history when we chose to do what is right.  And we will do it in the most democratic, time-honored tradition of governance by the people: We will do it by popular vote.  

    Barack Obama is what America is supposed to be.  

    It is SUPPOSED to be a country where anyone can be anything if they work at it.  

    It is SUPPOSED to be a country where someone does not have to linger on Capital Hill, being sodomized by lobbyists and higher ranking pols into voting to pork up every bill that comes along, garnering enough suction so that they can take their shot at the Big Seat.  

    It is SUPPOSED to be a country where we don't elect rich white guy after rich white guy just because we are told to do so.  

    We are better than this.  We are better than George W. Bush, we are better than Dick Cheney, we are better than the bastards who have raped Lady Liberty repeatedly all so that their buddies can make more money in oil, weapons, construction, etc.  

      Finally, we are a better country than one that sends it's young men and women into battle needlessly.  We are better than a country that kills innocent women and children needlessly.  We are better than a country that watches the Two Towers fall, rubs their hands together eagerly and says, "Aha!  Now we can go after those bastards in Iraq like we always wanted to.  Let's lie to the world and say it was their fault." 

    We are better than a country that lets Osama Bin Laden live while making sure Saddam Hussein is dead.  It's time we stood up, wiped off our dirty faces, and faced the future.  We've done wrong.  We can do better.

    There are ENORMOUS challenges facing the next leader of our country.  We have a staggering amount of work to do, both to correct the dangerous missteps of the Bush Administration, and Congress, and the rising dangers all across the world.

    I am not niave to that fact.  I don't expect Barack Obama to wave a magic wand and fix everything over night.  It will not be easy, and it might get messy.  But steering the ship we will have a man of integrity, honor, and character.

    We will have a living symbol of our country as dominant and historical as Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt or Kennedy.  None of them are remembered for what they did.  They are remembered for who they were. 

    They were the right man at the right time. 

    Thank god he came along.

    I believe in Barack Obama.  I believe in him with all of my heart and soul so much that when he speaks I feel tears welling in my eyes. 

    Someone wrote that I hate America.  Goddamn, are you wrong, sir.  I love this country.  I hate what people have done to it.  I hate what we were turning into. 

    If you are a Republican, or are simply afraid of change, I want you to really think about it before you pull that lever.  Think about what your vote means.  Think about what this country means.  Think about being part of something bigger, and better than any of us, even Barack himself.  He clearly recognizes that his campaign is not about us gathering behind him.  It's about him, telling the world about US. 

    I am Barack Obama.  You are Barack Obama.  We are all that hope, that fight, that glory, that spark of greatness.  Or rather, we can be. 

www.BarackObama.com