Ferguson Local Politics

I want to live in a world where everyone is three years old and has no clue what color a persons skin is.  We just play together and laugh and love one another.  One of us gets a boo-boo we run to get help from a medically trained three year old that applies a kiss and a boo-baid.  If we are hungry we run to the kitchen with our shoes untied and our pants falling off our butts to fix up a bowl of cereal and milk and dream of the toys promised on the back of the box.  We can live in a world full of hugs when we know our friend is hurting and maybe even cry with them to ease the pain.  That isn't reality but Ferguson, Missouri is.

Ferguson, Missouri is in deep pain right now.  The community is stressed out from all the violence from protestors, the police, state police, and now the National Guard "Protection".  My wife and I live just a few miles west of this little town and we have been there many a weekend buying produce at the farmers market.  We love the town.  We love the people.  This small town that has so much potential is being torn apart and it doesn't need to happen.

This pain that the community is feeling can be fixed long term.  It takes the community to heal itself.  My numbers may be wrong but you can tell me the right numbers in the comments below.  Ferguson is a community with a population of 22,000 people and 70% of the people are black.  51 of the 53 police officers are white.  That's 96%.  The Mayor is white.  The city council is 5 white people and 1 black person.  That's 80% representation at the local level for 30% of the people.

Ferguson needs to be organized to get the vote out for their own local leaders.  Ferguson needs a few people in the community that are black to stand up and run for political office.  A business owner, a school teacher, a single mom, a guy that works construction, a lawyer... Whoever.   It is your town.  Who is better at leading it?  The people in charge now or one of your own people? 

Back in the day when the Irish were persecuted for just being here in America we found a way to beat the bastards that were putting us all down.  We elected our own to public office in every capacity possible.  Local, state, and federal offices.  It didn't happen over night but one of our own was Speaker of the House for forty years and we elected President Kennedy.  We elected his little brother, the Liberal Lion Teddy for decades.

Can the racial policing problems in Ferguson be fixed?  Yes it can.  If you elect a black mayor that hires the new Chief of Police.  If you elect a city council that is black that decides and votes on the percentages of police officers that need to be black change can happen.  Some white guys just might lose their jobs as police officers but the community needs to be policed by people that are put there by the people they elected.

Might it be needed to call for a special election in Ferguson?  If the people are not truly represented, then maybe that is a probability.  Either way you need to organize, Ferguson.  Your community needs to elect a new Mayor and a new City Council.  Most of all you NEED TO VOTE!  That is just step one.

This is my protest for the people of Ferguson.  Let's move forward!  Change can only happen if you take the steps needed to make it so.

Papamoka     

Bikers, Muslims, and Jumpers on 9/11

America and many other nations are still healing from what happened on September 11, 2001.  A day in history that lives on with its own special number that everyone knows as nine eleven.  Everyone knows the number as the day we lost our innocents in a world gone mad. The day in which planes were hijacked and one of them crashed into the twin towers in New York and as it was live on the television news as the second jet crashed into the other tower. 

It was a crime against humanity from what our government says was a terrorist attack and truther's say was a government conspiracy.  It does not matter what any of the people declaring it one or the other as much as it meant to the jumpers stuck in the burning towers on 9/11.  They jumped to avoid burning to death or suffocation from the intense heat of the fire in both of the World Trade Center Towers.  They were innocent victims no matter what.  They jumped from all sides of both towers as the fire raged in the floors below them.

Do I know that 9/11 was the act of terrorists?  I do not.  The assumption of many is that it was radical Muslim terrorist by all newsworthy sources.  Just as it was likely that Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th so many years ago.  Both dates are unforgettable for the people of America.  It is human reaction to ultimate hate of another human being when attacked viciously.

A group of peaceful Muslim's wanted to gather on the Washington Mall on 9/11/2013 to speak about the fear of Muslims that Americans have as a nation.  In my personal thoughts the words NO EXPLETIVE WAY come to mind.  Pick another day you idiots!  And yes it was idiotic for a religious group to want to gather to preach to Americans on the worst day in our nations history when the people that professed to be Muslim killed thousands of innocent Americans on 9/11/2001.  The local and federal government in Washington, D.C. should have refused their permit based on common sense.  Based on the fact that this man jumped to his death along with hundreds of others from both towers.  A jump that would take almost ten seconds to reach the ground that was clustered with firefighters and police.

(picture by Richard Drew)
 
Along comes a group of Bikers to protest the Muslim gathering on 9/11/2013 that want a permit to do a non-stop run through the fair city of Washington, and the local government says nope.  No can do.  But that pesky freedom of travel thingy gummed up the works.  My personal thanks to all of the people that participated in this ride on DC.

  

I bare no grudge against people of the Muslim faith, the few that I do know are amazing and loving people.  Just as I know many Christian people that are amazing and loving people.  We are respectful of our differences and understand the fact that you do not mock another persons faith.  And you do not use a day of mourning for millions of Americans as a day to get the word out about your faith. That was dead wrong.

People of all faiths, I recommend reading this article by Tom Junod in Esquire.  A brilliant piece that may make you cry from time to time but a must read.  I find myself praying harder for all of the people that died that sorrowful day on nine eleven.

Papamoka

Police Officer Down, Matt Crosby Shot

One of the worst jobs on this planet has to be that of a law enforcement officer responding to a call for help for a domestic dispute. They are walking into a situation that they as the peacekeepers have no prior knowledge as to how volatile it is. Would you intercede on a neighbors domestic violence dispute not really knowing them that well? When the situation is too hot to handle the Police have to take charge and calm the waters so to speak. And sometimes those officers are shot at and hurt badly simply because someone called for help by dialing 911. That is the job as a police officer that they signed up for and I thank them all for doing it every single day. I especially thank Matthew Crosby for it.



Video Link

Matt Crosby is a friend of a friend’s, friend. He responded to such a call for help and in the line of duty as a police officer for the city of Rock Hill, Missouri, he was shot responding to keep the peace. Officer Matt Crosby is now paralyzed for life. My own personal thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family for the long tough path they have ahead of them. What could have or would have happened if Matt and his fellow officer didn’t respond? If the nut job (George Jones) had it in him to fire at the police then what would he have done to the family that actually called the police? How many body bags would have been filled?

I sure as hell am glad that so many people like Matt Crosby as a police officer will rush in where everyone else is running away. People may bitch and moan when it comes to the police and the job they have to do but when you really need them, they will be there without a second thought. They are angels when the worst of humanity happens and you cry out for help. Matt Crosby was and is such a man that as a law enforcement officer responded to a 911 call and for being who he is as a person, Matt is paralyzed for simply punching in for work that day.

The City of Rockhill has set up a Pay Pal donation button to help pay for some of Officer Matt Crosby’s medical care if you would care to donate. I’m sure that his young children would appreciate anything you could do to help their Dad. Heartland Bank is also taking donations sent as "Mathew Crosby Charitable Trust".

Take care of you and take care of the people that take care of you. When you need them they are willing to take a bullet for you in the line of duty. How many people do you really know that can actually say that and it be believable? Matt Crosby could and now he is paralyzed for life because he was willing to do the job that not many people would want to.

I highly recommend that the next time you stop to buy a coffee at your local doughnut shop you ask them to put up a "Matt Crosby" donation jar and by all means ask the manager if the company is going to contribute to the cause? When they ask who is Matt Crosby you simply have to say "Officer Down" and leave it at that.

Papamoka

***Crooks and Liars has linked in... Thank you Mike!

Cell Phone Raid in NYC

If you happen to be pulled over in New York City for using your cell phone while driving then you can expect a ticket and fine worth up to $120. It’s illegal to use your phone and drive at the same time in New York. NYPD hit the cell phone lottery to the tune of just over a million bucks for 24 hours worth of intense law enforcement by nailing over 9,000 offenders. You can check the whole story out over at the New York Post.

If you pull out your trusty made in China calculator, the city on average tickets 535 people per day for breaking the very same law. That works out to just about twenty-three million bucks a year in fines. I wonder what percentage that works out to be for the NYPD annual budget? Now I’m also wondering what happens to all the support people that follow Verizon subscribers around when they get pulled over? Do they scatter and hide at the first audible scream of “Cops”?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in favor of banning cell phone use while driving. Far too often I’ve seen people forget that the main objective is steering their one to two ton bullet while talking on the phone, applying makeup, eating a meal to go and sipping a coffee. Driving a car is dangerous enough without any distractions even under the best of circumstances.

Papamoka

Firefighters

This is a from the heart post. I happen to have a great respect for people that serve to protect our fellow man. Firefighters come close to my heart when they rush into the flames where others not so brave would not. In their individual hearts for why they do what they do I will never understand but I sure as hell appreciate them every single day of my life. I can’t put myself in their boots when they rush into an empty building that is rumored to have homeless people in it or for that matter a single home known to have a family in it. Flames and the heat is so intense and yet they rush in where no man should. Many loose their lives for it. That is courage that can never be explained. God bless them all for it.

Here in my hometown we lost six brave men back in 1999 in one fire and I will never forget them. And from the ruble and site where they passed away in, the city of Worcester has built a state of the art fire station on the same land that they lost their lives on. That is the ultimate tribute to six very brave men and humanitarians till their last breath. God bless them all. Over at the Telegram they have this video on it…

Video Link



Timmothy Jackson Sr., Jay Lyons, Thomas Spencer, Jeremiah Lucey, Joseph McGuirk, and Paul Brotherton all rushed in to save homeless people in a building fully engulfed in flames. They never made it out of the building alive. They did not rush into those flames because of a city paycheck, they did so for a higher calling. They did so to save lives and they lost their lives for it. I dare not try and think of their last thoughts before the fire took them. God bless them all.

Worcester will be dedicating this new fire station in their honor in the same place where these very brave men lost their lives. I have mixed feelings on this but I think it is a great tribute to the men that died. Personally, I would have preferred a statue over a fire station. Something that just said we were here, we fought here and we died here. Then again, to think about it, placing a fire station on that same spot is a compliment to their memory. They deserve this fire station and what it will stand for till the wrecking ball comes in a hundred or more years when these brave souls are long forgotten is a much better tribute to their lives.

You don’t know how this feels to your soul till it happens to you and in your community. The Worcester Cold Storage fire happened many years ago but to me it still feels like yesterday. Why is it that December 3rd, 1999 is burned into my soul? We brought food down to the firefighters that refused to leave this site, we brought food to the fire stations manned from towns all over the state. We bought flowers for the stations with black banners over their engine doors. I stayed home from work and kept my kids home from school as President Clinton and other notable dignataries and people from all over America came to my city and spoke at the service to our fallen six firefighters. My wife volunteered her time as a school bus driver to shuttle all the firefighters from all over the world for the memorial service. I still feel like I have not done enough for the brave men that lost thier lives. All I know now is that I now have an extreme respect for fireman and policeman all across America. They dare to do what others would never think possible and some make it out and some do not. Say a prayer for those that act when we can not. God bless them all!

Thank you Worcester Fire Department and the Worcester Police Department for doing what you do. I don’t think people really know how much you should be really appreciated. God bless you all!

Papamoka