Shop With A Cop in Pocatello | KIDK CBS 3

This sure seems like a wonderful program to me.  It gets needy children (economically disadvantaged kids that tend to have a higher risk of committing crime later in life) together with police officers in a great setting to facilitate not just a happier holiday season for both the kids and the officers, but to potentially setting the stage for a healthier, less adversarial interaction between the kids and the cops later in life.

Over forty Pocatello Police Officers and Bannock County Sheriff's Deputies took the kids shopping for gifts to give to their family members - something the young people would not otherwise have been able to afford.  The officers were giving of their time,  the kids were buying gifts to give to others.  And the giving didn't stop there.  The money to buy the gifts was donated by the local community, and the cheerleaders from Highland, Century and Pocatello High School were giving their time and effort to helping with the shopping, and with gift wrapping. 

This program works in so many ways - building positive relationships between kids and police officers, providing gifts where otherwise there may not be gifts - or the joy that comes from giving gifts to loved ones, the chance for community members to give to needy families, the cheer squads to perform a community service and the law enforcement professionals the opportunity to not only help needy families and exert a positive influence on the kids, but probably to help prevent some crime that may have resulted in the future from at-risk kids who had not had positive interaction with police officers.  A win-win-win-win-win-win deal. 

I admire our law enforcement professionals so much, for the work they do day in and day out, and when they give of their personal time to serve their community even further, my admiration only grows.  (For another excellent example of a police service program doing amazing things, check out http://sunshinedivision.org/) 

Oh, and the cops let the kids run the lights and sirens, and even use the radios.  Perfect.  Thank you to the Poky police and Bannock County deputies.  I may not live in Poky any more (though I was born there and enjoy visits every year), your efforts have even provided me with a benefit 600 miles away:  you've encouraged me, and reminded me that there are some wonderful people in this world, and more than an average percent of these are our law enforcement officers.  Thank you PPD and BCS, and the great community you serve. 

Technorati Tags: police volunteer services,Pocatello,Shop with a Cop,Idaho,law enforcement,Christmas giving programs

Shop With A Cop in Pocatello | KIDK CBS 3 - News, Weather and Sports - Idaho Falls - Pocatello - Blackfoot, ID - Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Blackfoot - Idaho | communities

Officer Richards' wife knew he would do his duty, no matter what

There are times when the written or spoken word offer us a glimpse of the experience of the writer or speaker.  Often we simply write and speak in declarations, we make a point or state an opinion.  Only now and then do we choose and dare to open the private shutters to our unique experience and point of view.  In a beautiful, touching and overwhelmingly sad interview with Lynda Mapes of the Seattle Times, Kelly Richards has offered such a glimpse of her experience right now, days after her husband, Officer Greg Richards was killed when Maurice Clemmons ambushed him and three colleagues as they prepared for their shift at a coffee shop.

Officer Greg Richards

Ms. Mapes did a brilliant piece, allowing Kelly Richards experience speak to us from without being overpowered by a narrative.  There are some very powerful insights, things I might not have realized otherwise.  When Ms. Richards heard on the news that four officers had been killed at Cafe Forza, her heart sank and she began to frantically search for information.  She hoped against hope that her husband was not one of the dead, but then she was struck by a realization.  "…what are you hoping, for someone else's wife or husband to be dead?” 

Ms. Richards even recounts discussing a situation where her husband might find himself in a life or death encounter:

"I had always told him, come home to us, get out, find a way out, if you can't shoot and kill him," Richards said. But she said she knew, like his colleagues, he would do his duty, no matter what.”

And,it was Officer Greg Richards who was able to wound Clemmons, before succumbing to his own injuries.  The owner of Cafe Forza says that Officer Richards shielded customers and baristas by charging Clemmons and forcing him out the door, wounding Clemmons before falling himself. I can only imagine how proud Ms. Richards must be, and how desperately she might simultaneously wish her husband had somehow found a way out – a way home.  I’ve linked to Ms. Mapes article below.  It is well worth reading:

Local News | Officer Richards' wife knew he would do his duty, no matter what | Seattle Times Newspaper

By the way, on December 8th and 9th, the very generous 40+ Papa Johns Pizza stores in Western Washington will be donating all profits to the families of these men.  Don’t you think that you will have a special craving for Papa Johns Pizza on Tuesday or Wednesday? Some additional links to stories which might be of interest:

Details on Tuesday memorial for four slain officers

Officer Ronald Owens Obituary

Sergeant Mark Renninger and his son, about two years ago.

Obituary for Sergeant Mark Renninger

Officer Tina Griswold a stickler for safety

Seattle Times Obituary for Officer Griswold

Officer Tina Griswold Memorial

 

Technorati Tags: Police Officers Murdered,Lakewood Police Officers Ambushed,Officer Greg Richards,crime,true crime,Seattle true crime,Papa John's Pizza

First-Year Police Officer Britt Sweeny Ready to Return to Duty, Honor Fallen Comrade

I think most of us have idly thought at some point about how we would react if we were involved in a shooting incident.  Maybe not as the shooter, but perhaps because of a news story or television show or movie, the thought came unbidden.  We can’t really know until we know, as the saying goes, and may I add that I don’t want to know.  When Officer Britt Sweeny – on her second night with training officer Tim Brenton (#6699) – was faced with just that situation she learned, as the rest of the police force and the city learned how she would react.  Her partner was killed instantly, and without hesitation Officer Sweeny radioed the call for help “shots fired”, and she jumped from the patrol car and returned fire.  When detectives found the car used in the attack they also found that one of Officer Sweeny’s slugs had hit the fleeing vehicle.  How terrible it is that Officer Sweeny had to learn firsthand and unequivocally of her mettle, created by an internal strength that cannot be taught.  She will say that her training is responsible for her actions, and to an extent that is true.  It is also no doubt true that she reacted in a split second to a threat, called instantly for aid, and still managed to step out of the patrol car and return fire.  I’m sure there were many veterans, fine officers all, who privately wondered if they’d have responded so brilliantly in the same circumstances.  How sad that Officer Sweeny, in her first year as an officer, has had to learn what she has learned about herself.  I am certain she’d have loved to be one of those officers who have never fired their gun on duty.  But that wasn’t Officer Sweeny’s lot.  She drew a very short stick – only Officer Brenton’s was shorter – in a very high stakes situation, and she mastered it.  I believe that training is excellent.  It is exceeded in excellence by this officer and her sense of duty, and her courage.

Technorati Tags: Officer Brit Sweeny,Officer Tim Brenton,Christopher John Monfort,Seattle Crime,Seattle True Crime,Crime,Criminals,Seattle Policeman Murdered

Local News | Rookie ready to 'fight the fight,' return to duty after officer's fatal shooting | Seattle Times Newspaper

Everett Police Officer Charged with First Degree Manslaughter in Shooting Death

I hate reading stories like this one.  It is the old saw acted out – one bad apple spoils the bunch.  Officer Troy Meade, an eleven year veteran of the Everett, WA police department, shot and killed a fifty-one year old man in the parking lot of a restaurant. 

The victim had been drinking at the bar, and patrons called the police when he said he intended to drive home.  An autopsy would later show that his blood alcohol was .26, which is more than three times the legal limit in Washington State.  Police arrived, and upon seeing the man in his Corvette, Meade blocked the car about fifteen feet to the rear.  Cars on both sides, and the a curb kept the man from driving forward or turning to either side. 

Meade approached the man, and was speaking with him when a second officer arrived at the scene.  Meade waved the other officer off, indicating that he didn’t need backup and the other officer began to drive away.  Then Meade radioed and told the second officer to come back.  When he returned to the scene, the officer saw Meade speaking with the driver, standing by the drivers door.  The man was seated in the drivers seat but the engine was off.  Meade was talking to the man and telling him not to try to drive off.  The man’s voice became more belligerent and he refused to comply.  Both officers drew their stun guns and the second officer drew his baton.

People who witnessed the event said that then Meade fired his stun gun into the man’s shoulder and the driver stiffened briefly in response.  The stun gun record showed that the officer had triggered two shocks: one of six seconds and then five seconds.  The driver then started his car and tried to drive off, over the curb barrier and into a chain link fence several feet in front of the parking curb.  The car was stopped by the fence, and witnesses say that it seemed to move slightly as if the engine were revving. 

At that point Officer Meade drew his pistol and said “Time to end this”, firing eight shots into the rear of the drivers seat.  The man died at the scene, having been hit seven times.  The car was found to be running with the transmission in park.

The man’s family is suing the City of Everett for $15 million, and the prosecutor has decided to file first degree manslaughter charges.  And while I agree with the prosecutor, and feel that the city should compensate the family, I also think that this is yet another proof to the old saw, “Never run from a police officer”.  Nothing good comes of running from police.  It is a shame that this happened, and of course Officer Meade ought not have fired his weapon – let alone eight times – when there was no immediate danger from the man and his car.  He was probably too drunk to comply, and the officer should have used his taser, reached in and removed the key once the car was fully blocked.  I can’t see this any other way than shooting was a bad and unnecessary decision, and shooting eight times was a clear sign of the officers depraved indifference to the drunk man’s life.

Photo from Everett Herald, courtesy of Luvera Law Firm – seven shots hit the drivers seat and are circled to make it easier to locate them.

HeraldNet: Snohomish County police officer charged in killing

Technorati Tags: Crime,true crime,Everett,Policeman Charged,Everett Policeman charged,manslaughter,Police Officer shoots drunk driver

Seattle Police Officer Shot in Central District

Updates and Breaking News at Bottom of Page

It isn’t all treats on Halloween.  Tonight a Seattle Police officer was shot just before ten PM in the Central District.  It is not known yet whether there is gang involvement.

Scant details are available but from the scanner we learned that there is one person dead at the scene, so hopefully not one of Seattle’s Best.His condition is not known at this time.   There were several reports of a car driving around the area shooting a gun into the air last night, and I’ve seen it mentioned that this was the reason for tonight’s stop of the vehicle, triggering a deadly firefight. 

Officers have spread out and are also using a chopper to look for the white or grey Toyota, with bullet holes in it.  Let’s hope they catch these guys quickly and that the officer makes a perfect recovery.

Seattle Crime.com | Home

Seattle Times

Updates

Already a sad bit of news about the Seattle PD officer shot tonight. It has just been announced that he has died. He has become the 59th officer killed in the line of duty and only the first since 2006. My heart goes out to the family and the officers he worked with. I will make sure I attend the memorial
'
The gang unit is on scene, and the incident happened moving east from the Central District and into Leschi. The search for a grey or white Toyota with bullet holes in it. The Seattle PI Blog has more detail:

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/

Update 2 (Nov. 1):

I mentioned a crack house a while back. On that day, two Seattle police officers drove by, saw us prying the plywood off the front door to gain access to the house (it was being surveyed for hazardous materials as required before demolition). They stopped and asked who we were, what we were doing. I showed them my ID, told them what we were doing. Their response was to "make it quick", as it doesn't "take long to get shot here". I replied that we would be quick, and asked if they'd hang around for ten minutes. They declined, saying that police officers in a patrol car were the most "visible targets of all". Sadly prophetic. This had better be a death penalty case when they make arrests.

Technorati Tags: True Crime,Crime,Seattle Police Officer Shot,Seattle,Seattle Crime,Shots fired,Manhunt

Update 3 (Nov. 1):

Last night's shooting of veteran officer Timothy Brenton, who was killed seconds after he made a traffic stop, has shocked and saddened the city and especially the Seattle Police Department.
Brenton was a 9-year veteran of Seattle Police at the time of his death. He leaves behind a wife and two children.
Officer Britt Sweeny was in the driver's seat and the two officers had just completed a traffic stop. They were discussing the procedures for the situation when a light-colored car pulled alongside and opened fire. Bullets struck Brenton in the head, killing him. Bullets grazed Sweeny, tearing furrows in her vest and uniform shirt. Sweeney is 33- years-old and a recent graduate of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center. She was treated and released at Harborview Medical Center.
The police chief had high praise for the trainee's response to a very intense situation, saying "Officer Sweeney was able to get on the air and summon additional officers to the scene. Officer Sweeney’s performance was exemplary under the most stressful and horrific call imaginable". Sweeny got off perhaps six shots at the suspect's vehicle as it made off down the street. She then made the officer down call, which scrambled units from every precinct in Seattle, as well as fire and rescue units, homicide and crime scene units. A recent academy graduate, being trained as a patrol officer, she handled herself very well. I hope she goes on to have a long and safe career in the SPD.
It is times like these that the thin blue line seems to stretch even thinner. When armed and uniformed officers become random targets how can any of us feel safe? A bank account is being set up for the family of officer Brenton and I'll post more information on the particulars when it is available.
I thought this verse by a Norfolk policeman appropriate for the loss of Officer Brenton:
http://www.policepoems.com/HeAnsweredTheCall.htm

 

Update 4 (Nov. 2):

From the Seattle Times:
In less than 10 years on the Seattle Police Department, Officer Timothy Brenton impressed his superiors so much they asked him to train other officers in the field.
He was doing that Saturday night, teaching rookie officer Britt Sweeney, when he was killed, apparently randomly in a drive-by shooting while sitting in a patrol car on a tree-lined street. Sweeney, only on duty for about a month, suffered minor injuries.
"Everybody loved him," said his uncle, Jon Brenton, 50, of Kingston, who recalled his nephew's quick smile and great sense of humor.
Timothy Brenton, 39, came from a family of police officers, the uncle said. The slain officer's father and another uncle are retired Seattle police officers, Jon Brenton said.
Brenton lived in a house in a leafy, middle-class neighborhood in Marysville, on a cul-de-sac with his wife and two young children.
"Just a regular American family; going to work, making a living," said neighbor Mark Flanders, 49, as he stood in his yard.
Brenton's two children, an 8-year-old boy and a girl, 11, are in elementary school, Flanders said.
Flanders described Brenton as a "quiet family man" and said the officer's wife, Lisa, worked as a nurse.
Jon Brenton said he learned of the shooting in a 2:30 a.m. phone call Sunday from the officer's father, Boyd Brenton, of La Conner.
"He was pretty broken," Brenton said. "It was kind of unbelievable to him. It was just kind of a dream."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010182922_officer02m.html

Update 5 (Nov. 2):

For a series of photos related to the story: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/gallery.asp?SubID=5207&page=1&gtitle=Leschi%20police%20shooting&pubdate=11/1/09
There is a moving photo and more detail on this page: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/411746_officer02.html?source=mypi
I avoid reading the comments with this type of thing because there are always some that irk me. Of course, before I realized I had read on into the comments I saw some asshat complaining that there were too many vehicles and officers present to honor the fallen officer as his remains were transferred. The assistant chief was right in pointing out that these people, the men and women of the SPD had to go right on with their jobs, without a break to 'process' or grieve. They were breaking up fights and responding to incidents all night on the busy Halloween night.
There were even a few comments like "one cop less" , and I was pleased to see this response to that nauseating comment:
"Hey all. Thanks for the kind words on behalf of this fallen officer. To the folks who have made the disparaging comments...Imagine that there are police so liberal and open minded that they read the Stranger...online even. You dumb asses still think we're all right wing fascist robots? I didn't like the police much until I grew up. Things have changed and there are many of us who hang out in your clubs, listen to your music and vote for your party. I hope the criminals you obviously prefer do right by you. Since I know they won't, the next time one of them stabs your ass for your IPod, go ahead and call. I'll come running to help you even though you hate me and celebrate the death of my kind." This was from a post in the Stranger, BTW.

Update 6 (Nov. 2):

All reports are that the car was not the one stopped for traffic violation, and that car had departed before the assailant's vehicle pulled alongside. Once shots had been fired the assailant reversed, made a three-point turn and sped off. Officer Sweeny returned fire, and may have hit the fleeing vehicle as it drove off. There is just one reference thus far to the assailant having watched or witnessed the traffic stop, though there are no denials of that statement at this point. Indications are that several witnesses have come forward from the neighboring residences and there have been a lot of tips phoned in. As of this time there is a $21,000 reward available. There are some rumors about gang initiation, a person of interest picked up later that night and then re-arrested after posting bond for an unrelated crime, as well as some other less credible (to my mind) rumors.

Update 7 (Nov. 2):

Reports are that this person of interest is being held on $30k bail - The DA asked for $150k. The charge is obstruction. The POI allegedly made a reference to someone being taken out.
UPDATED: The deputy chief downplayed this person in relation to the shooting but wouldn't rule out his involvement. The man has made threats and assaulted officers in the past, and was arrested on October 30 for making such a threat. He was free between the morning of October 31 and the early morning hours of November 1.

Update 8 (Nov. 2):

Writing that comment about the assailant driving to the side of the cruiser, shooting, then backing up, executing a 3-point turn and driving away made me think that this was planned. That sequence seems like something cumbersome and uninstinctual to do without planning. Why do it? To keep from showing up on the police vehicle's video camera, mounted and facing forward. Maybe I am reading to much into it...

Update 9 (Nov. 2):

Seattle PD Changes Deployment and Warns Other Departments of 'Hit' --
from the Seattle Times:
Seattle police are warning other departments to take steps to protect officers after the Halloween night drive-by shooting that killed a veteran officer and grazed a rookie.
Interim Chief John Diaz told a city council briefing Monday it was a "hit on law enforcement." He says Seattle police are changing the way officers are deployed.
Detectives are following tips, looking for the car that fled the scene and the person responsible for killing Timothy Brenton. The 39-year-old training officer from Marysville was hit in the head as he sat in a car reviewing a traffic stop with officer Britt Sweeney. She is recovering at home as she works with investigators.
Diaz says a large venue is being sought for a funeral for Brenton.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010186582_apwaseattleofficerkilled1stldwritethru.html

 

Update 10 (Nov. 2):

Update on memorial service for Officer Brenton
The memorial service for Officer Timothy Brenton is scheduled for Friday, November 6th at 1:00 p.m. at the Key Arena.
The men and women of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, along with contributions from concerned citizens and Crime Stoppers, are now offering a reward of up to $40,000.00 for information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the murder of Officer Timothy Brenton and the attempted murder of Student Officer Britt Sweeny.

Update 11 (Nov. 3):

The person of interest mentioned earlier today has been de-emphasized and police do not think it likely he had anything to do with the murder of Officer Brenton or the wounding of Officer Sweeny. Hundreds of tips have flooded in, and police have dozens of officers following up every witness, tip and lead. ATF, the U.S. Marshal, the FBI, King County Sherriff and officers from other cities and the department of corrections (dealing with parolee and work-release cases) are all involved in following up leads.
According to CASEY MCNERTHNEY of the Seattle PI, "police have terabytes of video evidence that they were reviewing, trying to determine if something related to the shooting was captured.
"'We are bringing some detectives who have had experiences with other task forces that are knowledgeable in the handling of huge volumes of information, cataloging that and getting it electronically recorded so we can search it and otherwise compare it with any other information that's going to come in in the future,"' according to Assistant Chief Jim Pugel. Reports indicate that police are reviewing and collating video and audio from all police responses including traffic stops in the area and about the time that the shooting took place. In addition to numerous dash-mounted video recordings, police are also looking at video from businesses in the area. Once reviewed the video and audio data are being catalogued to make it easier to cross-check time sequences, vehicles, etc.
On October 22 several Seattle Police Department patrol cars were set on fire. Though the arson occurred on the very day that a small group of 20-30 people gathered in the downtown area as part of a nation-wide (but modestly attended) effort to protest police brutality. There is no indication that the arson is linked in any way to the shooting of Officers Brenton and Sweeny, and no reason to implicate them in any way with the protest. In fact, the arsonist left fliers protesting police brutality at the scene of the arson, though the reason the arsonist chose to set Seattle Police cars on fire as a protest of the actions of a King County Sherriff's deputy who assaulted a teenage girl in custody is unclear. That deputy had been fired and is facing criminal charges as a result of the incident. The Assistant Chief reiterated several time that all leads and possibilities were being looked at and worked.
Some people scoffed a bit at Mayor Greg Nickels today when he commented that SPD is one of the strongest departments in the country at solving 'these complicated cases'. Though it may appear to be a straightforward drive-by shooting, the department is going to have to sort through a huge amount of data to sift out the real evidence in the case. Massive amounts of recorded surveillance, hundreds of interviews, timelines, prior cases, other police actions that night, parolees arrested by the officer, people who made threats previously...very quickly it becomes apparent just what the Mayor meant when he called a 'simple drive-by' a complicated case. He is also correct that SPD has a national reputation for solving complex cases. I hope this is one of them. MB
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/411786_police03.html

 

Update 12 (Nov.3):

I agree completely with Jonah Spangenthal-Lee of SeattleCrime.com when he says that now is not the time to play the dispatch tape recording Officer Sweeny's call for backup after the ambush on Halloween night. He partner had just been hit multiple times, killed instantly, and she had been grazed and narrowly missed by other rounds. The interim Chief of Police has praised her for her professionalism in extreme circumstances even veteran officers would find very tough. She responded like a professional, and from the transcript below (from SeattleCrime.com) we get a glimpse into her humanity:
(0:00) Sweeney: Shots fired, 29th and Yesler!
(0:06) Dispatcher: Is there a unit calling radio?
(0:15) Officer 1: I believe she said I-5 north of yesler
(0:19) Operator: 3 george 13?
(0:22) Sweeney: [sobs]
(0:24) Operator: 3 George 13? I map George 13, I show her at 29 and E yesler way, if units could [surge?] that way
(0:37) Sweeney: Help. Shots fired [sobs]
(0:42) Sweeney: My partner’s dead.
(0:44) Dispatcher: I need units to 29 and East Yesler
(0:47) Officer 2: Edward 32’s on his way [Siren]
(1:00) Officer 1: 3 George en route
(1:08) Sweeney: Help me.
(1:13) Dispatcher: Help the officer 29 and E Yesler
(1:24) Sweeney: I need medical
(1:38) Officer 1: George 31 arriving
(2:01) Officer 1: George 33, we’ve got officer down. We need more, uh, we need fire here now.
(2:08) Dispatcher: Fire’s on the way.
http://seattlecrime.com/2009/11/02/the-call

 

Update 13 (Nov. 3)

There has been a fund established for the family of Officer Timothy Brenton. Donations may be made at any Bank of America branch under the “Brenton Family Assistance Fund.”
Officer Brenton leaves a wife and two children, ages 8 and 11, as well as his father and uncle, both retired Seattle Police Officers.

Update 14 (Nov. 3):

Officer Brenton's Family Thanks Community for Support

The Central District News blog has posted this video of Deputy Chief Pugel reading a handwritten letter from the family of slain officer Tim Brenton:
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2009/11/03/brenton-family-thanks-community-for-support

The text of the letter:
"The family of Officer Tim Brenton would like to thank the community for the tremendous outpouring of support. Even with the tragic loss, Tim’s wife and children are finding solace in the support from the police community, their friends and family, and the community as a whole. We know that Tim would be honored and humbled by the limitless support that has been provided at the difficult time. We sincerely thank you for the generous emotional support, thoughts, and prayers."

Update 15 (Nov. 3):

The reward in this case has reached $85,000 and in all likelihood is expected to exceed $100k in the next day or two.
Police are looking into several avenues of inquiry based on witness accounts, surveillance video and even information from other departments. One connection police are looking into is to determine if a similar incident in Southern California is linked to the murder of Officer Brenton. At this time there is no reason to link them, but it is being investigated along with the arson targeting police cars, any threats or recent assaults on police officers. ATF and the FBI have been brought into the investigation as well. So far, the department continues to say they have no person of interest and no motive established.

Update 16 (Nov. 4):

Investigators are now saying that dashboard camera video shows a vehicle which may be the small, light-colored car from which the fatal shots were fired. The video was recorded near the location and time of the Halloween shooting.

Update 17 (Nov. 4):

More on the video lead: It appears that the video in which police may have a pretty useful photo of the vehicle driven by the killer originated with the dash camera of one of the units responding immediately after the shooting. As that unit approached the area it captured images of a light-colored coupe leaving the area. Man I hope a license plate was visible. The bulletin advises officers checking out light colored coupe vehicles to approach with extreme caution. The Seattle Times, crimeblog and Seattle Weekly are all reporting similar information, and the Weekly even reminded drivers of cars matching this vague description to avoid any sudden moves if stopped. No doubt.
Another piece of new information being reported today may or may not be related to the ambush investigation, but is certainly being followed up zealously. The arson which damaged four Seattle Police Department vehicles a couple of weeks ago was committed using pipe bomb devices - something that had not been reported previously and which clearly ups the ante over a simpler means of ignition. We also are hearing that a note threatening officers and equipment of the Seattle Police Department was found at the location of the arson. It is still not clear whether the arson and the murder are connected but certainly there is a strong motivation to check it out.

Update 18 (Nov. 4):

Reward reaches $105,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the murderer of Officer Tim Brenton. There will be a procession of vehicles from Husky Stadium through the city to the Memorial service at Key Arena. Police estimate well over 1,000 cars will take part in the procession and word is they are planning to accommodate 5,000. Police and firefighters from dozens of departments in Washington, Idaho and Oregon are sending contingents to show support.

Update 19 (Nov. 4):

KING news is reporting that Seattle Police found a backpack downtown containing the names of officers, the shifts they are assigned to, and times they would come and go. No idea yet if that is connected to the murder, or to the arson, or even to both, but it is being looked at hard. Police also have a bulletin out on the specific car that is believed to have been driven by the killer. It fits the description, and when videotaped by a patrol car responding to Officer Sweeny's "Shots fired"
the manner in which the suspect car was being driven is being termed suspicious. They are not yet prepared to say whether the car was involved, but the Seattle PD is very interested in talking with the owner. They're holding back the specific make and model to use in deciding which tips are likely to be accurate.

Update 20 (Nov.5):

SPD now is saying that they have video from 2-3 police cars showing the same car driving in a reckless manner as the units raced to the location of the shooting.
No official confirmation of the specific license, but multiple sources are now reporting that the investigation is using the information as a hold-back. There is a statewide bulletin to stop cars matching that description, and officers are told to approach with extreme caution.
A weird tidbit emerged overnight. A man was arrested at a bar in Ballard last night, and that unremarkable fact has been mentioned repeatedly in posts, blogs and news reports as being in some way related to the investigation, though police aren't commenting. Could be nothing, could be a break.
The impromptu memorial for Officer Brenton has continued to grow. The scene is somber, and a huge array of flowers have been laid at the spot where the patrol car was parked. The color guard for the memorial service was present for a while yesterday afternoon while Officer Brenton's family was there seeing both the site of the murder and the informal memorial.
Nearby, just a few blocks from the scene, new threats have appeared - tagged to a building by a gang well-known to SPD. The note is specific, threatening a particular detective by name. I'm just hoping that this bad situation doesn't serve as an impetus for a broader attack on officers.
This investigation is covering a lot of ground, and every day there are rumors popping up concerning possible breaks in the case. I try to avoid these unless they are something I've heard from one of two sources.

Update 21 (Nov. 5):

The Memorial Service will be at 1PM tomorrow. The procession of cars will leave UW at 9 AM and will take about three hours to reach the arena. It's not being publicly stated whether Officer Sweeny will attend, but it will be a surprise if she doesn't. What a strong person she is; one need only listen to the radio call for backup and how she handled a really tough situation to see that toughness.
The Space Needle had a ceremony at 10AM this morning to honor Officer Brenton. A 600 square foot flag was hoisted aloft by members of the SPD honor guard. The flag represents a Seattle PD badge with black band around it and Officer Brenton's badge number on a field of white.

Update 22 (Nov. 5):

The man arrested at the bar in Ballard was taken into custody for questioning when other bar patrons reported to police that he was making threatening remarks about police. SPD has subsequently said that the man is not connected to the murder of officer Brenton.

Update 23 (Nov. 5):

Here is video of the flag-raising:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9qtcmsW0-Q&feature=player_embedded#
Local stations have not announced whether they will cover the service live or not, but here are the main stations:
King 5 has been out front in getting information thus far, the website is: http://www.king5.com/
KOMO http://www.komonews.com/ (Komo is reporting now that Officer Sweeny has asked to return to work, saying she wants to get back out there.
KIRO: http://www.kirotv.com/index.html
KCPQ13: http://www.q13fox.com/
I'll post more if and when the stations announce plans.

 

Update 24 (Nov. 5):

KOMO has confirmed they will show the ceremony live online at the above website.
There is a picture of the 1980-1983 Datsun located on several sites, now, including KOMO: http://www.komonews.com/news/69326562.html

 

Update 25 (Nov. 5):

Here is a clearer image taken just before the murder. The car is a Datsun 2 door hatchback of the B210 type. http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=236767

Update 26 (Nov. 5):

For information on the car as well as a psychological profile (I know, they are not always helpful, but it is worth a try), go to Suspected car and possible suspect profile

Update 27 (Nov. 6):

Cars have begun moving along the procession route from the UW toward Key Arena, where the memorial for Officer Tim Brenton will be held at 1PM today. 

Investigators have now indicated that photos of the car carrying the person that murdered officer Brenton have been retrieved from the patrol car used that night by Officers Sweeny and Brenton.  This photo, mentioned previously as having been taken prior to the shooting, indicates that the assailant likely followed the patrol car for about fifteen minutes before the shooting.  No word yet on whether this indicates specific targeting of particular officers, or just officers the assailant happened upon first. 

The procession and memorial are being webcast live here: http://live.komotv.com/

Update 28 (Nov. 6):

The procession this morning was very moving with people along the streets with hands over hearts and black ribbons on garments.  It was extremely quiet as the vehicles passed by, and it is my hope that the family and officers of SPD feel the support and respect of the community.  The memorial is live on the websites l noted above.  There are officers from all over the country and Canada.  It is impressive to see how many have come out despite traffic and severe weather today.  I've not seen Officer Sweeny yet, but I understand she will be here.

SPD has said that they will not be releasing any informational updates on the case for the next three days unless there is a break, of course.  This is to allow the focus to be on Officer Brenton and his family rather than the murder during this period immediately following the memorial.

Update 29 (Nov. 6):

A huge, multi-agency police response is underway in Tukwila outside an apartment building.  Early video from a local news helicopter showed a man being pulled from the building after having been shot, presumably by officers.  There is no indication what the incident was, or what the police are at the scene for, beyond responding to gunfire.  It is being reported that officers from the Seattle Police Homicide division are on scene, along with as many as thirty units from at least five law enforcement agencies.  Could be related to the murder of Officer Brenton, or it may not.  Updates as available.   

Update 30 (Nov.6):

BREAKING NOW

Police from Tukwila shot a person while executing a search warrant this afternoon.  Helicopter video shows a police car blocking in a car which resembles a hatchback of the type suspected in the shooting of Officer Brenton.  The car is under a cloth cover, but definitely looks like a possible match for the Datsun B210 being looked for.  Seattle police sources have confirmed that they have a person of interest they are looking for in the Brenton case.  Homicide from Seattle is present and there are now upwards of forty-five units on scene at this location.  There are several investigators present on this scene who have been working on Tim Brenton’s case, and they have confirmed unofficially that this person may be the suspect in the shooting.

Update 31 (Nov. 6):

Tukwila Police are confirming that the man they shot when he displayed a gun as officers served a search warrant is in fact the suspect Seattle Police are looking for in the shooting of Officer Tim Brenton.  The suspect, who was wounded and I believe was wounded in the torso, is a man in his late thirties and is of mixed race – no other details are available.    The car is still under a tarp. 

Update 32 (Nov.6):

Deputy Chief Jim Pugel has arrived on the scene and is being briefed now.  He is expected to talk with reporters in the next 30 minutes.  The suspect is at Harborview Medical Center, and a second person has been taken into custody.  It is not clear how the second person is connected.  Some reports indicate a third person is being talked to, but most are still reporting two suspects. 

Update 33 (Nov. 6):

The Seattle Times is reporting that Interim Chief John Diaz is indicating that there are two people being detained as witnesses (not suspects) in the Brenton investigation.  The person of interest in the case was indeed shot to the head and is at Harborview.  A reporter has commented that there was a lot of blood in the ambulance.  The two additional detainees are being interviewed because they associated with the person of interest, not because they are suspects.  He also indicated that the person shot was hit by Seattle Police, not Tukwila police.  The man fired first. 

Police looked at all 18 registered Datsun B210 units in Washington and found that none matched.  That was the point at which they released the photos and asked for public assistance.  It is believed that a tip lead them to this location.

Update 34 (Nov. 6):

Seattle police were NOT serving a search warrant, but they were present to talk with a person of interest.  As officers approached the man, outside the apartment building, the man began to run, then pulled a handgun.  It is not clear whether the man shot his weapon before being shot, but three Seattle detectives fired their weapons when the man drew his gun. 

There was a tip that the person of interest was associated with a car matching the description of the Datsun.  The vehicle was covered by a tarp, and the police did not put the tarp in place.  There were rumors at the memorial service this afternoon that police had a good tip to follow up on, and the timing of the events just after the end of the memorial service does make me wonder if the detectives were monitoring the man until the service ended.  Interim Chief Diaz has said that ‘this is THE car’ – meaning that the car under the tarp is indeed the vehicle used in the crime.  Police are being cautious and have asked for a search warrant to be sure access to the car is clear.  I cannot say whether the Chief’s comments mean that the car has bullet holes in it or not. 

The person of interest is in critical condition at Harborview, and is under heavy guard.  Officers at the hospital have been heard commenting that this is ‘our guy’. 

Police are being very cautious in searching the car and the apartment in case any potential dangers are present.  If the case is connected to the arson which recently damaged four Seattle Police vehicles, and included several pipe bombs, they have good reason to be cautious. 

There have been several radio communications indicating that the suspect has died, but no official or news source confirmation yet. 

Update 35 (Nov. 6):

Reports are now indicating that the man not only drew his weapon, but pulled the trigger.  The gun misfired, and the man didn’t get a second squeeze. 

A tip from a citizen who saw the photos of the vehicle used in the murder of Officer Brenton brought police to the scene of today’s shooting of a person of interest in the attack.  The tipster apparently became suspicious when photos appeared and the tipster realized that the car had been covered since the night of the attack.

Technorati Tags: True Crime,Crime,Seattle Police Officer Shot,Seattle,Seattle Crime,Shots fired,Manhunt

I’m Pretty Sure I Just had an Aneurism!

So very seldom in life do we appreciate how unique are our experiences.  We get into a rut, thinking that everything we do, think, eat, read, watch has been done before.  Or at least a lot of it.  Well, maybe you don’t, but I tend to do so, and I am always glad of it when something unexpected and novel reminds me that I am constantly experiencing the unique, it is just that I forget to pay attention. 

Earlier this week, I came across a perfect little reminder of just how unexpected life really is.  Before you look closely at the photo below, I am going to make a prediction about you that will be 100% accurate.  100%.  If you are honest, you will be forced to admit that without even knowing you, or at least without knowing you well at all, I have been able to tell you something about yourself.  Something undeniable.  And at the same time, I am going to prove that we will have shared a unique experience, one that every last one of us will be forced to admit was both singular AND  unpredictable.  How can I make this claim?  How can it be true in every case?

Start by examining this photo:

(photo by Alexey Eliseev and caption from Improbable Research)

I know that in looking at the photo, there is something odd that trips a little alarm in the brain, alerting us to possible funny business.  Who are these people and what are they doing?  To set the scene, allow me to tell you how I came across the photo.  On a message board I frequently read and occasionally pollute with my own posts, I was reading a discussion of the Nobel committee’s decision honoring President Obama with the Peace Prize for this year.  As was the case in the papers, at water coolers around the country and on the television news programs, opinions were mixed about the committee’s decision.  I commented on it in an earlier entry here at the Bully Pulpit (The Bully Pulpit  - Obama-wins-Nobel-peace-prize), and at the message board most of the posts expressed either surprise or gratification.  One of my favorite members of the board, known there by the handle Seagull, added a very simple post.  It contained a link to a website called Improbable Research, and it was there that I first saw the photo shown above.  I nearly skipped the caption of the photo  and simply moved on to the article, but something in my subconscious caught the oddness of the picture and made me take another look.

Seconds later I was laughing and wiping coffee off of my chin, and being reminded that  I don’t care how many of us there are on this planet, there is no way that anyone woke up the morning of October 11, 2009 and thought they would see this, or anything like this.  The photo at the top of the website linked by Seagull makes my all-time list of INWHGIWIWU events (I-never-would-have-guessed-it-when-I-woke-up).   No, no way someone woke up thinking, ‘uh, I foresee three - no four - Nobel Laureates, several women removing their bras, dividing them in two and...now the women are giving everyone a cup to breathe through.’  Now take another close look at the photo and you will see that at the 2009 Nobel Prize ceremony, Public Health Prize winner Dr. Elena Bodnar demonstrates her invention — a brassiere that, in an emergency, can be quickly converted into a pair of protective face masks, one for the brassiere wearer and one to be given to some needy bystander. She is assisted by Nobel laureates Wolfgang Ketterle (left), Orhan Pamuk, and Paul Krugman (right).

Tell the truth, now, there is not a person among us that could possibly have awakened that morning thinking, ‘I bet I see four Nobel Prize winners at this year’s ceremony wearing bra cups on their faces to demonstrate a patent-pending invention meant to equip all (unliberated anyway) women with life-saving emergency equipment as well as life-enhancing comfort and support.’ So you see,our lives are not so very predictable at all. 

Insert gratuitous remarks HERE.   

Oh, and so what does the title have to do with the rest of this mess?  Well, think of it as a sort of Public Service Announcement to warn you not to do what I did.  Whether you have a mouthful of coffee or not, when you need to laugh, and laugh hard, DO NOT HOLD IT IN!  Nothing good will come of it, with results ranging from ruptured ear drum, to aneurism, to an (hopefully small) unintended deposit in the shorts, to, well…I think you get the idea. 

Technorati Tags: funny photos,funny pictures,humor,humorous pictures,Nobel Peace Prize,Obama Peace Prize,Barack Obama,WTF

'Ira' Spring Mountain of Trouble by Seattle Times Columnist Danny Westneat

I always enjoy Mr. Westneat’s writing and have at least twice agreed with him.  Once was at a poker game when I got him a beer and he said something like: “You’re alright, Tom”.  Though I admit I was on the verge of revoking my agreement because my name is Mike.  But then, who needs to be THAT hung up about names?  Curious?  I hope so, because if not you’ll miss this gem of a column by selfsame Danny Westneat. If you have the stomach for it, after reading Danny’s column, come back and read below the link to see what I think.  Wait!  I saw you thinking of just looking now, but trust me, Danny is the professional writer here, not me, so you’ll want to read him first.  The most intelligent of my readers will read him solely. 

Danny Westneat | 'Ira' Spring Mountain of trouble | Seattle Times Newspaper

I know that without a naming board we'd have even more strife over trivial matters (in the larger context of a human condition offering war, famine, disease, death, disability, crime...well, like that), but there's something forced about someone voting to reject honoring a person by naming something after him/her just because it "felt forced".   Maybe we should have a naming board appeal board, and then a sudden-death naming board trivia contest to determine which board gets to be the top board. With the exception of Danny's writing, which is always scintillating, the whole naming thing leaves me, well,  bored.   How about we leave it Mt. Spring, though all of us here in the Other Washington will know that Mt. Spring is really just an abbreviation for Mt. Ira Spring? Just a thought…MB

Technorati Tags: Seattle Times,Danny Westneat,Hiking,Trail guides,Opnion,Columnist,humor

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | What happened to global warming?

This is an interesting article from BBC News concerning the correlation between various potential causes of temperature change, and the fluctuations in global temperature in recent years.  This article discusses solar cycles, the impact of changing ocean temperatures on surface temperatures, and other contributors to climate change.  Temperatures have been declining since 1998, and this article looks at what that says about global warming. 

“This headline may come as a bit of a surprise, so too might that fact that the warmest year recorded globally was not in 2008 or 2007, but in 1998.

But it is true. For the last 11 years we have not observed any increase in global temperatures.

And our climate models did not forecast it, even though man-made carbon dioxide, the gas thought to be responsible for warming our planet, has continued to rise. “

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | What happened to global warming?

Technorati Tags: climate change,global warming,BBC,solar cycles,ocean temperatures

Is the U.S. Preparing to bomb Iran? - ABC News

There have been so many pourings of tea, and reading of tea leaves in the last five years over whether, when, how and could the US or Israel destroy the capability of Iran to build nuclear weapons.  I admit that I have read as many of them as I have come across, and this article particularly caught my attention.  I can’t say that I think that this will prove to be prophetic, though well may it, but it strikes me as just the sort of way that we might come to some inkling of an attack.  A very interesting article from ABC News:

Is the U.S. Preparing to bomb Iran? - ABC News

Technorati Tags: Iran,Iran Nuclear Bomb,US Attack on Iran Nuclear Plants,ABC News

A Little Jolt of Perspective from Ms. Baines

According to the Associated Press, Gertrude Baines, the world's oldest known person died Friday at a nursing home. She was 115.

It is hard to grasp just how different was the world into which she was born in 1894 is from the world today.  Tsar Nicholas II succeeded his father Alexander III.  He would live and rule for another twenty-four years before the Bolshevik Revolution swept him, and the Empire away.  Norman Rockwell was born, as was Nikita Khrushchev.  Robert Louis Stevenson died.   Grover Cleveland was President of the United States.  The Emancipation Proclamation had been issued 32 years prior, the Fourteenth Amendment had given African Americans the right to be citizens 26 years prior, and the Fifteenth had given African American men the vote just 24 years before.  A case then in court would ultimately require ‘separate but equal’ facilities for people of color and Caucasians just two years later in 1896 (Plessey v. Ferguson).  The strife and progress of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s was more than a half century in the future. 

When Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, there were many African Americans of all ages who expressed the view that they had thought they’d not see a black man elected as President in their lifetimes.  Particularly poignant were the faces and stories of the men and women who had fought so hard (and non-violently) in the 1950s to bring genuine equality to America.  Many of them were in their sixties and seventies, and it was touching to see their dream realized in their lifetime.

How much more amazing and touching it was to see Ms. Baines comments about the election of the President.  Baines celebrated her birthday at the nursing home April 6 with music, two cakes and a letter from President Barack Obama, whom she voted for in November. Local newscasts had shown her when she cast her ballot.  Baines, who is black, said she backed him "because he's for the colored." She said she never thought she would live to see a black man become president.

Like so many African Americans on election eve, Ms. Baines had hoped to live to see a  black man elected President, but doubted that she would.  When she was born, President Cleveland was the 24th President.  Barack Obama is the 44th President.  Ms. Baines had seen twenty men elected and serve before finally getting her wish.  Of course, she saw so many other amazing changes in her time that it is tough to imagine – radio, television, space travel, two wars to end all wars, the nuclear era, mass production, all modern technology…the list is mind boggling.  Still, I doubt that there was a more meaningful and powerful change in her lifetime than living long enough to see an African American elected President. 

Ms. Baines once joked that she won the genetic lottery to achieve her age.  I think she also won the political lottery in living long enough to vote for, and see elected, and African American President. 

Technorati Tags: Oldest person,race relations,reacial issues,politics

Not Talking to Your Kids About Race Produces Racial Assumptions

In some ways this article presents the obvious, but I doubt most of us would assume that simply not mentioning race equality explicitly would lead our kids to assume we dislike or mistrust other racial groups.  Even avoiding the discussions because we don’t want kids to ‘notice’ skin color seems to produce the assumption that we dislike other skin colors.  And kids will notice the differences anyway.  Not discussing our views leaves them to make assumptions based on our unwillingness to acknowledge or discuss differences in skin color.  The Newsweek article:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/214989

Technorati Tags: Race,Racial Issues,Society

Seahawks Win First Preseason Game

Preseason is not a time to think much about wins and losses, and early preseason games don’t give me too much of an idea how the team that ultimately opens the regular year is going to look and play by then.  There were a couple things that I thought were encouraging in tonight’s preseason opener in San Diego, won 20-14 by the Hawks in Jim Mora’s first game as the new head coach. 

First, there were no injuries to note.  After the last couple of seasons in particular, when guys seemed to go on the injury  lists just getting from their cars into the practice facility, it was great to get through a game (albeit one in which almost every starter either didn’t play, or did a quick ole and hit the showers) without any injuries.  It may be just an easy and coincidental observation that a number of players commented in various ways about how ‘fit’ they felt already.  Could it be that Mora’s focus on conditioning and physical play is already paying some dividends in the form of fewer injuries?  If so, will it continue throughout the year?  If it is just a coincidence will it please continue all year, Oh Grand Pigskin Deity?

Second, the Charger’s first offensive play from scrimmage was a Seahawk sack of Philip Rivers, and it set a nice tone for the Seahawks defense, which looked to me to be quick, physical and it seemed to me that a lot of the defensive play was occurring at the line of scrimmage, not so much with four to six guys converging to smother a runner three or four or five yards beyond the line of scrimmage.  I think every Seahawk fan would love to see a defensive front that contested the play at the line of scrimmage, and we saw that a lot tonight. 

The Hawks ran the ball often tonight, and though the average gain was unimpressive, it was a clear sign of the new philosophy at work when the Hawks ran the ball thirty-three times and threw it only thirty-five.  The new blocking approach hasn’t gelled yet, clearly, but it will be fun to see what this team can do with a tough defense and a commitment to running the ball, and doing it well.     Overall, it was a nice start to the new era – essentially meaningless I know, but despite that , I admit that I found myself revving up a bit.  Could be that I sensed some encouraging elements in the Hawks play, or schemes, or philosophy, or, I suppose it could just be that the NFL is back and I LOVE that every year just a little more than the year before. 

I will admit that I did miss the sight of Mike Holmgren, and the potential – Vesuvian as well as mad scientist-like that always seemed to be simmering just beneath the surface.  I enjoyed hearing that Mora is just as committed to accountability as Holmgren was, but according to one of the players where Coach Holmgren might see something he didn’t like on the field and go Krakatoa on a player, Mora’s style relies more on visual aids (unless you count volume, an impossibly bright red face and a glare so intense it could be used for welding).  He tends to run video of a play, stop the video and make it clear that he didn’t want to see that type of thing (be it bad technique, missed reads, sloppiness, whatever) again.  In some ways I’d say that approach is even more directly calling a player out than the red-faced tongue lashing.  When done with film and slow-motion replying of the play, Mora makes his point, and uses the entire team to hold the player (and by extension every other guy who might need to learn from the error he’s shown) accountable.  It is a different approach, but it doesn’t sound like a soft one to me.  And the knock on Mora (probably from idiots like me) has often been that he’s a ‘player’s coach’.  The implication in that remark is that the coach is soft and doesn’t hold his players accountable.  I don’t know that this description fits Mora, or if it ever has in this sense.  But if the tone I’ve heard from his players continues, and his means of holding himself, his coaches and his players accountable is in fact similar to what the players have described, I think Coach Mora will put paid to this particular vague and uncertain ‘knock’ on him pretty quickly.

(I think no matter how well any coach does for the Hawks, I will always miss Coach Holmgren much as I still miss Lou Piniella after all these years…)

Technorati Tags: Seattle Seahawks,Seahawks,Jim Mora,NFL Football,injuries

Seattle Tries Unusual Drug Strategy

Last week, Seattle Police contact a group of small-volume drug dealers.  The cops had plenty of evidence to successfully prosecute the dealers, but the contact didn’t include arrests.  Instead, the repeat offenders and known small-volume dealers were invited to a community meeting.  That’s right, they were invited to a community meeting, and no arrests were made.  Instead, Seattle police and county prosecutors held a community drug impact meeting and asked the dealers to remain after the public meeting broke up.  In a nearly unique approach (I know of only one other example, in North Carolina, where it has worked well for a couple years now by all accounts), the law enforcement officials outlined for the dealers what they were proposing.  The deal:  you guys quit dealing now, and we will not prosecute you.

Eighteen dealers attended the meeting and it sounds more like a Rotary meeting than a get-together of drug dealers.  City Attorney Tom Car said that the attendees were networking, getting contact information from each other, police and county prosecutors.  “They were in a kind of shock”, he said, and the frustrations that police have had with constantly re-arresting the same small-volume guys seemed at times to be a kind of drug-dealer Whack'-a-mole.

The attendees were informed of the evidence against them, but were told that if they stopped the dealing now, they would not be prosecuted.  Police are not making the same offer to big-time drug sources, but for the small-volume guys it amounts to one free pass.  The community presence at the first part of the meeting serves a purpose as well:  it lets the dealers know that the community has tired of their activity and will not be so ready to look the other way in the future.  It is a type of peer pressure that seemed to make an impression.  Police also provided drug treatment counselors and resources after the meeting in an effort to make it as easy as possible for the small-volume dealers to make a break with their past.

If the project is successful in the Central District indications are that it will be rolled out in other parts of Seattle.  The real question is, how long will this work?  So far, it has worked for a couple years in North Carolina.  Seattle is yet to be determined. 

Seattle Times

King 5 TV

Seattle P-I

My Northwest News

 

Technorati Tags: Drug dealers,Seattle drug dealers,Seattle drug policy,drug policy,crime,Seattle

Don’t be Afraid to See What You See*

I’ve always thought that this brief sentence was profound.  So many times we are afraid to see things as they really are, whether because of fears, ideology, embarrassment,whatever.  What is really happening will go ahead and happen whether we acknowledge it or not, and sometimes the consequences of avoiding or ignoring what is happening can be pretty serious.  An example:  Well, most people who have heart attacks don’t acknowledge that they are having a heart attack.  Perhaps they are afraid of dying, or afraid that it will be embarrassing if they call an ambulance but turn out to just have gas.  I’m sure there are myriad reasons why we don’t acknowledge the reality that we are having a heart attack,but the reality is that about half of us deny that little voice inside us when it says “You’re having a heart attack.”  This advice, taken to heart and applied just to heart attacks would save thousands of lives each year.  

In a more ethereal, but no less important way, it is impossible to achieve deep personal emotional development without accepting this simple idea.  Psychologists understand that we are only able to fully develop as people, parents, artists, athletes, leaders, etc, if we are willing to look at ourselves and accept the truth of what we see.  Introspection is the essential ingredient in personal development, and in achieving our potential in most every activity or role we play in life.  Without the willingness to ‘see what we see’; to examine our actions, motivations, beliefs and desires, we simply cannot adapt them, or adapt our behaviors to achieve better results or deeper fulfillment, happiness, etc.

I believe that most of the time, we know what our failings and shortcomings are, just as we know most of the things we need to do to accomplish the things we desire.  Sometimes we choose to acknowledge these, and we are able to improve upon them and achieve, or find deeper personal fulfillment.  To a large extent the role of a therapist, coach, clergyman, etc., is to facilitate in us a greater level of introspection.  I know that they also provide information that helps in our development (dribble the ball with your fingertips, for example), but a large part of what they do is help us to face our fears and see what we see.

“Accept the things to which fate binds you… Love the people with whom fate brings you together…do so with all your heart.”   ---Marcus Aurelius

 

Technorati Tags: Philosophy,interospection,acceptance,Marcus Aurelius,Ronald Reagan quotes

*-I am only giving attribution for the quote here at the end because I wanted to avoid the extraneous prejudices and resulting sidetracking of the idea that various opinions of the person to whom this quote is attributed would have caused.  The quote is attributed to Ronald Reagan.

                                                 

Why the Slippery Slope Argument is Not Always Wrong

For years we’ve heard the sneering directed at the ‘slippery slope’ argument made by the NRA that they must contend every perceived infringement of what they view as a Second Amendment guarantee of the right to keep and bear arms or the first chink in the armor would simply be a beachhead to further restrictions and ultimately to a complete elimination of the private gun ownership.  Pragmatists have often argued that the NRA could make minor concessions in situations where the perceived infringement of gun rights were in the public good and would not harm legal gun owners.  This slippery slope view was a constant source of derision by many, who saw it as a silly and inflexible argument – a revealing sign that the NRA was extreme and unwilling to be reasonable in the gun debate.

Over the last few years I have begun to wonder if the slippery slope was, after all, more prescient as an analysis than I’d thought.  When the governments at all levels began to take action against smoking to protect people who were being exposed to second-hand smoke, that seemed a good and proper thing.  It was harmful to them, in whatever degree, and it seemed appropriate to ensure that people who did not wish to be exposed to smoke would not be forced to do so in public places.  Next, however, we began to see specific taxes directed at penalizing people who smoked and I began to wonder “Who gets to decide which behaviors our society will target, and restrict the individual right to eat, drink, drive, smoke, exercise or not exercise, etc., as he or she sees fit.  Where does the public or government point of view begin to supersede the individual person’s choices for their own behavior and lifestyle?  Who gets to decide what free citizens are allowed to do with their own bodies? 

Well, the answers are beginning to seem to me to argue that the slippery slope view was more correct than I had believed.  Legislatures have begun debating financial penalties (read: new taxes), criminal penalties and product restrictions when those government elements reach a decision that those substances, behaviors or activities are ‘wrong’ or ‘harmful’. 

Should Big Macs be taxed at say, $5 a piece, because too many will promote obesity and heart disease?  How about Twinkies?  Or perhaps just the deep fried Twinkies at the fair?  Obesity?  Should we refuse to provide expensive treatment for adult-onset diabetes because a person’s behavior contributes to the contraction of the disease?  Should we ban advertising for foods or other products that some legislator or mayor or governor thinks adversely affects this amorphous ‘public good’?  Some argue that the tax would be a constant reminder to people that what they were buying wasn’t ‘good for them’.  Maybe I should be allowed three days in a county jail to re-think my choices if I don’t document that I got at least twenty minutes of aerobic exercise three times each week.  After all,  exercise is good, right?  And if I don’t do it then it would clearly be in my best interests to do whatever is needed to ‘help’ me do what is best for me.  What if, like dear old Dom Delouise, food makes one happy?  Perhaps we should amend the Declaration to say “the pursuit of happiness (if said pursuit includes only behaviors which are deemed ‘healthy’ by appropriate authorities).  Even if a person is making poor choices, is it the role of government to intervene?  Should we be made to buy food with cards that track the items we buy and refuse to allow us to go over some caloric, or fat content value that has been determined by the government?  Or maybe we should create devices to attach to the naughty bits and be required to gain approval before engaging in ‘adult behavior’ with a partner.  That way, if both partners didn’t have recent and approved STD results on file, a jolt (note that I am assuming an unpleasant and deterrent jolt) would be issued to the bits of the party not approved for whatever form of intimate congress.  In fact, when you think about it, things that were far-fetched a decade ago are actually being considered now.  Is that not a slippery slope?  Perhaps we could put controls on the car that refuse to start the vehicle if the person in the drivers seat hasn’t had a minimum of six hours of REM or deeper sleep – that would end the scourge of drowsy driving, right? 

I could go on and on, and looking up I think I have.  But I am definitely beginning to wonder if the slippery slope is in fact the best logical argument for the incredibly rapidly expanding intrusion of government into personal, private lives and choices.  What worries me more and more each day are these questions, and the variety of proposals I am reading and hearing about almost every day on the news:

• Who decides what is best for me?  When the city/county/state/federal government needs new tax revenues will they come up with a new way to ‘help’ me and all Americans by taxing me – say a 50% excise tax on processed meats, which would help me to avoid the hot dog at the baseball game, or fund the latest underfunded stimulus package item?  Isn’t it a public service when I am stupid and self-destructive with a Hebrew National in one hand and a Red Hook in the other at the ballpark?  Taxing me for that behavior, rather than putting me in the corner to “think about what I have done”…is that responsible parenting by my new parent government entities of all levels? 

“Thank you sir, may I have another?”

• What means are appropriate to ‘help’ me do what is best for me?  Taxes?  Fines? Jail time?  Public humiliation (a la prostitute patrons whose names are published)? 
• What if I am not instilling properly healthful habits in my kids?  Say junior comes in at 20 pounds overweight, should the tax deduction I get for him be withdrawn?  Or maybe we should both have to take classes on parenting and growing up appropriately?
• Am I crazy in wondering if this sort of tax-the-behavior-that- costs-money-in-health-care reasoning might one day lead to taxing people who reproduce if they have genes that increase the risk of increasing health care costs? 
• If in fact, research proves that caloric restriction over a lifespan not only extends life expectancy meaningfully, but reduces health care costs as well, would it be reasonable for government to restrict calories?  Or tax overeating even when it did not produce overweight?  Or might we want to then encourage overeating so that we wouldn’t have the costs of people living longer?

The slippery slope reasoning seems to be a slippery slope itself, and I have now officially given myself a headache.  Which makes me wonder:  might we tax blogs that cause stress, headache, anger, irritation or anxiety?  After all, those things all drive up health care costs.

As always, the problem with regulation is less about the idea of regulating, and much more about who does it, how they do it and what means are allowed.  I would once have thought these things stupid and extreme thoughts.  But then, they weren’t in the Congressional Record and every major newspaper then.  I disliked the Nanny State talk almost as much as the slippery slope argument – thinking them sort of paranoid.  The events of recent years are making me wonder whether the folks warning about both have been on to something all along.

Links:

Taxing cosmetic surgery - is it because it is vain, or because rick people don't need to be prettier than the rest of us?

Plain drinks are fine, all that flavored stuff is wrong, wrong, wrong.

Incentives for 'healthy behavior' - will your salary be tied to your weight, exercise habits, sufficient sleep, eating habits...perhaps good blood pressure or cholesterol numbers?

http://www.freemarketproject.org/articles/2009/20090527121042.aspx

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/politics/nassau-proposes-2-percent-fast-food-tax-for-next-year-1.1258316

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/Content/Article.aspx?rsrcid=49658

(Do a couple of quick Google searches and you’ll be amazed at how many proposals there are right now.  I was.)

PS---Isn’t this the same sort of argument that was made early in the AIDS epidemic?  Didn’t we hear that money shouldn’t be wasted finding cures for a disease that people ‘brought on themselves’? 

Technorati Tags: Fat tax,behavior taxes,Nanny State,sin taxes,politics,health care tax increases,fast food tax,flavoered drink tax,punishing unhealthy behaviors

Perhaps Darwin was Wrong…

If you like, watch all the comments in this video, they are a hoot.  But please don’t miss the first speaker.  I’d be happy to send a buck to the first person who can come up with any reasonable explanation of her comments.  And all you slave-holders back east?  We’re on to you now!

Technorati Tags: Funny video,Santa Cruz Public Comments,Incredibly inane woman

Moral Courage?

Okay, so I realize that using the phrase ”moral courage” to describe the act of a person giving the finger to another does not at first blush seem to be a very clever or deep example of moral courage.  I invite you to look again. 

Am I right or am I right?  From Punditkitchen.com

Technorati Tags: Politics,Protests,Political Protests,Iran Election Protest,Moral Courage,Courage,Funny Photos,Funny Pictures,Political Commentary