Daily Archives: June 14, 2012

06/14/12

Old Style Police Work

By: T F Stern
T F Stern’s Rantings

I’m going to relate a story which I heard well over 30 years ago when I was a working cop. Whether or not it’s fact based or just somebody’s idea of a good “yarn” really doesn’t matter; the reason for sharing this story has to do with how it was received 30 years ago and how it falls into “unacceptable” now.

It seems a burglary suspect was brought before the judge to have his official Miranda Warning read to him; but before the judge began reading, the suspect interrupted and wanted to complain on the arresting officer for excessive force. The judge observed that the fellow did indeed look like he’d been taken behind the woodshed; blood dripping from an open wound on his arms, nose and a cut over his right eye.

The judge got up from behind the bench and walked around to inspect the suspect’s injuries. It was then that the judge commenced beating the living daylights out of the suspect. He jumped on him, kicked him and put a knuckle sandwich in his mouth before stopping, walking back around the bench and sitting down to complete his duties as judge.

“Now young man, if that’s what the officer did to you then you might have a good case against him; but if you’re smart you’ll shut up and just go to prison and be glad I wasn’t the one who caught you first.” (Or something very close… remember, this story is from quite a while back.)

As a young police officer sitting in Traffic Court one afternoon, I actually got to observe something similar. An officer pushed open the doors of the courtroom while dragging a bloodied handcuffed prisoner towards the bench. Everyone, and I mean everyone, took notice as the courtroom became deafeningly quiet; all except an ongoing exchange between the suspect and the arresting officer who kept telling him to shut up.

The judge, a little perturbed, asked what was going on. The officer was about to speak when the suspect shouted, “He stabbed me with my own knife!” Sure enough you could see where there were puncture marks on the suspect’s arms and some blood seeping on the sides of his shirt just above his belt line.

The officer was calm and collected as he explained how during the course of arresting this fellow for his particular crime (*) the suspect pulled a knife on him and that, yes, he did have to wrestle the knife away from the suspect. He never denied stabbing the suspect; simply explained that any damage done was part defending himself and completing the arrest. (I couldn’t say what that crime (*) was as this happened back in the early to mid-seventies; but it was either Robbery or Burglary).

There was a time when there were 2 levels of justice. Most of us, if/when we got in trouble at school got a swat with the paddle; but the real punishment came later when we got home and our parents read the note we were required to show them. Our parents reinforced a level of expected social performance. As children we knew what those levels were and learned to act accordingly or suffer the consequences of our actions.

That same kind of process used to exist without much public furor if a criminal happened to get his butt whipped during the process of being arrested. If the suspect resisted in any way, shape or form, cops had every reason to believe that doing what was necessary to affect an arrest would be okay with the Department as well as the general public. Sure there were cops who went over the top and beat folks just because they enjoyed hurting people. Bad apples have existed in the past and will continue to be rooted out and dealt with; but there has been a shift in public attitude which goes in a direction that reeks of hypocrisy. The noisiest portion of our society would rather defend the actions of our criminals over those of law enforcement officers.

We expect cops to be robotic, lacking any trace of emotion during those few brief moments of an arrest when their adrenaline is running at peak levels. We expect them to turn off that rush of energy within half a second of containing the situation and to somehow recognize that moment as if they too had instant replay, slow motion and the benefit of watching their own arrest as a third party observer. Now we point our fingers, reprimand, demand removal and file criminal charges on police officers who’ve scuffled with a suspect during an arrest for what we considered a few seconds too long.

I’m sorry if this old time cop mentality offends your delicate senses; but that old judge had it right, “Now young man, if that’s what the officer did to you then you might have a good case against him; but if you’re smart you’ll shut up and just go to prison and be glad I wasn’t the one who caught you first.”

This article (will be) cross-posted (once the site is back up) to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government & The American Constitution.”

06/14/12

America’s Radical Hero: Richard Marcinko

By: Jay Loeffers

Hello my friends! Yes, I am writing another happy and positive article. There has been too much depressing stuff out there. I am going to break away for awhile from grim subjects and talk about the great people of America. My favorite heroes are people that think outside the box. You could call them radicals. Let’s talk about the creator of SEAL Team Six, Richard Marcinko. A man I learned about by accident one day while picking up a book of his entitled, BLUE TEAM. It had his picture on the cover… long hair, beard, black military grade coveralls and a MP-5 K sub-machine gun in hand. I thought
is this guy for real?

After reading this very action packed and somewhat educational book, I was impressed by his vast knowledge, experience, humor and his unusual points of view that have served him very well. At this time, I knew very little about SEALs. I’d watched the Charlie sheen movie and Tom Selleck play a Vietnam era SEAL vet on MAGNUM P.I., but that’s all I knew. With this book, I wanted to know more about SEALs and Marcinko.

Marcinko had modest beginnings and a very independent upbringing in a small mining town in Pennsylvania. For the most part, he didn’t need to be motivated to work, but work hard he did. Bored with school, he dropped out and looked into military service. He almost joined the Marines, but decided against it. He went into the Navy instead after watching a movie called FROGMEN about the Navy’s U.D.T. teams. After boot camp, he was rated as a radioman operator and was sent to Italy.

His desire to join the U.D.T. was his main motivation to be in the Navy. After a year or so, he was able to transfer to U.T.D. replacement training and this training would be the precursor to SEALs BUDS training courses. Marcinko graduated in 1961 and joined the U.D.T. 21 SECOND TO NONE.

While with Team 21, his supervisor was Chief Barrett, who found a treasure within young Marcinko and put him under his wing. The Chief also found some mischief in this young lad, but for all the right reasons. During a demonstration of the “Skyhook” recovery system, the Officer in Charge was impressed with Marcinko’s observations and professional presentation. He asked Marcinko if he wanted to go thru O.C.S. He almost turned it down, but instead kept an open mind. He graduated a few months later and went on to earn his first leadership position.

During the mid-1960s, turmoil had reared its ugly head with the Vietnam War and social unrest. John F. Kennedy and Roy Boaman were getting a small project going with the SEALs. Marcinko wanted a piece of both the SEALs and Vietnam, so he volunteered for both.
After some special training, he went to Vietnam as part of SEAL Team 2.

His tour in Vietnam brought out the warrior in Marcinko; from wearing Vietcong clothing and shoes, to eating the local food, to changing his body odor. He became an expert at booby trapping the enemy’s stash, back door assaults and mind games. His team was in the middle of the 1968 Tet Offensive. There was even a bounty put on his head. Marcinko would do more tours in Vietnam and work in Cambodia.

Back home found Marcinko with kids, a mortgage, college classes and learning Navy style ticket punching (he hated that). Then he was given command of SEAL Team 2 in the mid-1970s. The first thing he noticed was that the whole team and their equipment were out of shape and run down. He ordered a full audit and shaving of their beards. During the Iranian hostage crisis and rescue planning, he was asked to help out and his plan was designed around distractions and careful timing. But this plan was rejected. Doom on them.

Marcinko, who was doing a tour at the Pentagon during 1979, was asked by an admiral to develop a fast action, hard hitting anti-terrorist specialist team like DELTA Force (oops, I forgot they aren’t real, sorry). It just so happens that Marcinko had been working on something like this for years, so he blew the dust off his plans and made some modifications. The old man loved it.

SEAL TEAM SIX: Their first mission was to train for hostage rescue to extract the Iranian hostages.

Now all Marcinko needed was men, money, equipment and a base of operations. He wanted Six to be a small team of just 100 men divided in half. He had a 400 day training regimen planned (they could sleep on the plan lol). They had to take care of their own gear, be on alert at all times and keep their beepers on.

When Reagan was elected, the hostages were released and Marcinko was relieved of command of Six after 3 years.

Then he had an another office job and a divorce. One day, another high ranking officer was venting about the Navy base security to Marcinko and he was asked to develop an idea to solve the problem. So, Marcinko created RED CELL. A very small group of men who act like a terrorist cell and test Navy base security. Some with notice and some without notice. These operations pissed off a lot of people and some trouble did ensue.

Then in the late 80s, the Navy proceeded to accuse Marcinko of fraud, embezzlement and other charges. They spent millions of dollars to investigate him. The suspicion was that Marcinko stepped on so many toes and was so effective at his job that the jealous losers were the ones behind the charges and the trial. Marcinko did get prison time at a white collar prison of all things.

Now that I do know more about SEALs and Marcinko and the innovations he introduced to Navy warfare and anti-terrorism, as well as the hard work and the losses he went through for this country, while taking care of his men under his command, I think I understand where he comes from.

I am hard pressed to find a finer example of a great American hero, unless it is another SEAL. Thank you RICHARD MARCINKO.

READ MORE ABOUT MARCINKO:

ROGUE WARRIOR AND HIS ACTION PACKED FICTION BOOKS

06/14/12

Happy 237th Birthday US Army!

Hat Tip: Tammy Bruce

And we are also celebrating Flag Day:

Flag Day in the United States, is the celebration of the birthday of the Stars and Stripes. Sadly, for most Americans, Flag Day is not on their radar like the celebration of Memorial Day or Independence Day. Most Americans may not even realize Flag Day even exists. It is not an official federal holiday as far as federal or other assorted government employees are concerned – no official day off and no overtime pay on this holiday. Thus, Americans may wonder what meaning does the day truly have?

The day of June 14th is historic because the Continental Congress passed an official resolution on June 14, 1777, “that the flag of the United States be 13 stripes alternate red and white; that the Union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” With this decree came no specific direction of how the stars were to be arranged. Indeed, such lack of direction led to several different designs of stars – some arranged in a circle, and some arranged in horizontal lines. Practically, it was up to the flag maker’s discretion as to how the stars were to be arranged on the field of blue…

Madison Rising – The Star Spangled Banner

06/14/12

Obama’s Historic Presidency

By: AJ
Hat Tip: MJ

“Historic” may be an understatement when describing Barack Obama’s Presidency. When we consider what Obama has done in his first term, it is easy to see that he has excelled in many areas that prior President’s have never thought to tread. As we explore some of Obama’s historic achievements, his definition of “change” becomes clearer.

Unemployed College Graduates: For the first time in US history, there are more jobless people who attended college than those who didn’t; a historic Obama achievement.

Poverty: The US now has the highest poverty rate – ever! All prior Presidents failed to plunge more families into poverty than Obama. Imagine how many more families can slide into poverty if Obama gets a second term. He’ll be able to beat his own historic record.

Food Stamps: Obama has broken all records when it comes to doling out food stamps. Before Obama’s Presidency, $39 billion from taxpayers was spent for food stamp recipients. In 2012, $81 billion is now spent on food stamps thanks to Obama’s historic increase in less than 4 years in office. He’s done an outstanding job of implementing the Cloward & Piven strategy.

Unemployment Rate: If the labor force was the same size now as when Obama took office, unemployment is at 11%. The historic decline of the US labor force during Obama’s Presidency has put us back to what it was in 1981. If we include people who are underemployed in today’s labor force, the unemployment rate is actually 14%. Even if we consider the BLS unemployment rate, which was 7.3% when Obama took office, we know he promised it wouldn’t hit 8%. Well, it has remained above 8% throughout his Presidency and has remained high for the longest time-period in recorded history. Obama has decreased private sector jobs and increased government jobs. Since there are 7.7 million less working people since Obama took office, his current claim that he created over 4 million jobs is nothing short of a historic lie.

Economic Recovery: In 2008 under President Bush, TARP was a massive, and arguably deceptive spending bill designed to avert a professed financial collapse when the Carter-Clinton-Cuomo “Community Reinvestment Act” chickens finally came home to roost. Just months later when Obama took office in 2009, he doubled-down with his Omnibus bill (filled with 9000 earmarks, which he signed behind closed doors), the largest Stimulus spending bill in US history, plus other 2009 spending bills passed by the Democrat-controlled House and Senate totaling $4+ trillion. Despite the most massive government spending in one year by any President – ever – Obama has managed to ensure the worst economic recovery – in history! But wait… Obama’s historic achievement gets better… since the Harry Reid-controlled Senate has refused to pass a budget each year since Obama’s 2009 $4+ trillion spending bills, continuing resolutions have refunded all of those bills. That’s right – all of Obama’s 2009 spending bills, including the failed 2009 Stimulus bill, get refunded each and every year (so we’ve had 4 Obama Stimulus’ since he took office). Truly historic, isn’t it?

Household Net Worth: “The Federal Reserve said the median net worth of families plunged by 39 percent in just three years, from $126,400 in 2007 to $77,300 in 2010. That puts Americans roughly on par with where they were in 1992.” Obama’s historic achievement sealed the deal on setting American families back 20 years. Just imagine how much farther back we’ll be if Obama is re-elected.

Gas Prices: The nationwide average was $1.84 per gallon of regular gas when Obama took office and it’s never looked back. Obama said that under his plan, energy prices would necessarily skyrocket. Obama is the first US President to fulfill such a promise with deliberate intent to cause significant, daily financial impact to all Americans.

Food Prices: Compare your family’s food expense to what you were paying less than 4 years ago and you’ll see the steep rise in food prices… not to mention the shrinking package sizes. Obama has seized on the rising food prices by inspiring large cities throughout the nation to ban Americans from feeding the hungry and donating to food banks. No President in the history of our nation has ever taken such a historic step.

Home Ownership: Obama’s historic success reversed 46 years of progress made by American families when home ownership hit its lowest level since 1965 on his watch and despite all his mortgage bailout gimmicks, slush funds and massive bailouts for government-owned-and-operated Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Corporate Tax Rate: Thanks to Obama, the US enjoys the highest jobs-killing corporate income tax rate in the industrialized world! Businesses are handing over more of their hard-earned dollars to Obama than in any other industrialized country on the planet. This is a historic achievement which enables businesses to feed Obama’s government leviathan rather than spend that money on salaries and benefits for new employees.

National Debt: Obama has spent more of our money than any head-of-state in the history of the world. In less than 4 years, Obama succeeded in over-spending by over $5 trillion, causing our national debt to rise beyond our entire yearly US GDP. In other words, he spent all of the $2 to $3 trillion per year that taxpayers gave him, plus an additional $1.3 trillion each year, which caused an accumulated debt in excess of $5 trillion in less than 4 years. [Note: National Debt was $10.6 trillion when Obama took office; it’s now nearly $16 trillion]. In addition, the amount of US Debt held by the Federal Reserve (a private banking cartel) increased by a historic 452% under Obama and now sits at $1.688 Trillion.

US Credit Rating: For the first time in the history of our nation, we lost our AAA credit rating. No other US President has ever achieved this. Obama’s accomplishment in this area is absolutely historic.

Industry Takeovers: Food, healthcare, banks, student loans, energy, land, homes, farms, cars, water, the internet, the media… and the list goes on. Obama has taken over more private sector industries than any other President in history. In addition to nationalizing numerous industries to put an end to our pesky free market system that’s made America the most generous, advanced and prosperous nation the world has ever known, Obama’s masterful assault extends to controlling what we, as individuals, must do and cannot do with regard to our own bodies, our faith, our families and all other aspects of our lives. Obama’s historic achievement in this arena is unprecedented.

Small Businesses: Remember when Bush opened the door for Obama to take over the auto industry and dealerships were forced to close? Obama hand-picked and dictated the closure of dealerships owned by people who leaned ‘right’ politically. Also, from the start of his Presidency, to the outrageous assault against Gibson Guitars, to all the people Obama put out of business (fishermen, farmers, workers in the oil, coal and natural gas industry, retailers, restaurants, etc.), to the burdensome regulations from Cass Sunstein that prevent people from even starting a business, Obama has waged a historic war against small businesses and has done a spectacular job of de-industrializing America. If re-elected, we won’t need to worry that our children can no longer put up a lemonade stand or have a bake sale; we’ll be worried about feeding our children. Obama’s mission of transforming America into a third world country will be complete – something no US President in the history of our nation has ever even attempted.

Religion: Obama is carrying out the most intense and vicious attack against religion, in violation of the first amendment, than any President in the history of our nation. As David Barton said, “The hostility of President Obama toward Biblical faith and values is without equal from any previous American president.”

United Nations: Obama is the first US President ever to preside over the United Nations. Our Constitution forbids it, but Obama wouldn’t be historic if he followed the laws of our land.

Russia: “Believing himself off the record, President Obama, then in Russia, leaned over to outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and said in reference to prospective negotiations on reduction of American missile defenses: “This is my last election. After my election, I have more flexibility.” In response, Medvedev replied in English, “I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladmir,” meaning to incoming President (and de facto Russian dictator) Vladmir Putin.”

National Security Leaks: Obama’s White House is responsible for the most dangerous and numerous national security leaks of our time. Costing Navy Seals and Special Ops Forces their lives, Obama released the identities of those who took out Osama Bin Laden. Also, from the Stuxnet cyber warfare against Iran – to Obama’s kill list- to the 2009 release of CIA memos – to divulging Britain’s defense secrets to Russia – to revealing Israel’s defense secrets to Iran – to drone strikes – to releasing details about the newest underwear bomb device, Obama’s White House has been on a treasonous rampage by publicizing information that threatens national security and puts American lives and U.S. interests at risk. What adds to the historic nature of these crimes is Congress’ inability to appoint a Special Council to investigate. Obama has decided to have his Department of Injustice (Eric Holder) appoint special prosecutors to investigate the executive branch AND the legislature. Really? Unbelievable, isn’t it? Perhaps Eric Holder will want Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to be the first legislator investigated since she publicly stated, “I’ve been on the Intelligence Committee for 11 years and I have never seen it worse, I can tell you that” regarding the Obama White House leaks.

Black Panthers: Obama’s injustice department dropped the charges against Defendants in the worst case of voter intimidation in our lifetime. Obama’s historic mandate, carried out by Eric Holder ensures that the pursuit of justice is based solely on skin color. Violating our anti-discrimination laws – in other words, letting criminals get away with their crimes based solely on the color of their skin – is truly historic and reverses everything we accomplished regarding Civil Rights that ensure all men are treated equally regardless of the color of their skin.

Fast and Furious: In 2009, Obama’s DOJ rolled out their new “Fast and Furious” gun program (after Obama and Hilary Clinton falsely claimed that 90% of the foreign guns found in Mexico come from the US). Obama’s new program sent thousands of US guns to Mexican drug cartels, gangs and murderers who used them to kill Mexicans and Americans. There are many historic aspects to what Obama did, not the least of which is that he and Eric Holder have yet to be held accountable for their crimes. If you think Watergate was bad, it’s nothing compared to this. The mainstream media silence is deafening – and also historic.

Beheading’s in America: Obama’s open-border policy is a historic success and the beheading’s that have been happening in Mexico are now occurring here on American soil.

Suing States: For the first time in history, this President is not only suing states that are trying to protect Americans from foreign enemies who cross our borders (i.e. states are trying to enforce the laws of our land that Obama refuses to enforce), but Obama has taken it to an unimaginable level. He teamed up with dictators from other countries to jointly fight against US states that are trying to protect the American people.

Voting: Obama’s historic fight against states that are doing what they’ve always done in cleaning up their voter rolls before an election is unprecedented. Removing dead people, felons and illegal’s from voter rolls will not be tolerated by Obama. He’s also fighting states who want voters to show their ID… you know… like showing your ID to his TSA, FBI or at any of his government buildings if you want to enter; showing your ID in stores if you want to buy alcohol, write a check or use a credit card; showing your ID at public schools when you want to buy lunch, at universities or to police when they ask to see it. Obama’s assault on states trying to ensure free and fair elections is an assault on all of us and marks another historic Obama achievement.

Other Noteworthy Obama Achievements

Golf Games: “President Obama is nearing his 100th round of golf — a significant milestone indeed. How many people outside of Florida’s retirement communities have time to play 100 rounds of golf?”

Fundraising: “All told, he has now attended 163 re-election fundraisers for his campaign and the Democratic Party – almost double the number George W. Bush attended in his entire first term (86) and more than any other president in history.”

Lavish Vacations: “The past few years have been a time for sacrifice for many, but not apparently for the Obama’s.”

President’s Work Schedule: Obama’s late-to-rise and partial work days are unprecedented.

There are other areas such as NASA, the NDAA, the war in Libya, the Muslim Brotherhood in our White House, Obama’s role in the Arab Spring, etc. which we’ll explore another time. For now, when we consider just the items delineated in this article, there is no denying that Obama’s Presidency is historic and the impact he has had on our country is undeniable.

Although his campaign slogan is “Forward,” it is clear he is taking us backward. Jobs, economic stability, national security, etc… he has taken us backward by decades, as reflected in home ownership at its lowest since 1965, the labor force at its lowest since 1981, poverty, food stamps and debt at their highest level in history…

If this is the kind of change you are happy with, don’t forget to vote for Obama in November… or don’t vote at all because that will help him win too. But if this is not the kind of change you want, make sure you are registered, get to the polls on voting day and help us make sure that Obama does not get a “historic” second term.