Suspicious Ordinance Boxes and the Bomb Squad

This afternoon there was an article on Facebook about a French Air to Air Missile that had been found at MacDill Air Force Base, something that seemed to put them all on alert.  It included a picture of the bomb squad loading the item onto a transport vehicle to be taken away.

“It’s not every day that the bomb disposal team from MacDill Air Force Base gets called out to deal with a French air-to-air missile. But last Friday was no ordinary day.”

That brought back a memory from when I was a police officer back in 1980.  My partner, Donnie White and I were assigned a walking beat in downtown Houston, part of an attempt by the police department to establish what they called Community Policing.  Basically they wanted us out meeting local business owners and the public in a less threatening manner rather than driving by in a patrol car on our way to a call.

While performing the duties as assigned we observed a delivery truck parked next to a multi-level parking garage owned by Foley’s department store in town,.  In the back of the pickup truck were two OD Green military style ordinance crates strapped together, one being about four foot long and the shorter one about two foot long.

(Image of a similar crate configuration courtesy of Dreamstime)

What got our attention was the stenciling in bold letters.  I wish my memory were better; but the one in the smaller of the two boxes was listed as a Warhead for a certain type of rocket launcher while the box below it was listed as that type of rocket launcher.

We hadn’t seen the delivery truck driver and so we waited a while, and waited some more.  Each minute passing gave us time to be more concerned.  Perhaps something or someone had spooked the driver away as we never would leave.  It was about this time that we called our supervisor and asked if it might be a good idea to have the bomb squad check by our location.

About twenty minutes went by before the bomb squad technicians showed up in their specialty box truck.  They carefully examined the ordinance boxes and were about to open them when the driver of the delivery truck happened to come along.

They asked to see the paperwork for his delivery items, mostly to see what was listed in the two ordinance boxes.  The inventory sheet showed they contained industrial bearings.  Upon opening the boxes, very carefully I might add, it turned out to be just that, industrial bearings for some kind of oil field project. 

Whoever packed the bearings didn’t bother to paint over the military ordinance markings, something which is required by law.  It all made for an interesting dry run for the bomb squad technicians and a memorable day for two walking beat police officers.

Instinctive Reaction – Rationalizing Criminal Behavior

Having been around on this spinning planet for quite some time, I thought I’d heard most of the excuses for bad behavior.  But; there’s a prosecutor in the Portland area who added a new twist, a dangerous precedent in rationalizing criminal behavior.

 It was difficult believing what my eyes were reading in a PJ Media article explaining that most of the individuals arrested for rioting in Portland would not be charged or their charges dropped due to their Instinctive Reaction to extreme circumstances caused by…the police.

“Multnomah DA Mike Schmidt says some of the actions of protestors represent “the instinctive reaction of people who have been gassed repeatedly, who have been struck with kinetic projectile weapons, and who have seen other protestors arrested in ways they deeply disapprove of”…

Well, there you have it; when you are involved with a riotous group and don’t want to leave when the police tell you that you’re violating the law it’s now permissible to set dumpsters on fire, burn the American Flag, spit on anyone wearing a MAGA hat or throw rocks at those attempting to enforce the law because it’s only an instinctive reaction.

My head is still spinning after reading what a District Attorney has claimed is reason enough to drop charges against those arrested in the Portland riots.

The Rule of Law is being tossed in the garbage along with common sense. 

Let’s take this “Instinctive Reaction” for a test spin, see what it can do; kind of like taking a new sports car out of the showroom prior to purchasing one…

Consider if you will...There’s a line of police officers standing in front of an unruly mob burning American flags, aiming high powered lasers at them in an attempt to blind them while at the same time tossing flaming bottles of incendiary liquids at them.  Is that a fair picture of what’s been going on in Portland?

Instead of ordering the rioters to leave or be arrested, some of the officers “deeply disapprove” of how these individuals are behaving based on societal norms.  Using the DA’s own words, these police officers “deeply disapprove” of the assaults being waged against them and draw their weapons in defense of life and property.  A hail of bullets takes out several rioters and the rest leave with their tails tucked between their legs.

According to the rationalization of “Instinctive Reaction”, the police officers shouldn’t be charged with any criminal act since they had been subjected to hours of harassment and minor physical assaults which culminated in their “deep disapproval” of the situation.

I remember the first time I watched the movie, The Blues Brothers, where the NAZI Party was holding a protest, shouting and rebuking those who didn’t agree with their cause.  It was a welcome sight to see the Blues Brothers drive their car through over the bridge forcing these NAZI protesters to jump into the water in order to keep from being run over.  I suppose the Blues Brothers “deeply disapproved”, as did most of those watching the movie as folks were laughing and slapping their knees in agreement.

I don’t think America is ready for the application of criminal law that would turn America into a lawless chaotic third world country, a country devoid of the Rule of Law.  Perhaps Portland’s citizenry will figure out that “Instinctive Reaction” is just another excuse for not upholding the laws of the land, they’ll replace their District Attorney with someone who actually intends to do their job.

A Temple Experience

My friend David Nell asked if I’d share an experience regarding the Temple, something that could be described as a life altering moment.  There have been several ‘Temple Moments’; but this evening I’ll focus on only one of them.

About 13 years ago my friend Richard Sutton was President of the Houston Temple.  He was also a member of my home Ward and so we often got to visit in the hall after meetings.  He mentioned a change of policy for Temple Ordinance Workers that had gone into effect Church-wide.  Men were no longer to sport facial hair like mustaches or beards; instead, they were to present themselves clean shaven, much as young missionaries serving a full-time mission.

In that moment, the conversation registering in my mind, I had to consider how I’d react to being asked to shave off my mustache and beard, something I’d enjoyed for quite some time.  I wasn’t a Temple Worker; but there was something in the way the conversation was going, a tone in President Sutton’s voice that hinted that he wanted to hear my response.

I remember pausing before answering as I considered how unimportant, in the scheme of things, how unimportant my beard and mustache were.  I’d accidentally shaved off most of my beard when I got careless with the razor; but it grew back in a short time. 

“Not an issue, Sir”, I remember addressing him as if he were my commanding officer in the military.  “I’d shave it off, if asked”.  He nodded and I couldn’t say if the conversation continued at the time.  But, I did go home and shave off my mustache and beard to prove to myself that they really weren’t that important, that I would still be me with or without the facial hair.

Several days went by and we were sitting on the sofa watching a movie when my son looked over at me and asked, “Did you get a hair cut; you look different for some reason?”  Nobody had noticed I’d shaved my beard and mustache; that’s interesting and worth noting.

A couple of weeks went by and my Bishop asked me to step into his office. Apparently President Sutton had requested I become a Temple Ordinance Worker, sent over the required form and wanted to know if I’d accept that calling.  I’ve been working at the Houston Temple ever since, a little over 13 years now. 

I did grow some facial hair for about a month during the Temple closing due to the COVID 19 Virus; but decided that I’m better off with a smooth face, having an industrial grade broom on my lip isn’t stylish and it itched something fierce.

Sharing an Important Message

You might recall a wonderful black and white movie from the early 1950s, The Day the Earth Stood Still, with Michael Rennie playing the part of Klaatu, an extra-terrestrial humanoid type being who came to visit Earth.  Don’t confuse this movie with the environmental alarmist garbage movie made in 2008 that had the same title.

After circling the globe at phenomenal speeds (bear in mind that in 1951 when this movie was made 4,000 mph was considered beyond our capabilities), everyone was glued to their broadcast radio station headed toward the Mall in Washington, D.C..  In its day the movie captured the imagination and praise of movie goers

As the movie unfolded, the alien’s spaceship having landed with media outlets covering the event along with most every available military unit on hand ‘just in case’ the alien wasn’t friendly…where was I…  Oh, yes, there appeared an opening in the spacecraft as a ramp presented itself to everyone’s unified gasp of hysteria.  Every weapon in the Army was trained on the alien as he ventured onto the ramp holding some unknown object out from his body.

Ka-blam!  A shot rang out striking the object and injuring the alien visitor.  The soldier who fired the shot was simply too frightened of the circumstances and accidentally pulled the trigger.  He’d been told all his life to be afraid of the unknown and his reaction almost got the alien killed.  The object that he’d been holding was an interstellar encyclopedia, for lack of a better term, a means of understanding the mysteries of the universe that mankind had been seeking ever since leaving the safety of the cave.

It’s been a long time since viewing that movie so I can’t remember exactly how the scene was presented or the order it was shown; however, Klaatu looked at the destroyed object and remarked how important that item was, how it was intended to help all mankind.  There was a look of disappointment on his face that said more than words could express.

Why do I bring this scene of an old Sci-fi movie up today?  Good thing you asked; I was about to explain that.

Yesterday I posted a comment on a friend’s Facebook page that contained my testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon being the word of God.  Instead of thanking me for sharing something personal and of great spiritual value; the comment was erased, as if it had never been shared. 

There was no explanation given, no text message asking me to buzz off, no reply to my email inquiring what happened.  My first thought was of anger; but that quickly changed to one of sadness.  I’d offered something that had been in the making for thousands of years and protected by the Lord Himself to be brought forth in our day; but instead of learning or reaching out to accept the gift it was tossed away like an unwanted Kleenex.

While watering the garden this afternoon, back in the recesses of my mind came the image of Klaatu looking at the object which had been destroyed, the galactic encyclopedia of science secrets that had been prepared for all the Earth. 

The loss of information doesn’t have to be permanent; but for now it is unavailable to anyone who doesn’t see the value of a gift, much less a gift from an old friend.  Perhaps one day…

There Can Be Only One

I keep up with the discussions put on by Christian groups as they consider various doctrines which they believe to be from our Savior, Jesus Christ; or on the other side of that same coin, illusions created by men in order to persuade and mislead.  Not wishing to upset those wonderful discussions I chose to simply acknowledge that I’d visited rather than leave a comment.

My long time friend Bob started off a discussion this morning, “A couple of days ago I shared an article entitled The Death Rattle of Consumer Christianity. The main point of the article was that God was allowing certain practices in the American Church to die so that a renewed Church could be birthed. I’ve also noticed on the Christian blogosphere a lot of talk about the attempt by politically motivated individuals to create a new “world order”. I believe these two things have a common goal. Both are an attempt to reign supreme over the earth. One is legitimate, the other a fraud.”

We are in agreement as there can be only one legitimate world government, the one that has the Lord, Jesus Christ at its head; any other would be a fraud, exactly as my friend has suggested. 

The “New World Order” which many propose as a solution to the petty sovereignty issues, immigration and general disorder created by having so many independent nations is in fact a step backwards for all mankind.  The elitists who wish to run this socialistic order have omitted God as the source of all powers, eliminating the need for inalienable individual rights which spring from Him. 

Instead, those in positions of government would take the place of God, their handing out privileges and entitlements to whomever they decide should receive them.  There would be no need for constitutional protection of so called “rights” because there wouldn’t be any.

Going back to Bob’s opening remarks, “…God was allowing certain practices in the American Church to die so that a renewed Church could be birthed.”  I found this intriguing, so much so that it was the reason for joining this discussion; knowing full well my boldness would not be appreciated or welcomed by many.

“The renewed Church could be birthed.”, and that is exactly what has occurred.  The nations of the earth were all too corrupted for the establishment of the Lord’s Church which is why it was necessary for America to become a nation.  Not a nation owing allegiance to any earthly King; rather, a nation built on the foundations set forth in scripture, eternal laws and principles.  Only in such a country could the Lord set in motion the necessary fertile soil that would permit His Church to be renewed.

If you’ll read our founding documents, The Declaration of Independence and our Constitution containing the Bill of Rights, it becomes more apparent that the Lord’s hand guided our founders thoughts in establishing the ground work that would permit the freedoms necessary for religious zeal to abound.  The Great Enlightenment period with so many individuals desiring to know which denomination to join, which preacher to listen to was part of the Lord’s plan, not to have these denominations “die”; rather for these denomination which held important parts of the gospel to help usher in the Fullness of the Gospel as found in the one true Church.

Ahhhh, this is where my remarks begin to annoy some folks. They don’t want to hear about the restoration that has already taken place or that that restoration continues to take place even as I write.  “Blasphemy”, they cry while turning up their noses at such a preposterous claim.

Consider if you will those in Jerusalem at the time Jesus Christ walked the earth.  How many of them scoffed at the idea that He was the Son of God, the Chosen One of whom the Prophets in the scriptures testified would come to save us all?   Did they not crucify the Savior of the world looking off into the future for that illusive Savior?  Are they looking still?

I testify that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the restored Church, the only one which has been established with the authority to act in His name.  It is the structure and government which will be used by the Lord when he returns to this earth.

The Book of Mormon is the word of God, translated for the benefit of the entire world, not just for those who happen to live in America.  It is another witness of the divinity of Jesus Christ being the Son of God, our Eternal Father.  It was written as a companion of scripture to validate what is found in the Bible and those who take the time to read these important books can have the Spirit testify of this truth.

I leave this testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Mrs. Miniver, Antifa and BLM

While watching an old black and white classic movie, Mrs. Miniver, the idea occurred that there were many similarities with our present day struggles.  The first similarity is that we are a peaceful people for the most part with no desire to impose on others, much as the people of Great Britain during the time leading up to and during their war with NAZI Germany.

The primary character, Mrs. Miniver, as portrayed by Greer Garson, quietly goes about sharing her good natured spirit with most everyone she comes in contact with.  The railway station master, James Ballard, gets permission to name a rose after her, a rose that exemplifies all that is beautiful as he prepares to enter it in the local flower show competition. 

Mrs. Miniver goes about life observing the challenges of a nation at war, a war that touches many around her, to include her son as he enlists in the RAF to do his part.  Her concern for each individual is matched with her concern for their way of life and the threat to England as a nation.

A German plane had been seen to crash in the vicinity of their small village and the pilot was on the loose.  Mrs. Miniver came across him in their garden; but he had the drop on her as he followed her into the house to hide and obtain much needed nourishment. 

Splashing milk down his uniform while consuming what ever food was available, this arrogant agent of the Third Reich rattled on about how their military had taken Poland in only two days.  Hate spewing from his lips as he boasted, “Thousands of people dead in only two days”, and as he railed on, “We will do the same to you.”

Somewhere in my mind I was seeing a different enemy, arrogant bullies priding themselves on having created fear among the people, a people with no desire to impose their will on others.  I was recalling recent images of Antifa and BLM “protestors” as the left leaning news media called them, doing their best to wreak havoc on our metropolitan cities.

(Image of Antifa burning American Flag courtesy of redwhiteandright.com)

Antifa and BLM aren’t protesting racial injustices as we were led to believe; they are domestic terrorists, enemies of our country who’ve been hiding among us; but with the opportunity of civil unrest have come out in the open. 

They wear face masks to keep from being identified; but they are openly spreading fear by killing innocent bystanders under the false flag of racial equality, assassinating police officers, looting and burning businesses along with tearing down statues or defacing monuments built to honor those who have fought and died to protect a liberty loving people. 

Could an enemy from a hostile country be any more destructive? 

What about governors and mayor who’ve bowed to these terrorists, those who’ve instructed their police departments not to engage; but to permit these criminal acts?  What about the judges and district attorneys who release those arrested for looting and burning down buildings…release them back onto the street with little or no bail? 

Are they acting in our best interests or have they joined the movement to destroy our nation?

There’s a scene in the movie where the family is hunkered down in a make-shift bomb shelter while enemy fighters strafe and bomb all around.  Their children are asleep; but with each passing moment they can be seen clutching tightly to their blankets while their parents read aloud from Lewis Carroll’s, Alice and Wonderland.  Their world is being blown apart, all that is dear and sacred is under attack. 

Isn’t that much the same as our nation right now?  Aren’t we praying to survive the next attack, praying our children will inherit a land of liberty rather than have to submit to the terrorists trying to destroy our peaceful republic?

Read into Mrs. Miniver’s composure what you will; but there is strength, dignity and resolve to uphold the standards by which our culture is built.  Win or lose the fight, it is our duty to stand for what is right and true. 

As the movie came to a close, the small congregation meeting in what was left of their bombed out chapel, their minister addressed them as he pointed to the empty seats indicating the loss of a choir boy and then mentioning the loss of Mr. Ballard who’d only two weeks prior had won the award for his beautiful Miniver Rose.  Then he mentioned the loss of the recently married young Carol Beldon, the camera focusing momentarily on the young RAF flyer/husband grieving the loss of his wife and Lady Beldon grieving the loss of her granddaughter.

“We are all in this fight”, the minister proclaims, the roof of his chapel partially missing as a wave of British aircraft is seen headed towards harm’s way overhead.  It’s not just the military; but each of us has a stake in this war. 

And so Mrs. Miniver, the character and the movie has shown us all how we are to bear up under this current attack which has all the earmarks of a declared war on those things we consider sacred and of worth.  Our individual liberty, our families, religious beliefs and constitutional republic have nothing to do with racism as has been claimed.  Antifa and BLM are at war with civilized society and it is our duty to stand firm.

Honoring Their Gift

Gratitude is an interesting human trait.  We say thank you when somebody does something nice for us or gives us a present; but that only touches on the idea of gratitude. How do we express heartfelt gratitude?

I could lead off with the highest level, the gratitude we as individuals show for our Savior, Jesus Christ.  His gift of eternal life to mortal beings truly is incomprehensible so we can only do our best to live a life worthy of such a gift; that’s how we show our gratitude for His sacrifice. 

But that’s not where I’m headed this Memorial Day…no, but honoring the sacrifices of those who gave their lives in the battle for liberty, our individual chance to live and breathe while their lives were cut short; that’s something to consider. 

I once saw a photograph of a mass burial at sea; sailors who’d lost their lives following a kamikaze attack.  The image of their shipmates carrying out the somber task struck a chord with my soul.  They had little time to morn their friends while the business of war and the ever present threat required the detail be carried out in haste.

Recalling a movie,  The Man Who Never Was , there are civilians who ‘stepped up to the line’, so to speak.  They served the war effort in ways they never could have considered, some joining the ranks vicariously. 

(Image: The Man Who Never Was, courtesy of sgliput.wordpress.com)

The military needed to fool the German hierarchy by supplying them with erroneous information.  The plot was formulated to leave a military courier’s body floating off the coast of Spain where it would be found.  Every detail of the courier’s life would have to be verifiable, right down to having letters from his girl friend, where he purchased his uniform shirts, tickets to the show he’d last seen and so on.

“The corpse will appear as a plane crash victim, the non-existent Royal Marine, Major William Martin, who is carrying falsified letters about a forthcoming Allied invasion of German-occupied Greece, rather than the obvious target of Sicily.”

But they needed a corpse who looked like he’d drowned in the ocean, and so they obtained the body of a man who’d died from pneumonia (At least that’s how this was accomplished in the movie.  According to a different historical account the body was likely obtained from a ship wreck off the northern coast of Great Britain).

There was a scene in the movie where the grieving father of the recently deceased individual was asked to donate his son’s body for the war effort.  Instead of being able to bury his son he was being asked to trust the military, that his son would eventually be given a proper funeral.   

It’s a wonderfully well made production of a movie and worth your efforts.

Memorial Day is for the survivors, those who didn’t die in the service of their country.  Sounds a bit strange doesn’t it?  This day is for us to recognize and honor the sacrifices made and try to live worthily as a means of showing gratitude for a gift that’s too hard to understand in its entirety. 

When we look at the lessons of life, particularly in the scriptures, we see miniature versions of the big picture and use them to understand the ultimate gift of the Savior’s Atonement.  Abraham being directed to sacrifice his only son being a shadow of the sacrifice of God’s Only Begotten Son teaches us to see the world through His eyes.

So it is with Memorial Day as we consider and honor the gift of liberty from those who never made it home. 

Life Liberty and Property

I was looking for quotes from respected individuals regarding the notion of private property.  The ones listed here came from an internet site called Search Quotes.  Many of these ideas where shared in communications by the founders of our nation, studies and consideration by the best minds as they defined as best they could the enduring definitions of Life, Liberty and Property (also referred to as the Pursuit of Happiness).

“Life, liberty, and property do not exist because men have made laws. On the contrary, it was the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused men to make laws in the first place.”― Frederic Bastiat, The Law

“Each of us has a natural right, from God, to defend his person, his liberty, and his property.”  --Frederic Bastiat

 “Liberty, then, is the sovereignty of the individual, and never shall man know liberty until each and every individual is acknowledged to be the only legitimate sovereign of his or her person, time, and property, each living and acting at his own cost.” --Josiah Warren

“All men have equal rights to liberty, to their property, and to the protection of the laws” –Voltaire

“Among the natural rights of the colonists are these: First a right to life, secondly to liberty, and thirdly to property; together with the right to defend them in the best manner they can.”  --Samuel Adams

“Property is surely a right of mankind as real as liberty.”  --John Adams

“In fact, a fundamental interdependence exists between the personal right to liberty and the personal right to property.”  –Potter Stewart

This last one might become my favorite quote as pertains to government…

“Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it.”  --Gilbert K Chesterton

Surprise Ending for a Crime Scene

This past week there was a news item that showed up on Facebook about a criminal who accidentally shot himself in the “package” with his own pistol while committing a robbery.  It turns out it happened in Chicago and the story was from 2017 and was making the rounds again.  I know we’re not supposed to laugh; but that’s just too good not to at least smirk as Karma unloaded on that idiot.

It reminded me of a crime scene from back in the early 70s when I worked as a Crime Scene Investigator; before such a designation became popular.  Basically, the department assigned some low seniority patrolman, which would be me, to carry a latent fingerprint retrieval box and a camera in the trunk of the police car for those times when a detective wasn’t available. 

It wasn’t a glamorous job at all, often times being sent to the morgue to lift prints off a ‘John Doe’ to figure out his identity.  Think about having to get up close and personal with a stiff body that had already begun to stink and having to take a ‘dead-man’s spoon’, some ink and then transfer each finger’s print onto a flat piece of card stock. 

Yeah, that was a fun and exciting job.  So glad I moved on within the department, directing evening rush hour traffic; now that really was fun. Somehow that fun and exciting job as CSI became a popular television series; folks will believe anything that comes out of Hollywood.

I did get to take pictures with a fancy 35mm camera at various crime scenes.  As I recall, there was another CSI who had a morbid sense of humor.  When I say morbid, that means much more so than most other police officers since that’s probably a character trait required to be a police officer… where was I?  

Anyway, not a great way to start a sentence; but anyway, this officer would take slide film of his own and take pictures of crime scenes and then drop a slide of a really nasty one in with his vacation pictures when relatives came over asking about how much fun he’d had.  Apparently the department didn’t think too highly of this and he was let go; imagine that…

Getting back to surprise endings for a crime scene… The best one I was ever mixed up with involved several locations all tied in with the same suspect, there having been a robbery, subsequent search for the suspect involving an empty school bus by two police officers, and then the suspect finally being shot by a security guard down the street…but I’m getting ahead of myself.

The suspect ‘allegedly’ (I love how that word has to be included) robbed a small convenience store using a pistol and got away with a handful of dollars, a couple of packs of cigarettes and some candy which he’d stuffed under his shirt.  He fled through an apartment complex with several police units that were close by when it went down in the area looking for him. 

A two man unit decided to check out a school bus that had been parked on the street over night.  The lead officer was going through the bus, looking under every seat as he worked his way towards the back of the bus.  His junior partner was standing on the landing of the bus with the door open keeping an eye out for the suspect. 

Sure enough, the suspect came running in the direction of the school bus, pistol still in his hand while looking for any police that might be chasing after him.  The officer in the bus ducked as the suspect took a shot at him and then returned fire.  The awkward manner in which the officer was standing caused him to lose balance and he fell backwards into the bus while the suspect continued on down the street. 

From the evidence at that location the suspect did get hit by the officer’s bullet, striking him in the stomach.  There was a blood trail that was easy to follow; again I’m getting ahead of myself…

The officer in the back of the bus thought his partner had been shot and, putting it delicately, lost his composure.  He was normally an excellent shot with a pistol and had the medal hanging on his shirt to prove it; but that wouldn’t explain the back window of the bus being shot out from the inside of the bus or the multiple bullet holes that exited the roof of the bus. 

Yeah, I had to take pictures of all the bullet holes and I don’t know how it came to be, those bullet holes were listed in the official report as having come from the suspect’s pistol as he shot at the officers inside the bus.

As I mentioned, the suspect continued running away from the bus and towards yet another small convenience store where there were several cars parked and a security guard standing in front of the store.  The suspect began shooting at the security guard and the security guard began firing at the suspect, all the cars in the parking lot sustained damage.

The suspect’s pistol ran out of ammunition; but that didn’t stop him from aiming at the security guard and continuing to pull the trigger, “click, click…and click”.  This didn’t set well with the security guard who still had bullets in his pistol as he shot the suspect several times at close range, “Kablam, kablam and kablam”.  The last shot apparently removed the suspect’s “package” and the rest tore up most of his gut and chest.

The suspect was loaded into an ambulance with a limited chance of survival while I was called out to gather evidence and take pictures.  As mentioned, I took pictures around the school bus to include the spot where the suspect dropped the money along with the candy and cigarettes that were on the ground. 

I then took pictures of the cars that had bullet holes and completed my supplement report, the one that would be assigned with the primary reports filled out by the officers assigned to each location’s criminal report.

Here’s where it got interesting… About a year later I received a subpoena to attend District Court on this incident.  It surprised everyone when the suspect, the one everyone expected to die from his wounds, yeah, that suspect walked into court and pled not guilty.  It later turned out that the State of Texas and his attorney worked out some kind of plea deal so I never got to bring my “Eight by ten glossy color images of the crime scene” into court (a reference to the tune, Alice’s Restaurant).

In my best Paul Harvey voice, "...and that’s the rest of the story…"

Desperate Individuals

I remember listening to a motivational talk, can’t remember who it was giving that talk off hand; not that important…  He brought up the idea of a man who was looking to feed his family while out of work.

He knew his neighbor had plenty of food so he went next door and asked if he could borrow a loaf of bread to feed his family, which he’d pay back as soon as he could; but the neighbor turned him away.

After a few minutes he returned and knocked on his neighbor’s door once more; but this time he begged his neighbor for the loaf of bread, explaining that his family was desperate.  Again his plea was denied and the door was shut.

This part I remember… He thinks to himself, “Your family is starving and you will do most anything to keep them alive”.  The next time he goes to his neighbor’s house, desperate now, “Watch your bread”.

Since the talk was to young and eager business people seeking ways to improve, this motivational speaker then proposed the next logical question, “We know what you’d do to survive; but what are you be willing to do to succeed?”

In these troubled time; the economy in a dark place with so many individuals laid off and out of work, businesses failing as folks are locked away in their homes or have no money to spend; what kind of desperation is lurking behind those shuttered doors?

At a certain point we’ll see who prepared for “a rainy day”, or for many who live from pay check to pay check and have nothing in their pantry, nothing in savings; who will sink into “Watch your bread” mode, perhaps without ever asking for help first.

Being prepared doesn’t apply only to the material aspects of life.  What about your emotional preparedness, your spiritual preparedness; are your oil lamps filled with enough oil to get you through?

Far too many individuals have been ‘casual’, a mild explanation for ignoring their relationship with God.  They are, for the most part, good people living their lives in an honorable fashion; but without a perceived need to understand anything about their Father in Heaven or their older brother Jesus Christ.

You’ll hear some spout off, “I’ve no use for religion, that’s a crutch used by weak minded individuals who can’t make it on their own.”  What they don’t understand about the eternities and this short time we call mortality is staggering.

Often times it takes a major upheaval in life to get us to think about such things; a death of a loved one, the birth of a child, divorce, getting laid off or fired.  These things happen; but what we do about our lives when they happen determines which path we’ll go down.  Will it be a path of Despair or will we find the one marked Hope?

If you’re in doubt, don’t know where to turn for truth in a time when the major media outlets have become corrupted, you doubt anything that comes across social media because each site is at odds with the next… then perhaps you should turn to the scripture found in James 1:5 which reads…

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

If your soul is troubled and in need of peace this might be a good time to find the source of all peace.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”

Be thankful for simple blessings and don’t worry about things that are out of your control.  Now, go out and have a great day.

Call Me Theo

Before getting started…I thought I’d written and saved this story from long ago; but for some reason can’t find it in any of my files… Today a friend wanted to know what T. F. stood for, True Friend or Truck Farmer.  So, here goes…

Back in the mid to late 1970s while working downtown as a police officer, one of our daily assignments was to stand in front of the Harris County Court House around noontime so we could escort felony prisoners that would be off loaded onto the sidewalk.  We’d then remove their handcuffs and put our handcuffs back on them, take them upstairs to have their Miranda Legal Warning read to them by a county court judge and then take them back down to the street, exchange handcuffs once more and load them back into the paddy wagon to be returned to the city jail.

No, I’m not making this absurd ritual up.  There was a safe prisoner zone in the lower level of the County Court House; but it was reserved and could only be used by the Harris County Sherriff’s Department and strictly off limits for City of Houston police officers.  Yeah, we had a wonderful working relationship as you can see.

Think about it this way…we had a felony prisoner (homicide, robbery, burglary, rapist or who knows what) that was in a safe place (the city jail); but some fool (supervisor of higher rank) decided that we should take that felony prisoner outside the jail and drive him through downtown Houston in the paddy wagon with several other felony prisoners and off load them onto the sidewalk in front of the court house.  This meant letting them out of the paddy wagon were there was minimal to non-existent security available, taking their handcuffs off and trading them for the ones belonging to a police officer standing there on the sidewalk.

What could possibly go wrong?  But that’s not why I’m writing this today…

Aside from this insanity, there were a collection of odd women, groupies if you will, trolling for police officers like they were band bunnies or something.  They’d start conversations hoping to engage a police officer, flirting or whatever until such time as all the prisoners had been taken upstairs.

One day, while awaiting my turn to take a felony prisoner upstairs, a young woman got up in my face, going on about just about anything.  She handled my name tag, physically touching it as she read the name, T. F. Stern.  Then she asked, “What’s the T. F. stand for?”

Not sure where my answer came from, but sarcasm is a standard file in my personality, as I responded, “It’s supposed to be T. B. Stern; but they got it wrong”.

“So what’s the T. B. stand for?” 

“Theophanous Bastardo Stern.  Some of folks call me The Old Bastard; but my friends just call me Theo.”  Like I said, I’ve no idea where this stuff comes from; but the young woman huffed a bit and walked away feeling insulted.

On the other hand, one of the other police officers who’d been standing there in front of the court house almost lost it, trying to contain his belly laugh.  From that day on he called me Theo.  It would have been a shame to lose a story like this simply because of a bad filing system.

Banner Waving

My son came up to visit and brought me a Trump flag/banner to display from my house up here in Buffalo, Texas.  He didn’t want to attach it to the house in Houston, fearing it might bring out the worst in some folks who lack civility at most any level.  Can’t say I blame him, having seen some of the nonsense that’s been going on in our country.

So here’s the Trump banner, proudly waving in the breeze as it’s wedged in between the top railing of my porch and the roof overhang.  

I’m not sure I like Trump as much as so many of his supporters; but at least he loves America and is doing what he can to expose the ugliness of the folks in Congress who keep trying to destroy this nation. 

Several years ago when Obama was running for the presidency, a good friend of mine, Terrell Hunt, (may he rest in peace), was backing Obama's candidacy and put up a huge ‘Obama for President’ banner to hang from the entryway to his house.  I was on my way home in the evening and noticed it; how could you not notice it? 

Terrell and I didn’t see eye to eye on most anything political; but we were brothers in the gospel of Jesus Christ and treated each other with the highest respect and love.  Lucy and I would go over and visit with the Hunt family regularly and joke about our differences, chiding each other here a bit and there a bit; but always knowing our friendship was more important than any political issue.

I decided to call Terrell in the morning to chide him about the ‘Obama for President’ sign.  When he answered the phone I explained, “Someone vandalized your house last night.” 

Terrell was a bit angry as he replied, “They sure did…they wrote nasty stuff all over my brand new ‘Obama for President’ banner.”  Turns out someone had actually ‘vandalized’ his home by spray painting across his political hero’s banner.

His response caught me completely off guard, and from the way he paused, let me know that perhaps he considered me the culprit since I knew about it as the sun was coming up.  I assured him I had no idea that someone had spray painted over his Obama banner; that I was joking with him for having put the banner up in the first place. 

Timing is a funny thing and it’s a shame Terrell passed away a couple of years ago; he was a true friend, and I can’t say that about too many folks who claim to be Democrats…

Terrell’s probably looking down from the Heavens at my house here in Buffalo, Texas, wishing he could call me on the phone, “Hey, Brother Stern, someone came by your house and vandalized it.”  Yes, I can see him laughing into the phone and wondering if I too have a sense of humor big enough to let him get away with such a line.

An American in Paris - Gershwin CD

Being restricted somewhat from movement away from the house to a certain degree has permitted an extensive use of music playing in the background while accomplishing other chores.  We are blessed to have Pandora Radio going most of the time, with my favorite location, the Gershwin Station, a collection of similar music.

As I was going over recent Facebook entries I found my mind wandering as they had the American in Paris on, as found on the CD, Gershwin Plays Gershwin – The Piano Rolls .  The piano rolls were played on a “Yamaha Diskclavier, a computer-driven descendant of the player piano”.  The quality of these  performances is breathtaking.  (If you like Gershwin music I recommend this CD for your collection)

Now for a little piece of history on this particular cut; …how it was produced. I’ll copy the information as presented in the booklet provided when I purchased this wonderful recording. 

“The Last selection on this CD is Frank Milne’s 2 roll arrangement of An American in Paris, Cut in 1933, it is one of the most impressive and powerful roll performances of the era.  After the crash of the piano roll industry, the severely curtailed Aeolian Company kept Milne on as its lone roll editor and ceased using performing artists. 

According to Milne’s children, by that time and probably much earlier he was so skilled at arranging that he did not need a recording apparatus to generate the performance.  Much as a composer notates a score, he prepared roll masters by drawing lines on a roll of special graph paper which served as a template for perforating the holes. The roll of An American in Paris is identified, however, as being played by Milne and “Leith”.  We now know that “Leith” was one of Milne’s pseudonyms; to put an arrangement of this complexity forward to the public, it had to be represented as a 4-hand performance.

We have no evidence that Gershwin supervised Milne’s arrangement of An American in Paris but the arranger had previously worked with Gershwin on his late Duo-Art song rolls.  Milne’s version of An American in Paris ingeniously evokes not only the full sonority of an orchestra but also the vitality of a live performance.”