Zimmerman found “not guilty”.

Just how stupid are the editors and talking heads in the television media?

Seriously?

Gotta feel for the kid who released the “names”. He’s screwed his carreer…..but It was worth it, I amsure.

He’ll have stories to tell over beers for the rest of his life

Some days (on good days) my job doesn’t suck. (that is really the best it ever gets anymore).

But other days, it really really really sucks.

Today is one of those days….to top off a sucky week.

So I talked with another Deputy Sheriff this afternoon (Thursday)…He stopped in to use the bathroom. When he was done, he and I chatted for a few minutes. Good cop, decent person…Takes his job seriously.

I asked his take on the possibility of riots after the Zimmerman verdict is announced…

A little background:

We are about 25 miles south of Gary Indiana…and less than 40 from Chicago’s (in)famous South Side. Very rural, and mostly white farm families.

Anyway, he said that they expect issues if and when, in the cities. 

His hope is that they do not announce on a Friday or Saturday or Sunday. That will guarantee trouble.

He also said that when the announcement happens, we should be on the lookout for “ghetto cruisers”….cars that don’t belong to the area…likely with 3 or more “Yoots”.

I suggested that the farmers on the area would be able to deal with any issues better than the police could (most of them own backhoes….).

His point: “We don’t need to start this all over again, and we’d hate to see a farmer have to go through what Zimmerman is going through right now..You know some folks would use that to stir more  trouble too….If someone has to shoot someone, we’d rather it is a cop than a citizen….especially right now”.

He asked that if we see a ghetto cruiser with yoots that we call them with vehicle description and plate number…..He promised quick action.

They (the cops) do expect trouble….and they do expect that some of  the “Yoots” will go hunting.

Hope he is wrong. 

Hope the “yoots” don’t underestimate those mild mannered farmers either.

Apparently spent some of YOUR and MY money to help foment protests in the events leading up to the decision to charge George Zimmerman with Murder.

Yep, the DOJ spent money helping organize the protests that led (eventually) to the State of Florida deciding to charge Mr. Zimmerman for defending himself.

Our tax dollars being spent to drum up charges. To anger and incite the Black community….coincidentally just before an election…..the (hoped for) re-election of the first Black President (sorry Mr. Clinton, it weren’t you).

Did this help Mr Obama by stirring up the base of black democratic voters who otherwise would not have bothered to vote? Very likely.

And now, as the closing arguments begin tomorrow (Thursday) and it appears that any sane jury will acquit G. Zimmerman of murder…leading to (likely) rioting in the more densely populated black communities in our nation….The Black Panthers are apparently planning on it…

Will those same people in the DOJ be charged with murder when someone dies because of the riots?

Will they decide that the price paid by some person caught up in the rioting will be worth the result? Whether charged or not, those people have to know that they are responsible for the result. Was ensuring the re-election of Barry worth it?

I hoe they can look at themselves in the mirror

But even more importantly, will our Senators and Congressmen let the Minions of Holder get away with spending taxpayer supplied funds for this purpose?

But I need to take a moment and reiterate:, according to the news, the Defense in the Zimmerman trial is expecting to conclude it’s portion of the trial today or early tomorrow.

Now, again, I cannot suggest strongly enough that you need to make preparations if you live or work (or drive through) in an area where there may be people who might react…strongly when the verdict (which may take weeks to arrive, or may take only hours, this is, after all Florida)) is finally announced.

YMMV

ETA: The Defense rested today. 

Closing arguments tomorrow(Thursday).

Go Orange.

Another fake gun rights group.

American Rifle and Pistol Association.

While it may sell in an anti gun state like NJ, it really doesn’t sell anywhere else.

And surely they realize that the folks surfing the internet will call them out?

Seems a police officer can’t express himself on Social Media these days.

At all.

While I realize that there are standards of behavior for uniformed officers, this is kinda wrong.

Is the Constitution suspended for folks like this?

SO the other day, I met a young man I had met when he was training to be a Sheriff’s deputy.
(I have a good relationships with many policemen, and they tend to use me as a training aid on how to interact with someone who is well grounded in law and constitutional issues and who is strong willed and who has no levers like probation or other issues for a cop to use to intimidate a citizen or suspect)

Now this is a very nice guy. A young 20 something kid who really wants to do well. He really believes that it is his duty to right wrongs and lock up bad guys in order to protect the other citizens. His family wasn’t very supportive of his choice of career. His family has a tradition of the male members joining the military and serving for 20+ years. He chose another path against the tradition of his family. He really is a good, decent well meaning person…or at least, he was. 

He stopped in the other day….no longer a trainee, but a fully fledged Sheriff’s deputy. We chatted and I asked for his take on this video…Since he has always felt that the citizens don’t give enough respect to police who protect them….Despite my suggestions that until and unless the police EARN their respect, both individually and collectively, there sill never be the level of respect that he would like to see.

Anyway, as we discussed the video, I came to the conclusion that he didn’t see any wrongdoing on the part of the officers…..I asked how he could justify the detention of the man with the dog, when he wasn’t in any way impeding them….and asked for justification of the shooting of the dog when he wasn’t threatening the officers until provoked?

His attitude was that the dude with the dog shouldn’t have been there at all….Was “Looking for trouble”. The dog…well, that was a tough call, but (and I cannot argue with this entirely) if the officers felt threatened, then they had the right to use force to protect themselves. He pointed out how quickly a dog can move and attack. When I pointed out that the dog wasn’t acting in an aggressive manner, he dismissed that part….Officers can’t (and shouldn’t be required to) take any chances…If there is a perceived threat, they neutralize it.

But it is sad to see the bright, shiny young man, who entered the force to Do Good….To Protect The Citizens……change as he it taught and schooled by the instructors….

More on this later…..

My Dad brought up the point that in Egypt, we have a democratically elected president who was deposed by the military.

Now, on the one hand, he did not turn out to be the type of president that the people who elected him thought he would be.Many wish that they had made another choice.

On the other hand, he was deposed by the military, in what is a blatant coup. Not sure how their country is gonna turn out right now.

So we have the military deposing a legally and democratically elected choice of the people. Even though he is now unpopular.

Yet the military is clearly doing the popular thing.

So who is in the right? The majority of the people are apparently happy that Morsi is no longer in power…..Yet the people who oppose the “regime change” are correct that this is an illegal act. Unconstitutional.

What if it had happened here in the US?? What if, after the 2012 elections, a cabal of generals had chosen to take power? That would have met approval of many (myself included…sorta), but it would be illegal. And UnConstitutional.

Where would you have taken your stand? If you read this blog often, then you likely believe in the Constitution…..and the rule of law.

Would you oppose the military? Stand behind Obama? Fight for the constitutionally (and legally) elected leader? Or join the revolution? (I wouldn’t unzip for Obama if his teeth were on fire, but…..)

If you join the revolution, what does that say about your commitment to the Constitution?

Tough choice, innit?

Same for the Egyptians.

Really, Morsi is just Obama writ large.

Who is right here? Bad president who is legally elected, or do you trash the Constitution?