A change of tone

I have written about much that is wrong in the world and our nation. Probably not as much as many other bloggers, but it's time to write about some things that are good and right, at least for me.

Good things abound. Most of my life was pretty darned good. I had a few loving relationships, there were some that I called friends over the years, and I still have friends that I had loving relationships with for a while. I've met some good and decent human beings of all colors, faiths and gender.

While there are those I disagree with, I count very few on a list of those I would wish harm upon, and I don't know any of them personally. Those that I would wish harm upon are already incarcerated for the same reasons I would wish them harm. They are lucky to be in jail, I guess. I wouldn't want to be one of my enemies.

There are some I despise for their apathy or stupidity. Luckily, they are not aware of my despite, mostly because they don't have any inclination or ability to actually get involved in any cerebral activity like reading or writing. They don't consider themselves deep thinkers (rightly so, amazingly!), so even if they were to read me, they wouldn't realize that it is them I am talking about. I count that as a blessing.

So what is good?

A smile from a stranger.

A kind word or deed, unanticipated and unexpected, sometimes undeserved.

Children asking questions, trying hard to grow up.

People doing the right thing for the right reason.

Honesty and integrity in public officials (Yes, it does exist!)

Police officers who are dedicated and underpaid, who have been smeared by the actions of a bad few, putting their lives on the line for people who don't appreciate them (Yes there are good cops, most of them are, but they need to be vigilant and protect themselves by NOT protecting the bad ones) or understand the difficulties inherent in being entrusted with the use of force.

Music that doesn't condemn people or condone violence (Beach Boys, The Beatles, Bach, Beethoven, you get the idea) or preach a political sermon. If I want politics, I'll talk to a politician.

Movies that entertain without embarrassing parents when their children watch.

Consenting adults engaged in whatever it is that they consent to. There's no need for me to pass judgment if they both (all) agree, as long as that activity doesn't hurt someone else and doesn't involve children. (I'm not interested in your moral judgment of them, either, and shame on you for thinking that you are that important to me.)

Freedom.

Kittens and puppies.

Butterflies.

Daisies.

Roses.

Whales.

Mountains and beaches.

A sweet, kind, grown woman; a bottle of wine; and moonlight on a beach.

Having the self confidence to bare soul and body to strangers without shame.

Having the knowledge and wisdom to not regret having done something stupid, and to not repeat it. And using it to learn and teach.

The ability to recognize an error you made, apologize, move forward and make amends if needed.

The ability to be graceful and humble when proven correct. You might be wrong the next time.

Agreeing to disagree when there is no way to come to an agreement. Someone will be proven correct in the course of time. Patience will be your friend more than shrilly repeating your position, and people will respect your restraint even when they disagree with you.

Someone who lets you, with your two items, jump ahead of them, and their cartload, at the checkout. Manners and courtesy grease this sand clogged machine called society.

The ability to recognize rude behavior and return the favor. It is invigorating to watch someone with wit demolish a rude person. It is also quite appropriate to tell someone to go to hell if they abuse your good nature, but be careful not to abuse other people's good nature in doing so.

Art and architecture that are original and actually evoke an emotional response in the viewer, to the viewers benefit. Most of what passes as art is junk, meaningless, ordinary or just plain ugly.

Candy, cake, pie, ice cream and toothache-inducing sweet iced tea.

Computers, blogs and well reasoned and written commentary.



What are your favorite good things?

conhed

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A Florida based US prosecutor arrested.

This guy, John David Roy Atchison, an assistant US attorney, allegedly flew 2000 miles with a rape kit to have sex with a five year old girl. A sting operation allegedly enticed him.

Some people commenting on the news stories are screaming entrapment, that there wasn't even a real little girl, or that he could have changed his mind before the actual rape.

Let me see if I understand this - he packed a rape kit, boarded an airplane, and flew 2000 miles just to change his mind?

Isn't it a crime to travel interstate for the purpose of committing a felony?

Isn't conspiring to commit a crime also a crime?

If there was no conspiracy, why did he get on the airplane? ESP?

Next, isn't someone with enough education to be a US Attorney smart enough to know better than to commit federal crimes accidentally?

The news reports contained excerpts of the chat room conversations where he said he had done this before, in order to assure the phony mother that "no harm" would come to the child. The actual quotes:

"I'm always gentle and loving; not to worry; no damage ever; no rough stuff ever ever,"

"I've done it plenty,"

This guy was active in many child oriented activities. He has children of his own. And, as usual, those who know him say stupid things about how they thought he was an upstanding citizen, and they can't believe it's true. One even said that there must be an explanation for Atchison's actions, but he wasn't sure what it might be. How about this one: "Atchison is a pedophile"? It fits the facts.

His family will suffer greatly. I wonder how many innocent children he has already abused, if any, and I bet I'm not the only one wondering. Surely his wife has horrifying thoughts about her children and her husband. Poor woman. I can understand it, because I have felt the pain of having a pedophile father, who never molested his own children, just other people's. His brothers were my abusers. I suppose they left their own children alone, too. I suppose, too, that I might be somewhat biased about this subject.

Some comments were aimed at the likelihood of Atchison becoming Bubba's girlyboy in prison. Sorry, won't happen. Because of his status as a prosecutor, he will never be put in general population. Heck, he just might get off with a slap on the wrist.

After all, he's just another in a long, long list of people with power who chose to do something against the law, knowing that their position would protect them from what the rest of us would suffer had we done the same thing. Perhaps we should start agitating for NO SEGREGATION for police and other government officials who are convicted. It would be more incentive for them to act within the law, don't you think? I mean, if it's cruel and unusual for them to be exposed to "real" criminals, what about you and me?

Are you ready to concede that there are double standards for the haves and the have-nots? Why would you support this? The only possible reason for someone to do so would be because they are a have, and are confident that the system will protect them in their indiscretions.

I'm running out of ways to express my contempt for those who abuse children, power and authority. And for those who are too apathetic or stupid to stand up and demand justice for all.

But, I shall struggle on, wearied and worn, trying to get across the point that we are all responsible morally for the actions of those that exercise power, when the exercise of that power is unreasonably harmful to one or many. It is our duty to correct these errors and to punish those who abuse our trust. It is the right thing to do.

conhed

Another one for the files on government abuse of power

It appears that the availability of a microphone to the public for the purpose of asking questions of a candidate is subject to whether or not those questions "disturb the peace." This is so contrary to the idea of a free and open political debate as to beg the question "Do we already live in a police state?"

The firebrands among our founding fathers must be turning about 4500 rpm in their graves. Our country was founded on the principles of free political speech and the writers of our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights would be shamed to see the video of Andrew Meyer being subjected to police interference with his right to speak at a public forum.

The young man was informed of a time limit on his use of the microphone and the mic was turned off when he exceeded the time limit. Fine. He should have sat down and allowed things to continue and let people make up their own minds about what transpired.

But the government, represented by those who are sworn to serve and protect, decided that a little physical pain was called for by his actions. After the young man was subdued, these armed and badged animals decided to use a taser on him, and according to the video, he was not struggling or resisting at that time. It was clearly an attempt to inflict punishment for his actions, not an attempt to gain control of a suspect. This is a violation of due process, outside the use of force guidelines, and an absolutely obvious attempt at intimidation of those who would speak freely.

I wonder if our great nation would ever have been founded if, for example, Thomas Paine or Thomas Jefferson, two very eloquent and passionate speakers, if we can judge by their words as recorded in the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers, and in other documents, had been subjected to this same standard. I doubt it.


While John Kerry is not a candidate that I support, he was trying to answer the questions, and had the police not decided that they were better equipped to deal with political debate than Mr, Kerry, an accomplished politician, I believe it likely that Mr. Kerry would have been able to handle the situation without violence. This is what should have happened. Mr Kerry expressed much the same opinion himself after learning of the arrest and tasering of Mr. Meyer.

Instead, we now have the specter of the police managing political debate according to their ideas of what is appropriate behavior in a public forum, not specific actions or threats, but which questions can be asked, and how long one can speak. You can be arrested and charged with a crime for participating in political activity at a political event! You don't have to make a threat or cause harm, you just have to refuse to be quiet! At an event designated as a question and answer forum! God save us. The police want you to know that your safety depends on you being a good little citizen and not opening your mouth after they tell you to be quiet. Never mind the Bill of Rights, or our history as a nation founded on civil disobedience. Of course the young man was disruptive, that is the heritage of our country. (Just ask King George III.) He has every right to prove himself a fool, and he did a pretty good job of it. But being foolish is not a crime, and it shouldn't be. And it sure as hell isn't something that gives the police the right to administer electric shocks in order to stop him.

In part of the video, after he was under arrest, a female officer can be heard telling him he was under arrest for "inciting to riot."

WHAT!!!!!!

I would dearly love to hear her rationale for that statement. That is absurd. If he was inciting a riot, isn't she insulting the intelligence of every person present by assuming that he was able to persuade them to act as a mob? Now, this isn't about an action he took, it is about the content of his statements, for only the content can "incite a riot." But isn't content that is not libelous or dangerous protected by the constitution? What was dangerous about his questions?

This frightens me. It should frighten you. Say goodbye to our freedom. It is now time for the police to run things. And they have badges and guns and tasers, and the ability to use them indiscriminately, and you have no right to expect to be secure in your person and possessions when you choose to be heard in the political arena.

Damn, people, wake up. It is the fate of your children we are talking about.

Epitaph - King Crimson:

The wall on which the prophets wrote
Is cracking at the seams.
Upon the instruments of death
The sunlight brightly gleams.
When every man is torn apart
With nightmares and with dreams,
Will no one lay the laurel wreath
As silence drowns the screams.

Confusion will be my epitaph.
As I crawl a cracked and broken path
If we make it we can all sit back
And laugh.
But I fear tomorrow Ill be crying,
Yes I fear tomorrow Ill be crying.

Between the iron gates of fate,
The seeds of time were sown,
And watered by the deeds of those
Who know and who are known;
Knowledge is a deadly friend
When no one sets the rules.
The fate of all mankind I see
Is in the hands of fools.

Confusion will be my epitaph.
As I crawl a cracked and broken path
If we make it we can all sit back
And laugh.
But I fear tomorrow Ill be crying,
Yes I fear tomorrow Ill be crying.


conhed

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