Holiday greetings, dear readers! I’m actually writing this right up against the deadline of the new year and for a good reason. Events in 2008 seemed to hit the scene fast and furiously. With more armed conflict breaking out just days ago in the Middle East, I decided to wait until almost the last minute to compose the first Copcorner.net year end summary.
I am going to keep this posting short by design as several of the past ones have been longer than intended. This will be more of a hit and run exercise designed to refresh your mind as opposed to putting forth an argument. Most of the themes will be familiar to you but some may be a little obscure. They are, however, trends that I follow daily. So, here goes and as always, let me know what you think in the comments section!
Fighting Terrorism -The nations of the west and free societies everywhere must close ranks and work together to counter this constant, unrelenting threat. The security and prosperity of free peoples are threatened daily by subversive terrorist actors who never rest. The shocking attack in Mumbai, India, was a powerful re-emphasis that vigilance and forceful response cannot be allowed to stand down at any moment. Just when you think that “everything has been pretty quiet”, they will hit us hard in key centers. Law enforcement and military resources throughout the world must surveil their planning activities, track precursor components such as nuclear, chemical, radiological and biological compounds, and infiltrate their organizations. Even then, the proliferation of terrorist doctrine and the suicide mentality make it nearly impossible to protect the public everywhere, all of the time. (This is my number one theme and you will read about it frequently here at Copcorner.net.)
Government Hand Outs - Whatever you want to call ‘em, hand outs, bail outs, loans, it doesn’t matter to me. They’re wrong – plain and simple! To me, it looks like pigs lining up at a trough while the farmer throws in buckets of slop. Where is the specific constitutional authorization that allows the government to forcefully take money from me and you (taxes) and give it to failed private business enterprises (banks, auto makers, mortgage holders, what have you)? Sorry, but if you fail to conduct a profitable business, the market dictates that you dry up and blow away and some other better operated venture takes your place. Let the market shake out the losers. Summarily dismiss Barney Frank and his ilk for having pressured private sector funding sources through the nineties and early this century, to make mortgages for people who had no chance of making their monthly payments (see housing bubble). These were people with historys of bad credit, not some disadvantaged strata of our society. These people had mismanaged their private financial lives for years and are now getting rewarded for their malfeasance. The auto makers have failed to respond to their markets for decades, not years, decades!!! They deserve to go the way of the Edsel and reform as businesses that build cars that the present day buying public will want, plain and simple. The banks have recently been handed billions. How are they using that money? As we are finding out, it was with no strings attached – none! Incredible! Billions of dollars with no accountability. (Where do I get in line???) Every day, free market forces are being distorted by these artificial moves making it harder and harder to achieve a true recovery that will last for years to come. Dear Government: Hands Off of the Economy!!! I have three words to describe this bail out fever: wrong! wrong! wrong!
Loss of an Ethical Compass - This is actually one of those generational themes. Each generation, as it ages, thinks that members of the younger ones have lost it and are on the road to ruin. I get that. But there are some subtle, and not so subtle findings that lead me to believe that we are seriously going down the wrong track here too. What’s this clown’s name, you know, the so-called Governor of Illinois? Blagojevich? What a piece of work. He’s my new poster boy for political arrogance, hands down. How did this chump get elected in the first place, anyway? As a career cop, nothing would have made me happier than to have been the one putting the clicks on this stooge when he was arrested December 9th. Come on Illinois, surely you can do better than him. I love your state (been there a few times), I love your sports teams and the women are exceptional but your politics are disgusting. Will you please get rid of this guy and his ilk and quit setting the bar for American politial corruption? Thanks, the rest of us would appreciate it…
Are you familiar with the Josephson Institute? They are a reputable ethics institute that conducts research and publishes periodic findings and trends throughout segments of society. It pains me to report this but their most recent data collected from high school age students, our pool of future leaders, regarding cheating and stealing is very disturbing. Their latest survey was large scale (almost 30,000 students at 100 ramdomly selected high schools nationwide) and anonymous. Here’s a few stats supported by the survey: 64 percent of students cheated on a test in the last year and 38 percent did so two or more times; 35 percent of boys and 26 percent of girls admitted stealing from a store in the past year; 20 percent stole from a friend and 23 percent admitted stealing from a family member. The follow up questions for our society are obvious here. What sort of effect will these cheaters have when they enter the workforce in a few years? What type of work will they be doing – negotiating mortgages, conducting banking, selling investments? The fact that cheating is widespread and getting worse should alarm everyone, especially parents. When you see the examples set everyday by idiots like So-Called Governor Blagojevich and other politicians too numerous to cite here, is it any wonder that our kids are getting this type of message and thinking it is ok? Check out the Josephson Institute website for the complete details.
Peace Officer On Duty Deaths - As documented in a prior posting, it appears the the news is better here than in years past. With just a few hours left to go in 2008, the number of peace officers killed doing their solemn duty to protect us, will be lower by about 23 percent. Keep in mind that a final total is not in yet but the downward trend is very welcome. Shooting deaths are down 40 percent, the lowest total since 1973 and traffic related deaths are down 15 percent. I’ll take those figures now but they’re still way too high. To my brothers and sisters in law enforcement, please keep using the latest equipment and tactics and stay awake during training!
A Beautiful Sight For Sure - A certain convicted felon named O.J. Simpson being sentenced in a Las Vegas courtroom for planning and carrying out an armed robbery. As he supposedly told the judge on his way to the lock up “But, your Honor, there’s been a mistake! I’m not a robber! I’m a murderer!!!”
Well, I’m gonna end things here. There are any number of topics in my head begging for a voice. It has been a fun first year at my little project, Copcorner.net. I hope that I have presented some fresh looks at the tough issues of the day, through the eyes of a weathered observer of society. I’ll say it again. I’m not running for office or trying to win friends, but I am trying to inspire you, the public, to see things from new angles, from the four corners, in a new light. Be bold, don’t be a sheep. Bah! Think for yourself but base that thinking on hard facts born from your research. Discount the media and their brand of poison. They mastered manipulation long ago. Go directly to sources. Greatly limit your television viewing and instead read, read and read some more! The big incredible world awaits you, my friends. Go explore it, don’t swallow what is just served up.
As always, thanks for coming along! I wish each and every one of you and your families a Blessed Holiday Season and a Happy and Prosperous 2009. I’ll be back again soon!
Best Wishes always, Tim