Mandatory Retirement Age

I happened to be perusing a local newspaper when I came across this interesting article.  While there were a total of 3 articles concerning this incident, it was clear that the police officer was not at fault for this night time auto/bicyclist traffic accident. That's not what really drew my attention....
What surprised me was the fact that the Deputy who was driving is 76 years old.

It was no typo. My natural assumption was that this man was a volunteer reserve or auxiliary officer who might be just 'staying active.'  I decided to take a chance and make an on line comment.
(Mistake #1)
In my statement, I went so far as to suggest that may be it was past time for him to still be working on the street.
(Mistake #2)
It then became extraordinarily obvious to me that this officer had a fan club and they took me to task for even suggesting such a thing.  Apparently, some of his fans said that he was a full time, paid deputy who could get the job done just as well, if not better, than some of his younger counterparts.

While I am no spring chicken myself, I would never, even in my wildest fantasies, ever consider working as a street cop past the age of 60.  Interestingly enough, I have seen some new recruits in their 50's who make it through the academy standards, often pushing past the younger rookies when it comes to both knowledge and physical capability.

Being in the 'no spring chicken' category and quite conscious of age discrimination when it comes to employment standards, I did some research and I found this.  I had mistakenly assumed that there was a mandatory retirement age for all police officers and that it just varied from state to state.
(Mistake #3)

Under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 -

All employers who hire persons 40 years or older are required by law to adhere to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Mandatory retirement, in almost all cases, is illegal, and an employer does not have the right to force an older employee to retire. Employees that are exempt from the ADEA mandatory retirement laws are police officers and firefighters. Legislation, passed in 1996, allows for public employers to have maximum hiring ages and mandatory retirement ages for law enforcement officers and firefighters. This, however, isn't mandatory. The ADEA laws apply to employees that are 40 years or older, and work for a business that employs 20 or more employees.

The state of South Carolina has no retirement age requirement and it is generally up to the individual department to make the decision on when a police officer or fire fighter can or should retire.

So, I think I've learned my lesson about making comments in public forums when I don't know what the hell I'm talking about.

Despite all that.... at 76 years of age, don't you think it's time?

Memorial Day Salute

Thank you just doesn't seem to be enough.

We salute you.




Thank you for your sacrifices.

Semper Fi

Officer Involved Shooting brings Feds

Eutawville, SC - (pronounced like the state of Utah)

A small community in Orangeburg County,
population 500, lies some 50 miles northwest of Charleston.
Their police department consists of one police officer, the Police Chief.

This is the 4th police officer in the last year that the town council has hired.

The present chief, Ricky Combs, was hired by Eutawville after he had been released from light duty at the Elloree Police Dept. where he had been employed for several years.  Prior to that, he had been terminated from the Orangeburg Co. Sheriff's Dept.  Combs was employed by the Sheriff's office for 6 years, and was terminated for 'violating that agency's policies, but not for misconduct.'  Such is the wording of the personnel document. That could mean anything from substandard performance to sleeping on duty.
Every time a police officer leaves a department, the SC Criminal Justice Academy is notified as to their reasons, whether it be a transfer or termination. Believe it or not, that information is accessible under the FOI act.  With that, the cops in SC have a right to be a tad paranoid about their every move.

Story goes that on May, 2, Bernard Bailey, 54 years of age and a former corrections officer, went to Eutawville town hall with a traffic ticket belonging to his daughter.  It is said that his intent was to get the court date changed.  Combs and Bailey came face to face in the parking lot.  The only fact that was released is that Bailey was shot 3 times by Combs.  No other information was given.  Was Bailey armed, you ask?  The consensus was that he was not, and the Orangeburg Co. Sheriff's Dept. incident report was a colossal joke.  How can anyone justify a written incident report that contains one sentence? As with all officer involved shootings in SC, the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) handles the investigation. I'm guessing Orangeburg Co. figured that it was merely "an assist" call and that's all they needed to write.  A perfectly good example of a bad report.  You know, "Saw drunk. Arrested same."  So short. So wrong.

What is remarkably refreshing is that this has been a rather subdued investigation and there have been no ugly outcries of racism and no finger pointing.  Yes, Bailey is black and Combs is white.  Bailey's family has asked everyone to remain calm and not to jump to conclusions.  A recent town hall meeting that attracted over 500 people and the NAACP asked for witnesses to come forward and for everyone to cooperate fully with law enforcement.  While the SC State Law Enforcement Division was already in the midst of investigating this shooting, the Feds have now thrown their hat in the ring.  The US Attorney's office and the FBI confirmed it today. Clearly, this means the feds wouldn't be poking their nose in to a local matter if there wasn't more than just a hint of a civil rights violation.  Either that, or somebody's got a little juice.

A Facebook page for Bailey has been set up, seeking comments and condolences. The FB page also has a link to an on line petition.  The author of the petition, who has an annoying question mark addiction, seeks to bring notice to the US Congress for a federal investigation.  Last count for signatures on the petition was about 1400. Well the Feds are here so hold the phone!

This Facebook page has also drawn the attention of a recent nightmarish pain-in-the-ass that goes by the name of Tyler Williams.  If you recall, Williams is the uncle of one Bobby Gadsden who was shot and killed by a homeowner because he was in the process of burglarizing his home.  Uncle Tyler seeks to compare this incident with his own experience against the Castle Doctrine.  Maybe he thinks that he can get the attention of the Feds while they're in town. Uncle Tyler changes the story every time he tells it and he is not someone I'd ever want as an ally. This is what Williams posted on the FB wall for Bernard Bailey -

From Tyler Williams, the uncle of Bobby L. Gadsden Jr. who was shot in the back of his head while unarmed & fleeing a home, that he was allegdly given access to by the home owner's (also shooter) son in Moncks Corner, SC on 4/13/2011. "Authorities" deemed it justifiable with no questions asked, even after many of the lies they told to cover-up this murder &  mislead the public, were exposed with crime scene photos. Such as him wearing a mask, holding a shot gun or even being shot coming down the stairs. My families' heart felt condolences & prayers go out to the Bailey family for your tragic loss! We pray that justice be served not only for my nephew &  Mr. Bailey but for all those unjustifiably murdered in SC & considered "justified" by those who misappropriate & abuse the use of the Castle Doctrine.

If you read my other posts; Homeowner Shoots Burglar, The Castle Doctrine Goes on Trial, Give it up Already!, One More Thing..., you'll know that Tyler Williams is not your ordinary loud-mouthed, bigoted moron looking for some easy money.  No, he's a bothersome, blood sucking tick!  He's like a wound that won't heal.  He is more than tactless - if that's possible.  The man has no shame.  I wouldn't be surprised if he tries riding on the coat tails of this incident just to get his face in front of a camera again.

I don't profess to have an opinion one way or another on this particular shooting.  But I have to admit, it ain't lookin' so good for Combs.

America's Most Wanted....say it ain't so!

In 1988, John Walsh began hosting a television program that profiled some of America's most wanted criminals, which included the FBI's top 10 fugitives.  Since the day it first aired, over 1100 fugitives have been apprehended thanks to his diligence.  He has worked relentlessly in his campaign to get every scumbag he can off the streets.  If it were not for his show, who knows how many more victims there might have been.  Rapists, murderers, child molesters, robbers, and even terrorists were subsequently prevented from continuing their monstrous ways. Let's not lose sight of the fact that over 50 missing children have been rescued from their abductors thanks to his show.

In 1996, Fox Broadcasting actually cancelled the show and the public "went bananas."  A huge outcry from the American public and law enforcement communities saved the show from its threatened demise.  Fox acquiesced and AMW came back bigger and stronger.

Now, Fox has once again announced that they are cancelling the show "due to production costs."  What a bunch of crap!  They aren't making any money off the show and they're looking for a money making venture.  Pretty selfish, but hey, that's what's great about America.  Capitalism.  After 23 years, Fox doesn't think it necessary to arm the public with knowledge that would save lives?  Fox intends to make 4 two hour episodes a year.  Small consolation.

Perhaps one of the other networks might want to pick up a show that after 23 years, has made a difference.
A show about justice.  John Walsh isn't about to give up.  We shouldn't give up on him.

Daytona Beach, FL Police Chief Mike Chitwood was quoted as saying, "It's a shocker.  Everybody knows what a big help this is to law enforcement.  There's no other show like it."

Let's all stand together and rescue AMW.  There are too many criminals out there now.  We need all the help we can get.

Gypsy Cops and Small Town Politics

Two small police departments in eastern South Carolina each had an officer involved shooting within the last week.
One in a place called Eutawville, (Orangeburg County), with a population of 500, and another in Cottageville, (Colleton County), which has a population of approximately 800.

With small towns come small town budgets.That being said, it's obvious that salaries for public officials such as police officers, aren't very attractive. Most police officers would opt for a mid-size to larger department for both the salary and benefits they offer. Rural areas such as these don't have the financial capabilities to send a police officer to the academy for their state accreditation. Instead, they generally attract the less than desirable certified officers and on rare occasions, retired officers who are seeking to supplement their pensions. Most retirees have had enough politics and opt for other, less stressful places.

The term "Gypsy" is defined as a nomad or roamer. When a police officer roams from one department to another, staying at these departments for 2 years or less, a potential employer really should do their homework.

At one time, employers were reluctant to reveal anything negative about the employment of a former employee for fear of litigation. That included police officers. Some years ago, a local Charleston, SC newspaper wrote an expose on this gypsy police problem that was titled, "Tarnished Badges."

It exposed how many problem police officers were continuously hired by one department after another because they couldn't get necessary knowledge about an officer's previous work history.  As a direct result of that article, the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy supposedly made some changes so that information must be shared between departments. The Academy can, in their discretion, actually revoke the officer's certification thereby preventing that officer from ever working as a police officer in the state.  However, the system can't work properly if appropriate actions aren't taken when the symptoms start presenting themselves. It would appear that the information was passed on to the appropriate people at the Academy, but no one thought to give that envelope another push.

In the Cottageville incident, the officer involved in this shooting has quite a work history. This officer asserts that he was the 'poster child' for pissing off politicians. Take note of the information the reporter was able to obtain on Officer Price's work history.  Make your own conclusion. Now, let's take in to consideration the moron he shot and killed. He was the former mayor of that small town and he had his own checkered past. Former Mayor Bert Reeves was the quintessential small town, arrogant, back woods, laughable politician. His driving habits left a trail and once again, you can make your own conclusions. Let's just say Reeves didn't have a real big fan base.

In the Eutawville incident, there are a great many questions that need answering.  Just the information gleaned from this newspaper article alone is enough to make you say, WHAT THE FUCK?!  You really have to ask yourself why the town's one police officer, the Police Chief, is the 4th cop this little town has hired in the last year. The Chief shot and killed a former corrections officer outside of town hall. An Orangeburg county Deputy Sheriff was dispatched upon request from the Police Chief. The Deputy's incident report was a total farce. I question whether that Deputy had a supervisor or if that was just some small town ploy used to bypass the FOI request made by the local media.

As with all police officer involved shootings, the SC State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) does the investigation and then takes whatever actions may be necessary. They appear to be a bit busy this week.

I am puzzled by the ONE major factor that is missing from both these incidents. All the facts aren't in yet so I won't make any assumptions.
In fact, this latest update now combines these two stories in a similar fashion.

A New Language?

Maybe I'm too old.  Maybe I'm just old-fashioned.  Maybe I just liked the English language the way it was meant to be.  This new text and Facebook lingo just hurts my eyes and gives me a headache. When I read it, sometimes more than once, I actually have to sound it out loud so as to understand the point.  If there even is a point.  Sometimes it's just one long run on sentence that makes absolutely no sense.  It exhausts me. Who can understand it?

Don't get me wrong, every generation has its slang or lingo. Throughout the years, there have been various adjectives to describe things that were cool, groovy, totally rad, etc.  Why should this generation be any different?

Maybe because the previous generations didn't have computers, cell phones, or ipads.  There were pay phones and manual typewriters. Then came the new and exciting technology of electric typewriters!  We learned to read, write and spell.  There was no such thing as ebonics. We could identify the structure of a sentence, dissecting it down to nouns, adjectives and verbs.  What is a preposition or a dangling participle?  Now that the world relies on a keyboard for almost everything, schools are slowly phasing out cursive writing. Think about the long term effects of that.  Will the next generation be able to sign their name?

I have also spent way too much time reading the Facebook pages of thugs and gangstas.  I regret that I hadn't used those hours of my life doing more productive things. That particular means of communication jumps from basic text abbreviations, to profanity laced, racist insults, threats, and then downright misguided loyalties.  On one particular Facebook page, Nicholas Lindsey, a 16 year old who shot and killed a FL police officer, there's a fan club that practically wants to bestow him with sainthood.  At least that's what I'm deciphering through the pathetic excuse for a language.  But heaven forbid a white guy, cop or otherwise, shoot and kill a black guy.  Then it's racist and the brotha didn't deserve it.  No matter what kind of gangsta, loser, drug dealing, thief that they are, the criminally convicted, drug using, gun wielding, thug was innocent of any wrong doing.

I started reading another blog, Da Real Nick Lindsey and the author goes to great lengths to ferret out and expose these hooligans before the news media glamorizes them.  The writer is succinct, edgy, and turns over rocks looking for facts, getting much of it from Facebook.  Which, by the way, seems to have no secrets.  These people are proud of their criminal backgrounds and illegal activities.  They wear these triumphs like a badge of honor.  But trying to decipher their conversations is a whole different story.  The Chinese language is easier. No wait, I could be insulting the Chinese.

Pretty soon it won't be the English language anymore.  It'll be some Spanglishtext that they'll probably be forced to teach in school...all in the name of political correctness.

Blubber mania

I don't profess to be a physical fitness nut, since I am not the same svelte person that I was 30 years ago. I can't say that I've struggled with obesity all my life, since I haven't. I've tried to stay active throughout the years.  I spent 12 years in uniform, working the streets in all kinds of weather, carrying 10-12 lbs. of equipment and that tends to burn calories...if you don't sit on your ass all night. Then I sat behind a desk, ate a lot of junk food, and still continued to smoke.

Several years ago my Doctor drew me a picture of what lay ahead. I made some life style changes. I quit smoking and promptly gained more weight. In 20 years, I managed to gain 40 lbs.
That was the biggest struggle. When you pass age 35, it becomes extremely difficult to suck in the gut. It seemed important to me that I be able to see my feet, to climb a flight of stairs without wheezing afterwards, to squat and bend and to even continue doing my own yard work. (Don't underestimate it. It's very good exercise.) I lost 15 lbs and started feeling better. I seemed to have peaked at that amount, but I am still trying for at least another 10 lbs. I don't want to set my goals too high. I am, after all, a realist.
I try very hard to keep my stomach from blubbering over my waistband and I sure as hell don't want that cutesy thing called a "muffin top" let alone the old "love handles." I could be wrong here, but I think the only difference between those two is the location of the blubber.  Or is it a guy/girl thing?  I can't keep track.

Now, it seems this latest generation, and their off-spring, are just disgustingly over-weight. Children are pasty faced, sit behind a computer or hand held device all day and eat whatever junk food is fast and handy. They get no exercise or fresh air. Parents don't take the time to actually get involved in their kid's lives and most blame the system. You know, the entitlement generation.

I can't help noticing that muffin tops, love handles, and the always popular butt crack, are actually acceptable fashion statements. There once was such a time when teenage girls had such low self-esteem issues that it produced cases of anorexia/bulimia. I know that there are still many people who struggle with those diseases, but we've now traveled to the other extreme.

The cases of diabetes in teenagers and young adults has tripled.  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome has also escalated because of too much time behind a keyboard or video game.  Taking legal action against fast food companies because you're over-weight is delusional.  Who was the fool that opened their fat mouth and stuffed all that garbage in there to begin with?  Holding someone else responsible for your own actions is so typical in today's society. No one takes responsibility and it's never their fault.

So there's my rant...

I struggled for years to keep a flat stomach and now muffin tops, jelly rolls, and love handles are supposedly sexy.  There's no way in hell I'm going down that road....fashionable or otherwise.

Just for Laughs

Did you know that May is national Masturbation month?

Joy Behar explores the myths and interviews a Sex Therapist.

But first, you have to get past the Exxon commercial...

Masturbation myths

So Where's the Righteous Indignation Now?

The Truth-About-Bobby-Gadsden Facebook page had this link to the Post and Courier newspaper about another Castle Doctrine incident that occurred not far from the Gadsden episode.
Let's review some recent Castle Doctrine cases in SC, shall we?

In this particular case, a drunken, ex-con, former drug addict by the name of Arriolo, returns to his neighbor's house after having been asked to leave.  Arriolo becomes confrontational and believe it or not, wants to kiss and make up.  Arriolo backs the homeowner in to a corner. The homeowner couldn't retreat if he wanted to. The homeowner fears for his life and shoots and kills Arriolo.  Point: Arriolo was not armed, and Arriolo had been previously told to leave, but returned, forcing his way in to the house, therefore he was in the home unlawfully.
It does not appear charges will be filed as the homeowner acted in self-defense.
The homeowner is white and the deceased is Hispanic.

In Colleton County, SC - a male forces his way in to a home, obviously intent on committing a crime therein.  The homeowner is in fear of his life, and restrains the suspect, strangling him to death.  The suspect was in the commission of a dangerous felony, even though the suspect had no weapon, the homeowner had no duty to retreat and defended himself and his property from an attacker or intruder.
The homeowner was a middle aged black male and the attacker was a younger black male.

Lexington County, SC - homeowner is awakened by noises shortly after 3:00 a.m.  Upon opening his garage door, there is a suspect attempting to steal something from the homeowner's vehicle.  The suspect was shot twice by the homeowner and the suspect fled on his bicycle, ultimately dying from his injuries not far away. The homeowner was not prosecuted as he was legally protecting his property under the Castle Doctrine.
The homeowner was an elderly white male and the suspect was a homeless black male.

James Island, SC - the homeowner is awakened shortly after 12 midnight by barking dogs.  He sees the suspect attempting to break in to his truck.  The homeowner grabs his .40 cal and goes after the perp.  The suspect jumps in to his waiting car and drives away.  As he is driving away, the homeowner fires off 5 rounds at the escaping vehicle.  One shot actually grazed the top of the suspect's head.  This incident doesn't appear to be a Castle Doctrine candidate.  However, Sheriff Al Cannon cites a relatively obscure law that is still on the books about citizen's arrest authority during the commission of a crime and the escape when the citizen is endeavoring to make an arrest.  The facts and evidence pointed to a conclusion that the suspect was lying about where he was and what he was doing.  He was subsequently charged with breaking into the homeowner's auto and no charges were brought against the homeowner.
The homeowner and the thief were both white males.

Moncks Corner, SC - A homeowner is alone at 8:40 a.m. and hears noises upstairs.  Upon noting that there were no family cars in the driveway, the homeowner grabs his handgun.  He confronts a burglar on a stairway inside his residence.  The homeowner notices that the suspect has his rifle and ammo pouch. The homeowner fires one round, taking the suspect down.  The resident hears more noises, indicative of someone else being inside the house, so he flees to a neighbor's to call 911. Investigation noted that entry was gained unlawfully, presumably through an over head garage door that was partially open.
The 2nd suspect was seen fleeing the scene on foot and was apprehended a short while later in a wooded area.  The bullet fired by the homeowner struck one Bobby Gadsden in the back of the head.  Police investigators state that it appears that Bobby turned his head at almost the same time the gun was fired.
The deceased was found at the bottom of the stairs.  The police report that Gadsden was armed with handcuffs and a butterfly knife.
The homeowner is a middle aged white male and the deceased, as well as the other 2 conspirators in the burglary, are black males.

Now, if any of these scenarios was a prime example of the Castle Doctrine law, the Gadsden case is it.  The deceased, along with 2 co-conspirators, were in the commission of a dangerous felony.  2 of the 3 entered the residence unlawfully and were in the process of taking the homeowner's property.  One burglary suspect was confronted by the homeowner and shot.  It doesn't matter if he was shot in the back of the head, in the leg or in the ass, the homeowner was in peril, defending himself and his property during the commission of this felony crime. Deadly force is justified under the legal definition of the law.

The family of the deceased burglar claims the threat was leaving the house and the homeowner had no cause to shoot him.  The majority of people, including law enforcement and prosecutors, beg to differ.  The Castle Doctrine was written to protect homeowners from intruders or attackers who enter another person's "castle" whether by force or by stealth.  Now the family of the deceased has accused every person imaginable with wrong doing in some form or another.  They cry racism. The Castle Doctrine law in SC leaves no wiggle room.  The law will side with the homeowner every time.  There are no legal loopholes that can justify prosecuting the homeowner with any crime.  In SC, a person has a legal right to have a gun in their home, place of business, or in a closed compartment of their motor vehicle.

Gadsden's family has run out of straws to grasp in their futile effort to blame someone.  The best they can do is throw out the race card?  Oh, come on.  This is a continuous "wolf cry" and since it's used so much, no one wants to listen anymore.  It was not a white/black thing as they so assert.  It was a bad guy committing a felony crime and paying the price kind of thing.
These charges and accusations levied by the Gadsden family and his supporters played out on various social media sites, including Facebook, ireporter CNN, Twitter, local news stations, and some blogs carried the story.  The on line edition of the local newspaper was predominately pro Castle Doctrine, but name calling and Monday morning quarter backing were non-stop. Some comments promoted only rumors and more gripes of racism.  Some of the comments that blacks denounced as racist must have been invisible to some of us white folks because even if people tried not to step on any toes, they were summarily lambasted for their opinions. The Gadsden family wasn't garnering much sympathy and it was, unfortunately, divided along racial lines.  The blacks felt that they were wronged on some level.  Someone needs to draw me a picture because this was certainly a cut and dried case that had nothing to do with racism.

So now this recent Arriolo case has evoked no outspoken indignation, no anti Castle Doctrine proponents, no ugly accusations of racism or implications of a cover up.  In fact, there is no chatter at all.  Why is that?

One More Thing...

Oh alright, maybe just one more thing on this Bobby Gadsden incident and then this blogger must consider moving forward to other, more pressing issues.  Just as I was mesmerized by this Wanda (full of) Bull-shit person on the Facebook pages, I am also mesmerized by the emotions this subject has evoked throughout that area.

The town of Moncks Corner, once a sleepy little village nestled in Berkeley County, SC, was just a tiny dot on the map up until about 4 years ago when 2 police officers were gunned down during a domestic dispute and subsequent car chase.  Never in their history, had that ever happened.  Their crime rate was minimal and the area much safer than its surrounding counties.  Statistics are proving that not only is the population growing, so is the crime rate.

Along comes this home invasion with the homeowner defending his castle and using deadly force against an intruder or attacker in his own home.  The initial statement is that the homeowner saw the invader coming down the stairs with his own rifle in his hands, now making this burglar armed.  Not that it would make a difference in SC, since the Castle Doctrine law, or the Protection of Persons and Property Act, as it is known in SC, does not require the invader be armed with anything.  By virtue of the fact that he is in the residence unlawfully, he is committing a dangerous felony and he is perceived as a threat to the homeowner.  It's a kill or be killed kind of aspect.  No one person can predict what another will do under any given circumstance and the stand your ground rule applies.  As another blogger, Beat and Release, put it so eloquently, "All bets are off."  He's on your home turf and you have no duty to retreat. You have the absolute right to defend yourself and your property.

But I digress....

As the point was in my last blog entry, I made a challenge to any REAL journalist to come forward and report the other side of the coin in this continuous chronicle of what is an injustice against the homeowner.
Since the Gadsden / Williams family has managed to ingratiate themselves to the local, and maybe even the international news media, perhaps some industrious reporter would like to put the pieces together and analyze the data that spilled forth from the Gadsden/Williams camp for days, and now weeks after the shooting.
If any one of you out there has any investigate skills beyond your computer desk, maybe you'll be able to put two and two together.

Shortly after arriving in to town, Tyler Williams, the uncle of the deceased burglar Bobby Gadsden, posted a plea on cnn ireport filled with fabrications, rumors and assumptions.  He had no facts to substantiate or support any of the accusations he made in this statement.  He went so far as to say that there were witnesses, including a local councilman of all things, and accused the homeowner's son as being complicit in the burglary.
They accused the Berkeley County Coroner of withholding Bobby's body until a "release" could be signed.  The coroner denies that, as well as stating he never told the family that Bobby was shot in the chest versus the head. As days passed, more rumor and innuendo were heard.  The 911 tape was released and rumor flew that it may have been tampered with before being released publicly.  Then they assert the body was moved, the crime scene was staged, and now, it went from Bobby being armed with one of the homeowners long guns to allegedly being armed with a crow bar.  I wonder, did any of the local news reporters actually LOOK at the crime scene photos the family was displaying at the news conference?

Two separate reporters from the Charleston County newspaper the Post and Courier, really should get together and compare notes. The story was also carried in another, smaller newspaper called the Berkeley Independent.

I am tossing the gauntlet folks.  Perhaps you should ALL get together and report on the family's inconsistencies instead of on what all the local governments may or may not have done wrong.

The Moncks Corner Police Dept. is undoubtedly aggravated and tired of having to re-address each and every one of these rumors and irrelevant questions the family poses.  Perhaps with a little push from all of you, the DA will make a statement representative of the actual facts and then the New Jersey-ites will go home forever, bury Gadsden, and everyone can move on with their lives.

Bobby Gadsden made his bed - there's no doubt about that.  His family wants answers.  It's probably a safe assumption that the community wants to move forward instead of listening to these people prattling on daily about what an injustice it was for their precious little convicted criminal to be shot in the head while in the act of committing a felony.

Just for once, maybe the news media will stop being so one-sided.

Give it up, already!

The shooting death by the homeowner of burglar Bobby Gadsden, just won't go away. It won't go away simply because of the fact that the New Jersey family who never gave a rat's ass about him before, are now hell bent on getting him some "justice." The more this drama unfolds, the more it looks like  justice = $$$.  The Castle Doctrine clearly sides with the homeowner and the dead burglar's family cannot sue the victim. The truth in this case is that the victim is the homeowner. While the family of the dead burglar do not dispute the fact that he was committing a crime, they just don't think he should have been shot in the head for his troubles.

The family of the burglar has managed to get some slanted media coverage from both the local newspaper  and TV news stations. Their family spokesperson, Sociologist Zoe Spencer, has taken up the cause and there was also a radio blogspot that had 2 separate shows about this subject. A woman by the name of Kheri Hines has put aside any sense of real journalistic ambitions and has obviously sided with the Gadsden family in believing the Castle Doctrine does not pertain to this incident.   I started listening to the second show, only to find myself having mixed emotions. I couldn't make up my mind whether to be bored to death or indignant over the surprising comments Ms. Hines made when callers supported the Castle Doctrine.  She appeared shocked that people would feel so strongly about their guns.  Which I find even more surprising, since she lives in Texas.  And we all know about Texans!  The last thing you want to do is take away their guns.

The Gadsden/Williams family has made this all about race when that was not even in the equation until they put it there. Tyler Williams, an uncle of slain burglar Bobby Gadsden, has asked for a federal Department of Justice investigation, believing that both the local and state law enforcement agencies have conspired to cover up the true facts surrounding his death. Supporters of the Gadsden/Williams crowd have gone so far as to call the homeowner a "murderer." You know, in my 'hood, them's fightin' words!


I am surprised that 3 weeks after the incident, the most they've been able to dig up is an educated sociologist such as Ms. Spencer. Ms. Spencer spoke at a news conference called by the family and she read a list of what they say are inconsistencies in this investigation.  They retained the services of a pathologist and a private investigator, even obtaining crime scene photos.  These photos were displayed as trophies during Spencer's speech.  They have more questions and the story changes once again. Inconsistencies is right.  Now there's suddenly a crowbar at the crime scene that wasn't there before. This is like a game of Clue.

If this is such a racial injustice, where are all the civil rights leaders?
If anything, this is an injustice to the homeowner for having to defend himself twice: defending himself and his property from a 21 year old burglar who could barely finish high school and has a criminal record, and for defending his actions against the asinine and ignorant mentality perpetrated by liberal morons who seem to think that their brothas and sistas can do no wrong.

Then there is the drama queen, Wanda [full of] Bull -shit who has taken it upon herself to become an unofficial spokesperson for the family's fan club.  I have never seen a more confrontational, antagonistic, bigoted, fact-twisting, nut case.  Trust me when I tell you that I've met a lot of nut cases.  Periodically, she writes on the Truth About Bobby Gadsden Facebook page and that always manages to stir up emotions, goading people in to her narrow minded little world.  Some just like reading her idiotic postings as a means of entertainment.
I am one of those. Guilty as charged. I just can't help myself.
Ms. Bull is now on a mission to get the Truth page shut down, claiming there is hate and racism all over it.
I can't seem to find what the hell she's talking about....even with my glasses on.

I think it's time the liberal media got it's head out of it's proverbial ass and started a deeper investigation.  For instance; why can't they get a more detailed statement from law enforcement in an effort to refute the family's allegations?  I'll tell you why...they PISSED OFF THE POLICE!  Law enforcement has better things to do than pander to the family's frequent tirades.  How about maybe a REAL journalist try to find out some facts from the District Attorney/Solicitor's office?  After all, law enforcement specifically said that they consulted with their office before closing the case on the shooting.

Here's a better idea....Give it up and go back to Jersey!

Another Dead Terrorist

There's something to be said for someone's life when people are dancing in the streets over your death.  
You piss off all the right people and some day.....

Well, some day came.....

Yesterday's late evening news was an unexpected and long awaited victory in the war on terrorism.  

...but there's just one more thing left....right Ghadafi?

Some people are saying that this is what's going to get Obama re-elected.  Some say that Obama did what Bush couldn't.  Perhaps, but it wasn't for the lack of trying.  I don't propose to speak for any President, living or dead, but Bush turned over rocks looking for the most wanted man on earth, to no avail. The intel was constantly screwed up or too late in coming.  Blame it on the CIA.  Everybody else does.

I must admit that this is a welcome distraction from our other ills; horrendous gas prices, unemployment, health care reform, social security, the ozone....etc.

Late in to the night I heard chants of U.S.A. - U.S.A. - U.S.A. and I was hypnotized for hours by the growing crowd at Ground Zero. The live streaming videos from so many young people rather surprised me.  The war on terror is the only war they've ever known.  Considering most of our young people have turned in to bleeding heart liberals, I was quite surprised at their jubilation. It was indeed cause for celebration.

The credit goes to the Navy Seals. 

                    "Not for self, but for country."