Professor Sunil Dutta of Colorado State University, and a 17 year veteran of the LAPD, last week suggested a unique and simple solution to the recurrent issue of police violence directed toward minority youth in our major cities.  His solution is for everyone to just comply with the authority of the authorities.  No, I’m not totally naïve, but a few “yes sirs” and a respectful compliance to police authority would help avoid the kind of situations percolating regularly in areas like Ferguson, Missouri.

Police have the right to ask questions, to detain for good cause, to challenge our activities.  Cops are not murderers; they don’t go out of their way to inject violence into everyday personal interaction. When they use force, it usually is in protection of their safety, or the public’s safety.

Dutta wrote: “here is the bottom line, if you don’t want to get shot, tased, pepper sprayed, struck with a baton or thrown to the ground, then just do what I tell you.  Don’t argue with me, don’t call me names, don’t call me a racist pig,  don’t threaten to sue me and take away my badge.  Don’t scream at me, and don’t even think of walking aggressively towards me.”

We’re all aware that there are corrupt cops, and cops that are bullies, that some act unprofessionally and arrogantly. “But why not save your outrage and challenge it appropriately”, according to Dutta.   After the fact, file a complaint or contact a civil rights organization or hire a blood sucking, bottom-feeding tort lawyer.  Just don’t challenge a cop during a stop.  Common sense, no matter what the situation, nor what the particular racial mix is.  WHAT THE HECK !

In my opinion, and according to the platform of the Libertarian Party, the only purpose of a central government is the protection of individual rights. In a perfect world, this would encompass defending the USA from aggression internally and  from abroad, and controlling entry into our country of foreign nationals who pose a credible threat to the security, health, or property of USA citizens.

Our central government’s unwillingness to protect us from both internal and external threats would make the Founding Fathers, particularly TJ,  spin in their graves.  Spying on our citizens’ personal information, failure to protect us from identity theft, lack of visa control,  and specifically an unwillingness to protect our borders from the intrusion of those seeking to illegally enter the USA, are all examples of our government’s failure to protect our individual rights.   Let’s just shrug our shoulders as the American Muslims fighting on the side of the ISIS kooks in the Middle East return to our soil.  We have all but admitted that our visa control over these individuals, including those arriving indirectly through Europe,  is porous.

And it’s not just the Proglibocrat left that’s at fault, blatantly seeking future dependence and votes.  I’d love to return to a Conservative Republican fold, but for unknown reasons, there are no apparent Republican leaders willing to stand up and protect our liberties, our customs, and most importantly, our borders.                  WHAT THE HECK !

Was enjoying Bill O’Reilly last night rail on about California’s Governor Jerry Brown (aka Moonbeam) clear subversion of federal immigration laws in his state, and his blatant and open arms policy to anyone sneaking over our Southern border.  This, despite an estimated $25 billion annual cost to the few remaining tax-paying, legal citizens of the state.   When did our politicians, specifically the Proglibocrats, forget that they were representing America and instead pursue some European-style form of  getting along ?                                    

For them, the issue is all about votes, period.  How can Proglibocrats in DC hold up comprehensive immigration reform by refusing first to close our Southern border to future “guests” ?   The only folks crossing that border are illegal citizens, terrorists, and drug smugglers.   Yes, they will all vote for Democrats, but at what cost ?   Paraphrasing Bill O’Reilly, close the darn border, then deal fairly with the individuals here . It’s not rocket science, but for the Proglibocrats who have lost the American way, it’s pure political science.         WHAT THE HECK !

It’s primary season in Florida, time to pick our favorite judges, state reps, dog catchers,  school board commissioners, and last but not least the two candidates who will face off in November to be our governor.   With all the negative campaigning, and the fact that many local candidates are prohibited from expressing from whence they crawled, left or right, it just seems like such a waste of time and resources.

But yes, I’m privileged to vote and will do so, and I have settled on a selection process that works for me, and hopefully for you.   It is a point system, and whichever candidate racks up the least points, they then receive my vote.  Points can be earned in the following way :  1 negative point for a smiley four-color mailer,  2 negative points for a television ad smearing  an opponent,  3 negative points for anyone that knocks on my door or litters my porch with a written sales pitch.    4 points can be earned if I see someone other than the candidate jumping up and down at a traffic intersection waving a sign, and finally a 5 point penalty for a recorded phone message.   Immediate exclusion can be earned if the above-mentioned telephone call interrupts the wonderful dinner my wife has cooked.

So there, a low risk,  low effort way to make decisions about folks I don’t really care about.  WHAT THE HECK !

“A little rebellion now and then is a good thing.”         Thomas Jefferson (1787)          WHAT THE HECK !

I’m so excited.  The new Fiat 500e electric cars begin to hit Fiat showrooms this week across the country.   But don’t run out to buy one just yet, or you will run afoul of Fiat Chrysler Automotive CEO Serrghio Marchionne, who back in May begged Americans not to buy the 500e.   “I hope you don’t buy the 500e because every time I sell one it costs me $14,000.  I will sell the minimum of what I need to sell and not one more.”    Responding to overzealous fleet fuel efficiency mandates put in place in 2011 by the Obama EPA, automakers increasingly must produce cars that Americans don’t want to buy.

Let’s get this straight.  The EPA wants zero emission vehicles that no one wants, and they are willing to give the consumer a tax credit to do so.  Automakers produce the desired, unwanted product, then beg consumers not to buy them.  And the emissions produced by fossil-fuel powered electric  generation plants needed to provide the juice necessary to incessantly plug in and recharge the electric cars is greater than the emissions from a like-number of gasoline powered vehicles .   And the taxpayers get hit by offering tax credits to the dopes who buy the cars.    Aren’t Teslas cool though ?           WHAT THE HECK !

Amidst the chaos that has engulfed the Ferguson suburb of St. Louis following the unfortunate and senseless loss of life on August 9, President Obama finally decided to weigh in on the key issues surrounding this tragedy.   His focus, of course, the show and use of weaponry by the Ferguson police department.    In ordering a review of the federal programs that supply local police departments with excess military equipment, Mr. Obama said: “review to make sure that what they’re purchasing is stuff that they actually need, because there is a big difference between  our military and local law enforcement and we don’t want those lines blurred, which would be contrary to our traditions.”

A good point of course, but by  pointing the finger exclusively at the supposed shortcomings of the local police in Ferguson (and by sending AG Holder – he helped a lot),  few of which have ever faced such a situation, our “divide and conquer” leader fails to point out the unfettered role of looters from outside Missouri, the catalytic role played by the Reverends Jackson and Sharpton,  the absence of inner city job opportunities, lousy schools in poor neighborhoods,  or the breakdown of the family /absence of dads.  What about those American traditions ?     Just blame the cops, Mr. President.                  WHAT THE HECK !

You think American sports display greed, and sometimes reflect the worst of American culture.  Just last week, two days before the start of the English Premier League (which has totally displaced baseball with this author), the coach of our favorite English team, Crystal Palace, two days before the first league game, departed in a huff over money, not his own but the budget management provided to enrich the squad with players bought from other clubs.    He just bolted , leaving the players and fans rudderless.

I nominate my son, Q, as the next manager at Crystal Palace.  He has the four characteristics necessary for success at our club. He’s a Yank who adores and values the traditions of the club, having viewed matches at Selhurst Park on at least 6 occasions on his own dime (well, some on Dad’s dime).  Secondly, despite his 22 years, I believe he can motivate underdog players, having sacrificed personally as a player in the States for 16 years.  Thirdly, Q would not give a hoot about the player transfer budget, preferring to build with players having a strong desire to play for a South London club with strong traditions and frenetic fans.  Finally, never never would Q abandon his mates/players for any reason, at any time.  Athletes in America know and live and breathe the team concept.  Brit football coaches somehow have forgotten it.      WHAT THE HECK !

What distorted views we get on the issues and events of the day from our previously admired network TV news outlets.  After seven days of rioting and looting, what is your general impression of the residents of Ferguson, Missouri ?

If I told you that of the 120 individuals arrested since the shooting death of Michael Brown, only 4 were folks living in Ferguson, would it change your views of the events of the past week, and of the conduct of the residents of this St. Louis suburb ?    The news media needs to re-gain its objectivity and report the facts.         WHAT THE HECK !

Pinhead awards go to the teachers and administrators at Dyer County (Tennessee) High School and Chukker Creek (Aiken, S.C.) Elementary School this past week for protecting the little angels from religion.   Sorry for the generalization, but, among other reasons,  no wonder our public schools continue to plummet in world rankings.  Thought the Constitution was about freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.

A crusading teacher (backed by the administration) tossed a high school girl out of class for using the term “bless you” to a sneezing student.  You can’t make this up.  According to the offended teacher, classroom rules supersede the First Amendment.  And in Aiken, elementary students were welcomed to the new school year by a revised version of the Pledge of Allegiance that omitted the words “under God”.  To their credit, Chukker Creek administrators re-instated the words after their “unintentional omission” was noted by parents.                                   WHAT THE HECK !