Gary G. Smith, Criminal Justice Practitioner

July 4th Message

2008-07-01T09:07:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine sent me the following message. It is not attributed to anyone. If someone knows the author, please let me know and I'll provide the appropriate attribution. Please have a safe and enjoyable July 4th.

The Signing of the Declaration of Independence....

There is no more profound sentence than this: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness..."

These are far more than mere poetic words. The underlying ideas that infuse every sentence of this treatise have sustained this nation for more than two centuries. They were forged in the crucible of great sacrifice. They are living words that spring from and satisfy the deepest cries for liberty in the human spirit.

"Sacred honor" isn't a phrase we use much these days, but every American life is touched by the bounty of this, the Founders' legacy. It is freedom, tested by blood, and watered with tears.

JULY 4TH, 1776

The Americans Who Risked Everything

"Our Lives, Our Fortunes, Our Sacred Honor"

It was a glorious morning. The sun was shining and the wind was from the southeast. Up especially early, a tall bony, redheaded young Virginian found time to buy a new thermometer, for which he paid three pounds, fifteen shillings. He also bought gloves for Martha, his wife, who was ill at home.

Thomas Jefferson arrived early at the statehouse. The temperature was 72.5 degrees and the horseflies weren't nearly so bad at that hour. It was a lovely room, very large, with gleaming white walls. The chairs were comfortable. Facing the single door were two brass fireplaces, but they would not be used today.

The moment the door was shut, and it was always kept locked, the room became an oven. The tall windows were shut, so that loud quarreling voices could not be heard by passersby. Small openings atop the windows allowed a slight stir of air, and also a large number of horseflies. Jefferson records that "the horseflies were dexterous in finding necks, and the silk of stockings was nothing to them." All discussing was punctuated by the slap of hands on necks.

On the wall at the back, facing the president's desk, was a panoply -- consisting of a drum, swords, and banners seized from Fort Ticonderoga the previous year. Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold had captured the place, shouting that they were taking it "in the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress!"

Now Congress got to work, promptly taking up an emergency measure about which there was discussion but no dissension. "Resolved: That an application be made to the Committee of Safety of Pennsylvania for a supply of flints for the troops at New York."

Then Congress transformed itself into a committee of the whole. The Declaration of Independence was read aloud once more, and debate resumed. Though Jefferson was the best writer of all of them, he had been somewhat verbose. Congress hacked the excess away. They did a good job, as a side-by-side comparison of the rough draft and the final text shows. They cut the phrase "by a self-assumed power." "Climb" was replaced by "must read," then "must" was eliminated, then the whole sentence, and soon the whole paragraph was cut. Jefferson groaned as they continued what he later called "their depredations." "Inherent and inalienable rights" came out "certain unalienable rights," and to this day no one knows who suggested the elegant change.

A total of 86 alterations were made. Almost 500 words were eliminated, leaving 1,337. At last, after three days of wrangling, the document was put to a vote.

Here in this hall Patrick Henry had once thundered: "I am no longer a Virginian, sir, but an American." But today the loud, sometimes bitter argument stilled, and without fanfare the vote was taken from north to south by colonies, as was the custom. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

There were no trumpets blown. No one stood on his chair and cheered. The afternoon was waning and Congress had no thought of delaying the full calendar of routine business on its hands. For several hours they worked on many other problems before adjourning for the day.

Much To Lose

What kind of men were the 56 signers who adopted the Declaration of Independence and who, by their signing, committed an act of treason against the crown? To each of you, the names Franklin, Adams, Hancock and Jefferson are almost as familiar as household words. Most of us, however, know nothing of the other signers. Who were they? What happened to them?

I imagine that many of you are somewhat surprised at the names not there: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry. All were elsewhere.

Ben Franklin was the only really old man. Eighteen were under 40; three were in their 20s. Of the 56 almost half - 24 - were judges and lawyers. Eleven were merchants, nine were landowners and farmers, and the remaining 12 were doctors, ministers, and politicians.

With only a few exceptions, such as Samuel Adams of Massachusetts, these were men of substantial property. All but two had families. The vast majority were men of education and standing in their communities. They had economic security as few men had in the 18th Century.

Each had more to lose from revolution than he had to gain by it. John Hancock, one of the richest men in America, already had a price of 500 pounds on his head. He signed in enormous letters so that his Majesty could now read his name without glasses and could now double the reward. Ben Franklin wryly noted: "Indeed we must all hang together, otherwise we shall most assuredly hang separately."

Fat Benjamin Harrison of Virginia told tiny Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts: "With me it will all be over in a minute, but you, you will be dancing on air an hour after I am gone."

These men knew what they risked. The penalty for treason was death by hanging. And remember, a great British fleet was already at anchor in New York Harbor.

They were sober men. There were no dreamy-eyed intellectuals or draft card burners here. They were far from hot-eyed fanatics yammering for an explosion. They simply asked for the status quo. It was change they resisted. It was equality with the mother country they desired. It was taxation with representation they sought. They were all conservatives, yet they rebelled.

It was principle, not property, that had brought these men to Philadelphia. Two of them became presidents of the United States. Seven of them became state governors. One died in office as vice president of the United States. Several would go on to be U.S. Senators. One, the richest man in America, in 1828 founded the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. One, a delegate from Philadelphia, was the only real poet, musician and philosopher of the signers. (It was he, Francis Hopkinson not Betsy Ross who designed the United States flag.)

Richard Henry Lee, a delegate from Virginia, had introduced the resolution to adopt the Declaration of Independence in June of 1776. He was prophetic in his concluding remarks: "Why then sir, why do we longer delay? Why still deliberate? Let this happy day give birth to an American Republic. Let her arise not to devastate and to conquer but to reestablish the reign of peace and law.

"The eyes of Europe are fixed upon us. She demands of us a living example of freedom that may exhibit a contrast in the felicity of the citizen to the ever-increasing tyranny which desolates her polluted shores. She invites us to prepare an asylum where the unhappy may find solace, and the persecuted repost.

"If we are not this day wanting in our duty, the names of the American Legislatures of 1776 will be placed by posterity at the side of all of those whose memory has been and ever will be dear to virtuous men and good citizens."

Though the resolution was formally adopted July 4, it was not until July 8 that two of the states authorized their delegates to sign, and it was not until August 2 that the signers met at Philadelphia to actually put their names to the Declaration.

William Ellery, delegate from Rhode Island, was curious to see the signers' faces as they committed this supreme act of personal courage. He saw some men sign quickly, "but in no face was he able to discern real fear."

Stephan Hopkins, Ellery's colleague from Rhode Island, was a man past 60. As he signed with a shaking pen, he declared: "My hand trembles, but my heart does not." "Most Glorious Service"

Even before the list was published, the British marked down every member of Congress suspected of having put his name to treason. All of them became the objects of vicious manhunts. Some were taken. Some, like Jefferson, had narrow escapes. All who had property or families near British strongholds suffered.

* Francis Lewis, New York delegate saw his home plundered -- and his estates in what is now Harlem -- completely destroyed by British Soldiers. Mrs. Lewis was captured and treated with great brutality. Though she was later exchanged for two British prisoners through the efforts of Congress, she died from the effects of her abuse.

* William Floyd, another New York delegate, was able to escape with his wife and children across Long Island Sound to Connecticut, where they lived as refugees without income for seven years. When they came home they found a devastated ruin.

* Philips Livingstone had all his great holdings in New York confiscated and his family driven out of their home. Livingstone died in 1778 still working in Congress for the cause.

* Louis Morris, the fourth New York delegate, saw all his timber, crops, and livestock taken. For seven years he was barred from his home and family.

* John Hart of Trenton, New Jersey, risked his life to return home to see his dying wife. Hessian soldiers rode after him, and he escaped in the woods. While his wife lay on her deathbed, the soldiers ruined his farm and wrecked his homestead. Hart, 65, slept in caves and woods as he was hunted across the countryside. When at long last, emaciated by hardship, he was able to sneak home, he found his wife had already been buried, and his 13 children taken away. He never saw them again. He died a broken man in 1779, without ever finding his family.

* Dr. John Witherspoon, signer, was president of the College of New Jersey, later called Princeton. The British occupied the town of Princeton, and billeted troops in the college. They trampled and burned the finest college library in the country.

* Judge Richard Stockton, another New Jersey delegate signer, had rushed back to his estate in an effort to evacuate his wife and children. The family found refuge with friends, but a Tory sympathizer betrayed them. Judge Stockton was pulled from bed in the night and brutally beaten by the arresting soldiers. Thrown into a common jail, he was deliberately starved. Congress finally arranged for Stockton's parole, but his health was ruined. The judge was
released as an invalid, when he could no longer harm the British cause. He returned home to find his estate looted and did not live to see the triumph of the Revolution. His family was forced to live off charity.

* Robert Morris, merchant prince of Philadelphia, delegate and signer, met Washington's appeals and pleas for money year after year. He made and raised arms and provisions which made it possible for Washington to cross the Delaware at Trenton. In the process he lost 150 ships at sea, bleeding his own fortune and credit almost dry.

* George Clymer, Pennsylvania signer, escaped with his family from their home, but their property was completely destroyed by the British in the Germantown and Brandywine campaigns.

* Dr. Benjamin Rush, also from Pennsylvania, was forced to flee to Maryland. As a heroic surgeon with the army, Rush had several narrow escapes.

* John Martin, a Tory in his views previous to the debate, lived in a strongly loyalist area of Pennsylvania. When he came out for independence, most of his neighbors and even some of his relatives ostracized him. He was a sensitive and troubled man, and many believed this action killed him. When he died in 1777, his last words to his tormentors were: "Tell them that they will live to see the hour when they shall acknowledge it [the signing] to have been the most
glorious service that I have ever rendered to my country."

* William Ellery, Rhode Island delegate, saw his property and home burned to the ground.

* Thomas Lynch, Jr., South Carolina delegate, had his health broken from privation and exposures while serving as a company commander in the military. His doctors ordered him to seek a cure in the West Indies and on the voyage, he and his young bride were drowned at sea.

* Edward Rutledge, Arthur Middleton, and Thomas Heyward, Jr., the other three South Carolina signers, were taken by the British in the siege of Charleston. They were carried as prisoners of war to St. Augustine, Florida, where they were singled out for indignities. They were exchanged at the end of the war, the British in the meantime having completely devastated their large
landholdings and estates.

* Thomas Nelson, signer of Virginia, was at the front in command of the Virginia military forces. With British General Charles Cornwallis in Yorktown, fire from 70 heavy American guns began to destroy Yorktown piece by piece. Lord Cornwallis and his staff moved their headquarters into Nelson's palatial home. While American cannonballs were making a shambles of the town, the house of Governor Nelson remained untouched. Nelson turned in rage to the American gunners and asked, "Why do you spare my home?" They replied, "Sir, out of respect to you." Nelson cried, "Give me the cannon!" and fired on his magnificent home himself, smashing it to bits.
But Nelson's sacrifice was not quite over. He had raised $2 million for the Revolutionary cause by pledging his own estates. When the loans came due, a newer peacetime Congress refused to honor them, and Nelson's property was forfeited. He was never reimbursed. He died, impoverished, a few years later at the age of 50.

Lives, Fortunes, Honor

Of those 56 who signed the Declaration of Independence, nine died of wounds or hardships during the war. Five were captured and imprisoned, in each case with brutal treatment. Several lost wives, sons or entire families.

One lost his 13 children. Two wives were brutally treated. All were at one time or another the
victims of manhunts and driven from their homes. Twelve signers had their homes completely burned. Seventeen lost everything they owned. Yet not one defected or went back on his pledged word. Their honor, and the nation they sacrificed so much to create is still intact.

And, finally, there is the New Jersey signer, Abraham Clark.

He gave two sons to the officer corps in the Revolutionary Army. They were captured and sent to that infamous British prison hulk afloat in New York Harbor known as the hell ship Jersey, where 11,000 American captives were to die. The younger Clarks were treated with a special brutality because of their father. One was put in solitary and given no food. With the end almost in sight, with the war almost won, no one could have blamed Abraham Clark for acceding to the British request when they offered him his sons' lives if he would recant and come out for the King and Parliament. The utter despair in this man's heart, the anguish in his very soul, must reach out to each one of us down through 200 years with his answer: "No."

The 56 signers of the Declaration Of Independence proved by their every deed that they made no idle boast when they composed the most magnificent curtain line in history. "And for the support of this Declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

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From the beginning of our history, our freedom cost those who dared to dream of it dearly. It continues to demand a high price for those who defend it. Please take time this July 4th to remember those who have gone before us who died and sacrificed so we could be free. And most certainly remember or men and women who at this moment are fighting for our freedom both at home and across the sea.

Times Have Changed

2008-06-30T21:29:00.004-05:00

My kids got a new Monopoly game the other day. In looking through it I thought to myself how the game reflects how things have changed over the last 20 years. When I played Monopoly as a kid, I always fancied those $100o bills. In the new game the old bills are gone. The smallest bill is now $10,000 and the largest bill is $5,000,000.

Park Place is now Fenway Park in Boston and is worth $3,500,000.

Oh, how things change!

Berlin Air Lift

2008-06-19T00:14:00.003-05:00

June 27th holds a significant date in history. I was browsing through a reference guide that reminded me that June 27, 1948 started the Berlin Air Lift. The event is considered by some historians as the beginning of the defining moments of the Cold War. In short, the Soviet Union didn't want to give up control of their part of Germany taken after World War II. The other allies, US, France, and Britain were ready to consolidate the country back into a central government. The break between capitalism and communism began.

Good reference material can be found here.

Ironically, President John F. Kennedy gave his famous speech on June 26, 1963, proclaiming the whole world stood with the Berliners - "Ich bin ein Berliner". Kennedy continued what President Harry Truman had started in 1948 by continuing to support the Germans toward reunification. Many years passed when President Ronald Reagan stood by the Berlin Wall and told General Secretary Gorbachev to "Tear Down the Wall" on June 12,1987. The Berlin Wall "fell" on Tuesday November 9, 1989. It was a memorable day that symbolized the defeat of communism and the end of the cold war.

So as we gear up for the celebration of our July 4th holiday. Take a moment to remember the many men and women who have sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom over the many years to make the impossible possible. After years of oppression, freedom arrived at the doorstep of Berliners.

The independence our forebears gained is still the light in the darkness for freedom and basic human rights. Just as our beginning took many years to achieve and just as the defeat of the Cold War took many years, the challenge goes forward.

May you all have a save and enjoyable July 4th.

Not So Friendly Fkies

2008-06-17T20:22:00.001-05:00

I'm posting this entry from Chicago O'Hare International Airport. I'm composing on my Palm so please bear with me. This is another post in the saga of the agony of commercial air travel. It's never been great to fly but now you get to pay twice as much for double the aggravation. On Tuesday I arrived at the Wichita, KS airport to depart at 10:30 am for Chicago .The flight finally left at 1:30 PM. We never really learned why it was so late but we got to walk out on the tarmac in pouring rain, ridiculed by United ground crews for not walking a straight line. Pity the older woman with a cane trying to mount the wet stairs of the baby jet. By the way those small jets are great if you are under 5' tall and weigh less than 50 pounds.

Today - we wound up 90 minutes late...so far because the first officer is stuck in Rochester, NY. Glad to know United strands their employees as well as paying customers. An associate told me how United left them stuck on the runway in DC on Tuesday for over 4 hours only to cancel the flight because the flight attendant had exceeded her work hours. Hmmmmmm.

For this aggravation - we paid $700.

I think I'll take the train or drive next time.

Law Enforcement Memorial Week

2008-05-14T22:35:00.002-05:00

This week is national law enforcement memorial week. Please take a moment to keep law enforcement officers everywhere in your thoughts and prayers.

I've provided a link here to the national law enforcement memorial site. This link will take you to the officer down memorial site. Unfortunately the list of officers killed in the line of duty continues to grow.

Gary Smith

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

I wish each of you the very best for 2008.

D.B. Cooper

2007-12-31T10:30:00.000-06:00

Thirty-six years ago, a man dubbed "D.B. Cooper" hijacked a plane, demanded $200,000 in cash and then jumped out of the plane over the Pacific Northwest. The FBI still has an open case on this incident.

Check out the site. The FBI contends that someone knows who Mr. Cooper was. Maybe you are the one who can break the case.

Holiday Wish

2007-12-23T20:56:00.000-06:00

During this holiday season, I wish you all happiness, prosperity and peace for 2008.

FBI Reports Scams

2007-12-13T14:06:00.000-06:00

The FBI has posted the most recent scam reports on their site. There is also an option for you to register to be notified by email if you are so inclined.

Change

2007-12-08T15:52:00.000-06:00

As most of you know by now, I've accepted a new position in Kansas and will be relocating after the first of the year. Time will be short so excuse the limited number of posts that will be uploaded for a while.

Be Careful Out There

2007-12-06T16:25:00.000-06:00

For those of you in the snow belt, be careful out there. I just got back from a meeting in St. Paul and the roads are starting to get slick and I saw several cars in the ditch as well as a number of crashes.

Take plenty of time to get where you need to go.

Be careful out there.

Shooting in Omaha

2007-12-05T15:02:00.000-06:00

Current information is that 9 are dead and about 5 wounded. Apparently the shooter took his own life.

A few postings ago, I mentioned about the increase of shooting of officers. I just received word from a friend that somebody shot up a number of people in an Omaha,NE Mall. Hopefully everyone is ok.

Ironically, President Bush was visiting Omaha earlier in the morning. It doesn't appear to be connected to his visit at this time.

This underscores the dangers faced not just by officers but the public as well.

My prayers and thoughts go out to the families of the victims and the victims.

Major Birthday Milestone

2007-12-05T11:40:00.000-06:00

My son, Chris, turns 18 today. Here's a picture I took of him several years ago. It pretty much represents what Chris winds up doing on his birthday each year. Chris has helped out a lot since I've been out of commission. One big present was the notification of acceptance to his first choice college.

Chris, we are proud of you and love you!

Lack of Action By Supreme Court Causes Ripples in Anonymous Sources Standing

2007-12-04T01:27:00.000-06:00

A ten year old feud between two Congressmen has been shunned by the US Supreme Court according to this CNN article. The implication would appear to be that illegally obtained communications cannot be considered legitimate anonymous sources for news outlets. It will be interesting to see how the lack of action on behalf of the high court will impact reporters in the future.

Ramsey's Work Begins in Philadelphia

2007-12-03T10:30:00.001-06:00

Chief Charles Ramsey didn't waste much time after retiring from the DC Metro Police Department as chief to find another challenge. His tenure as Commissioner of police in Philadelphia has started as as outlined in this newspaper article, specuation has already started.

I had a chance to meet Chief Ramsey a few years ago at a conference in DC. He is a man of integrity and not afraid to rock the boat to make the changes necessary to meet the needs of his department members and the community. He has a reputation for taking on his bosses and elected officials when necessary. I respect him for that. It seems that those headlines tend to follow him more than the many successes he has accomplished in Chicago, DC and now I'm sure in Philadelphia.

In the article. Chief Ramsey speaks to issues of speculation he states, "Rumors always start," he said. "When I took over the Washington, D.C., police department, the first thing they thought was I was going to bring checkerboard caps like they have in Chicago. . . . We'll take a look at those kinds of things; those are minor tweaks. The biggest challenge I have to get my hands around first is crime-fighting strategies and how we're going to approach crime."

I agree with Chief Ramsey. The first thing a new chief must do is orient him/herself to the organization and community and then figure out how to approach the concerns of the community. I believe that reasonable people will look beyond the headlines and research the substance and integrity of the individual when making a final judgment.

I wish Chief Ramsey all the best in his endeavors in Philadelphia.

School Crime Rates Stable According to BJS

2007-12-03T07:58:00.000-06:00

The Department of Justice issued this press release reporting a stable crime rate found in schools.

Gunsmoke, Presbyterians, Trains, a Hothead and a Priest

2007-12-03T01:19:00.000-06:00

(This is a repeat of an earlier article that I was asked about so I moved it back up the list)

A recent incident happened the other day between some property owners who have difficulty getting along with each other that reminded me of a childhood memory. The two really don't have much to do with each other but perhaps that's the beauty of the comparison.

Anyway, here goes.

When I was in the Sixth Grade, in 1966, my Dad, the air traffic controller, got transferred to Dodge City, Kansas. It was a town of about 15,000 people. In those days the city was known for the 1960's TV western Gunsmoke. Gunsmoke was a mandatory watch program at our house and my grandparents house. Marshall Matt Dillon always got his man/woman and as the country western song says, "he never hung his hat at Miss Kitty's place." In other words, he was a gentleman.

There was a lot of conflict in that program between neighbors, ranchers and the bad guys. It always seemed that Marshall Dillon got the upper hand...one way or another....dead or alive. Yep, he was fast on the draw.

So imagine my mental visions as we drove into town. Imagine my disappointment when we got there and I discovered there were no gunfights on Front Street except those staged for the tourists held on the other "Front Street" down the road. You could go into the Longbranch Saloon, belly up to the bar and order....a sarsaparilla? Well when you are 12 years old, it's probably better than "redeye" anyway.

It was also my first attempt at activism. I became a one-person demonstration - sign and all- when I picketed the local newspaper, The Dodge City Globe but that's another story.

We rented a house in the heart of a very old neighborhood. It was owned by the lady next door who I swear was the old lady Miss Havisham in Great Expectations. I kept waiting for a young girl by the name of Estella to wander out of the house and call me "Pip." Across the street on one end of the street was the biggest Presbyterian Church a 12 year old ever saw. On the other end of the block was an even bigger Catholic Church. Since neither of these denominations suited my rural Nebraska parents, we drove clear across town to attend the Christian Church. They had a piano in our church, not just an organ so we really rocked! One of my best friends in the whole world for that year anyway, was the Presbyterian minister's son, Tim Birch. His family lived in the parsonage located inside the church . We used to play football inside the sanctuary until the janitor kicked us out and told us to stay off the grass outdoors too.

Tim also taught me that just because your dad is a minister, it doesn't automatically mean that holiness rubs off on the offspring. Tim got me in more trouble than I would care to remember. Tim also had the coolest set of electric trains down in the basement. We spent a lot of time down there so I guess the whole thing evened out. It was kind of a "Leave it to Beaver" type of experience. Until one Sunday morning.

We got up to go to church and and someone had parked in our driveway, not blocking it mind you, actually parked in our driveway. My dad was working and my Mom was determined we would make it to church. Being the sleuth she was, she deduced that the owner of the car was probably attending one of the church services. Since the Presbyterians were out for the day, that left the Catholics. I remember my mother calling the rectory and explaining to the priest our situation and asking that an announcement be made to have the car moved so we could attend church. Seemed simple enough until a guy showed up pounding on our front door. Through the screen he shouted some words that I added to my vocabulary that morning. He managed to curse at my Mom for a while and in between epithets, he expressed how we embarrassed him by calling him out of Mass. He seemed to feel that it was everyone's fault except his. It was bad enough that Mom called the police and they had to remove the guy. The excitement was over and we went on our way to church. I was proud of my mom. All five foot-three inches of her had stood her ground and she had remained unbelievably calm through the whole thing.

When we got to church, she reminded me that we needed to pray for the guy who had just yelled at us. You see, she declined to have the guy charged. She just asked the police to remove him from our porch and ask that he not come back anymore. Then she went to church and forgave him. It was a teaching moment.

The next day, we had a visit from a priest who had learned about what happened. For those of you who are younger, you may not appreciate the uniqueness of this moment. In the early 60's, the Catholic Faith carried a kind of mysticism in the eyes of Protestant kids. Especially when you had a Grandad who was a Methodist-Episcopalian - no kidding-who would tell anyone that Catholics were a threat to national security. I think it had something to do with my aunt running off and marrying a guy from California who was Catholic when she was younger.

There was something mysterious about women dressed in black and men with black "uniforms." The priest was a younger guy. He was cool. I found out that the nuns and the priests were just normal people with a calling. Looking back, I think that the effort taken by the priest was remarkable. It was an exercise in grace. Caring about one another. I know that it was an opportunity for growth and understanding on my part.

The rest of that year, I learned a lot more about Presbyterian folks, attending a few services and learning about "stuff" in their church. I also learned about Catholics, that they did speak English in their services..not just Latin and discovered that nuns bake remarkable cookies. Ironically, 16 years later, I found myself walking down the aisle of the First Presbyterian Church in Grand Island, Nebraska, getting married on a Big Red football Saturday, became an Elder in the church and eventually a Moderator of one of the Presbytery committees. Go figure.

By next spring, it wasn't uncommon to see the son of a Presbyterian minister and a kid who went to the Christian Church across town playing football with a priest in the front yard of a Catholic Church (This taught me a valuable lesson: the grass at the Catholic Church had to be tougher than the Presbyterians' because the janitor at the Catholic church didn't yell at us for playing football on it).

So the moral of the story is that a guy with a lousy sense of self and a limited vocabulary taught me a lot about forgiveness, grace and understanding. If a burst of anger can get a Presbyterian preacher's kid, a Christian Church kid and a priest together for a friendly game of touch football, I'll bet some less-than happy neighborhors (you know who you are) can be friends as well. How 'bout it?

Anybody up for a game of touch football?

Northfield Human Rights Commission

2007-12-02T19:15:00.000-06:00

I received a call from Judy Dirks yesterday, who is the Chair of the Northfield Human Rights Commission. They are in the stages of planning for the observance of Martin Luther King Day and other events. It's been my honor to have been staff liaison to this group since my arrival in Northfield and I very much appreciate their time, talents, energy and dedication. The current members of the commission are:

DD Davison
Connie DeGrote
Judy Dirks
Helene Haapala
Daniel Lugo
Virginia Myers
Bonita Prawer
David Schlosser
Ameeta Sony

Thanks to all of the members for their hard work.

Officer Memorials

2007-12-02T15:25:00.000-06:00

Deputy Sheriff Paul Rein, 76, of the Broward County, Florida Sheriff's Office was shot and killed by a prisoner he was transporting in a van to the county courthouse on November 7th.

Deputy Rein had served the agency for 20 years. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

Officer Mark Bedard, 34, of the Minneapolis Park Police Department was killed when he was struck by a vehicle while in foot pursuit of a suspect on November 1st. He succumbed to his injuries on November 9th.

Officer Bedard had served his agency for 12 years. He is survived by his wife and one child.

Officer John Miller, 32, of the California Highway Patrol was killed in an automobile accident on November 16th while searching for a reported drunk driver.

Officer Miller had served his agency for 1 year. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Deputy Sheriff Donta J. Manuel, 33, of the Palm Beach County, Florida Sheriff's Office was struck and killed in an automobile accident on November 26th.

Deputy Manuel had served his agency for 13 years. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

Deputy Sheriff Jonathan D. Wallace , 23, of the Palm Beach County, Florida Sheriff's Office was killed in an automobile accident on November 28th.

Deputy Wallace had served his agency for over one year. He is survived by his fiancee.

Deputy Sheriff Michael Triplett, 48, of the Washington County, Missouri Sheriff's Office was killed in an automobile accident on November 29th.

Deputy Triplett had served his agency for 2 years. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Medical Marijuana Debate Continues

2007-12-02T14:56:00.001-06:00

The use of marijuana for "medical" purposes with the feds saying there is no credible medical use and states saying otherwise. This recent California ruling outlined in this San Francisco article looks to set the stage for a final supreme court decision down the line.

Domestic Abuse Information Available On Line

2007-12-02T14:31:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, I'm a strong supporter of domestic abuse prevention. The feds have recently made statistical information on line available that you can view in a number of venues. It's alarming at the number of deaths that still result from domestic abuse.

If you are a victim of domestic abuse, I urge you to seek out help from your local authorities or advocacy shelter. If you don't have that information, go to the National Domestic Abuse Hotline website.

What a Difference a Day Makes

2007-12-01T23:46:00.000-06:00

We lucked out and arrived home late Friday evening after learning about a pending storm ready to move into the upper Midwest. We got in late Friday. There was already a dusting of snow on the ground in Northfield. By early Saturday morning, I woke to hear the sound of freezing rain hitting the windows. By mid-afternoon, the snow was coming down in serious fashion. We were lucky that we learned about the serious weather and modified our travel plans.

It's a good reminder to pay attention to weather conditions this time of year. Shut off the Ipod and listen to the local radio channels. Have your winter survival kits and if the road conditions get bad, get off the road, get someplace safe and ride the storm out. Let others know your travel plans and keep people posted of where you are. A cell phone is a great tool to have with you but they aren't always working.

As the holiday season approaches and things get busy, remember to take extra time to get where you need to go and please be safe.

Shooting of Police Officers Increases

2007-11-27T03:12:00.000-06:00

Over 63 law enforcement officers have been shot and killed this year so far, according to this article from the Philadelphia Inquirer. It's a topic of concern that's circulated numbers of law enforcement discussion groups both at the street officer level but at the administrative level as well.

Questions range from a lagging economy, more guns available to criminals, increased gang activity, lack of focus by the federal government at local safety issues because they are watching international terrorist and others. All good questions that have merit but it doesn't answer why increasing numbers of law enforcement officers are being killed violently. There have previously been deaths related to vehicle accidents and even some training incidents but the number of shooting deaths is significantly higher.

My observation seems to center on the change of attitude of the public toward law enforcement officers. It would be helpful for one of the think tanks to survey comparing attitudes of the public over the past several years and determine if there is a change toward law enforcement officers. Another question to ask has there ever been a deterrent to violence toward police officers and if so was if formal or informal and has it literally or figuratively changed?

It is this writer's opinion that simply arming the law enforcement with bigger guns and more aggressive tactics will beget similar responses from those bent on their demise.

It would be helpful to measure public sentiment toward law enforcement officers from those communities experiencing increased violence toward police and those who have not seen an increase or even experienced a decrease.

A recent comment made by a gang member explains some of the mentality. Simply that since police wear body armor. it's important to shoot them in the head to make sure they are dead. A recent discussion group of which I belong stated that the bounty (the amount paid to have someone killed) is exponentially higher on a law enforcement officer because of the likelihood of the shooter not surviving the encounter. My concern is that the word "bounty" is even associated with law enforcement officers.

Ninety-nine percent of the population ought to view our law enforcement officers as individuals who are a resource; to be of assistance. For that other one percent, they should know that officers will treat them with respect and use only that force necessary to restrain them. For those who are intent on killing officers, they should be aware that the officer is trained well to survive and will do everything possible to do so. Cops are no different than any other individual. They want to go home safe at the end of the day.

Investments in less lethal equipment, training, problem solving, and confidence building takes time, people, money and other resources. Image and conduct may be part of the equation, but those that set policy must understand that police officers are peace keepers, not a local militia. They should clearly spell that out in policy, training and their public support for so called "non traditional policing programs."

We will not arrest ourselves out of the issues of violence and the other social concerns that are at the core of the acts of violence and crime. Law enforcement officers have a role to play in the problem solving and can contribute great insights into what they see and hear in their communities if people are willing to listen and not "kill the messenger."

I've said repeatedly that law enforcement is a calling, not simply a profession. It takes a special person to have the drive and dedication to do the job right with honor and ethical conduct. We as police administrators have to work hard to make sure we can find those people and encourage them to join our ranks. The community must be willing to participate, partner, and find the resources necessary to solve the problems. Accountability rises higher than the police ranks. Self-examination of community programs and responses help to create the healthy environment that hopefully allows individuals to find constructive ways of venting their anger and frustration constructively rather than through acts of violence or property damage.

It's not an easy task but one that needs to have open and honest dialogue underway immediately.

Gunsmoke, Wrestling and Higher Education

2007-11-27T00:38:00.000-06:00

It's been over 40 years ago now that we would go visit my grandparents on their farm, usually on weekends. Two things were absolutes: Saturday night was Gunsmoke and wrestling and Sunday meant going to church. No exceptions to either day's events.

For those of you too young to know that this Gunsmoke isn't something recently fired from a gun, it was a television program that got started in the 1950's and ran a very long time. In fact, I got to live in the town where the show took place: Dodge City, Kansas. This was in the mid 1960's and it was great because I never lived in a famous town before where there were tourists. I even got to drink sarsaparilla in the Longbranch Saloon on the old front street where they created shoot outs that look a lot like the kind we see here in Northfield during the Defeat of Jesse James Days. Dodge City is also the place where as a 6th Grader I picketed the the newspaper The Daily Globe but that's another story.

Ok, with the history lesson out of the way, then the theme here is transition and grounding in good family values.

When we visited my grandparents, the rule on Saturday night was it was quiet during Gunsmoke because it was serious stuff. There was an intermission between the 10 pm news and 10:30 when a local television station in Hastings, Nebraska hosted live wrestling. Guys with last names I could never pronounce would fight it out in the ring with lots of drama, bravado, and really, really, bad acting. Most of the guys were local and we all knew them. A couple wore masks but we figured out who they were too. We would sit there with popcorn, sodas and lots of yelling and cheering for a full hour of the stuff. For a young kid getting to be involved in the "adult" shows was cool as far as I was concerned. I have to admit that I don't follow the wrestling circuit much since the age of 12. ..

It would be a late Saturday night with my grandad, uncles and my dad talking politics, telling jokes and lots of interesting stories. Regardless of the late hour to bed, grandma got us up early for church. She said that if we could waste all that Saturday night stuff on violence and silliness, we owed the "Good Lord" at least an hour of His time back in the week. So we would get dressed and all go to church school and then a church service. After that, we went back and had great Sunday meals and spent the rest of the day basically messing around, getting in trouble and eating leftovers before leaving to go home.

It was a blue collar existence and it was wonderful. Growing up I know there were times that what we had to eat came from our garden because there were no funds for store purchased food. I watched my dad take correspondence classes and work to get hired as an air traffic controller when the requirement meant a college diploma but his military service and extra studies paid off.

When it came time to write a thank you note or send a homework assignment back to school. They were scrutinized by my mom. If there were misspellings or grammar problems, we did them over. Mom always said that how you speak, how you write, how you look and how you present yourself determines your future success in life. She was adamant about all those qualities and I owe her much for what she taught us.

As Dad worked harder, improved his education and improved in his government employment grade, life got a little better. By the late 1960' we found a color television sitting in our living room one night. Dad did some extra work on the side to pay for it but it was a great thing if you were a kid. One thing Dad did tell me was that I was going to go to college. Something that the Korean War interrupted his chance to accomplish. It wasn't negotiable. He said I was going to go if both of us had to work 3 jobs to pay for it but I was going to get there.

My dad died in 1970. Things changed and college was put on hold for a while. I picked up a few classes here and there. I joked that I got through undergrad school with the class a year plan. In 1992, I got my degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. I graduated with honors and accomplished it by taking night classes and the support of a very understanding wife. I worked on the degree because it was a goal because I wanted to be a police chief someday and I knew I needed a degree to get there...but the diploma just as much belongs to my dad who early on encouraged me to work hard to get there.

A few years later we made the decision that I needed to finish a masters degree. So in 1998, my family joined me in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and watched me march down the aisle to receive my master's degree. Again, we joked about the "degree courtesy of Visa" but we got it done. Now, in 2007, I find myself at Hamline University working on a doctorate in public administration. I'll have a son starting college next year and have a fairly demanding occupation. We talked about it and decided it was the right time and thing to do. (We being my wife and myself).

Visiting my mom this Thanksgiving brought back a lot of the memories as we talked about those visits to grandparents' homes and family activities. She told me she was proud I was the first one in either of my parents' family to earn a degree. She said my dad would be proud too. I told her that I was proud of them because they worked hard and despite their situations, worked hard to make a better life and instill a desire to learn and dream.

There's a song out right now by Tracy Lawrence entitled "You Can't Hide Redneck"
and although I don't think I'm that extreme, I am proud of where I came from and the struggles that have brought me to where I am today. It's fun to sit in the coffee shop and talk grain futures with local farmers and it's also great to sit in a graduate level class and discuss public policy implications. I truly believe I could not do the later without my life experience. Who I am and what I am today is a result of the dedication of a lot of educators, adults and family members who provided the encouragement but also realizing those life struggles help keep me grounded and humbly remind me of my obligations to faith, family and community.

I thought it was fitting after a great Thanksgiving visit and a few calls to some old school friends to give thanks for my family, friends, Gunsmoke, Wrestling and higher education.

Impressions Mean So Much

2007-11-26T23:51:00.000-06:00

I got a call from a very good friend today who commented how he had called for police assistance and received a prompt response by a younger officer whose name he could not recall. He said the reason for his call was rather minor compared to some things but he was concerned about an issue in his neighborhood. My friend went on to say the officer genuinely took the time to listen to his concerns, made several suggestions for things he could do and offered to call him back to follow up if he wanted him to do so. Needless to say, my friend was very impressed with the officer. If I get a chance to find out who it was, I'll certainly give him credit here.

I'm sure other stuff was going on at the time but it speaks well of the officer giving this individual the attention that he deserved.

Good Job!