W. C. Fields often joked about his birthplace of Philadelphia, even suggesting to Vanity Fair in 1925 that the epitaph on his tombstone should read: Here lies W.C. Fields.  I would rather be living in Philadelphia. Were I able to communicate with his ghost, my first question to Mr. Fields would probably be, "Is hell on Earth preferable to death?" From everything I've watched or read about the Philadelphia police, I believe hell would be eternal confinement in Philadelphia at the mercy of these real-life "Keystone Kops." Youtube videos made by private citizens showing the Philadelphia police in action range from comical to frightening, multiple incidents of police brutality. Philadelphia cops act like they're members of Congress, completely above the law. This article by John Stossel reports an incident in Philadelphia where a law abiding citizen was accosted, threatened and detained for almost an hour by a policeman who didn't know the law. While the story "sounds" hard to believe when you read the print, helpfully Stossel included a link to an audio recording the citizen published of the exchange. Jurist John Selden famously said, "Ignorance of the law excuses no man." What excuse could Officer Dougherty for drawing his weapon on an individual offering to cooperate? Who wasn't even breaking the law? No man is above the law, not even a policeman. If the recorded profanity-laced tirade by a policeman threatening a law-abiding citizen doesn't send a chill down your spine, check your pulse. Make sure you're still breathing.   … [Read more...]

This past weekend, baseball celebrated integration of the sport with a banquet and the specially denoted regular season Civil Rights game here in Atlanta. I misunderstood the purpose of the weekend celebrations.  I thought they were to honor the accomplishments of the exceptional black players who broke the color barrier. Until Jackie Robinson integrated the sport and Larry Doby followed shortly thereafter, major league baseball was a game for lily white players only. Black players had once been relegated to play a separate "Negro" league.  For years, the greatest players of their generation never had to face each other. How many fewer home runs would Babe Ruth have hit if he had to face Satchel Paige for a few hundred at bats? Unfortunately, we'll never know. Not every baseball fan wanted black players integrated onto their team at the time. Many were not shy about expressing their negative emotions. Because of the color of their skin, these great players endured death threats, just for playing a game. They were brave men with great dignity, deserving to be honored by baseball. Why does baseball's management have to screw everything up by injecting politics into the events? During the Braves telecast of Sunday's game, the announcers interviewed actor Morgan Freeman, winner of this year's Beacon of  Hope award.  Immediately the question popped in my head, "What's the connection between Morgan Freeman and baseball?" I got on the Internet to research the answer to my question. I love Morgan Freeman the actor. Still I wondered, why is Morgan … [Read more...]

Leading academics have decreed that animals should no longer be called critters, beasts, or pets. From now on, they are to be referred to as "companion animals."  People are no longer owners, but "human carers." Oh, and wildlife isn't wild anymore -- it's now called "free living." Where exactly are these academics leading? I don't need anyone to tell me; I know my place when it comes to the animals living in my home. I am not their "owner." I am their servant.     … [Read more...]

The police have a thankless, nearly impossible job. They keep the peace and protect the general public from dangerous criminal elements. Los Angeles County Sheriff's homicide detective Kevin Lloyd is a good cop. While flipping through a collection of pictures displaying gang member tattoos, he recognized the scene of an unsolved homicide he had investigated. Rivera 13 gang member Anthony Garcia boasted of his involvement in the murder of liquor store employee John Juarez in a tattoo displayed prominently on his chest. Lloyd's alert observation led to Garcia's arrest and conviction on charges of first degree murder. Garcia faces a sentence of up to 65 years in prison, thanks to Lloyd's excellent detective work. He's a good cop. Derek Colling is a bad cop.  The Las Vegas patrolman physically assaulted homeowner Mitchell Crooks for videotaping the arrest of multiple burglary suspects.  Crooks made the mistake of initially denying he stood in his own driveway while he filmed the arrest. For the record, nothing unusual was happening while Crooks filmed the arrests.  No police brutality came into the picture until Colling attacked Crooks, who was merely tested out his new video camera. We should be encouraged to cooperate with the police, not to be afraid of them.   … [Read more...]

The United States of America originally formed as a republic of democratically elected representatives. However, Congress obviously no longer serves our best interests. Government officials now only serve themselves, in order to be reelected or keep their public sector job.  Apparently, virtually every Democrat (and most Republicans) willingly accepts the status quo. While the TEA (acronym meaning Taxed Enough Already) party advocates nobly suggest we prevent our country from becoming socialist, I'm afraid to be the bearer of bad news. I offer four examples of socialism that already occur under our existing form of government. Three of these examples I know for a fact to be true, having personally verified them.  The fourth example is an anecdote I heard on the radio and cannot confirm, but I have no reason to disbelieve the story knowing the first three examples are factual. When the BP oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, President Barack Obama ordered the international corporation to not pay dividends that had been declared, posted and were ready to be distributed to its shareholders.  Even though the company had cash to pay both the dividends and the demanded extortion of $20 billion dollars into the slush fund to be managed by the president's cronies, they were ordered not to pay.  Obama's unprecedented act of hubris personally cost my 98 year old grandmother a whopping $17,000.   The majority of her small retirement income comes from BP stock dividends from stock my grandfather earned after spending his entire career with American Oil/Amoco that … [Read more...]