We Are Not Immortal

I got a text at 0142 hrs overnight. That's 1:42 AM for non-military/law enforcement types and, generally, when you get a call or text during times when decent people are home in bed it is not good news.

That was the case early this morning.

Jim Sweat Sr died.

Jim and I had known each other for decades, working side-by-side at Mansfield PD before he went back to the Richland County Sheriff's Office. In our early years we were just acquaintances; as we grew long-in-the-tooth we became friends, often running into one another at high-school sporting events his son....and then his grandson...participated in.

I last saw Jim at just such an event, where he'd told me he was retiring from law enforcement after more than thirty years on the job. "It's time, brother", I responded. "You've put your time in. Relax and enjoy life now." I told Jim that I hadn't regretted being forced to retire due to health reasons, that I now had time to do things I enjoyed.

"Life is short, ain't it?"

"Yes it is, Jim. Just look at what happened to John Wendling."

Jim and I had both worked with John at MPD for many years. John retired in May of 2014 after 46 years behind a badge; he died a scant six months later at age 67.

I'm not sure exactly how long Jim had been retired, but I am fairly certain it was in the ball park of eighteen months. He'd been one of those coppers everyone knew, and had spent most of his career involved with police K9s, either working as a canine officer or training police dogs. He'd worked for the Sheriff's Office long enough to see his son, Jim Jr, get hired on as a deputy and eventually become a Captain, his current position. Jim was very proud of his son's accomplishments, as he well should have been.

Hearing the news of Jim's passing harkened me back to a time when he, I...all the guys I came up with and knew on a personal level...were young men doing a dangerous job. We were go-getters, fire-breathers; we wanted all the action.

We thought we were invincible.

I was reminded, once again, that we are not. Thinking about all the people I've worked with...all the fellow coppers, deputies, troopers, dispatchers...it saddens me that so many are gone now. People like Chuck Norris, who never got to retire; Brian Evans, shot and killed by his own deranged brother; Judy Anderson/Lewis, one of the very first people to befriend me when I started at Mansfield PD; Glenn Sturgill and John Gisclon, both deputies who were killed in the line of duty in Ashland County; Ted Brinley, a deputy for many years and then a fellow patrolman at Ontario PD, killed in an off-duty motorcycle accident. Denny Reid, a gruff-appearing veteran Captain at OPD who was actually a pretty likeable guy; Sam Wade, a former patrol officer at Lexington PD who left the job to become an instructor in the law enforcement program at NCSC. Sam had kept up his certification by remaining as a part-time officer with Lex. He died of heart failure while out deer hunting with his wife. Paul Jones, a long-time chief investigator for the Coroner's Office and one of the funniest guys I ever knew; Rob Maugans, a State Trooper who was one of the most health-conscious guys I knew and a whale of an athlete. Rob died of a brain tumor, one which had been caused by years of exposure to traffic radar waves, when the antenna had been mounted just back of the driver's door on the top of the outside window or on the left side frame of the emergency light rack just above the driver's head. Lt J. D. Moore, an icon to me and also a State Trooper, who died of a heart attack at the Mansfield post; and Harold Scott, a brother who had the biggest arms...and head...of anyone I ever worked with. He had an infectious nature, a good-hearted guy who liked to laugh and play the lottery. The list goes on and on, but I don't have the time to include all the ones who are gone.

And now, Jim Sweat Senior joins that group.

We are not immortal, as we thought when we were young men.

The Walking Dead

No, not the TV show.

Pokemon Go players.

Apparently, when people play this game on their phones or tablets, common sense goes out the window...and its not only teenagers playing, either.

Early Monday morning two Sherman, Texas men were arrested for fighting in the street over Pokemon Go; it seems one wasn't happy with the other's choice of teams.

In Ashland, Ohio, players are often found in the city's main cemetery after midnight, trying to catch one of the game's characters. The cemetery closes at dusk. And in Florida, two PG players wandered into the yard of a private residence late at night. Thinking they were burglars, the homeowner shot at them; luckily, neither player suffered wounds, aside from their pride. I'd imagine they went straight home for a change of underwear.

The game's not just a novelty in the United States; in Bosnia, the government issued a warning to players to keep out of areas that have yet to be cleared of land mines, left over from that country's civil war a couple of decades ago. And in Indonesia, police have been ordered not to play Pokemon Go while on duty, and military personnel will soon be banned from the game as well, officials said this past Wednesday. My oldest stepson Cory, just home from Tinker Air Force base in Oklahoma, informed me that there had been 'updates' posted around the base as to where certain hot spots were located, inhabited by these virtual targets for capture.

Seriously??!!

Kids and teenagers I can understand; military personnel and police officers? This has to be some kind of joke. 

We've got a billionaire huckster who can't stay away from social media and a proven pathological liar as our two choices for the Office of the Presidency. Men who want to be women being permitted to use the ladies room in public venues. Illegal aliens collecting Social Security and government assistance who haven't paid one cent into those programs through tax dollars, never mind the fact they broke the law when they entered our country in the first place. Cops being ambushed. Large sections of a couple of major cities, predominantly inhabited by Muslims, that want to be governed by Islamic Sharia law which flies directly in the face of the United States Constitution. Streets flooded with illegal narcotics causing crime and overdose deaths to skyrocket. School kids being punished for biting into a Pop Tart in such a way that makes it resemble a handgun. Texting drivers causing accidents at such a rate that OUR insurance premiums are being raised even though we have no violations or accidents of our own. Teachers having affairs with students. 

This list could be endless, like the political ads we're inundated with daily.

And now comes a phone app that turns otherwise sensible human beings into walking zombies, oblivious to everything except that character they MUST capture in the virtual/real world.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to recognize our United States of America.

And I am sick of it.

                                    The man in the background, playing Pokemon Go near a mine field

                                     in eastern Europe.

A little off-topic...

For those of you that know me, you're aware that I got really involved in the hobby of metal detecting after I retired. I'm hooked. If it's nice out, I'm out in a park or the yard of an old property looking for old coins, jewelry, relics from the past...just about anything. It gets me outside and moving, which makes my wife very happy; she was afraid I'd become a permanent resident in my recliner, watching TV all day

It's been a very rewarding venture also, one that isn't measured in dollars and cents. My first cool recovery was that of a railroad switch lock in the spring of 2014, along the old rail bed across State Route 39 from Loudonville High School. The tracks and ties had been removed long ago; all that is left is the gravel bed and berm. It's a Wilson-Bohannon lock; I researched it, and found that it had been manufactured in 1930 in Brooklyn, New York. I'd called the company, which is now headquartered in Marion, Ohio to get some history on this lock, finding that they have their catalogues online dating back to the late 1800s. They asked if I'd donate it to their lobby display; it's still here at Ram Field Ranch. I just couldn't part with it.

Since that time I've detected hundreds upon hundreds of hours and dug thousands of holes in Mother Earth, rewarded with some really sweet items: an 1827 Large Cent, which was produced during the presidency of John Quincy Adams; South Park has given me an 1865 two cent piece; Liberty Park provided an undated Standing Liberty Quarter, 1942 Walking Liberty half dollar, Indian head cents from the 1880s, a sterling silver ring and countless wheat cents; area schools have given me three gold rings...in other words, I think it's time well spent. I use an All-Terrain Pro detector, otherwise known as the AT Pro, made by Garrett Detectors in Garland, Texas. It's the same model used by Tim Saylor and George Wyant on the NatGeo TV show 'Diggers', one that allows me to hunt on dry land, in lakes, streams and even salt water, and I love it. You can watch videos of my metal detectign adventures here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3EBhEhX8q4RZqdyWJx4Vaw

Imagine my dismay last week when my metal detector started acting up; crazy readings and tones, even when held straight up in the air. I checked my purchase paperwork, noting that the AT Pro has a two-year warranty...and I was twenty-four days past the expiration. Less than a month!

I sent the customer service department at Garrett an email, pleading for mercy; repairing a metal detector can get pricey real quick. The next day they replied: they would cover it under warranty as long as they received it before August 1st. I FedExed it the next morning and it arrived there today.

Why am I telling you this tale? It's simple.

Garrett is an American company, one that takes pride in their products. For them to agree to repair my machine free of charge, even though it was out of warranty, speaks volumes of this company. It's probably also part of the reason why Garrett detectors are the most popular machines on the market, too.

 For now, I'm like the kid waiting on Christmas morning to arrive, waiting impatiently for my AT Pro to re-enter my life. I've been lost without it.

Just ask my wife.

A Ridiculous Claim

Here we go again. The silly season that is Presidential campaigns is upon us once more. Each political camp will make absolutely ludicrous claims as to what their candidate 'promises' to accomplish once elected, some of which they have no control over. They'll spout qualifications for the Office of President of the United States that are questionable at best if not downright untrue.

I heard one claim today, however, that just borders on being insane.

Hillary Rodham Clinton believes that she is THE most qualified person to run for the Presidency.

Ever.

In the history of this great and mighty Republic, she believes that she is more qualified that John F. Kennedy, than Abraham Lincoln, than FDR, than Harry Truman was.

Hillary Clinton served in the US Senate for eight years, then as Secretary of State for four years. She has never led a state government, held a county office or even been a mayor or city council member...anywhere. Her eight years as a Senator for the State of New York resulted in no initiatives she had sponsored being adopted as law. As far as her time as Secretary of State, I'll only say this: If Condolleeza Rice had still been in that office on September 11, 2011, four Americans, one being the Ambassador to Libya, would still be alive today.

What Mrs. Clinton DOES have experience in is being embroiled in controversy and investigations. First she was fired from the investigative team of lawyers during the Watergate scandal...for unethical conduct. Then there was Whitewater, Troopergate, Paula Jones and Monica Lewinsky vs husband Bill Clinton, conflicts of interest in her appointments and staff management while S of S, the Benghazi fiasco and now the private email server episodes. Although the government declined to file any charges against Hillary Clinton, FBI Director James Comey had this to say about her conduct:"Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there IS evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information."

Although Attorney General Loretta Lynch ruled against filing charges against Clinton, the State Department has now reopened its own internal investigation of Clinton's handling of sensitive information, a move that could strip her of her security clearance.

And she believes she is the most qualified candidate, EVER, to become President?

I think not.

I am not a fully-supportive Donald Trump fan; in fact, he wasn't even my second or third choice, but he is the horse Conservatives have entered into the race, so he gets my vote. Not being a Washington 'insider' is a plus also.

Anyone But Clinton.

Brandon Varner

Some mopes just don't get it, particularly when they're pretty impressed with themselves.

Brandon Varner is a criminal. A petty criminal at that.

He lives and 'works' in the Charleston region of South Carolina. Apparently, a while back, this guy stole some type of an all-terrain vehicle in Berkeley County, SC. He was also wanted for shoplifting, trespassing and probation violation by three other agencies. His probation was as a result of attempting to manufacture methamphetamine back in 2014...in the presence of an 18-month-old infant...with two other amateur pharmacists. He knew he was a wanted man.

Varner taunted law enforcement on social media, specifically Facebook, saying that the cops "...cany catch me." Yes, he misspelled 'can't '.

Mope Varner was proven wrong less that 24 hours later when he was caught by deputies with the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office, thanks to the many tips they'd received on his whereabouts after Varner's social media post. He's currently in jail.

I love a story with a happy ending.

Role Models?

   So far this day I've read two articles by sportswriters in two different cities concerning athletes exerting their influence to aid the cause of social change.

   While it may be true that young people by the millions idolize professional athletes, they are hardly role models. Ninety-five per cent of Americans don't come within the same galaxy as far as income; these athletes, for the most part, can't/don't/won't understand the 40-hour plus work week and the struggle of common America to keep a roof over the heads of their families, put food on the table and keep them clothed. Major sports athletes don't worry about the cost of health insurance, working two jobs to make ends meet or being able to buy a decent, safe car for the teenage driver in the family.

   The real role models for our youth should be found sitting across the dinner table from them in the form of their hard-working parents; they should be found in our religious leaders; they should be found in those that educate our children and those that protect our country for less than a fraction of what professional athletes spend on their wardrobes.

   But they don't bother to look in those places.

   They're too busy keeping up with all the social media platforms, inundated daily...no, hourly...by tweets/posts covering everything from the Kardashians to Pokemon Go while at that dinner table, staring at their phones the entire time. They're sitting in front of a video game console for hour upon hour upon hour, demanding every new version of whatever game they play as soon as it comes out. They listen to 'music' endorsing violence, crime and drug use, following every social media blurb issued by those 'artists'.

   And now these athletes and artists are going to influence our social mores?

   God help us.

   Seriously...God help us all.

Dangerous times...

Days of rage. That's what these are, misguided as they may be. Police officers are being shot on an almost daily basis for actions of a microscopic few who also just happen to wear badges.

As I said in an earlier post, I don't know all the facts surrounding the police shootings of two black men in two different areas of our country; I will not indict the officers involved because of that.

There are two sides to every story. Sometimes there are three. Victim, suspect...and the actual truth.

I DO know that three more police officers were shot and killed in Baton Rouge yesterday morning, and a fourth is struggling to survive. They were shot by a Marine veteran who was black, ostensibly in retaliation for the deaths of the aforementioned victims at the hands of police. But here's a question: where is the rage when a black American shoots another black American, an act that occurs much more frequently?

This senseless violence, no matter the race of the victim or the person responsible, has got to stop. Now. Today.

It is a divisive force, one that will shatter the unity of those of us who are proud Americans if left unchecked, and it is up to US to stop it. Vengeful, hate-filled rhetoric from activists and transparent attempts to blur truth need to cease.

I am fearful that it won't. I am fearful that the violence will continue, now with the city of Cleveland, this week hosting the Republican National Convention, in its cross-hairs.

I pray for the safety of law enforcement officers, convention delegates and attendees, even those who will protest the convention.

Pray for peaceful times.