A Cool Head

I realize it is not cool to have a cool head amongst all the boiling-hot emotion surrounding the George Floyd henious murder in Minneapolis recently. But, that’s who I am and I must live with it.

To summarize my uncool cool-headed thoughts:

- There is no question that George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin in a particularly grisly and unforgivable way ... as the whole world could see from multiple bystander videos ... and that they have concluded that this murder was racially motivated.

- Because these two men knew each other for a year or more ... and because one of the other three policemen there was black ... there is reason to suspect that the motive for this murder could have been other than racial animus. We may never know this until Chauvin’s trial many months from now ... if ever.

- But the initial reaction of the Minneapolis police department and legal authorities there was suspiciously wrong-headed ... trying to minimize Chauvin’s culpability ... again fanning the flames of injustice.

- Be that as it may, the general perception that this was a racial incident has reopened this societal wound ... causing an enormous emotional outpouring determined to remedy prejudice against blacks once and for all ... particularly in law enforcement ... clearly a just cause ... which has resulted in mass demonstrations.

- Early on, these peaceful protests were hijacked by politically-motivated riots, opportunistic looting and misguided hot-headed anarchists ... which unfortunately besmirched the purpose of these demonstrations ... creating the cultural and political divide in which we now find ourselves immersed ... and motivating many solutions.

- Some of these solutions are obviously unworkable ... trying to either eliminate police departments entirely ... or severely limit their ability to enforce the laws (such as “taking a knee” in front of protesters) ... many of which, if enacted, will not produce happy results ... particularly within minority communities.

Bottom line: Societies seem to need to engage in such hot-headed group catharses periodically. I can’t find my way to participate ... for which I most likely will be burned at the stake.

The Backstory

There is always more to the story than meets the eye (or gets generally reported). And such is the case in the Minneapolis charge of murder of George Floyd by the police officer, Derek Chauvin. It seems that these two very likely knew each other quite well ... as they both worked together most Tuesday nights for 17 years at the Minneapolis Latin music club, El Nuevo Rodeo ... according to a Minneapolis city council member. Don’t believe me? See: Gossip on This. And, if you think this is not a reputable source, try this one: CBS News Story. But have these facts filtered into the media narrative you have seen till now? How can this happen? This is clearly a vital piece of the story!

Thus, this killing cannot be considered a random racial event ... yet this is exactly how it has been displayed by the people who likely expected the race riots that ensued ... and the looting and carnage. This reportage is just not sloppy and naive ... it is possibly even  criminal ... like yelling FIRE! in a crowded theater. Why didn’t Chauvin recognize his workmate and back off? What had gone on between these two that caused Chauvin to keep his knee on Floyd’s throat for three minutes after his pulse had stripped? Why didn’t the other three cops stop their alpha dog? These are all questions reporters should have already attempted to answer.

I sincerely believe that he ultimate goal of this elided news reportage was to once again try to take down the Orangeman with controversy. Yes, the real reason for Floyd’s death is likely to come out in Chauvin’s trial many months from now ... but the damage to our cities and our race relations may take a lot longer to be repaired. What enters the minds of our news media to be so irresponsible?

Headlines

Political leaders demand answers in Epstein’s death

People close to him fear murder ... Told authorities someone tried to kill him ...

Attorney General Barr ‘appalled’ by Epstein’s suicide, says inspector general and FBI investigating

Andrew Yang says only citizens would get $1,000 per month he vows

After ‘beautiful letter’ and more N.K. Launches, Trump says he’ll meet with Kim again

‘Trump is ruining our markets’: Struggling farmers lose a large customer to the trade war ...

Blackout mystery in U.K.: Fury as Britain brought to knees ...

Biden: ‘Poor kids are just as bright and ... talented as white kids’

France doesn’t need U.S. approval to act on Iran, foreign minister says

Elizabeth Warren unveils gun control plan that pushes for higher taxes on guns and bullets

Russia nuke leak: Footage of hazmat officials escalates radiation panic ...

NRA warns Trump and McConnell against gun control

Fifth Avenue

We can’t prove that Trump murdered someone on Fifth Avenue ... nor can we prove that he didn’t kill someone on Fifth Avenue. But here is a list of ten people who have died on Fifth Avenue over the last two years. — Robert Mueller

The Swamp

Washington, DC is not just s swamp. It is a toxic soup of hypocrisy, malfeasance, elitism, payoffs, dipsomania, mendacity, egomania, sexual harassment, lassitude, pomposity, racism, grandstanding, anti-semitism, thievery, stupidity, spendthrifts, maliciousness, subterfuge, pettiness and group think ... maybe even murder.

DC would be so much more hospitable with alligators, panthers, caimans, water moccasins, crocodiles and pythons.

Quotable Quote

'[You] can't charge person with murder when [he] only got parking ticket' -- Sharon Stone, commenting on how all sexual harassment is now treated the same.

Scandal Fatigue

Americans have developed calluses on our psyches due to the daily barrage of scandals surfacing around our politicians. And these calluses, unfortunately, cause us to be skeptical of many of these outrages. However, the sheer volume of these misdeeds suggests that at least some of them are true or near true. And this tells me that our government is a festering sore of evil self-dealing and immorality.

How many of us remember when accepting a vicuna coat as a gift (during Eisenhower's tenure as president) caused a national front-page scandal that resulted in the ouster of a key administration aide, Sherman Adams? Now, such a misstep would be laughed off as being penny-ante foolishness.

And so we are greeted today with another news bagatelle ... Julian Assange of Wikileaks is suggesting that Seth Rich, the recently murdered Democrat staffer, was the source of the leaked DNC e-mails that cost Debbie Wasserman Schultz and two others their jobs ... see: The Gateway Pundit Story. This, of course, can't be true ... our overtaxed synapses will not permit such accusations to enter our conscious brain ... despite the fact that such lethal innuendo has swirled around the Clintons since Arkansas days. How could these two upright states-persons be involved in such skulduggery?

And so our inquiring minds are turned to the Olympics or to America's Got Talent or to the latest Kim Kardashian's bum shots ... we can't be bothered to tax our grey cells any further with these obviously Trump-ed up scandals. They are just diversions from the more important things in life.

The Door to Hell

Around five years ago, Hugo Chavez said to the assembled U.N. members that, as a result of George W. Bush’s previously being at this same podium, there was still a lingering smell of sulfur.  In other words, Bush was the Devil personified.  I’ve always found it fascinating that many politicians try to cleanse their own souls by accusing others of their own transgressions … and I’m not just painting liberals with this sin … many conservatives have also been culpable. 

And so it is with Hugo Chavez.  His sins since grabbing power in Venezuela in 1998 have been rife … from corruption … to drug trafficking … to kidnapping … to anti-semitism … to despotism … even to murder … see: Curacao Chronicle.

Now Hugo Chavez appears to be on his deathbed in Cuba … and when he does succumb, I’m sure that there will be much donning of sackcloth and gnashing of teeth among the liberal glitterati of this country (Sean Penn, for example).  However, when this happens, I fully expect a fissure to open up in the earth somewhere near Havana … belching fire and the actual smell of sulfur … and Hugo baby being escorted, under the blare of out-of-tune trumpets, down to his fiery residence for all of eternity.   (Hopefully in tandem with Fidel Castro?)