Introduction

This is my first Blog, and this first post may be a little long. However, I thought I’d start out by telling a little about myself and why I decided to start a Blog.

I have been involved in law enforcement for 28 years, retiring from the City of Miami after nearly 27 years of service. It has always been my belief that when working in the capacity of a law enforcement officer I should remain neutral and not take sides on issues. It’s not that I don’t have an opinion, or that I am afraid to share my opinion, I feel that I owe it to the citizens that give me a paycheck not to take sides while working in that capacity.

Having said that; my mother was always very active in politics, and she passed the love of politics on to my brother and me. I believe (thanks to her influence) that through an exchange of ideas and contrary points of view we grow and make our society a better place for all. I enjoy listening and watching various commentary programs, not just those that I agree with.

As a student I used to enjoy Current Affairs, History, and debates. After becoming a law enforcement officer I became active in the Fraternal Order of Police, and eventually I was elected to the Executive Board of my local lodge and later the Florida State Lodge. As an Executive Board member I was, and am, an advocate for the membership’s positions on many issues. These issues are not only law enforcement; they are a variety of issues because I am a strong believer that we (FOP) should be active in our communities.

Over the past two or three years I have become disgusted with the change that has occurred with some in our communities. We are no longer tolerant of different ideas or positions on issues. If you disagree with some they either become hostile, or resort to disparaging references towards those that disagree. I am also sick of the “labels” that are put on people because of the political party they choose to belong, or not belong to. This attitude had crept into our elementary, middle and senior high schools.

Shortly after the 2000 presidential election my girlfriend and her daughter (Jessica, 8 years old at the time) went out to dinner. While we were discussing the aftermath of the election I noticed Jessica looking at me with a puzzled look. Finally she asked me if she could ask a question. She asked if I was a republican, and then if I was a police officer? Then she asked how I could be a police officer if I was a republican? Jessica went on to explain that her third grade teacher had announced to the class that republicans were crooks, and since teachers were instructing facts she was confused about how I could be a police officer.

During this past election discussions in some classrooms have been that if you were African American and disagreed with anything that then Senator Obama said, or questioned any of his proposals, you were not being true to your race. If anyone else, who didn’t vote for Senator Obama, questioned or disagreed with President Obama and his policies are racists. Teachers have stated these views publicly.

It appears as if freedom to think for yourself, to question authority, the freedom to make your own decision is an extinct ideology. This really angers me; I try to instill in young people the same ideals that my mother did in me. I wasn’t sure how to address it, appealing to the school system is a waste since they are the ones teaching intolerance for independent thinking.

I had almost given up the fight until the Stimulus Package was passed by Congress. As part of a class assignment Jessica, now 16, had to write an essay about the Stimulus Package’s passage. I was out of town on business and she called me and asked if she could read her essay to me. I was impressed with the thought that she put into this, so much so that I asked her to please email me a copy. Later when I was checking my email for her essay I learned of a Blog that a coworker from the police department had started. It was then that I thought of starting this Blog.

From time to time I will share my thoughts and opinions on issues and events based on my background and life experience. More importantly I wanted to have somewhere in which different points of view can be shared, including those of the youth. I hope that this Blog will help serve that purpose, the youth are our future, and they do have their own opinions (it is an option separate from the social sites they use). These opinions are important, even though we may not always want to hear them (probably because we’re afraid that we will have to face the fact that we are not always the more mature).

In the Movie Network the main character, a news anchor, tells his audience to go to their windows, open the window and shout “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.” This Blog is my proverbial window and I hope that you will join me in a civil exchange of ideas.

Thank you for your time.