It has been a while since I wrote an article. I could say that it is because I've been busy at work, or that I've had things happening in my personal life that have been keeping me busy. Both would be true, but not totally the reason I've taken a break from posting. There hasn't been a lot that I felt like writing about. There has been so much energy spent talking about Health care, but realistically it has been a waste of energy. Until the House of Representatives and the Senate both passed bills so that the Conference Committee could try to take both pieces of legislation and craft a separate bill that both chambers could act on any talk was an exercise in futility. Now that the House has passed a bill, I'm sure I'll be writing about Health care again soon.
What has prompted me to take some time and write? The shootings and murders at Fort Hood Military Base in Texas. First my thoughts and prayers are with the wounded, their families, those that died and there families. It is ironic, last week I spoke with a number of people and during some of the conversations the old stigma that women faced when they chose a career in law enforcement were mentioned. Last weeks shooting should finally put an end those sentiments that women don’t belong in law enforcement since it was a female officer, Sergeant Kim Munley that put an end to the carnage at Fort Hood. And she did so after being wounded herself. During my career I have been fighting with violent subjects and a male officer has turned and ran away. In one particular case he didn’t even get on the radio and call for help, just left me and another officer to fight with a mentally ill woman who was bigger than me. By the way the officer that stayed with me in the fight was a female. Based on my experience and the actions of Sergeant Munley last week, I’ll take a partner like that any day!
Another thought that came to mind over the weekend as I caught up on the news about the shooting was has this country gone too far with political correctness, too far worrying about someone being offended if information is reported? As I draft this there have been reports in the American media that the shooter was a Muslim, even interviews with family members overseas that he wasn’t a Muslim, didn’t speak Arabic nor was he able to read the Koran. Is that true, I don’t know, nor do I care.
There have been reports that the shooter has made posting on line, comments in training situations (and possibly elsewhere) that would have been acted upon a few years ago to determine if some threat existed. In recent years society has become sooooo politically correct that people are afraid of being labeled a bigot or racist if they react to something which causes alarm. I hope that the investigation determines that this was not one of those cases. If you act with sincerity you shouldn't worry about those types of problems. Also, if someone does become angry you might have to do something that has become very hard to do in today's society. Talk to a person, not text, just talk. When you talk with someone you can explain yourself, they can get to know you and then they will be able to sense that you had no ulterior motive.
Even if proverbial alarm bells had been acted upon there is no guarantee that what happened last week could have been prevented. However, how many times do you stop and think of how you do something might be misinterpreted?
Now British newspapers are reporting of the shooter’s ties to the 9/11 attackers. As I am drafting this I haven’t seen anything in the American media. I can understand wanting to verify information before you do a story, confirm your facts, confirm the sources, but why base that confirmation process on a person’s ethnicity or religion? I can understand not wanting to cause fear, and in the case of Muslims not wanting to create animosity towards them, however, there is a way of reporting the facts in a way to avoid that.
The bottom line is that the media needs to set one standard for all, without bias for anyone. Society should also practice what our parents taught us, which was to treat people as we would want to be treated.
That's My Opinion, What's Yours
About Me
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- James N. Mann
- I retired after completing 38 years as a law enforcement officer in the State of Florida. I began my law enforcement career with the City of Miami, where I served for nearly 27 years before serving with a state agency for 11 1/2 years (part of that time as Interim Inspector General). During my career with Miami I worked in uniform patrol, the detective bureau, and the 911 center. I was also a member of the first law enforcement crew to respond to New York City on September 11, 2001. From January 2007 to April 2011 I also served as a commissioner on the state commission that governs the certification of law enforcement, correctional and probation officers in the state. I am a Past President of the Florida State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police (President 2004-2006); I was an employee representative with Miami FOP Lodge #20 for almost 21 years (6 years serving at the Chief Steward). I have worked on legislative issues at all levels, worked on political screening committees. I’m a past member of the Dade County Republican Executive Committee, and have been an advisor/ law enforcement liaison for a presidential candidate..
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