Thursday, June 18, 2015

No one trusts officials now.




The piece below was yesterday.

In my mind--WHY?

Answer: 
You have Officials committing acts that would send one of us to jail for a couple of years stay. Do they suffer ANY penalty? Not at all... There's probably a promotion in it.

You have persons you elected to vote NO on A B & C, and Yes on D E and F. 
Once you donated to them, and voted for them, they go ahead and vote FOR A B & C, and either note NO or just don't show to vote for D E & F. 

Like our Arizona Governor Ducey.  Yes, he is a Republican, and yes, he promised to 
guard our border with Mexico, eliminate Common Core, and vote to have Arizonans in charge of Federal Lands ( The Legislature passed it--he vetoed it) 

Factor 1. He worked for McCain's Wife's Beer Company all the way through college. He picked up tricks from John McCain

Factor 2. He is a Chamber of Corruption (commerce) Republican--Not a Conservative. His answer "Would you have voted for SB 1062 [would have given protection to business to follow their religion, and was altered by the media and Gays to say it was discriminatory and Hate legislation] His answer was NO--It would have been bad for business. 

Factor 3. I knew this fact from being a Highway Patrol Officer. You have seat belt, under-age drinking, and speed compliance laws--Because the Federal Government (NHTSA) dictates that you WILL pass the law, and you WILL enforce the law to 85% compliance--or you will lose Federal Funds for your highways.
Ducey wants Federal money to keep coming, so he vetoes a bill that takes back federal lands, and essentially does nothing to rid us of Common Core 

You find that House Speaker Boehner has a nickname.. Toll Booth. Translation: You want some legislation passed? You WILL donate to his campaign fund. 

In the next presidential election, I want some one who worked for what they got--not a privileged Bush, Hillary, or Lindsay Grahamnesty.  Scott Walker or Dr Ben Carson would do. I did like Ted Cruz until he sided with Obama on ObamaTrade (Seems his wife works for Goldman-Sachs--who stand to prosper from this deal) 

I want someone who realizes that not doing anything about Illegal Immigration or free flow of foreign workers will kill our standard of living--and DO something about it.

I want someone who appreciates achievement and being COMPETENT.  Seems like the Obama Administration's only screen is are you a minority, female, or Gay. IF so, you get the job. 

I want someone who believes in PENALTIES for incompetence or actual criminal behavior that harms citizens.  From Obama on down,. you have government employees that have harmed Americans by incompetent, and/or criminal acts--
but none them ever get terminated or prosecuted. They get promoted 

I want someone who realized that Islam is all about killing other human beings. 
They have been doing it since 640 AD, and Obama is GIVING them nuclear weapons to be able to kill us by the millions.  I want someone who us not afraid to use the labels Muslims, Killers. Islamic, Radical interchangeably, and not cower before them. 


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“The System is Broken”: Americans No Longer Believe In Its Institution



"Americans' confidence in most major U.S. institutions remains below the historical average for each one," a Gallup spokesman said in a news release.
[...]
All in all, it's a picture of a nation discouraged about its present and worried about its future, and highly doubtful that its institutions can pull America out of its trough.
There is plenty of good reason, with evidence uncovered daily, weekly and consistently throughout the years of the hypocrisy and failures of government, the failed promises of politicians, the lies and spin of the mainstream media and newspapers, the greed and exploitation of the financial sector and the "just us" mentality of above-the-law enforcers who are supposed to uphold justice.
Just check out how little faith remains in the structure of, well, just about any institution in America, by the numbers:
Only 8 percent have confidence in Congress, down by 16 points from a long-term average of 24 percent - the lowest of all institutions rated.
33 percent have confidence in the presidency, a drop from a historical average of 43 percent.
32 percent have confidence in the Supreme Court, down from 44.
28 percent have confidence in banks, down from 40 percent.
21 percent have confidence in big business, down from 24 percent.
24 percent have confidence in organized labor, down from 26.
24 percent have confidence in newspapers, down from 32 percent.
21 percent have confidence in television news, down from 30 percent.
52 percent of Americans ["¦] are confident in the police [57 percent historically]
What else can be said, but that the system is broken?

Obviously it bears little resemblance to the one envisioned by the founding fathers and their emphasis on separation of powers and limited government.

None of the three branches of government are trusted by even close to a majority of the American populace"¦ maybe that's to be expected, with frequent media criticisms of political figures in a polarizing two party system.

But other pillars of society have lost their backing of the public, too - in astonishing numbers that show not only that the American dream is dead, but that private institutions are widely perceived as being just as corrupt as public ones (or worse).

To top it off - this perception is entirely deserved. The aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis consolidated the power and wealth of the big banks, and gave the Federal Reserve ultimate power over the economy, while average Americans suffered greatly.

Scandal after scandal revealed that corruption for what it is.
Media scandals - such as Brian Williams' fabricated war zone stories and George Stephanopoulos' attempt to conceal his conflicts of interest with the Clinton Foundation - have left a bad taste in the mouth of media consumers already facing fake news indigestion.

The factors are piling up beyond our capacity to excuse them away: fatigue from endless wars and threats of terrorism; cynically-false promises of hope and change; the repeated, brazen trampling of civil rights; a sharp decline of opportunity at the hands of economic recession; trade deals written in secret to enrich corporations; the rise of job-crushing technology and more have all sapped at the American spirit.

Whether most Americans follow these developments or not, they instinctually sense them. No one trustworthy is steering this ship - worse, no one may be at the wheel at all.
Who or what can turn things around?

That remains to be seen, but few will be willing to buy into the system if it remains on course.
The loss of confidence in the system ultimately relates to the loss of confidence in the freedom of the individual.

It is strong-willed and determined people who have always made this country, and any other, strong and vibrant.
The constant detriment of individual rights and the endless calls to transfer power to the collective - whether inside or outside of government - is the real source of the problem that this Gallup poll reflects.

Our best hope at a better world should start there. Is it still possible?
Courtesy of SHTFplan.com

Thursday, June 11, 2015

IF you are in Law Enforcement, you are not allowed to have or show emotions


This episode in McKinney Texas reminded me of this 2013 writing.

As the Old Indian saying goes:"You have have to walk a mile in a man's moccasins before you criticize him. "


An informative piece about the true weight of a police officer's badge and why law enforcement officers are different.

10 REASONS COPS ARE DIFFERENT 
And how these differences impact on their stress!


PERHAPS IT WEIGHS only 2 ounces overall. Large ones may run to 4 ounces. But when that badge is pinned on, there is a weight unknown to most law enforcement officers. The true weight of the badge is not overcome by muscle, not found in the gym, not measured on a scale. This weight requires a strength and conditioning for which few officers are trained. The badge is not just pinned on a chest, it is pinned on a lifestyle. The heaviness of the badge makes the law enforcement officer different from other professionals. Over the course of the last ten years, working as psychologists with police officers, we have identified ten areas which make the badge heavy.
10 REASONS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE DIFFERENT
  1.  Law enforcement officers are seen as authority figures. People deal with them differently and treat them differently, even when they are not working. When a problem occurs, everyone looks to the officer to "take charge," to "solve the problem." Some say the cop is never off duty. Even when the officer is not working there is a tendency to attack problems and take charge. Sometimes taking charge is not preferable, and can cause particular strains in our world where many people like to linger with problems, never really solving anything. Recognizing the difference between a "problem solving" situation, where action is desirable, and a more passive situation, where action may alienate others, is difficult for the cop.
     
  2. They are isolated. The wearing of a badge, uniform and gun makes a law officer separate from society. This segregation leads to many psychological effects which research shows can create negative personality traits. For example, psychological research shows the wearing of a uniform will tend to make any person de-humanize people who are without a uniform. Just wearing a badge or a gun can cause people to act more aggressively. These are changes that could happen to anyone wearing a uniform, badge and gun, thus these factors are expected to operate in some way on the police officer. Many officers suggest there is a "role," or "mask" which they put on along with their uniform. Sometimes this role leaks into their personal lives and changes the course of their relationships and leisure time.
     
  3. Law enforcement officers work in a quasi-military, structured institution. There are mental health concerns associated with working within a "quasi-military structure" and other mental health concerns of working in an "institution." Military organizations require the sacrifice of the individual for the good of society. The "individual" is not a consideration; the "goal" of the group is paramount. In a military organization, the focus is on punishing the individual if he is not up to standards. It is a de-humanizing process to recognize that you are only valued as a part of a machine. The _institution' takes the same attitude, only a step further. In an institution, you are locked in a set process and the process is more important many times than, not only the individual, but also the goal. When an officer does a remarkable job of police work, perhaps even saves a life, he can still be reprimanded if he doesn't file the proper paperwork. The paperwork describing an action in many cases is more important to the institution than the action itself. Both the quasi-military nature of police work and the functioning within an institution combine for a mental health situation that is quite undesirable and very stressful
     
  4. Shift work is not normal. The "rotating shift" schedule is very taxing on an officer's life. Our bodies are adjusted on what is called "circadian schedules" which is a repetitive daily cycle. Our bodies like to have a regular eating time, sleeping time, waking time, etc. An officer doing shift work never gets a chance to stay on a schedule. This upsets his physical and mental balance in life. The changing work schedule also upsets the routine patterns that are needed in healthy marriage and family development. Strong marital and family development is based on rituals, like dinners together, "inside jokes," repeated activities, etc. The rotating shift worker has less chance to develop these rituals and his relationships suffer. This predisposes the officer's family to potential problems ranging from divorces, to children acting-out.
     
  5. Camaraderie can be a two edged sword. The law enforcement job nurtures a sense of teamwork and unity with co-workers, what was once called "esprit de corps." The fraternity helps the officer on the job feel secure about getting the needed support in dangerous situations. It also stimulates a sense of belonging that can create an "us and them" view of the world. This makes the law enforcement "clique" harder to leave when retiring and makes officers more protective of each other. It also makes it more difficult to accept someone within the fraternal organization leaving or being killed. This adds to the stress of an officer.
     
  6. Even the stress is different. Officers have a different kind of stress in their jobs, called "burst stress." Burst stress means there is not always a steady stressor, but at times, there is an immediate "burst" from low stress to a high stress state. In other words, officers go from complete calm, to high activity and pressure in one "burst." The normal stress situation for most of the rest of the work force consists of a stress building process that can be either reduced or adapted to before it gets "out of control." This is not the case for the officer, because "out of control" can happen in seconds (see "A Cop's Story" for a good example of burst stress). The law enforcement job is reactive, not proactive. Officers cannot usually control entrance into most situations they face, unlike most people who get warnings. They have to react, not prevent problems. It is difficult to defend against burst stress.
     
  7. The need to be in constant emotional control. Law enforcement officers have a job that requires extreme restraint under highly emotional circumstances. They are told when they are extremely excited, they have to act calm. They are told when they are nervous, they have to be in charge. They are taught to be stoic when emotional. They are to interact with the world in a role. The emotional constraint of the role takes tremendous mental energy, much more energy than expressing true emotions. When the energy drain is very strong, it may make the officer more prone to exhaustion outside of work, such as not wanting to participate in social or family life. This energy drain can also create a sense of job and social burnout.
     
  8. No gray areas. The law enforcement officer works in a fact-based world with everything compared to written law. Right and wrong is determined by a standard. They have a set way of going about gathering the proper evidence for the law and can justify their actions because they represent the "good and right side." In the real world, clear rights and wrongs are not as likely to occur. The newspapers are an opinion-based system, the court system is an opinion-based system and, needless to say, relationship decisions and proper parenting techniques are opinion-based systems. Adjusting from right and wrong, black-and-white systems, to opinion-based systems is very difficult and requires a complete change in mental attitude.
     
  9. The "at work" world of the officer is very negative. He sees the bad part of society - the criminal, the abuser of the rules. This may skew the officer's opinions on the character of the average human being. It creates a cynicism, a critical view of the world. It is hard to adjust to trusting a fellow human being when so much of the day is spent with people who are not trustworthy. It is hard to believe in positive intentions of people, when the day is spent with people who are intending to hurt each other. This lack of trust can show up in the way the officer deals with people on a personal level, with neighbors, with a spouse. It can even show up in the way children are raised, as police parents may tend to be stricter in discipline and more careful with privilege.
     
  10. Even the children are effected. The children of law enforcement officers have a more difficult adjustment. As a young child, the police officer parent is seen as holding a prestigious, desirable position. The young child and his friends look up to the police officer as a minor celebrity, a person of great respect. As a teen-ager, their parent is part of the authority of society. Since teens rebel against authority anyway, this can cause a double rebellion against the parent both in their role as caretaker and as a symbol of the authority of society. Frequently, the officer's child is either overly compliant because of the rules imposed, thus causing depressive problems or personality restriction, or the teen becomes overly rebellious of the rule-oriented parent - the best child or the worst.

As you can see, there is more to being a police officer than the training received in an academy or on the job. The work has many effects that need to be overcome so as not to effect their personal and family life. This website is designed to help you understand and overcome the effects of these other parts of the job. It is important for an officer to realize that sometimes that shield on your chest or in your pocket can be "A Heavy Badge
 

Reprint from www.heavybadge.com website.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

GUEST POST -- Gemma Barlow




"Article from Gemma Barlow  "

DELETED PER REQUEST


Marijuana Legalization – Law And Order Implications