Arizona Execution of Joseph Wood / Botched?

Regarding the recent Arizona execution of convicted murderer Joseph Wood, it didn’t sound pretty.  And, I am a firm supporter of Capital Punishment for certain aggravated (horrendous) murders.  How could anyone not be?  One of the demonstrators outside the prison held a sign that said, “No One Deserves to Die.”  That person is (how might I put this gently) an idiot.  Of course, some murderers deserve to die.

What bothers me is that Capital Punishment is inequitably applied, and unduly delayed; but this recent execution in Arizona really mystifies me.  Why does it take nearly two hours to execute someone?

I’m sure most of you have faced the necessity of ‘putting down’ an old or sick pet.  I have had to do it more than once.  Each time, I held the pet or comforted the pet while the final injection was administered.  They died within seconds without any signs of suffering.  What would a loving pet owner think if his dog or cat gasped for air for two hours?  What if the veterinarian said the animal wasn’t really suffering, it was merely the residual impulses of the brain stem or some other such nonsense?  Nope, no one would accept that explanation.

So now we have a system of execution for humans that seems barbaric by comparison.  Whether or not Wood actually suffered is questionable.  That the execution appeared to involve suffering was perceived by the witnesses and is enough.  What’s going on here?  Don’t get me wrong.  I don’t feel particularly sorry for Mr. Wood.  But, there has to be something more to this.  Is this a backdoor attempt to influence American opinion?  Are we being manipulated one more time?  What’s the deal on the drugs?  Why, currently, are they still reportedly experimenting with various lethal cocktails?

I know, I’ve heard the back and forth about various drug companies refusing to furnish various drugs due to fear that they will be boycotted or called-out in some negative way.  But, there must be a supplier available somewhere.  I just don’t believe it could be otherwise.

In Oregon, we have the ‘Death with Dignity Law.’  It’s actually not used that often; but it does give comfort to some who are terminally ill.  The comfort is in knowing that, if the suffering becomes too great, you will be allowed a peaceful last few moments with family.  From what I’ve heard, these folks do not suffer, or gasp for breath, as they leave this world.  These drugs, as I understand it, are administered orally; and there is, of course, a strict protocol involved.

I suppose this would not work with someone about to be executed.  They would potentially resist taking the pills.  But, maybe they should be offered that option.  If I was about to be executed, I would gladly take the pills and wash them down with a glass of water – or even better a cold beer.

However, the public would not buy this.  The public does now and has always held a fascination with executions.  They want to see a little suffering, but subsequently they often claim they are offended by the sight.  Even the people who demonstrate outside prisons, when an execution is about to occur, are participating in a ghoulish act.  They just don’t recognize their true motivations.  They want to be there, a participant when the lights dim, the deed is done, the final exit.  Something to tell their grandkids about.  Sick – in my opinion.

True Nelson

Portland Police Chief Mike Reese Gets Some Learnin' / about Diversity

An editorial in The Oregonian recently criticized (shall I say ridiculed) the $56,000 spent by the City of Portland so that 14 white male administrators could attend a multi-day seminar at the Resort of The Mountain.  All expenses paid to include golf I’m sure.  What were these white men, these primitives taught you might ask?  Besides improving their golf game that is?  Well, the seminar was about diversity, with a capital D; and to drive (the Nike Covert Tour 2.0 would be my choice – but I digress) home the understanding that white men still don’t get it.  What don’t we get?  That we must treat everyone equally?  Nope.  The answer is that we must give special consideration to some.  Why?  Well, that’s a little subjective – although I’ve been to several of these classes myself.  However, that’s why you get to play golf.  The seminar begins to make sense.  It even makes a little more sense if you can play golf with an African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, or even a woman American; but they were excluded from the club (I mean seminar).  Presumably, if you were a white gay male you could attend, as long as you didn’t make a big issue of it – especially while putting.

OK, some will say that the Police Bureau’s white administrators, the white Mayor (Charlie Hales) and the rest of those white boys, do need some ‘learnin.’  I would ask whether or not the Portland Police Bureau has a conference room that they could use.  And / or is it really necessary to hold the conference where the green fees and associated golf necessities run in the neighborhood of $80 to $100 per outing?

Post seminar, Chief Mike Reese wrote a memo to Police Bureau members regarding the conference (apparently there was a lot of police rank-and-file interest in the subject).  The Chief's comments are as follows:

“Subject:  White Men as Full Diversity Partners Caucus”

“I found the Caucus thought-provoking, and there were many lessons that I learned about diversity and the culture we live in.  One of the most important lessons was that there still exists pervasive and destructive messages directed at women, people of color and other groups that create barriers to success.”  (Quoted from Maxine Bernstein’s article in The Oregonian, 7-14-14.)

Yes, Chief, I’m glad you’re learning these things.  In fact, I would have thought that someone at your pay-grade would already know them.  And, incidentally, who was the very expensive consultant who taught you these things?  What is his or her background?  Or was this just more about getting in touch with your feelings?

Post Script:  Yes, I’m having a little fun with this.  I hope the Chief and Mayor did learn something.  I don’t really care about the $56,000.  I don’t live in Portland, and don’t plan to ever live in Portland.  Although, in many respects, it’s a nice city.

True Nelson

True’s Miscellany / July 5, 2014 / Othelia (Tillie) Remembered, Born 1912 & Died 1930

I enjoy writing this blog for many reasons.  It’s like a journal, but not as solitary.  And, there are rewards, mostly esoteric I suppose.

Once in a great while you touch someone and it causes them to respond.  Sometimes, they agree and elaborate on their personal experience.  Other times, they explain to me why I’m wrong.  In either case, it makes me a better, more informed person.

In blogging, you have to have something you want to say, something you almost have to say, even if no one is particularly interested to hear it.  I hope that someday my grandchildren or great-grandchildren will read these posts.  I would like them to know more about me than just some yellowing photo in a cardboard box.

I wish my grandparents had kept a journal, I actually know so little about what they thought, what concerned them.  Oh, I heard little bits and pieces, funny stories, tragic stories; but not too much about what they thought day to day.  I will tell you one of those stories:

My grandmother inherited the family farm in Wisconsin.  The stipulation was that she and my grandfather were to care for her parents (my great grandparents) until they died.

This was a fairly large farm; and, like all families in those days, everyone (including the children) were pretty much involved in work from dawn to dusk.  The kids did go to school – a one room school house.  The family went to church every Sunday.  My grandparents worked very hard.  My grandmother had a crippled finger which was bent in a strange way.  “Oh,” she said.  “Pa and I were loading frozen hogs on the wagon, and one of them got dropped on my hand.”  “Never had a chance to get it fixed properly.”

They raised their seven children.  All of them grew to adulthood and had their own families – all, that is, except Tillie.  Tillie had graduated from high school and was a recent enrollee at a teaching college for girls in a nearby town.  She was experimenting with lipstick, something she hadn’t done growing up.  The story goes that she had unknowingly obtained some contaminated lipstick from a friend or acquaintance.  She must have had a small crack in her lip.  The lip became infected.  She was placed in a hospital.  My grandparents went to the hospital.  The infection progressed unabated.  My grandparents did the only thing they knew what to do.  They prayed, and prayed.  Tillie died.  She had just turned eighteen.  My grandparents never attended church after that.

As to what my grandparents believed in, as they aged, whether or not they believed in God, I really don’t know.  It was something that they avoided talking about.

My mother was eight when Tillie died.  Mom remembered the last day she saw her.  Tillie was leaving for boarding school.  My mother told Tillie, who was dressed for the occasion and anxious to begin her new life, how pretty she looked.  Tillie came over to my mother, hugged her tight and kissed her.

True Nelson

Final Comments by Former FBI Agent / Re: Megyn Kelly's Interview of Bill Ayers

As a former FBI Special Agent assigned to the Weatherman Squad, Berkeley Resident Agency (mid-1970s), I’d like to make a few more comments regarding Megyn Kelly’s recent interview with Bill Ayers.

It would be interesting to know how much the Fox Network paid Ayers to appear, because he certainly did not do himself any favors.  Ms. Kelly, with her rapid fire, no nonsense, interviewing technique, shredded Bill and his lame rhetoric – rhetoric that he had rehearsed over and over these many years.

During my three year assignment in Berkeley, I became an expert on the Weatherman, which subsequently evolved into the Weather Underground.  I read all their communiques, analyzed their speeches and comments, charted their family, friends and acquaintances; and conducted related investigation.

Of the Agents I worked with, their feeling at the time was that Bernardine Dohrn was the real leadership and principal motivator/instigator in the Weatherman.  She was considered by our group as somewhat sexy, but definitely sociopathic.  Ayers, on the other hand, we often joked about; stating our belief that he joined SDS and the Weatherman so that he could finally get ‘laid.’  Our mistaken belief, at the time, was that Bill was not a sociopath - meaning he might have second thoughts about some of his activities.  However, his persistent efforts over the subsequent years to alter the truth about himself and the Weatherman organization has changed my opinion on that.  He continues to demonstrate that he has no real regrets, no sympathy for the harm he has done and continues to do.  He appears to actually believe that he has caused no harm, and that sympathy or empathy toward others is not required.  He does, in other words, demonstrate a true sociopathic personality.

During the stated interview, I took a few notes:

Ayers said in the interview:  That during the period in question, there were about 20,000 bombings; and that the Weatherman “took credit for twenty.”  He was attempting to give the impression that the Weatherman were pretty much small potatoes compared to all the other bombers operating.  First, I’m not sure where he got the 20,000 figure.  More importantly, he said, “Took credit for twenty.”  “Took credit for” are the operative words.  He has used that phrase many times in the past.  The FBI was quite certain that the Weatherman group were responsible for many other bombings, including, in all probability, the bombing of the Berkeley Resident Agency on March 27^th, 1975.   An Agent, who was stationed in the office, could have easily been killed that night.  The Red Guerilla Family publicly took credit for that bombing.  A group unknown to us.  The case was never solved, but we strongly believed the Weatherman or their immediate affiliates were behind it.

In the interview, Ayers stated how corrupt and violent the Chicago Police were and currently are; that they torture suspects to get confessions.  On the other hand, he said, in his smirky, self-riotous way, that he “hangs out” and chats with police officers at the local coffee shops in the neighborhood.  My advice to the Chicago Police is your reputation is already less than stellar.  So, ‘Stop hanging out with a domestic terrorist, and spend more time helping your honest citizenry.’  Furthermore, ‘Stop torturing confessions out of people.’  For those who don’t appreciate sarcasm, I don’t actually believe the Chicago PD tortures people.  However, I do wonder about the IQ of their officers who find it good fun to hang out with Ayers.

I wish that Kelly would have asked Ayers if he would be willing to take a polygraph regarding some of the statements he made during the recorded interview.  Just to set the record straight.

This might surprise some of you, but the part that bothered me the most was how Ayers continues to denigrate the American military and those who served honorably, particularly in Vietnam.  I would ask Ayers, what is wrong with you?  At least, let that part of your rhetoric die-away.  It so obviously demonstrates your sociopathic personality – no empathy.  What about the families who lost loved-ones in Vietnam?  Can’t you at least allow those families something, some peace, some semblance of pride?  Have you no shame?  Of course, I know the answer to that.

Bill, you suggested that a monument, perhaps more than one monument, be erected to honor American military deserters; that they were, in fact, the true heroes.  Your Vietnam deserter brother, the one you called a war hero, is he as nutty as you?  Does he consider himself a war hero?  And, does mental illness run in your family?

I’m sure you got ‘laid’ many times as a member of the Weatherman.  It sort of went with the territory didn’t it?  So, I guess it paid-off for you.  But, time moves on little buddy.  Even Bernardine has, I’m sure, grown tired of you long ago.  And, she is not the only one.

Post Script:  One last thing.  I don’t happen to believe that Barrack Obama’s 'friendship / acquaintance / barely-knew-him' relationship with Ayers is a big deal.  We all know that most politicians would willingly lie down in a bed of snakes if it would help them get votes.

True Nelson

Megyn Kelly's Interview of Bill Ayers / Part 2

Well, I watched the second part of Megyn Kelly’s interview of Bill Ayers.  It was much of the same.

I was particularly disappointed in the comments of the two formerly undercover FBI Agents; especially, Willie Reagan, who seemed completely ill-prepared to appear on television.  I tend to fault the production crew.  Although, maybe I’m wrong about that.  Willie didn’t appear to understand Kelly’s questions and mostly rambled incoherently, unable to make a single point in his allotted time.  Did the production company brief him on the questions to be asked and that the on-air time would be limited?  Was not he asked to keep his answers succinct, straightforward, and informative?  Did he disregard the production crew’s advice?  Disappointing.

When in Berkeley, in the 70s, I handled (was the contact Agent) for a ‘beard,’ as they were referred to at the time.  In that capacity, I attended meetings with Reagan and other undercover Agents.  Reagan was something of a legend.  However, during my meeting with him and others, I was not that impressed.  I later commented to the Agent that I was handling that Willie has been ‘under’ too long.  Nonetheless, Reagan did, allegedly, obtain some good information, and endured some very difficult and stressful times.  If he now suffers from some sort of post-traumatic issue, I wouldn’t be surprised.

I must say that Megyn Kelly did a pretty good job.  Bill Ayers has been preparing for decades to answer all the tough questions.  Megyn Kelly had to commit much of her information to memory to sustain a rapid fire interview.  I commend her efforts.  She must be a very smart cookie.

True Nelson

Megyn Kelly's Interview of Bill Ayers / 6-30-14 / The Kelly File

I watched the interview of Bill Ayers by Megyn Kelly.  It was on at 6:00PM on the West Coast (The Kelly File, Fox network).  I thought she did a very good job and seemed well-prepared.  The second half of the interview is on tomorrow.

Bill Ayers is, of course, very adept at justifying his political and social beliefs.  After all, he’s been doing it for the last forty years.  I think he must be feeling that he is nearing the end of the road, as many of us do, and that he needs to put a shine on his legacy – hence the books and the interviews.

As a former FBI Agent who was in the 70’s assigned to the Weatherman Squad in San Francisco, it aggravates me that he is able to have this public forum to continue his self-promoting lies – lies that he has repeatedly told and polished for decades.  More importantly, I think Kelly’s interview, although she certainly tried, will not have altered a single person’s point-of-view.  That is pretty clear to me based on the people that I know.

For those in the military and law enforcement that Ayers has oft-maligned, and for those the Weatherman harmed, I’m sorry; but it’s time for us to realize that no one really cares anymore.  And, when the final chapter is written, we will be forgotten and Bill Ayers will live on – a hero to some and a great intellect to others.  Such is life.

True Nelson

Megyn Kelly Interviews Bill Ayers, Kelly Files, 6PM, 6-30-14 (the Fox Network)

I’m encouraging my readers to watch Megyn Kelly’s interview of Bill Ayers at 6PM, PDT, 6/30/2014 (Fox Network).  I’ve seen a preview and it should be interesting.  I hope she nails the little twerp.

I realize that some of my best friends are Liberals; and that they tend to avoid Fox whenever possible.  But, just this once, for me, and old friend, tune-in.  What can it hurt?

I was a member of the FBI’s Weathermen Squad, assigned to the Berkeley Resident Agency in the 70s.  I invite you to click on the following hyperlink.

I think you will find some of my personal observations and experiences to be good background for subsequently viewing Megyn Kelly’s interview.

http://trueattrue.blogspot.com/2013/10/bill-ayers-american-dissident-or.html

Thanks for joining me at 6PM, Monday evening.

True Nelson

Darrion Holiwell, Criminal and Corrupt Cop / King County Sheriff's Office (Seattle, WA) / Part 2

Which brings me to the point that I would principally like to make.

I believe that the final disposition, for Darrion Holiwell, and the other departmental personnel involved, will be relatively minor.  Why?  Because the Sheriff will try to minimize the severity of the issue to protect the department and his own reputation as an administrator.  The King County Sheriff, John Urquhart, should be, I suppose, offered some slack in that he has been the Sheriff for less than one year.  But, he has been a member of said Sheriff’s Office for decades.  That he had no knowledge of Holiwell’s dubious behavior over the last many years, is really hard to accept.

When I was in corporate security for a major company, I investigated an embezzlement which occurred at one of our facilities.  The Purchasing Agent was responsible for the theft – and the inquiry reflected that no one else, with the company, was involved or had knowledge of the theft.  I remember the subsequent telephone conference call with the CEO of our company.  I sat in an office with the Mill Manager, and listened to the CEO’s directives.  He said he had read my report and thought about it.  As a result, the Purchasing Agent was to be terminated and I was to coordinate my findings with local law enforcement to ascertain whether or not prosecution was indicated.  We all agreed.  Secondly, the CEO directed that the Mill’s Controller / Accountant be terminated.  I attempted to interject that there was no indication whatsoever that the Accountant was aware of the misappropriation.  However, the CEO cut me off.  ‘Mr. Nelson,’ he said, ‘it doesn’t matter to me whether or not the accountant was aware of the theft.  It was his job to be aware.  He was the supervisor.  He is to be terminated.’  I saw the look on the Mill Manager’s face.  He was thinking that he might be next.  That did not occur – at least at that particular moment.  And, would have been, of course, something the CEO probably wouldn’t have done in my presence.

My question here is who was supervising Holiwell?  How many others were involved or knew what was going on, but did nothing?  These factors will be exposed in court in excruciating detail in any subsequent trial.  Therefore, a trial of Holiwell is one of the last things the Sheriff wants to see.

I think Holiwell will be fired or more likely resign.  He may be asked to make some sort of restitution.  If there is a conviction, it will be for a misdemeanor.  I think Holiwell will not serve any serious jail time.  The Sheriff will make some meaningless personnel reassignments within the department (a smoke screen).  The issue will drag-on for a period of time until the public generally loses interest.  The smoke will clear.  Business as usual.

True Nelson

Darrion Holiwell, criminal and corrupt cop / King County Sheriff’s Office (Seattle, WA)

We see this sort of thing happen too often.  Another corrupt cop, Darrion Holiwell, age 49, a deputy with King County in Washington (Seattle) has been charged with a major theft from his employer, using and distributing illegal drugs (to include steroids), and promoting a prostitution business involving his wife.  Holiwell is currently being held in the King County Jail with bail set at $150,000.

In the grand scheme of criminal endeavors, Holiwell’s alleged crimes aren’t that big of a deal.  Crime-wise, his offenses are undistinguished.  He is in the same league as countless other two-bit criminals.  Nonetheless, he portends to be a police officer; and he has betrayed the public trust.  If convicted, he deserves to be made an example and should receive the commensurate punishment; a punishment, so to speak, on steroids.

Holiwell has apparently been involved in thefts and other crimes for quite some time.  But, reportedly, this all came as a big surprise to the Sheriff and his supervisory staff.  The cat was let out of the bag when Holiwell’s wife started talking to one of Holiwell’s previous wives about her current abuse at the hands of Deputy Holiwell.  The prior wife reported that conversation to someone she knew at the Sheriff’s Office – and an inquiry was belatedly initiated.  As they might say, at that point, the stuff hit the fan.

This reminded me of a case, years back, when I was a deputy sheriff.  The SO arrested five or six men for Statutory Rape, later reduced to Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.  It involved a fifteen-year-old girl.  I happened to see the girl in the office on one occasion.  She certainly didn’t look fifteen – somewhat older – but that is, under law, not particularly relevant.  One of the men arrested was a member of the local police department.  The others were mostly young men in their late teens or early twenties.

Each of the young men ultimately was convicted and received probation.  The cop, on the other hand, upon conviction, was sentenced to three years in the Oregon State Penitentiary.  As I recall the judge lectured the police officer on ‘trust’ and that law enforcement officers should always be held to a higher standard or suffer the consequences.  It is an imperative that the public has trust in their law enforcement personnel.  And, in fact, for law enforcement personnel, it is sometimes not enough to be honest – the public must also perceive them to be honest, which requires a higher level of personal conduct.

Most current and former law enforcement personnel have honored that trust; but many have not.  For those criminally inclined cops, the consequences should be severe, and in the above described instance (for the police officer) they were.

However, I wanted to make another point; perhaps, a more important consideration in the King County Sheriff’s Office investigation.

To be continued…

True Nelson

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl / This Veteran's Opinion (Part 2)

One of the positive aspects of having a blog is that, occasionally, your comments strike a chord with a reader; and they, in turn, offer their own opinion – which I always welcome.

Regarding Bowe Bergdahl, ‘Anonymous’ made the following points:

Point #1:  Her husband was a “Marine Scout in Vietnam,” fought in many battles, came home injured – and he does not agree with my assessment of what Bergdahl’s final punishment or disposition should be – that it should be much more severe – and that he considers Berdahl’s acts to be desertion in time of war, and probably treason.  The former Marine feels that Bergdahl should, at minimum, spend significant time in prison.

Point #2:  Anonymous said that she has a problem with the trade for Bergdahl; the five for one swap, that she was bothered by trading five “Muslim Extremists” for Bergdahl.  Although, she seemed to agree that it is a good thing that Bergdahl has been ‘recovered’ from the Muslim extremists.  Furthermore, she expressed concern that the extremists seemed to have dictated the circumstances of Bergdahl’s release from captivity.

Anonymous, I hope I was able to summarize your principal points.  For those who wish to read the entire comment from this lady, they can read it under my earlier post on Bergdahl.

But, here are my thoughts…

Your husband is probably right.  Perhaps, my recommendation was a little lenient under the circumstances.  Moreover, additional information, aggravating information, seems to be materializing on almost a daily basis.  Now, believe it or not, Hollywood is planning to make a movie about Bergdahl’s life and adventures.  It kind of makes one sick to their stomach; especially in that almost none of the Hollywood types have ever served in the military and the movie is sure to be a sympathetic rendition.

OK, in my initial post on this subject, I attempted to skirt the political aspects of this case; but they may be becoming increasingly relevant.  I swallowed hard when Susan Rice, the President’s National Security Advisor, described Bergdahl’s military service in Afghanistan as him having served “with honor and distinction.”  Ms. Rice is, in my opinion, little more than the President’s ‘groupie.’  Yes, I know she’s smart.  But, look at her closely.  She is a ‘Stepford’ politician (remember the motion picture, The Stepford Wives which was based on a novel by Ira Levin).  So, we shouldn’t be shocked by what Susan Rice has simply been programed to say.

Regarding the five-for-one trade, that’s no surprise.  Western countries are always on the short-end when it comes to trading prisoners.  Why?  Maybe, it’s because we value life more than they do.  Look at the Israelis, they sometimes trade hundreds of prisoners for the return of one of theirs.  In this instance, maybe the Muslim extremists currently sense American weakness or vulnerability.

Anonymous, historically speaking, as your husband may recall, President Carter, in 1977, pardoned hundreds-of-thousands of ‘draft dodgers,’ as well as approximately 1000 military deserters.  So, it is very likely that if there is too much pushback directed at Bergdahl, President Obama will jump in with a sugar-coated pardon of his own.

For me, personally, I wish it would just go away.  I would like Bergdahl to return to Hailey, Idaho; and that I’d never hear about him again.  Will he live out the remainder of his life in disgrace?  No, I doubt it.  This country swims in apologists who will continue to rationalize the actions of ‘deserters’ or other serious criminal offenders.  Now there is an increasing political movement to give voting rights back to convicted felons and current prisoners.  After all, they have political opinions too and an inalienable right to participate (attempt at sarcasm).  (Incidentally, this challenge is mostly pushed forward by Democrats.  Surprised?  Well, statistics show that criminals, when not otherwise occupied, predominantly vote Democrat.)

‘Honor and distinction,’ ‘right and wrong,’ ‘harmful actions should warrant severe consequences,’ are concepts that have already been nearly rationalized out of existence.  I’m not sure what the words even mean anymore.  Maybe, they actually mean nothing?  It just depends.  Everything is relative and subject to a nuanced interpretation.  Right?  Am I as guilty of this as the next guy?  Yes, I probably am.

True Nelson