My thoughts on courage: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School & Scot Peterson, the School Resource Officer

I have some comments regarding the shooting, February 14^th, at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

I've been thinking about the terms 'courage' and 'cowardice;' and Scot Peterson (School Resource Officer and a Broward County Deputy Sheriff) who reportedly failed to act in an effort to neutralize the killer Nikolas Cruz.

Deputy Peterson has been mercilessly criticized by innumerable people, including the President of the United States, for his (Peterson's) perceived cowardice in his delay and the failure to engage Cruz before the shooter could kill other students and faculty.

I can't specifically address Peterson's actions or lack there of. I don't know all the details. I'm aware there was a lot of confusion, lack of information, a break down in the command and control system, a fire alarm was blaring; and Peterson reportedly hesitated – uncertain what to do. There were, subsequently, 17 deaths and 17 non-fatal injuries. Some children and faculty might have been saved if Peterson had entered the building – and, at the very least, drawn the attention of Cruz.

I must say, that if I was the parent of a child killed or injured, I'm not sure that I could ever forgive Peterson. Whether or not that sentiment would be properly directed, I'm not certain. Many could / should share the blame including the FBI - and many others not prominently identified are potentially at fault.

But, this is about courage. I guess I object, perhaps am disheartened, that so many are quick to call Peterson a coward. Moreover, the loudest voices are usually those with the least credibility, those who have never been really tested. The most cringe-worthy individual, condemning Peterson as a “coward,” was President Trump – who, let's be honest here, has probably never done anything remotely courageous in his entire life – unless you are willing to include public speaking in your assessment. And, before you write me off as just another kook, one of those liberals searching for a way to criticize the President, I'm actually fairly conservative and agree with many of Trump's policies. However, as we know, President Trump isn't one to be particularly circumspect about his comments, even when those comments might be needlessly hurtful.

A rhetorical question: Would those who have been personally involved in the most dangerous imaginable combat or arrest situations criticize a fellow participant or comrade if they hesitated or froze at a critical moment? Perhaps, in a constructive way. But, would they call him a 'coward?' I don't think so. All of us have a point where we will break – doesn't matter who you are. Those who have true, even what is perceived to be unlimited, courage in the face of death understand this better than anyone.

I understand that Peterson had been 'trained' in what to do during a school shooting. Yes, I suppose. How good that training was, in view of what occurred, well... it's doubtful.

My son is in law enforcement and has received recent training in school shooting scenarios. From my perspective, the training has been simplified and rightfully so. Advance orders have been given.

'The orders are go, go, go! Don't worry about a perimeter, backup, coordinating with headquarters, etc. Even if you are on your own, you enter and attempt to engage the shooter.  Good luck and God bless.  Those are your orders.'

True Nelson

Robert Mueller, James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page: How Long to Live This Down?

My previous post about James Comey was perhaps too succinct; perhaps too flip.  We’re all getting tired of this.  I understand.  But, I’d like to elaborate just a little on Comey and others.

James Comey:  Maybe many in the public don’t see it; but Comey appears chokingly sweet.  Whoa, what?  Listen to him.  He projects this little boy wide-eyed innocence – ‘feel sorry for me’ – ‘don’t be so mean.’  It just goes on and on.  He never stops.  Yes, Trump was unprofessional in the way he terminated Comey.  That’s Trump.  OK, but please Mr. Comey stop whining about it.

Robert Mueller:  Didn’t think it at the time, but former (perhaps current) FBI Agents must now wish that the ‘Special Counsel,’ investigating the so-called ‘Russian Collusion Probe,’ was anyone but a former FBI Director. Mueller reportedly had a remarkable career in the FBI.  But, presently, he is getting too much, often negative, exposure; and this does not bode well for the Bureau’s reputation.  His dead-pan countenance.  Has anyone ever seen him smile?  The plodding, directionless nature of this Russian Collusion inquiry.  Please Mr. Mueller just get on with it.  How about just a formalized statement of what you’re investigating, and where you’re going?  A prima facie case perhaps.  Yes, you’ve got a couple of indictments.  But, explain the relevance.  Is it just to get one person to ‘rat-out’ another?  When Director of the FBI, you would have chewed-out any Agent who morphed into some kind of dream state with no discernable end-game in an important case.  When I was in the FBI, we had to post active investigations on a monthly basis – with stated progress.  What about your guys?  Are you pushing hard enough?  Can you give us a hint where you are going with this?

Andrew McCabe:  Well, he was ‘fired’ as we all know – for ‘being less than candid’ (lying) during an FBI official interview.  And, yes his FBI retirement will be somewhat impacted; but he will still get a federal retirement; and he will be better off in that regard than most of us.  Some media giant or major corporation will give him a top, exceedingly overpaid, corporate security position.  It will be interesting to see if the Former Agents' Society will accept his application.  That may depend on whether or not he spends time in prison – usually a reason for rejection.

Peter Strzok and Lisa Page:  I’m sorry to say that their names, thanks to the internet, will live in infamy – much like Monica Lewinsky.  If I was Mr. Strzok, I would already be at my local courthouse applying for a name change.  Lisa will marry someday, maybe, and have her name changed – but certainly not to Strzok.  All I can say is what were you two thinking to be communicating, in the manner you did, over a government system?

Can the rarified air of top management in the FBI give one the impression that they are above the mundane; and therefore immune from criticism, from consequences?  Sorry, just bad luck that Trump was elected.  Of course, Hillary would have let it slide.  Trump, damn, who would have thought?

True Nelson

Comey / previous comments

James Comey, former Director of the FBI, a Big Sissy

James Comey, former Director of the FBI... fired by President Trump.

“Everybody’s talking at me / I don’t hear a word they’re saying / Only the echoes of my mind."

Harry Nilsson           or perhaps James Comey

Because I was once in the FBI, I'd estimate that I am about ten percent more interested than the average citizen in recent events involving James Comey.

So, what do I think…

I didn’t like how Comey was fired by Trump – just was handled very poorly.  On the other hand, it was undeniably justified.  I’m not going to rehash my opinion on that.  See hyperlink below.

And now, all of Comey’s interviews, his book tour, his rationalizations as to whether or not a ‘leak’ is actually a ‘leak?’  And, how suddenly his ‘leak’ to the New York Times (through a friend) has evolved into nothing more than an entry in his (Comey’s) personal diary? Say what?  Obscure, convoluted don’t you think?  I do.  Believable?  I don’t think so.

I never worked for James Comey.  But, through the grapevine, he was reportedly well liked in the Bureau.

And now, what do they (former and current Agents) think of him?  It is damage control - as far as I can tell.

What do I think of him?  Well...

Quite frankly, the more he talks, the more he rationalizes, the more he just sounds and acts like a big sissy, a cry baby.  Plain talk here. This will be his legacy.  We’ll see if he actually ends up going to jail.  I hope not.  Why?  Well, in part, he’s a big sissy.  As you know, that'd be tough.

True Nelson

FBI Director James Comey; His Termination Justified: Yes  5-12-17

"Before You Know It" a book by John Bargh, Phd

I occasionally recommend a book I’ve read, but this is not one of those occasions.  John Bargh, PhD, latest effort is ‘Before You Know It /The unconscious reasons we do what we do.’  Well, I got through about 50 pages or so.  The introduction was rather interesting.  Then…

Maybe, I’m overly sensitive.  But, Bargh quickly launched into his half-baked assertion that liberals are genetically programed to be more unafraid, (courageous) if you will, than those who are more politically inclined to be conservative.  He has based his findings on a dubious lab experiment involving volunteers, presumably college students, who were asked to imagine they had super-powers which precluded them from harm.  I know, it does sound silly.  It is.  It’s ridiculous.

The immediate question that came to my mind was:  Dr. Bargh, in your whole life, and as a self-avowed political liberal, what have you ever done that was the least bit courageous?

Some quotes regarding his experiences:

“New York was overwhelming to me:  so many people, so much traffic, so much going on to pay attention to.”  “One morning, I stepped out of my office building, wended my way through the crowds on the street, looking in every direction at street crossings…”  “… often needed to react to dangerous situations immediately.”  “I benefited from these unconscious skills firsthand when I stepped off a curb on the way back to my apartment, and was nearly hit by a bicycle whizzing the wrong way down that one way street.”  “Reflexive, automatic mechanisms (or instincts) for physical safety had protected me…”

Yes, indeed, this guy knows about dangerous situations and courage.  My gosh, he could have been hit by a bicycle.

Well, I don’t have a PhD.  Although, I have experienced danger and have witnessed first-hand what I consider to be real courage.  And, I do have my life experiences to draw upon – not merely some lab experiment involving confused, immature college kids.

Furthermore, my son has spent a career in military ‘Special Ops.’  And, I’ve met several of his friends in like capacity.  They know danger, of that I can assure you.

Isn’t it interesting that those in law enforcement and those in the military who have faced actual, life-threatening danger and incredible sacrifice are, for the most part, politically conservative?  If, in some way, these particular individuals can appear occasionally wary or guarded, isn’t it possible that they know more about potential danger than some college student.

And, isn’t it possible that these same individuals, upon dodging a bicycle would not even give it a second thought?  Much less include in their memoirs.

True Nelson

'A Message to Garcia' – a little book - a must read.

Andrew Rowan

My son, a retired military officer, asked if I had read a ‘small’ book by Elbert Hubbard called “A Message to Garcia.”  He loaned me a copy (originally published in 1899) and stated that said book had been reprinted more times than any other book – with the possible exception of the Bible.

Well, that intrigued me because to the best of my recollection I had not only never read it, but also had not heard of it.  The book is about Lieutenant Andrew Rowan (1857 – 1943) and a dangerous mission he was given by President William McKinley (during the Spanish American War) to deliver a critical message to General Calixto Garcia, a leader of the guerilla fighters in Cuba that were friendly to the United States.

I did some research; and it is true that the book has been reprinted tens-of-thousands of times, perhaps millions.  The account of Lieutenant Rowan’s military accomplishment in the book was somewhat less than accurate, but his efforts reportedly were courageous nonetheless.  Such is the genesis of legend.

I read the book three times to insure that I understood the book's meaning, its ‘message.’  That didn’t take long.  As noted above, it was a small book.

The copy loaned to me had a section titled “Publisher’s Note,” and another section titled “Apologia” which was written by Hubbard and in which he explained how he came to write “A Message to Garcia.”  Both sections were important from a contextual perspective.

The actual physical ‘message’ or communique delivered by Rowan, if known, is not particularly relative.  The manner in which Rowan delivered the ‘message’ was the story.  However, if you’re looking for a detailed account of how Lieutenant Rowan surreptitiously entered Cuba, how he navigated the rugged Cuban mountains, evaded capture by the enemy and ultimately located General Garcia, you will be disappointed.

The book is, to sum up, about ‘grit’ or in other words, strength of character.  The story reflects the stoic manner in which Lieutenant Rowan accepted the dangerous mission, reportedly without reservations or question.

And then, Hubbard goes on to expand the theme for the potential benefit of each us – whether our superiors / employers are in the military or industry - or the neighborhood grocery.

"I know one man of really brilliant parts who has not the ability to manage a business of his own, and yet is absolutely worthless to anyone else, because he carries with him constantly the insane suspicion that his employer is oppressing him or intending to oppress him.  He cannot give orders, and will not receive them.  Should a message be given him to take to Garcia, his answer would probably be, Take it yourself!"

True Nelson

The Motion Picture ‘THE POST’ starring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep. I don’t plan to see it. My thoughts.

There seems to be a lot of generated buzz about the new motion picture, ‘The Post.’  I do like Tom Hanks in almost anything he does, but I just don’t think so – not this time.  I’ll save my nine or ten bucks.

The movie is about, what has come to be called, the Pentagon Papers.  This story was exploding about the time I was becoming a new FBI Agent – 1971.  I had just left military service.

Even the premise for the movie, whether or not the New York Post should publish top secret classified documents misappropriated (stolen) by Daniel Ellsberg (a Vietnam anti-war activist) in their newspaper, is less than factual.  The story regarding the Pentagon Papers was originally published in the New York Times and the New York Times received a Pulitzer Prize for their journalistic efforts.

What were the Pentagon Papers about?  In summary, it documented how the U.S. government, under various Presidents (Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon) lied to the American people about motives for the war, military conditions relevant to the war to include personnel losses and mission miscalculations.

Is this a movie review?  No.  That would require me seeing the movie.

I just want to say that said movie is apparently one more creative effort to make a considerable profit; as well as to minimize (perhaps unintentionally), the sacrifices made by our military.

If you watched Ken Burns’ ‘Vietnam’ on PBS, you’ve pretty much heard the whole story.  Yes, many in the military died in vain.  Yes, the government lied to all of us; and many American soldiers, as well as innumerable Vietnamese; died needlessly.  But this does not in any way diminish the courage, sacrifice, honor and bravery of our military personnel who were killed or suffered grievous injuries.  Let’s all remember that.  Does the motion picture community still have to make more money off of this?

Moreover, I don’t particularly want to have to hear how courageous the management at the Washington Post were back then - as depicted by Hanks and Streep.  For ‘gosh sakes,’ the story had already been in the New York Times.

Cliff Hanger:  Will the Post be sued?  Will they have to go to jail?  Nope.  Now you know the ending.  The movie is simply contrived nonsense.

True Nelson

Russian Interference in U.S. Presidential Election! “Where’s the beef?”

You know what really gets me is the media continually going on and on about the Russian interference in our Presidential election; but they never seem to mention precisely how the Russians interfered.  As an investigator, I always look for the elements of the crime; elements that can be clearly articulated.  I try to pay attention to the media, but it’s like clarity isn’t an issue for them – ‘just take our word for it, it happened.’

Well, I tried to research it.  And, the best I could find was:

• ‘The cyber-theft of private data.’  Not clear what this was, or who was involved.  Perhaps, they are referring to the DNC breach (Democratic National Committee). 
• ‘The placement of propaganda against particular candidates.’  Not clear here, at least not spelled out.  I suppose they are talking about Hillary Clinton I guess – but what propaganda are they referring to, and anyway Hillary was her own worst enemy in placing classified information on her private server, etc.; which we all know now was a crime – to which her best defense was ignorance.  Yes, right.
• ‘Russians placed fake news on social media.’  Well, they certainly are not the only ones; and exactly how stupid do the Russians think we are?
• ‘Russians attempted to get into computer systems of local elections officials around the country.’  Apparently, they were unsuccessful in affecting the voting, but nonetheless not good.  Bad Russians. 

That said, isn’t it a given that the Russians, the Chinese, the North Koreans, the Iranians et al are trying to hack our governmental and industrial systems?  Is not it our responsibility to adequately protect this information?  And, does not our CIA do the same in targeting those countries?  We’re not that naïve are we?  Really?

This reminds me of that old Wendy’s commercial (1984).  You might remember it.  This older woman walks into a fast food joint, something called ‘Big Bun Burger.’  She was served this giant bun, looks inside and loudly proclaims:  “Where’s the beef?”

Isn’t this what we are being fed by the media – a giant bun?  Isn’t this what we should ask ourselves every time the media brings up ‘Russian interference?’  Where’s the beef?

Incidentally, the older lady that used that Wendy’s catchphrase so effectively was Clara Peller (1902-1987), manicurist and sometimes actor.

True Nelson