A Tale of Two 9/11's

 As I slowly pulled myself out of last night's slumber, I was overcome with a rush of emotion that transported me back to a morning nineteen years ago. The images of my American brothers and sisters who senselessly suffered on that day are forever ingrained in my mind. On the morning of 9/11/01, I stared at the TV screen in disbelief as all of  tragic events of unfolded....

I remember a seeing a stunned businessman, covered in soot and ash, walking unsteadily down a New York side street. Chaos ensued around him as a white cloud loomed in the not-so-far distance. The businessman showed up for work that morning not realizing that today would be the worst day of his life. As much as he tried, he could not shake the thought that this was just a bad dream. Sadly, he would slowly come to realize that he was fully awake.

I can recall seeing first responders unselfishly moving into harm's way as they desperately tried to direct people away from Ground Zero. Firefighters, carrying heavy gear, trudged up the smoky stairwells of the buildings. Tragically, they did not know what awaited them. But they moved forward anyway. They were determined to save as many lives as possible. Sadly, most of those brave heroes would never come out.

I was horrified to see people jumping from the upper windows of the building. 

"This can not be real", I thought. Can you imagine how torturous it must have been to make a decision like this? My mind went numb knowing that this was happening and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

New York City police officers tried their best to control the panic. As they attempted to provide a sense of calm, ominous debris showered them from above. They did their best to provide an image of control even as the city was literally falling apart around them.

I recently learned that a mother of one of the fallen officers met with President Bush in the aftermath of 9/11. She handled the President the badge of her deceased son and told him to never forget what happened on that day. George W. Bush carried that badge in his pocket for the rest of his Presidency.

I took a tour of Ground Zero of a few years later. I fought back the tears as two 9/11 survivors retold their stories. It was so raw and personal. It could feel their pain, anger and desperation. I can not imagine what it was like to be right in the middle of things that day. Knowing that your friends and co-workers were trapped in those buildings was way too much for any human to bear. 

In the immediate days following 9/11 no one cared about your skin color or political affiliation. American flags were selling as fast as the stores could put them on their shelves. We flew that flag proudly as a symbol of American unity and resolve. There were plenty of tears shed and we were all hurting pretty badly. But we were in it together. We found comfort in knowing that somehow, some way, we would prevail. Because that's what Americans do!

Things are a bit different nineteen years later on this September 11. Sadly, we are no longer united. Racial tensions and political differences have deeply divided our great county. Instead of comforting each other, we now see fellow American attacking one another. Our brave police officers, who were viewed as super heroes on 9/11, are now having bricks and bottles hurled at them. And our beloved American flag, that once-upon-a-time symbol of unity and freedom, has somehow become controversial. Sadly, some Americans would rather burn the flag today than fly it proudly. No matter where you stand on any of this, I think we could all agree that we need to get back on track and become the United States again..

While it's important to figure out how we got here, it's more important to figure out how we move forward. Nineteen years might seem like a long time, but I can remember the events of 9/11 like they were yesterday. In the days that followed, I was never so proud to be an American. And I really think most people felt the same way. 

My hope is that we can get back to a point where we all share a love for our great country. Things might seem a bit unstable right now. But don't ever give up on America. Just as we did after 9/11, we will also prevail through these uncertain times...

kw

Washington Redskins - What's In A Name?

So, it's finally official....The Washington Redskins are no more. Well, at least the Redskins name is no more. Of course, the unconventional name drop has been in the works for many years. And since we're in the middle of the biggest political correctness storm ever, that poor Indian mascot never had a chance. Ironically, according to a poll released by the Washington Post in 2016, 90% of Native Americans were not bothered by the Washington football team's name.* But the nail in the coffin was when big money sponsors like Fedex and Nike backed the Redskin's owner into a corner and essentially gave him little choice to move forward with the name change.

So, with the latest development in DC, you know it's only a matter of time before other sports franchises like the Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Indians and Chicago Blackhawks are forced into that same corner.

With this being said, I can't help but wonder why other mascots are not being considered for retirement. For example, has anyone ever asked a bear how he feels about the city of Chicago using him as their football mascot? By the way, I've been to Chicago several times, and other than maybe the zoo, I don't recall any bear sightings out there. We really need to take a poll among the bears to get their take on all of this.

And what about the Dallas Cowboys? There is a current push to rename the John Wayne airport in Orange County, California due to some controversial comments that were recently dug up from an old Playboy interview. So, if The Duke, America's most renown cowboy goes down, it doesn't seem like the Dallas guys will have much of a chance.

The New Orleans Saints....is anyone being sensationalized by this one yet? I mean there's already supposed to be a separation between Church and State. Will someone demand that the same separation be extended to the NFL? And let's not forget that Drew Brees is QB for the Saints. He's already been in hot water recently for saying that he's proud of his flag and would never kneel during the anthem. Think about that.....the guy had to apologize for loving his country!

And on that note, you also have the New England Patriots. In today's cancel culture, can a name associated with the American Revolution really still exist? For that matter, can anything pro-American still exist? Fast-forwarding a couple hundred years, modern day conservatives are often referred to as patriots. When word of this spreads, there will be surely be calls to change the name. Aside from all of this, how ironic is it for a patriot to take a knee during America's National Anthem? It's just too much contrast to handle...

Yeah, I know I'm being a bit facetious and these ideas might sound crazy. But with some of the recent suggestions that I've heard, nothing would surprise me anymore. For example, there has also been talk about changing the name of Washington DC. So, it's possible that the team formerly known as the Redskins might also be playing for a new city before it's all over...


kw


* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Redskins_name_controversy

Independence Day 2020

"Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today
Is a day of reckoning.
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay
It's Independence Day."
                                       - Martina McBride


As we prepare to celebrate America's 244th birthday, there's no doubt that this one will be a bit different. Along with with ongoing the COVID restrictions, we are also dealing with rebellious protests across the country.

Amazingly, on a day where we should all be coming together and celebrating the greatness of America, there will likely be crowds of people burning flags and trying to convince us that America's not so great. The first responders, who never get enough credit in my opinion, will be working hard to deal with the inevitable chaos that will ensue. These folks work hard and put their lives on the line every day for us. But still, there are calls to defund or even abolish the police departments around the country.

The division in our country today is heartbreaking. Yes, there is always room for improvement. But we should be working together instead of beating each other up. Maybe we should try to see what we have in common first. And then we can have a civil discussion on how to resolve our differences. One thing, hopefully, that we can all agree on is that we're all Americans. Let's start there and see where it goes....

Today, I will be relishing in the fact that I was born in the greatest country in the world. I will be thinking about all of the sacrifices that were made (and are continuing to be made) to make America what it is. If I happen to hear the Star Spangled Banner today, I will mentally transport myself back to 1814 where I will watch the fireworks with Francis Scott Key at Fort McHenry. I will also remember America's greatest generation for saving the world during the Second World War. I will remember our first responders who selflessly rushed into those Twin Towers on 9/11. And I will remember all of those great Americans who have ever worn the uniform of the US military. America is forever in your debt.

If you don't happen to agree with everything I've said, that's ok. After all, we're in America and it's our right to disagree. But as we move forward, don't ever give up on America. We've come too far to turn back now. Wishing all of my American brothers and sisters a very safe and happy July 4th!

kw

Coronavirus - The Resurgence

So, just when we thought we were coming out of the other side of the COVID woods, we now find out there there's a new surge of cases. Places that had previously started the re-opening process are now backtracking and shutting things down again.

Now, lets back up a few weeks. While we were still being told to practice social distancing and to wear masks when in crowds, thousands of protestors gathered in the streets all over America. While some of them did indeed don facemasks, it seemed to be a futile gesture considering that they were literally rubbing elbows with fellow protestors.

When this all started to transpire, the first thought that entered my mind was, "Watch, there's going to be a spike in COVID cases in a few weeks..."

Well, I don't consider myself Nostradamus. But yet here we are, a few weeks later with a spike in COVID cases! Imagine that!

The amazing thing about the recent spike is that the media will not even suggest that the protests had anything to do with it. And to add to the drama, the initial onset of COVID cases were largely affecting senior citizens and individuals who had compromised immune systems. But we are now seeing a spike in young healthy adults. Hmm, and what age group has been participating in the protesting and other miscellaneous mob-based activity?

While some states like Florida and Texas are rolling back their re-opening processes, nothing is being said to discourage the random gatherings in the name of protest. I would like someone to explain to me how the COVID infection rate differs between a gathering of people in bar or restaurant versus a gathering of people at a statue demolition. And don't give me any bullshit about the indoor versus outdoor scenario. When mobs of "peaceful protestors" were looting liquor stores and other fine shopping establishments, they were also indoors and not particularly abiding by the standard social-distancing rules.

In my home state of Maryland, at last check, restaurants are currently allowed to conduct indoor dining at 50% capacity with tables being at least 6 feet part. Just curious, what are the rules when attending a police-bashing rally? I have been told of some restaurants being reported and cited for violating the social-distancing protocol. Has there been any enforcement or even criticism of large protests? Just so I'm clear, this has nothing to do with the protests themselves. I am strictly talking abut the number of people in a given space at the same time. Why the double standard?

Here's another wild idea (assuming that it's not already being done)....Maybe newly diagnosed COVID patients should be asked if they've attended a recent protest. That would at least give us an indication on whether the protests have contributed to the spike. But, of course, we'd be relying on honest feedback. And I'm not sure that's even possible anymore.....

kw

The Father's Day Cook-Out

When my Dad was still with us, we used to gather at his house every Father's Day for a family cook out. As I would pull up in the driveway, I would see my father beginning to methodically place the burgers and hot dogs onto the backyard grill. Sometimes, I think he purposely waited until he saw my car to do this because, like clockwork, he was at this same stage of  the "cooking" process every time I arrived for a cookout. He would greet me in his southern drawl by saying, "Hey Ken, how ya doin'? You wanna finish cooking these? I'm gonna go in the house and check on Linda." (Linda is my mother)

My Dad was a very frugal man. He could squeeze a quarter tight enough to make George Washington cry. As I tended to the meat on the grill, my Dad would eventually come back outside and tell me about the great deal that he got on the burgers and hot dogs. Sometimes, to back up his claims, he would head back into the house and return with a receipt. He would point out the regular price and then emphasize the discount that he got with the aid of his trusty coupons.

My Dad wasn't one to waste time or money with traditional ground beef either. He would always opt for the more economical, pre-made boxed burgers. In his later years, "Bubba Burgers" became his go-to brand. He would bring out a half-frozen box of these thing to me as I re-positioned the first run of meat on the grill. I would tell him that we already had plenty of food. But he always wanted to grill more just in case anyone wanted a second helping. 

Every now and then, my Dad would splurge and buy Nathan's all-beef hot dogs. This was a big deal for the family because we knew the mental struggle that he must have went thorough spending an extra buck on that pack of hot dogs. Listening to him talk up the "filet mignon of hot dogs" was priceless.

Sometimes, Dad would throw me a curve ball and bring out a tray of chicken. Now, I don't mind grilling burgers, hot dogs or even steak. But chicken has always been my weak spot. I almost always overcook it. In the end, it usually has the texture of chicken jerky (is that such a thing?). Anyway, Dad knew my about my grilling Archilles heel. So, he would point out that chicken thighs were easier to grill because they were "juicier". Of course, I knew the real reason that he opted for the the thighs was because they were considerably cheaper than the more coveted chicken breasts.

When the grilling was finished, I would pile everything onto a plate and head into the kitchen. There, I would find a table full of salads, cakes and a variety of other food sufficient enough to give the entire neighborhood a "second helping". We would all prepare our plates and find a place to sit in the cramped house. Usually with the Orioles playing on the TV in the background, we would talk about the current events of the world. My Dad would act as the moderator, walking around asking things like, "You alright? You need anything? How about some ice cream? I got a good deal on Edy's Mint Chocolate Chip. It was buy one get one free and plus I had a coupon. Anyway, there's about 10 gallons of it in the freezer. Go get ya some."

We would wind the day down, enjoying each others' company. As we prepared to leave, Dad would do his best to send everyone home with a large plate of leftover burgers, potato salad, etc. As we said our goodbyes, Dad would eventual catch us and thank us for coming. It was a special moment then but looking back on it now makes it even more cherished.

We all thought these gatherings with Dad would last forever. But like most good things, they eventually come to an end. Unfortunately, I'll never get to cook another Bubba Burger for my father. But I will always remember the joy and good times that I had with him in his back yard on Father's Day.

kw

Tension In Atlanta

While emotions are still smoldering over the death of George Floyd, we now have another police-involved killing of a black man in Atlanta. While the details are still being sorted out, the media is already building their own cases against the cops who were in involved. And the Atlanta police chief has already resigned.

So, in a nutshell, here's what we know about the actual incident so far.....

On Friday night, 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks pulled into a Wendy's drive-thru. At some point, he fell asleep in his car. Because he was blocking the drive-thru, a call was made to the police (by someone inside the Wendy's, I assume). When the police arrived, Brooks appeared to be intoxicated and was given a field sobriety test, which he failed. At some point after this, a struggle ensued between Brooks and the two officers. During the struggle, Brooks grabbed one of the officer's tasers/stun guns. Brooks then broke free and started to run across the Wendy's parking lot. During the pursuit, Brooks turned around and pointed the taser in the direction of the officers. The video appears to show the the taser being activated but I have not heard of the confirmation yet. This is when one of the officers fired several rounds at Brooks from which he ultimately died a short time later.

Protests ensued around the area of Brooks' death last night, The Wendy's restaurant was set on fire while protesters blocked the fire department's access. Maybe I'm naive but I don't see how destroying private property is accomplishing anything in these cases. The supporters of this destruction will argue that property can be replaced. They'll also say that the property owner should have insurance that will pay to rebuild it. To those who support this nonsense, would you feel the same if it was your home or business being torched? Would you crack a beer with the arsonists and sing Kumbaya around the makeshift campfire?

So, while the facts are still being sorted out, the officer who fired the bullets in this case has been fired. So much for that due process thing, huh? 

Ok, I get that the race implications can't be ignored. But just for a moment, if possible, let's take race completely out of this situation and ask some questions...

A drunk guy passes out in his car in the drive-thru lane of a fast-food restaurant. What was the restaurant supposed to do? Should they have just told other customers to drive around him? Should a social worker have been dispatched for a round of field counseling?

Once the guy failed the field sobriety tests, he was suspicious of driving under the influence and subsequently arrested. Should the police have just told him to not do it again and ask him nicely to move his car out of the drive-thru lane? Should they have offered him a cup of coffee and told him to be careful on his drive home? Who would be to blame if he killed someone on his drive home?

When the guy punched the cop, should the cop have just shook it off? Or maybe he should have warned the guy of the increased likelihood of a hand injury when punching someone in the head?

When the guy pointed the taser at the cops, should they have just taken the jolt like a piece of sizzling bacon? Ironically, six Atlanta cops were recently fired and charged with aggravated assault for using a stun gun in another recent incident. 

Hey look, I'm not trying to make light of this situation. After all, a guy died. I obviously don't know him personally but from what I understand, Brooks had three young daughters. He had just spent Friday getting one the children's nails done for her birthday. He was supposed to take her skating on Saturday. Sadly, he would never arrive to pick her up. And he never will again....

Folks, this isn't a black/white thing. This is a human thing. Don't let the media continue to divide us!

The tragedy of this particular situation is that it never needed to happen. The first mistake falls on Brooks himself for getting drunk and driving out to get a burger. The second mistake also falls on Brooks when he made the decision to fight with the police. And Brooks' third and most tragic mistake was pointing the stun gun at the cops. So, aside from what blame will ultimately fall on the police, Brooks had three opportunities to avoid being killed.

While police reform continues to be a major topic of discussion, I think something needs to be said on the way people (of any color) react when confronted by the police. Fighting with the police is never a good option. Don't set yourself up for a bad ending.

The cops in this situation were put in a bad spot. Maybe they did overreact. The jury is still out on that one. But when the adrenaline is running high and you feel threatened, the volatility of the situation increases exponentially. If we're going to try to fix these issues, we can't ignore the perspective from the cop's end. I'm not a psychologist so I'm not claiming to know the answers. But I think you need to consider all elements.

With all of this being said, I am certainly not condoning the shooting of Rayshard Brooks. I truly wish it never happened. And I truly wish that he would have gotten to take his daughter skating yesterday.....

kw

Minneapolis Burning

When I first saw the video of the murder of George Floyd, I knew things were going to get bad. Already dealing with a strained relationship between the police and the black community, here we have a white cop slowly suffocating a handcuffed black man on a crowded city street. It didn't long for the video to make it's rounds through the media and it immediately got everyone's attention.

Unlike many of the police-involved deaths in the past, there was not much debate on this one. Everyone, black and white, was saying the same thing: this was a straight-up murder. When a cop has a hand-cuffed guy on the ground and basically kneels on his carotid artery for several minutes, what else can you call it? This guy isn't a cop, he's a thug with a badge....

A few days later, the cop was arrested on third-degree murder charges. Many think that this is too light of charge. And I believe they have a valid point. Maybe second-degree murder might have been more appropriate, I dunno? But when legal teams come up with charges, especially in these high-profile cases, they are looking for a charge to will most likely hold up in court.

Commence the rage.....

Over the past few of nights, Minneapolis (the city where the Floyd murder took place), has taken a brutal beating at the hands of rioters (By the way, there is a big difference between protesters and rioters). Businesses, that were already reeling from the COVID shutdown, were looted and burned. The police building where the arrested officer was stationed was overtaken and burned.

In Atlanta, police cars were set on fire and the CNN headquarters was vandalized.

In Washington DC, an angry crowd threw bricks and bottles at Secret Service agents as they attempted to gain access to the White House.

A Philadelphia bike officer was ran over by a car during a protest.

Countless police vehicles were torched in New Year city while officers took a barrage of bricks and bottles. This is New York, people! These were the heroes of 9/11! And now we're throwing bricks at them? It's heartbreaking to see this....

I can understand the outrage over Mr. Floyd's senseless murder. But what is accomplished by burning down your own neighborhood? Yes, you are certainly getting people's attention. However, it's for all of the wrong reasons. The death of George Floyd is now being overshadowed by the lawlessness and destruction. What kind of message are you sending to America? If you're burning down buildings and throwing bricks at police, you're not a protester anymore, you're a domestic terrorist!

The problems lie deeper than anyone wants to talk about. Instead, we are led to believe that police departments consist mostly of rogue cops who systematically hunt and prey on black men. While one can certainly make the argument that this situation exists to some degree, the overwhelming majority of cops are decent people who put their lives on the line for use everyday.

So what do we do to fix the problem?

First off, we need the good cops to call out the bad cops. Yeah, I've heard about the thin blue line and all of that stuff. But when one of your fellow officers is literally killing a guy in front of you, you don't just stand there and watch him. You take action and make him stop!

And we need real black leaders, and not race hustlers, to step up and speak out about the absurdity of the random lawlessness following these incidents. And we need these same leaders to work directly with high-ranking police and community officials to rebuild these strained relationships. If you have a discussion with a room full of people who you agree with, the status-quo will likely be the result. However, if you have a conversation with someone you disagree with, you'll have a better chance of achieving progress.

And here's something that media likes to avoid: While these controversial police incidents only seem to only be happening in black communities, the statistics would prove otherwise. There are plenty of white deaths at the hands of police as well. In fact, there is actually quite a few more*. The media seem to be very selective on the stories that they run in the situations. They pit us against each other because they know it will inevitably get a reaction and thus boost ratings. Just something to think about...

We should all be equally outraged when people of any color are senselessly killed at the hands of the police. This is the 21st century, the division and hate need to stop. Let's ramp up the conversations and stop trying to destroy each other. I'm betting that George Floyd would agree....

kw

* https://www.statista.com/statistics/585152/people-shot-to-death-by-us-police-by-race/