The Cop and The Disruptive Student

So, as I'm sipping my initial cup of coffee yesterday morning, I catch a segment on the morning news which shows a scuffle between a South Carolina high school student and a police officer. This particular video appears to show the officer forcibly removing the female student from her desk. As she is pulled out of the chair, the desk topples over and the student is pulled to the front of the classroom where she is ultimately handcuffed. While, on the surface, I can see why the altercation might generate a "WTF reaction". But as we've come to expect, most of the media sources like to tap dance around what led up to the incident.

Sifting through various reports, this is my understanding of what preceded the "heinous" actions of the police officers. The student was playing on her cell phone instead of working on her class assignment. When the teacher instructed her to put the cell phone away, the student became unruly. The girl was then ordered to leave the classroom, which she refused to do. Since she was becoming a serious disruption to the class, the teacher called in a school administrator to intervene. The administrator also attempted to get the student to leave the classroom. But, again, she refused. As a last resort, the school resource officer was called in to take control of the situation. (Isn't it funny how the cell phone videos never seem to capture the prelude?)

So, once the cop shows up, the cell phones impulsively come out. And another negative police story is born.......

I was amazed at how the media has sensationalized the whole thing.  They described the cop as using a "choke hold" on the girl. They also reported that that the girl was "slammed" to the ground. I watched the video several times and didn't see it happen that way. If I hadn't seen the video for myself, I would have thought that the cop had body-slammed the girl WWE-style and then tossed her to the front of the class like an oversize corn-hole bag.

This whole situation could have been avoided if the student would have simply followed instructions. Her first option was to put her cell phone away. Option number two would have been to leave the class room after being instructed by the teacher. Option three would have been to leave the class room after being ordered by the administrator. And even when the officer was called in, the student had yet another option in standing up on her own. But, remaining defiantly consistent, she declined the fourth and final option.

So, for all of the police critics out there. what was the cop supposed to do? Should he have gotten down on his hands and knees and begged the kid to stand up? Perhaps he should have tried to bribe her with a Coke and a bag of Funyuns? Sorry folks, the police are in business to sustain and/or restore order. And, that's exactly what this cop did. He took control of the situation. The student set these wheels in motion, not the cop. But, never missing an opportunity to conjure up a story, the news media has added their predictable twist and jump started the anti-police crusade. They have transformed a disruptive brat into the latest poster child for police "brutality".

And we're not done yet. There are racial implications on this one too. Wow, I could have never saw that one coming! Since the the student is black and the officer is white, the race hustlers are now jockeying for position. There is already a federal civil rights investigation under way. Reverend Al, you'd better wake up or you're gonna be late to the party!

The question I've been hearing over and over again is: What if it was your daughter being "slammed" by that cop? First off, she wasn't slammed. Secondly, this is like asking Ted Bundy's mother how she felt about her son frying in the electric chair. I understand that it's hard to be objective when you (or your child) is directly involved in an extraordinary event. But with that being said, my daughter (if I had one) would not have gotten herself into that situation because I would have taught her better. The kid in this case demonstrated a blatant disregard for the rules and a lack of respect for authority. Maybe the parents need to be "slammed".

In the latest developments, the cop has been fired. And his career in law enforcement will likely be eternally derailed by this incident. Score another victory for disrespectful kids and their sorry ass parents.

Meanwhile, the disruptive student is trying to figure out what she's going to buy with her upcoming settlement check as she anxiously awaits her invitation to the White House.....


kw

The Initial Democratic Debate - A Brief Synopis

Well, out of morbid curiosity, I watched the Democratic debate last night. And even though the candidates patted themselves on the back several times for conducting a more productive debate than the Republicans, I really didn't see a whole lot of meat and potatoes in it.

Not surprising, Hillary Clinton seemed to be the most poised and confident. She has the ability to deliver a load of bullshit with the agility of a used car salesman. For instance, after she described herself as "being consistent over the course of her life", moderator Anderson Cooper brought up Hillary's various flip-flops. She responded by saying that she reserves the right to change her position as she "absorbs new information". I plugged this into my bullshit decoder and it translated to......I can say anything I want and then conveniently jump to the other side when it's politically advantageous.

As the current front-runner, Hillary was the default lightning rod of the debate, attracting fire from the other wannabe Presidents. To her credit, she didn't get rattled and appeared in control throughout the debate. She was obviously the seasoned debater of the group. However, with her mailbag full of scandals, she still comes across as someone that you can not trust. But regardless, millions of people will still vote for her.

Former Vermont Governor Bernie Sanders actually came across as a likable guy. Of the five candidates, Sanders appeared to be the most passionate. His biggest talking points centered around income equality. In a nut shell, his message was that the rich people need to share their wealth. Although I don't agree with most of his views, I respect him for coming out and admitting that he's a true, blue socialist.

Sanders has some great sounding ideas. For instance, he wants to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. He also wants free college tuition for everyone. But while these things would be certainly be nice, nothing is ever free. Someone has to pay. And, inevitably, it's usually the taxpayer who foots the bill.

Martin Owe'Malley was a little more vocal than I expected but he still came across in his predictable circus-clown fashion.  His responses came across as phony, over-rehearsed rhetoric. It was as if he had "trigger words" which launched him into a series of prepared talking points. Not surprising, none of his responses seemed genuine. One of the more hilarious moments of the debate came when Owe'Malley was grilled on the violence of Baltimore. Amazingly, he tried to paint the City That Bleeds as a place where violent crime is declining. When he made a comment about being able to safely walk down the streets of Baltimore, I practically spit out my drink. There is an average of three people shot everyday in Baltimore. Does that really sound like a place that you'd want to take a midnight stroll?

Of course, gun control was also brought up in the conversation. Yeah, gun control is really working wonders for Baltimore, isn't it? Most liberals are for taking away as many guns as possible. But the one thing that they can't seem to comprehend is that gun control laws are almost worthless because CRIMINALS DO NOT OBEY THE LAWS!!! I'm always amazed at the blatant hypocrisy of the gun-grabbing liberal politicians and/or celebrities who won't go out into public without an armed bodyguard. If they feel that passionate about shelving all of the guns, maybe they should walk the unarmed walk.

Former Virginia Governor Jim Webb seemed to be the most serious of the five candidates. His military background and experience as Secretary of the Navy and Council for the House Committee on Veteran's Affairs gave him perhaps the best insight on foreign affairs. However, he's a little late to the game and he simply doesn't have the name recognition to make a big impact at the polling places. With that being said, I respect Webb and if I were a registered Democrat, he would get my vote.

Former Rhode Island Governor and US Congressman, Lincoln Chafee was like a fish out of water last night. He boasted of being a (former) liberal Republican. What's the point? He's a Democrat now. And one of his biggest self-described assets is that he has no scandals in his background. While this might be commendable, it really doesn't matter. Scandals have become an acceptable waste product of modern day politics. Morality and accountability have taken a back seat to the "what can you do for me now" mentality.

One of the more interesting questions came from a young man via a video feed who asked the candidates, "Do black lives matter? Or do all lives matter?" This, of course, was a racially baited question where there was only one "acceptable" answer. Sanders and Owe'Malley have already had recent run-ins with the Black Lives Matter crowd. So, when they were asked to respond, they both immediately took the racially-appeasing answer of "black lives matter".  I give kudos to Jim Webb for going against grain and saying that all lives matter. Jesse Jackson, who was in the crowd, must have been livid! How dare someone say that all lives matter. Gather up the disenfranchised youth and let's launch into some unrest! Of course, Webb's "insensitive" answer will probably result in him being pressured to go on an apology tour or drop out the race.

I'm not sure how many more debates there will be for the Democrats. But, in reality, the only two legitimate contenders are Clinton and Sanders. The rest of the field. in my opinion, are wasting time and money by remaining in the race. When the dust finally settles, I expect Hillary to get the nomination.

kw

Route 100 - The Follow-Up

I wrote about my adventures on route 100 back in August*. I actually sent a condensed version of the story to the Maryland Gazette. But for some reason, they didn't seem to think it was worthy of printing. I don't get it, I thought it was a pretty good story. I guess they don't appreciate creative writing?

Anyway, I finally got around to getting my battle-scarred windshield repaired. I figured the cold temperatures will be rolling in soon and the cracks will inevitably spread. So, I called my insurance agent and told him about the damage. He initially instructed me to make an appointment with a local Safelight repair facility. As we continued our conversation, he asked where I was driving when the damage occurred. I told him that I was driving along route 100 in Glen Burnie.

Ah-ha!

He then told about how many people have told him the same exact story. They were driving along route 100, minding their own business, when out of nowhere they were assaulted by barrage of road shrapnel. My agent then informed me that the contractor who had done the road work was handling claims for any damages that occurred during the process.

So, I called the contracting company and explained my situation. I expected to get the run-around. But surprisingly, the receptionist was very nice and directed me to the claims person. I spoke to another female employee who took some basic information regrading the damage, make/model of the car, etc. After this, she explained the she was going to forward my info over to the company's insurance company. A couple of days later, I was contacted by an insurance adjuster. We made arrangements for him to stop by to take a look at the damage.

He stopped by this morning and checked things out. It turns out that one of the "dings" is too large to repair, the entire windshield is going to have to be replaced. I was really glad that I didn't go through my own insurance company because I would have been required to shell out a $100-200 deductible for something that occurred due to someone else's negligence.

Apparently, the road work on route 100 has created a very large number of insurance claims for Liberty Mutual. Windshield damage is the most frequent claim But there has also been reports of body damage, busted headlights and blown out tires. I'm seriously wondering if anyone will come forward with a claim of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

I explained to the insurance guy that I had recently bought a new car (for Tina). I had purposely waited for the completion of the road work before I made the purchase. I couldn't see buying a new car only to have it pock-marked in the first week. Thankfully, the road work is now complete and the paint on the new car is still unblemished.

I was informed that the same company that did the work on route 100 is currently doing a project on I-95. I sure hope that they clean up their mess a little better on this job. Can you imagine driving behind a tractor-trailer and having a road-full of gravel hurled toward you at 75 mph? Your windshield wouldn't stand a chance. And neither would you!

kw

* http://kensmouthpiece.blogspot.com/2015/08/route-100-commuters-battleground.html

Brooks Robinson - Giving It All Away

As a young boy, I was fortunate enough to watch Brooks Robinson play for my hometown Baltimore Orioles. Watching his magician-like plays on defense and his clutch hitting gave a young baseball fan all the joy he could ever want.

I had the pleasure of meeting my baseball idol several times back in the day. I quickly found out the his stellar play on the field wasn't his only attribute. He was also one of the nicest people that I had ever met. With his comforting southern drawl, Brooks looked me in the eyes and spoke to me as if we were two longtime friends. And after all of these years, Brooks Robinson still remains my favorite player ever.

Yesterday, I heard that Brooks was auctioning off all of his memorabilia from his private collection. This included his 16 Gold Gloves, his two World Series rings and his 1964 American League MVP trophy.

I was saddened when I first heard this because I assumed that Brooks, like so many other retired athletes, had fallen on hard times. I figured he was selling off his beloved mementos to help pay the bills. However, I was relieved to learn that this wasn't the case at all....

Brooks, along with his wife Connie, had decided to auction off the items in order to help other people. Every penny generated by the sale of the 240 items will go to the Constance and Brooks Foundation where the proceeds will be distributed to various charities. My sadness quickly gave way to goosebumps as my boyhood idol rose yet another notch on the class scale.

Brooks explained that he has been very blessed over the years. And through his life, he has always tried to help others. And, in true fashion, Brooks will now part with some of his most beloved material items in hopes that they will ultimately produce happiness for someone else. Brooks has always tried to teach his children to give back. And, leading by example, that's exactly what Brooks has done in this case.

The respect and admiration that I have for this man is tremendous. His on-field performance was one thing. But the way in which Brooks has conducted himself off the field continues to be inspiring, not only to baseball fans, but for people in general. Sports hero, in my opinion, is an overused and often undeserved term. But in Brooks' case, I think it fits perfectly. Summing it up, Brooks Robinson makes you want to be a better person.

kw


http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-brooks-robinson-auction-charity-20151007-story.html

Avoiding The Rough Ride

Earlier today, I was reading about Baltimore's latest lottery winner. In this case, the Board of Estimates awarded a 28-year-old woman $95,000 for a "rough ride" courtesy of the BCPD. Of course, this settlement comes not long after the $6.4 settlement that was awarded to Freddie's Gray's family. In an effort to strike while the iron is hot, can we expect to see more "rough-riders" coming out of the woodwork in the upcoming months? Keep in mind, this latest payout stems from a 2012 incident.

So, let's try to answer a few questions. First off, do these rough rides really exist? I have to believe that they do. But my follow up question is....what leads up to a rough ride? After all, if you punch a cop or spit in his face, do you really think that it's going to be a smooth ride to Central Booking? Human nature would dictate no....

Hey look, I'm not advocating police brutality. But certain actions can bring a predictable reaction. And sometimes, the reaction isn't so pleasant.

Let's look at it another way. When I occasionally find myself passing through the seedier parts of Baltimore, I sometimes see some rather rude and unpleasant people. Just recently, I saw a guy walking down the middle of Lexington Street with his d*ck in his hand pissing over anything within watering distance*. My first thought was to yell, "Hey asshole, do you think you're f*cking cat? Put your d*ck away before I get out of my car and crack you in the nuts with my Day-runner!"

However, possessing just enough common sense, I chose not to say anything. Because, I knew that if I did, there was a good chance that I'd receive a beat-down (or worse!) by the nearby disenfranchised youth who had already been shooting me dirty looks. It didn't matter who happened to be right or wrong. What did matter is that I assessed the situation and determined that no positive outcome was going to come from me running my mouth. I was vastly outnumbered and unarmed. Plus it was lunchtime and I was in a hurry to get to Chick-fil-A.

This same assessment should be used in these police confrontations. If you are compliant or perhaps even polite to the police officer, the odds of a wooden shampoo or rough ride go way down. So, if you're ever in a situation like this, you have to ask yourself if it's worth the consequences. But on second thought, with all of these large settlements coming down the pipe, maybe it is.......

kw

* http://kensmouthpiece.blogspot.com/2015/08/its-raining-on-eutaw-street.html

The O's - Closing Down The 2015 Season

Well, the Orioles closed the door on the 2015 season today. I can't help but feeling a bit disappointed that they won't be playing in the post-season. But I'm grateful for the excitement that they provided for the past six months. They finished the season by winning five in a row and sweeping the Yankees. They ended up with an even .500 (81-81) record for the season.

After last year's successful run, I had high expectations of this year's team. Of course, I'm a bit biased. In reality, the O's brass did nothing to really improve the team in the off season last year. And not resigning Nelson Cruz turned out to be a big mistake, in my opinion. I truly believe that if we had his bat in the line-up this year, we make the playoffs.

With several key players up for free agency this year, it will be very interesting to see who will be in this line-up in April. The top priority will be to resign Chris Davis. Letting the Major League leading home-run hitter get away two years in a row will be a PR nightmare for the O's. Since the Orioles have lived and died by the home-run over recent years, Peter Angelos must find a way to keep Davis's bat in the lineup for the next few years.

Some of the other key free agents include Matt Weiters, Darren O'Day, Geraldo Parra and Wei-Yin Chen. There's no way that I see all of these guys coming back next year. There's been a lot of talk about who the O's should focus on. Most people feel that Matt Weiters in the most expendable of the group. While Weiters is a great catcher and has plenty of pop in his bat, Caleb Joseph has proven to be a worthy replacement in Weiters' extended absences. And back-up catcher, Steve Clevenger, has shown a lot of promise in the second half of this season. I personally think Weiters will be somewhere else next year.

Chen is probably going to command some pretty decent money. Although his record wasn't exactly Cy Young caliber (11-8), he finished with a respectable 3.34 ERA. Chen is also a left hander which the O's desperately need. Unless he breaks the bank, I expect the O's to do what they can to resign him.

O'Day is another guy that you hate to let get away. He's an exceptional set-up guy who can shut down the opposition in the late innings.

Parra was a great late season addition to the team. Solid offensively and defensively, Parra also fits in perfectly with the O's clubhouse chemistry. I would love to see him back here next year.

So, my priority order for top to bottom would be Davis, O'Day, Chen, Parra and Weiters. As much as I would love to see all of these guys here next year, I realize that baseball is a business and it's virtually impossible to sign everyone.

Aside from all this, it will be interesting to see if the O's will go after any other free agents on the market. Will they go after a number one starter? Will they try to upgrade their base speed?

When the deals are finally sealed, I'm sure there will be plenty of scrutiny to go around. And that's a good thing. That means that that you have a fan base who cares.

One final note.....Last night, Buck Showalter's mother passed away. With a heavy heart, he was in the dugout this afternoon overseeing his team for their final game of the season. He's been in the game a long time. He knows that some of these players won't be here next year. So, after the game, to show his appreciation, Buck (and his coaching staff) hugged every player as they came off the field. This guy is a total class act. He has been quoted as saying, "I like our guys." Well, there's no doubt that the feeling is mutual from his players as well as the city of Baltimore.

Looking forward to next season already!

kw

Hurricane Names 2015

Several years ago, I wrote a piece about hurricane names*. With Hurricane Joaquin planning a trip up the East Coast this weekend, I though that it might be a good time to write an updated piece.

First off, I'm scratching my head trying to figure out why Joaquin is pronounced Wah-keen. I looked look and hard but I can find either an "h" nor a "k" in the name. I guess it's kinda the same way Jesus is pronounced Hey-soose. Oh well, let's move on...

Since we happen to be in the political season, I named a few after some of our more colorful politicians. In any event, I give you my list of hurricane names (and descriptions) for the upcoming season:

Hurricane Donald - This abrasive storm rolls across the country and upsets every apple cart along the way. Afterward, it ostentatiously beats it's chest and says, "That's right, I'm bad. Watch the hair!"

Hurricane Bernie - This one targets the affluent neighborhoods along the coast, sucking piles of money up through the mansion chimneys. From there it travels to the hood where it redistributes the cash in the form of a paper rain storm.

Hurricane Hillary - Not to be confused with Hurricane Monica, this one blows into town with reckless persistence. And afterwards, when she's accused of any damages, Hurricane Hillary simply denies that she had anything to do with it.

Hurricane Martin - After wreaking havoc on Maryland, this one quickly fizzles out before inflicting further damage to the rest of the country.

Hurricane Stephanie - Given plenty of room to destroy, the computers models all have this storm on a direct path to the CVS and nearby liquor stores in the Baltimore area.

Hurricane Hogan - Gathering strength in Annapolis, this storm rolls into Baltimore and picks up the pieces left behind by Hurricane Stephanie.

Ok, enough of the political stuff. Here are few lighter ones.......

Hurricane Phil - This storm methodically moves it's way up the coast as it tries to make the other hurricanes feel guilty about the damage that they've done.

Hurricane Maury - Performs DNA tests for the other hurricanes to determine the father of illegitimate squalls.

Hurricane Caitlyn - Formally a himicane, this storm has the unique ability to convert to a tornado.

Hurricane Bruno - This rhythmic hurricane heads straight uptown and funks it up.

Hurricane Taylor - This one swiftly moves up the East Coast before it's abruptly interrupted by a western hot air mass known as Tropical Storm Kayne.

Hurricane Bieber - More of an annoyance than a hurricane, this whiny little storm is similar to having a fly in your bedroom in the middle of the night.

Hurricane Cosby - Forcibly makes it's way inland and drops a hailstorm of roofies into the drinks of unsuspecting female hurricanes.

Hurricane Housewives - A unique configuration, this group of hurricanes collides and then sits around the living room and calls each other bitches.

All right, I think that's enough names to get us through the season. Everyone, try to stay dry this weekend and let's hope Wah-keen loses steam soon!

kw

* http://kensmouthpiece.blogspot.com/2010/09/whats-in-hurricane-name_03.html