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What'd I say?

Yesterday I commented about the remark made by President Obama at his press conference the night before. Among his statements, Obama said the Cambridge, Mass., police department “acted stupidly” in handling the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. The arrest has turned into a big racial controversy that I feel has more to do with a couple of people with bruised egos, one of which was arrested with charges later being dismissed.

I remarked that Obama was only half right about the incident in which white police Sgt. Jim Crowley arrested Obama’s friend Gates, who is black, for disorderly conduct. Police were called because Gates was thought to be breaking into his own home. Gates became upset over the confrontation, which led to his arrest. I said the incident should have ended when Gates produced identification. I still believe that. But I think Gates should have used common sense and perhaps kept a cooler head.

This morning several Boston-area police unions expressed their outrage — as have many other Americans, many of whom are Republicans — over the president’s remarks.

This afternoon Obama said, in a surprise appearance at the White House press briefing room, that he had called Crowley. While Obama did not apologize he said that he told Crowley he wished he had used a better choice of words during Wednesday’s press conference. Obama also is hoping to put together a “peace conference” over beers with Crowley and Gates. Great, they’ll all get drunk, wind up in a brawl and we’ll have an even bigger brouhaha! Just kidding.

Of course, the controversy won’t end there as I said yesterday it wouldn’t end anytime soon. As someone on cable news said this morning, whenever the president makes a statement on something it extends the matter at least another day. His opponents will certainly try to run the matter into the ground.

Let’s just hope the president can bring peace between the hostiles and have that beer.

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Here's to stupidity in America

Let’s not talk about health care reform. It makes my head spin and my doctor said I could stop taking the medication that has made my head do that for the last several days. So, it need not spin more.

I watched President Obama’s news conference last night as he talked mostly on reforming the nation’s health care system. Jeez that guy can be long-winded sometimes. I may have to start calling him Gabby, except that reminds me of Gabby Hayes the old coot Western star as well as a freaked-out parrot I know.

Instead of health care I will briefly mention Obama’s remarks on the controversy regarding the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. Gates is the distinguished prof who was confronted while breaking into his own house by a Cambridge, Mass., police officer. The white officer, basically seemed to dislike Gates’ attitude and arrested the black man for disorderly conduct charges which were later dropped.

Obama admitted his bias in the controversy because he is a friend of Gates but commented that Cambridge police “acted stupidly” during the incident.

It seems after reading of the actions of both Gates and the officer, Sgt. Jim Crowley, that Obama got “it” half-right. If you take the word of both Gates and Crowley, and I see no reason why not to, even though both may be exaggerating a wee bit because they both seem pretty stubborn and pig-headed, both share some blame for the outcome.

First off, the cop was doing his job responding to a call of a possible break-in, something for which Gates should be grateful. Gates showed his ID and the incident should have ended there. But it didn’t. Gates got his nose out of joint.  Crowley got into a snit. Things took off from there.

Before we get all racial let me say one thing. I have seen cops act pretty stupid toward me when I wasn’t doing a thing illegal. One woke me up in the middle of the night and demanded to see my federal ID because I was using a government car and the place in which I was staying was not exactly Beverly Hills. I have had them ID me for walking down the road and when they couldn’t find any other reason to jack with me, they said I was walking on the wrong side of the road. So some, by no means all, police do act stupid at times.

When I do encounter stupidity as such, I try to just let it slide because I know if I don’t I’ll probably be arrested and taken to jail on some trumped-up charges similar to those for which gates was busted.

Granted, I’m not a black man. I haven’t been subjected to what many black men have over time such as DWB, driving  while black. I could imagine it would get very old but I think many would think as I do that if they lose it they go directly to jail, no matter if they are innocent. Oh and here is a dirty little secret, some white people including some white cops don’t like black people, especially black men, who among other names are known by such cops as “perpetrators.”

Thus, from what I can tell in reading about the situation that night in Cambridge, it seems that both the officer and Gates went somewhat over the top. There is a difference though. Gates did live in the house. He apparently broke no laws other than copping an attitude, pardon the pun. So it appears that he was a victim of false arrest.

All of this points to an opinion that, Obama probably shouldn’t have commented, or deflected the question as he can so aptly do at times. Or otherwise Obama should have said both share some blame even though the Cambridge police acted even more stupidly than the president’s friend and in fact falsely arrested a man in his own home.

But it’s water under the bridge. Too bad the water won’t just flow on down silently toward the sea. I just don’t see that happening.

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Houston VA: Ve Vant to see your papers!

If you are going to the Department of Veterans Affairs complex in Houston beginning Wednesday, July 29, you better have some official VA identification — either for employee or patient.

Houston VA officials said in a press release hot off the mojo wire this afternoon that all vehicles entering the complex will be stopped and occupants will be required to show some form of  VA identification. Required is a VA identification badge, VA parking tag, veteran identification card or an appointment letter.

The massive ID check for the busy complex which includes both the VA Regional Office and the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Hospital is an attempt to reduce unauthorized  parking at the center, which is located in Houston’s busy Texas Medical Center.

Anyone who has ever been to the Houston VA hospital can appreciate the difficulty in finding parking, especially in the mornings. This seems to be a problem at many VA hospitals. But such an identification check does raise questions. If the check is at the entrances to the center, what effect will it have on traffic, especially those cars headed on Holcombe Boulevard in the mornings for the many different Houston hospitals? What about the veteran from Podunk, Texas, who left his appointment letter at home, 100 miles away? What about the veteran who is going to the VA for the first time to enroll for services and has no ID, only his proof of military service? Finally, what about the many veterans who are not going to see this little notice because the majority of the news media, especially outside Houston, are not going to report such information?

It kind of makes you wonder. But hey, I did my part. If you have any questions, call the Houston VA police through the main hospital number, and good luck getting through. It can be quite challenging to call someone at the Houston VA hospital. Then again, patience is a necessary virtue for VA patients.

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Better living through chemistry

Perhaps it is the prescription drug that is fogging my mind but I had forgotten that the phrase “Better Living Through Chemistry” actually paraphrased the slogan Dow Chemical used for many years: “Better Things for Better Living…Through Chemistry.” Either way the better living part all depends on how that chemistry is used. At the moment,  the chemistry in my brain that I am using as the doctor told me to has left me a bit on the wobbly side.

I was prescribed the drug gabapentin, commonly known as Neurontin, yesterday for what my doctor suspects as some kind of neuropathy, or nerve pain that has been causing both of my feet to hurt and become numb after what I think is limited use. I will have some tests to find out for sure if neuropathy is what I’ve got, I’ve got, I’ve got. Sorry I was thinking about a song. I’ve lost my train of thought. The train has left the station. Anyway, the point I am trying to make — so poorly — is that right now, clarity is not exactly my middle name. Of course, it never was.

Nevertheless, whatever  you do when you get prescribed a drug, don’t read about it. It will scare the living hell out of you. This one I am taking has a whole  host of possible side effects short of a condition known as hot dog finger. The most disturbing is this warning issued by the FDA for this entire class of drugs which were originally used in treating epilepsy. The notice, which warns of an increased risk of suicidal behavior,  kind of makes my cottonmouth and however you describe how I am feeling look insignificant.

And my toes still hurt. It’s time for flip flops.

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The road to good intentions is paved with, well?

Veteran_small

Congress — on occasion — passes laws that have some good or at least a good intention.

One would hope, at least, some good intentions spurred lawmakers to add riders to the Defense Authorization bills in 2008 and 2009 which expanded the ability for veterans who are not in uniform to render a hand salute.

In the past, only members of veterans service organizations who wore their organization’s official headgear were traditionally allowed to hand salute during the National Anthem, according to an article on Military.com. Veterans and other civilians not in uniform  — likewise a tradition — normally place their right hands over their “hearts” in lieu of a military-style hand salute for the playing of the anthem and other flag-related activities.

Thanks to an amendment in the 2008 Defense Authorization Act retired military members and veterans can now give a hand salute whenever the U.S. flag is raised, lowered or passes.

A 2009 amendment to that fiscal year’s defense bill allows out-of-uniform military personnel and veterans to render a hand salute during the National Anthem.

Now the growing number of people in the U.S. who have no connection whatsoever with the military and even some veterans themselves might wonder why would such a law be passed?

The answer is that there was  obviously some sentiment among veterans and military retirees, not to mention some of the powerful veterans organizations, for codifying such a practice. Why? I don’t know. It seems as if the law lacks some practicality insofar as enforcement is concerned.

Let’s say you are at a high school football game. The National Anthem is played and the colors are presented on the field by the local Junior ROTC drill team. You, the veteran, are wearing a big pair of horns on your head because your team is the Longhorns. Now do you do the hand over your chest or give the military hand salute?

Okay, say you give the hand salute. A local cop sees you comes over and starts grilling you about being in civvies and giving a military-style salute. You say it’s legal now. The cop said he never heard anything about it. You say: “Trust me.” The cop says: “Okay. I’ll trust you if you can show me some ID proving you are a veteran.”

Now one might think such a request would be easy. But it isn’t necessarily all that simple.

You, the veteran with the longhorn hat, spent your four years and got out of the service. You have your DD-214 form which proves your service — somewhere — although it is not on your “person,” as the cop who questioned you might say. You didn’t retire from the service so you don’t have a military retiree ID card. You don’t go to the VA for health care so you don’t have a VA identification card. You don’t belong to the VFW, American Legion, DAV or any other veterans organization. Basically, you are SOL to use a good old military acronym until you call up the county clerk in the next state where you filed your DD-214 after getting out of the service and ask her to send a copy to the local authorities.

Now that scenario about the ball game and the hassle by the cops and all the trouble is a lot of hyperbole. Heck, I have no idea as to whether there even is any enforcement mechanism in laws which let you honor the flag with that sharp, five fingers (if you got ’em) salute with the tip of your index finger next to the right eyebrow.

If I ever gave a military salute, it would probably be in a situation in which other veterans might do the same thing, say at some kind of veterans program or maybe a funeral with military honors.

Personally, I have always thought the hand salute is pretty cool. It is a sign of respect unlike so many others, which carries with it non-verbal cues aimed toward the object or individual one is saluting.

For instance: You salute an officer you don’t know. You are saluting his position and authority. You salute an officer you do know and like. You are saying: “Hey, what’s happening bud?” without being insubordinate. You salute an officer you know and don’t like. You are saying: “I respect your rank. Now chuck you farley.”

So just remember when you see a civilian saluting the flag or during the National Anthem that Congress gave this man or woman the right to wear their civilian clothes and give a good old military-type hand salute, one each, because of the sacrifice these folks made for their country. As to whether they are really veterans, I guess you’ll just have to take it on faith. Or ask to see some ID, at your own risk. You certainly wouldn’t want to get gored by those horns.