Do You Want War With IRAN? Vote "Yes" With Your Vote For Obama

President Obama has made it clear with his posturing over the past couple of days that, as far as he is concerned, war with Iran is inevitable.  According to the Obama Administration, Iran has committed various international crimes and is not responding to "sanctions."  As proof of what I am saying, you may simply read about the repositioning of various elements of the US Navy and Air Force to the Persian Gulf area.  You can also read the newspapers or news articles on the Internet and see how Obama has ramped up his rhetoric, and how Hillary Clinton is telling us that we have done all we can, but to no avail.  War is imminent. 

Oh, you say, but President Ahmadinejad of Iran has NUCLEAR WEAPONS!  Guess what...so do WE!  And we have used two of ours over the years.  Our own President Johnson debated dropping a couple on that oh, so dangerous enemy, North Viet Nam in the late Sixties.  So far, Iran's little Hot Pepper has done nothing but rattle his sabre.  And history has shown us that when Ahmadinejad DOES gain some military advantage, we can depend on our friends in Israel to conduct a precision air raid or two, and the problem is gone.

But Iran has CHEMICAL WEAPONS!  Again, so do we.  And so do many other nations.  Iran may have used chemical agents against the Iraqis in their late war.  But we also know that on some occasions, the "chemical factories" that the United States attacked in Iraq were found to be powdered milk factories when American authorities and those from other nations inspected the remains of the bombed-out facilities.

But what they are NOT saying out loud is that Iran has OIL!  So does the United States, but why should we use up our own supply when the oil fields of Iran are there for the taking!  When you talk about oil, you are truly talking about the genuine reason that we "need" to attack Iran.  Again, if you think I am just being "reactionary," just read a few news stories in the various media.  You can put two and two together for yourself. 

My friends, I firmly believe that war with Iran is inevitable, too.  President Obama will give the order to attack regardless of whether or not President Ahmadinejad gives in to world sanctions.  In fact, the only action that would save Iran from a United States military attack would be for the Iranians to simply allow the United States to occupy that nation and take over the management of Iran's petroleum production.  As for Mr. Ahmadinejad, it seems a very real possibility that he might one day attract the attention of a passing US drone aircraft.  Wear your hardhat, President Ahmadinejad.

As for you and I, citizens of this great nation, we are intelligent enough to know that Iran represents no threat to the United States.  We are smart enough to realize that Iran's "crime" is possessing a disproportionate part of the world's crude oil supply.  And we are able to demand of our Congress that no money be apportioned or disbursed for any purpose relating to the war with Iran.  The Iranian people have done nothing to you or me.  Yes there are some fanatic Muslims there, as there are in Iraq, in Lebanon, in Syria, in Saudi Arabia, and yes, even here in the good ol' US of A.  Are we going to bomb all those locations as well?  Then let's put England and France on the list, too.  Plenty of Iranians in those locales. 

A vote for President Obama in the coming election assures that this scenario, this war with Iran, will take place.  Maybe Mitt Romney would pursue war with Iran as well, but at least we do not KNOW that for sure at this point.  Again, I hope you will do your own research concerning Obama's agenda with Iran, and then draw your own conclusions.  If, after reading his rhetoric, and that of his appointees, particularly Ms. Clinton, you can still in good conscience vote for him, than do as you will.  But I intend to vote against war with Iran, that is, I will not vote for Obama.  And I will do as I say, by letting all my representatives know how strongly I oppose the coming war with Iran, and that I recognize that war for what it is...a subterfuge to gain access to Ahmadinejad's oil.

 

Lower Taxes? Yes, in Midland County, Texas!

Midland County commissioners have decided to lower the tax rate for Midland County property owners, on what one of the commissioners labelled a "massive" scale.  When commissioners found that projected revenues for the coming fiscal year would result in a major budget surplus, they did an amazing thing: They lowered our taxes.  Can I faint, yet!

But seriously, I find it commendable that our local leaders found a way to meet all anticipated expenses for the coming fiscal year, then passed the savings BACK to the taxpayers (read: Voters!).  This action is commendable because it is so unusual for political subdivisions to lower taxes in the face of a financial surplus.  The "business as usual" approach would have been to seek out new things to buy or new programs to initiate.  Instead, our commissioners decided to give the people a break. 

I wonder how many other counties in Texas COULD also lower their property tax rates and still meet their budgetary needs, whether there is a major surplus or not.  A booming economy and the corresponding increase in population often creates a rise in property values.  This is what has happened in Midland County, as well as in several other counties that make up the oil patch known as the Permian Basin.  I hope the commissioners in these other counties will follow Midland's example.  The oil companies are benefiting from the current boom, so there is no reason that the "trickle down effect" should not provide some relief to local residents in the form of reduced taxes.

In some areas, various cities and counties have filed for bankruptcy.  Particularly in California, where taxes are high and property values are even higher, there should be no reason for political subdivisions to be bankrupt.  Unfortunately, government "surplus" (Unspent Tax Revenues) often leads to the creation of unnecessary and/or unsustainable government programs.  Many such programs are born with the best of intention, but due to many factors, the cost involved grows beyond that originally anticipated.  But public programs, once born, are so difficult to rein in when costs rise beyond reason, because politicians who want their jobs dare not vote to terminate these kinds of programs.  Thus, in California and other states, we see city and county governments filing for bankruptcy while some states hover at the brink of financial disaster as well.

I commend the commissioners of Midland County for making the decision to lower our taxes.  I know there were many things that this "extra" money (OUR TAXES) could have paid for.  I also realize in time the local taxes will have to be raised again.  The oil boom in West Texas will not last forever.  As the profits fall, oil companies will begin sending their workers out of the area, or laying some of them off.  But because of the sound decisions of the current Commissioners Court, the impact of the slowing economy will not be so great on taxpayers. Since county funded programs are operating at reasonable, sustainable levels, there will not be such a huge demand for increased revenues as the booming economy slows with decreased petroleum-based activities.  Once again, thank you, Commissioners.  I hope other governments, at all levels, will follow your example of responsible fiscal leadership.

End Of Watch: Constable Brian Bachman

Constable Brian Bachman, the elected constable of Brazos County, Precinct 1, was shot and killed on Monday by a gunman who was later killed by other officers, but only after the gunman continued shooting policemen and civilians.  Also killed was a passer-by, Chris Northcliff.  Two other officers and a woman were shot by the gunman.  Constable Bachman was attempting to serve an eviction notice at the time he was shot.  My deepest sympathy to his family, including his wife and three young children, as well to the family of Mr. Northcliff.  I also wish a speedy recovery to those injured in this incident.

As peace officers know, even the most routine civil or criminal matter can suddenly turn deadly.  An eviction notice, for instance, requires nothing more than the signature of the person being served.  After receiving the notice from a constable or sheriff, the person has several methods of recourse available before he can be forcibly evicted from his residence.  Yet eviction service is one of the more common incidents in which sheriffs, constables, and their deputies often find themselves in deadly circumstance.

Texas peace officers know that law enforcement in this state can be, and often is, a deadly occupation.  In fact, as of Constable Bachman's murder, the number officers killed in Texas rises to 6.  At the national level, the total number of officers killed in the United States currently stands at 65.  By the end of 2011, 173 officers had been killed, including 67 killed by gunfire.  Of note for 2011 is the fact that by the end of the New Year holiday period 11 officers had been murdered in what was probably the deadliest twenty-four hour period in United States law enforcement history.  While 2012 has turned out to be a more "average" year, as far as duty-related deaths are concerned, officers are still being murdered at the rate of nearly ten per month across the nation.

According to the people who knew Constable Bachman, and worked with him on a daily basis, or worshipped with him,  he was a very active member of the community, not only with his enthusiasm for law enforcement and public service, but also as a member of his church and a doer of good in the community.  As one of his deputies noted, Constable Bachman volunteered to serve the eviction notice for this particular deputy so that the deputy would not have to do it.  Mr. Bachman was active in his church mission efforts, including taking his children on mission trips each summer.  As is always the case, I am baffled as to why someone with these talents and with such a heart of service is so often taken from us by another person who offers no service or charity to the community, who has often turned down opportunities to improve his life or to help others, who is a scourge to his own family, and who has no desire to minister to people in any way, but only to do harm.  I am full of wonder and a lot of anger that the criminal or anti-social person is not somehow removed from the picture, instead of those who strive to help others and to bring out the best in people, and themselves.  It seems so unfair that a woman was robbed of her mate, that three children had their father stolen from them, and that the police and the community lost a brother and a friend at the hands of someone such as this particular gunman.

My prayers go out for Mrs. Bachman, her children and family, and for the members of law enforcement who lost a brother.  I also include the family of Mr. Northcliff, as they suffered a great loss as well.  And I pray also for the family of the gunman. They were thrust helplessly into this situation by their loved one, and are innocent  victims too.  I pray that the Good Shepherd comforts all of these people, and I pray for the safety of the law officers left behind, who continue to do their work in spite of the death and the danger around them.

 

A (Really Brief) Look At Susan Boyle

Many of you may remember back in April of 2009 that a video shown on YouTube made its way around the virtual world.  This video was of Ms. Boyle's appearance on Britain's Got Talent.  This woman, obviously a "plain" woman of the really down to earth variety, walked on the stage that night and told her dream before an obviously skeptical and cynical crowd.  Ms. Boyle's dream was to be a professional singer and specifically to sing a duet with famed British singer Elaine Paige.  You all recall that when Susan Boyle walked onto the stage, all three judges as well as many people in the audience laughed at her. When Susan told her dream, people laughed all the louder.  One of the judges asked her why she had never sang professionally before.  Susan said, "I suppose it's because I've never been given the chance."  With the judges and audience still snickering, Susan Boyle took her place and begin to sing.  As most of you reading this know, Susan song "I Have A Dream" with such a beautiful, moving voice that by the time she had sang three words the crowd was on their feet and the judges were stunned in disbelief.  I have to admit that I was just as skeptical as the rest.  But by the time the video was over, I was almost in tears myself.  What a stunning, captivating voice this strange little woman from an unknown village blessed us with!

So today I was watching various music videos on YouTube and ran across that first Susan Boyle video.  That particular video has been viewed over 980,000 times.  I was so surprised, and so happy for her.  But did you know that Susan Boyle actually got to perform a duet with her idol, Elaine Paige, and that the video of the duet has been viewed will over 16 MILLION times since December 2009?  Susan Boyle has gone on to become a star Britain, even singing for the Queen during the Jubilee celebrations.  All Susan Boyle did was what many other people have done, and what many more are so afraid to do.  She followed her dream, a Possible Dream, never giving up on it, finally realizing it.  I don't know exactly how long she had held this dream, but it started when she sang in the little choir at a small church in a small village off the beaten path. 

Do you have a dream, a dream that maybe seems so impossible at this point in your life?  Have you given up on that dream?  Many times people will tell you to forget your dream and do what is practical.  Maybe people tell you that you have no talent, no potential, or whatever it is that the naysayers believe you do not have.  Maybe the worst "naysayer" is the one that lives inside your head, the one that tells you "No you CAN'T"  I have to say that I am constantly plagued by this particular naysayer.  When that voice gets loud I sometimes turn to a little book a sweet, dear friend gave me, and I read the thoughts of encouragement there.  And sometimes, when I really want to be moved by the impossible dream, I play once again that first video of Susan Boyle pursuing her dream, literally in the face of people laughing at her.  Whenever you feel a little down, I urge you to visit YouTube and play Susan Boyle's video.  And keep those dreams alive. 

Just a brief look at Susan Boyle, and the great impact she has had around the world, because she believed in her own simple dream.

The Sofa College Football Fanatic Returns For 2012

YES! My friends, it is here!  Okay, it is ALMOST here...College Football Season!  I am already gearing up for another bang-up season, but this year I am adding a new twist: The Desert Hot Air College Football Fanatic Predictions for 2012.  I urge any of you who are betting fans to pay close attention to my rankings, then bet accordingly (for the opposite teams, if you are wise!).

I have a different ranking system that that used by the Bowl Championship Series, I must confess; but who can figure out the BCS ranking system anyway?  I am sure that my ranking system radically differs from that of most college football coaches as well.  Probably my ranking system differs from almost anyone else as well, particularly if a given ranking system is based on stats, past performance, future potential coaching trends, and the like.  I don't have the time for those unreliable ranking measures anyway.  I have my GUT FEELINGS to guide me!  Who needs reliable stats?! So, get your pens or keyboards ready and take note of the first annual Desert Hot Air College Football Fanatic Predictions! 

First, the National Champion.  Here I need little analysis or dull football stats from last season.  My prediction for the National Championship Team is of course the Louisiana State University Tigers.  I know, you are saying, "No, Jim Silver! The winner will be USC!"  Save your breath, for you are wrong, my friend.  USC will finish somewhere in the top four, yes, BUT the predictors missed the boat on the Number One slot.  That is because they did not consult with my Gut.  If they had, they would have known what my Gut knows: USC may show up for a showdown with the Tigers, but the Honey Badger and Co will just be too, too much for the Trojans and for anyone else they play this year. 
GEAUX TIGERS!

For Number Two, which some predicted would be LSU, my prediction is the Crimson Tide of Alabama.  The Tide will surprise SOME fans, but not THIS fan.  And they will definitely surprise USC by taking the Trojans' spot at the BCS Championship game.  If you are Crimson Tide fans, this will be your year!  Oh, except for those pesky Tigers...

At Number Three look for the University of Southern California Trojans.  I know the writers and fans are looking for the Big One this year.  Once again, they did not go with my Gut.  But, Trojans fans, third place is not too bad.  Maybe next year.

Number Four...I have to say that the scene here is a little murky, but here again my large Gut comes into play.  Oregon, Oklahoma University, and Ohio State are all vying for this spot.  I am going to step out on a limb here, but with good reason, and go with Ohio State.  It is what my gut tells me.

For Number Five, I give my "nod" to Oregon because Gut tells me that OU is OU-verated by the predictors.

Number Six - I grudgingly insert OU here.  The Sooners are a good team, I have to admit.  But they are elevated by many just because they are OU.  The Sooners will have to actually play good football to move higher than Number Six.  Gasp, you say?  Just wait til December....

Coming in at Number Seven in the Desert Hot Air survey are the Wolverines of Michigan.  They are a good team but have not been quite up to their usual par over the last couple of seasons.  Look for a good year this time around.

One of my favorite teams, the Florida State Seminoles, takes the Number Eight Slot.  The national predictors are putting them at Nine right now, but I think that is a little low for this team.  They will have some struggles but they will overcome.  And if I were wrong, with the Gators coming in at Six or Seven, I would have been incorrect, but not disappointed.  The Florida Gators have long been one of my favorite collegiate teams. 

Number Nine goes to the Georgia Bulldogs.  The "know it alls" (with their stats and expert analysis) placed the Bulldogs at Number Eight.  I think they missed it here, though not by much.  The Bulldogs are not always so easily predicted as far as performance, and none of the teams ranked above them should underestimate this team on game day.

At Number Ten we find the South Carolina Gamecocks.  Spurrier is still the head coach there.  Enough said.

So that rounds out the Top Ten in the Desert Hot Air College Football Predictions for 2012.  You can rest at ease knowing that I took all the stats of these teams and the predictions of coaches and sports writers into due consideration.  I then promptly ignored their findings and came up with the above, bona fide predictions.  You can count on them (but you may lose your shirt in the football pools).

Ah, but my Football Predictions are not over yet, my friends, not by a Hail Mary!  For instance, the Texas Longhorns, West Virginia, the Arkansas Razorbacks, and the Cornhuskers of Nebraska are predicted by some to finish in the order listed here.  My prediction is ...yawn.  None of these are my favorites, although I believe the Mountaineers of West Virginia will be the best of these four teams.

At Number Fifteen we find the Clemson Tigers.  Wrong!  They will finish at Number Eleven, just in front of West Virginia.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Stanford Cardinals, and the Horned Frogs of TCU are all underrated for this season, based on last year's performance by the respective schools.  I see the Cowboys taking Number Sixteen nationally, while the Horned Frogs and the Cardinals will finish at Seventeen and Eighteen, respectively.

At Numbers Nineteen and Twenty I place Wisconsin and Michigan State. 

There is the Top Twenty, according to Desert Hot Air.  Now comes the really fun part, although I have to admit that predicting the Top Twenty for 2012 was certainly great fun.  But the predictions I am now about to make call on my guttiest Gut for accurate predictions.  I am not predicting all the positions from Number Twenty One to the bottom.  Instead I will provide predictions for only my favorite teams.  I hope you find many of your favorites in this listing as well.

The Florida Gators.  Those that know have this team ranked at Number Twenty-six for 2012.  The 'Noles is never a team to be influenced or defined by their poll ranking.  This team can be explosive at times, and very unpredictable.  I think this team will break into the Top Twenty by about week four of the coming football season.  In any case, I will switch channels and miss a "better" game to watch the Seminoles play.

Auburn is another one of the Tiger teams, along with LSU and Clemson.  This season Auburn goes into the game ranked at Number Thirty.  I think this is low, and I look for the Tigers to break the Top Twenty-five.

Texas A & M.  The Aggies do not realistically have a chance to move into the Top Ten, much less win a national championship, but they are always fun to watch.  I look for the Aggies to be a spoiler team this year.  They will go on to bigger things next year, but must settle for less in 2012.  Number Thirty Two.

Tennessee, Number Thirty-seven.  The Volunteers, like the Aggies, will provide ten good and exciting games this year, but will not rise into the Top Ten.  Nonetheless, anytime they play, the Vols are fun to watch.  And they are full of surprises.  Just ask LSU!

Number Forty.  Baylor enjoyed a great year last season with RGIII as their Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.  For this season, Baylor fields a good team, but nothing like what we saw last year.  Baylor will be a team worth watching, but don't look for them to break the Top Twenty-five or to win their conference this season.  Art Briles is a truly a magician, but this year there may not be a rabbit in the old silk hat.

The Miami Hurricanes are one of my favorite teams of all time.  Perhaps I tend to rate them higher than this team might merit, but it is just because the Hurricanes are an unpredictable lot.  The 'Canes are predicted this year to do no better than Number Forty-eight.  Maybe, but again, this team tends not to stay where they are ranked in pre-season.  No championship for the Hurricanes this year, but some good, popcorn-eating football games.

My favorite team, Texas Tech, has seen better years.  With Coach Leach gone, it also seemed like the Red Raiders had finished their great quarterback run as well.  Coach Tommy Tuberville, a nice guy and an okay coach, nonetheless is in the "hot seat" this year, as the Red Raiders are edging ever closer to the .500 mark.  A break-even season this year will probably be a show-stopper for Coach Tuberville.  But I will turn off another game just to watch the Red Raiders play, win or lose.  I am the die-hard Texas Tech Red Raider Fan!

Other teams I love to watch include Navy, Air Force, Marshall, the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest, and the Houston Cougars.  On any given Saturday, any of these teams can suddenly and unexpectedly put the screws on some unsuspecting higher-ranked team, making for a long football game.

Finally, there are two underdog teams that I will be watching this year.  The University of Texas at El Paso Miners debuted the college football scene with a Big Bang down in South Texas several years ago.  Since then, though, they have mostly sputtered and smoldered on the grass.  But good things have been happening there this spring.  Hopefully it will carry on into the coming football season and translate into a least a break-even year.

The University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners, with Larry Coker at head coach, are set to have another good year after their debut last season.  I have never seen this team play, and may not this year, as they are a fledgling team in a small conference.  Good luck to the Roadrunners for 2012.

So there you have it, the first annual Desert Hot Air College Football Fanatic Predictions.  I am eager for the 2012 football season to begin, not because I believe my predictions will be chillingly accurate (I believe they will) but because I just enjoy these exciting college games so much.  And if you win a few dollars based on my predictions, don't forget to spread a little "cheer" this way.

Geaux Tigers!!
Touch Down Red Raiders!!

Demand That Your Representatives REPRESENT YOU

By now many of you who read my blog know that I am a deep hater (yes...HATER) of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act.  The perpetrators of this greatest usurpation of our Constitution in American history chose to entitle it with such a mouthful so that the acronym for this law could be USA PATRIOT, a most disgusting act of hypocrisy.  This act was rushed through a shocked and awed Congress in 2001, just a few short weeks after the terrorist attacks of 9/11.  Members of Congress, like the rest of us, were shaken and numbed by what had just happened.  Not only that, but senators and representatives who could have, and SHOULD HAVE, voted against this terrible bill were either too angry or too intimidated to vote against it.  After all, anyone who did not grab a hoe or rake and yell "Attack Iraq!" every time President Bush appeared on TV or on the radio was branded an UN PATRIOT, or worse.  Only ONE person in the entire US Senate dared to vote against the bill, one Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.  Only 89 US Congressmen voted against this act, including Ron Paul of Texas.  I have to add here, in fairness to Sheila Jackson-Lee, that SHE voted against USA PATRIOT, too.  Knowing her usual stances on many issues, I nearly had a heart attack upon checking her record.  But, bless her, she had the nerve to stand with Ron Paul and try to defend us from the coming tyranny. 

Yes, I can say I truly hate the USA PATRIOT Act.  I will get into my reasons soon, but first I would like to point out that this law came up for renewal in 2006.  During that vote, our Texas senators SHOULD HAVE led the charge to repeal this horrible law.  In fact BOTH Texas senators meekly got in the sheep line behind President Bush II, as did all but ten senators.  Once again, Russ Feingold voted against USA PATRIOT, this time joined by nine other senators who had come to see this law for what it was.  Do you know, by the way, who ELSE voted FOR USA PATRIOT?  I will tell you, my friends. It was none other than Senator Barack (Open and Transparent Presidency) Obama.  I point out the 2006 vote because back in 2001 many politicians claimed that they had not had time to READ the USA PATRIOT Act and only voted for it in the urgency of the moment.  Following that logic, we must assume that in 2006 those politicians who AGAIN (or for the First Time in Obama's case) voted for renewing USA PATRIOT had FIVE years in which to read the contents of that law before voting for its renewal.  That being the case, then, we must also assume that those who voted for this measure in 2006 APPROVED OF THE CONTENTS OF THE BILL.  Further, if these senators and representatives DID KNOW the contents of USA PATRIOT and VOTED FOR its extension, we must by the same token believe that they supported the Bush Administration's usurpation of the United States Constitution. 

Now, why do I hate the USA PATRIOT Act?  First, I hate it because of the way its authors dared to name it USA PATRIOT.  Not only is it a treasonous act, but the implication is that anyone who dared stand against its passage was NOT a USA PATRIOT.  At a time when sales of United States flags hit an all-time spike, no politician who wanted his job dared be seen as UNPATRIOTIC!  In other words, voting against USA PATRIOT automatically branded the politician a traitor to the nation.
Second, USA PATRIOT purports to give to the president powers of seizure and arrest specifically PROHIBITED the government in the Constitution.  Secret courts and judges replace our true system of justice.  Persons arrested under USA PATRIOT are entitled to NO DUE PROCESS!  That includes the traditional notification to one's relative or attorney.  Third, USA PATRIOT authorizes these measures to continue as long as the United States is "at war."  The only problem with that is when will the "War on Terror" ever be "over?"  Saddam Hussein is dead; Osama, Son of Laden is dead; thousands of nameless terrorists are dead...but the "War On Terror" goes on...and on.  The truth is that since there will ALWAYS be terrorists, then we must assume there will ALWAYS BE A WAR ON TERROR.  Thus, USA PATRIOT will always be in force.  These are only three reasons I hate USA PATRIOT, but they are plenty enough for this blog.

The point of this blog is that I hope we, as citizens of this nation, will take the initiative to demand of our representatives in Congress, as well as of our president, that USA PATRIOT be repealed in its entirety.  We should further demand that the Legislative and Judicial Branches do their part to curtail the President's war powers.  At the very least we should demand that war powers be only granted when there is actually a war - a tangible and quantifiable military action against a tangible and quantifiable foe.  I hope we, as citizens, remember that the "government" is BY US and FOR US.  Being by the people and for the people, the government is by definition RESPONSIVE to the people.  If it is not responsive to the people, then the people should demand that the government respond.  If not, then the people are duty-bound to change the government so that it is responsive, truly representative of the people that empowered it in the first place.  For instance, the vast majority of people surveyed by several organizations were found to be overwhelmingly against those portions of USA PATRIOT I mentioned above.  My own observations of news articles, television reports, and on the Internet, have been that most people do not support USA PATRIOT.  I wonder how much more of our liberty we must lose before we demand that reason and common sense rule, and that our representatives carry out the will of the majority.  It this point we still have the right to change government peacefully.  How much longer we will have civil rights?  Only as long as we are willing to stand up and demand that our government REPRESENT OUR WILL and RESPECT AND DEFEND OUR CONSTITUTION.

End of Watch; Deputy Josh Mitchell

Once again, and in less then twenty-four hours from my last blog, I have the sad but nonetheless great privilege to honor a fallen peace officer on these pages.  Deputy Josh Mitchell of the Reagan County Sheriff's Office was murdered last night just after 6 PM.  Deputy Mitchell had approached the residence of the shooter while on some type of service call.  Officer Mitchell was fired on and mortally wounded by the suspect, Marcus Madison. Both men were residents of the small town of Big Lake, a small town where nothing like this is supposed to happen.  But as policemen everywhere know, death is never very far from the police officer's path.  The shooter, Madison, was known to police due to several arrests over the years.  The suspect was "brave" enough to ambush a lone police officer but was later found hiding like a scared little boy in a closet inside his residence.  Apparently he was not up to standing face to face with one or more officers, opting not to fire any more shots as more officers arrived, eventually backed by SWAT units from various departments.  This is the modus operandi of many a criminal; to ambush a single officer then meekly surrender when confronted by other officers.

Deputy Mitchell was a long-time resident of Reagan County, and had been employed at the Reagan County Sheriff's Office since he was old enough to legally be a peace officer in the state of Texas.  The murder of this officer, for the above reason, as well as because Deputy Mitchell leaves behind a young wife and loving family, as well as comrades at the Sheriff's Office, is especially tragic.  The tragedy is exacerbated by the fact that the shooter was also a member of the same community.  My deepest sympathy to this officer's family and to the men and women of the Reagan County Sheriff's Office, as well as other officers of the various agencies that work closely with Reagan County SO, due to the isolated location of that community.  Also my prayers of safety for peace officers in West Texas and all over the state, and the nation, who will carry on in the face of this and other tragedies, and will continue to do their jobs even as they daily walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

End Of Watch: Officer Josh Williams

It is my unfortunate privilege to honor Officer Josh Williams of the Waxahachie Police Department, who gave his life in the line of duty on July 28, 2012.  Officer Williams was responding to a disturbance call during the early morning hours, well before daylight.  As he travelled through a major intersection, another vehicle ran a red light and struck Officer Williams' patrol car.  Although the collision was to the passenger side of the patrol car, the other vehicle was traveling so fast that it demolished the police car and mortally injured the officer.  Patrolman Williams was transported to the hospital, but lifesaving efforts begun at the scene and continued through transport were unsuccessful.  As is so often the case with pre-dawn accidents, the other driver was intoxicated.

Officer Williams had served nearly twenty years as a police officer.  He leaves behind his wife and three children, as well as his fellow officers at Waxahachie PD.  I am proud to honor him on this blog, although I am angered, along with many others I am sure, at the senseless act that caused this officer's death.  But the Blue Line in Heaven is one person stronger now.  My sympathy and prayers to Ms. Williams and her children, and to the officers of Waxahachie, as they go through this great loss.