Those who know me know that I have an active sense of humor. It was for this reason, that I joined a FaceBook group whose free and irreverent joking has made it a mainstay for several thousand users. Of the many types of jokes commonly posted on this group, are photos of naked fat guys, sitting at their computers. They put up the pictures, and we all have a good laugh, and make comments about these anonymous individuals, whose suffering is their celebrity.

Reality shows now rely on the couch potato who needs to be hoisted via crane, from her home to the doctor’s office for what must be an exercise in frustration and futility for both.

A part of me, however, finds this cavalier entertainment, quite painful. Statistics are commonplace, stating that 70% of Americans are overweight. I’m told that as much as 40% of us are actually morbidly obese – that’s almost half of the population.

From my early adulthood, up until my late 30s, I was quite athletic. My body ran like a Ferrari, and my metabolism ticked like a Breitling. After I was married, and I was bogged down in trying to run a business, I blew up like the Hindenburg. We’re talking “Orca-fat,” here. When I was 49 I was diagnosed with Diabetes, and the reality came crashing home, that I was to spend what little time I had left, as one of the old and sick.

The very people I had so arrogantly sneered at and snubbed, were now a club reserving a “gold” membership, in my name. I was “fat guy.jpg.” Maybe, I didn’t need a crane to haul my carcass to the doctor, but I did barely have the strength to make it in on my own power. A simple drive into town, park in a public lot, and walk all of two blocks to his first floor office – and it felt like I was Jesse Owens trying to single-handedly win the Olympics.

Being sick is no fun – and it’s certainly no source of pride.

Deep inside me, two figures were squaring off. A ghost and a goner were getting ready to go toe to toe in a steel-cage death-match. David the martial artist, bike messenger, speed skater, mountain climber vs. David the tub o’ guts – was on, and the purse was nothing short of my life.

Well the challenger took it in a KO. The old, fat and sick David was carried off the mat – belly up.

A few weeks ago, as I was struggling to find a worthwhile form of viable employment, and having some maintenance performed on my new “split window Corvette” of a body, an idea came to me. A way I could help my friends, and others struggling with health and well being issues – and pursue a career at the same time. I could create an e-magazine. I’ve talked about this idea in the loosest of terms, on FaceBook, and to a few select individuals in RL.

Well, the Premier issue is online. Check it out. Let me know what you think.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/49813702/N%C2%B530-Premier

http://66.92.90.26

Look for the file called Nµ30 Premier.pdf. In order to access the embedded video and audio files, you’ll need to download the magazine and open it in Adobe Reader.

A friend of mine posted an article written for “Human Events” by Ted Nugent. Below is my rebuttal. I have left the quoted passages italicized and intact. Please feel free to comment on this note. Thank you.

There are no words to express the outrage Americans would have expressed if the Japanese government proposed to build a memorial to their fallen soldiers at Pearl Harbor immediately following World War II. We can only hope that President Truman would have ordered our military to fire-bomb the Japanese again for being so rude and stupid.

I would begin by pointing out that this is immediately a logical fallacy in that it is built on an “if statement.” We can’t know what the outrage expressed by Americans would have been, nor can we know what Truman’s reaction would have been, because the circumstance never occurred. If I had wheels, I’d be a Buick. Who knows?

We do know, however, that we didn’t firebomb the Japanese. No, we have the stellar distinction of being the only nation in the History of the World – before or since – to, not once but twice, drop an atomic bomb on a civilian population.

No “Muslim” government is building a memorial to their fallen soldiers at “Ground Zero.” Rather, an American citizen – a distinguished one who has served at the pleasure of both Presidents Bush and Obama – is building a community center, containing a minimal prayer room, in a zoned commercial part of the city, which happens to be 2 full blocks away from that infamous site.

Lastly, and just for fun, Mr. Nugent states that this Japanese memorial would be built immediately following WWII. The community center will be built 9 years after the bombing of the Twin Towers. If we stay within this fallacious timeline, then Truman would no longer have been President. Ike would. Furthermore, 9 years should be both enough time for the nation to have healed from some of its wounds and, more importantly, it should have been enough time for us to build our own memorial, rather than leaving the site as a gaping scar on the cityscape.

Slice it any way you want but the Muslim community is being tremendously rude and stupid for wanting to build a mosque so close to Ground Zero in New York City. Instead of using the $100 million for their proposed mosque, I recommend they donate the cash to the U.S. military so that we can build more smart bombs to kill more voodoo Muslim radicals. That would earn my respect and admiration.

Again, the “Muslim community” has nothing to do with this – nor, as I have said, do any governments, including our own. As to their rudeness and stupidity, I think expecting them to pay us to build more smart bombs is pretty rude and stupid. Since when does our military even need donations to cover the costs of maintaining the world’s largest arsenal of weapons, anyway?

Killing more Muslim terror punks would make the world a more peaceful place to live, and safer for more Muslims, and we all know that Islam is the religion of peace. Yeah, right.

This is just stupid, and I’m not even going to dignify it with any kind of rebuttal attempts.

Let’s call a spade a spade here. If Islam is the religion of peace then I’m a malnourished, tofu-eating anti-hunter.

I eat tofu, and I’m vehemently against hunting – at least as a sport – and I’m anything but malnourished. In fact, any time you feel like going a couple of rounds, Mr. Nugent, give me a call. Don’t worry – I’ll wear my 16oz. gloves.

That fact is that much of the world’s terrorism is committed by Muslims in the name of Allah. These voodoo nutjobs believe that, according to the Koran, killing non-believers makes Allah happy.

Christians, who believe that Waco was a plot by Zionists, commit much of it as well. For that matter, I’m sure a percentage is even committed by Atheists, although I’m equally certain that we’re in the minority. Terrorism is a crime. All social groups commit crimes. Let’s start trying to fight the crime, and stop selecting groups to focus our wrath and hatred upon. In fact, a sad but true necessity of living in a free society is that we must accept that certain members of that society are going to be unwilling to abide by the social contract.

Moreover, Muslim-run countries provide the funds and other support for this terrorism and indoctrinate their youth to hate all things Western. Killing is good. Peace is bad. And we are supposed to believe Islam is a peaceful religion?

Some Muslim-run counties do. Many do not. What we need to remember as a secular nation is that nations that stand against us, do so as nations, not as religions. There may be religions that decry our way of life. Many of them are practiced here, and Christianity does spring to mind. Nations, however, go to war with nations. Those countries that do sponsor terrorism should be sanctioned, but those who do not are not our enemies.

Islam is no more a peaceful religion than Jim Jones was a Christian prophet. Islam attracts violent maniacs stuck in the year 700, reduces women to third-class citizens, discriminates, persecutes and kills Christians and burns their churches, stones people for punishment, and believes in world domination. Saudi Arabia, a Muslim theocracy, goes so far as to outlaw all other religions other than Islam. Sounds like real nice, neighborly Islamic folks.

This is a blanket statement, and completely unproven and unfounded. We all hear, ad infinitum, about the stoning and other barbaric punishment rituals that go on in Muslim countries. However, it should be realized that the individuals responsible are despotic rulers. Stalin was a merciless torturer and mass murderer. Hitler was, as well. Let’s not forget Catharine the Great, Ivan the Terrible, Prince Ferdinand, Mao, Saddam Hussein (a secularist), Alexander, Genghis Khan… the list goes on forever. Most of these individuals were non-Muslim. Many followed no religion at all. What all had in common was that they were despotic rulers – people who controlled their subjects with tyranny and fear.

Sure, there are peaceful Muslims who abhor violence. Not all Muslims are religious whacks who deserve a bullet. But the statistics are alarming. Last November, Newsmax reported Muslim imams preach jihad and extremism in 10% of the 2,000 mosques right here in the United States. The same article reported that, according to Pew Research Center poll, 25% of Muslims in America between the ages of 18-29 believe suicide bombings can be justified. Just keep telling yourself that Islam is the religion of peace.

You cite the numbers 10% and 25%. Although these statistics may be, as you put it, alarming, they are by no means a majority. So the sentence could, conceivably be worded – The majority of Muslims are peaceful and don’t subscribe to extremism or suicide bombing. I think, pretty much any sane individual is going to not be enamored with the concept of suicide bombing. That means – again – that the few who are are miscreants and should be dealt with as such.

The President is right when he stated Americans enjoy the freedom to purchase private property and to worship as they choose. He was wrong, however, in not forcefully condemning the rude and insensitive Muslims who want to build the mosque so close to Ground Zero. Not only did our rookie President miss a pivotal and teachable moment but he also missed a leadership opportunity in failing to condemn the Muslims who want to build the mosque near Ground Zero. This is classic “rubbing it in their face” 101.

Well, nice to know that we agree on something. The President was right when he stated that Americans enjoy the freedom to purchase private property and to worship as they choose. We are allegedly defending our Constitution and our way of life, our values if you will. If we allow hatred and bigotry to color our perspective on this and other similar issues, we’re handing victory to the very terrorists we’re supposedly at war with.

As to our “rookie” President, I would suggest that George W. Bush was a rookie in the 2nd year of his first term. So, for that matter was Ronald Reagan, Kennedy, even Lincoln. It’s not a job that one can enter into with experience. All Presidents are rookies until they’re not. The only one who actually had a wealth of experience on the job was F.D.R., and that’s only because he served 3 and one half terms.

[…]

Bottom line: I don’t trust the proposed Muslim mosque to be a holy bastion of peace, understanding, tolerance and love of others. The mosque will attract extremists and radicals who will try to harm America. If you want to see how tolerant Muslims are just have a bunch of Christians stand on the sidewalk in front of the mosque and hand out Christian literature.

Again, this is all unsubstantiated supposition. We can’t know that the “mosque” will attract extremists and radicals. We can’t know what the reaction to Christians handing out literature will be. Objective thought requires practical analysis of facts, not conjecture and speculation. If the shadowy Muslims build a mosque at Ground Zero, we’ll all grow a second asshole in the middle of our foreheads. Then you’ll be sorry!

The problem America faces is not radical Muslims. The problem is that America lacks fundamental leadership and common sense from our elected officials who worship at the alter of political correctness. Instead of standing with the victims’ families of 9/11, New York City politicians chose to cast their lot with Islam, the supposed religion of peace and harmony. Me, I am not singing that tune.

Jesus, Ted. I don’t even know what to do with this other than to point out the proper spelling of the word, altar. I’m hoping some of my commentators on this missive can help me out.

If there is additional American blood spilled in the Big Apple, the politicians who supported this mosque will be as guilty as the Muslim voodoo kooks who love death and destruction in the name of Allah.

Finally! I was getting carpal tunnel over here. Once again, Ted, all your giving us is supposition, hyperbole and the imaginary ramblings of a former guitar God. You’re fostering hatred and fear – the same tools used by the aforementioned despotic rulers – and doing so using fallacies and unproven assumptions.

Comments Below:

• David P. Greenberg Please read this and comment. The finished product – including your well reasoned responses will be published in The Flying Dutchman. I’ll find the original article and post it for you, although I don’t really think you need it.
• Karen Grant ‎”Me, I am not singing that tune.” I never thought the Nuge could really sing to begin with. Now I know why – it’s hard to do anything well when you spend 90% of your time with your head shoved up your ass.
• Denise Macy Foster RE: Statistics: I’d be curious to know how many “white supremicists”, Ku Klux Klaners or people who are prejudiced against blacks, jews, hispanics, etc. there are in America who claim to be Christans. I would venture to guess that there wo…uld be at least 25% of Chrisitans who would qualify on one or more of those counts. Thus, based on Mr. Nugents reasoning, I am justified in proclaiming that Christianity is an anti-semitic, anti-black, anti-hispanic, terror group which should be banned from building any houses of worship in America. Right???This rant by Nugent is nothing more than stereotypical ranting… the sad part is that people will listen to him for two reasons:1. He is a former rock star
  2. He is preaching what they want to hear – that “they” are out to get us.

  What he doesn’t seem to realize is that he is doing exactly what he is accusing the terror groups of doing… stereotyping an entire religion or nation as being violent. (We are, after all, the “great Satan” in extremist thinking). What is the difference between calling us “the great Satan” and Nugent proclaiming that Islam is a religion of terror?

  And Mr. Nugent must not have EVER studied history, because Islamic history IS NOT violent and fear ridden and unfair to women in it’s historical context; especially when compared to Christianity. Jews and Christians lived well under Islamic rule originally; the violence is of fairly recent vintage. OPEN A HISTORY BOOK MR. NUGENT!

• Susan Daly ‎”conceivably by worded” — needs “be” instead of “by”Other than that, nice job. I would have had a very difficult time responding to this racist, xenophobic diatribe. So much of it is just so ridiculous that I have no words to rebut it.
• Melissa Seward I like some of his points. I am an open minded person. I dont agree with everything he says. But its the fact of, we dont know 1. what path these people who want to build this take. Even if they told us would we believe them 2. (this is one… concern i have) If it gets built there, i am betting it wont be there long. 10 years maybe be for some neo-nazi white supremacist inbred ass wipe will either a. bombs it. b. goes in and starts picking them off one by one or c. lights it on fire. It might not even take 10 years. I am all for freedom of speech and freedom of religion. But it is a little insensitive to build any kind of religion based building there. I think its insensitive to build anything thats not a memorial there but thats just me. Ted repeats a lot of the same things over and over but he is saying things a lot of us have thought but dare not say. Sometimes you have to look at the what if’s to keep what you love safe.
• Denise Macy Foster Melissa – you do realize a few things, right?1. The COMMUNITY/CULTURAL center that is proposed is not a religious building but has a secular purpose2. It is not on the site of Ground Zero, but is in a commercial area that is already built… up (and filled with porn shops, liquor stores, and other questionable ventures). The community center will provide employment and places to go for the youth that are more wholesome than what is currently available.3. It has nothing to do with the memorial site. It won’t even be visible from the memorial site. (And why – exactly – has it taken almost a decade to get a memorial even conceived?).4. The person proposing the project has actually worked with the federal government to erradicate etremists from his religion

  Did you know all that? I can provide links and whatnot to all my claims.

• David P. Greenberg ‎@Susan – Got it. Thanks for the proofread.
• Melissa Seward In this day in age, people will say one thing just to get what they want and mean another (about 4) (1) religion is culture in my book (but thats just me) (3) agreed why has it taken so long (2) its obviously to close for comfort for a lot of people. Don’t we have this system called voting in this country. Maybe we should just do that.
• Melissa Seward Also, Ted is not a former rock star. He is one. Around here we call him Uncle Ted. (here as in Michigan)
• Karen Grant Actually, Melissa, we DO know the beliefs of the people who want to build it. They’re Sufi Muslims, which is a mystical and pacifistic sect comparable to Christianity’s Quakers. Imam Rauf, the point man in all of this, has been sent to Musl…im countries by the US State Department a number of times on bridge-building missions to help spread an anti-extremist message. So yes, I do believe him.As for what some neo-Nazis or other scumbags might eventually do, that’s certainly no excuse for halting the building of the center. If it were, then what [Muslim extremists/insert other despicable group here] might do would have been a good excuse to not build the WTC or pretty much any other edifice. You just can’t predicate every single action on the idea that somebody somewhere might not like it and might try to cause trouble.As for the “insensitivity” angle: this building isn’t on the WTC site. It’s a 150 year old commercial building already in existence two blocks away (two blocks in Lower Manhattan is roughly equivalent to two miles anywhere else, because of how densely packed Mahattan is) in a neighborhood already filled with shops, offices, restaurants, bars and even strip clubs, as well as apartments and (probably) a church or two. Memorials to the WTC victims belong at the WTC site, not two blocks away in an already-existing commercial district. Unless you’re suggesting that we should finish bin Laden’s work for him and raze all of Manhattan, turning a once-thriving city that epitomizes America’s cosmopolitan values into a silent memorial park to an abandoned dream of pluralism?

• Karen Grant Every family has that one creepy uncle whom everyone is afraid to invite to the family reunion. Just sayin’.
• David P. Greenberg ‎@Melissa – The problem of looking at the what ifs is that there are so many variables, we can’t ever truly know what the what ifs would be. Also, and this is really important, this thing is not AT the Ground Zero site. I agree that we need to build a memorial there, but this is actually – in NY terms – no where near the site. Broadway, the classy show capitol of the world, and what used to be the major prostitution district in the city were only one block apart. 2 blocks is a huge distance in a tiny and densely populated city.
• Karen Grant Melissa, we don’t put everything in this country to a popular vote. We have this thing called a Constitution, which includes this thing called the Bill of Rights. I direct your attention to the first item in it.
• Chiyo Chan ‎@ Melissa – if civil rights were left to the will of the people through voting; women and blacks would still be segregated and unable to vote and homosexuals still wouldn’t have the right to marry (still don’t have the right to marry in CA. thanks to prop 8). All victims of the tyrrany of the prejudiced majority.
• Susan Daly Unless they are violating zoning laws in the area, there is no right to vote on what people do with their privately held land.
• Melissa Seward maybe new yorkers (just the city) should vote on it. that way no one can bitch about it they didnt have a say. I know not everything gets put to a vote but maybe something as sensitive as this should. not for the whole country, that would just be stupid. But for the people that will have to deal with it in their lives every day. By deal I dont mean that negatively. Just they have to live with it. I just think if people are going to bitch about it and have strong opinions maybe they should do something about it.
• Paul Daly Not so close!! If you’re worried about it gettin’ burned down,you can FUGGETABOUDDIT!! My union Bros.and Sis. won’t even let it go up!!
• David P. Greenberg Unfortunately Melissa, this isn’t a religious OR a voting issue. This is a private property issue. If someone buys or leases the land, they can do what ever they want with it, within the limitations of legality. A person is perfectly free to put up a fried chicken shack in the shadow of Parchman Farm in Mississippi. Is it in good taste? No. Is it legal? Yes.
• Karen Grant Melissa, should the people of your town/city be allowed to vote on what you can do with your property?
• David P. Greenberg Thank you all for these comments (and corrections). Keep ‘em coming. I will upload the whole thing to the blog site, tonight.
• Melissa Seward Depends on what I was doing with it. Trust me, people have been kept from building things on private property here before.
• Karen Grant But Melissa, that’s within extant zoning laws. If, say, a group of Christians bought a parcel of land in your city, I highly doubt that the city would put it to a vote of the citizens whether or not they could build a church or a YMCA on it.
• Melissa Seward I wouldn’t put it past them. I live in the middle of BFE. Crazier things have happened. I am just saying, it would make it easier or at least slightly more civilized.
• Karen Grant How is it “easy” or “civilized” to have mob rule???
• David P. Greenberg What’s BFE?
• Melissa Seward For all you and I know. If it was put to a vote, the community/cultural center would get voted as a yes.
• Melissa Seward i would say but its rude. lets just say middle of no where redneckville. Just because I live here doesn’t mean I am one, fully.
• Karen Grant Melissa, the point is not whether it would be voted yes or no – the point is that there are no grounds for putting it to a vote in the first place. The center has already been passed by the local zoning board, and it is completely within the law as written. In this country, we don’t put things to a vote on whether or not we like the religious beliefs of the people involved.
• Denise Macy Foster Melissa – the thing that gets me about the idea that anyone should get to “vote” on this is that there is so much misconception about this proposal (our media has done a great job in mis-informing, inciting controversy, etc.) that I don’t k…now if people would really try to understand what they would be “voting” on. Too many think it’s a “mosque” when it’s not; too many think it’s on Ground Zero property when it’s not; too many have been mis-informed about Islamic history (it’s not all violence)… too many are misinformed about Islam in general. Churches – in my personal knowledge – are hiring outside speakers who come and tell the congregation that ‘all” Muslims are out to kill Christians and practice “jihad”. Too many believe what they hear without doing any further research. How could they vote rightly when there is so much misinformation out there?Look at what is happening nationally to other proposals made by Muslims – they are getting turned down just because they are Muslim, not because they’ve done anything to deserve sanction. This would be like us refusing to allow churches to be built because “some” members of churches are members of the terror group KuKluxKlan. Would that be based on a fair estimation of “most” Christians?

• Melissa Seward I guess I am looking at it all wrong. I don’t believe in judging by religion, hell I barely believe in religion. Let them have it fine, they just need to know there could be consequences from groups like the KKK. ALSO, I am not arguing that just because of their religion there needs to be a vote. But how would you feel if it was a Satanic Community/Cultural Center going there. They are a misunderstood religion too. But pretty damn sure they would get the same reaction the Muslims are right now.
• Karen Grant I’d be fine if it were a Satanic Center. (Disclaimer: I have a friend who is a Satanist. He’s actually a very cool guy.) I mean, I’m freakin’ *Pagan*, and I can know how up-in-arms some people can get about us.
• Denise Macy Foster Melissa – You’re probably right about the Satanists. However, in that neighborhood, what with all the porn shops, peep shows and strip clubs… they might not even be noticed!!! As to there being “consequences” from groups like the KK…K – you do know that the KKK is the “first” American born terrorist group, right? If a community center founded by Islamics has to fear the KKK, then who are the terrorists? I had one of my other friends tell me that the “reason” they shouldn’t build this center is because of the “extra security” that would be needed to protect it… and I gotta ask… protect it from whom? Islamic Terrorists or Americans?This is the problem with this protest… in protesting against a group we accuse of terrorism… we become the terrorists.
• David P. Greenberg Melissa, thanks for being the grist for everybody’s mill. Y’all keep this coming, I have to go eat some tofu (whey protein in coconut milk, actually) and go train, so I can be in shape for Mr. Nugent’s call.
• Melissa Seward I have read in to both religions(i own many books on wicca and satanism). So you and I both know how people react over this stuff. Our reactions (yours and mine and everyone else) are based off reactions others have had to this. You would b…e ok with something like that but do you really thing everyone one who didn’t know about those religions would be ok with it? I doubt it. People still think Satanist worship the devil and Pagan make human sacrifices. I am not trying to change anyone’s opinion on this, just like no one is going to change mine. But just to clarify in case it became unclear. No matter what the base religion of the people wanting to put up something slightly religious based in anywhere, if there is an uproar about it maybe they should think about taking in opinions. These people could get hurt because of where they decided to put this. That is my argument. Not that they shouldn’t be allowed strictly because of their religion, but everyone suffers from others decisions. Look at the Catholic’s. Some people think all male priest rape little boys and girls. Or that all Mormons have a ton of wives and treat them all like shit. So, due to the fact of what has happened in that area ( i know is like almost 3 blocks away or whatever), and the religion of the people that are going to be there, maybe another block or 2 away would be safer for them. A lot of Americans think all Muslims are suicide bombers and want to kill us all. I know they don’t but not everyone wants to believe that.
• Melissa Seward Denise, I agree. We need protection from our selves. I hate the KKK and everything they stand for. There was a rally in the city next to my town a few weeks ago. They where trying to be all nice and oh we don’t want violence. Yes they do. T…hey just don’t want to start it. They are the type of group to provoke so they can do what they want. I would bet they will hold a rally there and try to provoke a “terrorist” reaction from the people going to that center. That is how they are. Just remember, those who keep arguing with me or not liking my opinion. I am only 24. I wish you all a great day.
• Melissa Seward David, no problem. A little conflict is good for the body.
• Karen Grant Melissa, my whole point was that if everyone had to base all their actions on what *might* happen, then no one would ever be able to do anything. There will always be someone who might object to just about anything that anyone else might de…cide to do. Oh well, that’s just life.And a lot of the people right there IN that neighborhood ARE Muslim, so that would actually be a reason IN FAVOR of putting the center there.Do you even know what this place (it’s name is to be Cordoba House, by the way) is going to be? I’m guessing not. It’s going to be basically like a YMCA or a JCC (Jewish Community Center). In other words, it will involve a fitness center, a swimming pool, classrooms, community rooms, an auditorium, and programming of a variety of types for all sorts of people. It will be open to people of all faiths, and all backgrounds, with after-school programs, cooking classes, stuff for children and adults, etc. etc.

• Denise Macy Foster They’ve actually changed the name from Cordoba house to Park 51 because of all the claims that Muslims would use this as a sign of victory – the reasoning being that Cordoba Spain was a place of Islamic victory (although history doesn’t bear this out… but hysteria is never big on facts)… anyway, they’ve “New Yorkized” the name to try to get some of the furor to die down.
• Melissa Seward But a lot of people wont look at it that way. Thats my point. They see the word Muslim attached to it and freak out. I bet there was a big up roar about the first JCC.
• Karen Grant Just one more point:”No matter what the base religion of the people wanting to put up something slightly religious based in anywhere, if there is an uproar about it maybe they should think about taking in opinions.”I suppose then that means… that if someone wants to build a Catholic church in a largely Protestant area, the opinion of the Protestants should decide whether it gets built?Or maybe the opinion of the Klan should decide where black people live and worship?
• Paul Daly It’s Butt-Fuck E(I don’t know what the “e” is for,but(hee hee)I like Oklahoma).If you were’nt there you don’t know.I was.No religous house of worship should be built there of any kind!!!Maybe a memorial to the innocents.Killing in the name …of (any) God is pretty much against what (any) God says right? Sooo…killing in the name of whoever is either blasphemy or,treason,correct?Both punishable by death. b.t.w. that building used to have a shop where you could get an N.Y.C. permit to carry!@ Melissa, uncle Ted has given me some fresh kill (not N.Y.C.)
  recipes that are yummy.I eat what I kill.That’s why I don’t kill clowns,…they taste funny!
• Karen Grant Actually, Moorish Cordoba was a place where Christians, Jews and Muslims lived in peace together.And from what I’d heard, it is currently Park 51 but will still be called Cordoba House when completed, though I could be wrong about that.
• Melissa Seward Good point. never thought about it that way. Also, I am not a fan of the Catholics, born and raised one, dont like them that much. So yeah I think they should decide on that. The KKK can go eat it.
• Karen Grant Wait, did you seriously just say that the Protestants ought to get to decide where the Catholics can build a church? Jeez, so who gets to decide where the Jews get to put a synagogue? Get real.
• Melissa Seward To clear it up, BFE = Butt (or Bum) Fuck (or Fucked) Egypt.
• Melissa Seward Oh my. It was a joke. Wow. I think I will just keep repeating my self if I continue with this. Good day all. Thanks for the debating. It was fun.
• Denise Macy Foster Hi Karen – I know what the history is, but many don’t. The propaganda going around is that Cordoba was a site of Islamic victory, and thus using that name was a subtle “we won, you lost” by the muslims promoting the project. Like I said, hy…steria is not big on facts. If you don’t already know it, there is a big push inside Christian churches to “expose” what Islam is “all about”… and much of it is a twisted view of the Koran, history, etc. It may not be “surprising”, but I’ve been shocked at some of the stuff coming out of the Christian community over this.The project has been renamed because of it:
  http://sify.com/news/cordoba-house-mosque-coming-up-near-ground-zero-renamed-as-park-51-news-international-khopadcajbd.html

  Here’s some of the propaganda that made that happen:
  http://www.urbanelephants.com/index.php/component/content/article/64/2700.html

  http://thenationalscene.com/ground-mosque-hidden-meaning-america-islam/

  And while I don’t usually use Wikipedia as a reference, I thought this was good:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park51

• Paul Daly Good one.My bad.iIt’s usaully E.B.New Jersey!
• Paul Daly It is what it is. b.t.w…are you a badger or a wolverine

They have gone by “The Daughters of Zion” and “The Avenging Angel” but even by their most well known name, “The Danites” remain a deeply hidden and controversial organization. For every piece of evidence revealing their bloody history, contrasting evidence can be found that would indicate that they never existed at all.

The scope of this treatise will be to attempt to ascertain if there is any truth to the mythology surrounding this militant arm of the Mormon Church, and if so, to determine how its heritage may be implicated in the modern day FLDS sect of said Church.

By the year 1838, the fledgling state of Missouri was embroiled in bitter conflict. The Mormon War was an attempt to drive “saints” of the Mormon Church out of two counties within the state. The citizens had formed into mobs and began attacking Mormon outposts. The state of Missouri itself, held no interest in protecting or defending these alienated victims. The Mormon settlers found themselves in a war of violence and attrition being waged by forces bent on their expulsion and even, if necessary, their extermination¹.

The Mormons became aware of the need for military action in order to protect their lives and property, and to preserve their way of life. Leaders of the LDS formed militias in the two counties – Caldwell and Daviess respectively, and charged them with the active resistance to mob activity.

Led by one Dr. Samson Avard, a devout and fundamentalist follower of “The Prophet” Joseph Smith, one of these militias calling itself “The Daughters of Zion” is said to have burned the homes of settlers, conducted daring raids on Mobber camps and waged a campaign of terror throughout the state. After several organizational changes as well as changes in the group’s official name, they became known as “The Danites².”

Response to these activities resulted in the passage by then Governor Boggs, of a legislation known as “The Extermination Order.” This act gave legal authority to the mobs resulting in, among other things, a massacre of Mormons at a settlement known as “Haun’s Mill³.

…And after viewing these corpses, we immediately went to the blacksmith’s shop where we found nine of our friends, eight of whom were already dead, the other, Mr. Cox of Indiana, struggling in the agonies of death and soon expired. Additionally, numerous others were dying… the women were compelled to bury their husbands by throwing them into a well close to the blacksmith’s shop⁴.

Prior to that year, the Mormon community had two population concentrations. The first, and primary center was in Kirtland, Ohio, which was where the church was quartered. The second was a small outpost in northwestern Missouri. Founded by John Whitmer and William Phelps, “Far West,” was to be the movement’s salvation.

The church owned bank in Ohio was in failure. The new plan for both communities was to insure church solvency through a system known as the “Law of Consecration.” This was an official church edict that stated that all lands and properties belonging to a Mormon had to be surrendered to the church, and then leased back. A small group of Mormons fought back against this law. They became known as dissenters. Armed dissenters such as Warren Parish began expressing their dissatisfaction in both deed and oratory. They quickly gained control over the Kirtland Temple and forced Joseph Smith and his protégé, Stanley Rigdon, to relocate to the Far West Temple. This was a crushing blow to Smith, and resulted in a schism in his newfound church⁵.

Rigdon, in a well known sermon, stated that the dissenters were like “salt that has lost its savor,” and that they would be “trodden under the foot of men⁶.” Dr. Avard’s militia had all sworn an oath to “The Prophet.” They would be the perfect soldiers in the attempt at reconciliation amongst the factions. In a letter Avard sent to the dissenters in Kirtland, he stated:

“We have solemnly warned you, and that in the most determined manner, that if you do not cease that course of wanton abuse of the citizens of this county, that vengeance would overtake you sooner or later, and that when it did come it would be as furious as the mountain torrent, and as terrible as the beating tempest; but you have affected to despise our warnings, and pass them off with a sneer, or a grin, or a threat, and pursued your former course; and vengeance sleepeth not, neither does it slumber; and unless you heed us this time, and attend to our request, it will overtake you at an hour when you do not expect, and at a day when you do not look for it; and for you there shall be no escape; for there is but one decree for you, which is depart, depart, or a more fatal calamity shall befall you⁷.”

It is difficult to know to which “wanton abuse” he was referring, but it is certainly not difficult to discern the threatening tone of this letter. Samson Avard later denied writing the letter, and claimed that Sidney Rigdon wrote it⁸. The letter, however, worked resulting in the dissenters fleeing the Temple, and the schism being quelled. Clearly there must have been a belief in the minds of the dissenters, that the retributions contained therein were more than just idle threats. It should be obvious that these individuals believed in them.

When investigating the Danites, one becomes aware of the fact that they served multiple purposes in the LDS community. Primarily, they provided protection for the saints, against the outside world, but it appears that they also acted as an informal police force, enforcing church doctrine amongst the members.

More important, however, is the overwhelming body of evidence suggesting that they never existed at all. This kind of thing is not rare when researching secret societies. Among the Irish communities in southern Pennsylvania, one will hear conflicting stories as to the existence or the effectiveness of the “Molly McGuires.” Likewise of course, no member of the now infamous “Skull and Bones” would ever admit to his activity in such an organization.

It is obviously advantageous for the mainstream Mormon Church to denounce the existence of the Danites, and as far as the FLDS is concerned, this author does not believe any of them could be counted on to relate any history, at all truthfully.

One of the bodyguards in the employ of Joseph Smith, and later Brigham Young – Orrin Porter Rockwell – in a biography by Richard Lloyd Dewey, states, “Joseph [Smith Junior] confides in his journal, ‘The Danite system alluded to by Norton* never had any existence. It was a term made use of by some of the brethren in Far West, and grew out of an expression I made use of when the brethren were preparing to defend themselves from the Missouri mob…’” ⁹.

Mr. Rockwell was certainly no stranger to the way of the gun, and although he is credited with a number of violent and even criminal acts, he not only stated that he was never a member of any organization called “The Danites,” but that, in fact, no such organization ever existed to his knowledge.

On the other hand, however, a Constitution does exist.

Whereas, in all bodies laws are necessary for the permanency, safety and well-being of society, we, the members of the society of the Daughter of Zion, do agree to regulate ourselves under such laws as, in righteousness shall be deemed necessary for the preservation of our holy religion, and of our most sacred rights, and the rights of our wives and children.

But, to be explicit on the subject, it is especially our object to support and defend the rights conferred on us by our venerable sires, who purchased them with the pledges of their lives and fortunes, and their sacred honors.

And now, to prove ourselves worthy of the liberty conferred on us by them, in the providence of God, we do agree to be governed by such laws as shall perpetuate these high privileges, of which we know ourselves to be the rightful possessors, and of which privileges wicked and designing men have tried to deprive us, by all manner of evil, and that purely in consequence of the tenacity we have manifested in the discharge of our duty towards our God, who had given us [those] rights and privileges, and a right in common with others, to dwell on this land.

But we, not having the privileges of others allowed unto us, have determined like unto our fathers, to resist tyranny, whether it be in kings or in the people. It is all alike unto us. Our rights we must have, and our rights we shall have, in the name of Israel’s God.

ART. 1st. All power belongs originally and legitimately to the people, and they have a right to dispose of it as they shall deem fit. But as it is inconvenient and impossible to convince the people in all cases, the legislative powers have been given by them from time to time, into the hands of a representation composed of delegates from the people themselves. This is and has been the law in both civil and religious bodies, and is the true principle.

ART. 2d. The executive power shall be vested in the president of the whole church and his counselors [sp].

ART. 3d. The legislative powers shall reside in the president and his counselors [sp], together with the generals and colonels of the society. By them all laws shall be made regulating the society.

ART. 4th. All offices shall be during the life and good behaviour [sp], or to be regulated by the law of God.

ART. 5th. The society reserves the power of electing all its officers with the exception of the aides and clerks which the officers may need in the various stations. The nomination to go from the presidency to his second, and from the second to the third in rank, and so down through all the various grades, branch or department retains the power of electing its own particular officers.

ART.6th. Punishment shall be administered to the guilty in accordance to the offense, and no member shall be punished without law, or by any others than those appointed by law for that purpose. The Legislature shall have power to make laws regulating punishments as in their judgment shall be wisdom and righteousness.

ART. 7th. There shall be a secretary whose business it shall be to keep all the legislative records of the society, and also to keep a register of the names of the members of the society, also the rank of the officers. He shall also communicate the laws to the generals, as directed by laws made for the regulation of such business by the Legislature.

ART. 8th. All officers shall be subject to the commands of the Captain General given through the Secretary of War. And so all officers shall be subject to their superiors in rank, according to laws made for that purpose¹⁰.

Members were also expected to take an oath of loyalty to the Prophet. In this oath, they swore to never reveal the existence of a secret society known as the Daughters of Zion¹¹. Furthermore, Samson Avard testified in court on November 13^th 1838 as to the existence and the activities of the group he is said to have created.

“That about four months since, a band called the Daughters of Zion, (since called the Danite band,) was formed of the members of the Mormon church, the original object of which was to drive from the county of Caldwell all those who dissented from the Mormon church; in which they succeeded admirably, and to the satisfaction of all concerned. I consider Joseph Smith, jr., as the prime mover and organizer of this band.

The officers of the band, according to their grades, were brought before him, at a school house, together with Hiram Smith and Sidney Rigdon; the three composing the first presidency of the whole church.

It was stated by Joseph Smith, jr., that it was necessary this band should be bound together by a covenant, that those who revealed the secrets of the society should be put to death…”¹².

However, in her biography of Joseph Smith, Donna Hill asserts that the trial was an injustice, led by an overly zealous judge and rife with paid witnesses and uncorroborated testimony. It is her contention that the testimony of Avard was either coerced or altogether contrived, and that the Danites were actually a fiction created by anti-Mormon forces in Missouri¹³.

There are a number of commonalities between the original Mormon faith, as preached by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, and 19^th century Orthodox Judaism. One of these is the belief in a mythic “lost” tribe, known as the tribe of Dan. Dan is said to have descended from Jacob and Bilhah. It is said that he and his descendants were excluded from the covenant relationship with the deity, and therefore destined to serve as “guardian of the 12 tribes¹⁴.”

In an Interview with Rabbi Moshe Kehane, a Missouri historian and Torah scholar, that relationship is confirmed.

“Look at the names they went by, Daughters of Zion, Sword of Gideon, Army of Israel and Sons of Dan. All these names or references can be found in the first 5 books of the Old Testament, or what we call the Torah… The very basis of their [Mormon] faith is that Jesus came to the Americas, after the crucifixion, to reestablish the Kingdom of David, the New Jerusalem¹⁵.”

Dewey confirms both the relationship and the above names in his biography of Porter Rockwell.

The Mormons finally fled from Missouri, and in what is called the “Mormon Exodus,” escaped to Illinois, where they built the city of Nauvoo. Here again, they met with discrimination. This time, however, it was more due to their communal nature, which resulted in a powerful voting bloc. Joseph Smith died and the Church separated into two groups. One under Smith’s son, Joseph Smith III, and the other under Brigham Young, a self proclaimed Prophet. While the former chose to stay in Nauvoo, the latter left for the west¹⁶.

Allegedly, Young, upon seeing Utah’s “vermilion cliffs” said, “this is the right place [and it] will someday be the head and not the tail of the church [and]…the granaries of the Saints¹⁷.’”

One of these settlers in the Salt Lake City area was alleged Danite and mass murderer, John D. Lee. Lee is believed to have killed 120 settlers passing through Utah by wagon train. He claimed that he was doing God’s work by killing infidels¹⁸. Lee took two wives with him into hiding, and set up a river business called “Lee’s Ferry.” Lee’s Ferry provided transportation, and an area known as “The Arizona Strip,” became the hiding place of choice for practicing Mormon polygamists.

Although, in 1890, the LDS Church had refuted polygamy, these Mormons, under the leadership of a maverick Church President, John Taylor, claimed that God had told them to remain polygamist, and that it was a significant part of his plan for the end of the world¹⁹.

In 1935, the descendants of the Lee’s Ferry and Arizona Strip polygamists, after being excommunicated by the mainstream Church, moved to a small community known as Short Creek, on the Utah – Arizona border. In 1953, Federal forces raided that community and arrested many polygamists. The town reorganized itself as Colorado City, Arizona, created its own police force, school system and medical facilities. In short, it became a self-sufficient stronghold for fundamentalists “living the principle²⁰.”

Today, Colorado City, an enclave of 9000 occupants is a town where no newspapers are sold. There are no radios or TVs allowed within city limits. The Prophet, Rulon Jeffs, “Uncle Rulon,” as he was known by residents, has died, passing the scepter on to his son, “Uncle Warren.” No medical services can be provided to anyone, including emergency services or ambulances, without written consent from the family patriarch. The police and fire departments are all Church members. All schools are private, and religious in curricula. No one can go to college or attend a public school outside of the city; even the color red is illegal.

Students are taught that dinosaurs never existed, and that the only way a female can get into heaven is if her husband will allow her to. Blacks of either gender can never get there²¹.

Richard Abowitz, of the LA times, writing of a drive though Colorado City said. “…One thing is clear in visiting Colorado City: I can’t imagine a sadder place to be a kid than that joyless town²².”

If Colorado City, and its sister city, Hilldale, Utah are in fact, the reformations of the settlement at Short Creek, and if that settlement was indeed, the outgrowth of the Lee’s Ferry and Arizona Strip settlements, then the argument can be made that these modern day prison camps are the direct result of John D. Lee’s lighting in the area. John D. Lee, executed by firing squad on March 23 1877, for the cold-blooded murder of 120 innocent pilgrims, was, at least allegedly, a Danite. While his confessions and trial testimonies are wandering and self-conflicting, he did, on numerous occasions, use that term both in reference to himself and to others.

The author, having researched both the Danite mythology and the FLDS is convinced, and can say with reasonable certainty, that there is indeed a link between these murderous gun-slingers of the old west and the modern day white slavers, living and working in towns like Colorado City, spread out all over the western half of the continent.

Notes

1. http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDSFAQ/FQ_Danites.shtml#danites
2. http://churches.net/churches/utmiss/Fundamentalists/Danites%20Research2.htm
3. http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/response/history/danites_eom.htm
4. http://byustudies.byu.edu/shop/pdfsrc/26.2LeSueur.pdf
5. http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDSFAQ/FQ_Missouri.shtml#kangaroo
6. http://churches.net/churches/utmiss/Fundamentalists/Danites%20saltsermon.htm
7. B. H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church of Latter Day Saints, Vol.1, p.501. Brigham Young University Press, ISBN 0842502998
8. http://1857massacre.com/MMM/danites_p1.htm
9. R. L. Dewey, Porter Rockwell: A Biography, p.41 Paramount Books N.Y. ISBN 0-9616024-0-6
10. http://www.ils.unc.edu/~unsworth/mormon/danites.html
11. http://www.ils.unc.edu/~unsworth/mormon/danites.html
12. http://churches.net/churches/utmiss/Fundamentalists/Danites%20avardtest.htm
13. http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Smith-Mormon-Donna-Hill/dp/156085118X
14. New Oxford Annotated Bible, p. 81 ISBN 978-0-19-528880-3
15. Interview, Rabbi Moshe Kehane, 4/25/08
16. http://www.historyofmormonism.com/
17. http://www.historyofmormonism.com/Brigham_Young.html
18. http://www.mormonismi.net/bio/john_d_lee.shtml
19. http://www.paklinks.com/gs/showthread.php?t=155642
20. http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/bharris/stories/wfaa050610_am_eldorado.301015249.html
21. C. Jessop, Escape, p. 323
22. http://vegasblog.latimes.com/vegas/2006/09/visiting_colora.html

One of my favorite stories from History is that of Joan of Arc. Part of the reason I like it so much, is that everyone claims some level of ownership to it. The Feminists love the story, because she was a strong woman. The straight males love it because of the Amazon Mythology. To the French, she’s a hero because she was French, but the British claim the story as a relevant part of their History, as well. The Catholics, who betrayed her, see her as a saint and a martyr. The LBGT crowd lights upon her for her androgyny.

It is not my desire to attempt to compare Wolfie Blackheart to Jehanne la Poucelle d’ Loraine. There are, however, commonalities, perhaps even more so than meet the eye. Primarily, is the point that everyone seems to want a piece of this story, as well.

On January 28^th, CBS reported that San Antonio, Texas police were investigating possible animal cruelty charges against, a 23-year-old woman named Sarah Rodriguez. San Antonio Express News gives her age as 18.

Rodriguez, as her nom de guerre – Wolfie Blackheart, claims to be a “werewolf,” and freely admits to beheading a missing dog, and posting photos on the Internet. Ms. Blackheart claims that the dog was owned by, and brought to her by, a friend. A car allegedly, had hit the dog, whose name was Shadow.

A neighbor, Kathy Silva, claims, however, that the dog was hers, answering to the name of Rigsby, and apparently, 5 days missing. Blackheart is relying on the defense, that, in Texas at least, it is not an offense to mutilate animals, postmortem. According to Silva, however, the dog was alive, and Blackheart killed it. If that were true, Ms. Blackheart would be guilty of a felony under Texas law. By that yardstick, a conviction may result in jail time ranging from 180 days to 2 years and a fine up to $10,000. Further, Ms. Blackheart would be liable to civil action, by the Silva family, for loss of property, and could be held responsible for the “replacement cost,” of the dog.

In interviews, Blackheart has stated that the dog was already dead, and has gone on to state, “I’d never kill a canine – I am a canine.” She owns a wolf hybrid, named Winrey, and is seen on video demonstrating how well trained and cared for, the dog is. She has also stated that she would never harm a Human being. She cites as her reason for the incident, an interest in taxidermy. She goes on to explain in detail, how one goes about removing the head of an animal, draining it, and removing the skin.

As macabre as this story may be, the above telling sounds mundane and trivial. Nevertheless, the Internet has all but exploded over it. I did a search on YouTube for the name Wolfie Blackheart, and came up with no less than a dozen videos, ranging from hate filled screeds to longwinded defenses, and even a few protestations of undying love.

The story first came to my attention about a week ago, on FaceBook. An animal rights group to which I belong, had posted it. The article included a face shot of Ms. Blackheart, her mouth smeared with blood. Immediately the comments flew, calling for her dismemberment and death. “She should be beheaded, the twisted bitch,” one of them read, for example.

Myself, I couldn’t see anything other than her gaze, staring back at me from my computer screen. In those eyes, I saw no remorse, no concept that anything was at all wrong. I’ve seen that look before. Many psychologists and psychiatrists will tell you that body language and facial expressions can help in diagnosing certain mental disorders. I have read volumes of work, on serial killers and other types of pathological mass murderers. I’ve studied hundreds, if not thousands of photographs, in my life, of these people, their victims and their living environments.

In almost all of them, that look – that vacant, dead stare can be plainly seen. Ted Bundy, Gacy, Ed Gein, all of them, staring out at the camera with a look both placid and yet menacing. I responded to the original post from this point of view. I stated that her behavior should be viewed as a warning sign, that she could – and would – eventually begin the escalation phase of her “life cycle,” and that humans would soon follow.

When I went to YouTube, and saw her interview on the local CBS affiliate, I became convinced. Her level of calm, her ability to rationalize and deny the allegations with aplomb, set my teeth on edge.

Every indication existed, in my mind, that Wolfie Blackheart was a serial killer in waiting. She (perhaps) killed animals, working up from small wildlife to larger domesticated animals. She engaged in mutilation of the corpses – a behavior first seen in Gein’s case, but found to be consistent with the serial killer pathology, in general.

She collected weapons. This is commonly a benchmark behavior for killers of the “spree” type, such as Harris and Klebold of Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. There has, however, been precedent for it within the framework of the more sociopathic dominant form of APD, consistent with serials.

She appears nonplussed, something the jurors and witnesses all commented on in Ted Bundy’s trials.

Above all, however, was the element of transition. Serial killers go through a life cycle: Ideation – emergence – escalation – fully active – dormant. The key to all these phases is an element of transition. In general, serial killers are individuals who want to become something they’re not. They want to change, to metamorphose.  They see the killings as a means to that end. I could easily see this young woman, who wears a leash and a tail, wanting so desperately to transition into a wolf – a real wolf, as to emerge as a danger to Human life.

Had I written this piece last night, as was my intent, I would have stopped there. I would have said that there are always warning signs, and that those signs are acted upon too late, if at all. After Harris and Klebold, on that fateful Tuesday, April 20^th 1999, massacred 12 students and one teacher, we all heard, within the outcry, “There were signs. There were so many signs. Why didn’t anyone notice the signs?”

That was it. My belief was that the State of Texas should have stepped in with the full power of its mental health system, and locked this girl up, before she could do some real harm. That’s if I had written this piece last night.

Today, the story was re-posted on FaceBook, this time by another user. I made my case, as I had twice before, and got this reply: [Excerpted]

Besides the fact that our justice system thankfully doesn’t operate on your opinion about her guilt from reading on the Internet, I take major issue with this even if it is true that she killed the dog. People often talk about the killing [of] animals as a gateway to killing humans. A high percentage of serial killers do have in common that they began killing animals at a young [age]. But it would be fallacious without further research to conclue [sic] that abuse towards animals alone is indicative that a child will grow up to be a serial murderer, rapist, or abuser. This is because you might be getting the cause and effect wrong. It’s as explanatory a theory to say that murderers who have been shown to have killed animals in their youth did so *because they are murders* not because killing animals led them to kill humans. You [sic] theory ignores a massive amount of evidence that people (though not all of course) do tend to place animals on a lower moral rung. Frankly, your certainty is more frightening than she is.

I think your reaction might be a hatred of things that are too different and a view of what is proper in the way someone deals with death that is very privileged and culturally whitewashed.

It seems plausible to me that she might recognize her capacity as a wolf-in-a-human-body to have some of the perquisites of humanity, like language for one and perhaps moral empathy too.

Since first posting my responses to this story, I’ve been buffeted and lauded, praised and abused, defended and schooled. Everybody has put in his or her opinion, and I’ve tried to learn, weigh and decide.

I find myself swimming in paradox, lost in hypocrisy. We are all supposed to be anti-death penalty, yet we want Sarah Rodriguez hanged, beheaded, tortured to death. We are all supposed to be tolerant of different life choices and ideologies, yet none of us will allow this young woman to express herself as the wolf, she believes herself to be, with of course, the obvious stipulation that she doesn’t actually kill anybody!

She collects weapons. I do too. In fact, maybe just a little bit, I envy her, her beautiful sword collection. Maybe, I’m wrong about the picture. Maybe I’m wrong about the interview. Perhaps she’s just a sensitive and obviously intelligent young person, trying to find herself in a broken world.

Maybe I’m right. Fact is, we’ll either never know, or we’ll know too late.

In the end, I have absolutely no say in the outcome of this case. Nor do you my readers, or for that matter, the entire din of voices on the Internet. Only a Texas judge can be held as the arbiter of Wolfie Blackheart’s fate.

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=341271890637&id=1341830380&ref=mf

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/01/27/crimesider/entry6146989.shtml

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/Self-described_wolf_woman_severed_lost_dogs_head.html

http://www.animallaw.info/articles/ovustxcruelty.htm

In 1982, several members of the Boston Police, gang raped and murdered a 16-year-old honor student at a private bar called The Silver Shield Athletic Association, in Roxbury.

The resulting investigation uncovered the largest Police corruption case in the city’s history, one of the three largest cases in the nation.

A common practice, was for members of District D to pick up prostitutes on Haviland Street, Hemenway St. and Symphony Road in Boston’s seedy, East-Fens area. They would offer the girls a choice. Go in for booking – or take a ride to the Silver Shield, and throw a freebie. If the girls chose the latter, which was what they usually did, they’d be back on their corners in about an hour or so. If not, they’d lose a night’s work, and probably take a beating, for causing their pimps to go their bail.

Essentially, the girls had no choice, and saw all this as part of the cost of doing business. The cops saw it as an unwritten perquisite in their benefits package.

On the night the cops picked up Lucia Roberts, they thought she was a prostitute, and offered her the deal. She said she had no idea what they were talking about. The cops assumed she was trying to get over on them and made the decision for her. They took her to the Silver shield.

Somewhere along the line, as they took turns on her, they realized their mistake. When she threatened to bring them up on charges, they knew they had a problem.

They took her body to Morton Street and Blue Hill Avenue in Mattapan, to a place known as Lanes Bar. In the official report, they claimed that she was trying to buy drugs at the known gang hangout.

The only people to not believe that report were Ms. Roberts’ parents. They took the case all the way up the ladder, to the Federal Attorney.

When all was said and done, allegations ran up the chain of command, all the way to the Commissioner. Although the Lucia Roberts incident was only the tip of the iceberg, it served as the trigger that caused their entire house of cards to fall. The cops were exposed selling drugs, laundering money and carrying out gangland executions.

The Boston Globe released a report, over a thousand pages, listing names, dates and contacts. Many of the names in that report, including that of Whitey Bulger, are now household words. Months after the investigation concluded, people were still being transferred, demoted and reprimanded. A handful of the conspirators were actually fired. No one, however, served any time.

The term “Silver Shield,” became at once, a synonym for Police corruption, abuse of power and criminal activity.

About three years later, a friend and I were hanging out, back of a local pizza shop, smoking a joint. A cruiser pulled up along side of us, and the cop got out. We tried feebly to hide the pot, but the jig was obviously, up.

The standing game, in those days, was that the cops would search us, and confiscate any marijuana they might find. They’d make a big show of telling us that they were going to do us a favor and not run us in. They’d get free reefer, we’d get to stay on the streets – fair deal all around. These were the rules, and we all knew how the game was played.

“No. I want to be arrested, and tomorrow morning, at the arraignment, I’d better see exactly, that amount of pot, in evidence,” my friend, defiantly stated.

“Don’t worry about him, officer, he forgot to take his medication,” I squealed, feeling the noose already tightening around my neck. “I’ll take him home,”

Again, my friend protested, throwing in the usual blather about Rights and the Constitution. Again, I managed to keep the cop from blowing his lid.

All of a sudden, this Wunderkind blurted out, “I remember the Silver Shield.”

A silence fell over us all, like Fenway Park, in the 9^th inning of Derek Lowe’s No Hitter.

The cop took out his Tonfa baton, grabbed me, put the nightstick up against my throat, and told me, “I’ll take you out in the fucking woods, shoot you – and claim you were trying to escape.” I could see the rage in his eyes.

I learned a lot that day. I learned just how far the Constitution goes, out in our alley jury world. I learned that stupid friends can get you killed. I learned that Justice rarely lands on the truly deserving – but above all, I learned, don’t piss off cops.

Critical thought depends on the concept of shared common language, and on an agreed upon set of terms and definitions. If two people are engaged in the building of a table, say, and one asks for a hammer, the success of the project depends on the other handing him a hammer.  In the deeply polarized climate of modern American politics, the use of certain terms has reached a frenzied pitch. These terms are thrown about with abandon, but they do have actual meanings – predefined and agreed upon definitions. In other words, when we ask certain individuals, now, for a hammer, we get a wrench.

Let’s clear some stuff up.

Socialism refers to the common ownership, operation and distribution of industrial production and resources. It is characterized by equal access to goods and services for all individuals, with a method of compensation based on the amount of labor expended. It derives from the late 18^th century, and is an outgrowth of the Enlightenment. Socialists were a driving force in the French Revolution. It is an economic structure, and although it tends to eschew religious belief, it does not seek to abolish religion amongst the masses.

Communism is a social structure. All classes are abolished and all property ownership is assumed by the Totalitarian State. Karl Marx, a sociologist – philosopher, and the founder of the ideology, believed that Communism would eventually replace Capitalism as the logical, scientific conclusion to society. This would be accomplished through a global, proletarian revolution. Further, he felt that this would only be possible after a three-step process. First, Capitalists would have to build the world’s infrastructure and methods of production. Then Socialists would take over, driving the industrial machine to a state of overproduction, providing a glut of goods and services. Finally, the Totalitarian State would emerge to eliminate classes and divide all goods and services amongst the masses. Marx lived from 1818 – 1883. Socialism predated him by the better part of a century. Communists are vehemently anti-religion and believe that it interferes with the requisite fealty towards the Totalitarian State.

Fascism is an Authoritarian political and military ideology that combines radical nationalism with a Capitalist oligarchic economic system. The word itself was first used in Italy as early as 1920. The Italian fascio means, “bundle.” The symbol in Italy for fascism was a bundle of wheat. The idea being, that a single straw is easy to break, but an entire bundle, at once, is near to impossible. This is a defensive and militaristic posture, not a social or economic structure. Fascism is a dangerous, nationalistic and ethnically intolerant political system. It tends to be extremely religious, but always in such a way as to maintain primacy of the Authoritarian State.

I saved this one for last, because this is my primary reason for writing tonight’s piece.

The word Nazism comes from the Anglicization of an acronym for the German Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei. This was the deeply Authoritarian, Nationalist, Militarist Police-State, ideology developed by Adolf Hitler. Most political scientists and sociologists consider Nazism, to be a form of hysterical fascism. It derives from the farthest Right wing end of the political spectrum.

Suffering greatly at the loss and perceived betrayal of Germany after WWI, Hitler posited his 25-point ideology to the German public in 1920. These 25 points included a national policy of Pan-German-ism, vehement anti-Semitism, anti-immigration-ism, racism, social Darwinism, eugenics, anti-Communism, Authoritarianism and ruthless opposition to economic, and political Liberalism.

By 1932, his party held the majority of seats in the Reichstag, and by ‘33, He was Fuhrer of all Germany.

Nazi belief in religion was varied, some being devout Christians, others Nordic and Germanic pagans, and still others absolutely secularist. Similar to Fascism, Hitler saw religion as a sub-set of Nazi thought, where the people’s primary loyalty should be to the state, but where religion could serve to help bind that loyalty.

It is important to state here – to remember here, that Nazis marched across Europe in the 1940s, like the Black Plague did in the 14^th century. As they did, they tortured, raped, enslaved and killed some 14 million Human beings. In pursuit of their “Lebensraum,” they crushed the bones of children, forced elderly women to stand, naked, in the snow for hours on end, and then hosed them down with ice water, to see if they would die. The Nazis performed horrific surgeries on innocent people, without even so much as anesthesia. They burned people with blowtorches, shocked them with electrodes, baked them alive, and gassed them – and all this, before arriving at their master concept, their “Final Solution,” Operation Reinhardt. During the year and a half, that program was in effect – the Nazis were murdering upwards of 20 thousand people per day, seven days a week. “Sonderbehandlung,” it was called – special treatment.

According to Glen Beck, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity and Sarah Palin – according to these people, I’m one. According to these people, I’m a Nazi. My political affiliation is not one of the ones I chose to define in tonight’s piece. My political affiliation is Progressive Liberal. We’ve been around since about the turn of the century, too. We believe in equal rights for all people. We believe in a fair and safe workplace, where hard work is justly compensated. We believe in the humane treatment of animals, in ethnic diversity and in fair and open immigration policies. In good stewardship of our mother-planet, and we believe in an end to war and famine, not just in the U.S.A., but also throughout the world.

It hurts me when I hear myself, or my President, referred to as a Nazi, because I know whom the Nazis were. It hurts me when I see skin-headed teenagers wearing SA uniforms and carrying swastikas, because I know whom the Nazis were. It hurts me when I hear revisionist Historians and religious zealots claim the Holocaust never happened, because I know whom the Nazis were.

I challenge Beck, Palin and the entire “tea-bagger” crowd to show me, based upon the above definitions, where Obama, actually, is any of those things. What policies of the current administration are you referring to when you call him a Socialist, a Communist or – above all, a Nazi? Moreover, for the love of God, what did I ever do to you, for you to call me one?

My birthday wish is somewhat complicated, and I’m still in the process of working out the details, but it goes something like this.

At the following link, one can find the USMC Physical Fitness Test. The test is broken down into 3 levels, A, B, and C, and apportioned according to age group. My goal is to take the test, and pass it as high as level C, for my age group. If I can do better, great, but I will be happy if I can make that minimum.

Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test

So go take the damn thing. That’s probably what you’re saying just about now. Well, that’s where the birthday wish part comes in. I want to tie the successful outcome of the test, to my birthday, in the following way.

Those of you who know me, know that my dog, Jack, was saved from the jaws of death, and delivered into my and my wife’s loving arms, by an organization called “Old Fella Animal Rescue.” They have, at my behest created a “causes” page, and I would like to donate my birthday to their cause.

I originally got this idea from Scott Ross. A couple of weeks before his birthday, he announced that he wanted to donate his birthday to (Elayne Boosler’s) Tails of Joy. He set a goal amount, and we each chipped in a little something. As far as I know, he successfully achieved that goal.

My goal is to raise $1000,00 for Old Fella Rescue. Kind of a give back, my way of saying thank you. Now, I’m not looking for a free lunch, however. I pledge to take and pass this test, before any of you who do contribute, will be asked to pay.

In essence, you would be pledging to sponsor me. I don’t pass – you don’t pay.

The pledge wouldn’t have to be an insane amount of money. I realize that a thousand bucks sounds like I’m off my meds again, but at this point, and it’s still only February, if each of my friends were to donate only $10, we’d have 1600 bucks to give to this organization. This is a group of volunteers, who on their own time and with their own gas, save the lives of dogs and cats.

So there you have it. Like I say, it’s complicated. Now, as far as I can tell, Causes will contact me, two weeks before my birthday, to set this all up. I want to try to get them to do something earlier, but they haven’t gotten back to me yet. I will keep working on that aspect of things. Again, it’s only February, and we have some time, but I felt it was important to let people know, as far ahead of time as possible, that this is what I wanted to do.

All of you will be kept posted, and I’ll be putting up information as I get it, on both FB and
Flying Dutchman, that thrill a minute blog site you all know and love so well.

In keeping with my seemingly lifelong need to rebel, and engage in political protest, I used to wear a lot of military clothing. I’d find the stuff in junk shops, second hand and curio places, and Army surplus stores.

At one point, I had found a fatigue shirt that apparently belonged to an Army Master Sergeant – what they would nowadays call, an E-9. I liked the thing because it was covered in stripes and badges. It even had some “medals” actually sewn onto the shirt, itself. I didn’t know they did that. I always thought the medals had to be pinned on, but this shirt definitely had medals sewn onto it.

In short, the thing looked like the military version of a Christmas tree. I paid the two-fifty or 5 bucks, or whatever it was, and bought the shirt.

One day, I was bopping down a neighborhood street, togged out in hair down to my ass, and this career soldier’s shirt. Some guy I didn’t know walked up to me and said, “Hey, where were you with the pathfinders?”

“What?”

“The Pathfinders? Where did you do your tour?”

“Man – I haven’t got a clue, what the hell you’re talking about.”

He pointed to one of the badges on my shirt, and said, “That badge – that’s 8^th Pathfinders. I was in that outfit.”

“Oh, the shirt! I don’t know, I just found the shirt.”

“Listen, Kid. Do me a favor, will you? Take off the badges. I don’t care if you wear the shirt. You can even keep the stripes. I don’t know why you’d want to disrespect a guy who must have served 20 years in the Army, to get those stripes – but you can keep ‘em if you want. Just take off the badges. You didn’t earn ‘em. I got friends that were in the pathfinders, in ‘Nam. They didn’t make it back, and wearing those badges, is disrespecting them.”

“Wow, I never thought about it. Sure, sure, I’ll go home and take them off. I never meant to offend anybody. I just have a thing for Army clothes. I just thought this shirt looked really cool.”

“Well, no harm no foul, I guess. Just go take them off.”

He started to continue on his way to where ever he was going, as did I, when I had a thought. I turned and called out to him.

“Hey! Tell me what some of this stuff means.”

“Well, the stripes – 3 up and 3 down is Master Sergeant – E-8 or E-9, but that star in the middle means He was a Sergeant Major. That’s as high as you can get, for an enlisted man.” He walked up again, a little closer, and examined my shirt for a few seconds. “Damn, he was an engineer, air assault, and rifleman. There’s a parachute badge.”

He stood for a moment – just looking at my shirt. I could see the respect he had in his eyes – respect for someone whom I would never know. “Wow, kid. This guy was one hell of a soldier. Like I say, I don’t give a flying rat’s ass what you do, but you better pray he never sees you bumming around in this shirt – badges or no.”

Ok, You dudes check this out. My Human went completely lazy and nose-dived the sofa. Being the dog in a literary family, it falls upon me to pick up his slack and write tonight’s story.

Bacon Raid: A Jack Greenberg Joint – starring Jack Greenberg.

He was a tough as nails Chow warrior – black as night – his chiseled face, hard worn from countless missions. The vestigial fragment of an old ham bone hung from his powerful jaw and his tail curled defiantly, over his back. This was going to be the day. Today he was going to make his stand.

There is an area in every dog’s home, which the Humans call “the kitchen.” It is a place of awe and wonder, where a dog can get into serious trouble. Buried deep in its heart is a giant white thing. It groans, whirrs, and makes the devil’s own noise. Inside, however is a treasure beyond the dreams of avarice. Bacon! You heard me right. Bacon!

He had labored over his plan for days, now, working out every detail. The mission would go flawlessly. It was simply a matter of standing his ground.

“This morning I’m not gonna let him get over on me with that… that… dog food.”

Jack knew that the Human would try to offer him the usual dry and flavorless dog food, and then go get the delicious bacon, eggs and bread, and make a wonderful, tasty breakfast for himself. “What about me? Do you think I’ll get any bacon? Well, actually…since you put it like that… yes.”

You see. The Human always shared his bacon with Jack, but never enough. Here’s the Human, munching down delicious bacon, rasher after rasher, and what does poor Jack get? The occasional measly nibble, that’s what.

It was all set. Everything was in place. Jack would simply refuse to eat his dog food, and demand his just deserts in delicious bacon. It just wasn’t fair, after all. “Don’t I work hard enough, around here to rate bacon? Who would chew the furniture, or throw toys all over the room? Who would bark incessantly when strange dogs show up in our yard, or that Mailman guy comes to kill you in your bed? Face it, you wouldn’t last a day… not a single day, I tell you, with out me around.”

Soon it would be time. He knew what he needed to do. He couldn’t let the Human trick him with the usual ploy. “Don’t let him get the best of you this time. It’s a contest of wills, and may the best dog win! Stand your ground buddy. This one’s for all the marbles.”

The Human came into the kitchen, and went over to the dog food bag. He took out a big, heaping scoop. The stuff actually smelled OK, for a change. It had to be a psy-op. Part of that thing they do, you know, tricking a dog. It’s what they do.

If a dog wants bacon, he has to be ready to make the big sacrifices. He’s got to be able to do what has to be done. There’s no room for weakness now.

“Blah blah hungry? Blah blah Jack?”

“Yeah, yeah! I’m starving! Feed me up, huh? I’m dying I tell ya!

The dog food hit the bowl like hail stones in early April – and Jack hit the dog food like he was chasing a rope toy.

“Mmmmm. Mmmmmm! This is wonderful. I love Breakfast! Hey. Wait a minute!”

“You done already, Jack? Oh well, let’s you and me have some bacon.”

You know something? I love my Humans.

David Carradine saved my life. At the very least, he prevented my burgeoning prison career. The show, “Kung fu,” served as an example for me of the way I wanted to live, the person I wanted to be. Now, I realize that it was just a show and that the characters and the plot were both highly idealized and contrived. But for me, the idea of a moralist warrior, a pacifist who could fight, seemed a logical alternative to my life of unbridled rage and violence.

That simple television show led me to embark on an avocation of martial arts and eastern philosophy.

I was driving my 70-year-old blind friend, an ironically unfortunate victim of a disease known as Retinitis Pigmentosa, to Spooky World, where we were to meet David Carradine. I use the word ironically, in describing my wretched friend to you, because this individual, like myself, has carried on a life-long romance with the cinema.

As we drove from the North Shore community of Winthrop, all the way down to Foxborough, we talked of nothing but our memories of that show. I bared my soul to this aging, sightless man. I told of my misspent youth, of the debt of gratitude owed the middling actor, and the part he stole from the great Bruce Lee.

In my mind’s eye, I anticipated an emotional reaction from the screen star. I imagined myself telling Carradine about the profound impact he had on a lost teenager, growing up in the violent and tumultuous 1970s. I could almost see his face as it looked then, perhaps some 20 years prior. I imagined his eyes clouding over. I saw in my mind, his gentle and understanding smile.

Eventually, we arrived at the huge parking and ticket area outside the architecturally wanton Gillette Stadium. We stood in line awaiting the opportunity to purchase our admittances. Upon completion of that, we were led through a large maze similar to, albeit much longer than, the velvet rope mazes used in banks to stanch the flow of foot traffic. We were made to wait in cue for about an hour. It was late in October, and late in the evening. We were, of course, underdressed. Only the buoyancy of our collective mood, served to heat our cold bodies.

Finally, we were brought into the tent where the celebrity guests were waiting to sign autographs – for the mere pittance of 10 dollars each.

More waiting.

At long last, there I was. Standing in front of the man whose most well known, albeit fictional character, served as my first remembered inspiration in life.

I spilled my guts, babbling like a teen-aged girl. I told him not only about the epiphany I underwent through his unbeknownst tutelage, but also how I had followed the careers of his entire family including his venerable father, John. I gushed with adoration as I heaped praises on him.

Carradine looked up at me. The face of course, that of a man now 20 plus years older – tired and jaded.

“’Sounds to me like you were a pretty fucked up kid, who needed to get a life.”

My lower jaw dropped in harmony with my spirit. My mind wanted to ask him how he could be so flip and dismissive, but my paralyzed mouth couldn’t find the words.

He gave me one last dismissive glance and said, “Next.”