I read the Houston Chronicle on-line last night and was reminded of what our Texas officials are really made of…
“A former West Texas sheriff's deputy has received a prison sentence for his part in a multistate methamphetamine distribution ring.” Sentenced to a piddly 3 years. “The Lubbock judge also sentenced 54-year-old lead defendant Bobby Duwayne Froman of Levelland to 20 years in prison for drug conspiracy. Still to be sentenced is former Hockley County Chief Deputy Gordon Bohannon, who pleaded guilty to his charges. In all, 26 defendants…” I wonder how many of the 26 were current or former government employees. ‘Course, the Chron didn’t say…
“Former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill received an 18-year sentence and two others convicted of bribery and extortion…” The other 2 were his wife and one of his appointees.
“An Assistant Montgomery County District Attorney (prosecutor)… Morgan Bourque, 30, was arrested by the Houston Police Department…” Funny how they NAME the attorneys but tend to withhold the names of police who have SHOT citizens. Hey, Morgan, how many times have the officers in Montgomery County given you a pass?
From 2007: “Taser use hasn't reduced Houston police shootings” A few days ago: “officer then reached into the vehicle in an attempt to take the suspect into custody, and the two began to struggle (poor guy was probably strapped in by a seatbelt and couldn’t get out). That is when police said the driver began to reach into his pants (or maybe to unlatch the seatbelt). HPD Officer Brenton Green, in fear for his life (what CRAP but at least they named him), opened fire… shot the (victim) once, hitting him in the neck…” The parentheticals are mine and I don’t believe one word coming from this “officer”. Sadly, it appears that HPD's policy has become "do as I say or be electroshocked and/or shot".
“There were two dozen police shootings in Houston last year and half of them were deadly… increase in the number of police shootings last year… last year some 29 Houstonians were shot” HPD set yet another record for shootings! “Houston Police Officers Union… point to that fact that out of the total number of shootings last year, all but one of the suspects was armed… there was a spike last year in the number of officers assaulted by the citizenry” Gee, HPD gets electroshock weapons which they use with frightening regularity and the number of shootings of citizens goes UP too. Ya think there’s a reason citizens might feel the need to be ARMED and just might be combative? I think we aren’t exercising our right to bear arms nearly enough if HPD still thinks it can increase the number of citizens it abuses and kills!
And Dallas has a FELON running for its County Clerk position. “paperwork snafu in which the county's criminal-court judges granted unsolicited pardons to perhaps hundreds of convicted felons over the years… no way to know how many pardons were given out, county officials say, because the county doesn't track them…” PAPERWORK SNAFU??? Sounds more like misfeasance and malfeasance of office by a whole bunch of people to me! And followed by “we don’t keep records so you won’t know who to hold accountable either, giggle, giggle”.
Then there’s the LUNATICS at our various animal control offices; all much like the CRAZIES at the Dallas one who haven’t read the US Constitution.
Of course, Texas is far from alone. FINALLY, a cop has pled guilty in the bridge shootings of citizens after Hurricane Katrina. I’d like to give him some kudos but I just can’t. He knew better and wouldn’t have pled out if he hadn’t been backed into a corner AND it took 5 years even then.
Federal, state, and local – corrupt and incompetent from top to bottom. Some days I wonder why a plane isn’t being flown into a government office each and every day. Has it always been this bad? I really don’t think it has. I think there are more opportunities for the criminally inclined and so many more of them in government now and that’s layered on top of a society that cheers on winning at any cost, just try not to get caught “dirty”. Of course, if you do, there won’t be any serious penalties so…
Is it really going to take “street justice”, shooting down these government officials for them to start cleaning up their acts? This is one of those days when I wonder if it will since those who should hold them responsible are every bit as dirty and, therefore, inclined not to do so as their day may come soon… I’m not advocating vigilantism or violent revolution but I’m having a hard time coming up with alternatives.