The hoodie caused it?

For those who might not know him, the man pictured at left is television host Geraldo Rivera. Over the years he has hosted talk shows and what, very, very loosely, might be called "news shows". Apparently aging (he's 68) hasn't helped him because he has again stuck his foot in his mouth saying that "his (Trayvon Martin's) hoodie jacket killed him". I had been kind of following this case over the last few days  -- especially after several protests have been held here in Atlanta as a result of the killing.

The more that I read, the more I'm sure that Trayvon Martin was the innocent victim of a man who fancied himself as "the savior of his neighborhood" and attempted to prove that by following a young man - actually a child since he was only 17 - and then shooting him at point-blank range even though the only thing Trayvon was "armed" with was a bag of Skittles and a glass of ice tea. Consider these facts that have just come to light since Friday: 1) initial news reports has stated the perpetrator was the captain of his Neighborhood Watch. Turns out he wasn't . . .he had named himself "captain"; and 2) He had been in contact with 911 on his cell phone and been told "Do not chase this person". Because of that "savior" mentality I mentioned, he disregarded what constituted a lawful order and did chase the young man, knocking him to the ground, and shooting him at point-blank range.

I can only hope that Geraldo - and others - who think "his hoodie killed him", will take note of the quote from Pastor Raphael Warnock of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta who stated "As the church of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the church of non-violent struggle on behalf of justice, we thought it important for us to say that a hoodie is not weapon." Amen!

Until next time . . . 

Geraldo's comments

It's almost time for a haircut again

Blog author Walter Little, Jr. at the St. Baldrick's event.

It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since I was introduced to a wonderful organization called the St. Baldrick's Foundation (website). For those of you who might not be familiar with them, they are one of the leaders in the field of childhood cancer research. Their primary means of funding this research is by recruiting volunteers - such as myself - who don't have cancer to have their head shaved. This serves two key purposes: 1) it shows support for the kids who have lost their hair to cancer; and 2) It raises $$$. Last year, for example, we raised $23,000 -- more than four times the original goal our team had set!

For the second consecutive year, I will be part of the Barrow County Emergency Services team headed by Firefighter Rob Nowakowski. This year we're going to gather at Dakota's Grill and Bar in Auburn, Georgia (Direction below) on Saturday, May 17, 2012. Join us as we raise money for the kids and have a little fun, food, and fellowship all at the same time!

Directions to Dakota's Grill & Bar

Hope to see you on the 17th!

If you insist on saying something stupid . . .

Kelly: Glut of war wagons?

Sunday, February 14, 2010    Last updated: Monday February 15, 2010, 6:38 AM

By MIKE KELLY
RECORD COLUMNIST

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One evening last week police rushed to a Carlstadt warehouse where five gunmen were reportedly taking hostages and stealing $50,000 in perfume.

JOE EPSTEIN/SPECIAL TO THE RECORD

Members of the Passaic County Sheriff's Department SWAT team taking part in a drill with their armored response vehicle recently. The usual phalanx of light-flashing patrol cruisers sped to the scene. But also showing up was a sleek armored truck from the Bergen County Police Department that seemed more suited to the bullet-riddled roads of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Welcome to the newest and perhaps most controversial piece of local crime-fighting equipment — a military-like war wagon that can stop a .50-caliber bullet and keep fighting through a radiation haze from a terrorist's dirty nuclear bomb. Do cops really need this? In the suburbs?

Critics call these trucks a waste. And with a price tag of $300,000 to $400,000, they make a good argument. But police say local tax payers aren't footing the bill — most trucks are bought with federal Homeland Security anti-terror funds. And what's more, cops say they have to be prepared for a local version of the Columbine and Virginia Tech school killings — or worse.

So far, police are getting their way. Eleven police agencies across New Jersey have purchased armored trucks in recent years. The state police have three. Along with the truck operated by the Bergen County Police SWAT team, the Passaic, Morris and Hudson county sheriff's departments each have their own armored vehicles. The good news is that not one of these trucks has had to stop a bullet. But that good news also raises a troubling question: Are police preparing for gunfights or other emergencies that almost never happen?

****

. . .How about do us all a favor and don't say it?  I had woke up early the other morning so I decided to get up and look at the news headlines on the Web. Wouldn't you know, one of the first things I can across was this Op/Ed piece - at least that's how I would categorize it - and my first thought was "this guy is an idiot". I can only wonder if, maybe as a young reporter, he covered a barricaded person incident or a hostage situation? If he did, he would surely realize that his argument is flawed and that these specialized units justify their costs (which I think is somewhat lower than the figures he quoted) after just one operation.

Until next time . . .



Cleveland, OH Police SWAT unit



World Prematurity Day (November 17, 2011)

Editor's note:

"Preemies" have a special place in my heart because that's how my life started -- one (1) month premature and weighing in at a whopping four (4) pounds. I was one of the fortunate ones because I survived those early days and went on to thrive and become a healthy adult.

***

In humans, "pre-term birth" refers to the birth of a baby at less than the thirty-seven (37) weeks gestational age. Currently the cause for pre-term birth - at least in many cases - remains unknown. Research has shown that many factors appear to be associated with the development of pre-term birth -- making its reduction a difficult proposition.

"Premature birth", commonly used as a synonym for pre-term birth, refers to the birth of a baby before its organs have matured enough to allow normal post-natal survival, growth, and development. Generally, premature infants are at a greater risk for both short-term and long-term complications including disabilities and impediments in growth and mental development. While great progress has been made in the care of premature infants, but not in reducing the prevalence of pre-term birth.

Most children, even if they are born pre-term, tend to adjust very well during childhood and adolescence. As improvements in the survival rate has improved, the focus of interventions directed at the newborn has shifted to reducing long-term disabilities -- particularly those related to brain injury. It should be noted, however, that some of the complications associated with pre-term birth may not become evident until years after birth.  Some of these include: cerebral palsy, mental retardation, disorders in psychological development, problems with vision and/or hearing, and epilepsy. Even with all that has been learned, additional long-term studies are necessary to get a better picture regarding the sequalae associated with pre-term birth.

Mayor Reed just can't win

As you know, if you've been following the news, Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta has been "home" for the Occupy: Atlanta protesters as they attempted to figure out exactly what to protest.(That seemed to change day-to-day and, occasionally hour-to-hour.)  While Mayor Kasim Reed was trying to deal with the protesters,  he's been dealing with a second group of "protesters" in the form of residents and business owners who demanded that he oust the Occupy: Atlanta protesters. Just one problem: he couldn't legally do that. The one law that would have allowed him to put them out had been rendered void when he signed an Executive Order allowing them to stay in the park during the over night hours. Fast forward to yesterday - Monday, October 24th - when Mayor Reed stated that he was going to rescind the previous Executive Order due to an illegal concert held over the weekend. Now, get this, Operation Push is demanding the Mayor's ouster because of what the term "too strong of a police presence". 

Mr. Mayor, may I make a suggestion? While you're putting the Occupy: Atlanta protesters, kick out Operation Push too!

Occupy Atlanta | Rainbow PUSH leader calls for ouster of Mayor Reed | ajc.com

-- Walter