My Saturday Morning Gripes (2024)

I read the Houston Chronicle on-line last night and wasreminded of what our Texasofficials are really made of…

“A former WestTexas sheriff's deputy has received a prison sentence for his part in amultistate methamphetamine distribution ring.” Sentenced to a piddly 3 years. “The Lubbockjudge also sentenced 54-year-old lead defendant Bobby Duwayne Froman ofLevelland to 20 years in prison for drug conspiracy. Still to be sentenced isformer Hockley County Chief Deputy Gordon Bohannon, who pleaded guilty to hischarges. In all, 26 defendants…” I wonder how many of the 26 were current orformer government employees. ‘Course,the Chron didn’t say…

“FormerDallas Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill received an 18-year sentence and two othersconvicted of bribery and extortion…”The other 2 were his wife and one of his appointees.

“AnAssistant Montgomery County District Attorney (prosecutor)… Morgan Bourque,30, was arrested by the Houston Police Department…” Funny how they NAME the attorneys but tend towithhold 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: “Taseruse hasn't reduced Houston police shootings” A few days ago: “officerthen 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 seatbeltand couldn’t get out). That is when police said the driver began to reachinto his pants (or maybe to unlatch the seatbelt).HPD Officer BrentonGreen, in fear for his life (what CRAP but at least they named him), openedfire… shot the (victim) once, hitting him in the neck…” The parentheticals are mine and I don’tbelieve 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".

“Therewere two dozen police shootings in Houston last year and half of them weredeadly… increase in the number of police shootings last year… last year some 29 Houstonians were shot” HPD set yet another record forshootings! “Houston Police OfficersUnion… 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 thenumber of officers assaulted by the citizenry”Gee, HPD gets electroshock weapons which they use with frighteningregularity and the number of shootings of citizens goes UP too. Ya think there’s a reason citizens might feelthe need to be ARMED and just might be combative? I think we aren’t exercising our right tobear arms nearly enough if HPD still thinks it can increase the number ofcitizens it abuses and kills!

And Dallas has a FELONrunning for its County Clerk position. “paperworksnafu in which the county's criminal-court judges granted unsolicited pardonsto perhaps hundreds of convicted felons over the years… no way to know how manypardons were given out, county officials say, because the county doesn't trackthem…” PAPERWORKSNAFU??? Sounds more like misfeasanceand malfeasance of office by a whole bunch of people to me! And followed by “we don’t keep records so youwon’t know who to hold accountable either, giggle, giggle”.

Then there’s the LUNATICS at our various animal controloffices; all much like the CRAZIESat the Dallas one who haven’t read the US Constitution.

Of course, Texasis far from alone. FINALLY, acop has pled guilty in the bridge shootings of citizens after HurricaneKatrina. I’d like to give him some kudosbut I just can’t. He knew better andwouldn’t have pled out if he hadn’t been backed into a corner AND it took 5years even then.

Federal, state, and local – corrupt and incompetent from topto bottom. Some days I wonder why aplane 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 thecriminally inclined and so many more of them in government now and that’slayered on top of a society that cheers on winning at any cost, just try not toget caught “dirty”. Of course, if youdo, there won’t be any serious penalties so…

Is it really going to take “street justice”, shooting downthese government officials for them to start cleaning up their acts? This is one of those days when I wonder if itwill 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 violentrevolution but I’m having a hard time coming up with alternatives.