OKAY.....so I write a letter to the City Paper and this is what follows! Oy!
Hate Mail
"This came with two bullets. Should I throw them away?"
by Duane Swierczynski
Published: Nov 28, 2007 Last Modified: Nov 28, 2007-->
This past Monday, our receptionist walked into my office and handed me a piece of paper. It was a handwritten note with big block letters.
"This came with two bullets," she said. "Should I throw them away?"
I looked up at her, not really understanding.
"Wait," I said. "Bullets from a gun?"
"Yeah."
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"Can you bring them here?"
She came back a few seconds later with a small white envelope. Inside were two bullets.
"Did you touch these?"
She said no, she didn't touch them.
I ignored the bullets and read the letter.
It was full of threats against the Philadelphia Police Department. It vaguely referred to the murder of Officer Chuck Cassidy, and promised more would follow if the police didn't back off.
I won't quote the letter here; we don't publish hate speech. If this was the sender's goal, too bad.
In fact, it's not clear who the sender was. The note was not signed; there was a name that could be a reference to a street gang, but that's just speculation. (We're looking into it.) Could be just a joke, or another crackpot letter. We receive our fair share here.
Minus, of course, bullets. That was new.
I wish I could tell you that, in that very moment, I knew exactly what to do. But I'll admit it: I was a little flummoxed. It wasn't as if the sender was threatening the newspaper, or anyone in specific. Was this something I should bother the police about?
Well, of course it was. I called Public Affairs. They told me to call 911.
I called 911.
An officer arrived within minutes. I explained what happened, he took down some names, and we waited for some detectives to show up, who would take the evidence and a statement.
The officer looked at the bullets, and told me they were hollow-points, modified to pierce body armor. Much like the vest the officer was wearing. "These would punch right through this," he explained, showing us on his chest, "and explode out the back."
These bullets are illegal. Sending them through the mail is a federal offense.
Then I remembered last week's Slant piece ["We're Not Down," Nov. 22, 2007]. It was written by Joe Leighthardt, a police officer in the city's Central Division. The point: After what happened to Chuck Cassidy, we're not running scared. We're working harder to protect you.
I mentioned this to the officer. I also told him this was sheer speculation. Could have been that piece that inspired the letter; could have nothing to do with it at all.
A while later, the detectives showed up. I shook a lot of hands and repeated what happened. One of them put on blue evidence gloves and collected the letter, envelope and bullets and placed them in a brown paper evidence bag that looks like something you'd find at Acme.
"You guys going to write about this?' he asked, casually.
And that's the thing I've been wrestling with until I sat down to write this column. I don't want to spread hate. If hate were fuel, there'd be enough on our streets to take out Malibu five times over.
But I decided to write about it because a newspaper's first responsibility is to the readers. In short: I thought you should know a few things.
You should know that there are people in this city who hate our police enough to threaten them through a newspaper. Who are disturbed enough to offer illegal rounds of ammunition as proof of intent. Or, at the very least, joke about it. (The police, by the way, are hopeful they can find the sender.)
You should know this is the kind of city we're living in.
You should also think about the people who put themselves in front of those hollow-point bullets every day to protect us.
(duane@citypaper.net)
I gotta say that Duane and the staff did more that most would have probably.
Wanna hear something really outrageous? Do you know how I found out about this threat? Not from my own BROTHERS in BLUE, but from the staff at the City Paper, specifically Brian Hickey who called me on the phone and said "what's up?"
Sad. I still haven't heard from "my guys".
Sunday, December 9, 2007
"We're Not Down"
I was invited by the City Paper to write an opinion piece about the current state of minds in the PPD!
We're Not Down
The police are not demoralized — or running scared.
by Joe Leighthardt
Published: Nov 20, 2007 Last Modified: Nov 20, 2007-->
BEEP. All cars stand by. In the 35th District, 6600 North Broad, assist the officer, police by radio, officer down!
The message was broadcast at least four times and sent a chill down my spine. My partner, John Krivulka, and I were escorting members of PennDOT doing a cleanup at a homeless encampment on I-95 at Washington Avenue when the call came. We've been partners long enough that we did not need to speak. We just looked at each other and shook our heads "no." This could not be true.
We just spent the whole morning discussing the shooting of Officer Mariano Santiago, thanking the Lord above that he was alive and would be going home to his family. No way this was happening again only 12 hours later. It was, and it was so much worse. A"check later"on our vehicle's computer showed that it was an officer shot in the head. Police Officer Chuck Cassidy, Badge No. 2342, would succumb to his wounds the following day. Time froze. We both texted our loved ones a message we've been sending all too often: "Cop shot. Not me."
Police cars from all over the city were enroute to 6600 North Broad. After every available police car in Central Division put themselves into the "officer down" call, there was silence on our air. It was eerie. That time of day, Central is loud and busy. When time froze, so did the airwaves. Our impulses sent us running to the car to join the manhunt, but reality took over. We were responsible for the safety of the PennDOT crew. Leaving them was not an option. We debated it and rationalized it between us, but we knew we had to stay with them. We felt helpless. Our sergeant would later tell us that he knew where our hearts were, and that we did the right thing. He made it crystal clear when he said, "We still have a job to do." Truer words were never spoken.
In the days following the murder of Chuck Cassidy, there was an outpouring of support like the Philadelphia police has probably never seen. Black, white, young, old. I cannot tell you how many times we were stopped by people who were offering condolences, support or just wanted to say "thank you." One woman stopped me in the middle of JFK Boulevard and just rubbed my arm. Tears were welling up as she walked away.
In the days following Chuck's murder, a call for support of the men and women of the Philadelphia Police Department resonated throughout the city. The shooting of two narcotics officers in the days following made the call louder. Six cops shot in two months. One fatally. The media painted us a being under seige — an image that would put fear into any taxpayer who relies on the police to protect them. Whenthe protectors of the weak are vulnerable, where do we turn?
This pissed us off. I am proud to say that the common emotion among most officers I've talked to since we came "under seige" is anger. Not so much because we have been targeted, but more so because if a gunman is willing to risk shooting an armed, combat-trained officer, what chance does Joe Public have? None.
This is unacceptable to us. Love us or hate us, our job is to protect you, or at least make you feel protected. Due to recent events, that feeling may be waning. Please don't let it.
We are all in this together as Philadelphians. You, the taxpayers need to know that your Police Department is not running scared. We are not circling the wagons and protecting our own. These shootings of your police have just made our resolve that much stronger.
If it means sacrificing six more cops, then that's the price we'll pay to keep you safe. The thugs can stretch the thin blue line, but they'll never break it. We still have a job to do.
Joe Leighthardt is a Philadelphia police officer in the Central Division.
Is there much to say after this?
We're Not Down
The police are not demoralized — or running scared.
by Joe Leighthardt
Published: Nov 20, 2007 Last Modified: Nov 20, 2007-->
BEEP. All cars stand by. In the 35th District, 6600 North Broad, assist the officer, police by radio, officer down!
The message was broadcast at least four times and sent a chill down my spine. My partner, John Krivulka, and I were escorting members of PennDOT doing a cleanup at a homeless encampment on I-95 at Washington Avenue when the call came. We've been partners long enough that we did not need to speak. We just looked at each other and shook our heads "no." This could not be true.
We just spent the whole morning discussing the shooting of Officer Mariano Santiago, thanking the Lord above that he was alive and would be going home to his family. No way this was happening again only 12 hours later. It was, and it was so much worse. A"check later"on our vehicle's computer showed that it was an officer shot in the head. Police Officer Chuck Cassidy, Badge No. 2342, would succumb to his wounds the following day. Time froze. We both texted our loved ones a message we've been sending all too often: "Cop shot. Not me."
Police cars from all over the city were enroute to 6600 North Broad. After every available police car in Central Division put themselves into the "officer down" call, there was silence on our air. It was eerie. That time of day, Central is loud and busy. When time froze, so did the airwaves. Our impulses sent us running to the car to join the manhunt, but reality took over. We were responsible for the safety of the PennDOT crew. Leaving them was not an option. We debated it and rationalized it between us, but we knew we had to stay with them. We felt helpless. Our sergeant would later tell us that he knew where our hearts were, and that we did the right thing. He made it crystal clear when he said, "We still have a job to do." Truer words were never spoken.
In the days following the murder of Chuck Cassidy, there was an outpouring of support like the Philadelphia police has probably never seen. Black, white, young, old. I cannot tell you how many times we were stopped by people who were offering condolences, support or just wanted to say "thank you." One woman stopped me in the middle of JFK Boulevard and just rubbed my arm. Tears were welling up as she walked away.
In the days following Chuck's murder, a call for support of the men and women of the Philadelphia Police Department resonated throughout the city. The shooting of two narcotics officers in the days following made the call louder. Six cops shot in two months. One fatally. The media painted us a being under seige — an image that would put fear into any taxpayer who relies on the police to protect them. Whenthe protectors of the weak are vulnerable, where do we turn?
This pissed us off. I am proud to say that the common emotion among most officers I've talked to since we came "under seige" is anger. Not so much because we have been targeted, but more so because if a gunman is willing to risk shooting an armed, combat-trained officer, what chance does Joe Public have? None.
This is unacceptable to us. Love us or hate us, our job is to protect you, or at least make you feel protected. Due to recent events, that feeling may be waning. Please don't let it.
We are all in this together as Philadelphians. You, the taxpayers need to know that your Police Department is not running scared. We are not circling the wagons and protecting our own. These shootings of your police have just made our resolve that much stronger.
If it means sacrificing six more cops, then that's the price we'll pay to keep you safe. The thugs can stretch the thin blue line, but they'll never break it. We still have a job to do.
Joe Leighthardt is a Philadelphia police officer in the Central Division.
Is there much to say after this?
City Paper Blog
Brian Hickey, a reporter from the City Paper who I have grown to respect asked me how things were going in the PD after the recent multiple shootings of Philly Cops.
I hate reporters. They are unfair. They are inaccurate. Until you get to "know" one. I never met Brian. I spoke to him on the phone and through EMails. He has been a straight shooter.
I answered Brian and he asked for permission to print it. I agreed:
Monday, November 12th, 2007 at 12:55 pmposted by Brian Hickey
Cassidy helps his daughter put the angel atop their Christmas tree
Provided by the City of Philadelphia
Seems that the frenzy over the capture of admitted Cop Assassin John Jordan Lewis has died down now that the cops slapped Chuck Cassidy's cuffs on fat-boy's wrists and brought him back from Miami to face what could potentially become a life-or-death trial down the line.
But underneath it all, one has to wonder how Cassidy's peers are holding up in the face of their own mortality, particularly after the viewing, funeral and solemn procession to the burial. To that end, I checked in with Joe Leighthardt, a North Philly officer I got to know in the aftermath of the Pierson murder in Fairmount. Here's what he had to say about how the officers he comes in contact with are coping:
It is getting crazy isn't it? We just had another cop shot at (he missed, thank God) last night in Grays Ferry, though I didn't get the details yet. I love this city but I'm starting to feel like the rest of Philadelphia. It's a killing zone. I don't say this because I'm a cop, but when they start shooting at and killing the people who protect the weak, what do we do?
I am proud to say though, that the concensus among most of my co-workers is not fear for themselves, but for the people out there who do not wear ballistic vests and carry guns. There's no fear, no circle the wagons. Just a stronger resolve, I think. Cops are pissed. Taxpayers are fed up. It just will be heartbreaking, though, if it was the murder of a police officer to turn things around. I can't even put into words what is going on right now.
The thugs might be stretching the thin blue line, but they'll never break it.
Also, some recollections from retired officer Ron Stokes, who used to work with Cassidy:
I worked with Chuck for many years when he first came on the job. That was at the 39th District at 22nd and Hunting Park. He was special; can't put my finger on what it was about him but everyone, everyone respected him. One o' them guys that when you was in trouble you could look over yer shoulder and he'd be there.Never saw him be mean, nasty, nor foul-mouthed with the public, yet he would have some of the best arrests in the district (he was equally liked by the kids on his school crossings). When he worked the plain-clothes burglary detail at the 39th, he would lead the squad in important arrests. Even the guys who he locked up respected him.
So how did we feel? At that time only one word came to mind: pissed.
I hate reporters. They are unfair. They are inaccurate. Until you get to "know" one. I never met Brian. I spoke to him on the phone and through EMails. He has been a straight shooter.
I answered Brian and he asked for permission to print it. I agreed:
Monday, November 12th, 2007 at 12:55 pmposted by Brian Hickey
Cassidy helps his daughter put the angel atop their Christmas tree
Provided by the City of Philadelphia
Seems that the frenzy over the capture of admitted Cop Assassin John Jordan Lewis has died down now that the cops slapped Chuck Cassidy's cuffs on fat-boy's wrists and brought him back from Miami to face what could potentially become a life-or-death trial down the line.
But underneath it all, one has to wonder how Cassidy's peers are holding up in the face of their own mortality, particularly after the viewing, funeral and solemn procession to the burial. To that end, I checked in with Joe Leighthardt, a North Philly officer I got to know in the aftermath of the Pierson murder in Fairmount. Here's what he had to say about how the officers he comes in contact with are coping:
It is getting crazy isn't it? We just had another cop shot at (he missed, thank God) last night in Grays Ferry, though I didn't get the details yet. I love this city but I'm starting to feel like the rest of Philadelphia. It's a killing zone. I don't say this because I'm a cop, but when they start shooting at and killing the people who protect the weak, what do we do?
I am proud to say though, that the concensus among most of my co-workers is not fear for themselves, but for the people out there who do not wear ballistic vests and carry guns. There's no fear, no circle the wagons. Just a stronger resolve, I think. Cops are pissed. Taxpayers are fed up. It just will be heartbreaking, though, if it was the murder of a police officer to turn things around. I can't even put into words what is going on right now.
The thugs might be stretching the thin blue line, but they'll never break it.
Also, some recollections from retired officer Ron Stokes, who used to work with Cassidy:
I worked with Chuck for many years when he first came on the job. That was at the 39th District at 22nd and Hunting Park. He was special; can't put my finger on what it was about him but everyone, everyone respected him. One o' them guys that when you was in trouble you could look over yer shoulder and he'd be there.Never saw him be mean, nasty, nor foul-mouthed with the public, yet he would have some of the best arrests in the district (he was equally liked by the kids on his school crossings). When he worked the plain-clothes burglary detail at the 39th, he would lead the squad in important arrests. Even the guys who he locked up respected him.
So how did we feel? At that time only one word came to mind: pissed.
New Sherrif in town....
....and his name is Charles Ramsey.
I don't know what to say here.
Let me start with the obvious: I like Mike Nutter. Loved him as the underdog. Told my wife the night he won the primary that this was probably the most historic night we would EVER see in the city of PHILADELPHIA!
Fast forward to him naming Ramsey as top cop. My first opinion was he done focked up. LOL. I wasn't happy at all. The Philadelphia Police Department, as much as it grates me, is loaded with smart, talented, dedicated employees who were ready to take the reins. Alas, they see the writing on the wall and we lose the Mike Banachs and the Tommy Nestels. They see the writing on the wall so to speak.
So seeing an outsider was a bit painful for me. I researched the Chief and chuckled at some of the BS he is linked to forever thanks to the 'net.
He wrangled up some protesters. Welcome to Philly Chief. I like that one!
Seriously...he showed up said what he had to and went....or did he? Word is he's shopping for a new crib here in Philly.
I am hopeful that he is a cop's cop. I read a quote attributed to him that basically said the cops in Philly were a target practice for the thugs and he wasn't having it.
He's got my vote.
I don't know what to say here.
Let me start with the obvious: I like Mike Nutter. Loved him as the underdog. Told my wife the night he won the primary that this was probably the most historic night we would EVER see in the city of PHILADELPHIA!
Fast forward to him naming Ramsey as top cop. My first opinion was he done focked up. LOL. I wasn't happy at all. The Philadelphia Police Department, as much as it grates me, is loaded with smart, talented, dedicated employees who were ready to take the reins. Alas, they see the writing on the wall and we lose the Mike Banachs and the Tommy Nestels. They see the writing on the wall so to speak.
So seeing an outsider was a bit painful for me. I researched the Chief and chuckled at some of the BS he is linked to forever thanks to the 'net.
He wrangled up some protesters. Welcome to Philly Chief. I like that one!
Seriously...he showed up said what he had to and went....or did he? Word is he's shopping for a new crib here in Philly.
I am hopeful that he is a cop's cop. I read a quote attributed to him that basically said the cops in Philly were a target practice for the thugs and he wasn't having it.
He's got my vote.
Philly Cops
It has been a crazy ride. They....the bad guys, that is.....have been using us as target practice.
I'm sitting at home on a nice October night when my phone starts blowing up that a cop is shot. P/O Mariano Santiago of the Traffic Unit is shot by some assassin while making a couple of hours OT. KEEEE_RYYYYST is nothing sacred? A strange tale ensues withthe shooter shooting another party and the cop sticking his nose in it! (A hero runs to gunfire Mariano!) Mariano goes home to fight another day thank you, God.
Anyway, the next day I' 6aX2p. we're in the office still trying to find out who this cop is. Was he from the 9th? From Traffic? Strong rumour said the 15th? What did it matter? He was alive. Bad guy was drowned in the river. All was well.....until about 10:30 amish on Halloween, 10-31-07.
<<>> All cars stand by in the 35th District, 6600 Broad assist the officer, report of an officer down.
It was enough to make me pay attention, but not to stop what we were doing. These jobs, after all, came out alot.
My partner, the second best cop in the city, and I were providing a security escort to members of the city's homeless outreach and the PennDOT cleanup crews at Delaware and Washington when the call came out. We've both been around long enough to know that these jobs were usually unfounded......until it came out again. I heard the tone...the location...."officer down"....."shot"...
"John, what the fuck? Did they just say the cop is shot?" He had a pained, perplexed look that I never saw before. "I think so!" I ran to the car and pulled the job up on our MDT. It was a robbery at the Dunkin Donuts....cop shot...OH SHIT....HEAD SHOT. The banter on the radio tried to make it sound like the officer was wounded and had a shot. We knew better. I have wondered since, and this is 100% pure speculation, if they only scooped Chuck up so that he would have the dignity of dying in a hospital as oppossed to the alley at D&D.
So me and John are standing there with these folks from PennDOT whose safety is our job, and knowing a brother is down only a few miles away. We knew what we had to do and we dissected it ever since. We had to stay.
Our Sgt., a guy who knew enough to make you feel comfortable, but yet was "new" enough to be outside the good ole boys network, hit it dead on: "I know where your hearts were, but we still have a job to do." Sigh. What cop doesn't want to be a part of the manhunt for a cop-killer?
PennDOT took a break! Time for us to get in the game. We used our heads. We stayed in the Division and took over as many jobs as we could knowing that all 911 responders were where we wanted to be...in the hunt!
We did the right thing though. My Sgt, who is now a Lieutenant put it out there and it has been my mantra: We still have a job to do.
We spent the next few days in a futile effort to squeeze our street sourses in regards to this. Both of us knew our people had no clue, but we were cops...we had to do SOMETHING!
You all know the rest by now: Chuck's killer got pinched in Florida, we buried him here, and the department tried to get back to normal.
Then it happened again. Two Philadelphia Police Officers are shot in the line of duty while serving a search warrant here in the city.
Are you fucking kidding me, God? We almost lost one, lost one, now we got two more taking a hit?
Both officers went on to recuperate, but the scar on the city is long left behind!
I'm sitting at home on a nice October night when my phone starts blowing up that a cop is shot. P/O Mariano Santiago of the Traffic Unit is shot by some assassin while making a couple of hours OT. KEEEE_RYYYYST is nothing sacred? A strange tale ensues withthe shooter shooting another party and the cop sticking his nose in it! (A hero runs to gunfire Mariano!) Mariano goes home to fight another day thank you, God.
Anyway, the next day I' 6aX2p. we're in the office still trying to find out who this cop is. Was he from the 9th? From Traffic? Strong rumour said the 15th? What did it matter? He was alive. Bad guy was drowned in the river. All was well.....until about 10:30 amish on Halloween, 10-31-07.
<<
It was enough to make me pay attention, but not to stop what we were doing. These jobs, after all, came out alot.
My partner, the second best cop in the city, and I were providing a security escort to members of the city's homeless outreach and the PennDOT cleanup crews at Delaware and Washington when the call came out. We've both been around long enough to know that these jobs were usually unfounded......until it came out again. I heard the tone...the location...."officer down"....."shot"...
"John, what the fuck? Did they just say the cop is shot?" He had a pained, perplexed look that I never saw before. "I think so!" I ran to the car and pulled the job up on our MDT. It was a robbery at the Dunkin Donuts....cop shot...OH SHIT....HEAD SHOT. The banter on the radio tried to make it sound like the officer was wounded and had a shot. We knew better. I have wondered since, and this is 100% pure speculation, if they only scooped Chuck up so that he would have the dignity of dying in a hospital as oppossed to the alley at D&D.
So me and John are standing there with these folks from PennDOT whose safety is our job, and knowing a brother is down only a few miles away. We knew what we had to do and we dissected it ever since. We had to stay.
Our Sgt., a guy who knew enough to make you feel comfortable, but yet was "new" enough to be outside the good ole boys network, hit it dead on: "I know where your hearts were, but we still have a job to do." Sigh. What cop doesn't want to be a part of the manhunt for a cop-killer?
PennDOT took a break! Time for us to get in the game. We used our heads. We stayed in the Division and took over as many jobs as we could knowing that all 911 responders were where we wanted to be...in the hunt!
We did the right thing though. My Sgt, who is now a Lieutenant put it out there and it has been my mantra: We still have a job to do.
We spent the next few days in a futile effort to squeeze our street sourses in regards to this. Both of us knew our people had no clue, but we were cops...we had to do SOMETHING!
You all know the rest by now: Chuck's killer got pinched in Florida, we buried him here, and the department tried to get back to normal.
Then it happened again. Two Philadelphia Police Officers are shot in the line of duty while serving a search warrant here in the city.
Are you fucking kidding me, God? We almost lost one, lost one, now we got two more taking a hit?
Both officers went on to recuperate, but the scar on the city is long left behind!
Monday, July 30, 2007
Bullies
I have a point about bullies because it came up this past week. Let me start out by saying that I was called a bully in my life and had some people take a shot at bullying me. Neither makes you feel good.
This past week I was on a hayride with my two kids. He is 3, she is 5. Both are going on 35. 
This is them on the hayride, by the way. Well we're on this ride with a bunch of other kids and some adults. An older woman gets on with who I'm guessing are her grandkids. I'll call one "Brendon". I think I heard him say he was 9. Now, Brendon wasn't right, so to speak. I don't want to say retarded because that is a no-no...AND he showed no outward signs of anything WE would call retardation. I'm going with autistic at some level. Any way, he was a 9 year old who spoke in an odd manner and almost entirely about movies. He knew production notes from movies put out in the 30's. Well, like any other child he starts talking to the other kids on the hayride. He starts talking to a group seated right in front of me. 2 boys and a girl. All only in the 10-12 range. He was talking movies and they began feigning interest only to reel him in a bit to zing him ie."I never heard of Harry Potter, but heard of you're a dork". Ok...kidstuff. We've all been on both ends of that! I actually was amused at first. But it kept going and got meaner. At one point they were "dissing" the kid's father over a fishing trip. His brother kept trying to get him to stop talking to them. His grandmom was looking more and more uneasy. I'm starting to get pissed at these little assholes, but it ain't my problem because he's with an adult...and honestly she's weakly telling him to stop talking to these boys. Well, the boy is talking about fishing and lets out a laugh. It's not a "normal" laugh. I know this sounds so un-PC, but the laugh just reaffirmed that this child had some sort of mental issues. Hearing the laugh, and getting their own out of it, the lead little asshole mimics it....alot. All to the delight of his giggly little fellow assholes.
This is them on the hayride, by the way. Well we're on this ride with a bunch of other kids and some adults. An older woman gets on with who I'm guessing are her grandkids. I'll call one "Brendon". I think I heard him say he was 9. Now, Brendon wasn't right, so to speak. I don't want to say retarded because that is a no-no...AND he showed no outward signs of anything WE would call retardation. I'm going with autistic at some level. Any way, he was a 9 year old who spoke in an odd manner and almost entirely about movies. He knew production notes from movies put out in the 30's. Well, like any other child he starts talking to the other kids on the hayride. He starts talking to a group seated right in front of me. 2 boys and a girl. All only in the 10-12 range. He was talking movies and they began feigning interest only to reel him in a bit to zing him ie."I never heard of Harry Potter, but heard of you're a dork". Ok...kidstuff. We've all been on both ends of that! I actually was amused at first. But it kept going and got meaner. At one point they were "dissing" the kid's father over a fishing trip. His brother kept trying to get him to stop talking to them. His grandmom was looking more and more uneasy. I'm starting to get pissed at these little assholes, but it ain't my problem because he's with an adult...and honestly she's weakly telling him to stop talking to these boys. Well, the boy is talking about fishing and lets out a laugh. It's not a "normal" laugh. I know this sounds so un-PC, but the laugh just reaffirmed that this child had some sort of mental issues. Hearing the laugh, and getting their own out of it, the lead little asshole mimics it....alot. All to the delight of his giggly little fellow assholes. Now my 3 year old son is taking this all in. My son likes kids. He makes friends with boys, girls, cats and dogs. If he can't find a kid to talk to, he'll talk to the wall. Seriously. He is the kid that YOU as a parent keep an eye on at the playground because he WILL engage your child. If you knew me, you'd know I'm the opposite. I hate people. Period. Not my son, though. He wants to be your friend and he will protect you if you trust him with that friendship. He goes to school with a retarded black boy. Joey went right for him as a friend. I went to pick him up one day and a couple of kids were giving this boy a hard time. Partly from being the only black kid in class, and partly because of his mental capacity. He didn't look and act like the rest of the kids. Well one of them pushed this boy. My son flew across the school yard and pushed the bully down and yelled at him "Don't you hurt my friend". I turned to a mother and said "What do I do?" "Nothing"...and I never mentioned it.
All of this is to show you that he reads other kids and recognizes what is right and wrong. So this day he looks at me and says "Dad, they're not being his friends." Matter-of-factly. Who cares right? Not my problem? No...it is because my boy sees a wrong and always knows that wrongs can be made right. But, Christ, do I need to get involved in a kiddy fight. Yep, I do.
The leader of the little assholes says to the 9 year old "How about you laugh like that again so that we can laugh at you?"
There's my cue. I lean in a bit and in give my most stoic look and get the raspy voice going and say "How about you stop picking on him instead?" All three turn around and give me that look. The "hey you old fuck, mind your business" look. I lean in a bit closer and point my finger into the lead assholes face and say" I been listening you picking on that kid since we started. It stops now or I take you to mommy and daddy and show them that they raised a bully and not a man." It stopped. Of course they gave me the obligatory "if we were 5 yrs older we'd be kicking your ass" look. Grandmom just nodded a bit. My son didn't say a word just then. He just held my arm. My wife of course just shook her head. As we got off the ride the asshole trio took off ASAP. Maybe afraid that the crazy old man was gonna pop...more likely to go back and hoot and hollor how they riled me up. I let my fam get up a bit and stepped to the 9 year old. I told him to never let anyone like that poke fun at him or laugh at him They did that to make themselves feel better because they just aren't as smart.
Well, I felt like an idiot over the whole thing. I see 40 on the horizon and I'm getting in the middle of an everyday kid brouhaha.
Two days later my son out of the blue said "Dad remember when you told that kid how about you stop picking on him?" "Yeah I remember." "Me too." that was it. Then that idiot feeling floated away. The three assholes will continue to be bullies, I'm sure. My words didn't mean anything to them. The 9 year old will never stand up for himself. he never saw the malice in the first place. My words meant nothing to him. My son...well, I only hope my words meant something to him. He saw what happened. He heard what I said. One day, I hope he'll stand up for someone who won't stand up for themselves. What am I talking about? He already has. Maybe it was me learning from him?
I have less time than I thought!
I just cannot keep up. I tried my hand at a site and need to update it, but never seem to have the time. I tried blogging here.....ran out of free time. A whole lotta shite going on at home and the job keeps me from collecting my thoughts for more than two minutes. This week, however, I'm on my second week of vacation....so far, LBomb has a bit of free time. It won't last long, and no one will be reading this anyway....AND in 2 weeks I'll be cold here again probably. BUT since I made the effort to figure out my password to get back in here,(Yes, I would have been here sooner, but could not remember my password) I'll rant and rave a bit.
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