Much ado about Nothing

| June 10, 2020

There has been much ado about nothing as of late.  It turns out that the Strawman Marine is legit, but his argument is not.  It seems the matter of racial tension has been resurrected again.  It is always hard to watch a Veteran make an ass of themselves.  It is particularly painful to me when they are a well-decorated veteran that happens to also be a Marine.   Let’s get the legit part of LCpl Todd Edward Winn out of the way.  We posted about him HERE, he is the Marine that put on his Dress Blues and put tape over his mouth labeled “I Can’t Breathe”.

I am not posting the picture of his asshattery because I find it repugnant.  Mr. Winn earned that uniform.  I wish he would not use it to push his own ideas of social justice to the rest of the world.  I understand why he did it.  If Mr. Winn had not disgraced the uniform in that manner, none of us would be talking about him.   Lance Corporals are the backbone of the Corps.  I imagine that is probably true of E-3 ranks service-wide.

Bringing attention to a personal political position is not an excuse to disrespect the very thing that the generations before you sacrificed so much for so that it would draw the kind of attention you yourself could never achieve alone.

I enjoyed being a Lance Corporal…both times.  It was one of my favorite ranks.  It’s a great rank where one can get away with all kinds of grabasstic nonsense.  When I first saw a posting on Facebook of Winn, I accused the Beirut Veteran who posted it of spreading fake news by posting an obviously photo-shopped photo.   Even I get caught off guard by the lengths some people will go to while seeking attention.  That Marine is always posting racially focused things as if it’s supposed to be on some kind of enlightened moral high ground.  He is one of these guys that goes by a new spiffy name these days because names like the Hatfields and McCoy’s are not good enough for enlightened morally superior people.

I do not know Mr. Winn,  but I have a friend that I respect that does know him.  Our views are similar on many fronts and diametrically opposed on others.

I do not care that George Floyd is dead.  His death is no tragedy to me.  My opinion of what happened is as follows:

George Floyd,  under the influence of drugs and alcohol, went into a liquor store and tried to buy alcohol with fake money.  The police were called and they shortly arrived on the scene.  The clerk told them the suspect was in the car across the street.  Officers went to the car, found George Floyd in the driver’s seat, and removed him from the car.  They cuffed him and took him back across the street to the front of the store so the clerk could see him and make a positive ID.  The clerk did, the officer informed Floyd he was under arrest, then Floyd collapses to the sidewalk.  Some kind of struggle occurs and Floyd ends up on the other side of the car pinned down by one or more of the officers.

As a direct result of that event, George Floyd died… and I do not care.  Nothing about that arrest or his death has a damn thing to do with racism.  Apprehending and arresting people is not a pretty event much of the time.  Doped up drunks are particularly problematic.  I will wait until the riots happen after they find that officer not guilty of Murder to say “I told you so”.  There is no evidence whatsoever that this officer deliberately killed George Floyd.  A simple manslaughter charge will probably not stick.

I am around active-duty law enforcement officers regularly.  They come in all colors.  One thing I have noticed over the last 20 years is they seem to develop a “Them against Us” kind of mentality.  Civilians or “The Public” are the “Them”.   That probably comes from having to deal with the likes of George Floyd and his ilk day in and day out.  Floyd had a long history of being a violent man.

One thing that seems to be regurgitated by Officers these days is “The most important thing about my job is that I go home safe to my family at the end of the day.”   Well, me being me…I am quick to point out how wrong they are about that.  I step up to them and say, “No it is not,  the most important part of your job is to make sure I go home safe to my family at the end of the day.  I pay your ass to get between me and harm’s way.”   If more in Blue understood the fundamental difference between those two views,  we would probably have a lot less of them.  So be it.

Instead, we have turned our local law enforcement into paramilitary units.  Overly aggressive, over-policing, intrusive, pains in the ass is what they are nowadays.  Special Forces of fat men dressed to kill while beating down doors with no-knock warrants.  Kill a few women at the wrong address,  they are just Good Cops following orders.  “There are a lot of good Cops”…blah, blah, blah.   Ya, I have listened to that for decades as well.  Where are all the reports of these “Good Cops” stepping up to stop the hoards of roid raged bad apples?  I don’t read much about it, it must be a super-secret effort.

I fully support an overhaul of our Law Enforcement Organizations.  I also support accountability for Judges that sign Death by Cop sentences without due process.  I also support radical Tort Reform to rid our society from the parasitic infestation that is fed by a fecal stew of societal sepsis and jurisprudent minutiae.

What I will not do is put on my uniform and prance in front of cameras so my message will be bastardized by the press.  I will not disrespect the uniform that so many others cherish.  Because of that, my little article will not make national news.  But I will have my dignity, and I don’t have to lie to myself about why I pissed all over the Corps in the process.

I dated a woman named Tamara for a while.  Her father never spoke a word to me…because I am white.  It ain’t safe for me to go above about 105th Street in NY…because I am white.  Every major city in this country has a part of town where my safety is at risk…because I am white.  There are over a hundred Universities in this country that my children could not attend…because they are white.  I can go on and on.  That dark green Marine who posted Winn’s picture accused me of not knowing anything about racist hate…because I am white.  He is wrong and racist.  Most of the racist hate I see these days is coming from people like him that are screaming about seeing racism where there is none.

I am White, no guilt about it…no apology for it.  Nor should anyone be ashamed of their race or apologize for it.  I do see a lot of people who should be ashamed of their actions and beliefs.  Mr. Winn should have known that his actions would be used by Race Pimps to scream a crescendo of Racism…where none exists.

He is free to voice his opinion, but he should be ashamed of the manner in which he did it.  He did not exercise his right to Free Speech,  he represented the valor and honor of all Marines when he put on that uniform.  The moment he put that uniform on,  he became a symbol of something much bigger than he himself could ever dream of being.

If he can not understand the fundamental difference of doing what he did with and without the uniform,  he is worse than those he was protesting.  I will offer him the same advice that Benedick gave to Don Pedro with one caveat,  “Get thee a wife” – and listen to her.

Category: Democrats, Dick Stepping, Diversity, Do You Miss Me Yet?, Dumbass Bullshit, Exploitation, General Whackos, I hate hippies, Liberals suck, Marine Corps, Marines

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Slow Joe

Any links on the George Floyd criminal background?

I have heard he pull a gun on a pregnant woman’s belly while robbing a store, but O haven’t seen a credible link for that, and the mainstream media will of course not mention that.

penguinman000

Floyd had a serious criminal history. His charges are covered here: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8366533/George-Floyd-moved-Minneapolis-start-new-life-released-prison-Texas.html

It appears he was sentenced to 5 years on his last charge in 2009. After completing his sentence he moved to Minneapolis.

Comm Center Rat

Crack the door for the curious girl
‘Cause she’s waiting, she’s been waiting
Chop a line for the fiending man
‘Cause he wants one

You know, you know you got to
Can you feel it, can you feel it tonight
Are you high love
Tell me are you fucking high
In the moment you are just so right
You’re right love
Are you right love

And yes I’m all lit up again
On the couch, in my bed
And yes I’m all lit up again
Flyin’ on

I love the cocaine
I love the cocaine…

Lit Up by Buckcherry (1999)

penguinman000

His last charge is the one you are referring to.

He dressed up like employees from the local water department, forced his way in a home, and was armed. Not sure if the victim was pregnant.

But he did have at least 5 accomplices. And they pistol whipped her during the robbery.

USMC Steve

They also raped her. DA decided not to prosecute the rape charge though.

Dave, a LCpl twice? Would love to hear the story on that occurrence.

As for the Popo and their duty to protect. There is none. The supremes said so in a DC case where two women got raped and beaten repeatedly by two BLACK men in their own home over a 12 hour period because the DC police could not be bothered to do their jobs properly. The ruling was that the police have a duty to the public at large, and no duty to any individual citizen. Thus cops don’t have to do anything really. That isn’t a problem in free America, but the folks up in blue land are totally screwed now. And that is how they wanted it for the most part. They continue to elect socialist democrats who want to rule over them and not govern for them.

Commissar

Exactly how many “socialist” have dems elected? Out of 278 dems in Congress, how many democratic socialists? 6? 8?

Maybe.

The rest are corporate hacks, just life nearly every one of the 250 republicans.

USMC Steve

If they are dems, the are ALL socialist dems. It is the official stance of their party. Their political moves clearly follow that. I am surprised you did not notice. As for the republicans, there are establishment republicans, who are almost as corrupt and untrustworthy as all the socialist dems in congress, and real republicans, of whom there are not enough. But at least all of the GOP types know we don’t live in a democracy, but a constitutional republic. None of the crapheads on the other side of the aisle even grasp that concept.

Dave Hardin

For the record, I held every rank from Private through Sgt…at least twice.

Gets harder for them to take it away after Staff Sergeant…not that I didn’t give them a reasons to try.

Mostly fighting and drinking. Shocking…I know.

Mason

You and Steve McQueen. As I recall he was busted to Private seven times. Did ETS as a Corporal though.

USMC Steve

You are truly my hero. I never got caught once, but they never let me get past SSgt. I did get to retire though, so I won in the end.

Slow Joe

Why did the DA decide not to prosecute the rape charge?

This is outrageous.

I don’t understand why the DA won’t prosecute. Isn’t the DA obligated to prosecute?

Do DAs do that across the country?

OldManchu

They would have to work late and instead they had to get to happy hour. Hey, a conviction on their resume is a conviction. Why take the hard ones when you already checked the box with the easy one?

At least that how it is with the current DA in my town.

rgr769

Lawers are mostly lazy, especially the ones who receive government paychecks. Trials are hard work. Every one I put on required at least ten or more hours of work each day during the trial and many more hours preparing before it began. My longest one lasted for six weeks and required I work even on the weekends. After winning, I had to fight post trial motions and an appeal. The plaintiffs were Black so the last ploy of their lawers was to call me a racist in their closing arguments. That was 28 years ago, so playing the race card was a last gasp even then.

E-4 Mafia 4 Life

Sometimes a DA will hold a few charges back in case they lose the trial.
In the case of multiple murders, serial killings, same thing.
Or, if the accused gets sentenced to actual life with no parole, they call it good and save the public money.

Mason

You’d be utterly shocked then at what DAs won’t prosecute.

They’re elected officials. Since they want to appear like they are capable and tough on crime, they want a high conviction rate. Can’t mark it as a “Loss” if you don’t try the case.

To boost their “Wins” they don’t try cases they aren’t 99% sure they can win. They avoid trials at virtually any cost by offering plea deals. A plea counts as a conviction. Even if that plea is to misdemeanor reckless driving when the shitbird was involved in the felony crime of leading police on a high speed chase.

Pleas are also less time and resource intensive, since you don’t have to go through all the dog and pony of an actual trial (especially a jury trial).

AF vet

You’re taking this very professionally, when it’s personal.

For them.

Mustang Major

Right on point, Dave

HMCS(FMF) ret

AMEN!

5th/77th FA

Nailed it Dave! Thanks! And you are so very correct. Your article will never make the national media, tho it should. I’d be real curious to know what the “Baby Mama” of George was saying about him the day before all of this happened. Guess she’ll enjoy the million dollar go fund me monies. Haven’t seen any sign of George’s fiancee since the baby and mama showed up.

Btw… Welcome Home! I trust that The Soviet is well…and making you…”do some things.”

sheesh

So, you won’t be apologizing for your whiteness?

Daisy Cutter

What I fail to understand is that many people claim to “want to have a conversation” but some view this as baiting.

I say this because often it quickly morphs into “have you ever been called XYZ” or “have you ever been pulled over by the police because of your color?”

Although these are seemingly fair points, they are not compatible with wanting to have a conversation. It frames and places parameters on the debate and determines one participant is not qualified to have an opinion or can never truly understand the other person.

Also, the stakes of this “conversation” are not the same. On one side of the debate, it is simply a matter of words and they are immune from any statements or misstatements. On the other side of the debate, they risk losing their job – based solely on the perception of the other participant. It may not even be words spoken, but the mere fact that one does not adopt the other’s position, and they are deemed “part of the problem.”

Not worth it.

So, the conversation ends. This is why there are no conversations or relatively few conversations.

Veritas Omnia Vincit

People who state they want “conversations” often mean they want reinforcement of their current belief systems.

Most people don’t really want to discuss anything, you see it on social media and you see it to a large degree right on this site where the reinforcement of beliefs is far more acceptable than challenging those beliefs.

Most Americans want to hear things that reinforce their current belief system, they do not want to hear opinions they disagree with nor do they want to hear opinions that challenge their notion of the world.

We like our perceptions left alone and pristine in our own minds, reality be damned.

Thus your assessment is spot on. We can’t have those conversations because people want to frame them from their own perspective and don’t want to hear a perspective at odds with their own.

Jay

VOV,

That’s about the long and the short of it. I still shake my head about this BLM vs ALL Lives Matter argument going on. I have literally seen friendships end, arguments start, and threats of violence between people that were friends not 2 weeks ago.

George Floyd can have THREE funerals attended by thousands. For 2 months you had HUNDREDS of thousands of families losing loved ones that could not say goodbye in hospitals due to the ‘rona.

If they came out today asking for a family to go set up the first settlement on Mars, I would give serious though to doing it…..

A Proud Infidel®™

Right now if a creepy clown invited me for a walk in the woods I would just shut up and come along…

Slow Joe

VOV,

It seems you are projecting. I read your positions and I disagree with them. I hear the positions of the Left constantly, in many different media, because they are free to scream their views from the rooftops, but I get called racist if I disagree with their views.

You have your views, and I completely, deeply, disagree with your views, because I can see where your views lead to.

This doesn’t mean I live in an Eco chamber and I only listen to opinions that reinforce my beliefs.

As a matter of fact, I listen to many opinions, and I feel free to disagree with anything that doesn’t support my personal agenda of Free Market Capitalism, Small Government and our Constitutional Rights.

Veritas Omnia Vincit

Where have I ever suggested that anyone need agree with me? I end many of my essay asking everyone to tell me why I’m wrong. I have never insulted anyone for disagreeing with me, nor have I ever suggested that holding an opinion contrary to mine was “projecting” or anything else.

That you disagree with me is excellent, it’s what makes this country more robust.

I consider you someone who loves their country and wants to see it made better as often as possible. We might differ in how we can reach that better nation but I never suggested anything to the contrary to you.

Disagree with me all you like, but to pretend I’m projecting because we disagree is to fail to recognize the reality of how social media and life in general prefers the reinforcement of belief systems over the constant challenge of dissent.

I can write essays for sites that no matter what I write I will get nothing but agreement with my words. I write them here precisely because I know I will be challenged.

I’m projecting? Seems like you thought I was referring to you in my comment, that seems like projecting.

It’s not always about you Slow Joe, but I still welcome your comments.

ArmyATC

I agree. But there is another element involved. Far too often I’ve seen the “let’s have a conversation” from people who don’t truly want a conversation. They want a platform to tell those they are having a “conversation” with how bad they are, how racist they are. Any attempt at true conversation is met with the now standard “you’re a racist” or “you aren’t [insert color], so you can’t understand, or “you aren’t [insert color], so you have nothing to say about it.” They want to lecture, to pontificate, not converse.

NHSparky

People tend to get butthurt not because you have a different opinion, but because they don’t hear their opinions coming out of your mouth.

YMMV.

Comm Center Rat

“There are over a hundred Universities in this country that my children could not attend…because they are white.”

Dave I want to share with you the remarkable progress made in diversifying the 101 Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCU) now in operation (down from a peak of 121).

The percentage of HBCU students who were either white, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Native American was 17% in 2015, up from 13% in 1980.

Maybe your children couldn’t find a seat in a HBCU lecture hall, but your grandchildren surely will.

David

“Maybe your children couldn’t find a seat in a HBCU lecture hall, but your grandchildren surely will.” sounds like the same thing black kids heard in about 1942.

Rock8

Why is his rifle qual redacted?

Dave Hardin

Because the Clerk that pulled his records and did the summary is probably a racist, womanizing, cis-gendered, alt-right fanatic. Or, maybe they were just in a hurry. Let’s go with racist…its the thing to do at the moment.

SFC D

Maybe he was unable to qualify due to injuries.

Jay

On occasion I get asked to contribute my opinion; either verbally or written into a discussion. 99 times out of a 100, I respectfully decline. Why? Because 99 times out of 100, I genuinely do not CARE. I have noticed with the rise of social media, people are quick to post their own personal opinions, beliefs, and ‘facts’ as gospel and can write NOVELS defending those same opinions, beliefs, and ‘facts’ when someone offers a differing point of view. Short of something interfering into my own little sphere of influence, I tend to keep my ears and eyes open and mouth shut. I don’t book of face. I don’t twitterpate. I dont do anything else.

“Well Jay, if you don’t contribute then you are just part of the problem.”

No, not really. Because once I join the conversation and offer MY opinion….and that is all it is, my OPINION, it is going to be WRONG to someone. So I do my job everyday, go home, play with my kids, and wonder just how in the HELL our planet got to this point.

Dave Hardin

The Soviet has no appreciation for the art of prosing a soliloquy, she says I am just talking to myself aloud.

Jay

Two things in my case: Being a Marine AND a recruiter, I can sell shit to a toilet if needs be. I also tend to listen twice as much as I speak, so people think I tend to THINK before I speak. Not so much. Much of my thought process is like your average 13 year old boy: Cars, Rock Videos, Boobs, and random memes.

Dave Hardin

LOL, those who criticize chewing on crayons have probably never actually tried it.

SFC D

In my own defense, I can categorically state that I have never chewed on or eaten a crayon.

Paste, however…

nobunny

I once made the mistake of sampling the mucilage glue. Once.

Comm Center Rat

“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”

~ Isaac Asimov

Veritas Omnia Vincit

I always like Mencken’s take on it….

“No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have searched the records for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.”

Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.

He was not a great guy in many important ways, but his observations about our nation and its people had some scathingly accurate points.

David

Believe I read somewhere that the collective intelligence of a mob was equal to the IQ of the smartest person present divided by the number of people present?

Jay

In the spirit of socialism: consider that one STOLEN

David

Well, if you want to attribute it, I want to say Heinlein said it in “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”

Slow Joe

Well, my thoughts on Democracy are somewhat aligned with Winston Churchill, who’s mother was American, by the way, when he said that:

“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”

I see Democracy as a lesser evil to authoritarian rule. The Republican system we have here in the States is a good system to somewhat reduce the excesses of populism in a democracy.

I see democracy from the point of view of free market economic theory. A lot of people making decisions is ALWAYS better than a few people making decisions for you. Yes, it is a representative democracy, but those people we elect at least have to respond to us when the electoral cycle is up.

That’s why is so important that electoral fraud is zero. Electoral fraud bring us back to the old system of political elites making decisions for us.

The system is far from perfect, by Winston Churchill was right.

What recourse do people have in authoritarian regimes like China, other than outright revolution?

Veritas Omnia Vincit

Perhaps it would surprise you to read Thomas Jefferson’s thoughts on rebellions….

Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem. Even this evil is productive of good. It prevents the degeneracy of government, and nourishes a general attention to the public affairs. I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.1 Unsuccesful rebellions indeed generally establish the incroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions, as not to discourage them too much. It is a medecine necessary for the sound health of government.” – Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, Paris, January 30, 17872</b.

OWB

Yep, Dave. That just about covers it.

While I have some sympathy for the TBI this young man is reported to have, that does not excuse bad behavior of any kind to include inappropriately wearing a Marine uniform.

We don’t need a conversation. We need for people behaving badly to stop behaving badly. Doesn’t matter their age, national origin, or any other characteristic. Just stop it. Then we can talk.

It looks like some/many/most will not stop behaving badly until made to stop. No real surprise there.

NHSparky

Said it before, saying it again:

I don’t have a problem with his message, but his delivery sucks.

26Limabeans

So we have confirmed that he is indeed a legit asshole.
Honorable service can cut both ways.

jarhead

Good to read you again Dave. My, how Devildogs harbor so many like points. My turn, and I have rarely seen this written. Nobody dares discuss it for whatever reason, but we white folks also know what it means to be harassed by certain cops. Pulled over for a simple license plate light being out, pulled over for failing to signal a turn in spite of absolutely no other cars within a mile, pulled over and being subjected to a sniffer dog being brought to the scene just for the show of power via harassment. There are far too many cops who hide behind a badge and uniform, as well as hide their eyes behind dark sunglasses just to f__k with people while on a power trip. Most of this ilk are IMHO those who got the hell beat out of them by their abusive old man as they were growing up. The uniform and badge gives them ample opportunity to take out their unresolved anger on the rest of society. Writing tickets that know will put a financial burden on MANY, intimidating the weak with idle threats of a trip to jail. The fines, the towing fees, the storage fees; they all add up to making these forever pissed off tyrants so proud of themselves. Don’t take me wrong, NOT ALL cops are like this by no means. But those that are of that miserable growing up make the decent cops all look bad. So that’s my opinion. We whites know pretty much how the law enforcement (i. e., love to have so much power to make people’s lives miserable when I want) can be. Bottom line, blacks don’t have a special place when it comes to suffering at the hand of a few LEO. One final note on the matter. How often do you hear about whites raising hell when one who had a personal history of long-standing crime is injured or killed during an arrest? Figure that one out.

11B-Mailclerk

Folks are -way- to quick to throw the “racist” flag when “arrogant asshole lacking self-control” is more apt. Why presume he only treats “different” folks that way? Sometimes one of the players is an arrogant asshole. Can be either one.

Occasionally, -both- are arrogant assholes lacking self control.

OldManchu

Dang it! And on top of being a Marine and being legit with the fruit salad, he is a mortar maggot too. Way to diss your high angle hell bro’s.

OldManchu
Army 11C myself

E4 Mafia '83-'87

Okay, his awards are legit. He is still an attention seeking ass-hat worshiping at the altar of intersectionality. Any fallout he receives is all on him…he asked for it.

Daisy Cutter

Anyone notice that climate change is playing tricks again?

First, he was standing in over 90 degree heat.

A couple of days later, it was over 100 degrees.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/marine-vet-stood-in-100-degree-heat-for-3-hour-silent-protest-causing-soles-of-his-shoes-to-melt/755691

rgr769

If anyone bothers to check, one will likely find it was no where near 100. SLC does not normally run temps close to 100 the first week in June. It is presently 75 and tomorrow is forecast to be 89. Some “reporter” likely wanted to make this dipshit’s attention whoring seem more daunting.

The Other Whitey

Everybody has a right to voice their opinion. That doesn’t change the fact that some of them are complete assholes and douchebags.

OLD 1SG, US Army (retired)

All I can say is that Mr. Winn is a dipshit.
As far as I’m concerned he was wearing his uniform inappropriately and disrespectfully… and just plain looked like a total ass-hat!

That’s my opinion and I don’t give a rats behind or care to hear about his rights, freedom of speech or any other BS.

There are just customs, traditions, and respect that should be honored… again just my opinion.

OldSoldier54

Have to disagree, in part.

I don’t give a flying fig if Floyd was the biggest dirtbag on the planet. How he was killed matters to me. It should matter to you, too.

Or, we could just let things keep on, you know, no knock warrants at the wrong address, shooting people when they dare to object. That sort of thing.

So, eventually the Republic will drown in blood. Good job.

Justice matters. To God, it REALLY matters. Like individuals, Nations are brought low by disregarding that.