Red Light Camera's

A topic that comes up quite frequently when I teach traffic school is the subject of the red light camera system. You either love them or hate them. I was the traffic sergeant when the City of Garden Grove implemented the system. Most of our meetings consisted of how the citations would present themselves in court, identifying drivers, and a myriad of "what if" situations. There was very little talk regarding revenue, although it was understood that the potential for dealing with red light camera violators could generate some monies.

Over the years, I have watched challenges to the system fall flat in court. There have been some exceptions. San Diego lost many red light camera citations when flaws were discovered in their implementation and timing of the signals. Despite the initial problems, San Diego was able to re-establish their system after working out the legal ramifications and problems they encountered. In Orange County, the Chief of Police of Huntington Beach declined to have a red light camera system installed in his city because he felt the incidents of rear end collisions would increase.

Whatever your position, take a look at the following video for some eye opening red light violators and the subsequent collisions that occur.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=-qvXbIenivk

Arizona SB 1070

People are weighing in on the new law signed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. Whatever your position on immigration, it is best that you read the bill for yourself. As I listened to members of the Los Angeles City Council talk of a boycott of Arizona and listened to talk radio, I decided I should read the bill. There is far too much emotion involved on both sides of the fence to simply listen to what politicians, activists, talk show hosts and their callers have to say about the bill. Unless, of course, they actually took the time to read the bill.

It is always best to argue passionately about a cause one believes in, but our argument should be fact based. Proponents of the bill say it will enable local law enforcement agencies to enforce current immigration laws that the federal government has been reluctant or refused to enforce. Opponents compare the law to Nazism, where people will be stopped on the street and asked for their "papers."

One of the prevalent misinterpretations of the bill is that it will allow law enforcement to stop someone based on the color of their skin. Provision #1 of SB 1070 clearly states:

1. Requires a reasonable attempt to be made to determine the immigration status of a person during any legitimate contact made by an official or agency of the state or a county, city, town or political subdivision (political subdivision) if reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the U.S.

Note that the inquiry to citizenship can only be made pursuant to a "legitimate contact." Constitutional law is very clear on when police can and cannot stop someone. Under Terry v. Ohio 392 U.S. 1 (1968), law enforcement officers are permitted to conduct a limited warrantless search on a level of suspicion less than probable cause under certain circumstances.

The 4th Amendment to the Constitution has been the source in all criminal court cases to determine the legitimacy of a law enforcement encounter. In criminal court proceedings, it is the initial stop that is scrutinized. If the initial stop was found to be without legal basis, then the case is dismissed.

Proponents argue that SB 1070 was necessary for a number of reasons. For example, some state the influx of illegal immigrants equals a rise in crime rates as evident by the large number of illegal immigrants in our prison system. Keep in mind that one could find statistics to support either side.

In one broadcast, television host Lou Dobbs said that nearly 1/3 of our federal prisons consisted of illegal immigrants. However, a 2007 article in the New York Times suggest otherwise. The article provided information that in 2000, 27 percent of the inmates in federal prisons were non citizens. Some of these non citizens were illegal immigrants, and some were in this country legally. In 2001, this percentage dropped to 24 percent, and it continued dropping over the next four years, falling to 20 percent in 2005.

Bottom line: illegal immigrants make up significantly less than a third of the federal prison population, and the share has been falling in recent years (source - New York Times).

Another inherent component of any law is the distrust a segment of the population has of law enforcement. Almost anyone who has been the subject of a stop by police can attest to the unpleasantness they felt - real or imagined. There are countless stories of police encounters where the citizen felt the officer had a poor or unprofessional attitude; a preconceived notion that the person they were dealing with was already a criminal in their eyes.

The courts have been less than lenient with law enforcement agencies and the personnel sworn to uphold the law if they abuse or violate the law. In addition to repudiation by the courts, a law enforcement agency or officer is subject to civil court proceedings for violation of ones civil rights (think the officers in the Rodney King incident).

Illegal immigration has been and will be a topic of discussion for quite some time and there is no magical solution. There are too many variables to consider when examining the cause of illegal immigration. Whatever your position on immigration or SB1070, do yourself a favor and read the bill.

What? I Can't Hear You!

As most of you know, I was forced to retire early because of a duty related hearing loss. It took a little bit of adjusting to the fact that my services were no longer required and I would, from that day forward, be considered disabled and out of law enforcement forever. Well, until I die anyway, and then who knows what could happen.

The most significant hearing loss was the right ear and this week I discovered I had a cold. Being the trained observer that I am, I noticed the runny and itchy nose, a little bit of sneezing and coughing, but most of all, I noticed both my ears were slowing plugging up. For those of you with normal hearing, try lightly placing your left and right index finger on the appropriate ear - just enough to muffle sound and you will have an idea of what I am experiencing. Ugh.

So then I says to myself (cuz nobody else is listening), I wonder if they have jokes for deaf folks. Guess what? I said, GUESS WHAT? Yes, they do indeed have jokes for and about hearing impaired people. So, without further ado, hear (sorry, couldn't resist) is a sampling from the American Sign Language:

Two deaf men are signing to each other.
The first man asks, "What did your wife say when you got home late last night?
The second man replies, "She swore a blue streak"
And the first man asks, "What did you do then?"
And the second man replies, "I turned out the light."
____________________

A Mafia gang takes on a deaf man to run their deliveries, feeling it would be safer having someone unable to overhear conversations. However, one day when he is to deliver a large sum of money, he never shows up with it. The mobsters track him down, but don't find the money on him. As none of them are able to use sign language, they bring in an interpreter.

Mobster: "Where'd you hide the money?" (Interpreter signs the question.)

The bag man signs his reply. The interpreter says, "He says he had to ditch it in the river because the cops were onto him."

Mobster: "I'm not fooling around! You better tell me where that money is!" (Interpreter again signs.)

The bag man signs his reply, and the interpreter relays, "He swears he is telling the truth. He had to get rid of it."

The mobster pulls out a revolver and points it between the deaf man's eyes. "Tell me where that money is, or I'll kill you right now!"
(Interpreter signs his statement.)

The bag man, sweating profusely, signs, "It's inside a shoebox under a loose floorboard in my bedroom closet."

The interpreter says, "He says he doesn't know where it is and he doesn't think you have the guts to pull the trigger."
____________________

A 92 year-old man went to the Doctor to get a physical.
A few days later the Dr. saw the man walking down the street
with a gorgeous young lady on his arm.

A couple of days later the Dr. talked to the man and said, "You're
really doing great, aren't you?"

The man replied, "Just doing what you said Doctor, 'Get a hot mamma
and be cheerful."

The Doctor said, "I didn't say that. I said you got a heart
murmur. Be careful."
____________________

An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years.
He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a
set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%.

The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor
said, "Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that
you can hear again."

The gentleman replied, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit
around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three
times!"
____________________

An old man was wondering if his wife had a hearing problem.
So one night, he stood behind her while she was sitting in her lounge chair.
He spoke softly to her, "Honey, can you hear me?"
There was no response.
He moved a little closer and said again, "Honey, can you hear me?"
Still, there was no response.
Finally he moved right behind her and said, "Honey, can you hear me?"
She replied, "For the third time, Yes!"
____________________

SILENT AND ODORLESS:
A guy walks into the doctor's office and says, "Doctor,
you've got to help me. I pass gas HUNDREDS of times a day."
He tells the doctor that it's silent and odorless. Then he says, "Doctor, you won't believe this but I've passed gas ten times while we've been talking."
So the doctor gives him some pills, "Here, take two of these every day and come see me in two weeks."
The guy comes back in one week complaining, Doctor, what's in these pills? I still have the gas, it's still silent, but now it smells absolutely TERRIBLE!"
The doctor says, "Well that takes care of your sinus problem, now let's work on your hearing."
____________________

Just a few jokes that I hope make you smile. I'll be glad when this cold is over and my ears clear up.

Irish Pope?

Old Murphy was a minister in a small Irish town. He had always been a good man and lived by the Bible. One day God decided to reward him, with the answer to any three questions Murphy would like to ask.

Old Murphy did not need much time to consider, and the first question was: "Will there ever be married Catholic priests?"

God promptly replied: "Not in your life-time."

Murphy thought for a while, and then came up with the second question: "what about female priests then, will we have that one day?"

Again God had to disappoint Old Murphy: "Not in your life-time, I'm afraid."

Murphy was sorry to hear that, and he decided to drop the subject. After having thought for a while, he asked the last question: "Will there ever be an Irish pope?"

God answered quickly and with a firm voice: "Not in my life-time."

A quote from Judy Garland
“For it was not into my ear you whispered,
but into my heart.
It was not my lips you kissed,
but my soul.”
How I wish I could write such words!
To be as eloquent as
Garland, Shakespeare, de La Rochefoucauld, Frost.
To pen my thoughts for no other purpose, but
to please her to no end.
To have her think
only of us.
To disregard old lovers forever.
In that regard,
I am incredibly selfish.
I am who I am
she is who she is
by Paul McInerny

_________________________________________


It was, I could see
inevitable
I stood against the rail
My eyes, searched the ocean
Usually, the sun can dance
on the waves
I can see the waters hue
flashing sparkles of light
Its beauty comforts me
and I call to you
share with me the vision
Today, there was no name to call
You danced across the very waves
to a distant paradise
Oh, how I miss the feel
of your lips
The warmth of our bodies
the fragrance of your hair
as it flows across your face
by Paul McInerny

Roger McInerny's Battle

Note: The following article provides an insight to the April 1, 1970 battle at Fire Support Base Illingworth. This is where Private First Class Roger J. McInerny, Jr. lost his life at age 19. This is one account of Roger McInerny's battle.

Battle survivors reunite 40 years later at Fort Sill monument
Apr 1, 2010
By Keith Pannell (The Cannoneer, Fort Sill)

Story Highlights
*Four artillery batteries and two cavalry companies occupying fire base five miles from Cambodian border.
*Artillery not allowed to bury and protect their ammunition - which exploded in night-long battle. 24 Soldiers were killed in action, another 54 were wounded. Soldiers described ammunition exploding as "titanic roar" that lifted everyone off the ground and stunned them all.


Ralph Jones, right with hands on hips, surveys damage to his 8-inch mobile howitzer caused by a rocket-propelled grenade at Fire Support Base Illingworth in Vietnam April 1, 1970. Twenty-four Soldiers were killed and 54 were wounded in the attack by North Vietnamese army soldiers. Members of that unit are reuniting April 1.

Forty years ago today, the survivors of the battle of Fire Support Base Illingworth were trying to figure out which of their battle buddies were alive and which they would never see again.

That's why the men of A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery said it is important to have a reunion this year, the 40th anniversary of the battle. The group held a ceremony at 2 p.m. at the unit monument on Courage Drive.Courage Drive is south of Minor Road along Crane Avenue, between Minor Road and the Impact Zone Brewery.

The Battle
April 1, 1970 was the deadliest day of the deadliest month of the year in Vietnam and the ad hoc patch on a hill with no perimeter fence between them and the wood line, was right in the middle of the carnage.

The manning of FSB Illingworth, five miles from the Cambodian border, was made up of elements from several units including; B Battery, 1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery; A Battery, 1st Battalion, 30th Field Artillery; A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery; B Battery, 5th Battalion, 2nd Field Artillery and Companies C and E, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. The artillery units are current or former Fort Sill units.

The base overlooked a heavily-used North Vietnamese Army route. And, the enemy didn't want them there.

Ralph Jones was a young Soldier with A Battery, 2-32nd FA when the unit and the two self-propelled 8-inch guns and several tons of ammunition were assigned to FSB Illingworth as added protection.

Jones said right from the start, the Soldiers had a bad feeling because they weren't allowed to get their ammo off the face of the hill.

"We were dangling out there like a piece of bait with no protection," Jones said. "On April 1, they hit us."

In an interview with "VFW Magazine" in 2008, Jones said before the attack, his unit wanted to get the ammo underground, but was ordered by higher headquarters to not waste time digging.
"From the first day on, we wanted to dig our ammo pits using our 8-inch howitzers as spades," said Jones. "We were ordered not to, thereby allowing the enemy to view our ammo from the jungle line."

Early in the morning of April 1, 1970, the NVA launched the first of 300 mortars, rockets and recoilless rifle rounds that would deluge the base for 20 minutes.

Then, about 400 NVA soldiers assaulted the base.

The battle was too close for artillery. The dust from the NVA barrage was so thick it caused M-60 machineguns and M-16 rifles to jam, according to Jones. The FA Soldiers jumped from their tracked vehicles and joined the infantry on the front line. When guns jammed, Soldiers fought hand-to-hand, using their rifles as clubs, said Jones this week.

Then, about 190 rounds of the ammunition that had been stacked on base exploded. In the magazine interview, Soldiers described it as a "titanic roar," and "everyone there was lifted off the ground." The explosion left a 20-foot deep crater and Americans and NVA alike stepped back to recover. This resulted in a lull in the fighting for five to 10 minutes, according to the after-action report.

By 5 a.m., nearly three hours after the first NVA rounds hit, the battle was over. Twenty-four Soldiers were killed in action including 10 from field artillery units. Another 54 Soldiers were wounded. Reports said 88 NVA were killed.

"Some of the kids who came in as replacements on March 31 were dead by 4 a.m. the next day," said George Hobson, who was the commanding officer of C Company, who will be attending the ceremony.

During the three hours, about 3,372 artillery rounds were fired.

Two Soldiers were awarded Distinguished Service Crosses and one Soldier, Sgt. Peter C. Lemon, was awarded the Medal of Honor."

The Reunion
Jones has put himself in charge of getting his battle buddies together for today's reunion.

"You remember some of the good times, some of the bad times and you remember those special guys, your friends, that gave their lives so you could live on," Jones said. "We honor them."

Reunion Bonus
This year's reunion will have the added bonus of about 15 members of C Company, 2-8th Cav, the infantry unit that fought with everything they had to keep FSB Illingworth from being overrun. For most, it will be the first time they've seen each other since the dust settled on that hill.

"The commander of Charlie Company [Hobson] traded e-mails and said he was coming and knew of about 15 more Soldiers that wanted to come," Jones said.

Hobson was originally drafted, but stayed in to make the Army a career before retiring as a lieutenant colonel.

"What this means to the men of Company C is it gives us an opportunity to honor all of the men who served in Vietnam," Hobson said. "They were all ordinary men who did an extraordinary job in extraordinary circumstances."

Words of Wisdom

Sometimes...
when you cry....
no one sees your tears.

Sometimes...
when you are in pain.
no one sees your hurt.

Sometimes..
when you are worried..
no one sees your stress

Sometimes..
when you are happy..
no one sees your smile ..

But fart just ONE time....
And everybody knows!!

April 1, 1970 - Vietnam

Remembering Roger James McInerny, Jr.
by Paul D. McInerny

To paraphrase President Roosevelt: April 1st…a day that will live in infamy with Roger and Lue McInerny. On April 1st, 1970, Roger McInerny, Jr. was serving with the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam. He would sacrifice his life that day, for ideals and beliefs that were near and dear to him.

As I sat at the kitchen table thinking of Roger, I was enveloped with a wave of emotion. It started as a chill of sorts; goose bumps starting at my feet and quickly moving upward toward the top of my scalp. It was a feeling of overwhelming sadness and reflection for a brother long gone in one of thousands of wars of past history. As tears slipped from my eyes and onto my cheeks, I spoke to Rog and talked of the passing of time and his death. I wished he could have met my children and grandchildren. Then, a stark realization of a thought that had never crossed my mind; I wished I could have met his children and grandchildren.

War has a way of altering families forever, especially when the warrior returns with emotional or physical injuries, or simply does not return. Roger was a first born and named after his father. He was the good and studious son who probably could have become anything he wished. He was obedient, focused and never gave my parents the kind of trouble I did. His decision to enlist in the army in 1969 was based, in part, by the opinion of an anti-war speaker who told Roger that only poor, black males were being sent to Vietnam to fight. Roger believed that statement and thought it was grossly unfair and felt compelled to do his part. He was in Vietnam for approximately two weeks when he was killed during a fierce battle at Firebase Illingworth.

I had the opportunity to travel to Beijing, China with Ling. China…a communist country, that for most of my life, I have been told is an enemy or potential threat to the United States. While I was in Beijing, I saw only people living and working much the same as they do in the United States. Taxi drivers negotiating the pedestrians and other vehicles that share the roadway, storeowners selling their wares, sales people working in the department stores, and restaurants serving the public. I asked a college professor of child-welfare, if the people of China were card-carrying communists. She explained to me that the people were just that… people. It is the government that was communist, but that most of the people were just trying to make a living and very few are what the Western world calls card-carrying communists.

In my little world, it would appear that it is the governments of the world that cause these wars. Individuals who rise to power and start believing their own self-perception of grandeur. Their quest for power, or a twisted interpretation of religion, political ideology, or desire to have more. And all the while, the people of the country are merely trying to hold their families together, to pay the bills, to buy a home, or ensure that their children are safe and well educated. Perhaps this is a too, simplistic analysis of the world and does not merit serious consideration, but it is frustrating to think that Roger went to war for an ideology spoon fed to us by the politicians of the time.

History seems to share a reoccurring theme when a war or conflict is studied years after its occurrence. It would appear that lies and half-truths were evident in order to justify a plan of action. In 1969, I constantly heard of the Domino Theory. In theory, if South Vietnam should fall into the hands of communist North Vietnam, than the neighboring countries would fall to communism like the chips in a domino game. As history has revealed, the Domino Theory never occurred.

April 1st has an entirely different meaning for the McInerny family. I do not begrudge people for enjoying the pranks, jokes and good-natured humor that comes with the day. I just wish I could have heard Roger and his kids, and perhaps now his grandkids, enjoying the laughter and frivolity of the day. I am convinced that conflicts and wars are inevitable as long as there are individuals with insatiable egos or convictions that the ends justify the means. To that end, there will always be a Roger James McInerny, Jr. for too many families on both sides of the conflict. The surviving family members will have their special date in history, just as my parents and brothers and sisters. Indulge us then, as we remember Roger James McInerny, Jr., killed in action in the Republic of Vietnam, April 1, 1970 at age 19.