ISIS is pathetic not fearsome

It is horrible that some black-clad wackadoos took 118 lives in Paris. How many Americans were killed by fellow Americans over the weekend? Its 30,000 a year, so from Friday through Sunday it must have been about 100 

Did we call out the troops? Curtail travel and unfettered activity? No. Timothy Mcveigh killed 168 people in 1995 by bombing a building. Did troops appear on street corners in Oklahoma City? Did. We consent to searches of our stuff? 

Why the heck are 118 deaths in a huge city in an even bigger country an ocean away making news here? Why is it making you scared? You are not under any threat. Your chance of seeing or being personally affected by a bad guy has not changed.

ISIS is a name only. It is not a meaningful threat to any American. The bigger, real, threats to Americans is that they develop diabetesor, or have a heart attack, or get in a car accident, or get shot by a police officer.  

Don't be scared. And don't let Trump or Cheney or anyone else who accumulates government power tell you to be scared. Americans don't cower. Your ancestors got on a rickety boat and sailed over rough seas for months just to get away from the overreach of the King and his power. Don't you think you have what it takes to face a graphic TV image without surrendering your liberty or dignity? 

GI Joe suicide cop was so credible. Like a politician.

The suicide cop story out of Fox Lake, Illinois shows that credibility trumps integrity, but thankfully only for a little while. Joe Gliniewicz, GI Joe, Kingpin of Corruption, the Rot that Fox built, was the poster child for honorable police officers. He was loved and respected by coworkers and the community. From a distance he was a clean shaven, tattooed knight in blue. Up close? A skittering cockroach, reeking of stolen money and cheap perfume.

He expertly cultivated a look. An appearance that villagers wanted to believe. He carefully sculpted a facade that gave him the power to rob his fans. It is a sadly familiar story. While the dullards were glorifying his veteran-cop image he was betraying their foolish trust and stealing their money to buy hookers, jewelry, and a bigger house.

As a sociopath, he was unmatched, with Ted Bundy-like charisma serving his selfish needs. He projected honesty and credibility, but he had no honor, no integrity and no moral standing. Today a news report said that he contracted to have the village manager killed. Why? Because that lady might uncover his misdeeds. This was the kind of cop that kills people, plants a gun, and makes up a story about how his life was in danger.

When a person appears too good to be true, they are. They really are. There is no purely good person. Anywhere. Those who strive to project their own perfection are usually desperate to fill the crags in their character. They smooth over their flaws, but the gaps are still there, rotting deeper under the veneer of respectability.

It is the political season and here they come dressed in pin-striped suits, wearing flag pins. The media loves the smooth, well-coiffed faces of those oh-so-credible smooth-talkers who want to  be in charge of your tax dollars, your relationships and your bodies. Remember GI Joe and be cautious. Be very cautious.