President Barack Obama is scheduled to address the American people on Monday, March 28, 2011 to explain why American military personnel are engaged in dropping bombs and launching missiles on another Middle Eastern nation. It was roughly three weeks ago when U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned that the enforcement of a “no-fly” zone over Libya was essentially “an act of war” against that country; in spite of a unanimous vote to do so by the UN. It seems that the moral imperative for such an intervention was to prevent Colonel Moammar Gadhafi from committing war crimes against his own people. Initially, the U.S.-led offensive was to destroy Gadhafi’s Air Defensive and Offensive capabilities which were used to fight the rebels opposed to his regime and which, if not neutralized could also pose a threat to coalition aircraft used to implement this international sanction. America’s limited offensive role was to protect innocent civilians who would be caught in the firefight between Gadhafi’s forces and the rebels who want regime change and are determined to depose him by any means necessary. The thing is however, even with the dismantling of Gadhafi’s Air Force, he still has armored vehicles and tanks which can still inflict significant damage on the rebels and some former U.S. Military and security experts feel that Gadhafi will ultimately survive this power struggle to still be the leader of Libya.
For President Obama it might be a hard sell to convince everyone that it is in our national interest to have gotten embroiled, although in a somewhat measured way, by using our superior military apparatus to crush another Middle Eastern country and Arab people under the boot heel of American Imperialism. No one really knows what the End Game is and hopefully, the President will go into some detail and lay out specifics as to exactly what was he wants to achieve and were the goals met. President Obama committed American troops without even consulting Congress beforehand, which seems to have been an intentional breach of Executive protocol because the matter was not so pressing or urgent that he had to issue such a command unilaterally without Congressional approval. Also, it is unclear whether political or social unrest in the country of Libya would have destabilized the Middle East to such an extent that it would lead to a cascading ‘Domino’ affect where other nations in the region will start toppling as well. President Obama says that Moammar Gadhafi would unleash a “bloodbath that could destabilize the entire region” and doubtless, creating shockwaves and panic throughout the volatile international commodity and equity markets, sending prices for a barrel of oil soaring through the roof. The phrase “in our national security interest” is just code or political-speak’ and America wouldn’t be in Libya if they didn’t have significant oil production capabilities just like Iraq, Saudi Arabia, or Kuwait, etc.
On the other hand, if it’s all about American values and supporting Western pro-Democratic movements in other countries, then how can we as a people send our military to intervene in the internal affairs and sovereignty of a particular nation while at the same time ignoring the human rights and desire to live with dignity and freedom of those who live in another country that is not deemed worthy of our direct involvement outside of using economic sanctions?
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 27, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Afghan citizens inconsequential cannon fodder to root out terrorists?
It is one thing to take out a high value al-Qaida operative or Taliban leader but quite another to kill innocent civilians. It seems that the payoff in collateral damage for these unfortunate deaths cannot be justified in the fight to combat extreme fanaticism and imposition of ‘Shria’ Law under the religious tenets of Islam and the autocratic rule of a charismatic Mullah or Ayatollah. It seems that these high-tech pilot less aircraft controlled by an operator thousands of miles away using a joystick and computer screen aided by GPS and other telemetry, cannot guarantee within an almost absolute certainty whether a human target soon to be annihilated in a burst of fiery destruction is friend or foe. One would think that these machines would have be more accurate and that their targeting sensors and video capabilities would be able to clearly distinguish between what is a “real” threat or just a crowd of men with guns firing wildly into the air.
The mistakes are far too high because once a decision is reached and that button is pushed to launch hellfire-missles or some other ordinance upon the unsuspecting people cannot be relived all over again, and somehow acknowledging that mistakes were made and issuing an apology with financial compensation isn't enough to assuage the pain and grief of losing a loved one due to bad judgment and the limits of the military's latest warfare toy. It is interesting that the one thing considered one of the most effective in combating the ‘insurgency’ is a major recruiting incentive and propaganda tool ensuring its continued growth and survival because the number of Afghan civilians (men, women, and children) killed by the allies [infidels or the Great Satan "America"] far outpaces all retaliatory strikes inflicted upon the Taliban or al-Qaida operatives and leadership.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 18, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com
The mistakes are far too high because once a decision is reached and that button is pushed to launch hellfire-missles or some other ordinance upon the unsuspecting people cannot be relived all over again, and somehow acknowledging that mistakes were made and issuing an apology with financial compensation isn't enough to assuage the pain and grief of losing a loved one due to bad judgment and the limits of the military's latest warfare toy. It is interesting that the one thing considered one of the most effective in combating the ‘insurgency’ is a major recruiting incentive and propaganda tool ensuring its continued growth and survival because the number of Afghan civilians (men, women, and children) killed by the allies [infidels or the Great Satan "America"] far outpaces all retaliatory strikes inflicted upon the Taliban or al-Qaida operatives and leadership.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 18, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com
Monday, March 21, 2011
Are the inmates in control at Washington State prisons?
Dear Dana:
I enjoyed watching your KCPQ-13 FOX NEWS interview with the Correctional Officers and Nurse who worked with the now slain Jayme Biendl at the Monroe, WA facility. I am a former CO trainee at the McNeil Island prison nearly 15 years ago, but I decided that it was not for me after only a month; but you can observe and learn a lot even in that short time period especially when prison veterans tell you what’s really going on. I think the real issue is the philosophy of the Secretary of the DOC when it pertains to how inmates are treated during their period of incarceration. When I was in training, the Superintendent of the DOC was a graduate of St. Martin's College in Olympia and his objective was not to punish criminal offenders but to take a different approach, such as leaning on the disciplines of the Social Sciences toward rehabilitation and treating them like human beings with civil rights dignity, respect, and all that.
In fact, the inmates could file grievances against their custodians [the guards] and each complaint would be investigated as far as I know. When a prison guard is sued by an inmate the DOC does not provide legal representation for the employee and the person has to find and pay for their own legal expenses and counsel. Not only that, but any CO who is involved in litigation is not thought of so well by the prison hierarchy (warden, DOC Secretary) because they would rather avoid such attention because it indicates there is a breakdown in communication and it has the potential to upset the fragile balance between inmates and staff which could lead to even greater problems down the road and the operational objective is to run a prison system where there aren’t any confrontations or fighting; and in the long history of McNeil Island at least, there has probably only been a handful of attempted escapes and no rioting.
Of course, for the inmates it was "THREE HOTS AND A COT" or rather three meals a day and a warm bed. McNeil Island did have the "Hole" (solitary confinement) which is essentially what one would expect; although not quite as dire as depicted in the movies. There is this old saying that if you get incarcerated let it be in a prison instead of in the overcrowded County jail where you might not get fed on a regular basis and possibly end up sleeping on the floor of a cold concrete cell [pillow and mattress not necessarily included]. In the prison, the inmates had a nice gymnasium to play basketball, a handball court, a weight room besides the one outside in the Yard, and at one time the inmates could have steroids dispensed to them to bulk up during weight training. Although most of these perks [cable TV, steroids, etc.] were discontinued right before I arrived, still they had a prison library of books which they probably used to work on their legal appeals, and of course as it pertains to Officer Jamye Biendl, just about anyone could make an appointment to meet with the prison Chaplain who was probably alone with the inmate.
An inmate could make an appointment with a social worker such as a case manager or the prison psychiatrist and even the meals served in the cafeteria were prepared or monitored by a dietician. I don't know about Monroe, Walla Walla, and a few other prisons but McNeil Island was a medium security prison where the CO's carried no weapons of any sort but keys and had a proximity alarm on their person but I think they had to be the one to activate the signal if in trouble.
I suppose the concern among prison officials that if the inmates were treated harsher and if some of their privileges were taken away they might become more violent towards one another and their caretakers [the guards], and perhaps treating them with kid gloves is the better approach. Maybe the thinking is that they are not bad people but they just do bad things, however, I don't know if the family, colleagues and loved ones of Officer Biendl can find any consolation in that. I wish I had an answer for this dilemma because the statistics are overwhelmingly clear that prison DOES NOT rehabilitate with a recidivism rate of at least 90% and yet, reverting back to the old school of inmates busting rocks on a chain gang like something out of an old 1960's movies like "The Defiant Ones" with Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier or Paul Newman in “Cool Hand Luke” but that may not work either.
The inmates at the Monroe Correctional Facility are allowed to enjoy certain freedoms that the taxpayers and victims of their criminality would find objectionable such as enjoying barbecues, watching their favorite sporting events on flat screen TV’s, holiday celebrations and other events which seems inconsistent with the magnitude of suffering that these individuals inflicted upon those whom they harmed. At the McNeil prison the inmates were allowed to watch cable TV previously, and not wanting to disrespect the cultural traditions of the diverse population behind bars, Native Americans could use “peyote” [marijuana] in their religious celebrations until the prison administrators came to the realization that it just might not be such a good idea to allow this practice after-all. So, when the inmates at Monroe refer to their environment as “PrisoneyLand” that is not all that surprising because it would seem like a fantasy, a dream come true and sweet reward to them for perpetrating some of the most heinous crimes committed against Washington citizens.
Although Washington is not like Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and a few other states, mostly in the southern United States whose reputation regarding Capital punishment and penology is much deserved, something needs to be done to keep the prison staff safe as well as inmates and the Legislature, Governor, Secretary of Prisons and the CO's have to come together and solve this problem before someone else is killed, raped, or whatever.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 18, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com
I enjoyed watching your KCPQ-13 FOX NEWS interview with the Correctional Officers and Nurse who worked with the now slain Jayme Biendl at the Monroe, WA facility. I am a former CO trainee at the McNeil Island prison nearly 15 years ago, but I decided that it was not for me after only a month; but you can observe and learn a lot even in that short time period especially when prison veterans tell you what’s really going on. I think the real issue is the philosophy of the Secretary of the DOC when it pertains to how inmates are treated during their period of incarceration. When I was in training, the Superintendent of the DOC was a graduate of St. Martin's College in Olympia and his objective was not to punish criminal offenders but to take a different approach, such as leaning on the disciplines of the Social Sciences toward rehabilitation and treating them like human beings with civil rights dignity, respect, and all that.
In fact, the inmates could file grievances against their custodians [the guards] and each complaint would be investigated as far as I know. When a prison guard is sued by an inmate the DOC does not provide legal representation for the employee and the person has to find and pay for their own legal expenses and counsel. Not only that, but any CO who is involved in litigation is not thought of so well by the prison hierarchy (warden, DOC Secretary) because they would rather avoid such attention because it indicates there is a breakdown in communication and it has the potential to upset the fragile balance between inmates and staff which could lead to even greater problems down the road and the operational objective is to run a prison system where there aren’t any confrontations or fighting; and in the long history of McNeil Island at least, there has probably only been a handful of attempted escapes and no rioting.
Of course, for the inmates it was "THREE HOTS AND A COT" or rather three meals a day and a warm bed. McNeil Island did have the "Hole" (solitary confinement) which is essentially what one would expect; although not quite as dire as depicted in the movies. There is this old saying that if you get incarcerated let it be in a prison instead of in the overcrowded County jail where you might not get fed on a regular basis and possibly end up sleeping on the floor of a cold concrete cell [pillow and mattress not necessarily included]. In the prison, the inmates had a nice gymnasium to play basketball, a handball court, a weight room besides the one outside in the Yard, and at one time the inmates could have steroids dispensed to them to bulk up during weight training. Although most of these perks [cable TV, steroids, etc.] were discontinued right before I arrived, still they had a prison library of books which they probably used to work on their legal appeals, and of course as it pertains to Officer Jamye Biendl, just about anyone could make an appointment to meet with the prison Chaplain who was probably alone with the inmate.
An inmate could make an appointment with a social worker such as a case manager or the prison psychiatrist and even the meals served in the cafeteria were prepared or monitored by a dietician. I don't know about Monroe, Walla Walla, and a few other prisons but McNeil Island was a medium security prison where the CO's carried no weapons of any sort but keys and had a proximity alarm on their person but I think they had to be the one to activate the signal if in trouble.
I suppose the concern among prison officials that if the inmates were treated harsher and if some of their privileges were taken away they might become more violent towards one another and their caretakers [the guards], and perhaps treating them with kid gloves is the better approach. Maybe the thinking is that they are not bad people but they just do bad things, however, I don't know if the family, colleagues and loved ones of Officer Biendl can find any consolation in that. I wish I had an answer for this dilemma because the statistics are overwhelmingly clear that prison DOES NOT rehabilitate with a recidivism rate of at least 90% and yet, reverting back to the old school of inmates busting rocks on a chain gang like something out of an old 1960's movies like "The Defiant Ones" with Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier or Paul Newman in “Cool Hand Luke” but that may not work either.
The inmates at the Monroe Correctional Facility are allowed to enjoy certain freedoms that the taxpayers and victims of their criminality would find objectionable such as enjoying barbecues, watching their favorite sporting events on flat screen TV’s, holiday celebrations and other events which seems inconsistent with the magnitude of suffering that these individuals inflicted upon those whom they harmed. At the McNeil prison the inmates were allowed to watch cable TV previously, and not wanting to disrespect the cultural traditions of the diverse population behind bars, Native Americans could use “peyote” [marijuana] in their religious celebrations until the prison administrators came to the realization that it just might not be such a good idea to allow this practice after-all. So, when the inmates at Monroe refer to their environment as “PrisoneyLand” that is not all that surprising because it would seem like a fantasy, a dream come true and sweet reward to them for perpetrating some of the most heinous crimes committed against Washington citizens.
Although Washington is not like Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and a few other states, mostly in the southern United States whose reputation regarding Capital punishment and penology is much deserved, something needs to be done to keep the prison staff safe as well as inmates and the Legislature, Governor, Secretary of Prisons and the CO's have to come together and solve this problem before someone else is killed, raped, or whatever.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 18, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Tacoma Mayor violates city's Ethics law
According to “Tacoma News Tribune” Staff writer, Lewis Kamb, in the Wednesday, March 9, 2011 edition, Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland’s return from a 10-day business trip to Asia just might land her in the middle of an investigation for violating the city’s ethics code. It appears that her airfare was covered by using the frequent flyer miles of Lakewood businessman Ron Chow to cover roundtrip airfare costs. Mayor Strickland acknowledged that she did not seek advice from the city attorney regarding the gesture [gift] from Mr. Chow to see if there was a potential breach of ethics laws. Although it is not known why Mayor Strickland decided to leave at this time, especially in an economic downturn and deficits in the city budget, she mentions there was no personal gain and that she paid for her own lodging and meals, otherwise all the expenses she incurred would have been paid for by the city; saving us around $3, 251 just for the cost of airfare as reported on the travel website Expedia.
Mayor Strickland's concern for taxpayers is touching, but would not a ‘reasonable’ person think that Mr. Chow might want to benefit from his close contact with someone at City Hall who could influence the awarding of contracts to further expand Asian business opportunities in Tacoma and Pierce County, of which he would very likely have a part in? The thing is, Washington State Law and the Tacoma Board of Ethics in particular, says more-or-less, that a gift valued at more than $50 could be used to influence the official in consideration as part of a reward [pay back] for a particular [favorable] action or inaction. And for Mayor Strickland, would this not seem to pose a conflict-of-interest or at the very least the appearance of impropriety? Not only that, but it appears that Mr. Chow has some deep pockets and has contributed sizeable donations to local, state, and federal political campaigns, and doubtless was a supporter of mayor Strickland. So far, no complaint has been filed against Mayor Strickland in the office of the city clerk, but the Ethics Board and the Tacoma City Council should look into the matter and recommend some type of action, either in the way of a formal reprimand or sanction for violation of the law. Mayor Strickland, as the city’s Chief-Executive-Officer should have known better because the provisions of the law is clear on this matter and the fact that she doesn’t think her behavior is a breach of ethical conduct for a city employee is hard to believe.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 9, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com
Mayor Strickland's concern for taxpayers is touching, but would not a ‘reasonable’ person think that Mr. Chow might want to benefit from his close contact with someone at City Hall who could influence the awarding of contracts to further expand Asian business opportunities in Tacoma and Pierce County, of which he would very likely have a part in? The thing is, Washington State Law and the Tacoma Board of Ethics in particular, says more-or-less, that a gift valued at more than $50 could be used to influence the official in consideration as part of a reward [pay back] for a particular [favorable] action or inaction. And for Mayor Strickland, would this not seem to pose a conflict-of-interest or at the very least the appearance of impropriety? Not only that, but it appears that Mr. Chow has some deep pockets and has contributed sizeable donations to local, state, and federal political campaigns, and doubtless was a supporter of mayor Strickland. So far, no complaint has been filed against Mayor Strickland in the office of the city clerk, but the Ethics Board and the Tacoma City Council should look into the matter and recommend some type of action, either in the way of a formal reprimand or sanction for violation of the law. Mayor Strickland, as the city’s Chief-Executive-Officer should have known better because the provisions of the law is clear on this matter and the fact that she doesn’t think her behavior is a breach of ethical conduct for a city employee is hard to believe.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 9, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com
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