Stop and Frisk A very Personal View

Dear kindly Sergeant Krupke
You gotta understand
It's just our bringin' up-ke
That gets us out of hand
Our mothers all are junkies
Our fathers all are drunks
Golly Moses, natcherly we're punks!

Gee, Officer Krupke, we're very upset;
We never had the love that every child oughta get
We ain't no delinquents
We're misunderstood
Deep down inside us there is good!

There is good!

There is good, there is good
There is untapped good!
Like inside, the worst of us is good!

From West Side Story



This week in the WSJ Jason Riley wrote an opinion piece "Bloomberg Grovels Over Stop and Frisk".
In the article Mr. Riley, who happens to be black, argues that given the overwhelming success the program had in reducing the murder rate in NY City that in fact it was a means of saving thousands of Black lives.  Mr Riley observed that in his opinion the murder and crime rate dropped like a rock from the program and Mr Bloomberg should not apologize for the program (which apparently he has).

Now I am not sure one can attribute it all to stop and frisk, but the article stirred an interesting memory from my adolescent years.  It is a story I do not think I shared with anyone that I can recall, not even with my "faithful and Obedient Companion".  It has also induced me reflect on both the current societal views on police use of  perceived intimidation and the effectiveness of "community policing". However,  before I relate this incident I have to first share my childhood memories of my father and what I personally observed running errands with him in the Philadelphia neighborhood known as "Kensington". 

You all might recall the movie "Rocky" which was filmed on location in Kensington, which in the 50's 60's and early 70's was a tough white working class neighborhood.  ( In fact, I was a member of a Boys Scout troop in this neighborhood and as a result had many friends there  even though it was pretty far from my own neighborhood.  How that happened is a story I will not bore you with) Anyway, my father walked the beat in Kensington in his first years on the force.

As a young child I would often go with my dad to his old "beat" where  he  was well known and was friends with many of the merchants there.  At Woodsie's gas station he would have his car worked on and he bought his beer at the Kensington beer distributor.   When possible he had  family prescriptions filled at the drugstore at Frankford and Allegheny Avenues, which was incidentally where my boy scout troop was located.  All of these merchants were an integral part of the community.  At each of them the owners awed me with stories of my Dad as I sat and listened to them chat.   You see in those days he was seen as a regular member of the neighborhood.   When he had walked the beat if  their kids "got out of line" he did not run them in to the station....he dragged them home to their parents.  Often after whacking them with a nightstick on the ass. He was not hated for this why? Well he also coached the local PAL baseball team, one which I played on one year.  He always felt he was a part of that community.  Naturally these stories highly influenced my perception of "what a good cop was".

My father eventually went on to work in Juvenile aid (a job that affected him severely, seeing the lasting damage caused by  kids from broken homes).  He eventually moved on and became a detective working in Center City, the Vice Squad and then Major Theft.  Ultimately he became the head of the Mayor of Philadelphia's security detail.   I could tell lot's of humorous stories about that...like getting a job painting the Mayor's row house, or the time my younger sister "borrowed" the Mayors city owned limo to joy ride with her friends.!

All this background is needed because it relates to my story and my Observations.  A story I now share for the first time.

As a sophomore in high school I was hanging out on a street corner near our church with a couple of friends. Low and behold a black and white pulled up and two police officers jump out, yelling at us to get  the "f" in the car.  We then and proceed to drive around the neighborhood with them telling us this was their neighborhood and we better remember that.  They even pounded their nightsticks on the car seats in a very threatening way.  Needless to say my two friends were scared shitless but my own reaction was very calm and polite, saying yes officer etc.  No doubt my attitude at the time was likely  because I had some sense that if I actually told my father this story, especially if they somehow hurt us, he and the mayor might get really pissed off.   After about  10  minutes of verbal harassment they dropped us off a few blocks away with a "remember we are always watching".  I never told my dad or anyone else the story.

So now to my Observations;

First my own attitudes about police where set at a very young age through a very "jaded lens".  It was very difficult at the time (and still is) to see police as my "enemy" even when being harassed.  But my two friends likely had a very different perspective.  Cops jumping out of cars instead of stopping and chatting as they "walked the beat" every day seem much less a part of "the neighborhood.  Personally I see the former as much more effective.

Second efforts to make the police seen as part of the neighborhood seem to have failed particularly among many of our "big city" police departments.  Even as crime has dropped since the late 90's.  Perhaps if parents of young juveniles had their kids dragged home for minor offenses instead of booked we might see more cooperation.  However the problem is in most inner city homes these days is "who would be there to drag them home too"?

Third the pervasive drug culture has turned delinquents into hard core criminals at an early age.

Finally this, there is no doubt there are some very  "bad cops" (though in my heart I believe the vast majority are not).  Even back then I knew a few and so did my Dad.  I often wondered in private whatever became of those two cops who picked us up that day.  If they were bad apples maybe I should have told him.  Interestingly when Frank Rizzo became mayor he asked my Father to head up his security detail.  My father turned him down and retired.  Why?  He felt Rizzo was a fascist.  He told me he had to retire because by turning him down his career as a police officer was over.  Yet so many "Pro-Police" people thought he was great.  Go figure.

At any rate and regardless of  the reasons it saddens me to see our society at odds on this issue.  We need police, and we need their work to effectively improve our lives.  When large portions of society view them as the enemy we are all diminished.


With that I bid you adieu.

Medicare for All ?

Will you still need me, will you still feed me
When I'm sixty-four

The Beatles

What a great Beatles comment to kick off a difficult topic to cover on this post.  Why difficult?  Well for several  reasons

1. First the topic is in some ways connected to what I touched on in "senior discounts"  that drew some interesting dialogue. Now I will be confront all of us seniors on a more serious entitlement issue.
2.  When talking about "caring" for our fellow citizens, friends, relatives and even and one's self,  the topic can be very personal.
3. As one who believes in limited government can I watch people I am close to and care for suffer because of my concerns for future generations.
4. Can any of us think rationally about abstract ideas versus personal realities.

A couple of weeks ago a good friend of ours in Stowe was describing the cost of his prescription medications (which could be a whole other topic).  He has suffered a great deal recently, losing a son and having his partner battle breast cancer.  He was diagnosed with cancer several years ago and is on hormone therapy which has not only been successful in extending his life for several years but has also helped to maintain the quality of his life as well.   Until recently he skied and played golf, even though he is past 80!  However, hormone therapy is not a cure, and it now showing signs of  ineffectiveness.  His ultimate outcome is inevitable but honestly so are all of our outcomes.  But there is no doubt if I were in his shoes I would likely taken the exact steps he has to extend meaningful life.

Now the flip side, while discussing his therapy he mentioned the cocktail of drugs enabling him to carry on runs about $8,000 per month.  This naturally led to a discussion about healthcare for all which he and his wife supported, using there own experiences as an example.  When you are in such a conversation.....how do you even begin to discuss "affordability" when public funds are paying almost $100,000 per year (just for drugs) to keep your over 80 plus year old friend  not just alive but active?  The answer is you nod, shut up, and eat your dinner.

That dinner "non" conversation got tucked away in my head but was "rekindled" when fellow blogger John Delnegro sent me an article about the Massachusetts legislature passing a measure that would tax employer's to fund universal 6 month family leave for new parents of working people in his Commonwealth.  While in theory the measure will be self funding ( so was medicare) I agreed with his thoughts about how it might impact families "negatively" in the long run, thoughts I may discuss in some future blog.  However it made me think about how we have turned "topsy turvy" on our spending "priorities".  Spending huge sums of money, we have not funded, on a generation that is about to leave, and leaving the bill to those infant's and cohorts who frankly are societies future hope.

Many of you likely think, Huh?-"Topsy Turvy" Jim? I paid my fair share into to SS and Medicare so I could be secure in my old age!

Now I am aware that the financial resources of those reading this blog varies significantly as does their state of health and family resources.  Most of you are seniors.  Furthermore all of us seniors have planned our retirements with SS and Medicare in mind and there is no real alternative "post facto" way to catch up for most.   I have heard the arguments from many fellow seniors that "we put money in" and that "promises were made" but In my mind this is generationally self serving and in a way a cop out.  Unfortunately that mindset has been firmly set in our society, and has now been passed down in spades to our progeny.  

The fact is as a generation we did not put enough money away to fulfill  these "promises" to ourselves.  We were simply going to use a giant credit card, die, then pass the bill along to the kids.   We are have passed on another thing to our kids in the process the idea that we are all entitled to spend whatever it costs to keep us alive and healthy in our "retirement".   Is there any wonder why more and more young people are attracted to Universal Health Care and Medicare for all?    Our generation perfected the art of "creative accounting"  and the social concept that everyone is entitled to be kept alive at whatever it costs.  Collectively we accepted all kinds of financial assumptions, virtually all unrealistic.  One of the biggest assumptions was a growing population and then most of us did not even contribute demographically enough "kids" to foot the bill.   I admit I lived in the same glass house.

For years now we consistently voted for increased entitlements but all along we really knew that we would end up leaving the buffet before paying the bill.  So now what?  Many politicians want to open the buffet to even more!  

Our sense of entitlement has been passed on in spades.  Many young people (and a few older as well) talk about universal healthcare, free college, free day care and on it goes.  We boomers need to look in the mirror whenever we complain about the candidates running for office. Directly or indirectly they are products of our creation.  Both Democrats and Republicans bear responsibility.  Hey for sure Warren and Bernie are great examples of left wing lunacy but please, our current President went to Florida to talk about how great Medicare is!

Republicans continue to hide behind "fiscal responsibility", while they fail to really address costs where needed to get votes, they cut taxes ....to get votes.

Democrats on the other hand want to spend trillions we don't have buy raising taxes  to an ungodly amount to in theory "pay for it" (it won't)....to get votes.

Face it tough love can work both ways.  Maybe we seniors need to begin to address this by looking at some tough self love, with less spending on those on the way out so we can help future generations pay the cost.  I understand all too well that this is a difficult question...after all we still are on huge bloc of voters with a very "vested interest" in the status quo.  Remember that ad that showed "granny" being pushed of a cliff in a wheelchair, and the idea of "death panels"?  In this environment these are unlikely winning platforms.  However, somehow some way something has to give.  Our National credit card ultimately has limits.

This blog has taken weeks to get published because frankly I see no "easy way" out.  Perhaps some of you differ, or have some thoughts of your own.  I promise any opinion is welcome.

With that  I bid you

Adieu

PS I wrote this weeks ago but have been reluctant to publish because I have no "recommendation" , however if i don't "publish" I'll never move on to more pleasant thoughts,

PSS Thanks John for asking "Where has Murray Been".  It forced my to sh--t or get off the pot