Take a look at the picture. Yes, this utter buffoon was not content to self-award himself the rank of Colonel, which would have been bad enough. A rank of Colonel would have indicated that Scott was such a man among men that he could recruit and provide for - out of his own pocket - 500 men to secure the peace of Broward County.
But no, Scott, like all the other Sheriffs, isn't content to be a Colonel, as honorable as that rank is. No, he must pretend to be a General. And like every half-man who knows the shame of having an unfulfilled wife who knows the schedule of the mailman, he can't just leave it at one star. Or two. Or three.
No, when your wife has more Danielle Steel novels than the Pope has funny hats, only FOUR whole stars will do. On each side, of course, so it looks like he's a real soldier. As opposed to the civilian politician chasing after votes that he is.
Am I too hard on these strutting peacocks who - in a perfect example of Stolen Valor - dress up as soldiers? And not just soldiers, but as Generals? And not just as Generals, but Generals who outrank even the revered Founder of our entire Nation?
No.
The defense of this "General" in the wake of numerous calls for his resignation would be laughable, if it wasn't so utterly bizarre. "Listen, if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, O.J. Simpson would still be in the record books.", was what the man who believes he is worthy of more rank the President George Washington said.
What does that mean? Hard to say - as for one, O.J. still is in the record books. But you know me, this Amicable Anarchist, while I might use such individuals as Scott as examples, I speak more to the over all problem.
And in this case, it's not how badly this one loser flubbed things - though he did. It's not about his stupid "O.J" line, which meant nothing more than he being confused by the cameras and lights he usually loves. It's not about the 25 - or 50 - calls that came in about this mass murderer that were ignored or handled poorly. It's not even about how responsible a "General" is for the desertion of one or four of his troops. Though the Sheriff literally referred to himself as like a General.
No, it's about two main over-riding things.
One, about the dirty little secret that those deputies were not flaunting procedure out of cowardice, but instead following exact procedure. Out of institutional cowardice.
Surprise.
Yeah, see, they weren't actually supposed to go in. Oh, sure, morally they were supposed to. If they were men first, before being deputies. If they cared more about kids than cashing their paycheck. If they really joined to "serve and protect". Yeah, in those cases, sure, they could of and would have gone in.
But just as Deputies? Deputies making 75k and more a year while you eat Top Ramen? Deputies who got the job because checking to see if warehouses are locked, pulling over drunks and breaking up the random domestic is 100 times easier than real work? Deputies who were the bullies in your high school, or worse, the nerds who swore that one day everyone would rue the day? Deputies who buy into the hype of "Blue Lives Matter" and "The only important thing is that YOU get home safely!"?
Ahh, then those deputies followed procedure to the letter. Set up around the area. Take cover so you don't die and the State has to go to the bother of training another. If something comes out, make sure it complies or dies, while you yell and shoot from behind a safe barricade.
Ahh, then those deputies followed procedure to the letter. Set up around the area. Take cover so you don't die and the State has to go to the bother of training another. If something comes out, make sure it complies or dies, while you yell and shoot from behind a safe barricade.
This is hardly the best keep secret in the world. I'm aware of it. Any who, like me, used to be a policeman are aware of it. Any instructor at a Police Academy will tell you. It's allowed - I mean, the police love to play like they are soldiers, and we civilians, but in truth, they are civilians, and nothing they learn is "classified". You need hardly take my word for this.
Those deputies waited outside while the kids were slaughtered. And the only problem the State has with that is that they do not wish you to know that this was as it should be. As they had taught those deputies. As they had trained them.
So the politicians are making a big sound and fury now, trying to throw this deputy under the bus, or that deputy, or all deputies, or to toss even the Big Boy himself, Four Star General Israel under that bus. And if we can muddy it up with NRA this and Liberals that, and talks and what did Trump say, and then this and how about that - anything, ANYTHING to get you to fail to realize that yeah, those kids died because our government cares more about protecting their protectors than saving your kids.
And the second thing?
Well, it has little to do with that first thing, but I think it makes the first thing more likely. It "sets the tone" so to speak.
That second thing is, oh, yeah, this over-militarization of the police. They were to be little more than just one of us randomly chose to stand watch for a night. Now they don't see themselves as civilians protecting other civilians, they see themselves as soldiers occupying us. People in nations our Army occupy get treated with more gentleness - and more ability to have grievances redressed - then we here at home.
And you can tell this by the fact that what used to be called a "chief" or a "sheriff" now wears the rank of "General". A Four star General. I mean, I'll honestly have a heart attack the day I see one of these press conference chasing pretenders show up with only three stars. "Yeah, I've only three stars, but only because I've only just been elected! After I've six weeks experience in redecorating my office, making sure my portrait is hanging everywhere, and giving a press conference, then I'll be ready to award myself that fourth star, so that if Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant come back to life I'll outrank those junior officers!"
Stolen Valor. It's real, and it has jack all to do with some loser holding a Will Work For Food sign while falsely claiming he was in 'Nam. It has everything to do with civilians trying to set themselves up as our masters and acting like those tinhorn dictators in Central America and Central Africa who dress up the more the less moral authority they have.
It needs to stop. You reading this need to start advocating for this, and laughing at these posers in the meanwhile. They are NOT Generals. They are NOT soldiers. They are little boys trying to hide that they are little boys, the same as that guy in Accounting who drives his $65,000 SUV to the convenience store to pick up his wife's hygiene products.
It's time for the stars to come off. And it's long past time that we started electing men who don't need such. Remember Sheriff Andy Taylor? The fictitious version of what used to be America's ideal of a Sheriff?
Let's close with a pic of how many stars he had.
Let's close with a pic of how many stars he had.
