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Three years after shooting a teenager

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In 2013 a young kid was walking to a local field that kids played in.  He was carrying a BB gun that bore some resemblance to an AK-47, but had attracted no attention and was not pointing the damned thing at anyone or acting in any way threatening  

Sonoma County Deputy, Eric Gelhaus and another Deputy pulled  up behind young Andy Lopez and Deputy Gelhaus yelled at The kid  When the boy turned, Deputy Lopez opened fire and shot him numerous times killing the boy.  The other Deputy did not fire a shot.  The District Attorney, Jill Ravitch, waited until after the election then declined to file charges  

There was a storm of protest, both in the general community and extensively in the Latino community which is a major component of the local populace.  But, it came to naught and Deputy Gelhaus spent some time on paid leave then returned to active duty of the force  

today, the local paper, The Santa Rosa Press Democrat is reporting that Deputy Gelhaus has been promoted to Sergeant and will be an overseeing Supervisor.

Providing opportunities to be promoted is a moral duty and a legal and human right, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

the Human Rights Commission had recommended that Deputy Gelhaus be confined to desk duty.  I guess that would interfere with his human rights  


Watching the fire from afar

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While I'm here in the Midwest taking care of family business my beloved Sonoma County is burning. My wife, just a week post surgery, saw the orange glow over the Calistoga hills and had just a couple minutes to flee. She was able to grab the satchel with titles, insurance papers, and legal documents. Got two of our three cats into the car and had to flee in front of the flames without being able to find our male kitty. 

The flames are are visible throughout Sonoma County pretty much everywhere east of, and along the 101 corridor. Parts of Santa Rosa itself are burning and the damage is untold yet as the sun is just up. 

Spare a thought for the people and animals fleeing this wind-whipped maelstrom. 

Typing this from my iPhone at a booth in the Midwest feeling very useless. 

Update:

As the day goes on it is apparent what remarkable devastation has hit. My brothers house in Coffey Park area is gone. The fine entertainment complex just north of town the LBC is gone. The new Sutter Hospital is badly damaged, various department stores are leveled. 

I’m astounded that this, or rather these, fires have spread so rapidly and jumped the highway and hit the urban part of the community. The need for shelter and support for the residents will likely strain the abilities of the community, but we will prevail in the end and rebuild the structures. The loss of life is unknown so far, but I expect grim news given the speed and the hour the fires struck. 

Sunday at the Midwest Cafe

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I’m sitting in a little Mom&Pop restaurant in trump territory Indiana. It’s Sunday morning and there are Sunday clothes and farmer duds at the various tables. An old retired guy from my little town is sitting down from me a bit, but he doesn’t recognize me as I left decades ago. 

The conversation over over there is pretty loud, not in an aggressive way, but as often happens when hearing fades. I’m not paying a lot of attention as I sit here reading Meteor Blade’s latest column. 

My ears perk perk up when they start talking about trump. One guy asks my old townie what he thinks. He waits a moment and says,”I think they’ll get him.” “I think this special prosecutor guy has found stuff.”

the other guy says, “I do too, he acts guilty. “. “I haven’t believed all these things about him without some proof, but he’s acting like he is in the bag for the Russians.”

They  were both disgusted that trump had screwed the guy out of his pension, and that trump was attacking the FBI. My old townie says,”Hell, these FBI guys are good Republicans”.

They got up to leave, exchanged a few pleasantries, another guy sitting there thanked the guy for his Service, noting the Korean War Veteran cap. I know he was a Marine and served with my Dad as they fought their way out of Chosin. 

I don’t know if this is anything more than anecdotal, but not a murmur came from anyone in protest. 

I hogging a booth booth on a busy Sunday, so I’ll sign off. Cheers

It was raining....

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In Flanders Field the poppys grow
trump he can’t see them though
He’s eating fries in some Hotel
Because he heard some raindrops fell
The gallant men who fought and died
He shrugs off and orders another pie
I’ll just say this really brief
This sack of crap ain’t no C-in-Chief

A great Public Defender has died

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Fifty-nine year old Jeff Adachi, The elected Public Defender of San Francisco has died. Mr. Adachi leaves a record of public service and advocacy for reform in the Criminal Justice system that is second to none. 

There is a short article in SF Gate, www.sfchronicle.com/…  

State Sen. Scott Wiener remembered Adachi as a man of his word, one who “fought like a dog for what he believed in for his clients.”

“I always knew that everything he said or did came from the heart,” Wiener said. “He was someone who, it didn’t matter to him what people thought about him or if people were mad at him. He was there to fight for the most marginalized people in society.”

i met Mr Adachi a few times and had a brief conversation with him as I waited to go in to a seminar to listen and he prepared to speak. I didn’t know him more than that, but I admired him greatly. He embodied the very best of the Public Defender ethos. We lost a warrior in the fight to protect the most vulnerable among us. 

I encourage people to read read the article. 

Retired Local Minister Has Died

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I didn’t know Don Schilling except by sight. I knew his wife, Dee, more by reputation as a fellow lawyer in the Sonoma County area, where she was known to be a fighter. I didn’t know of Don’s early life at all. I read in the local paper, The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, a story by Chris Smith about Don’s trip to Selma in 1965. 

In March of that year Don was watching Television and saw the savage beatings of the marchers trying to reach the bridge heading for the state Capitol. Dr King asked for help from people of conscience across the country. Two days later Don was there. After having dinner with some other out-of-town Pastors, they went in different directions and, while Don moved safely one of those who went in the other direction, Rev James Reeb, was beaten so savagely that he died a short time later. 

In his later years Don remained active helped with a mentoring program for local at-risk youth, and spent many hours visiting local inmates in the jail. That is where I got to know him by sight in my visits as a Public Defender. I wish I’d known more about him, I would love to be able to write about what he said, but I never got to know him. 

I think we pass people every every day that have done heroic things just because it was what they felt compelled to do. 

RIP Minister Schilling, you made things better when you could have just sat at home. This is the kind of quiet, honest religious act I deeply respect. 

(Chris Smith’s article www.pressdemocrat.com/...)

Censure as an option

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According to Robert Costas, Senator Manchin has called for a a censure vote to censure trump. Reports indicate that there may be some appetite for this option. The virtue of this is that it a vote would force Senators to either acknowledge that the call was “perfect”, or show a vestigial spine and acknowledge trump’s misbehavior. 

Great speech by Sen. Sanders

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I just watched Sanders lay down a number of markers that will be discussed at the next debate. If Biden can do a decent job of answering those questions, then he should able to face down trump to the Democratic and independent electorate. If he can’t, then now would be a good time to find that out. I’m very glad Bernie is still pushing his issues. 


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