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D-Anonymouse
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9/25/8 - Have we become
a nation of enablers?
Several events of the past few days have really
rocked my Pollyanna optimism.
A large Black man attacks a shorter Hispanic police officer, and the officer
shoots his assailant, and the assailant's family wants the officer prosecuted.
A large Hispanic man has the funds to play golf, but doesn't buy health
insurance, and his family wants Parkland held accountable for his death.
Hundreds of thousands of people bought houses they knew they could not afford,
and the rest of us are going to have to cover their rears. The DISD is
between $64 Million to $84 Million in the whole, but it's not the head guy's
fault -- the guy who came up with the idea in the first place of over-hiring 750
teachers we couldn't afford.
I know these events don't seem connected, but bear with me.
The police shooting story was on TV when I first heard about it:
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ― The
family of a man shot and killed by a Dallas Police officer says the
shooting was unjustified.
Now they want answers.
Both sides agree that the officer tried to stop Derrick Jones after
a car crash.
There are different stories about what happened next.
The Dallas Police Department says Jones attacked the officer. They
say Jones, who was 6'3" and 240 pounds, was punching the officer in
the head. He hit the policeman so hard, the department says, that
the officer drew his gun and fired because he thought he was about
to be knocked unconscious by Jones' blows.
Jones' family says Derrick was nowhere near the officer and didn't
attack him.
The family has hired attorney Michael Pezzulli. "What's troubling
to me in this case is that if the eyewitnesses are correct and he
wasn't anywhere near the officer," Pezzulli said, adding, "I don't
understand why he was shot and killed."
Jones' mother, Lola, is heartbroken about the loss of her son.
"They took a big part from me. It hurts," she said. "I can only go
to the grave and talk to my son."
Dallas Police are conducting an internal investigation, the officer
is on administrative leave and the case will be referred to the
grand jury -- all of which are standard with any officer-involved
shooting. |
DallasArena.com regulars know
I'm a cop's kid and almost always take the cops' side in
controversies. "Almost always" - there may have been a time
when I didn't agree with the police -- I just don't remember it. When I
saw the TV report, I was disgusted. The dead assailant's family claim the
officer should have used a taser or a baton before shooting the drugged out
thug. It apparently has not occurred to the drugged out thug's
mother that had she been a better parent who disciplined her son and taught him
some restraint he might not have been playing with PCP, much less assaulting a
police officer.
Dallas
Police Chief David Kunkle will be meeting at 3 p.m. Thursday
with local civil rights officials who are upset about a police
officer shooting an unarmed man who was attacking him.
Derrick Jones was not
armed, but police believe that he was high on the hallucinogenic
drug PCP when he attacked Dallas police Officer Rene Villanueva.
"We the Black Panther
Party are declaring war on the corrupt system,'' according to a
Black Panther newsletter. "There will be no more free killins
(sic) with the people of color and the oppressed.''
"Many (blacks) view this
shooting as an act of war,'' the newsletter states.
Officer Villanueva told
investigators that he had had tried to arrest Mr. Jones after
the car he was driving ran into another vehicle. Two passengers
also bailed out.
Police say that the
video from Officer Villanueva's squad car shows Mr. Jones -- who
was 6-feet, 3-inches tall and weighed 240 pounds -- hitting the
officer in the head. Officer Villanueva told investigators that
he shot Mr. Jones because he feared for his life and thought he
was going to lose consciousness.
Two men who were with
Mr. Jones told police that he been doing the hallucinogenic drug
PCP shortly before his death. We will have to wait for the
results of an autopsy to determine what, if any, drugs he had in
his system.
Officer Villanueva was
hired in March 2007. He remains on administrative leave.
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Most of the web-site comments to this
article reflect my own attitude that the drugged out thug got what was coming to
him when he hit the police officer. Still, some agree
with the drugged out thug's family and don't see the thug had complete
responsibility for his own death. He did the drugs that made
him act irrationally and drive his car into another. Want to bet
this was not his first encounter with police officers? What if he ran into
your vehicle and hurt or killed someone you care about? That would have
been as inevitable for him as the 4-time DUI driver who killed the newly wed
couple a few weeks ago. Officer Villanueva probably saved some innocent
person's life when he blew away the drugged out thug.
Now, Officer Villanueva is on administrative leave with a fatal shooting on his
record. He's probably still hurting from the injuries inflicted by the drugged out thug. Dallas taxpayers are having to do without the
services of our police officer.
Derrick
Jones was a drugged out thug whose lifestyle was not conducive to long life.
Thank goodness no one died while Jones was driving under the influence of PCP.
Another story also bothers me: the one about Michael Herrera being neglected at
Parkland. I am no fan of Parkland Hospital or Dr. Ron Anderson.
Dallas County taxpayers must subsidize Anderson's view of free medical care for
everyone. This taxpayer will be voting NO in November on the Parkland bond
item. I've been to Tarrant County's John Peter Smith Hospital's emergency
room on a Saturday night, and it is pretty chaotic, but nothing like Parkland.
The sheer volume of people at Parkland is staggering. That said, Mr.
Herrera chose Parkland because he had chosen not to pay for health insurance and
did not want to pay for medical care at another hospital.
I understand victims of accidents and assault being taken to Parkland. I
do not understand why a businessman with the resources to play golf would have
to go to Parkland because he had chosen not to pay for health insurance.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think people should die because they are stupid, but
Mr. Herrera clearly did not place his personal health very high on his
priorities. The pictures on TV of him show a man seriously overweight
who looked much older than his 58 years.
Michael
L. "Mike"
Herrera, who
helped found
his family's
popular
chain of
restaurants,
died
Saturday
after
waiting
nearly 19
hours to be
seen at
Parkland
Memorial
Hospital. He
was 58.
He had
just cut
short a
round of
golf with
friends
because of
severe
abdominal
pain that he
thought was
related to
an ongoing
hernia
condition.
He asked his
sister,
Rebecca
Marquez of
Dallas, for
a ride to
Parkland. He
said he
would call
later to
explain his
condition
and to get a
ride home if
necessary.
"That was
about 4
o'clock
Friday,"
said his
brother,
Jimmy
Herrera of
Dallas.
Jimmy
Herrera went
to the
Parkland
emergency
room to
check on his
brother at
about 10
p.m. Friday.
...
Ms. Marquez
went to the
hospital
Saturday
morning to
wait with
her brother.
About 11
a.m., Ms.
Marquez
called to
say their
brother had
collapsed on
the way to
an
examination
room,
shortly
after his
name was
called to be
seen for
treatment,
Jimmy
Herrera
said.
Mike
Herrera
started
vomiting on
the way to
the
treatment
room, his
brother
said.
"All the
sudden his
eyes rolled
back and he
collapsed;
when he
collapsed,
his heart
stopped
beating,"
Jimmy
Herrera
said.
Doctors
had been
trying to
save Mike
Herrera's
life for
about 45
minutes when
Jimmy
Herrera
arrived at
Parkland.
The
emergency
crew worked
for about
another hour
before
stopping,
Jimmy
Herrera
said.
...
Mr.
Herrera
praised the
doctors who
tried to
save his
brother's
life.
...
He also said
he
understands
the reality
of the wait.
"Anybody
who goes to
Parkland
knows they
are going to
be there
eight, 10,
14 hours if
you go to
the
emergency,"
Mr. Herrera
said. "If
you're not
dying or not
a gunshot
wound or a
heart attack
victim,
you're going
to be at the
back of the
line.
...
Mike Herrera
had health
problems,
including
being
overweight,
his brother
said. He did
not have
private
health
insurance.
Of the
long wait,
Jimmy
Herrera also
said: "In a
sense, it's
the price
you pay for
not having
private
insurance."
...
Kathy
Herrera said
she hopes
her
brother-in-law's
death
underscores
the need for
change at
Parkland.
"They
need to do
something,
they need to
change their
system," she
said. "If
they had
seen him
sooner, this
wouldn't
have
happened to
him. At
least he
would have
had a
chance.
...
Mike Herrera
helped his
family build
the cafe
into a
popular
group of
Tex-Mex
restaurants.
There are
now four
Herrera's
Cafes in the
Dallas area.
...
Mike
Herrera
eventually
owned and
operated the
restaurant
in
Carrollton,
which he
later sold
to a sister.
"He
enjoyed it,
but I don't
think his
heart was
ever in it,"
Jimmy
Herrera
said. "He
was more of
an outdoor
person."
Mr.
Herrera had
been an
accomplished
bowler and
once
considered
going
professional.
He also
was an avid
golfer. His
quick way of
making
friends was
obvious on
the links,
his brother
said.
...
Mike
Herrera, who
had worked
in catering
in recent
years, had
about $120
to his name
at the time
of his
death, his
brother
said.
...
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Mr. Herrera made choices. He was involved in a successful family business, but wanted to do
something more fun (according to his brother's comments). He could have
bought health insurance, but chose to spend his money otherwise. He
could have gone to another hospital and paid their bill. He chose to go to
Parkland Hospital to get free medical care and sit in the waiting area for 19
hours, which turned out to be another bad choice for Michael Herrera.
Jimmy Herrera seems reasonable. He's sad that his brother is
dead, but knows his brother made some bad life choices. He
acknowledges the hard work the doctors did to save his brother. Still, the
Herrera's blame Parkland Hospital's procedures for Michael's death.
Because so many people have made the same bad choices as did Michael Herrera of
not securing private health insurance and are dependent on Parkland for basic
health care, he could not get a doctor when he needed one, and he
died. Ironically, some of the people who were ministered to before Michael
may have been suicides. Even though Michael Herrera wanted to live (just didn't want to
pay for health insurance), a suicide would take first priority.
The concept of saving a suicide is lost on me. I do not consider them as
victims. Nor do I ever call a drug overdose dead person a victim.
No one accidentally tries to kill himself. They may not intend to actually
die, but the suicide effort was intentional. A drug user probably does not
want to die, just wants to get high and wasted. No one accidentally does
drugs. It's an intentional act.
The problem with people putting their lives at risk is the impact their passing
has on those who love them and the impact they may have on a stranger who
crosses their risk-taking path.
The bad choices made by Derrick Jones and Michael Herrera ultimately cost them
their lives. They did not take personal responsibility for their own well
being.
Right now, we are in a national financial meltdown caused by irresponsible people buying
houses they could not afford with the intent of holding them awhile and
later flipping them at a higher price to another buyer.
Before I bought my
current home, I owned 2 Oak Lawn condos that I combined for my home,
so I could be sure to have an affordable roof over my head. It had been
getting increasingly expensive to rent in that neighborhood. I
owned the units almost 20 years and made money when I sold them to buy my house.
I knew what I could afford to pay for a house and bought within my means in a
modest neighborhood.
Even with that, the upgrades and repairs made things pretty tight for a couple
of years.
Do you know what I never failed to pay? My health insurance. I had my own
business, so my premiums were high. I chose to protect myself and to pay
my mortgage payments, just like most people do. Part of my personal
responsibility was fear of the consequences of losing my home or being hurt or
sick and winding up at Parkland.
I often marvel at the McMansions young couples have bought in the suburbs, not
to mention the fancy ones being built in Northwest Dallas. Actually, I
envy people who get to live in those big houses with two and three stories.
Then, I pull into my little mid-income neighborhood with lots of trees,
screaming kids on bicycles, dogs barking all over, and I'm happy. My
personal responsibility has meshed with my reality, which gives me a sense of
security. I don't know whether the families in the McMansions can afford
their lifestyle or may be facing foreclosure. If one family can afford
their McMansion, it does not mean Joe Taxpayer should be subsidizing another
family who want to stay in their McMansion when they couldn't afford it in the
first place.
We are in this financial mess because some in Congress forced Freddie Mac and
Fannie Mae to make loans available to low income people who had no business
trying to own any house. They not only could not make their mortgage
payment, but they could not afford to maintain the house. Really nice
neighborhoods have been negatively transformed when houses become multi-family
units to make ends meet. Strangers are negatively impacted by others' lack
of personal responsibility.
The DISD takes a huge hunk out of the total I pay in property taxes. The
elementary school in my neighborhood is terribly neglected by the District, but
the teachers and principal do an heroic job of making it look nice for the
children. The families on my street who are just 3 blocks north of the
school were drawn out of Burnett's district by the late Joe May. They must
cross Walnut Hill to attend school. Some families scrimp so they can send
their children to private school. They have priorities and forgo some
luxuries. They can't let their children attend a DISD school because they
want their children to be educated.
People like Dr. Hinojosa have used our schools as labs for social experiments.
Back in the old days when I attended Stephen F. Austen Elementary (near Baylor),
Hispanic kids were immersed into English. They learned and responded, just
like Asian children do today. It is racist thinking to assume today's
non-English speaking Hispanic children cannot learn as easily as other
non-English speaking children of different ethnic backgrounds. That is not
to say all school children should not be learning a second language from early
elementary.
Dr. Hinojosa refuses to accept reality or his own responsibility in this $84
million DISD fiasco. Jim Schutze has a very insightful column:
DISD's Budget Shortfall: Hinojosa's One-Man Gaffe
(DallasObserver.com, 9/25/8)
about Dr. H and some of his underlings trying to blame the overspending on
pressure from Dallas Achieves (mean old rich White guys).
Robert Wilonsky has the best blog reporting of the DISD Board meeting.
This one entry is enough to tell you that not only is our national financial
structure in serious trouble, but our local school district, the DISD may be
beyond salvaging:
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Update at 5:31 p.m.:
Half of the 675
teachers to be let go will be core teachers, those who specialize in
math and science,
and Price isn't having it. Trustee Leigh Ann Ellis wants to look for
further cuts "outside the classroom"; "we're looking for checks and
balances," she says, how novel. "You gave us these numbers and
figures, but we want to see the process." Alas, the board is leaning
toward putting off voting on the superintendent's suggestions till
next Thursday, because of that frustration over their being denied a
chance to look at the details. "We have to make this decision to
become solvent," says Hinojosa, who's pressing for a vote right now. |
They want to keep all the
bilingual crap, but they are going to let go over 300 math and science teachers.
Wow, is that incredible? But, it's not Dr. H's fault. He's not about
to accept personal responsibility. What an example he is setting for our
school kids!
As I said, all these stories are playing hell with my Pollyanna optimism.
I don't want to believe it, but we may be at a time in our society when no one
is held accountable for bad behavior or poor choices. Those of us who
follow the rules, live within our means and give an honest day's work for our
salaries may be a class of enablers who have created a super safety net for bad
guys, cheaters and underachievers.
sb
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