Merry Christmas, to all of my BZ readers!

BZ

From PoliceOne.com:

By Dr. LaMaurice Gardner
Oakland County (Mich.) Sheriff’s Office

What would you do if in the middle of Catholic Mass, on one of the holiest days of the year, someone yelled out “Allahu Akbar?”

It was late Christmas Eve and my 17-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son were preparing to leave for midnight Mass at Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church in Royal Oak, Mich. The church is quite a distance from our home and the weather was bad. Worried about drunk drivers on the holiday eve, my wife was hesitant to let our newly licensed daughter drive so far so late. But our daughter was persistent and my wife gave in.

I had my own apprehensions. Having read books and attended terrorism lectures by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman and John Giduck — as well as hearing from numerous Israeli and UK terrorist experts at IACP conferences — I was sensitive to the vulnerability of American houses of worship to terrorist attacks, especially on high-profile religious holidays. A good 10 minutes behind my kids, I decided to leave too and catch up with them for the service.

At the church, my daughter greeted me with, “What, you don’t trust me?” I blamed my surprise attendance on my wife’s paranoia, and we all settled into my favorite pew in the back of the sanctuary. At midnight, a procession of altar boys and priests entered, followed by the executive priest, a monsignor. Mass began and the spirit of the season filled the capacity crowd.

I felt a little odd this Christmas Eve, because for the first time I was wearing a chain badge beneath my sweater. I always carry my gun off duty, a practice I learned in a Street Survival Seminar 10 years ago that has been further emphasized time and again in Dave Grossman’s lectures (“Never be a sheep when you are a trained sheepdog”).

That night, I considered the chain badge added protection against possible friendly fire in case the shit hit the fan. Having seen one of my captains as well as a K-9/SRT deputy at services before, I knew I was probably not the only LEO present, not to mention veteran and active-duty servicemen from Iraq and Afghanistan.

This midnight Mass was typical of previous years: song, ceremony, apostolic readings, a reading of the gospel. After the gospel, with everyone seated both in the audience and at the altar, there was a brief lull, then suddenly, from nowhere, came a shout: “Allahu Akbar!”

My world froze. Those two words are the common war cry of Islamic Jihadis. Immediately I went to condition orange. One hand was on my weapon, the other prepared to push my kids to the floor for their protection. I scanned the church for a target, anticipating an imminent explosion of flying shrapnel or gunfire. In my head I heard my SRT sergeant’s range command echo, “Two to the head!” No thought of body shots on a suicide bomber.

When I couldn’t identify a primary target, I looked for anyone in the crowd who followed suit and yelled the same homicidal chant. Everything was in slow motion and what was milliseconds seemed like minutes. I didn’t know if the dead silence was my auditory exclusion or shock from the parishioners. All I knew was that I was a sheepdog on automatic pilot.

Then the orator of the death chant stood and identified himself: the monsignor. He followed his striking words with, “I bet you didn’t expect to hear that!” He then went on with a homily about the greatness of God.

I didn’t hear a word that came out of his mouth for the next 10 minutes. Adrenaline rushed through my bloodstream, and my heart was racing. Not to mention I was pissed. I was ready to push my kids to the floor, jump over the pew, and run toward the perceived threat with the intention of taking it out — or die trying. I would hope that every officer/warrior at that service had also been ready to engage.

I suppose training, discipline, and FATS-machine shoot/no-shoot scenarios paid off, because no aggressive action took place. The sermon went on and the sheep went on grazing. But my daughter knew. She looked at me and recognized the combat mode. She asked, “Isn’t that what the terrorists say?” I responded, “Yes, it is.”

I calmed myself with deep breathing and convinced myself the monsignor really didn’t understand what he had done.

Eventually the service ended and the monsignor said, “Go in peace.” As I left the church, I saw him at the door. I calmly explained the threatening nature of his words and suggested he try to choose his words more wisely. He just laughed off my comments and went about his way.

I guess the saying is true, “No one understands the coliseum’s ring as clearly as the gladiator.” We do live among a community of sheep. Only those of us who have been there or who are trained to be there understand the terrorist threat we are under. I seriously doubt that anyone would have escaped with the “Allah Akbar” statement unchallenged in Israel or the UK, where sensitivity and awareness are much greater.

Although the outcome was benign, this Christmas Eve experience seems important to share for two reasons. First, to let the warriors who are protecting us overseas know that there are warriors here too, protecting your families and friends from terrorist threats on the home front. And to remind officers nationwide to be prepared. I was lucky, but I was trained and prepared in mind and body.

This time it was a false alarm. Next time it could be real. Pray for peace but prepare for war.

About the Author
LaMaurice Gardner, Psy.D., is a Veterans Affairs psychologist who also serves as a psychologist for several law enforcement agencies in Michigan, including Detroit P.D. He is a SRT hostage negotiator and reserve lieutenant for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office in Pontiac, Mich.

Any time of the year, any time of day, any point in time, the naivete of Americans can be absolutely staggering.

BZ

P.S.
What is a Sheepdog? Go here.

It’s interesting to note that Thursday’s Hugh Hewitt show turned the entire second hour over to callers responding to the question: “Should John Boehner be retained as GOP Speaker?”

The massive bulk of callers said, clearly, NO.

There were perhaps three feeble exceptions.

With this current caving by Speaker Boehner, he’s now placed himself and then gone out of his way to cement himself into the “I‘m Irrelevant” category in the minds of those persons who are truly Conservatives. Myself included.

John Boehner’s got to go. Period.

And YES, we CAN change horses in the middle of the stream.

Boehner has nice hair, a deep voice, an even tan, but that’s where it ends for me.

I call on MY 4th District Fornicalia Congressman, TOM McCLINTOCK, to actually pull the Major Big Red Political Handle and marshal whatever forces and favors he possesses in order to step into Boehner’s massively proven-incompetent shoes.

Too much Business As Usual. Too much “bi-partisanship.” Too much “compromise.” It’s time to stack bodies and rack wins. In order to try to save this wonderful sovereign nation.

Boehner’s got to go.

I am, essentially, calling for a GOP Putsch.

The New Breed of Freshmen Republicans were elected because of their — OUR — mandate that November. They listened, they are working, and Boehner was multiply incensed because they wouldn’t trundle their carts in precisely the path that he ordained. As far as Boehner is concerned, the TEA Party doesn’t factor. Never did. There is no principle, no line drawn.

Those days, I submit, must be over.

I’ll make it clearer than clear:

Congressman Tom McClintock, I call on YOU to step up, rally the troops, rally your forces, rally your Freshmen, pull whatever political stops you must — and step into the Speakership.

I can’t be more blunt than this: there is no more logical, deserving, educated, professional, knowledgeable, incisive — and READY — individual than yourself to fill the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives.

If we have to go Night of the Long Knives, politically speaking, then I’m for that.

I suggest: this is your chance.

It is yours for the taking.

I submit: it isn’t a matter of pulling politics for personal aggrandizement. It is a matter of pulling politics for the sake of the nation.

BZ

From 1972, the Santa Monica Civic Center:

And from that

From the Los Angeles Times:

Kiss heard ’round the world: Lesbians chosen for Navy tradition

December 22, 2011 | 1:08 pm

133

A public embrace between two female sailors from California is being hailed as “the kiss heard ’round the world” by activists who fought for a repeal of the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military.

Gaeta was chosen to have the honor of the “first kiss” as part of a raffle in which sailors bought $1 tickets to raise funds for a Christmas party for military children. Gaeta said she bought $50 worth of tickets.

Navy officials said it was the first time a same-sex couple was chosen to have the first kiss. The first-kiss is a Navy tradition for ships returning to port.

Of course, this reminds me of a joke that’s been rebounding amongst squids and marines for multiple years:

Q: Why are there Marines on board every naval vessel?
A: Because sheep would be too obvious.

Please don’t kill me now.

Come on, doesn’t anyone have a sense of humor any more?

BZ