MJ-Way

She thought she was protected. She had friends in all the right places. The department’s manager was her best friend, the Warden in charge of the other prison she reported to thought highly of her professionalism, and the new Warden at our facility was friends with our department manager. He too thought she was exceptional. So where did she go wrong? Why, after only a few short years, did it seem to all go southward? We are products of the relationships we nurture. I don’t believe she understood that. I was a student of administrations as long as she was old, but it wasn’t her inexperience that caused her failure. In part, it was the people she chose to listen to. Yes people. The incarnate weasel was now forced to work at his new job, and found a quick retirement. The slime-ball secretary was dismissed by the Facility Correctional Administration and our Warden secretly felt contempt for those who brought this to the attention of the IA. The Warden no longer felt our school principal was exceptional, and now her rocket seemed to be sputtering. She stayed preoccupied but not at our facility. Apparently, not at the other prison either. My colleagues there reported her missing on a regular basis.

She stopped attending the monthly administrative management meetings held in the Warden’s conference room. The department heads took immediate notice and questioned who ever she sent in her place as to her whereabouts. Especially, when the replacement showed up fifteen minutes late because they had just been notified by her to drop what they were doing an attend the meeting representing the school. I’m quite sure that didn’t sit well with the Warden either. Then the inevitable happened. The replacement she had scheduled to attend the next meeting could not be at that meeting. The facility administration was going to be discussing a new prisoner movement schedule and wanted her input on how it would effect the school. I was asked to fill in, review the schedule and give my input on how I thought this new movement might impact our school schedule. It didn’t take me long to find some problems the school would have with the proposal. I was wondering if our school principal had even looked at it.

Understanding the intricacies of prisoner movement in a multiple level security prison is not easy. The underlying goal is that the different security level prisoners will not meet or interact with each other. The school had exceptions. School prisoner tutors and clerks where allowed in the presence of supervisors to interact. The new movement schedule would not allow this and I raised an immediate concern. The Deputy Warden believed this wasn’t a concern of our school principal, and the Warden announced the school principal was on stop order. Her input didn’t matter! I was stunned by the open announcement. The Warden then directed the Deputy Warden to work out the school staff’s concerns about the movement. A separate meeting would be arranged. I was quiet for the rest of the meeting and when it ended I hurried back to the school building. The school staff had already been informed. An acting principal had been assigned to our school, and would be here tomorrow. All I could envision was a star exploding in the mist of dysfunction and a new one being formed out of the chaos to replace its orbit. In the DOC, one could go from hero to zero in a heartbeat. I wondered if that was her fate? To be continued…

He was picked by our new school principal to be our school secretary after they wanted him out of the Business Office in the Administration Building. I found out later that he wasn’t liked there because he was lazy and he lied about the work he supposedly had finished. They had deadlines in accounting and he lied that he had completed his work. Perfect credentials for our new administration. I found him doing the same thing here in a matter of days as the purchase orders I had processed for our new greenhouse he mysteriously claimed were never received. Luckily I had made copies of them. What usually took our past school secretaries a couple of hours to do, took a month for him to complete, and he rarely did it correctly. When I mentioned this to our new school principal she had informed me that she would look into it. Nothing ever happened, and over the years his lack of productivity became worse.

I had lobbied the new administration to have the same abilities as my Trades Instructor colleagues had but that fell on deaf ears. My colleagues did not have to rely on a school secretary to complete work for them. They did it themselves. My requests were ignored. After about six years our school principal was promoted to be the manager over prison education through out the state, and her replacement, (her friend) didn’t much care for our school secretary. Our school secretary felt that he didn’t have to follow her direction and continued to do whatever he wanted. Eventually his refusal to follow her direction was brought to a head by the new school principal, and our promoted new manager. Their cherished reunion in the school principal’s suite was referred to by our school staff as a “kumbaya” moment. From that day on, they agreed that from here on out, they would stick up for each other no matter what and the real enemy was our school staff. In particular, my colleague across the hall from me and myself. They would also target two of our academic teachers for special treatment. Anyone who spoke up would become a target.

The monthly reports we turned in to our office were often lost. We constantly had to resubmit them and I was lucky enough to send my reports through emails which showed a date and time. We were inundated with nasty gram emails. I enjoyed those because they became the evidence used in an investigation into our school secretaries activities. So after years of harassment, and stress from this management, I received an email from Internal Affairs. They wanted to speak with me about our school secretary. I had to respond within the time frame stated, and I was to say nothing to our school secretary about this. I later found out that all the teachers received the same email from IA. The investigation was started because of a complaint filed from support staff personnel against our school secretary. Our Personnel department turned the case over to Internal Affairs. After Two months of IA Interviews, it did not end well for our school secretary. IA recommended his employment with the DOC be terminated .We were informed the administration concurred, and acted upon it. We were also informed that the investigation was not over. I could only imagine who was under investigation now. TO BE CONTINUED… Colossians 3:23-24

The prison in Detroit was closed so after making sure he had a position at our facility, he loaded up the truck and began to move in. He made sure that everyone was made aware that he was on a first name basis with the department’s new director. He didn’t have a clue on where he would set up his Building Trades classroom, but since the director told him he was being retained, he could wait for further instruction. Waiting in the DOC could go on forever, and he was ok with that. What he didn’t realize was that he wasn’t making friends with the managers that would eventually lead this facility’s administration. For now it was all sunshine and lollipops for him as he began to move in. This Weasel Incarnate decided our school needed chairs, he began moving our old chairs out, and the new blue plastic metal weapon making chairs in. He had such an insight. A real intellectual. So when one of our academic teachers got fed up with his students making weapons from the new furniture and reported it to the administration, our new Weasel Incarnate blamed the teacher for letting such a thing happen in his classroom. He left out the detail about being the one who brought in the chairs. Our new school principal, and slime ball school secretary, sided with the WI. They blamed the teacher. How could he let such a thing happen?

The new WI felt empowered by his support from our incompetent management, and became the voice for the garbage they supported. Our new school principal proved her incompetence the two or three times a week she would make an appearance at our facility. She used our SB school secretary as her official mouth piece, and when he was ignored, she used the WI. They were known by the School staff as “dysfunction junction.” The moniker was befitting their unproductiveness. When issues arose in the school between custody staff and our education staff, we would be directed by this incompetent administration to ignore custody staff. This only caused friction. Especially, when the direction given to us by them was denied when “dysfunction junction” was questioned by custody administration. They would claim we misunderstood their direction. This game was played so often I found it easier to ask for written instructions. That never happened and because of my requests, I was beginning to be viewed by them as a trouble maker. This didn’t stop the WI from earning his moniker. When our new school principal wasn’t at our prison, he decided to make himself the heir apparent. He walked our school hallways and reported to the principal what was happening in our classrooms by email.

I loved the email game because I found it kept a good record of the direction or lack of direction we would get from our administrators. In his case, it proved he was an instructor without students. Unfortunately, that wasn’t acted upon until he had the time to disrupt our school operations. Because of his reporting, teachers had to answer emails that accused them of some wrong doing. When he found out the emails were making him look incompetent, he quit sending them. He decided it would be easier to call the school principal and she would then send a nasty email(nasty gram) to the perceived offender. When I would see him in the office, I made sure to ask him when was he going to begin teaching. He avoided me when possible but at one of our graduation ceremonies, where he had no graduates, he made comments on how the ceremony was conducted. Two of our teachers were disciplined because his comments were taken and acted upon by an incompetent administration. I let him know his days at this facility were limited and he let me know that he thought I was threatening him. I had the last laugh. He was told to report to another prison on the west side of the state a week after our conversation. I never saw him again. Our slime ball school secretary would be next as the dysfunction junction began to disintegrate under the weight of their created chaos. TO BE CONTINUED…

Psalm 103

This is where the Russian antagonists will be spending much time being tried for their war crimes against the Ukraine. Praying that day happens soon. Slava Ukraini Glory to the heroes

She was by far, the most talented, educated, and appreciative school principal I ever had the privilege to work for. She was only with our school for a short period of time, but with her as our school principal I could have worked much longer than I did. She was a great motivator and made the teaching staff know she appreciated their contributions. Our staff meetings were professional and she was informative. She had a doctorates in education but she did not make you aware of it. We called her “Dr. B” out of respect. A major shake up in our state capital and change in leadership would determine her fate, or how much longer she would choose to work for the DOC. The short time I worked for her I was elevated, and appreciated. She saw my passion for wanting my students to complete my class successfully. The job opportunities I had worked to get them, a fresh new start once released from prison, and for making the prison ground laboratories a show case for their work. She affectionately called me “the wizard.”

Our school secretary, who was out again on a stop order, she referred to as “slime ball”, was being investigated again and was not part of her administration. It was amazing how well everything ran without him. He wasn’t missed by us. She divided her time between our prison and a prison in a nearby county. She also brought staff that came with the closing of the prison in Detroit. Much needed, accept for an arrogant Trades Instructor, who secured his position by calling the director. He wasn’t taken seriously by staff. They thought he was a name dropping weasel. He thought this Administration and teachers saw his important contribution to prison education. He was delusional. He wasn’t able to get students easily, and the students he did eventually get made bird houses. He didn’t have a problem making items with team names on them and never was questioned about trade mark violations, or infringements. This was the perfect department for him. He reported to no one, acted like he was in charge, and did most of what ever he wanted. He even had the audacity to question teachers who had full classrooms, when he had no students, but was being paid an Instructors salary.

I questioned his reporting. As his colleague, I knew he was responsible for turning in monthly utilization reports. He wasn’t turning in utilization reports because he didn’t have students. It wasn’t long before he was forced to move to another prison where he eventually retired. I was glad to see him leave but changes in our department administration would mean the end of our current principal’s employment with us. She was asked to take over two prison education departments over 150 miles from her home in the city. Her husband had terminal cancer and she didn’t want to be that far away from him. I felt the new administration new this and forced her hand only to remove her. A real slacker was appointed by the administration to fill her shoes at our prison whom mostly echoed the current administration’s ineptness. She became friends immediately with our school secretary who was back to work after being on administrative stop orders. A school administration of pure garbage would follow. The good Doctor never knew how badly she would be missed. The new principal and school secretary would eventually be fired after causing much turmoil with our staff, our department, and custody staff, but that will have to be a story for another day. TO BE CONTINUED..

The Ukraine will find justice when this murderer is brought to the International Court of Justice, “The Hague.” His days are limited. Slava Ukraini Glory to the heroes

CL was my first African American Horticulture student and he was selected by me to be a potential tutor once he completed the class requirements. He was bright and non confrontational. Something he seemed to keep learning after killing a man over what he now called “a bunch of nonsense!” He would spend the rest of his life in prison over it. No parole. After interviewing him for the class, I was surprised to find out he had been working for a demolition company we had used at the Detroit Medical Center before “catching his case,” as he referred to it. I thought what a small world I live in, and how interwoven relationships are. The DMC was my family. I had grown from a young college student into a responsible adult earning an Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and a Master of Arts degree using their tuition reimbursement program. The company he had worked for helped in the demolition and expansion of the Detroit Medical Center. I had a great respect for him. He acknowledged he messed up and accepted his fate. .

He completed the requirements for my class and earned his certification. I hired him for a tutor position in my classroom. By hiring him I was able to attract younger African American students to Horticulture and hopefully give them the skills they needed to be successful once they left the prison. It was always an uphill battle for my students involved in the drug trade. I had seen it first hand when I worked at the DMC, and I was seeing it here at the prison. The greenhouse, garden and grounds were viewed by my critics as nothing more than a plantation. Many imprisoned on drug charges viewed themselves as political prisoners, and my Horticulture class was the “man’s way of saying they needed to be back on the plantation.” This convoluted logic I worked to change through out my career. CL helped by being a positive role model and he brought integrity to my program. He explained as he recruited all the benefits my class could offer them, and the waiting list grew exponentially. I lost contact with CL as he moved on to pursue an opportunity in maintenance, and he was transferred to a prison in Detroit.

Towards the end of my career of 25 years I was surprised to run in to him again. He was now working as a monitor in our new psychiatric housing unit and couldn’t seem happier. The prison in Detroit had been closed and he asked to be transferred back here. He also explained that his sentencing judge had been out to visit him and he was shocked. That just doesn’t happen. He believed it to be an answer to his prayers. I had to agree. The judge was getting ready to retire and was looking at the prison records of all the inmates he had sentenced and he came across CL. He could not believe that in his 25 plus years of imprisonment, CL had nothing but good work reports, and evaluations in his file. He had been ticket free, and never given a bad report. The judge thought that was incredible and he wanted to know if CL was remorseful for killing the man he had been imprisoned for. CL explained that he was and that just recently he had to bury his father. That pain was unbearable. He now knew of the pain he created for the family of the man he killed and was very remorseful. He recognized it was a sin to murder, and he became a model prisoner as part of his repentance. Though he had to admit it was not an easy road to follow in prison.

He said the judge looked at him and shook his head. All he kept thinking was that this was impossible. For his sentencing judge to be talking to him in the prisoner visiting room and rehashing his case on an autumn Sunday afternoon was mind boggling. Most guys would be watching football games. He then informed me that the judge smiled at him and informed him that he would be recommending CL be released from prison at a public hearing at an undisclosed date. CL would be brought to that hearing by the DOC. They said their goodbyes and CL was still in a state of shock. Just like the judge had told him, CL was brought to the public hearing in belly chains and handcuffs. The judge reviewed his prison record for those in attendance, and made his recommendation that CL be released from prison as time served. His prayers had been answered when he received a letter from the judge’s office explaining that he would be released. CL was glad to have run into me 25 years earlier, and for everything I had taught him about life, but mostly ,for being a positive role model for him. I explained the feeling was mutual. He brought integrity to my program and for that I am grateful. I wished him well on his upcoming release, and we said our goodbyes. I am certain he is making a positive impact in his community. TO BE CONTINUED….

Putin’s war and invasion of the Ukraine continues. His propaganda is reminiscent of another who made similar mistakes and met a tragic end. I believe his fate will end in the same way. Slava Ukraini Glory to the heroes.

This was not going to be easy. I was called by the union to inform me that the contracted nurses from Canada were hired by the State Employer as employees and they elected to be represented by UAW Local 6000. I was to meet with them asap and welcome them to the union. They seemed very happy when I met them for the first time in the training room in the Administration Building and gave them all the current contract UAW Local 6000 had agreed upon with the state employer. The first thing they wanted to know was how their seniority was going to be determined? I was stumped, and thought this should have been worked out before being hired. I called the Union and asked for clarification on this issue. They needed an answer because the sick time and vacation accrual rates needed to be determined. Seniority was also used in the offer and assignment of overtime work. They were all contracted from the same company as well. The employer listed the start date as the date they accepted employment with the state. Again, complicating the issue because they accepted State employment on the same day. Our employer wasn’t keen on the details. It was left to me to hammer out the details, and believe me when I say that “hammering” was what I had to do.

The seniority issued was resolved with the date being used when they began working for the contractor. It was great to get this resolved. Health Care at the prison was unique. To have dedicated professionals working with us as part of a team was even more important to our overall mission. Having worked in health care prior to teaching in the prison, I had a good idea of what the nurses would be facing here. Between the prisoner’s and the administration’s demands they would be hard pressed. They showed a lot of positive enthusiasm and I was glad to represent them. As what always seemed to be the case, when the employees had their department operating well, an incompetent manager was hired to run it and prove how bad a manager they were. So in a three year span our new nurses had a couple of new bosses and a number of new reporting relationships. It never failed to amaze me at those hired to be managers. The governor had eliminated the civil service examination process and manager’s were hired by the “good-ole -boy,” better known as, “who do you know and not “what you know” method. This process provides much managerial inbreeding and results in dysfunction. The number of law suits settled in court and out of court in favor of the employee plaintiffs is the tale of the tape.

In my last year of representing the nurses, I got to see one them promoted to the newly created Heath Unit Manager position, and was happy for them. Timing was everything, and while demonstrating to my students on the proper way of pruning, I took off the tip of my left index finger. My first reaction to inform my students that making sure your fingers were no where near the pruners seemed moot. The blood traveled quickly over my hand and arm. An officer who saw my distress immediately wrapped my hand, radioed for my supervisor, and took me to Health Care. His partner collected my students tools and sent them back to their housing unit. I felt like an idiot. My thought, “this was a good lesson for my students on what can happen if you are not careful,” seemed ludicrous. Once inside Health Care the nurses hurried me to a procedure room where they unwrapped the dressing which was now soaked in blood. They asked me if I knew where the tip of my finger was, and my response was, “its not on my finger ?” They shook their heads no, and smiled. This was going to be a long day. They cleaned my finger, hand and arm. I didn’t feel anything as they rewrapped it and sent me to the control center where an officer was dispatched to drive me to our local hospital emergency room. I felt a sense of calm. The nurses cared for me as much as I had cared and represented their grievances. The respect was mutual. TO BE CONTINUED .. Readers go to the next web site to see what mad man thug Putin is lying about in his war to exterminate Ukrainians. Slava Ukraini Highlight and right click.

https://youtu.be/fzIPwR-FHEM

My supervisor reminded me that just because I was the facility union representative did not mean that I could neglect my classroom. I was expected to still hold class. Any investigations I was involved in with our union members had to be conducted on my time. This issue was going to be my very first conflict with my immediate supervisor. In the beginning he had to divide his time between our facility and another facility to the north west of us. So if I had union business, I would try to conduct it when he wasn’t at our facility. This was the easiest way of avoiding the conflict with him. Another way was for me to conduct my business over the telephone. Unfortunately, I did not have access to a telephone in my classroom from the beginning. However, my colleague across the hall from me, our Food Technology teacher, did. She would even listen to our members complaint and give me the heads up on what was happening. That gave me time to review the contract and go on the offensive. In the beginning most of the grievances were basic protocol issues, and I could get settlements at the first or second stage of the grievance procedure. Tardiness, call off, and overtime issues could usually be settled in those stages, and from the beginning that was the majority of my cases.

The most difficult cases, however, were immediate terminations. For those, I was always called to come to the Warden’s conference room. When the call went out for me to report to the conference room , my colleagues would always wonder, who is it this time, or if my employment was being terminated? It always amazed me that my boss didn’t have anything to say about me being on union business when I was called to the Warden’s conference room. I would lay in my class (send my students back to their housing unit) letting him know I wouldn’t be teaching. He would just shake his head OK and acted like nothing was happening. I have to admit that I was always hesitant. Not knowing what was awaiting me in the Warden’s conference room could be stressful. I tried not to think about it and said a prayer for strength. Our school officer informed me that he just received a call that I was to immediately report to the Warden’s conference room. He would take care of my classroom, and let the principal know I was called. It was not the usual way I received notice and I was concerned as I left the school.

As I passed through the gate leading to the Administration Building an officer showed me a stop order that was placed on one of the school’s Administrative Assistants. “Stop Orders” are only placed on staff when an investigation is being conducted for rule violations. The accused are not allowed into the security perimeter of the prison until the investigation has been completed and they are found not guilty. I thanked her for the heads up. I had a good idea now of what I would be facing. As I entered the conference room, the Administrative Assistant from the school, the Warden, and Inspector entered from the Warden’s office. They did not look happy. The Deputy Inspector informed me that the employee had requested my presence. They began laying out their case against her and it was not good. She was having an intimate relationship with one of her inmate clerks and the Inspector had been recording her telephone conversations made through a third party. It was damning evidence. I felt very sorry for her and could tell she was embarrassed having me hear the recordings. I wanted to know how long this had been going on, and the Inspector informed me for over six months with 40 conversations recorded., and they also had the letters she wrote him. The inmate and his relation(third party) also gave statements about the relationship. I had heard enough. I asked management to leave the room while I spoke with her.

I had to inform her that by law they were required to press charges against her. At first, she didn’t believe me but when I showed her the MLS and DOC Policy she started crying. She realized she could really be prosecuted and go to prison. She was in a position of authority over the inmate, and his statement was that, “he didn’t want to lose his prison job so he obliged her.” This is totally messed up I thought. He obliged her? Total-garbage.! He was a total manipulator and she was his prey. She had a Master of Science Degree, and was being paid a good salary with benefits. I asked her, “why on earth would you mess that up?” She tearfully said, “Her heart has no limits.” Without being too crude I informed her,” I hope your unlimited heart likes prison. If they press charges, that’s where the heart will be.” She asked me, “what should she do.? ” My response was “to get a good lawyer.” She asked, “what if I just resign.” I informed her to only offer her resignation if they are willing to sign documents that they will not press charges once she leaves.

I also informed her to hire an attorney for her protection, and reputation. She could make an argument of her vulnerability and management’s inability to diffuse this in its early stages. She looked at me with teary eyes and said, ” you should be a lawyer.” I shook my head no. I felt drained. I didn’t want to talk to her about this any longer. I knew I could not save her job, and asked management to come back into the room. They were quick to point out that with the new laws and policies she will be facing prosecution. I made my plea on her vulnerability and managements not intervening in the early stages. This was not my first termination case at this facility and I felt that management had a history of waiting too long to address issues when they knew an employee had been compromised. We were at a standstill. Then against my advice, she offered her resignation. Management’s answer was, “by resigning her employment they would not press charges.” I wanted everything documented and it was. I never saw her again after this meeting and I felt exhausted. This termination was painful, and there would be more to come, unfortunately. TO BE CONTINUED…

Psalm 63 Slava Ukraine God bless the heroes

I was elected union steward by default. The unionized teachers and staff sitting around a conference room table were asked at the last minute to become union stewards by the chief union steward working out of parole and probation in Mt. Clemons. Michigan. He would train anyone who volunteered. I wasn’t paying attention as usual, (not uncommon with a hearing loss that was unknowingly getting worse) but was reading the documents the union gave us. I hadn’t noticed that everyone had stepped away from the table as they left the room. I was the only one left at the table. I was informed by the chief union steward that by default I had been elected to a three year term. I personally didn’t think it worked that way but was willing to do my share. Nobody was left in the room but me. I was a trained MBA, had experience in labor relations, and understood the process from management’s side of the table. I was also informed that by being the union steward I would have “super seniority” at this facility. I didn’t know exactly what that meant. Super, in the languages I knew, was a good thing. So I decided to give it a try.

He was happy as hell that I would volunteer for the position and set up my training at the Union Hall in Lansing. The training would be with other union members becoming stewards as well. I couldn’t wait. I thought it would be interesting and it was certainly that. I met a young man who informed me that he had just won a settlement for a staff member in excess of 400,000 dollars. I thought for sure he was embellishing the amount but the chief steward who signed me up for the training congratulated him on winning his case, brought against a warden at another prison facility, who defied the Federal Authorities and had to be threatened with imprisonment to testify at the trial. This wardens’ testimony was so damning for the state that the award was given immediately to the plaintiff. I wanted to know what happened to this warden, and was told he was promoted. I couldn’t believe it. In the private sector he would have been terminated immediately for malfeasance and incompetence. I was told, “not here!” These kinds of cases are badges that get incompetent managers promoted.” I thought out loud,” this encourages bad management.” Their response, “exactly, stick around and you will see a lot of bad management, at all levels of the hierarchy, and you will be representing people who have to deal with it every day.”

When I returned to the prison my supervisor asked me, “what did you think of your training?” I informed him about the warden who just cost the DOC a 400,000 dollar settlement. “War stories” he said as he walked away. So much for that I thought. I later found out while speaking with Joe H, our special education teacher, (one of the best teachers I had ever met and worked with) that the warden I had spoke of was now the administrator over prison education, and our supervisor’s friend. That’s why I received such a curt response when I mentioned the settlement. Joe informed me that there was so much mismanagement in this department and many other state departments as well. I wanted to know what evidence he had of his claim. He laughed, and said, “you have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Administration and Public Policy and a Master of Arts Degree in Business Administration and you want me to show you evidence?” He had a point. Max Weber did have a few things to say about bureaucracies.” But okay “, he stated. Then he informed me about a website where all the current payouts (hush money) in all of the state departments were tabulated and recorded. I was shocked when I saw the amounts. Now, I thought as a new union steward, I had more on my plate than I could handle. The next three years will be interesting, if not stressful. To Be Continued… For my readers: If you are interested in the lawsuits. www. senate.michigan.gov/sfa/publications/ lawsuits

Matthew 6: 9-13

Alexander Solzhenitsyn: “Unlimited power in the hands of a limited people always leads to cruelty.” The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956 https://youtu.be/MeW_3X6DWwc

I was working late on an August 4th night in my second year as an executive at the Detroit Medical Center. On my way out of the building I had heard on our hospital police radio that a man had just shot a man in the head on the campus of Wayne State University. They sounded frantic and were saying that the suspect, a young African American male, was running towards our hospitals. He was armed, and dangerous! He was also being pursued by the Detroit Police Department and the Wayne State University Police. I thought as I reached the second floor of the parking structure that I would stop at our hospital security booth on my way out and check on what was happening. I never got the chance. I heard officers yelling for a man to drop his weapon and then nothing but an exchange of gunfire that seemed to go on forever.

I learned that day what a bullet sounds like when it ricochets, and when it strikes a body. He must have been hit at least a dozen of times. By the time I arrived on the ground level, I was informed that two of our officers had been hit. One in the arm and one in the foot. The suspect was handcuffed to a stretcher and taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital. The officers were treated at our hospital. The assailant, they didn’t think he would live. They showed me his picture. He was only 16 years old and a known assassin for a local drug gang. The cocaine wars were having a negative impact on our city, and the hospital’s administration scrambled to keep this incident out of the headlines. It was also the reason I left the medical center for a job with the university hospital in Indianapolis a year later. I thought it would be safer there. I was wrong. They had all the same problems as Detroit but on a smaller scale.

One year after returning to Michigan upon the death of my father, I accepted a teaching position with the Department of Corrections. I was working on my plan for the following days class assignments when our athletics director approached me about a storage issue. He happened to be with the young man I thought to have died from the exchange of gunfire in Detroit almost ten years ago. The Director asked me,” what was wrong? I looked like I had seen a ghost.” “I think I am looking at one.” I replied. The young man smiled, nodded, and then walked away. I explained to the Director what had happened in Detroit and that I had thought him to be dead. The Director said, “he thought that too, but he was hired to do a job, he did it, and wanted to go out in a blaze of glory.” He then informed me the young man is a practicing witch and attributes his life being saved to his Wicca religion. My reply was quick. ” I understand that. They accepted him. No judgement. However, I think his Creator may have a different view of his career path.” The Director smiled, and walked away… and I again questioned myself, what the hell did I think I could accomplish teaching here? Hebrews 10: 19-25

Putin continues his invasion of the Ukraine a sovereign nation. If he is not stopped there, we will be fighting him in Europe. Slava Ukraini Glory to the heroes

It was not supposed to go down like this. His hatred for his family because of his continued arguments with them (about his chosen life-style), led him to be tossed out of the house by his father. His mother and brother also agreed with the father’s decision. It was time for him to leave. He had just turned 18 years old, and he wasn’t listening. His band, music, and drugs was all he cared about. Feeling good and enjoying himself was his only goal at the moment. Now his dad had to complicate things for him by tossing him to the street, and the family let him know he was no longer loved by them. He contributed nothing but arguments and needless stress to this house, and his family had enough of his nonsense. Their feeling towards him made him bitter and he hatched a plan. I’ll show them!

So on thanksgiving day, a day celebrated by families as a day of giving thanks to the Lord, he killed them all. Mother, brother, grandfather, father, and brother’s girlfriend. He executed them. Shooting them in the head with his father’s .22 caliber revolver. He then called one of his friends so that together they could clean up some of the mess, and make it look like a robbery gone bad. The only problem they ran into was that his brother’s girlfriend’s parents, not hearing from her when they called her phone, drove to his residence. Arriving at the residence, they saw the fathers’ body laying in the driveway and called the police. That was the end for him. He fled the scene and was latter captured hiding in a friends pole barn. At his trial, he had the audacity to ask the judge to delay his sentencing so he could travel a bit before being incarcerated. He was tried on 5 counts of first degree murder and found guilty. His sentencing was life in prison with no chance for parole.

Eleven years into his sentencing, he hatched another plan. It’s time to leave. So he decided, with two other inmates, to highjack a semitruck while it was unloading at the chow hall dock and ram it through the fences. The inmates pulled the driver from the cab at knife point(sharpened shank) and took off with the semitruck. They thought they could drive it right through the fences but the area was also secured with a steel I beam and that plan failed miserably. The truck not only got hung up in the fencing, but the I beam they hit, stalled the motor. They tried to restart it but found themselves surrounded by officers. His two accomplices surrendered immediately but not him. He decided that he would make a break for it and was shot dead in the process of trying to escape. He became the culmination of the proverb: “Those who live by the sword, die by the sword.” Nobody grieved his loss of life. The tax payers of the great state of Michigan got a break the day he died. Unfortunately, his empty cot was filled the next day with another just like him. The senseless killings continue throughout our communities.

Putin’s terror continues throughout the Ukraine killing civilians in every city with indiscriminate bombings and missile attacks. “Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword.” Slava Ukraini Glory to the heroes.