Manns Medium

When Leonardo da Vinci began painting the Mona Lisa back in 1503-1504, he probably had no earthy idea that he would be viewed as one of the best of many eras or that his painting would result in becoming "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world". Had he known, he would have probably made other choices than the ones he made once his finished project was done and was exposed to the public. This is the same exact road we continue to travel today.  No one knows the results of an experiment or an action when it first begins.  They know what results that they would like or what results that they were after but no one can say exactly what the end result will be.  Because of this, we often look back at the place where it began and then attempt to correct any incorrect turns or wrong directions we took but to no avail.  We then become frustrated and later many just plainly give up and give ...

When you have high profile shootings where everyone tends to have an opinion and none seemed to be even slightly wishing to listen to the other sides, you get a well-thought out and programmed response from those whose job is to dispense equal justice within the law.  For those on the other side of that line, finding a reason to allow those officers a way out instead of jail is the only course of action they feel is best because of the situation that they find themselves in.  For those on the side of the line where voices are never heard and often ignored, the results is all the proof they need to demonize police , prosecutors and judges.  Both sides lack true conviction is making things right and neither wishes to see nothing but what they has deemed a clear victory.  In the end, no one wins, we all lose and none of us seem smart enough to know the difference. From the prosecutor’s side having to work closely with the police, they tend not to wish to alienate t...

Far be it for me to deny anyone their right to speak their minds, that was one of the many freedoms that I and others like me were willing to lay down our lives to protect but even I cannot continue to try and ignore ignorance to such a degree that it makes anyone with any reasonable perception have to read it twice. This was my immediate reaction to something I read titled “ Ann Coulter Blasts Michelle Obama on Race: ‘I Think She’s Just Letting Out Her Reverend Wright Now ’ taken from The Blaze.  Apparently Ms. Coulter was disappointed and dissatisfied with a comment made by the first lady and I know that many of you out there are asking the question of when is she happy about anything this person, this family, these people do or say.  Valid point but can we all just assume that Ms. Coulter is not this full of venom all the time just when she is pushing her radio show or getting paid to come on Fox News and say whatever she wishes.  Okay well maybe not but I would l...

So much has been made about the rioting and looting seen in Baltimore, Maryland Monday, April 27, 2015 and many had decent questions and concerns but to a person those questions and concerns still remain because nothing was done to address them because so much energy was spent trying to make sure that yesterday was not a repeat of Monday.  All those meetings and not one to address the true concerns of those living in that community.  All those resources and not any of it was lent toward fixing the problems those citizens endure each and every day.  All that news coverage and nothing solid to help those who live and love that community feel better about their community.  All that money and none of it to be used to locate more jobs in that area or secure local financing to where those from that community to borrow and grow these jobs with a services that they know is greatly needed in that area.  So much time, effort and money wasted on reacting to an issue inste...

This story raised my conspiracy hackles when I read it, considering the recent resignations, firings and removals of key personnel after the release of the DOJ investigation.  It truly appears strange that no officer were shot, no lethal force was ever visited upon officers in this manner until the resignation of Ferguson’s Police Chief Tom Jackson.  The article is titled “ 2 Police Officers Shot During Ferguson, Missouri, Protests ” posted by ABC News via Good Morning America.  In it we learn “Two police officers were shot during overnight protests in Ferguson, Missouri, the St. Louis County Police Department said.  A St. Louis County officer, 41, was struck in the shoulder; while a Webster Groves police officer, 32, was struck in the face, said county police Chief John Belmar, who spoke to media members outside of Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.  “These police officers were standing there, and they were shot just because they were police officers,” Belma...

Supporters of police will wrench when they read this story because even those harden supporters who think that police officers are above the law knows when something is really wrong with our society, the only question is are they willing to correct the problem or just simply ignore it?  The article is titled “ Family outraged after son's mug shot found used in target practice by Miami police ” written by Nina Golgowski for the New York Daily News and in it she reports that “a bullet-riddled photo of Woody Deant was discovered by his own sister last month when she visited the shooting range. North Miami Beach Police Chief J. Scott Dennis has defended the use of mug shots for target practice, saying it's vital for facial recognition drills. These six mug shots were being used for target practice by North Miami Beach Police last month when a National Guard soldier discovered the face of her own brother among them. A trip to a Florida gun range left a National Guard soldier in tea...

Nothing annoys me more than those who are hired be proactive and prevents things from ever escalating sitting on their hands, watching things grow and doing nothing until someone loses a life.  These are the same people who steps in front of the cameras and claim that they care about this nation and its citizens.  How can you care about something and stay cowering on the sideline while those whom you are supposed to care for are hurt or killed? Classic example can be found in an article titled “ The Cleveland 'Heartless Felons' Gang Issues Threat Against White Police Officers ” written by Tom Edathikunnel for an Unknown Publication.  In the article it is reported that “the threat orders members to avenge black lives taken by white police officers.  Cleveland’s notorious Heartless Felons gang has issued its members orders to kill white police officers to avenge the black victims of police brutality inflicted by white police offices, including the November 21 Tami...

It’s unthinking and careless talk like this that makes race relations hard to solve in this country.  People who claim to speak for so many but can’t seem to provide any intelligent conversation to the resolution of one of America’s biggest problems.  If you claim to speak for so many, at least speak in a manner which reflects well upon them instead of making those for whom you speak look like some unintelligent bunch of bullies with guns.  I speak about the so-called National Field Marshal for the New Black Panthers Samir Shabazz.  You can find his highly questionable and  hateful  rhetoric in an article titled “ New Black Panther Field Marshal: Whites ‘Should be Thankful We’re Not Hanging Crackers By Nooses…Yet, Yet, Yet ” by Benny Johnson with contribution from Erica Ritz for The Blaze.  Any credibility that this organization once had is surely dead and buried if this is the best spokesperson that they can come up with.  Any white person s...

One of the most interesting phases of these rampant police shootings is the fact that many cannot say what training appears to be missing in today’s police academy training.  Well one of the most important is dispute resolution training.  In this course officers learn many ways to ease control and resolve situation which arises from time to time between citizens.  They learn to carefully listen to all sides and then present a suggestion that can be agreed to by both parties.  This often times will lead to a better relationship between cops and community as well as lower prison population and avoid the need for further actions by law enforcement.  It appears to be this further action which has led to many of these shootings. An article titled “ Police fatally shoot ‘sovereign citizen’ after he refuses to show ID when turning over stray animal ” by Travis Gettys for the Raw Story, demonstrates this point quite clearly.  It reports that “Police fatally sh...

There is so much wrong with this story that I truly do not know where to begin.  I say that because it does not have just one lesson that we all should take from it but several which make me even more sure that things happen for a single reason.  That is so that we, as human beings, will learn from it and make the necessary changes in our culture and our lives to not repeat them. Here are the lessons that I took from this. Police over-reach is a serious and deadly problem where police are becoming emboldened and taking the lives of people without having to face any serious consequences for making ill-advised choices.  That thin blue line that many talk about has become a huge yellow streak down the backs of those watch commanders, trainers, police captains, chiefs and politicians who were hired to serve and protect.  They all sit idly by and allow event after event to take place all over this United States hiding from the truth and running away from responsibili...