Today's Photo Gallery: Winter Blues

Photos by F LoBuono. All rights reserved.

Today's MOZEN: The Devil Rules The Day 12/10/2014

Photo Stephen Crowley, NYT. Words F LoBuono

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/10/opinion/the-senate-report-on-the-cias-torture-and-lies.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

The report, to me, is simply heartbreaking. Read it and weep. Literally.

I've tried to put myself in the shoes of those, like then-CIA Director George Tenet. I realize that they were under enormous pressure to get information. We were attacked. People died. Many more could. They became desperate. Still, with all that said, they let darkness rule the day. They committed every heinous act that we castigate our "godless" enemies for doing! And, ultimately, they knew that these techniques, no matter how you twist the lexicon to sanitize them, were ineffective. Research has shown that. The report concludes the same. And many innocent people were brutalized, as well. It is contrary to everything we are supposed to stand for as a Nation, united.

My father was a combat veteran of WWII. He was always real about his service. He was very proud and often said it was the best time of his life. However, he also never hid the horrors of war and often said to me, "Frankie, in war, no one wears a white hat". I understand man's heart of darkness. When it comes to the brutality of war, there are no "rules". But, if we allow ourselves to yield to that mind set, there can be, in the end, no victory - only death and degradation - in an endless cycle of violence. It will never end because IT IS INEFFECTIVE.

I could quote the dozens of profound statements from Gandhi, MLK, the Buddha, the Christ, etc. -you've seen them all. However, if we don't LIVE them, they are meaningless.

I fear the devil has been unleashed and, if we don't change now to confront him, he will rule the day.

Today's MOZEN: By The Numbers 12/8/2014

Words by F LoBuono

I recently posted some statistics concerning the most dangerous jobs in America. I used it to make a point. That point has been made to some but missed by others. I'll break them down further and then attempt to make my point one more time. In 2013, 27 policemen were killed by felony assault. A TOTAL of 105 police officers died while on line of duty. These incidents include accidents, heart attacks, etc. By comparison, during the same period of time, 268 FARMERS died on the job. 485 TRUCKERS lost their lives. And, at #1, 721 MINERS perished on their jobs. I present these FACTS NOT to denigrate ANYONE but to uplift EVERYONE!! All life matters.

Today's Photo Gallery: The Streets Of New York, Part 1

Photos by F LoBuono - all rights reserved

Today's MOZEN: Harmony 12/7/2014

Serpicat and Rex. Cat and Dog. Black and White. In harmony.
Words and photo by F LoBuono

Now is the winter of our discontent . . . 
Shakespeare begins Richard III with that ominous line. First published in 1594, it has never rang more true than it does today. The people have taken to the streets to show their discontent with a legal system that, somehow, seems to be broken. Young men, particularly young black men, are being killed at an alarming rate by both the police and one another. And people are angry about it. Reminiscent of Peter Finch's legendary portrayal of TV news anchor Harold Beale's call to action in Paddy Chayefsky's seminal film Network, people are screaming, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore"! They will be heard. They must be heard.

This is a passionate debate with inflamed emotions on both sides of the argument. There are those who very much support the police and system, citing the fact that the great majority of men and women who serve to protect us do just that under often difficult and dangerous conditions. Then there are those who feel the system itself is corrupt and, therefore, anyone laboring under it enforces laws that are unjust and applied unequally.

One thing is certain; feelings have been rubbed raw. I know mine have and I'm sure that my comments have had the same effect on others. It's easy to get caught up in the passion. It's easy to get angry and allow emotion, rather than reason, rule the day. Yes, I have fallen into that trap - too often, in fact. When I stop, step back, take a breath, and actually THINK about what I may have just said or written, I often feel badly about it. It's not that I feel what I may have thought was not accurate but, rather, HOW I may have said it. And there within lies the problem.

On subjects as deeply felt as this one, the chances of actually changing another's mind are slim at best. However, if one resorts to pejoratives and personal attacks, not only does that task become impossible, it usually ends with both parties even further apart from where they originally began.

So, argue with passion and pride but leave the anger and hate behind, Remember:

“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Today's MOZEN: The Blue Wall aka The Thin Blue Line

Words and photo by F LoBuono

The Grand Jury has spoken and no indictments will be issued for the death of Eric Garner. I was not part of that Grand Jury. I cannot know all of the evidence presented. From my understanding, the jury was convinced that the move to "subdue" Mr. Garner was not illegal; therefore, there will be no charges filed against the policeman who applied what appeared to be a "choke hold" to Mr. Garner. I will not argue that at this point. I would tend to agree that, under the circumstances, it would be difficult to prove that the police deliberately applied tactics that would cause Mr. Garner's death.

However, it still does not address the issue that Mr. Garner begged to be allowed to breathe eleven times--eleven--with his face smashed into the pavement--while other police and EMTs, including a supervisor, basically let him die. LET HIM DIE. This, to me, is the crux of the case and is INEXCUSABLE. Further, the comments I have read, particularly from ex-policemen, are HORRIBLE. One actually called Mr. Garner a "fat pig" and, basically said that he deserved to die. As long as the police maintain this attitude, there will be NO peace on the streets. By not "manning up" to their culpability, they continue to make themselves targets. When will they get this?

Respect is mutual. It cannot be a one-way street. Based on comments I have read recently, the police have forgotten that they are public servants. And it seems to grate on them when I point that out. I have also observed that many policemen that I know, current and retired, have a sense of entitlement. Because they do a tough and dangerous job, they believe that they are entitled to the label hero automatically. They want to be acknowledged as different, perhaps even above the average person. They want to be recognized for their service. Well, my friends, it doesn't work that way. We ALL have jobs to do. Some are, perhaps, more important (or dangerous) than others. But, in the end, we all do our jobs. And, I should point out that there are MORE dangerous jobs than that of policeman. Both construction work and truck driving, from the stand point of deaths while on the job, are more hazardous. MUCH more. Even waste removal is considered more dangerous. In fact, policing doesn't even make the Top Ten (neither does firefighting).* According to FBI statistics, twenty seven policemen were killed by felonious assault during 2013 (the total number who died while on duty is greater).  For perspective, during the same time period, at least seventy journalists were killed covering the news all over the world. So, throw that argument out the window.

Frank Serpcio, the corruption busting cop made famous by Al Pacino in the film, Serpcio, recently wrote an op-ed article for the New York Times (Oct. 23, 2014) stating that the police have not changed all that much from when he exposed the rampant corruption in the NYPD during the '60s and '70s. He was treated as a pariah by his fellow officers then and still is!! Why?? Because there is something called "The Blue Wall," which is an unwritten rule that one cop will not expose another even when that cop is BREAKING THE LAW. It is as inexcusable as it is frightening. If the police, with ALL of their power, will not control themselves, then who will?

Recently, I was having a beer at local establishment. The subject of the police, enforcement, corruption, and Frank Serpico was brought up. An ex-cop from the Bronx contributed this gem: "I thought Frank Serpico was a piece of shit then, and I still do. And all my cop friends feel the same way." Really? Many will say that he is in the minority. I am not so sure.

Look, I am not anti-cop. I'm anti BAD cop!! My father was in law enforcement for many years. I grew up around cops and guns. I spent many a Saturday afternoon at the police shooting range with my father and his comrades. He also taught me that right will always be right and wrong will always be wrong--and that applies to EVERYONE.

What the police do not seem to understand is that the more that they retreat behind THE BLUE WALL (aka The Thin Blue Line), the more they are condemned to stay there, out of touch with the people that they serve. With no JUSTICE, there can be no PEACE. A relationship built on MUTUAL respect between the people and the police is the only answer. Until that happens, the police will only make a tough job that much tougher.

*Ratings compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Today's MOZEN: Mind Power 12/2/2014

Words and photo by F LoBuono

The most important instrument in our lives is not the one found in our hands, but the one between our ears. 

Today's Photo Gallery: Alone But Not Lonely

Today's MOZEN: Take A Stand! 11/29/2014

Words by F LoBuono

People ask me all of the time, why bother? You are always on that damned soap box. You'll never change any ones mind anyway. You're just wasting your time.  Perhaps, they are right. Even to me, at times, it seems futile. People are so entrenched in their thinking that there is not enough dynamite in the world that can shake their foundations. Yes, they certainly have a point. So, why, indeed, bother?
Well, here is your answer:

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.*

I will not stay silent in the face of oppression, poverty, ignorance, racism, hate, and cruelty. No, I will not stand idly by. When I see abuse, I will speak against it. When I encounter violence, I will work to stem it. When I experience prejudice, I will use all my power to eliminate it. It takes effort. It involves commitment. It is not easy. But, all things of value come to us only through challenge. It is the way of the world. However, shame falls on those who turn away from, rather than confront, evil.

The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by good people. *

And one needn't look far to find oppression and cruelty. Just open a newspaper or turn on the TV News. It is ubiquitous. Young black men are being murdered on the streets in startling numbers. Too many have been incarcerated. Religious fundamentalists wage brutal war on those who will not conform to their beliefs. Women are kidnapped and raped with impunity. Children and animals are slaughtered with cruel and callous indifference. As humans we may never eliminate these things entirely. They are as part of being human as is love and kindness. We, as a species, have a great capacity for both. Therefore, we must CHOOSE and then WORK towards the goal of increasing loving kindness and eliminating violence and cruelty across the board!

People have also expressed fear to me that this latest round of violence seems to be so extreme as to have them thinking this may be the so-called Apocalypse. Well, if we sit idly by on our hands, with our mouths shut, then it just may be. But, to quote Shakespeare, we must decide "whether it is nobler to take arms against a sea of trouble and by opposing, end them". Well, it IS nobler. It is honest, right, just, AND necessary to do so!! If you want the world to change, change for the better, well, then get involved. Speak up. Act up, if you must. But, do something. Do everything you can to eliminate cruelty. It is your sacred duty. The world will not change itself. The answer is right in front of us:

Be the change you want to see in the world. **

* Martin Luther King
** Mahatma Gandhi