I have often written about my father’s experiences as a policeman in the city of Pittsburgh back in the 50’s and 60’s. Most of my father’s police work was kept secret, but there were times when he would return home from one of his shifts, place his gun in its holster on the top shelf of our hallway closet (my sisters and I, each at the appropriate age got to look at the gun, touch it, and then were told it was not a toy and to NEVER ask about it or ask to see it again), remove his billy stick from around his waist, place it inside his police hat along with a pair of handcuffs, sit down on his Archie Bunker style chair in the living room, and begin to talk a little about his day. My father, was a foot patrolman in the 50’s, meaning he walked the beat of the neighborhood, and the one from which he started his career as a policeman was called Homewood, at the time one of the most segregated neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, with its demographics being Black ( the term Afro-American) was not even on the radar. My father had a variety of experiences to share, (he would tell my younger sister and I at the time they were more like adventures), and when my fathers day had been eventful in a positive way, he would still in his blue Pittsburgh Police uniform share some sage advice.
My father said, it was important to build trust within any community, but in particular if any of us ever found ourselves in a community where for some reason or another we were the odd man out, finding that TRUST was most important. One of the stories my father shared was about confronting groups of kids, who were about to attempt having some fun, illegal fun, but thought little about the consequences for seeking a good time. My father, would look at my little sister and I in the eye, as he rocked ever gently on the Archie Bunker brown tweed chair in our living room, and tell us that all you have to do is find one person who finally understands the consequences of a soon to be action. My father knew a lot of kids in the Homewood Neighborhood, and had a keen sense as to which boy or girl he should single out and ask his questions. At the time all my father was, was the COP, the big guy standing 6’1” (God only knows I did not inherit his tall genes), and he would walk toward the one kid who stood the tallest, the one who seemed to say I dare you to knock this chip off my shoulder. He knew all of the names of the kids in the neighborhood, and standing with his hands inside his pants pockets, would call out the name of the ONE kid, and say: when I leave the area and you create your fun, and someone gets hurt, or someone gets caught, or something gets stolen or broken, are you going to be able to look at the rest of this group and still think you were right? Do you think, that everyone else will still look at you with the same respect you think you have NOW, once something bad happens? I can’t be here all the time, there will be other COPS, but YOU, and only you will be responsible for doing something good or something bad. My sister and I always asked, did they listen? My father would smile, twist his head to the right then the left, and add, if they really understood the power they had, they did listen. Then the story was over, and my father would walk into the kitchen and make a sandwich, and ask you want one too!
Senator Feinstein, did a Mitch McConnell move the other day, but not the usual Mitch McConnell move of anti-democracy, anti America, anti-constitution, she instead did all of America (even the Trump supporter Americans a favor), she knew that bad things were happening in the GOP led Senate, and did something good. She provided America with some truth, something McConnell and this dreary Republicans despise. She could have let lying Senator Grassley continue to mislead and provide Trump with cover, but instead, she did the right thing. She should take the credit for finally having a backbone and putting America first and not her Party. There will be other Senators, but this time Senator Feinstein became responsible showing other Senators how to do the right thing! If my father was a live he might ask Diane if she wants a sandwich!
