A run in with the police and some thoughts on politics.

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My run in with the police should not have been a problem. For my part, my headlights were not on and it was night. When I go through a fast-food drive-through I switch from headlights to running lights as a courtesy to other drivers in line. I had done this and then forgotten to turn the headlights back on. I get received my food then drove out of the frontage road area and pulled onto a busy thoroughfare, ignorant of my situation. All of a sudden I see flashing lights and I pull to the inner lane (which is also the turn lane) to allow him through, but he pulls into my lane so I begin looking for a reasonable place to pull over and park and spot a parking lot. So, I get set to pull off the busy road and get to a parking lot. He starts yelling out of his vehicle and aims his spotlight on my side rearview mirror and puts on his siren as I am making the turn and orders me to stop. I got a little hot, so I stop, mid-turn, on a busy intersection, and get out.

Yeah, it could have gotten hairy. It did not. He cools his jets a bit, asks me to get back in my vehicle, and comes up to talk. He is still very rude, demands my particulars (drivers license, registration, and proof of insurance). I still do not know, at this point, why I am being pulled over! And yes, I am still a bit miffed. He returns to his vehicle to run everything. As he is leaving, he suggests this is about me not having my headlights on and that while I slowed to turn, he thought I had stopped and had gotten out of his vehicle (I had not seen him do this), he said something else but I did not hear it (just that it did not sound smart). When he returned his attitude was gone. He has a warning ticket but he is also very apologetic about his behavior. He also suggests I not leave the vehicle in such situations (which even I know and follow given rational situations). He actually and literally apologized. I accept the apology and decide not to speak with his boss, after he explained his side of it to me.

Though still a bit put out, it is more left-over adrenaline from the encounter. No harm, no foul, if I think something is just a misunderstanding. He had indicated that they (officers) can never tell in these situations, given his side of things and my exiting the vehicle, if he is dealing with an anti-cop, someone on something, or what. And, yeah, I see that. As well, I think he finally understood that not only was I cool, I was legitimate. I wanted to tell him that I respect law enforcement, the job it does, the restraint officers usually show, and such, but I just thanked him for his service. Too much is too much. The more I think of his words, the more I hate academia, actually. With people like Ayers running the show, supporting hate and vitriol against both military and police, I have no misunderstanding of why the culture wars are so hot that situations like this happen. As a vet., I feel it every day here. It must be much more so the officers.

In another vein, I keep hearing that McCain might really win and yet that the Democrats are set to take over congress and very possibly in a bullet-proof manner. One of these has to be ridiculous, or the elections are rigged. Those who vote for McCain would not vote for Democratic congressmen. If McCain is elected and the Democrats get their congress, it will mean the votes are counted like the census… according to “statistics”* but with the allowance of a RINO president. Though I think that will not happen. I do not care if everyone voted for McCain, he will lose. This election has already been stolen, most likely. Any other outcome will mean the Republic aspect of this nation is still intact enough to split the thing. Call me a doubting Thomas if you must, it is what I believe. As for my part, I will not vote. I will not lend legitimacy to a broken false system. Until they clean out the election junk, clean out the Republican Party, and get straight, I am out of the process. Not that you care, but now you know.

*see academia, to and maybe especially include “statisticians”, rant above