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| Needed: Honest, courageous, and productive conversations at the roundtable on Tuesday.... |
Sheriff Chip Simmons has empaneled a group of community leaders to hold a round table discussion this Tuesday regarding a deadly double-shooting in District 1 two weeks back. I applaud his leadership in taking this bull by the horns. The conversation will be about the levels of violence in the community as well--not just this particular shooting. I am honored to have been invited to participate, and I look forward to Tuesday.
In the lead up to the event, I have given three media interviews on this topic, after having been asked my opinion on what, if anything, should be done to focus on the violence in our community that leads to these tragic events like the murder that happened in Bellview. Two of the pieces have subsequently been published and I believe the third will be published this week in the lead up to the roundtable.
The violence, the gun crimes, and the gangs+drugs issues we see growing in our community are symptoms of a bigger problem that few are willing to discuss: The loss of the family unit in growing pockets of our community. This dissolution of the in-tact family unit leaves many young men with no strong role model and disciplinarian in the house to deal with issues that invariably arise in child rearing through formative years.
The single biggest predictor of whether or not a young man in America will become entangled in the criminal justice system is whether or not a father was/is in the home where such a young man is/was raised. But to some, such discussions are verboten for political correctness' sake.
Imagine, as my friend Tom Danheisser posited in his hard-hitting, prescient op-ed on this topic last year, if we were trying to cure lung cancer but we could not talk about cigarette smoking? He knows what I know and he has seen it in his courtroom as has my brother in his courtroom: Fatherless families produce children who are at a much higher risk of committing crimes, being prosecuted, and ultimately ending up in prison. (And lending creedence to the media's reticence to discuss root causes of the crimes, drugs, and gangs issues in Pensacola/Escambia County that produce the carnage we see locally--I'm told the Dannheisser op-ed was also sent to the PNJ last year in May of 2021--but their editorial team refused to print it. Too much truth I suppose.....)
So this conversation Tuesday has to have a few guideposts if it is to be successful:
1. We must realize the long term solution will take decades.
2. We must realize the problem is not the police.
3. We must have the courage to speak truth and use irreputable facts and figures to buffet our positions.
4. We must realize no matter what we do we cannot and will not be able to save every young person from descending into a life of crime.
From my perspective, in order to actually accomplish a worthwhile outcome and trajectory toward
solutions to the root causes, we will need to take a holistic approach that will include short-term, mid-term, and long term strategies to succeed. Obviously--this is not an exhausive list of each need in each stage--but these are big.Short term: Close coordination with schools, teachers, and administrators to identify at risk youth and provide additional coaching, counseling, and tutoring (happening currently with Title 1 Schools but much more is needed.) Additionally: a return to widespread firm, consistent, and color-blind school discipline policies that are fair but have meaningful consequences for anti-social, violent, and/or other dangerous student behaviors. Students need structure--particularly those with no strong figures at home to foster good discipline. Establishment of a Seed-style school concept locally to save/rescue the most at risk youth in our area-with funding jointly from the county, city, state, and Children's trust. From the law enforcement side--more technology deployed in high crime areas, drones, cameras, and other high-tech solutions to assist with quick captures of suspects involved with violence in a community. We must end the days of the common criminal getting away with violating the law. Recruitment of community figures of influence to speak unabashedly and firmly on the root causes of the violence in the community and more importantly to encourage witnesses to cooperate with investigations. We need, as a community, to do a better job of securely storing legally purchased firearms so criminals and those with mental illness cannot access these weapons. And finally we need condemnation, openly, and the rebuking of the mainstream media machine's war on faith-based programs, religion, and God. This must finally happen because there is and always has been a direct relationship between the abandonment of faith and the rise of cultural dysfunction.
Mid term: More resources for law enforcement, crime prevention, technology, and for prisons, prosecutors and judges to allow for the firm/swift prosecutions for those that commit violent crimes and other serious community-detroying infractions. Tranisition of tax policy nationwide and statewide must occur--pivoting away from making fatherless homes remunerative to actually making them unattractive by reducing subsidies for fatherless families, making fathers pay for the children they father through more onerous child-support policy/law and enforcement, and the implementation of incentives to keep families together (yearly tax rebates for families that stay together coupled with an increase to the child tax credit for in-tact families).
Long term: Continuous support for law enforcement and enhanced cutting-edge technology to keep communities safe, tax and entitlement policy refinements that promote and reward families staying together with year over year payments for in-tact, together family units--with such financial incentives growing significantly for each year a two-parent family stays together.
There are no panaceas, no quick and easy solutions to this community violence and societal problem that has festered for going on 6 decades in large part due to well intended legislation and policy at the national level that has served to disincentivize the family unit--leading to the devastating consequences we are living today.
At some point we have to move to something that is at the heart of the problem and that can work: finding a way to make the family unit an important part of America again--as it should be. Once we do that and fix that primary problem--we will see a concomitant reduction in violence and crime.
But it won't be easy, fast or cheap. We have to go long-game on this one.
22 comments:
It is a symptom from the long March to communism and the present rot in our society.
Obama weaponized the Intelligence and Justice departments to enabling on party to punish political oppostion. Full on display when DJT got in their way.They installed Biden 2020.
The communists are in high places in the Democratic party.Our Federal Government is corrupt.
Welfare begats single parents rewarded for producing more offspring ..
Continuing the cycle of poverty.
https://www.ethanallen.org/45_communist_goals_from_58_years_ago
I guess locally you can try to put out fires.
Good Plan and goals.
But yes vote all Republican and look to see who appointed the judges on the Florida ballot. Most should be retained. I'm not voting for tax breaks for anyone as it is not in my own self interest. Dont encourage tax breaks for igits building in flood zones. Protect yourself from violence and products of the obvious decline. No constitutional revision committee. Sorry, no Edates. Look how Studer just took advantage of that.
https://www.newsandsentinel.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2021/08/have-the-communists-achieved-their-goals/
Yes almost and most don't even acknowledge it.
Honestly, if gang members kill each other, I don't care. And abortion should not be limited either.
However if this current administration at the federal level pulls us into a nuclear war because of their corruption in Ukraine, sending billions to a non Nato country -- we are effed anyway.
1. As with so many issues in this country, both the democrats and republicans are an absolute hot mess on this issue.
On one side, the dems argue Crime? What Crime? with their eyes literally glazed over from the koolaid pumping through their veins. On the other, your party pushes a Lord of the Flies narrative where all we have to do is flood the country with more guns and people will stop shooting each other. Meanwhile with every school shooting, the Russian backed NRA and their gun makers and sellers ramp up production and laugh all the way to the bank, while republicans smokescreen for them with their Chicago Black on Black crime narrative.
And don't get me started on liberal DAs letting thugs run amok giving beat downs to law abiding citizens. Here's a great piece on that mentality:
"The Liberals Who Won’t Acknowledge the Crime Problem"
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/06/us-city-violent-crime-rate-perception/661337/
Yet nowhere have I ever seen a more ridiculous statement on how to approach gun violence than governmental incentives to keep the nuclear family together. This is exactly what it looks like when foreign propaganda worms its way into the ears of red meat republicans through Tucker Carlson...they end up arguing that taxpayer dollars to entice rogue fathers back home are the answer to societal ills. Really, is there no inanity too perverse to core republican principles that these talking heads can't get the inculcated to gulp down?
This topic requires maturity and seriousness from BOTH sides, Commissioner Bergosh. And while yes, of course the absence of male role models is a core issue, and despite my immense respect for Judge Dannheisser, to argue that absent fathers are the most important predictor is not only dangerously derivative, but completely outdated.
HELLO, earth to Republicans: Barak Obama's Father's Day speech was FOURTEEN YEARS AGO.
2. Here's an actually current statistic for you. Know what percentage of inmates are substance abusers by any definition of that term?
80 PERCENT. Yes, that's eighty.
So Republicans can keep deflecting their abject failure with piling crap tons of tax dollars onto the wrong end of the bully stick with their War on Drugs. It has been an epic, TOTAL fail, as anyone who understands substance abuse and the drug markets saw coming from the beginning. I loved for instance when idiot Doug said at a recent meeting that "If we just gave our police the money and the tools they could go into these neighborhoods and clean up the opiate problem."
Guess we're going to send Sheriff Simmons into doctor's offices and pharmaceutical labs with riot gear and a warrant to start cleaning house?
Until this country recognizes that we are a *mess* of street and pharmaceutical addiction, much of it stemming from mental health issues, and starts treating that problem with the seriousness of understanding and the tax dollars it warrants, we will continue to fail on this issue. And Escambia County in particular is an absolutely intolerable failure on mental health issues in general and substance abuse in particular.
Screeding on fatherless families as The One is nothing more than Tucker red herrings rolling as a smoke screen for epic republican fails. On the other side, the Dems can keep gaslighting people that they aren't seeing and experiencing the crime that is happening and la la la their way through the world in their limousine liberalism while elderly women get beat down in the subway.
Maybe a miracle can happen and those few of us who don't subscribe to either platform fantasy can manage to box out the garbage propaganda and have serious discussions about solutions. Sadly, what's more likely for our particular area is that Republican talking points, gaslighting, and denial will rule the roundtable tonight, and our streets will continue to explode with violence.
As long as it's not happening in the rich white neighborhoods where fathers stay put and families can keep their teenagers' heroine addictions quiet--why not chew the political fat and hold the status quo? Guess we can always scrape up more Narcan and buy more guns and fool ourselves we're creating a sanctuary. Perhaps, though, if the republicans who rule this roost don't care about the lives that are being lost, they can put that delusion at the top of the list for why we're not having better success with economic development. If we want this community to reach its potential, we need to treat this topic with the seriousness it deserves, and come up with a multi-pronged plan that approaches this problem in *ALL* of its facets.
Why isn't a representive for District 5 or Century there?
Just over 450 words and once again Pino has added nothing to the conversation except Republicans, a party she claims she was once a member of, suck. She has no clue as to what or why there is a problem with juvenile gun violence except to throw money in the wrong direction. Thank goodness people see her for who she is and that she is fading from relevance.
Did Pino tell you you to remove those 2 comments 🤔 ?
I get the language was pushing it but that is exactly what they said on their own public facebook pages.
I get the leaders met for a roundtable to discuss going forward. Perhaps a little less censorship would tell the tale.
But I also know, even though I didn't watch it *yet some of it was campaign rhetoric politics for the camera.
But you need to break away from Pino forcing your hand.
It's always entertaining to stumble across Pino's page after a glass or three of wine. Can you remove her lips off your backside Bergosh?
"SHERIFF'S ROUNDTABLE ON GUN VIOLENCE.
Rick Outzen, here are the Winners, Breakout Star, In Betweens, and Losers from Chip Simmons's Roundtable tonight. Going to try to boil it down to a nutshell without being too reductive.
❤️ WINNERS
Chip Simmons, for demanding accountability from the people at the table.
Ronnie Rivera, for organizing it.
Escambia County Sherrifs Dept, for digging their way out of Morgan's legacy and actually caring about crime that a lot of white people don't give a crap about.
Lumon May, for not letting GOP gaslighters like Alex Andrade talk a bunch of shit.
Michelle Salzman, for being the ONLY person on a state level who is honestly trying to help--God knows how she deals with the two insufferable empty khakis on her delegation.
Delarian Wiggins for trying to get people to understand what happens to kids when they see blood on the pavement and are expected to shake it off at school the next day.
🔥BREAKOUT STAR
Dr. Roberts, from Superintendent Smith's office, after Smith buckled under pressure and finally coughed up one of his staff. Most shared sentiment after the meeting: "He ought to be superintendent." BE AWARE and don't let Smith shove him under the carpet. He needs to be at *every* one of these meeting.s.
🤨IN BETWEENS:
Jeff Bergosh, who had to get his Tucker Carlson points in, but also had the best material suggestion on material results--as he always does--recommending every person on the roundtable send in a short term and long-term idea towards solutions. BOO on Tucker bullshit. YEAH on pushing for real impact.
Mike Kohler (I'll tag Steven Stroberger because Mike is such a political newbie he actually thinks blocking me is smart): Mike made very good points about how if somebody is in trouble, GET THEM TO HELP. Mike also showed how absolutely clueless he is about our community, because he seemed to not realize what everybody else realizes on the panel--that help does not exist in our community.
Ginger Bowden Madden maximum respect for her openness to solutions and her willingness to work towards them. Also big thanks for pointing out there are zero programs here for her to seriously work with, and great point about transport for kids in sports. But that doesn't change that people's hope of her being a change maker in our community rather than a get alonger to get re-elected saw nothing in her remarks tonight to change their minds. First Do No Harm to the Status Quo remains the look and feel.
Eric Sharplin, who is a miracle recovery from recent health problems, and we all so loved to see him back, but he didn't bring his oxyen. Eric, bring your oxygen.
🤢LOSERS
Alex Andrade. No need to dwell on what an insufferable, hypocritic dick this POS is. As everyone recognizes. Nothing new there.
Doug Broxson He was so totally checked on and made his absolute indifference so evident people who have never seen it before saw it for the first time. I like to play a political game of asking people, "What is your favorite thing Doug Broxson has done for Escambia County?' I've asked that question dozens of times to countless keyed in political people, and of course nobody can come up with anything. Tallahassee will have fun with him being head of Appropriations, and God help us Janice Gilley as his aide. Bodes well.
That Nazi dipshit who is running against Chip Simmons and cornered Kevin Wade with his platform, which includes, among other Nazi psycho stuff, his plan to seize property and assets "once he's Sheriff" to self-fund ECSD.
Free speech. 🙁 Please, don't continue without a public comment portion Chip Simmons. This community needs, and has a right, to address this roundtable directly."
Anonymous 6:47--No. I decided and removed the comments. I had to remove that content from my blog because it violates the ground rules. One of the posts was overtly racist in my view, and this topic transcends race as I stated last night at the roundtable. That post contained the "N-Word", a despicable word that should be removed from the vocabulary of America. The second one removed had harsh language that was borderline. So I redacted both of these and posted them on a stand-alone post earlier this morning. I don't like censorship, anonymous comments are free speech, but there must be some guideposts, so far as I am concerned.
Yea!! on the Tucker Carlson stuff.
OK. Thanks yet Simmons himself said most of the killings were young black males, yet NOT gang related, that to label,it that one has to have a certain criteria. He also said domestic violence was a part of the data, not sure about the race involved there. May doesn't have a problem stating most of them are black. From what I have heard being color blind now is racist. So what ever.
You left the word $h!t in one comment above ^^^..(not that I care)
Glad you all are addressing the homicides. It IS all our concerns.
So,you can't call some one a black woman but you can call some one else a d!ck, can't say pooosay but can call a state representative a penis. OK got it. 😆 👍 👌 I'll try to follow the rules.
Dear Commissioner Bergosh,
I could not attend the Crime / gun violence round table on Oct 18, but want to lend a comment for your consideration. Before jumping off the deep end and letting the gun grabbers run wild.
I recommend taking a closer look at who are the people committing these crimes?
How many are repeat offenders?
If they are repeat offenders, why are they let loose on the streets?
Has there been a political push for for leniency that is allowing criminals out early and lesser charges?
If you go to the "hot stove" philosophy, if you touch a hot stove you ARE GOING TO GET BURNT. No matter how many times your mother and grandmother told you dont do it, if you do touch it, guess what is going to happen.
I bet if the existing laws are enforced and a lot let leniency for repeat offenders it will send a strong message, "if you do the crime, you are going to do the time."
With out a doubt, many "control types" are going to push limiting the rights and privileges of the law abiding citizens. That needs to challenged and not allowed. It needs to be on those who commit the crimes.
And all the newbies who commit a crime for the first time, under existing conditions, the current message and mentality is no problem, no matter if you use a gun and kill someone, doesnt matter, they will only slap you hands and let you go.
This is the wrong message.
Someone needs to take a closer look at prisoner rights compared to victims rights and citizens rights. Since when are criminals in prison are entitled to better treatment?
I am available anytime to clarify.
I have a way to straighten out the parole, probation, early release situation in real time. That later.
George L.
Here are some more Tucker Carlson talking points.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/10/18/tucker-carlson-notes-why-the-cultural-marxists-are-melting-down-about-elon-musk-buying-twitter-and-opening-speech/
Really so hopeful after this roundtable, and the discussions before, during, and after.
Thanks for deleting the overtly racist stuff, Commissioner Bergosh, whatever it was. By the time I checked back in here, it was gone, so I don't know what it was.
Anonymous 12:04 AM, interesting time to post. My Facebook post that got copied here was made exactly an hour and a half after the end of the roundtable at 7:00, and we stayed for a half hour after talking to people.
Although there's no doubt I could drink you under the table, just as I could shark you in pool, make you cry on a cribbage board, embarrass you in chess, make short work of you in checkers, and then when I'm done with that--out drive, swim, shoot, run, and survive you in general, my Facebook was just me throwing down the truth quickly as I had seen it. Apparently you're such a coward that you think people have to be drunk to call out public officials.
Sorry about your fear...that must feel really awful. :(
It wasn't racist, it was pertaining to the local statistic that a lot of the gun violence was in the black community committed by black men. There is a separate post with that redacted he deleted the term, "black woman" and "black man"
That's not racist. Racist is to enact policies through the government based on race. Prejudice and bigotry are also different than racism.
It's hard to solve a problem if you can't define it. Sherrif Simmons took the lead, followed by May. So it's really a non issue.
The point was it appears to me, one that calls herself a baby momma, then calls the men who they expect to come around the "one word" white people can't say", it demonstrates a lifestyle and culture that has occurred so people keep government benefits plus raise children. It is outside the cultural norm of an intact family unit. It seems the young men are disrespected and have to provide extra cash to feel important, rather than to be the provider and protector.
It is simply an observation of sociological phenomenon.
Defend the Police was the most absurd slogan ever. 🙄
May is ridiculous, in the forum today for example. He will constantly talk about special attention for "communities of color" but if it is said there is high crime rate committed by black man -- he has a problem, then you capitulate.
OK, let's do the dance.
OK we will put cameras in the "pockets of poverty" and wear rose colored glasses.
BTW, the 4 teenagers that drug grandma and ripped off her arm and clothes weren't tennis players nor swimmers nor white.
They just need a bridge? Well affirmative action has been going on for over a generation.
Cross the bridge
I meant *defund the police. Autocorrect. It was clearly on the BLM website when they were doing all the riots...worldwide, the world wide socialist were behind that. They also had a place on same web site that one could report profiles of anyone who spoke about them and to sic the digital warriors to try to cancel the people who dared to question them. Labeling them racists. I still have a bad taste in my mouth about that ordeal and it was a tool for the democrats to get the black vote.
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