an attack on law,
order, puts officers at risk
every single day

“This was an attack on law and order. This was an attack on the American people,” said Vance, who maintained it has not been portrayed that way by many journalists.

“The way that the media, by and large, has reported this story has been an absolute disgrace,” he added. “And it puts our law enforcement officers at risk every single day.”

“What you see is what you get in this case,” Vance said, downplaying ambiguity about the circumstances that led to the shooting.

The officer was clearly acting in self-defense, Vance said. He framed Good as “a victim of left-wing ideology” who was spurred by an alleged network of politically motivated groups to interfere with law enforcement.

“I can believe that her death is a tragedy while also recognizing that it is a tragedy of her own making,” Vance said.

JD Vance as quoted describing recent events in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the article Vance blames victim of fatal ICE shooting at White House briefing (Associated Press 1/8/2026).

Taking a wide angle view of events and reactions, it’s lucky that the ICE officers of today were not on duty back on January 6th at the US Capital.

I am reminded of an exchange on the old tv show, Northern Exposure between Dr. Dr. Joel Fleischman and Morning DJ Chris Stevens.

Chris Stevens: “Joel, I think that you’re confusing the truth with facts.”
Dr. Joel Fleischman: “No, the facts change, Chris. The truth is constant.”
Chris Stevens: “Oh, on the contrary, my friend: The truth changes. The truth about Custer. Hero or villain? Civilizer or agent of genocide? The truth slips and turns. The facts remain the same.”
Dr. Joel Fleischman: “Yeah? What about light? Particle or wave? I mean, it exhibits qualities of both. When the truth is finally known, the facts will be made to accommodate the truth.”

folly to assume
the demands of his ego
will be satisfied

Trump is a vain and petty man, and it is easy to impute psychological motives to his actions. But it is folly to assume the demands of his ego will be satisfied by symbolic victories. Revulsion and desire are two sides of the same coin, and it is clear that Trump covets the kind of unaccountable power Maduro enjoyed — to enrich his family and cronies, to intimidate political opponents, to muzzle the press, to flood the streets of his country with armed men who do his bidding. Trump has managed to do a measure of all of these things. No doubt he intends to do more.

From the New York Times Opinion piece, This Is Trump’s Small Trick to Destroy American Democracy by Lydia Polgreen.

I am reminded of the bully in the movie, A Christmas Story.

The movie, A Christmas Story was based on the book, But In god we trust all others pay cash by Jean Shepherd.

It is interesting to point out that the evil bully, Scut Farkus is not the bully in the book.

Grover Dill is.

Of Grover Dill, Jean Shephard writes, “Dill was a Running Nose type of Bully. His nose was always running, even when it wasn’t. He was a yelling, wiry, malevolent, sneevily snively Bully who had quelled all insurgents for miles around. I did not know one kid ‘who was not afraid of Dill, mainly because Dill was truly aggressive. This kind of aggression later in life is often called “Talent” or “Drive,” but to the great formless herd of kids it just meant a lot of running, getting belted, and continually feeling ashamed.“

Farkus shows up in Jean Shephard’s second book of growing up in Indiana memories titled, “Wanda Hickies Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters.”

Again and again, something a supporter of the current feller in the Oval Office said.

“He fights my battles for me.”

Dill or Farkus, the movie, Ralphie says, “In our world, you were either a bully, a toady or one of the nameless rabble of victims.”

I was part of the nameless rabble of victims.

Difficult for me to imagine being a Grover Dill or Scut Farkus fan.

I mean, really?

I support the Scut Farkus and the Grover Dill people of this world.

They fight my battles for me.

Really?

movement of the waves
wind, sand, distant horizon
sky meeting water

I walked toward the water, as if pulled to it.

The ocean stops me in a way few things do.

I watched the movement of the waves,

the wind over the sand, the distant horizon,

sky meeting water,

the teals and shades of blue,

washed-out watercolors that were changing by the minute as the sun moved higher,

shining light over the waves,

over the sand,

the world waking up again.

From I See You’ve Called in Dead: A Novel by John Kenney (New York: Zibby Publishing, 2025).

The world waking up again.

Got my coffee and my tablet and opened to the news.

The headline that caught my eye is in the New York Times that stated, “Video of ICE Shooting Becomes a Political Rorschach Test.”

A rorschach test according to Wikipedia is: “The Rorschach test is a projective psychological test in which subjects’ perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then analyzed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both. Some psychologists use this test to examine a person’s personality characteristics and emotional functioning. It has been employed to detect underlying thought disorder, especially in cases where patients are reluctant to describe their thinking processes openly.”

This is the classic ink blot and what do you see?

The headline refers to a video of an altercation between an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer and a woman in a mini van.

The headline pre-supposes that when watching the video, a person’s perceptions and reactions can be analyzed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both to examine a person’s personality characteristics and emotional functioning.

It might even be employed to detect a person’s underlying thought disorder, especially in cases where patients are reluctant to describe their thinking processes openly.

Usually a Rorschach test uses an image of an inkblot and some folks see one thing and other folks see other things.

For example, this is Card IV of the 10 card test, sometimes subjectively called the “Father Card” (without empirical verification), is noted for its imposing image and thematic emphasis on authority, strength, and male figures.

For today, the Rorschach test uses this image.

Some folks on viewing this photo see Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers afraid for their lives in a situation where the decision of last resort has become the first response. An officer, seeing his life pass before his eyes as certain death approaches in the form of a weaponized car, makes the only decision left and in the split second of time to make a life or death decision, chooses death and fires his weapon into the driver of the car, some three feet away.

Other folks on viewing this photo see an overaction of deadly force made with malice aforethought and little regard for life or consequences of action. An action that caused the death of a human being with premeditation and with intent to effect the death of the person.*

I put it to you that this isn’t a Rorschach test at all.

A Rorschach test, to me, involves someone being open to look at the image and interpret on its merits.

This photo, a moment in time is nothing but a mirror and folks see exactly what they bring to the mirror and see what they want to see.

How did we get here?

I walked toward the water, as if pulled to it.

The ocean stops me in a way few things do.

• Wording taking from the State of Minnesota Statute 609.185 (Murder in the First Degree).

have been treacherous
in order good might come out
apparent evil

Adapted from Mark Twain’s essay, “To the Person Sitting in Darkness” published in 1901.

Mr. Twain writes:

Having now laid all the historical facts before the Person Sitting in Darkness, we should bring him to again, and explain them to him. We should say to him:

“They look doubtful, but in reality they are not.

There have been lies; yes, but they were told in a good cause.

We have been treacherous; but that was only in order that real good might come out of apparent evil.

True, we have crushed a deceived and confiding people; we have turned against the weak and the friendless who trusted us; we have stamped out a just and intelligent and well-ordered republic; we have stabbed an ally in the back and slapped the face of a guest; we have bought a Shadow from an enemy that hadn’t it to sell; we have robbed a trusting friend of his land and his liberty; we have invited our clean young men to shoulder a discredited musket and do bandit’s work under a flag which bandits have been accustomed to fear, not to follow; we have debauched America’s honor and blackened her face before the world; but each detail was for the best.

We know this.

The Head of every State and Sovereignty in Christendom and ninety percent. of every legislative body in Christendom, including our Congress and our fifty State Legislatures, are members not only of the church, but also of the Blessings-of-Civilization Trust. This world-girdling accumulation of trained morals, high principles, and justice, cannot do an unright thing, an unfair thing, an ungenerous thing, an unclean thing. It knows what it is about. Give yourself no uneasiness; it is all right.

Now then, that will convince the Person. You will see. It will restore the Business. Also, it will elect the Master of the Game to the vacant place in the Trinity of our national gods; and there on their high thrones the Three will sit, age after age, in the people’s sight, each bearing the Emblem of his service: Washington, the Sword of the Liberator; Lincoln, the Slave’s Broken Chains; the Master, the Chains Repaired.

According to Wikipedia, “To the Person Sitting in Darkness” is an essay by American author Mark Twain published in the North American Review in February 1901. It is a satire exposing imperialism as revealed in the Boxer Rebellion and its aftermath, the Boer War, and the Philippine–American War, expressing Twain’s anti-imperialist views.

I had kinda sorta made a New Year’s resolution to keep my posts in the world of words and avoid political commentary.

So the resolution lasted 6 days into the New Year.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, well, there it is.

I keep coming back to something Barack Obama said during the 2024 election.

President Obama referred to the birth certificate claims that were made about him and Mr. Obama said, “Remember when we thought this was crazy as he could get?”

As President George W. Bush said back in 2017, “That’s some weird shit.“

There on their high thrones the Three will sit, age after age, in the people’s sight, each bearing the Emblem of his service:

Washington, the Sword of the Liberator;

Lincoln, the Slave’s Broken Chains;

The Master, the Chains Repaired.

And so we watch.