(this soldier arrived alone with no one to meet him)For months now we have been attempting to get Tallahassee Police Chief Dennis Jones to answer one simple question. Which is more important Football or Servicemen. Last night we apparently got our answer.
Six (correction: there were 5 ) of us were riding south last night on Monroe Avenue when coming towards us we saw the Flashing lights of police cars. Although traffic was not heavy, coming up to a red light we pulled as close to the curb as we could. After all there was more than one police car, which in our mind meant there was a significant problem somewhere.
As they came close to main intersection of Tennessee and Monroe they blasted their sirens as they blew the light followed by approx. 4 large buses with blacked out windows.
As all 6 of us have ridden with the Patriot Guard we looked at each other with WTF looks when the light changed and every light there after going, “did you see that?” Like trying to validate each others reality.
See these were not Tallahassee Police, Leon County Police or even Florida State Troopers.
These were fully dressed Alabama State Troopers directing traffic in Tallahassee, Florida in order to escort, we will have to assume Alabama people because the windows were blacked out, home “AFTER” the FAMU, Alabama Football game. Note the word “after”. Because these people were in air conditioned buses and traffic was light. So what was the need to blow the lights with sirens blaring?
A little background as to the significance of this occurrence:
On 7-12-08 we published this post,(link) Tallahassee, Florida a State Capital where patriotism is dead. in which we decried the failure of the Tallahassee public to pay proper respect to returning servicemen. We also pointed out how the Tallahassee area was one of the few places that we have ever escorted homecoming servicemen and women, dead or alive, that consistently refused to offer an escort.
As result of that and further postings (all of which will be listed below) people from everywhere began e-mailing law enforcement and others in this area. Eventually the Tallahassee Democrat and WCTV picked up the story.
First we heard that the Chief and the Sheriff agreed to provide escorts. Then it was escorts would be provided only to KIA's. It then morphed into escorts would be provided if it did not interfere with football games. Which eventually got narrowed down to the Leon County Sheriffs dept. stating that KIA's would get an escort regardless and Leon County Sheriff Campbell stating that it was TPD Chief Dennis Jones that made the statement re: football games.
Since that time this site has called for Chief Jones resignation. Based not only on his failure to publicly take a stand and stating that our troops come before football but also due to the handling of the Rachel Hoffman case and the States Attorney advising that his office could no longer prosecute one officers D.U.I. arrests due to long time knowledge of improprieties involved in the arrests made by a TPD officer.
Since that time the interest of the Tallahassee Democrat and WCTV has faded. After-all, both the Sheriff and the Police chief did the politically correct thing and paid lip service to the importance of honoring servicemen.
In the meantime, servicemen arrive alone at the airport with no company but memories while football players suffering the traumatic consequences of the win or the loss of a college football game are escorted home.
Imagine if you would, being a serviceman unmet at the airport trying to make your way home having to pull over for the important passing of football players. How would you feel?
Imagine Floridians, that while your sons and daughters are serving your country overseas, Alabama Police are making you pull over so that Alabama football players will not be inconvenienced by a red light.
Alabama Police can not be faulted for this situation. Alabama Police escort soldiers, dead or alive, to the airport, from the airport and on the sad occasions when called for, to the grave. While Alabamians pull of the road salute or put their hands over their hearts and pay respect.
The current attitude of the city, county, college and media officials that allow this disgrace to continue is part and parcel of why we are in this war and why we will be in others. They just don't freaking give a damn.
As we said in a previous post we will no longer attempt to beg or cajole those who care not for their own rights to stand up for themselves. But this we will not give up, demanding that our officials pay not only the respect due to the KIA but to any and all servicemen who return from a war zone. If the economies of doing so are prohibitive, then the cost of war is prohibitive. And if you can not stand up, then stand down and get the hell out of the way!
Sam Stone by John Prine 1971 Sam Stone came home, To his wife and family After serving in the conflict overseas. And the time that he served, Had shattered all his nerves, And left a little shrapnel in his knee. But the morphine eased the pain, And the grass grew round his brain, And gave him all the confidence he lacked, With a Purple Heart and a monkey on his back. 37 years and a generation and a half later things are no better
This post will be mailed to the following to the addresses. All responses will be printed here.
Yes I know that there are some who have e-mailed these people a number of times without even a response. But we did get lip service. It is now time to go after real change. As we have stated before No retreat, no compromise no surrender. This battle is not a local battle. It is to send a message that we, all of us, are sick and tired of being dictated to by people who have forgotten the cost of Freedom!
“One voice is but a whisper, a thousand voices a roar!”
Links to some related posts:
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Being sent this date to:
Tallahassee Police Department:
http://www.talgov.com/email.cfm?id=david.e.mccranie
Tallahassee Commisioners: Use this link to contact all of them at once
http://www.talgov.com/email.cfm?id=commissioners
Use this link to contact all the County commissioners at once:
http://www.leoncountyfl.gov/BCC/email/
Tallahasee Democrat
http://tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=CUSTOMERSERVICE03
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