My memory is not serving me well right now, and so I am unable to give the proper context to an old Irish story …..but it has to do with one of the United Irishmen, being questioned about possible regrets moments before he was executed. "No regrets," he said, "for I have sons to carry on from here." And that same belief in the "next generation" is something that I share ….not only when I read, with a delight that comes into sharp focus despite the post-surgery fog, the post "Our Father" that my oldest son placed here to let my friends know of my recent (and current) episode.

Words alone do not do justice to what I wish that I could say here and now. But, I think you know, and for the time being, that is enough for me. Not that I have the strength and ability to say much more now. I’ve got to resist the impulse to "do" something, anything, but to rest and try to gather the energy needed for all of the tomorrow’s that I absolutely plan to be a part of ….here, in my home, with my family, and friends, and yes, on DU.

My children have read a number of OPs and threads to me, and I can say that they have picked this old bag of aching bones up, much in the manner that my son Darren did on Saturday. The same strength and concern comes through. And even though it goes against my very nature to accept help – for that requires me to admit to we, wea, weak, weakn…..well, needing help – I do thank you. Your help is appreciated.

As a human being, I have some roadblocks in the way, that sometimes prevent me from doing what I need to do, to be well. And that isn’t limited to physical health. Corey read me a thread by someone, about rejection from family members, and I started thinking …..my mother, sister, brother-in-law, and a nephew live but six miles down the road. But I have not heard a peep from them ….in years ….since they last needed something from me. But, not a word in my time(s) of need. Maybe it is this type of common experience that allows us the strength to roll back some of those stones that would otherwise block our paths in life, and to find the ability to re-define what "family values" really are.

So. Back to the couch, and from there, to Ireland. My "boys" are headed there in late December – early January. Then, this summer, the six of us are going. I’ve been wanting to go there, to visit the dirt roads that my grandfather walked on, before coming to this land. We have to save up some money, obviously, but I’m not going to allow that type of worry to be a roadblock. Life is far too short. And I’ve got a lot of living to do.

Thank you, to everyone who has been taking part on the Wounded Waterman Threads.

Your friend,
Pat

Thank you, Members of The Democratic Underground!

On behalf of "H2O Man’s" family, I want to thank each and every one of you who has taken the time to send a much needed message of concern and support to Dad. We have been reading your notes to him, and I think that they are as uplifting to us as they are to him. When I get back from classes today, I will be assisting him in his response. But, before that happens, I hope that it is okay if I share a few of my thoughts here.

I’m remembering this summer, when one of Dad’s best friends was here, looking for some good books to borrow. Dad’s collection of books is larger than some libraries around here. His friend got to the section where Dad keeps his numerous books on roses, and started shaking his head. "As well as I know him," he said, "I’m never sure that I really know him."

After reading the things you people wrote here, I think that you know him. But you might be surprised to know that, at times, we hear him talking to the computer screen, or the television, or a book he is reading. Let Dick Cheney’s mug show up on the screen, and Dad snarls and swears, just as he snarled and swore when we wanted to get him to the hospital.

The past few days have allowed me the chance to know things about him that I was previously unaware of. This was not the first time he had this type of experience. Twenty-six years ago, a doctor told him that he had a hernia that required surgery. Dad was working two full-time jobs, from midnight to 6:30 pm, thirteen days in a row, with one day off. Dad kept working, because my mother was pregnant with me, and he thought they needed the money. This was a poor choice on his part.

I was born with problem in my digestive tract. My first doctor misdiagnosed that problem, and I almost died. Another doctor got it right. I had assumed that Dad was the "stay home" parent as a result of this. But I think it may have been because his doctor refused to sign a "back-to-work" note for him, because both jobs involved physical labor (farming and sand-blasting).

Dad and my pediatrician became close friends. Mom (Victoria is actually Darren and my step-mother, but is "Mom" to us without interference to our relationship with our other Mom) said that once, when she told the pediatrician about her frustrations with Dad’s stubborn refusal to take care of himself, he told her that there was really very little she could do, because men in general and Irishmen more than anyone else, are predisposed to ignoring their health. He told her that there could come a time when she would need to actually call an ambulance if there was an emergency, and to remember that he said it was the right thing to do.

On Saturday, Mom and I were going to call an ambulance, when Darren drove up the driveway. It was such a relief! Darren can cut through the bullshit fast. He told Dad that he was taking him to the ER. Dad said he would go after the big boxing match, but that it would "ruin everything" for people if he missed the fight. Darren said it would ruin more if he died while watching the fight. Dad started saying that he’d rather die at home than in the hospital. That was all it took. Darren said, "Well, you’re not going to die, Old Man. I’ll tell you about the fight tomorrow," and carried him off. Believe me when I say that no other person has the relationship with Dad that allows them to pick him up when he doesn’t want to be picked up.

Darren and Mom were with him at the ER. Then Darren came home, and told me to take a turn. There were about twenty people here by then, and everyone asked Darren how Dad was doing? He said he wished he had a video camera, because as weird as it was, Dad’s sense of humor was outrageous. When a nurse was asking questions about alcohol, tobacco, and "street drugs," Dad said that while he didn’t use any of them, if they had free samples, he’d be willing to try any combination of them.

The medical staff was under the impression that Dad was having a heart attack. We all thought so, as well. But on the table, Dad acted annoyed, and lifted his shirt to show them what looked like an egg that was about to hatch on his abdomen. That’s when they had the ambulance transport him to another hospital for surgery.

What was not "funny" was that Dad risked a lot with what Darren referred to as "that unacceptable combination of stubborn and stupid." I know that he won’t be happy when he reads this, but that’s okay. Ignoring a medical problem is not okay.

Darren and I are finishing a two-year project with Dad. It’s a book about Native American history, that features much of the work Dad has done with both Chief Paul Waterman, and my pediatrician (who was on the State Museum’s Iroquois Studies).For the past few years, I’ve served as Dad’s editor, for the things that he writes for publication. Darren does some of the "ghost-writing" for Dad on his boxing articles. Both of us know his speaking and writing style very well. (I’ve filled in for him twice in public speaking engagements. He is still better at the "Q&A" part.) Our sisters are both involved in the book project, as well.

When that is finished, Darren is going to pressure Dad to let us help him on an autobiography. I’m sure that he and I are not entirely objective, but we really think it would be of value. Our friends like it when we sit down with Dad and talk about politics, society, history, and human relations. You would be surprised if you knew half the stuff that he’s done in his life. It’s like, as well as you know him, there are still sometimes when you realize how much went into the process that made him the way he is.

Once again, on behalf of Mom, his children, and H2O Man, thank you.

Corey

To those on The Democratic Underground:

We think that many of the people on this forum know our father, "H2O Man." This is the political site he likes the best. So we want to share some information with you about Dad.

For the past month, we’ve known that he has some serious health issues. But he is a stubborn sort - not possessing the insight to practice the same level of care for himself, that he does for others.

This weekend, it hit a crisis point. While preparing for family friends to come over in the evening to watch a championship boxing match, he began to take on a gray, sweat-soaked appearance. He refused to cooperate with Mom’s and my efforts to get him to the Emergency Room. Finally, my brother Darren picked him up and carried him to his jeep.

To make a long story medium length, it turned out that his abdominal wall had a rather long and wide rip, and his intestines had wrapped about his stomach. From the ER, he was taken via ambulance to a fine hospital that specializes in such things. Mom and Darren said that Dad did his comedy routine right up until they put him under for the surgery. The operation was successful - and his predictions for the fight were right on the money.

When he returns to our home, his doctors have ordered him to do nothing for six weeks. For this reason, we would politely request your kind assistance. Mom would hope that people on The Democratic Underground will help keep "H2O Man" pre-occupied with entertaining himself on The Democratic Underground. Can you help?

In keeping with his unique ability to wax and wane poetically and politically, I must paraphrase Albert Murray, the Tuskagee scholar, and say that Dad and DU are the long heirs and continuators of the most indigenous mythic prefiguration of the most fundamental existential assumptions which underlie the human preposition we recognize as the Declaration of Independence, perhaps especially being highlighted by the Emancipation Proclamation (not to mention the Gettysburg Address, both of which Dad is convinced are fully needed today), all of which is further particularized in the Bill of Rights in that Constitution that our Father, who art in recovery from painful surgery, so often talks about.

We would appreciate your help with this. He really does listen to people on this site, even if he comes across as a stubborn, opinionated grumpy old man. We like that he finds this site an inspiration for the countless letters and phone calls he makes, to politicians and newspaper editors. If anyone here wants us to pass a message on to him, we’d be happy to do so.

"Keep fighting ‘the Good Fight!’"

Corey, on behalf of the Sons & Daughters of "H2O Man"

"I’m for whatever gets results. I don’t go for any organization that has to compromise with the power structure and has to rely on certain elements within the power structure for their financing, which puts them in a position to be influenced and controlled all over again by the power structure itself. I’m for anything that gets results for the masses of our people – but not just for the benefit of a hand-picked few."
--Malcolm X; January 28, 1965

There are, of course, people who hold a wide range of social and political views, who identify themselves as "democrats." I am one of those people. In the past year – and particularly in the past couple of months – I’ve read and thought about a number of the OPs and threads on the Democratic Underground, including a whole bunch that focus on what people believe that being a "democrat" really is …..and is not. Many of these have been both interesting and of value, others with little meaning or value, and of course, many that fall somewhere in the middle.

I’ve been a member of the DU community since 2003. I joined, in part, because I found this forum to be a place where liberal and progressive democrats could talk shop. There are people who have slightly different opinions on what "liberal" and "progressive" means; in my view, a liberal seeks to make substantial changes to the system, in order to bring about social justice, while progressives believe that the system requires changes from the foundation up, in order to make social justice a possibility.

I identify myself as a progressive democrat. I am entirely comfortable working with liberals, who I consider slightly to the right, as well as with my non-democratic friends who are further to the left than I am. We tend to view certain things in slightly different terms, but we have shared values, common goals, and a sense of trust.

While I do not seek to impose my religious/spiritual beliefs on anyone else, they are part of my being. I subscribe to a humanist, earth-based Liberation Theology. That translates into my being a Kennedy Democrat: President Kennedy’s American University address, in which he spoke of a world without offensive weapons systems, and an investment in human beings, is my manifesto. I am a King Democrat: when Martin Luther King, Jr., told us in his "A Time to Break Silence (Beyond Vietnam)" speech that we had to come to value human life more than machines and profit motives, I know he was absolutely on target. I am again a Kennedy Democrat: the transformation of Attorney General Robert Kennedy into Senator Kennedy, the anti-war advocate of the poor and oppressed, is in my opinion a road map for all those who work for social justice. I am a Gandhi Democrat: I know of no God other than that found in the hearts of the poor, oppressed, and suffering. And I am a Malcolm X Democrat: I believe that we must try to be honest, speak honestly, and live honestly, even when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable.

During the Bush-Cheney years, I enjoyed DU as an island of relative sanity, at a time when I believed that our form of Constitutional Democracy was being ruthlessly and utterly destroyed. This is not to say that I was suffering from any delusions about the serious threats to our democracy in previous times. Nor that I thought the election of any and all democratic politicians would be a cure.

Yet, I invested time, energy, and money during the ’06 and ’08 elections, just as I have ever since turning 18. The difference was that I had a greater ability to engage in "voter education and registration." In my own small way, from the grass roots level, I was able to contribute to the larger movement that is best illustrated by the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States.

Still, I did not fool myself into believing that our mission was accomplished, or our goals met. I had stated numerous times on DU, for example, even before last year’s elections, that liberal and progressive democrats would be required to step up the organizing for pressuring President Obama to end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Not only because these are not wars we can "win" – one might have supported the initial military response in Afghanistan, but that window of opportunity closed long ago, and the invasion of Iraq was necroconservatism’s lie – but not only will the continued efforts to occupy these lands cause far more suffering, death, and hatred, but they make meaningful human progress in this country impossible.

Recently, I have noticed a disturbing increase in posts on this forum that strike me as going beyond advocating a moderate democratic agenda, and instead seem like attempts to impose a rigid, conservative democratic view. This goes beyond the usual clutter that is found when browsing DU:GD. I do not care if Carrie Prejean picks her nose, or if Jon and Kate pass gas. But I do question the motivation of those who seem intent upon discrediting liberal and progressive ideals, labeling them as unrealistic, and defining conservative democrat’s actions and inaction as being "the way."

Malcolm used to describe the politicians in Washington, DC, in an interesting way. He said that the republicans were wolves, who would bare their fangs right to your face, to let you know they were a threat to your well-being. And he said the democrats were foxes, that smiled to your face, then bit you from behind. Now, of course, Malcolm had some friends in Washington, and was speaking in general terms. I think that most liberal and progressive democrats understand and appreciate what he meant. Conservative democrats might understand it, though I doubt they would appreciate him telling the truth that way.

Now, I realize that not only is there room for wide differences in values and opinions within the democratic party, but that the same holds true for the Democratic Underground. But, as a progressive democrat, who engages in the organizing efforts at the grass roots level, I know that I can’t go back to the well in 2010, and get much support for the politicians in Washington who have helped continue the wars, or who have not fought for the Public Option, or other meaningful changes. I will only invest my time, energy, and money in support of those who engaged in meaningful efforts to help the masses of our people, rather than that hand-picked few.

Peace,
H2O Man

Recently, there have been a number of threads on DU:GD, in which the topic of a possible "men’s issues" forum has been discussed. I’ve made a few brief comments on some of these threads. In one, I added a few thoughts that I hoped might be of some value to others; that post resulted in what I believed were thoughtful responses, and so I thought that I might attempt an OP on the topic.

I’ll start with my "resume." I was raised in what politely might be called a "dysfunctional" family, the youngest of five children. Our family was poor, due to some changes in the economic system – the railroad my extended family found employment on went bankrupt. There were unhealthy, unhappy roles for everyone: male and female, young and old. For many years, I considered the fourth line in the first chapter of the 1973 book "The Sixteenth Round" to be an accurate description: "The kindest thing that I can say about my childhood is that I survived it." Looking back today, however, I am convinced it provided me with an apprenticeship in how not to live and think.

There’s an old adage, that if at a party of 100 people, 98 speak English, and 2 French, within a short time, those two will find each other. Thus, I married a truly decent girlfriend, at an early age. We had two sons, and then she felt a need to "find herself." She got the house, two cars, and part of my paycheck. I got custody of our two young sons.

Separation and divorce tend to bring out the worst in people. I can honestly tell you that I did the best I could for my sons. But, being honest with myself, I must also say that I made mistakes. Recognizing that, I decided to attend one of the local men’s support groups.

The problem soon came into sharper focus: there were no local groups of that nature. But, because both my downstairs neighbor (recently separated) and I had approached a number of other guys in similar circumstances, and there was both interest and a need, we began our own group.

I have a number of spiral notebooks from those days, in which I kept an on-going journal of my own experiences, including my impressions of the group members and dynamics. There was, of course, a wide range in perspectives. People process life experiences very differently. Some guys were sad; others were angry; and many had increased their consumption of intoxicating substances. Some blamed themselves, others blamed their ex. And, though fewer in number, there were guys who clearly had a greater understanding of their role, including their rights and responsibilities. Looking back on these journals, I suspect that our living rooms had been transformed into a classroom. And, like most classrooms, what a person invested in it

I was employed as a psychiatric social worker. Between that and the many responsibilities involved in (single) parenting, my social life was not one illustrated by a grand fireworks display. However, as a retired amateur boxer, I was comfortable in my relative seclusion. I had general plan to raise the boys, and see them off to college, before considering any serious relationship with a female of the opposite sex.

Sure thing, self. As John sang, life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. I became friends with a new co-worker, and then my Yoko Only. My life fast-forwarded to eventually getting married, and having two daughters. Living in our large, old house, the six of us have had an adventure in modern family life. That includes most of the "good," as well as some of the "bad" things that people experience in their homes.

Decades of employment in the field of human services has made it clear beyond any debate that human beings of both sexes, any sexual orientation, and of all ages can be violent. That violence can manifest itself in many, many ways. It can be physical, verbal, sexual, emotional, financial, and more often than not, combines with others to create a synergism that degrades, damages, and destroys people.

More, just as there can be hell inside a household, it spills out into the streets, schools, churches, work place, and other social/civic/political institutions. The truth is that our culture cannot institute meaningful, progressive changes in these arenas, when we remain trapped in the mire of an unhealthy conflict between the sexes. To make meaningful, progressive changes on the outside, we must begin on the inside. People must think differently, before they can possibly be expected to act differently. And, while it may seem a very small step – having a DU men’s group – but those who bemoan a lack of opportunity too often fail to recognize that small doors sometimes open into large rooms. Not only that, but any journey of a thousand miles must begin with that first small step.

I fully endorse the proposal for a DU men’s group.

Thank you,
H2O Man

Saturday, November 14 - Las Vegas, Nevada (HBO PPV) - Welterweights: Miguel Angel Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) vs. Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs)

Certain truths are self-evident. Among them, that the term "Super Fight" is over-used by promoters seeking to inflate ticket and PPV sales. However, this coming Saturday, boxing fans are being treated to an actual Super Fight, between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. In a year when the sport has enjoyed a revival in every division except the heavyweights, this fight is second to none.

On paper, it would appear that Pac Man has to be favored. He is in the prime of one of boxing’s truly legendary careers. He has grown in size and strength, yet has retained his speed of hand and foot, and his punching power has translated extremely well to the higher weight divisions. More, in Freddie Roach, Manny has the perfect match as his trainer: Roach understands the mental and physical dynamics of boxing as well as any trainer today. In fact, like Pacquiao, Freddie has secured his spot among the best ever. Now, that is a tough combination to compete against in the brutal, unforgiving world of boxing.

Yet, in Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao faces his most dangerous test in the higher weight divisions. It would be easy to focus too much attention on Cotto’s lone loss, when he was TKOed in 11 rounds by Antonio Margarito in July of 2008. But Miguel Cotto brings far, far more into the ring than one defeat – a loss that certainly has an asterisk next to it, due to the loaded hand wraps controversy.

Cotto is, in fact, one of the most intense of predators inside the ring. Except for the loss to Margarito, Miguel has been able to ultimately impose his will on some of the best fighters of his era, including opponents who have speed, superior boxing skills, and serious punching power. Cotto has fast hands, good balance and upper-body movement, can cut off the ring, and the ability to throw his punches in a manner that can offset an opponent’s greater hand speed. And, as Paul Malignaggi has noted, he is the "dirtiest" fighter in the business: he will use his head, shoulders, and elbows as weapons. In his war with Zab Judah, Cotto also displayed a willingness to throw as many hard low blows as needed to impair his foe’s defensive skills.

It is also important to recognize that Miguel Cotto’s best punch is his left hook to the body. It is extremely difficult to fight back if you have had the wind knocked out of you. It’s impossible to remain on your feet, if your opponent has curled your legs underneath you with a shot to the liver. That’s just a reality in the ring, and one that accounts for the two out of three loses on Pacquiao’s record that were by knockout.

Still, although no outcome will surprise me, I tend to favor Manny by TKO somewhere around the 8th or 9th round. The biggest factor, in my opinion, will be his advantage in hand speed. Pacquiao is a crisp puncher at welterweight, and Cotto’s eyebrows will not hold up. The reduction in his field of vision will make it easier for Pacquiao to deliver punches that Miguel does not see coming. And Cotto has a history of being hurt by fast punches that he doesn’t see coming – not only in the Ricardo Torres fight, but more importantly, even against Malignaggi.

If Manny Pacquiao wins, it will set the stage for the only fight in boxing that would be even more anticipated as a "Super Fight" – against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. It seems to me to be one of those fights that boxing demands. Not just the experts, and the fans, but boxing history. While I believe that we will see that fight, likely next June in Yankee Stadium, and it’s build-up will be outrageous, it might not be as exciting a fight as we are going to watch this weekend.

Enjoy the fight. Good luck to both Pacquiao and Cotto, and may the best man win.

"Soldier, your eyes, they shine like the sun
I wonder why
Soldier, your eyes shine like the sun
I wonder why

"Jesus, I saw you walkin’ on the river
I don’t believe you
You can’t deliver right away
I wonder why

"Jesus, your eyes shine like the sun
I wonder why"
--Neil Young

I enjoy listening to Neil Young when the outside world seems unstable. Thus, I listen to a lot of his music.

I have an intellectual understanding of people who have violence in their hearts. And I can appreciate the right to self-defense. But it makes me feel ill to read some of the messages that a few of my casual friends, employed in the local media, are making on an internet forum known as "Facebook" today. They are interpreting the terrible bloodshed at the military base as part of a Crusade, and demanding "revenge."

The violence at the military base was a horrible thing. I feel terrible for the dead, the wounded, and their family and friends. The individual who committed the attack must be held fully responsible. And, if the investigation uncovers evidence of others being involved, then they, too, must be held responsible.

Yet the angry, unfocused, and paranoid calls for "retaliation" are both sick and unpatriotic. This nation has far too much fear and hatred, and far too much violence in its cities, streets, and homes. The embracing of any ideology – religious, political, economic, or otherwise – that advocates aggressive violence, a force that always devours the innocent, threatens the soul of our country.

When I was young, I was taught that the nation that is richest is the one that is inhabited by the highest percentage of happy, compassionate, and noble people, for the dignity of humanity is the greatest treasure in any land. I think of that when I see the fear and hatred destroying human beings in our country, and how that fear, hatred, and violence is defining our culture, and as such, becoming our largest export.

I wonder why.

"The Irish found their way in sports, too, earliest and perhaps most memorably in boxing. ….The Irish were also drawn to baseball." –The Irish in America; Coffey & Golway; 1997; page 182.

Usually, my contributions to the DU sports forum focus on the sport of boxing. However, in recent weeks, I’ve posted a few comments about the NY Yankees. Most of my friends here have taken those comments in good humor, which I appreciate. Perhaps a few have realized that there was a reason – beyond the 2009 post-season – why I was posting the comments I made. I’d like to take a minute to explain that reason.And, as so often is the case, the "moment" I take may stretch out a bit ….as it covers a few generations.

My great grandfather, James, moved his family from Ireland to New York in 1879, when my grandfather was 4 years old. As was common at the time, my great grandfather was among a wave of immigrants who came to live with or near other family members, who came in a wave several years earlier. Most of the men in my family were stone-cutters, first working on the canals, then the railroads. James was a small farmer, who instead was able to support his family by using his horses and wagons to haul trash. He would rent or buy land, fill it in, and improve it. When he owned the land, he would re-sell it; if he had rented it, the owner would have that option. An example of this was some bottom-land near Coogan’s Bluff, owned by the Coogan family. An area that was once prone to seasonal flooding became a fun place to play baseball.

My grandfather, Michael, loved baseball and boxing, in that order. His younger brother, Pat, loved boxing and baseball. Mike became the owner of a large construction company. He also owned and played on one of the many "semi-pro" baseball teams of that era. Pat was a railroader, who boxed professionally. There was, of course, a period where professional boxing was illegal in NYS, and so like so many fighters from that era, his actual record is "incomplete," and lost to history.

I grew up hearing stories about Mike and Pat’s experiences. Decades of living in the NYC-NJ region, owning a company that employed boxers who didn’t earn enough in the ring to only box, and the playing baseball, gave them the opportunity to know a heck of a lot of top athletes. Grandpa employed Arnold Raymond Cream, who went on to win the heavyweight title as Jersey Joe Walcott. He used to drink with Ty Cobb and Two-Ton Tony Galento. (And yes, I know the legendary Cobb’s general dislikes of certain ethnic groups, but he shared a friendship with my grandfather.) He was proud that his team once played against the NY Highlanders. Even after he was retired, Uncle Pat served as a sparring partner and assistant trainer for guys like Jack Sharkey, Jimmy Braddock and Max Schmeling.

My father’s older brother Pat was a talented baseball player, though not good enough for the pros. The sport had changed, of course, with the distinction between the semi-pro, now farm teams, and the Big Dance. So Pat became a sports writer, and eventually covered the NY Yankees for a sports magazine. He died from complications from the Irish flu before I was born, and I only have one photograph of him, in a uniform from a NJ team, out on the baseball field.

Mike and Pat both eventually moved their families to rural, upstate NY. They would frequently travel to Yankee Stadium, for both baseball games and boxing matches. My father and uncles loved baseball, though only one brother boxed. They carried on the tradition of family trips to Yankee Stadium. Also, the Yankees used to play an exhibition game at Cooperstown every year. As my uncles were high-ranking in law enforcement in the state, they could get us full access to the games. Hence, my brother has a mint-conditioned 1963 Yankee yearbook, autographed by every player on the team.

While both of my brothers loved boxing and baseball, I focused almost exclusively on boxing. I did play a lot of "neighborhood" baseball, of course. Our hamlet used to play against kids from other villages, hamlets, and neighborhoods. The same bags that held our baseball gear also carried the boxing equipment, and after a ball game, we would have boxing cards. Thus, my participation in baseball was a vehicle for boxing.

I remember reading that Ty Cobb considered baseball to be a form of warfare, with every "at bat" being a highly emotional contest of wills. I could relate that to my approach to boxing. And so, even though baseball wasn’t my thing, I learned to pitch. I didn’t have the fastest pitch, but my father and brothers taught me how to move the ball around. I got good enough that I could strike out anyone. Because very few of the guys we played against would want to box me after the game under normal circumstances, I used this pitching skill – along with some of the most obnoxious, insulting, degrading trash-talk I could muster – be create unusual circumstances.

For example, there was one guy, Bill, who I wanted to box. He was a little older than me, bigger and definitely stronger. But, as I had already decisioned his even older, bigger brother in five rounds previously, Bill didn’t want to box me. Bill and I were not friends, and didn’t pretend to be. So, his first time up, I struck him out, and made him the target of crude jokes. A few innings later, when he came up again, he glared at me and said, "I want to slam a line drive into your fucking face." I responded with something like, "Well, let’s see if you can." I knew that as long as we had eye contact, I’d strike him out, which I did.

After the game, he wanted to box me. He came out throwing bombs, and as I told him a few years ago when we saw each other, he hit me as hard as anyone ever did. Of course, I knocked him out in a manner that would make Ty Cobb smile.

At a recent family reunion, my cousin’s young son wore his Yankees’ jersey. This boy loved baseball. The family tradition of traveling to Yankee Stadium continued! My west coast brother, who tries to make it back for a game there as often as possible, and I had a blast talking to Robert about baseball history. My brother knew then that, on his next trip, he would give that yearbook to someone who would appreciate it.

Old habits die hard, so eventually, I started telling Robert that I could easily strike him out. Of course, he challenged me. I remember walking out on the lawn, and seeing his grandfather – my favorite uncle, who I am extremely close to – looking at me sideways. I’m old, and physically disabled. Was I actually going to try to make myself feel better, by striking a kid out? Robert was able to connect on every pitch I tossed his way, and subjected me to good-natured, youthful trash talk.

Robert died in his sleep on Christmas night, 2008. Doctors said it was a one-in-a-million thing, which took his life. I remember at his funeral, my cousin’s co-workers speaking about Robert’s love of the Yankees. Several of these gentlemen are, like many DUers, not fond of the team. When they would express their dislike of the Yankees, they said, Robert would tell them that deep down, they actually were Yankees fans. That they needed to get in touch with their "inner Yankee fan."

This is why it was important to me that the Yankees won this year.

Peace,
H2O Man

"We do approve of such psychological tactics and techniques as trickery and deceit that are not only helpful but frequently necessary in order to secure incriminating information from the guilty." –Criminal Interrogation and Confessions; Inbau and Reid.

Last week, I had an interesting conversation with Friend Rubin about a few legal cases, as well as a couple of books we consider to be "required reading." At the intersection was a book, edited by two of his friends and co-workers at Northwestern University School of Law, Rob Warden and Steven Drizin, titled "True Stories of False Confessions." The book, published in August, is indeed required reading for anyone interested in the American criminal justice system.

The book contains 38 true stories about individuals who, for a variety of reasons, gave police what were later proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to be false confessions. This phenomenon may seem unlikely – for who would incriminate themselves for a crime that they had nothing to do with? -- yet it presents a serious problem for the justice system. The book breaks these false confessions into 11 distinct categories (although in some cases, there is overlap), which show that this is not limited to the disturbed person who confesses to a crime they did not commit, for the very reason a moth is attracted to a flame.

Instead, we read of issues such as mental fatigue, threats, deceit and outright lies, and the manipulation of "lie detector" tests. What is striking is that the same tactics that are found to be useful when applied to interrogating those who are actually guilty, have the ability to produce false confessions.

Such false confessions can and do lead to false convictions and incarcerations, and to police investigators not following other trails of evidence, which could have identified the actual criminal. Of the cases covered in this book, the majority appear to be the result of honest police investigators, seeking to solve serious crimes, who mistakenly believe that they know who to blame. Others, of course, are clearly the result of dishonest police investigators, who have a self-righteous belief that they have the right to break the law in the name of "justice." While both of these situations present serious problems, I would suggest that the first represents a more serious problem with the techniques used to gain confessions.

It is easy to think that this could never happen to you or a family member or friend. This belief is generally based upon two factors: {1} people believe that during a conversation with an investigator, especially if they are trying to help provide information, they have no need for a lawyer; and {2} that if the police begin to doubt their word, they will recognize the shift by noting something like a "good cop – bad cop" routine. And in many cases, this may be true. But not always.

Let’s consider a "worst case" scenario. A member of a family is murdered at night, within the household, and the surviving family members do not know who committed the crime. From the giddy-up, the police investigators will consider the husband and/or wife as primary suspects, then the children (teens before pre-teens), followed by other family members, friends, and neighbors. This, of course, is because statistically, this is the order in which they are likely to find the culprit.

This creates a difficult balancing act, for even the most humane investigator has to attempt to maintain a sense of emotional detachment when questioning family, friends, and neighbors, to gather information as potential evidence. Yet those very same family members, friends, and neighbors are likely to be in a highly emotional state – including the individual(s) guilty of the crime.

Add to this the fact that a good investigator’s job is to form a sympathetic relationship with a suspect, and you have strange dynamics. This approach precedes any effort for a "good cop – bad cop" routine (something that is only the initial approach on tv, in movies, and among the least talented, real life investigators).

Again, for sake of discussion, I’ve focused on a worst case scenario. Certainly, other situations take can lead to similar dynamics. A number of factors can and do come into play: a person’s age (teens are especially vulnerable); the person’s view of police ("they are trying to help me, and get to the truth"); time spent in the environment of an interrogation room; mental illness/ personality disorders; physical status, including illness, hunger, sleep deprivation, etc; and others detailed in this book, all have the ability to result in a person signing a false confession.

While things such as the 1966 US Supreme Court Miranda decision provides protections for guilty people, authorities such as Henry Foster, Jr., professor of law at New York University, and noted psychiatrist Herbert Spiegel, are among the experts cited in this book who detail the risks that face the innocent people who are subjected to police interrogation.

It came as no surprise to me that, in reading the book, one of the most callous individuals mentioned was the then-governor of Texas, George W. Bush. While others, including investigators, DAs, and judges recognize the problems involved in the process that can lead to false confessions, Bush took a "shit happens" attitude in dealing with it. It’s a problem that should be of interest to everyone who believes that there should be justice in our legal system, and a problem that I believe has become more entrenched in the system as a result of the Bush-Cheney administration.

" ….you think everybody has no secret or one big, big secret, they are what they seem or they are the opposite. You look at me and think: ‘Which is he? Plus or minus?’ …you insist on laboratory standards for reality, while I insist on its artfulness. So be it with us all, we’re not so one-or-the-other." – Tom Stoppard; Hapgood

I am admittedly unqualified to comment on the quantum mechanics of subatomic physics, nor upon Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle on our potential for self-understanding. My grasp of such things is no greater than that of the large, lazy dog that lies sleeping near my feet as I type this. More, Stoppard’s play, which focused on the seemingly permanent tensions between the USA and USSR, is not of particular interest to me today. In fact, rather than an atom or a universe, I find myself thinking of a mobile hanging over an infant’s crib as an appropriate model for this discussion. Still, I like the quote, and opted to use it, rather than Harry Nilsson’s, "Everything is the exact opposite of what it really is."

The mobile model can be used to help us visualize the dynamics of a family, a classroom, a work place, or most any group of people. It can be applied to the subatomic particle of your community, and to the universe of our nation. It is the balance that is created by the interconnected relationship of the individual pieces of the mobile.

A couple of years ago, my younger son started a job in a correctional facility that housed teenagers. He went into this experience with high hopes and great expectations. Within two months, his eyes had been opened. He saw things that he knew were not right, and he was determined to change them. And, of course, he experienced the frustrations that so many people who have high hopes and great expectations experience when we hope to change the balance of a mobile.

If, for example, that mobile has one dozen pieces in a balance, if but one piece attempts to move in such a way that would create a change in the balance, the other eleven pieces resist. This is, of course, the same unified resistance that a therapist dealing with a dysfunctional family system expects, if one family member seeks to make healthy changes. In the work place, those with a vested interest in keeping the balance intact tend to be willing to cut the piece seeking change loose, if that piece attempts to unionize the workplace, or to implement changes that would require treating incarcerated youth like human beings, rather than sub-humans to be packaged for the adult prison industry.

"What, then, can be done?," my son asked. "Or is it hopeless?"

Nothing is impossible in this unnatural laboratory that we call our society. However, the art of instituting change demands two difficult things. First, as unpleasant as it may be for an individual to hear: in order to do more, one must be more. For example, a young person taking an entry-level job is not in as good of a position within an institution/mobile to effect meaningful change, as is a more educated person who has a higher level position. That, of course, is a matter of one type of authority. There are other types of authority – one need only think of George W. Bush babbling about economic reform within the corporate mobile for an example of a little man who lacked the moral authority for even an entry-level position (except as an inmate in a federal prison).

The mobility required for ethical change in an unethical society is restricted by that resistance we see today. Another option for combating that systematic resistance to healthy change is found in numbers. Sarah Silverman’s observations on the Vatican being sold, in order to feed starving people, are as true as they were humorous. Michael Moore’s new movie on capitalism is more honest and accurate than, at the very least, 99% of the nonsense coming out of Washington, DC.

As long as the odds are 99 to 1 in favor of the lies of an unhealthy society/mobile, there will be no meaningful change. But, as Moore advocates, we have the ability to change the way that people view those odds. We can use both laboratory diagnoses and art to help others to see the differences between the sick culture we live in, and the potential for an ethical, just society.

Social justice requires constant struggle. But is not that struggle the very definition of what is best in any society, including the USA?

Mobilize.

{1} President Obama’s winning the Peace Prize is a good thing. It allows the voices of sanity within the United States a wonderful opportunity to use moral pressure in opposing attempts to continue the military occupation of Afghanistan, and to increase the number of troops to engage in the violence this occupation requires.

{2} Friend Rubin used to tell me that he who bemoans the lack of opportunity, often fails to recognize that small doors can indeed open into large rooms. He stressed the Power of Ideas. Every individual action taken today by a DUer, such as contacting an elected representative, helps to open those doors.

{3} Americans of all ages need to engage in a growing, organized, peaceful pro-peace movement. While this includes all segments of society, it is absolutely necessary that American youth recognize the role they can and must play in serving as this nation’s conscience.

{4} My 15-year old daughter has been invited to tour parts of Europe next summer, with a group representing our country. Some of you folks will remember her contributions to DU in the past. She is a student of Gandhi, King, and John Lennon. We will be celebrating John’s birthday tonight.

{5} The 2006 documentary "The US vs John Lennon" is one of my favorite films. I plan to watch it tonight, with my family. Two things stand out: first, that John intended for his song "Give Peace a Chance" be used frequently by pro-peace people; and second, that pro-war people spy on and harass those who make a public stand for social justice.

{6} Last night, my oldest son "won" a court case. He was ticketed by a police officer for littering. He was accused of flicking cigarette ashes out of his window while driving. When he arrived in court, the local DA read the document, and told the justice of the peace that he was dropping the charges. The DA told my son to give me a note, as we have not seen each other recently. Years ago, he had donated time to represent the Onondaga Nation on a burial protection case, and became good friends with Chief Waterman, myself, and my sons in the process.

{7} In a related case, Chief Waterman and I were able to preserve a series of "stone piles" on state land in NY, that were threatened with destruction, in the name of progress. These piles, which are found in the state’s "southern tier" and the surrounding area, have been of interest to some regional professional archaeologists for decades. We normally do not release much information on these types of things, but when we confirmed that they are calendars dating from the "transitional" period (or, "late forager," if you prefer), with the help from some in the archaeological community we were able to reach our goal, without having to go to the state supreme court.

{8} The Haudenosaunee and other native people have had a deep affection for, among other things, the moon. This affection is not based on superstition, ignorance, or fear. Rather, the failure to recognize the interconnectedness between human beings and all of nature is a dangerous form of ignorance. While I take no position on today’s events on the moon, I am convinced that the frequent inability to exercise a wholesome control over "technology" is not in our best interests. We need to take care of business here, on earth, and now. Delivering food and medicine to those in need is a better investment – in both the literal and cosmic senses – than delivering explosives to stark landscapes.

{9} In my last interview with Chief Waterman, completed shortly after the US invasion of Afghanistan, he spoke of the suffering of the members of our human family, who inhabit the stark landscape called Afghanistan. Paul said that we should be delivering food and blankets, rather than bullets and bombs. That’s a powerful idea, and a concept that we should be communicating to those elected representatives in Washington, DC.

Peace,
H2O Man

Saturday, October 10 - New York, New York (PPV) - junior featherweights: Juan Manuel Lopez (26-0, 24 KOs) vs. Rogers Mtagwa (26-12-2, 18 KOs); featherweights: Yuriorkis Gamboa (15-0, 13 KOs) vs. Whyber Garcia (22-6, 15 KOs)

Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa will be showcasing their skills on a PPV card this weekend, in what may be the final step before facing each other in 2010. Although the featherweight/ junior featherweight divisions do not get the attention that most of the larger weight classes do in the corporate media, boxing fans know that they will be seeing two of the most skilled and exciting fighters in the sport on Saturday. The possible match between these two will indeed be one of the true "super fights" of the decade.

Gamboa had some 250 amateur fights, including winning a 2004 Olympic title, before defecting from Cuba. As Teddy Atlas points out on ESPN’s FNFs, the Cuban fighters with this level of experience often have the ability to transition to the professional ranks, much faster than do amateurs from countries such as the USA. This is due to the experience against world-class competition, and their physical maturity. Gamboa, for example, is 27 years old.

Yuriorkis stands just under 5’ 6", has a 65" reach, and fights comfortably anywhere between 126 and 130 pounds. He is orthodox, has great hand and foot speed, and can deliver powerful shots in rapid combinations. His one weakness thus far has been being decked four times, although one was the result of an elbow, rather than a punch. The three real knockdowns do not appear to be due to a weak chin, so much as to bad balance. (As a general rule, a fighter’s center of balance is in the middle of their chest, and should form a triangle, so to speak, with their feet. When a fighter "reaches" with a punch, without shifting the lead foot, or when they straighten up and throw punches, they can far more easily be decked without being hurt. Balance is everything in boxing.)

Gamboa, ranked 10th by The Ring, has won the NABF Super Featherweight, the WBC International Super Featherweight and the WBO NABO Featherweight titles. His televised fights have drawn the attention of the boxing community, including his explosive first round flattening of tough Johnnie Edwards on ESPN FNF, and second round KO win over previously undefeated contender Marcos Ramirez on HBO’s BAD. He definitely has the ability to win a world title in 2010.

His opponent, Whyber Garcia, is a tough 28-year old from Panama. Almost all of Garcia’s fights have been in his home country,. In his four fights away from home, he has lost three; one lose in his lone fight in Venezuelo (to Edwin Velero in one round), and two of three in the United States. Also, four of his six loses came by way of TKO. Although he has a "puncher’s chance" against Gamboa, it seems likely that he will suffer his 5th knockout loss.

Juan Manuel Lopez started his amateur boxing career at the age of 10, in Puerto Rico. His amateur record was 126-24. He also fought in the 2004 Olympics. The 26-year old southpaw stands 5’ 7", and has a 69" reach. Since turning professional in January, 2005, he has fought at between 120 and 127 pounds. In his most recent fights, he’s been 121 lbs. He owns the WBO Super Bantamweight (aka Jr. Featherweight) title.

Lopez’s record correctly suggests that he is a "fighting machine." He is aggressive, yet has very good defensive skills. He has scored a number of early knockouts; but more impressively, in his fights against better opposition, his non-stop aggression and uncanny punch output has made it impossible for anyone to go a full 12 rounds with him (his last 8 fights were scheduled for 12). It is this work ethic, combined with superior balance, patience, and self-discipline in the ring that will make him an extremely dangerous opponent for Gamboa when they eventually meet.

Lopez is facing journeyman Rogers "The Tiger" Mitagwa, of Tanzania. He is 30, and has been fighting professionally since 1997. When Rogers first came to the USA, in 2000, after fighting for several years in Africa, he was considered a good prospect. He had a number of victories over other good young fighters in Philadelphia. Although he has for for a couple paper titles – and did win one – he wasn’t quite able to win the big fights. And while he is definitely coming into this fight to try to pull off an upset, in what could well be his last big fight, he is an "old" 30 in terms of boxing years. It seems unlikely that he will be able to maintain the intense pace that Lopez fights at.

This should be an interesting card, and should help hold boxing fans over until the start of the Super Middleweight round robin tournament. Enjoy the fights.

Federal District Court Judge Emmett G. Sullivan ruled that the FBI must reveal the majority of the notes taken from the 2004 interview with Dick Cheney, in which the vice president discussed his role in the Plame Scandal. This ruling, in response to a suit filed by CREW this summer, allows for sections of the interview that had to do with national security could be withheld. More troubling, the parts about the communications between Cheney and President Bush will also be kept secret.

Still, CREW will apparently get 67 pages of Patrick Fitzgerald’s interview with Dick Cheney. While both the Bush and Obama administrations opposed CREW’s request, claiming a wide-range of potential problems could result from the release, Judge Sullivan noted that there is no on-going investigation, and hence no grounds to deny the FOI request.

Judge Sullivan wrote that the arguments against the released demanded the court to create a new FOI exception, something he refused to do. This should deflate any attempts to appeal his ruling. Judge Sullivan ordered that the records must be released by October 9.

Some experiences stick with you. Decades later, something triggers the memory, and the old gray cells replay the events in great detail.

Before I worked in mental health, I had been employed with a different agency in another county. I had a case referred to me, involving a 14-year old boy who had been experiencing trouble at home, in school, and in the community. He had come from what appeared to be a good, middle class home. His parents had separated and divorced a couple years earlier, and reading through the case file, I remember thinking that this may have put him "at risk."

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who suspected that his family situation put him at risk. His mother had said that in recent weeks – and those were the weeks where the problem behaviors were noticed – the only person he had a close relationship with was the local Catholic priest. In fact, he was spending more time than usual at the church, where for years he had served as an "alter boy."

Long story short: within 48 hours of my being assigned to the case, the local radio station was reporting that the priest had been arrested for sexually abusing a minor. Then, in a matter of hours, the report was dropped. Not only that, the charges had been dropped. The high-ranking cone heads in Albany had made an under-the-table deal, where the priest accepted being placed in a "retreat" for treatment and prayers. I never had the chance to talk to the mother after this, although my impression from talking to other co-workers was that she was okay with this, as she did not want her family subjected to the "humiliation" associated with the legal process.

I also remember hearing that a year later, that same priest returned for a visit to the community where this happened. Some members of the church held a picnic for him. Many of them were aware of the criminal offense this snake had committed against a minor. But they thought he was such a nice guy, that they held a picnic for him.

The central focus in my telling about this is, of course, that an adult in a position of power/authority used that position to rape a minor. Surrounding that is the strange dynamics that include the legal system, parents, and what pass for "responsible" adults who would hold a picnic in honor of a snake.

Little wonder that kids are "at risk" in our culture.

{1} I can remember my father saying, "You can only hard boil an egg once," years ago, when he and some other family members were discussing LBJ’s approach to US policy in Vietnam. It was around the time that George Ball was advising the President not to take the military’s recommendations. Ball had paraphrased Carl von Clausewitz when he told Johnson that "to the extent that the response to a move can be controlled, that move is probably ineffective. If the move is effective, it may not be possible to control – or accurately anticipate – the response."

People can agree or disagree on the issues involved with the US response to 9/11 in Afghanistan. However, it is simply impossible to think that we can unboil the egg the Bush-Cheney administration created, when they dropped the ball in Afghanistan and invaded Iraq. Attempting to use the tactics that might have worked yesterday, today, is destined to failure. I wish that President Obama had a George Ball today.

{2} The group "Mobilization for Health Care for All" is planning a series of nonviolent civil disobedience actions across the country, to bring attention to the need for true health care reform. Their activities are based on the sit-ins at lunch counters, etc, from the Civil Rights era. During the primary season and general election, I had noted in my support for Obama that the democratic left would be required to follow the civil right’s movements strategy for dealing with JFK, in order to accomplish our goals. Since the election, I’ve suggested that we need a Poor People’s Campaign, in the style that King planned in ’67 and ’68. This is a good start. For more information, visit this site:

www.mobilizeforhealthcare.org

{3} I think that DUers who have had the "pleasure" of dealing with the corporate media, when advocating for a just cause, can appreciate exactly what Sibel Edmonds is dealing with. Our own experiences may have been on a smaller scale, but the nature of them is the same. Ms. Edmonds, like you and I, is a human being, and thus imperfect at best. But the tactic of accusing her of being "dishonest" when she repeats something, to the best of her memory, that may well have been fed to her without a solid foundation, should not confuse anyone who has either first hand experience, or has invested the time necessary to study the career of public figures such as MKL and RFK.

{4} My sons are nearly done with their work on a book on my experiences with Onondaga Chief Paul Waterman. In a move connected with this, my wife bought me seven new display cases (with a total of 21 shelves), which allowed me to get out of storage several boxes of artifacts that sat with boxes of old files. Combined with my other shelves, I now have over half my collection on display. Shelves include smaller, individual collections from Olduvai Gorge, northern Africa, Europe, and of course the northeast in America.

Their goal is to share the thinking of modern, high-tech society’s older sibling. We are all part of the Human Family, and this generation is confronted with many difficult problems that can only be solved or dealt with by bringing about a different level of consciousness, starting in the United States. There are no magical solutions to the crises we face, only rational thought and common sense.

{5} Last week, a person working for an organization collecting money for democrats running for the US Senate in 2010 became frustrated and then rude while talking to me on the telephone. I was attempting to make clear exactly why I did not a single penny of my money to go for certain democrats in Congress. He said that it was obvious that I was not old enough to know about how LBJ got the Civil Rights legislation passed.

I politely asked him two simple questions. When he answered the first one incorrectly, I provided him with some accurate information on LBJ and Congress. When I then asked him about the Dixie-crats, he made it clear that he did not want to speak to me any more. However, I am confident that he realized I am old enough to remember the Johnson administration quite well.

{6} The lynching of Census worker Bill Sparkman reminds me of William Faulkner’s words in "Intruder in the Dust": "The past is never dead. It’s not even past."