Take A Deep Breath

Christopher Dorner. Let's just call him That Asshole shall we? I have a few words to say on the subject though I am going to leave the politics alone. Language warning.

First, he's a scumbag murderer. I really don't give a crap what his complaints and allegations are. Once you go down the path of killing innocents every other single thing you say or whine about is irrelevant. As a veteran and retired cop I utterly reject Dorner and all he is and has ever done. That said.

Yes, I read his screed. In fact, I'm still having trouble trying to scrape his particular brand of narcissistic criminal insanity out of my brain. It's a testament to a disturbed mind. I saw racism, paranoia, a persecution complex and delusions. It in no way explains nor excuses what he's done. It does give some insight into his mental processes though. His complaints go back to grade school for crying out loud. No reasonable person holds a grudge for petty stuff from fifth grade (or whatever it was) unless you're an obsessive/compulsive. No one uses a long list of perceived slights, interpersonal failures and job issues as an excuse to mass murder unless you're a sociopath with homicidal tendencies. This is a guy who is never wrong, never fails and when things don't go exactly as he believes they should and he is/does gets angry and casts blame on whoever he perceives as being responsible for his troubles. He has no ability to self examine and no desire to ever do so. The problem is the world not him. Look at what he says about himself. Rambo was a sissy next to this guy. He's loving the attention and feeding his ego with the idea that he's a hero. Sadly, that's being reinforced by those so deluded by hate that they are cheering on someone who is a cold blooded murderer. Are we really that far gone?

Let me address the LAPD. I have known and worked beside more than a few LAPD officers. I've said this many times before. Yes, the LAPD is responsible for more negative court rulings and case law relating to infringements on citizen rights and outright lawlessness than any other agency in the United States. It has more than it's fair share of Hysterical Incompetents and bad actors. It has a culture unlike any other in the country's history, much of it frankly bad. But consider. LA  proper has about 4 million people being policed by a force of about 10,000 officers. Contrast that with New York which has roughly double the population and about 35,000 officers. They do things differently in LA. Some of the time that is a bad thing but a lot of the time it's good. Officers in LA are taught to be aggressive, but they are often too aggressive. See my previous post on Hysterical Incompetence and compare and contrast with the spate of  negligent (and criminal) shootings in the wake of this fiasco. They see a lot and it tends to create a Them vs Us mentality. That's not just with citizens either but extends to anyone who isn't LAPD. I've had many negative official interactions with off duty LAPD officers. But I've also had some great contacts and opportunities to train with some of the best cops I've ever had the honor of associating with. The good officers are as unbelievably good as the bad ones are incredibly bad. No agency is perfect and the LAPD is certainly no exception but that doesn't excuse a thing Dorner has done. Has the LAPD done this guy wrong? I don't know but I kinda doubt it. Go and read Aaron Worthing's fisking of the Dorner manifesto here. Then ask yourself who That Asshole really is and why some are supporting him. I'm not excusing anything LAPD has done but let's keep a little perspective here. They do a lot of stuff to hammer them for but this ain't one of them.

I've worked with guys like him before. So have you probably, or at least you know some. That Guy. The one you just know is either going to spectacularly step on his dick or flame out in an orgy of furious bridge burning. The difference is none of them decided that mass murder was the solution to their problems. Dorner did. That's what makes him not That Guy but That Murderous Asshole.

Now. To my law enforcement brothers and sisters.  
Take a deep breath and fucking relax!
Dorner is a punk, pure and simple. He is not death incarnate nor an unstoppable killing machine from the depths of hell wrapped in power armor and carrying The Emperor's missing Lightsaber. He's a former Navy officer (who most emphatically was not a SEAL) and a failed police officer. Let's compare and contrast with a certain blog owner shall we? I spent 9 years in the Army or Army National Guard. Four years of that was with an Infantry Division. Two years of that was with a Light Infantry Division. I promise you I have run more, rucked more and shot more than That Asshole could dream about. Then I spent 24 years as a cop (Not four, 24). I attended all manner of shooting schools including FBI SWAT school. Yeah, kinda high speed/low drag if not exactly BUDS or SF. I promise you I have fired many, many thousands of rounds in practice and training. More than That Asshole could possibly imagine if he were twice as delusional as he is. I went to basic and advanced police sniper school. Not wanna be sniper school but one taught by John Plaster. I've been the top shooter at virtually every school and academy I've ever attended, pistol, rifle, carbine and shotgun. Compared to That Asshole I am The Master Chief and yet I'm not a pimple on the ass of any good combat soldier much less the elite, both military and civilian. He's a wanna be. Remember that. He is not better than you except in his own delusional mind. He's a fat asshole who desperately wants to be seen as an unstoppable avenging angel so he can gain notoriety and scare and intimidate you. Do Not Let Him. He's just another pathetic loser and when he finally either gets his ass handed to him by someone who is not afraid or offs himself like the coward he really is he'll bleed red just like any other murderous bastard. Stop overreacting and shooting people who are innocents. If you do this you are also an asshole and need to be shown the door along with a criminal subpoena. He doesn't have MANPADS, he isn't omniscient and he possesses not a whit of combat magic. He's just another fucking asshole guys. Treat him as such. Use what you've been taught, watch your ass and take him down when you get the chance but pleasepleaseplease stop shooting people who are not The Asshole. Yes, you are risking your lives but that's right there in the job description. If you can't handle it then turn in your badge and fucking go away. I am getting awful tired of being smeared alongside you hysterics and so are many of the guys and gals you work with.

For the rest of us all we can do is be watchful and careful. Take this as a good reminder to train and carry. If you haven't yet buy a gun and then train train train and carry carry carry. Society is slowly burning down around us (though that conflagration seems to be picking up intensity at an alarming rate) and in the end each of us is responsible for our safety and that of our loved ones.

And for anyone out there looking for a hero let me assure you it ain't That Asshole. It's this guy and all the men and women out there just like him.

That is Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha. Medal Of Honor. That is what honor, bravery and fidelity looks like. He is what we as warriors aspire to. He is who we desire to emulate and follow. SSG Romesha and the eight men who lost their lives at COP Keating. May God bless them all and may we all prove to be as worthy when our own time to face the elephant comes.

Six