letter to Sheriff Urquhart re deputies attacking photographers . . .

zaitz · Nov 8, 2015

In case this is of interest . . .

Sheriff Urquhart,

I read local and national news websites many days of the week. Because of having been threatened on several occasions and assaulted a few times in the past few years, I also at times visit the gun rights forum at opencarry.org once in a while.

On one of my most recent visits at opencarry.org, in the Washington state area, there was a thread on the topic of Scott Shimek and his encounter with some unruly Pierce County and/or Tacoma city bus drivers and transit persons. Reading at that thread led me to learn more about Shimek. . . .

By the way, I understand that Shimek is a veteran of the Air Force and also at times he walks open carrying a handgun in a holster. Is it possible that Sergeant John Hall would have acted in an even more violent manner if Shimek had been in his vicinity while peacefully armed and perhaps photographing? Would Sergeant Hall have wished to draw and point his firearm at a peaceful veteran with a holstered firearm and a camera?

http://greenlakewalking.net/re-king-county-sheriffs-attacking-photographers/

Dave_pro2a · Nov 8, 2015

zaitz said:
Would Sergeant Hall have wished to draw and point his firearm at a peaceful veteran with a holstered firearm and a camera?

Bold = Very irrelevant.

MAC702 · Nov 8, 2015

Dave_pro2a said:
Bold = Very irrelevant.

Not when speaking/writing to a politician.

deanf · Nov 9, 2015

What is the point of this bizarre rambling letter that fails to reach a point? Does the writer have actual business before the King County Sheriff's Office, or is he just being a pest . . ?

As to the veteran reference: Are you suggesting that veterans be afforded special dispensation when exercising their rights? Rights that belong to all of us, not just veterans?

golddigger14s · Nov 9, 2015

Even though I am a veteran, I fail to see what his veteran status has to do with anything. Kind of like when I watch TV, and they have to point out that so & so is a single mother. Guess what? I'm a veteran, and a single father! Has absolutely nothing to do with my method of carry. Goes along with race, sexual orientation, creed, and so on. Not relevant. Rant complete.

Dave_pro2a · Nov 9, 2015

MAC702 said:
Not when speaking/writing to a politician.

Only when a camera is turned on.

zaitz · Nov 9, 2015

Dave_pro2a said:
Bold = Very irrelevant.

A veteran is assumed to be trained in the safe use of firearms and a veteran who has been honorably discharged is assumed to be a more or less responsible citizen.

Dave_pro2a · Nov 9, 2015

zaitz said:
A veteran is assumed to be trained in the safe use of firearms and a veteran who has been honorably discharged is assumed to be a more or less responsible citizen.

I've seen too many exceptions to those assumptions.

Assuming makes a mule out of...

Military weapons training for the average vet is a joke. Most vets had no direct combat role.

Most vets are humans, subject to the human condition and just as likely to be scum as a person working any job.

Uncle Sam is a notoriously bad judge of everything... Including character.

http://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/military-myths.html

"About 80 percent of the jobs in the military are non-combat occupations."

John adams · Nov 9, 2015

Dissing veterans are we?

Dave_pro2a said:
I've seen too many exceptions to those assumptions.

Assuming makes a mule out of...

Military weapons training for the average vet is a joke. Most vets had no direct combat role.

Most vets are humans, subject to the human condition and just as likely to be scum as a person working any job.

Uncle Sam is a notoriously bad judge of anything... Including character.

Weapons training for us in the Viet Nam era wasn't a joke. Still using what I learned then today. Granted, I did serve in combat but some great people highly trained didn't. So what! Human scum? Are you for real? I doubt you carry as you don't have enough respect for yourself let alone be respectful of others and the weapon. Uncle Sam does make mistakes such as allowing people like you to bad mouth the very people who provided the very freedoms you choose to insult. Shame on you. grow up. Get a life..... hopefully out of country.

Dave_pro2a · Nov 9, 2015

John adams said:
Weapons training for us in the Viet Nam era wasn't a joke. Still using what I learned then today. Granted, I did serve in combat but some great people highly trained didn't. So what! Human scum? Are you for real? I doubt you carry as you don't have enough respect for yourself let alone be respectful of others and the weapon. Uncle Sam does make mistakes such as allowing people like you to bad mouth the very people who provided the very freedoms you choose to insult. Shame on you. grow up. Get a life..... hopefully out of country.

http://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-gang-assessment-us-military-2011-10

The report says the military has seen members from 53 gangs and 100 regions in the U.S. enlist in every branch of the armed forces. Members of every major street gang, some prison gangs, and outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs) have been reported on both U.S. and international military installations.

Dave_pro2a · Nov 9, 2015

John adams said:
the very people who provided the very freedoms

The 'military' does not 'provide' freedoms.

Dave_pro2a · Nov 9, 2015

http://www.militarytimes.com/story/...entagon-rand-sexual-assault-reports/19883155/

20,000 service members said they had experienced at least one incident of unwanted sexual contact in the past year, representing nearly 5 percent of all active-duty women and 1 percent of active-duty men.... new survey methodology used by the Rand Corp. found that many of the 20,000 assaults in 2014 were not "unwanted sexual contact" — a phrase the Pentagon uses to describe any incident of unsolicited and unwanted sexual behavior — they were violent, probing acts.

Nearly half the assaults reported by women and 35 percent reported by men were "penetrative sexual assaults" — crimes that include rape and penetration with an object.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/nov/3/gay-rape-military-underreported-pentagon/?page=all

“Rates of military sexual trauma among men who served in the military may be as much as 15 times higher than has been previously reported

Dave_pro2a · Nov 9, 2015

John adams said:
Weapons training for us in the Viet Nam era wasn't a joke. Still using what I learned then today. Granted, I did serve in combat but some great people highly trained didn't. So what! Human scum? Are you for real? I doubt you carry as you don't have enough respect for yourself let alone be respectful of others and the weapon. Uncle Sam does make mistakes such as allowing people like you to bad mouth the very people who provided the very freedoms you choose to insult. Shame on you. grow up. Get a life..... hopefully out of country.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/military-lowers-standards-to-fill-ranks/

The longer the war continues, the harder it's proving to fill the U.S. Army's ranks. A strong economy also means there are easier jobs around.

So the Army is accepting a growing number of new recruits with everythging from health and weight issues to lower academic test scores to criminal records.

The number of incoming soldiers with prior felony arrests or convictions has more than tripled in the past five years.

Freedom1Man · Nov 9, 2015

John adams said:
Weapons training for us in the Viet Nam era wasn't a joke. Still using what I learned then today. Granted, I did serve in combat but some great people highly trained didn't. So what! Human scum? Are you for real? I doubt you carry as you don't have enough respect for yourself let alone be respectful of others and the weapon. Uncle Sam does make mistakes such as allowing people like you to bad mouth the very people who provided the very freedoms you choose to insult. Shame on you. grow up. Get a life..... hopefully out of country.

The Vietnam police action, did NOTHING to defend our freedom. Based on the fact that there was a draft, I would conclude that it helped destroy pur freedom. There are many other facts, like the factbm that the government lied about the gulf of Tonkin to get some public backing for said police action.

As a veteran, I will say that our soldiers do nothing to defend our freedom. That the Vietnam vets did nothing to defend our freedom and infact only ended up helping destroy it with the anti-drug laws that are being used to help the CIA sell drugs on the black market thus creating more violence in thr drug trade and a black ops fund for the CIA.

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

Dave_pro2a · Nov 9, 2015

davidmcbeth said:
Well, that USAF vet did not defend the constitution. When I am videotaping or photographing, I continue to do so regardless of any illegal commands by the po po.
.

A lot of civilian police are former military.

Their military experience taught them to ignore Constitutional Rights.

They just be bringing that sweet attitude of 'freedom' back home with them, and taking it out on their fellow Americans.

Dave_pro2a · Nov 9, 2015

A guy who likes tilting at windmills said:
Dear Sheriff Urquhart,

I'm a voter who lives within your district.

• It has been brought to my attention that the honorable Scott Shimek was possibly assaulted by a Pierce County Transit employee. [editorial advice: pick 1 instigator]

• It is my understanding the responding officer, Sargent John Hall, aimed a loaded firearm at Scott Shimek without lawful cause.

• As your constituent I am alarmed by this incident. As a military veteran who has sacrificed so much for our country, Mr. Shimek does not deserve to be treated in such a manner by our police and transit personnel.

I would like to hear from you about how this issue is being resolved via administrative actions and training updates.

Sincerely,

Someone who is literate enough to write a SHORT letter that might actually get read.

CC: Staff reporter Seattle Times
CC: ACLU Seattle office
CC: University of Washington Department of Racial Justice
CC: Washington State Attorney Generals Office
CC: Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission Basic Law Enforcement Academy
CC: MP department at Joint base whatever the heck it's called these days
CC: Base Commander at Joint base blah blah.
CC: pick a big law firm in Seattle with a history of suing the police

I'd suggest a re-write. Short, concise, with a 'call to action' (i.e. ask him to actually DO something).

Then CC it (or fake CCing it) to a whole bunch of places that a father of possible sex offending runaways might care about. That was him right? Run away adopted daughter, sex offender adopted son, etc. If so, he seems like a real stand-up Sheriff with a stand-up set of family values.

davidmcbeth · Nov 9, 2015

Dave_pro2a said:
A lot of civilian police are former military.

Their military experience taught them to ignore Constitutional Rights.

They just be bringing that sweet attitude of 'freedom' back home with them, and taking it out on their fellow Americans.

I think Katrina reinforces this conclusion. Its valid for me.

zaitz · Nov 9, 2015

Dave_pro2a said:
I'd suggest a re-write. Short, concise, with a 'call to action' (i.e. ask him to actually DO something).

Then CC it (or fake CCing it) to a whole bunch of places that a father of possible sex offending runaways might care about. That was him right? Run away adopted daughter, sex offender adopted son, etc. If so, he seems like a real stand-up Sheriff with a stand-up set of family values.

The incident at the Pierce county bus stop and the incident at the Burien location in which Sgt John Hall assaulted Scott Shimek are 2 completely different and unrelated incidents.

The Burien incident is much worse, because the "police" assaulted, arrested and caused charges to be brought against Shimek and then it appears that they told falsehoods on the stand about their interaction and reasons for acting.

In the Pierce county incident, at least the police mosty left Shimek alone and informed him that the other person attacking him was being cited somehow.

The Burien incident is bad because it appears to include an assault on 1st amendment freedom. Moreover, the local prosecuting attn did not even file any charges in the case till 5 months after the arrest and coincidentally, just a few days after Shimek asked for his memory card or its equivalent to be returned to him.

Also, the "call to action" of my letter is
1) please confirm, deny or clarify any of the offending details in this account, such as using a live taser as a flashlight and kicking Shimek in the knees;
2) please inform me as to what conversations you have had with sgt hall about such things as using a live taser as a flashlight.

Dave_pro2a · Nov 9, 2015

zaitz said:
The incident at the Pierce county bus stop and the incident at the Burien location in which Sgt John Hall assaulted Scott Shimek are 2 completely different and unrelated incidents.

The Burien incident is much worse, because the "police" assaulted, arrested and caused charges to be brought against Shimek and then it appears that they told falsehoods on the stand about their interaction and reasons for acting.

In the Pierce county incident, at least the police mosty left Shimek alone and informed him that the other person attacking him was being cited somehow.

The Burien incident is bad because it appears to include an assault on 1st amendment freedom. Moreover, the local prosecuting attn did not even file any charges in the case till 5 months after the arrest and coincidentally, just a few days after Shimek asked for his memory card or its equivalent to be returned to him.

Also, the "call to action" of my letter is
1) please confirm, deny or clarify any of the offending details in this account, such as using a live taser as a flashlight and kicking Shimek in the knees;
2) please inform me as to what conversations you have had with sgt hall about such things as using a live taser as a flashlight.

Yeah I didn't do your fact research for you. That was a SAMPLE letter. Short, coherent, and with an actual point.

Dave_pro2a · Nov 9, 2015

http://greenlakewalking.net/re-king-county-sheriffs-attacking-photographers/

^ that letter is round can material.

3 short paragraphs MAXIMUM.

1 short bullet list MAXIMUM

Skip all the personal, family, religious stuff.

Change your website background from Bikini girl, to idk, trees. Cars. Stacked firewood. Friends don't let friends 'Myspace' their website design.

letter to Sheriff Urquhart re deputies attacking photographers . . .

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