Christopher Dorner – What did we learn?

As the story of Chris Dorner comes to a close (or is it?) it seems that a post-mortem is in order.  I preface this piece by stating that I do not condone the actions of Christopher Dorner.  What happened to the innocents he gunned down is tragic. 

But you have to ask yourself in the midst of his ranting manifesto was there some truth?

You have to ask yourself does it make sense to heed the message of a Madman?

For me it comes down to a lack of faith in the machine that runs this country.  Federal, State and Local officials have shown time and time again that they are not equipped or do not desire to run this country effectively.  Whereas at one time politics was a tool of government now government has become the tool.  Money and influence controls our lives today and not an objective fair body of individuals who share the same purpose, the same goals, as our forefathers planned.  The US Government is no longer about freedom, equality, fair judgment, and independence.  It is about whom can raise the most money to buy the most votes and influence the most people.

What does this have to do with Christopher Dorner?  Though he seemed to be bipolar at best, a madman at worst, he faced a challenge many of us face.  Unfairness in the work place.  To what degree, who is to say?  But I believe that there must have been a root of truth to his allegations that set things in motion.  He was wronged in some way.  Many of us at some time in our lives are wronged in the workplace.  The way we cope with it is to cuss out the boss during happy hour, talk it out with the spouse at the dinner table, file a workers comp claim, or more likely find another job.  Most of us don’t have a killer’s mindset; most of us do not hunt down innocents.  But many of us can empathize with the plight of Dorner.

The nearly 15,000 people who have liked the Christopher Dorner Facebook page are evidence that empathy is alive and well in cyberspace.  I hope that the LAPD reopens the case and re-evaluates the evidence and methods used.   Not to find blame but to determine reforms that will prevent the birth of the rage in Dorner’s heart.  To determine ways to be more transparent to the city of Los Angeles where possible.  To create a world where the public will not question the existence of a “blue code” or “blue line” because such things have no fuel to live.

Whether or not Christopher Dorner was a madman all levels of government need to address the mental health challenges of this country.  What do the beating of Kelly Thomas by Fullerton police, the Sandy Hook murders, the Aurora movie shootings and Christopher Dorner have in common?  It’s not guns.  It’s mental health and the fact that this country has fallen far short in its care of the disabled and mental challenged in our community.  Enough with all this talk about gun control (soon the media will dub this “weapon control”) address the real challenge that America in 2013 faces.  Mental Health.       

THE REINVENTION OF JAMES

THE REINVENTION OF JAMES – a first in a series

I’m bored. Uninspired. Lacking drive. Motivation levels are low. Need a Reboot.

I have spent most of my life doing something that I am pretty good at. I went to school to study it. I make good money doing it. To be honest I don’t hate it. It’s just same old same old.

Engage rut.

I have searched down avenues of reinvention in the past. Looking for what inspires. Trying to determine what mark on the world I want to leave behind. But more importantly looking for something that I can do every day all day and be happy doing it. Never losing focus, always excited, weary at times but never tired, never bored. And if I can make enough money to live well doing it that would be sweet.

Often times I find myself using the “but” word.

“I would love to work in the wine industry, discovering new wines, sharing my discovery with others, but how can I make money doing this?” – me.

I am not an expert on anything. Sure there have been times when I am the smartest guy in the room but it’s usually because I know just a tad more about something than everyone else. In a competitive world where there are hundreds of others who want to do the same as you odds are you won’t be the smartest guy. I would love to be a wine distributor or be in wine sales but there are many more who have dedicated their entire life to this and have far more experience than I have.

There I go again using the “but” word.

Seems there is always a gap between what we want and what we can get. That chasm shrinks with knowledge, experience, and a bit of luck. Many of the hugely successful among us are a result of being in the right place at the right time. I am smarter than those people.  :-)

I just don’t have their luck.

So it’s with this thought that I begin a personal journey that I will share with you. A journey of reinvention. A walk down a somewhat familiar path toward a goal that at this point is a bit murky. But it’s there and it’s screaming out to me. “JAMES I AM THE GUY YOU NEED TO BE!”