Tag: police

Where were you last Friday at 3 p. m.?

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn blog, writing

Don’t you just hate it when a police detective asks you a question like that? My first thought would probably be, “Uh oh. I need an alibi for something, probably something bad.” In “real life,” I wouldn’t have a clue even though suspect characters in police dramas seem to have a clock inside their heads that remembers, “No, yeah, I was drinking sidecars with Bill Smith and Bob’s bar on 79th street.”

No worries, though, I’m not a cop. According to WordPress statistics, a fair number of you were reading this blog last Friday at 3 p. m. Why I wonder.

  • Did you just get home from school?
  • Did you wake up from last night’s drunk (all those sidecars with Bill Smith)?
  • Did you get bored staring out the windows of your corner office on the penultimate floor of a downtown office building where workers assumed you were making important decisions on behalf of the company?

On the other hand, there might be positive, less frivolous reasons why you were here last Friday at 3 p. m.

  • You were looking for information and didn’t want to go to one of those websites with a paywall there it costs $45/hour to read something that only a person with 25 PhDs can understand.
  • Reading my words has become a religious experience; no drugs or costumes required.
  • You keep hoping I’ll blurt out the endings of my novels so you have an “edge” for the book report in Mrs. Johnson’s 4 p. m. English 401 class.

Quite possibly, you’re stalking me because you think that, as a writer, I have $10000000000000 in my checking account. If so, you’re wasting your time. Most writers, not counting people like James Patterson, don’t make enough off their writing to pay the bills. But it’s flattering if you think that I do.

Frankly, I’m happy you stopped by even if it wasn’t on a Friday at 3 p.m. Of course, reading my blog isn’t much of an alibi. But then most of us don’t need an alibi. We don’t, do we?

–Malcolm

Malcolm R. Campbell

Publisher: Thomas-Jacob Publishing

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If you like satire, “Special Investigative Reporter” is the novel for you. Have a friend take a picture with a date/time stamp of you reading it in case you need an alibi.

Chauvin Verdict: important, but a baby step in the right direction

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn racism2 Comments

There never should have been any doubt about the verdict. Fortunately, it was a sensible one. The policeman’s actions were so egregious and so unnecessary that there should have been no doubt about the jury’s decision. Yet there was. Now we await sentencing. Let’s hope the verdict isn’t spoilt by an egregious sentence.

When I worked at a police training school developing course materials, I had debates with most of the instructors there about the policy that mandated police most shoot to kill if they shoot at all. They shoot to kill because it’s easier to shoot somebody in the chest than dropping him to the ground by shooting him the leg–especially if he’s firing at you.

Nonetheless, I think police should shoot to wound the suspect except under extraordinary circumstances. Otherwise, use a taser or a nightstick or a stun gun, or a non-fatal shot.

It’s absurd, I think, that deadly force is used against people who are not armed, not in the process of committing a capital crime, and–if running from the scene–were only committing a misdemeanor. There’s no legitimate reason to shoot and kill a person suspected of stealing a pack of cigarettes. The police response should never be greater than the crime.

So what if a suspected shoplifter runs away? There’s no point in killing him to prevent that.

We need to review the use of weapons and the methods of controlling a suspect rather than defunding the police (except when they’ve become militarized) or by using an unarmed traffic patrol to handle moving violations and accidents.  And that’s not all of it by any means.

We need a police force that is unbiased, doesn’t profile minorities, uses non-deadly force (if any), and that’s trusted by all segments of the population. 

–Malcolm

Malcolm R. Campbell

Publisher: Thomas-Jacob Publishing

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Got Cops on Your Tail? Try oregano.

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn conjure, magic

If you like Italian-American food, grilled chicken and vegetables, or ramping up the dressing for your tossed salad, you probably have oregano on your spice rack.

oreganoI like growing it because fresh is better than dried for most things and it gives a nice scent to the garden. Or, perhaps you use it as a dietary supplement to reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol.

However, unless you’re a fan of folk magic or frequent your neighborhood conjurer, you probably think of this tasty herb primarily as food rather than as protection.

Conjure Uses

Unfortunately, these require a bit of work; that is to say, you won’t keep the cops and annoying lawyers away by putting oregano in your spaghetti sauce.

That would be too easy, right?

hoodooherbAccording to catherine yronwode at herb-magic.com, oregano “is widely believed to be a protective herb with the power to ward off troublesome and meddling individuals, especially those who may wish to interfere with one’s personal financial dealings. Furthermore, oregano is said to have significant power to keep the law away.” She is the author of a handy book for conjurers called Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic.

  • Got Cops, Do This: Dig up the footprint of the police officer and stir it up with oregano, redbrick dust and black mustard seed and place the mixture outside at the corners of your house.  A large “X” at your doorsteps will help.
  • Got Nosy Lawyers, Do This:  A mixture of cascara sagrada bark and oregano burnt on charcoal in an ashtray or grill prior to your deposition or court date is said to turn destiny in your favor.

A good conjure woman or curio shop may also recommend burning special incense, using oils and lighting candles in addition to offering you packets of court case and keep-the-law-away powders.

I’m by no means a conjurer. As I research my next book, I am fascinated by the folk magic uses of culinary herbs, plants with purported medical uses and common household materials.

Needless to say, I make no warrants or promises for oregano in your life.

For additional conjure and herb information, see Kitchen Hoodoo -Using Oregano in Hoodoo, Conjure and Candle Spells and Cooking With Magical Herbs.

–Malcolm

KIndle cover 200x300(1)Malcolm R. Campbell is the author of the Jim Crow era novella “Conjure Woman’s Cat” set in a KKK-infested north Florida town in the 1950s.

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