rlfj: Blog

Several readers wanted to know why Grim wanted to get a PhD. It was going to be a pain in the ass. Why move out of the house? Why spend all the time doing it?

Why does anybody get a PhD? Because they want to! I remember when I was getting my MBA, going to school nights while living in a one-bedroom apartment with a daughter sleeping on a cot in the dining room. Why did I do that? (More than once since then I’ve asked myself the same question.) Real answer, it was either that or a PhD and I didn’t want to do research. Still, it could have been for any reason.

Anyway, Grim wants to get his doctorate. I can tell you flat out that a doctorate really opens a wide range of possibilities in academia, in case you want to become a teacher. I would bet it would also look good on a fancy resume for a consultant. Probably make for a nice-looking business card, too. We’ll just have to wait and see!

Finally, dnkjd51 pointed out if Grim winds up being an expert witness on police procedure or tactics in any sort of legal proceeding the PhD will look pretty impressive. I never even considered that, but it’s quite true. Courts love expert witnesses with doctorates. A teenage Joe Fumblefingers with a PhD will rank a whole lot higher than somebody with forty years’ practical experience.

Many comments on my writing about PTSD, all complimentary. This is a real disease. I have a nephew who did a tour in Iraq in the Marines, in Fallujah, and he has had some major problems since then. It took him and his parents years to get him to admit to the problem and he’s been through two marriages and God only knows how many jobs and places to live. They were very worried he would commit suicide. His third wife seems to be the charm, and he’s really coming together. God bless her!

Stellate Ganglion Block, SGB, is a real treatment being studied for treatment for some symptoms of PTSD. I learned about it watching 60 Minutes. I didn’t make it up.

I got a very nice email from elfkabezhaltera explaining something that I didn’t know and that Grim didn’t know. “At some point Grim wonders why the soldier with a light machine gun is called an "Automatic Rifleman". Simple - in the dim past such a soldier was armed with a Browning Automatic Rifle (as the US Military played pretend that the BAR was a squad level machine gun).” That makes a lot of sense. At the time the BAR was used, the primary infantry weapon was the Springfield ’03, and then the M1 Garand, neither of which were automatic weapons.

Enjoy!

In Chapter 6, Grim states “The first segment was on the threat of Islamic terrorism in the United States, which was actually a very low risk. Most terrorists in America are right wing nutjobs and white supremacists.” In response, I got an email stating:

“I am not at all sure about the relative amount of terrorism caused by Islamic terrorists and right-wing terrorists. When Obama the great and wonderful mischaracterizes countless Islamic attacks as workplace violence or the equivalent (The Fort Hood shooting, the gay Florida club and the Christmas shooting in California are just three examples) I am also aware that several attacks by apolitical nut jobs (like the one who shoot Rep Gifford) that were blamed on right wing nuts. It is unfortunate that there is no one or no organization that will actually take the time and effort to accurately characterize terror attacks not only here, but around the world.”

Another email stated:

“Where you say "Most terrorists in America are right wing nutjobs and white supremacists." You are reflecting misinformation. Most terrorist are left wing nut jobs. A prime example is the nut who shot up the congressional baseball game. I am not saying there are no right wing nutjobs. Just that most of the actual terrorist are left wing nutjobs.”

And finally:

“You really need to check your facts. Try the Justice Department stats. I know you won't believe me. So please continue writing the good stories like you do. Just keep your biased politics to yourself.”

First, I’m no fan of Obama, not that it matters. What matters is that Graham W. Reaper is a fictional character. If I write a story where a character is a Nazi, it does not mean I am a Nazi. It means I am writing fiction. And my politics aren’t biased. I am registered as an Independent. As Shakespeare once wrote, “A plague o’ both your houses!”

Second, there are plenty of organizations that actually take the time and effort to accurately characterize terror attacks. Many of them are part of the Federal government, like the FBI and the GAO.

According to a 2017 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, “of the 85 violent extremist incidents that resulted in death since September 12, 2001, right wing violent extremist groups were responsible for 62 (73 percent) while radical Islamist violent extremists were responsible for 23 (27 percent). The total number of fatalities is about the same for far-right wing violent extremists and radical Islamist violent extremists over the approximately 15-year period (106 and 119, respectively). 52 percent of the deaths attributable to radical Islamist violent extremists occurred in a single event - an attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida in 2016.” Additional reports showed that in 2018, most ideologically motivated murders in the United States of America were linked to right-wing extremism. With the occurrence of the 2019 El Paso shooting, right wing terrorism has been responsible for more killings on US soil than Jihadi terrorists after the September 11 attacks.

These reports are from Trump 1.0 departments, not pre-Trump, so bias can’t be considered a factor. As for terrorism in other countries, I really don’t care. Grim is in Georgia. He probably doesn’t care, either. My editors, mostly professional police officers, had no complaint with my statements. My advice to the haters: if you don’t like it, stop reading.

A disturbing email came to me the other day: “I like your writing. Saying that, I started reading your new Grim Reaper story. I went back and started to read Book 2. Then I remember that part where you called Trump a racist and a sexual predator.” I keep saying this, but many people just don’t get it. Here’s my response: “Thanks. You have no idea what I think. Are you going to complain that a fictional character thinks that? Do you only read fiction that agrees with your politics? So very limiting.”

Everybody seemed to like the new slogan of RSC: If We Can’t Make Money Solving Your Problem, We Can Make Money Prolonging It! Despair.com (a wonderful company) has a similar poster: If You’re Not A Part Of The Solution, There’s Good Money To Be Made In Prolonging The Problem!

This all reminds me of my misspent youth in the 70s as a chemist. At the time, Dupont had a corporate slogan of ‘Better Living Through Chemistry!’ My company, a lab division of ITT, had an employee contest for a new slogan. We were an extremely jaded group and totally burned out. The runaway winner was ‘Better Cancer Through Chemistry!’ The contest was immediately shut down.

Chapter 6 is a short chapter. Sorry about that, but chapter size is not a function of word count. It is a function of story segmentation. The next chapter is about something different. That’s just the way it works. In any case, enjoy!

Some formatting problems with chapter 3 and 4. I have recoded them and uploaded them for immediate posting, but it will probably still take some time.

The cruise comes to an end, and we learn something about Grim’s new job. Should be interesting.

One of my editors, Old Rotorhead, turned out to have law enforcement experience in Tennessee. He was able to help me writing about the issues Grim will be having in his consulting job in Bethel Hollow.

Enjoy!

And so we begin! For those new to the story, you simply won’t understand it without reading the two earlier stories in the series, The Grim Reaper and Adventures in Southern Law Enforcement. Reaper Security Consulting begins immediately after the end of ASLE.

In case you were wondering, there really are police consultants. They range from giant multinational firms down to single person firms who do one single thing. Let’s see how Grim does at it.

In any case, enjoy!