Comments On Learning How To Think Straight

Bob Dylan released a track on his Grammy winning Slow Train Coming album called Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking but I’m not sure the article below is what he had in mind.

At first glance you might think this is the prison version of My Fair Lady but we are not talking about which fork to use at the fancy dinner or “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain”. Neither is this a redux of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten where rules such as “don’t hit others” and “share” were the life lessons that folks used to learn.

No, the article below is a target rich environment for an alien way of thinking. We are in fact looking at a religion of self-improvement and behavior modification which yields no improvement in the human heart; thus there is no real moral or ethical basis why the prisoner should change.

Inmates at Corcoran learn how to think straight

By Lt. Edward Sanchez, AA/PIO
California State Prison, Corcoran

Thinking for Change recently congratulated its second graduating class on Facility 3B at California State Prison, Corcoran. The inmates in the class learned social skills such as active listening, apologizing and responding to anger.

The next subject the class learned last fall was, Cognitive Self-Change: paying attention to how their thinking affects their responses, recognizing risky thoughts and behaviors that are likely to get them into trouble and how to identify new and different ways of thinking and acting that will help them avoid conflict.

After practicing these skills, the next subject was Problem Solving: learning to take problems they experience every day, such as conflicts with cell mates, family members and staff and develop a more constructive way of dealing with those difficulties.

Members of the class learned by observing the group leader and one of their own members who had already completed the class demonstrate the specific skills they were learning.

They then identified their own problem situations, worked through the process of identifying potential solutions, chose one and acted it out in front of the class with another inmate.

For Inmate Harris, this was the second time through the class, this time as a teacher’s assistant who helped demonstrate the various skills and worked with some of the other inmates to help them complete assignments in between classes.

“This wasn’t just book learning,” said another inmate. “We actually did what we were learning about.”

“The experience I got out of this class was the most helpful thing I have received in all my years in CDCR,” said another inmate.

Graduates of Think for Change

Folks let’s face it, the guys in prison are those that are more logically consistent than the rest of us. If Darwin is true—which is what we teach from elementary school on up—then taking what you want and exploiting the weak is proper behavior. Rape, murder, theft, and other “crimes” are just survival of the fittest in action. What these inmates learn the hard way is that society for the most part doesn’t really believe Darwin.

You see, we want the morality of Christianity—the fruits if you will-without the consequences of the reality of God. We latch onto Darwin to explain our existence apart from God and justify abortion on demand but otherwise we don’t really have much use for him.

Inmates acted like animals (per Darwin and evolutionary theory) and subsequently got caged. Thus the society that caged them is now trying to train them to behave better. Acting according to nature got them in trouble so now somebody decided that the problem was their lack of nurture. Sorry but even with Siegfried and Roy, the animals were still wild, they just acted tame in a controlled setting for short periods of time; their fundamental nature is not changed.

Siegfried and Roy

Likewise, this prison program cannot effect the type of change that these men really need, only the Gospel of Christ can have lasting change. Why? Because when God saves us, he gives us a new heart, a new nature, His nature.

From a biblical point of view, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation can’t really do either correct or rehabilitate. God is in the business or redeeming people from their sins. (Imprisonment is not a biblical punishment anyway.)

When the government gets into the business of trying to redeem people, they have left their God given sphere of responsibility and strayed beyond their mandate. These eight guys were able to get out of their cells and interact with others but sadly they were not given the antidote to their real problem just a placebo.

Murder of Old Classmates

I saw this article on Facebook over the weekend and it made lots of emotions get stirred up inside.

The article was posted as a link to the Davis Enterprise newspaper. It was about a man convicted of murder who had served about one year of his sentence and was being released by the Department of Corrections. Yeah, you read that correctly. Kill a guy and get charged with murder and convicted of manslaughter and serve a year and then go free!? I knew Governor Brown was letting folks go without serving their sentences but wow!

Here is part of the Enterprise article:

Jeffrey Lemus, who is about a year into his seven-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter, has fewer than six months to live after being diagnosed with liver cancer and advanced cirrhosis, according to a compassionate release report prepared by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Although Lemus remains ambulatory and independent in his daily activities, “the progression of the disease is rapid with extreme unlikelihood of improvement,” CDCR Secretary Scott Kernan wrote in a Sept. 21 letter to Judge David Reed, who is due to decide Nov. 6 whether Lemus’ sentence and prison commitment should be recalled.
Terminally ill prison inmate from Woodland may be released

So Mr. Lemus is sentenced on October 25, 2016 and on September 21, 2017, CDCR is looking to set him free. It’s not like the taxpayers are getting out of supporting this guy’s medical expenses so why kick him loose? So he can spend time with his family?

But the article gets better. The guy who was killed was Kelly Choate. I knew him. We went to elementary school together at Holy Rosary Catholic School. I remember he and his brother Barry and their sister.

“…an emotional Kasie Choate, the victim’s daughter, urged Reed to reject the CDCR petition and keep Lemus behind bars.”

“Whether he be healthy or fatally ill does not change the fact that he killed a person,” she added, noting that Lemus is still able to visit with his loved ones in prison. “What about my dad? He didn’t get that. He didn’t get a warning, a diagnosis of his last days. He didn’t get to prepare for his death.”

This tragedy is bad enough for the family it is not the only one:

Once again, tragedy has befallen the Choates.

The longtime Woodland family is mourning the death of Kelly Mason Choate, 53, who was fatally stabbed Saturday night during an altercation at Kenny’s Bar & Grill on East Street.

His death — which the suspect says resulted from an act of self-defense — comes nearly 29 years to the day after that of his twin brother, Barry Choate, whose 1986 Thanksgiving Day murder remains one of Woodland’s unsolved homicides.

“Their father has lost four sons,” Lisa Hulse, Kelly Choate’s ex-wife, said in a phone interview Monday. In addition to the twins, she said, two of their half-brothers have met untimely deaths, including one who passed away just a few months ago.

Barry Mason Choate was a month shy of 25 when a man searching for recyclables on the morning of Nov. 27, 1986, found his body on First Street south of Main. He’d been shot twice in the jaw and neck by a killer who’s never been identified.
Woodland homicide victim mourned; suspect claims self-defense

So the sister—whose name I have purposely omitted—has lost all four of her brothers, two to homicide. Wow. It’s spooky that I knew both men.

I can understand that Kelly’s family is distraught at the thought that his killer will not have to serve his sentence which they believe was lenient to start with. I’m sad for the family and hope that CDCR gets to hold Mr. Lemus a bit longer.

Las Vegas Shooter

I have waited a while to mention this topic in hopes that facts would make for a better discussion but the number of Facts-capital “F” are frankly very few.

We know the following:
• The attack was premeditated
• The guy modified legally purchased weapons
• He had a laptop, a hammer, and many guns
• A chart for shooting that calculated for gravity acting on a bullet over distance was in the room
• It took 72 minutes from the first shots until the police breached the door where they found the man already dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot.

One last fact, the man was a perfectly rational Liberal. Why?
• He didn’t attend church
• Was not a militia member
• Was not a Trump supporter
• Was not a Republican

If any of the above was true, we would still be hearing about it.

Oh, he was a millionaire and registered to vote Democrat in Florida.

The autopsy showed that he had a “normal” brain.

Liberals—who deny the existence of evil—are mystified how to explain away this whole incident because it doesn’t fit their way of looking at the world. However, not allowing a crisis to go to waste, they began demanding that their god (government) take better care of them by demanding more stringent laws on law abiding citizens.

A friend’s daughter was at the concert that night as were some others that I am aware of. It is tragic but sadly more things like this will happen. Evil flourishes in a world that turns its back on God. Welcome to another judgment day.

Retraction: ESPN Was Drunk Last Night!

Here at Really Right we strive to always be really right and that is why I am issuing a partial retraction from my commentary last night regarding Robert Lee and ESPN.  Our attempt at satire was met with something called truth; a member of ESPN actually was drunk last night, correction this morning at 3:30 AM.  That’s right folks, self-righteous and everyone’s favorite “bro” Ryen Rusillo was arrested this morning (Tuesday) at 3:30 AM in Teton County, Wyoming.  I would try to explain his criminal trespassing, but here let’s have the police report describe it, (police dept. dispatched to an intoxicated male trespasser)

Two people were asleep in the condo when they heard someone come in. They didn’t know the man and asked him to leave because he was drunk, according to reports. Police arrived a few minutes later.

“Occupants pointed the suspect out who was found in a bedroom,” Jackson Police Lt. Roger Schultz said.

Russillo, of West Hartford, Connecticut, reportedly had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech.

“He couldn’t coherently answer any questions,” Schultz said.

“Officers found the defendant, later identified as Ryen August Russillo, lying on the bed in the south bedroom naked except for his pants around his ankles,” the probable cause affidavit states.

For more on this story see:
ESPN host arrested for criminal entry

ESPN Radio Host Ryen Russillo Arrested In Wyoming For Misdemeanor Criminal Entry

John Dennis Says ESPN’s Ryen Russillo Is A “Stumbling Drunk Alcoholic”

Ryen “Pants on the ground” Rusillo

I know at first I thought Aaron Park was binge drinking again.

Ummm… I was very wild in my college, young adult and even later in life days, but never did I get so wasted I tried to sleep in a stranger’s condo’s extra bedroom.  Rusillo was lucky to survive the mass layoffs at ESPN earlier in the year; this makes the network look very bad, mostly because he has alcohol abuse in his past.  Full disclosure—he was on vacation, but for someone who comes off more righteous than anyone else on his radio show I have a feeling he may be terminated soon.  Rusillo is the second most liberal radio host on ESPN, and this could be an opening to show the network isn’t too liberal.  Yeah, much like the CRA won’t take Park to court; ESPN aint going to fire Russillo.  But I reserve the right to light into both.  As far as Mr. Rusillo goes, much like James Comey, everyone knows you are right all the time, a complete know-it-all, leader of the unwashed masses!

So let’s take a look at Mr. Russillo’s identification papers he had on him last night. Per the police report:
• Sex:  Not specified (but given his condition he wouldn’t remember anyway).
• Driver’s license class: Unclassified.
Apparently he doubles as James Bond or models his private life after Ted Kennedy.

Folks, Russillo lectures people daily on his radio show to pick a lane and stay in it, apparently he is unable to do that himself.

Hopefully Ryen gets some help, not just for his alcoholism but from his parents, who spells Ryan with an “e”?  Also from his employer, Ryen has a very big substance abuse program and he needs help.  The good news is, much like the CRA, ESPN supports the ACA remaining the law of the land, so Ryen should be able to find the help he needs.

ESPN, in a statement said “They are looking into this.”  Hopefully they don’t blow it, sorry bad pun!
ESPN, sleep with both eyes open because X is always coming for you!

PS, we are awaiting word on suspension due to our retraction, we will keep you posted.

X

X Nailed It on Warren Buffet

In case you missed the dispatch from Davey Jones, no not the one with the nautical locker or the guy that used to be in the 1960’s band, The Monkeys, but the one from Sacramento that is now the State Insurance Commissioner. Yeah, that Davey Jones just nuked Berkshire Hathaway using the full faith and credit of California (and believe me the credit of California is vast). Anyway, take a look at this.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After a year of legal wrangling, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced today that the California Department of Insurance has reached a settlement agreement with Berkshire Hathaway subsidiaries to stop the bait and switch marketing tactics used to sell a workers’ compensation insurance product, which led to numerous complaints from employers caught up in the costly and complicated policies.

In May 2016, in response to a complaint by a small business owner and after a hearing by an administrative law judge, the commissioner determined California Insurance Company and Applied Underwriters, both subsidiaries of Berkshire Hathaway, were selling a workers’ compensation product with illegal side agreements that modified the obligations of the parties under the policy.

Link: Settlement Press Release

I will let X tell you more if he is so inclined but once again we are proven Really Right.

 

CDCR: Pledges No Assisted Suicide for Inmates

Department of Corrections opts out of physician assisted suicide law in California.

Below are excerpts of the proposed response to this new California law.
www.cdcr.ca.gov/Regulations/Adult_Operations/docs/NCDR/2016NCR/16-10/NCR_16-10_Notice_of_Proposed_Regulations_Posting.pdf

Jack “The Dripper” Kevorkian (1928-2011) with his suicide machine

3359.8 End of Life Option Act Exemption

New section 3359.8 is adopted to read:
All terminally ill inmates remaining in the custody of CDCR will receive health care appropriate and necessary to their situation, including counseling, hospice and palliative care. Inmates in the custody of CDCR shall not be provided aid-in-dying drugs under the End of Life Option Act (California Health and Safety Code, Division 1, Part 1.85, Sections 443-443.22). Employees, independent contractors, or other persons or entities, including other health care providers, shall not participate in activities under the End of Life Option Act on premises managed by or under the direct control or management of the Department or while acting within the course and scope of any employment by, or contract with, the Department.
Page 5

Confirming that individuals requesting end of life medication have made an informed and voluntary decision is the most significant factor in the End of Life Option Act. Its provisions describe the specific content and timing of the required oral and written requests for the medications. Confirmation of the request to the attending physician is required from a consulting physician and from a mental health specialist if there are indications of a mental disorder. Even within those safeguards, it is unclear how an inmate could make a voluntary decision in light of the influence and effect of confinement. The degree that inmate decisions are influenced or coerced, directly or indirectly, by the conditions of confinement or by the remaining length of sentence cannot readily be measured or alleviated.

Given the custodial status of terminally ill inmates, the End of Life Option Act creates a potential conflict of interest for CDCR staff and contractors responsible for inmates’ safety and welfare. In California, CDCR determines where inmates will be assigned and determines their housing restrictions in the prison; it decides who can visit them and for how long; and their access to food, clothing and personal property. Health care is provided to inmates by CDCR employees or through contracts with CDCR. Prison health care staff determine what care is offered to inmates, when and which employees or contractors will provide treatment. Finally, the State of California pays for inmate care and treatment of inmates, including end of life care.

Once the aid-in-dying drugs are prescribed and delivered to the patient under the End of Life Option Act, the individual is free to choose when and where to ingest the medication. Alternatively, the person may decide not to end his or her life. The abuse of both illicit and prescribed medications in CDCR is a major safety and security concern. If a terminally ill inmate were allowed to possess aid-in-dying drugs, significant operational and administrative controls would be required to manage access to the self-administered medications. Prison staff would have to play an unacceptable role in managing and supervising the inmate’s end-of-life actions.
Page 6-7

California Agency Struggles to Comfort Employees

De Nile is not just a river in Egypt; it’s a way of life when liberals run the government.

Yesterday, another missive was circulated entitled “Emergency Situation Preparedness.” Citing the San Bernardino shooting and closure of Los Angeles schools (based on a hoax), this state agency sent out the “…following information copied from a large university’s safety update includes valuable information from their Campus Security on preparedness and what to do if you are involved in an active shooter situation.”

The email goes on to try to describe the difference between an active shoot and a hostage situation. “Hostage or barricaded subject situations often take place over a longer period of time, and usually there is no ongoing injury or loss of life. “

Somehow the Beslan terror attack is omitted from these discussions. (see Wikipedia article on Beslan school siege) The Beslan terror attack involved 1,100 hostages taken at an elementary school. Over the three day siege, 385 were killed. Most Americans have never heard of this event. A documentary on this event—narrated by actress Julia Roberts—is well worth viewing.

The memo then goes on to describe how to respond when a shooter is in your area. The reader is offered three options after they dial 911:
1. Run
2. Hide
3. Fight

Option 3, Fight is the most entertaining section to read. Remember government buildings including schools and offices are “gun free zones”. This means only bad guys can be armed in these areas. They are the aggressors and we are the targets (victims).

3. Fight.
Take action against the active shooter as a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by:

• Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her.
• Throwing items and improvising weapons.
• Yelling.
• Committing to your actions.

Todd Beamer comes to mind when I read this section but then I remember it is addressed to government workers and my heart sinks. Just for fun, let’s go thru these.

Acting aggressively—OK that guy has a gun, he has just shot up your office and now you walk up to him and do what, growl? Oh, sorry be aggressive and yell. When you yell what do you say, “Get off my lawn”? “Bullying is wrong and you should stop it?”

Throw items—perhaps staplers and tape dispensers. Yeah, tape dispensers, they are heavier and more aerodynamic than coffee cups and flat screen monitors. Like zombie movies, aim for the head.

Committing to your actions—means what exactly? Contrary to popular culture, John Wayne never took unnecessary risks in his movies; he just did what needed to be done. I guess if you plan to fight, be willing to “take one for the team”.

Apparently this is why the last memo we got said keep your ID card with you at all times, so they can identify your body after you miss with the stapler.

California Agency’s Lame Response to San Bernardino Shooting

Yesterday the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) sent employees a memo concerning security. This comes on the heels of the shooting at a county facility in San Bernardino.

Before I present the memo, please keep the following facts in mind:
• The San Bernardino shooter was employed at the location where the shooting occurred for five years.
• He knew the people he was shooting.
• His act was premeditated.
• He had access to the building where the shooting occurred.
• He knew that his building was a “gun free zone”.
• He brought friends to help him commit his murderous rampage.

It has come to our attention that many staff are lax in complying with the requirement to carry their identification card on their person while on work premises as instructed in Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations. (see inserted language below)

For safety considerations, we ask that you make a habit of carrying your ID and key card/fob while at work. The reception desk will be tightening access into suite C1.
In light of recent events and the fact that our building lacks an onsite security detail, the Administrative Unit wants to be as vigilant as possible to maintain a safe work environment.

State of California
California Code of Regulations
Title 15. Crime Prevention and Corrections

Section 3414. Identification Card.
Every employee will be issued a departmental identification card. Employees must, while on duty, carry such card upon their person and produce the card upon request. An employee must promptly report the loss of his or her identification card.

Emphasis in original memo

There you have it, carry your state issued ID card and don’t lose your card key. The remainder of the memo was concerning the policy of issuing a temporary card key if you left yours at home or it was stolen.

My immediate thoughts on the memo were these:
• I guess the ID card requirement is to make identifying our bodies swifter in the event of a similar tragedy.
• I actually forgot my key card on Tuesday and never had to wait more than two minutes to get into any door in the building.

Again, the San Bernardino shooter had a county issued ID card and a key card to get into his building and how many people did he kill?

In contrast, two buildings further down the street from CDCR is the state headquarters of the National Guard. There they have two Humvees and three guys with M-16s controlling access to their parking lot; plus several concrete barriers erected around their building. In my experience, such security is traditionally conducted with unloaded weapons but if you were a bad guy which would you choose as a target. A state building that has a bunch of paper pushers in it or one where guys are brandishing weapons and most people in the building have some training on how to kill?

Given those choices and a hearty amount of criminal intent, I’d pick the known soft target.

The Curious Case of Karen Davis

Karen Davis was busted for lying to federal investigators. The 2014 Tea Party Congressional candidate was arrested for making death threats against herself. Way to go Republicans. At least she did lose the June 2014 election.

Here is the news story
http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/news-stockton/former-congressional-candidate-accused-of-sending-threatening-letters-to-herself/

Here is her Tea Party candidate profile
http://teapartycheer.com/bios/west/california/karen-davis-ca-bio/

Here is her indictment
http://www.kcra.com/blob/view/-/36136326/data/60821733/-/i94qxg/-/Criminal-complaint-candidate—threats-102915.pdf

Here are some interesting paragraphs from that document.

Note that LPD is Lodi Police Department

7 (only a portion of this section is quoted.) DAVIS stated that she has been the victim of similar types of activity in the past and didn’t know if the recent letter was related. DAVIS said that she moved to Lodi as a result of past attacks and threats. DAVIS told Officer BRISTOW that the only possible lead she could think of was a family known to her as the “Hunwardsons.” DAVIS believed that the “Hunwardsons” were associated with ROGER STEINER who was convicted of assaulting her and had been released from prison approximately (5) weeks ago.

8. On or about December 24, 2013, I interviewed Sergeant DOUG CHINN at LPD about Threat Letter #1 and his previous contacts with DAVIS. CHINN provided a copy of the police report filed by DAVIS regarding Threat Letter #1. CHINN advised that he was acquainted with DAVIS and had spoken with her on a regular basis during his visits to a Starbucks located at 21 0 N. Ham Lane in Lodi. Approximately 2 to 3 months prior to my interview, DAVIS asked CHINN about obtaining a concealed weapons permit. DAVIS told CHINN that she had been a public official in the past and had previously been assaulted due to her position. DAVIS indicated to CHINN that she was currently running for a Congressional seat and wanted a concealed weapons permit due to the previous threats on her life. CHINN related to DAVIS the process for obtaining a permit.

10. When asked if she contacted the police when she first opened the letter, DAVIS stated “no, they have not been very receptive to me in the past.” DAVIS related that she went to _the LPD In the recent past and attempted to obtain a concealed weapons permit. LPD did not issue the permit. (Remainder of paragraph omitted)

15 During her first term (1990-94) as Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder, DAVIS reported to law enforcement being the recipient of several verbal and written death threats from individuals associated with the JURIS CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY (JCA). The JCA was described as an anti-government extremist group opposed to paying income taxes. In or about January 1994, DAVIS reported to law enforcement that she was assaulted by two members of JCA in the garage of her residence. DAVIS told investigators that while she was being assaulted the subjects threatened to kill her if she did not comply with JCA demands regarding tax liens filed with the Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder’s Office. DAVIS later identified ROGER STEINER from a photographic line up, as one of the two individuals who assaulted her. Ultimately STEINER and eight (8) other individuals associated with the JCA were charged and convicted of racketeering (RICO) charges following a federal jury trial in the Fresno Division of the Eastern District of California. STEINER was sentenced to serve approximately twenty-two (22) years in federal prison.

16 On December 26, 2013, I received an email from DAVIS which contained further information about the possibility that CLARK was responsible for sending the threat letter to her. DAVIS stated in her email that in 1995 her ex-husband DAVID MATHEWS owned an agricultural chemical company in Manteca, CA, called TRI-AG. CLARK was one of the owners. CLARK’s degree was in chemicals and agriculture. Her son, SCOTT MATHEWS worked there at the time and said that CLARK talked a lot about guns. If CLARK didn’t talk so much about bombs, guns and his common law beliefs, DAVIS wouldn’t even think of him with regards to CLARK possibly sending the recent threat letter. DAVIS further stated in her email that during the trial of the 1994 assault, there was a confrontation between her parents, her aunt and uncle and the defendants in a hallway at the court. She stated that it was clear that all of the defendants knew who her family was. DAVIS added that after the trial, she received a lot of mail from STEINER while he was in prison, some of which contained veiled threats. In the email, DAVIS further stated that, “all of us are concerned that Steiner has nothing to lose by bothering my family.” The clear implication of this statement in DAVIS’ email was that STEINER could also have sent Threat Letter #1.

The bottom line is that Davis lied about the 2014 letters and it now cast doubts that her 1994 story of assault was true. Did she send an innocent person to jail? In addition, this crime was done—at least in part—so she could qualify for a concealed weapons permit.

Oregon College Shooting

Ok, we know Roseburg is a small town that used to advertise like crazy here for people from California to retire there.

• The local community college has about three thousand students.

• The killer is reported as dead and has been for several hours. They won’t release his name.

• Plus this from Fox News

Kortney Moore, 18, told the News-Review she was in her Writing 115 class in Snyder Hall when a shot came through the window. Moore said she saw her teacher get shot in the head. The shooter then reportedly told the students to get on the ground before asking people to stand up and state their religion. He then began firing.
Fox News Article

Conclusion, the guy is named Mohammed or something else of similar origin.

Let’s see if this is called terrorism (if I’m right).

Update #1
Christians Targeted
Oregon gunman singled-out Christians during rampage