One more little anecdote. The friend "Barney" that I was referring to is
the former police commission liason for the cities of Inglewood and Carson
California. However much political nonsense it might be, he's also an
honorary member of the California Highway Patrol and the San Diego Police
department. I suspect he's one of the largest individual contributors to the
PBA scholarship fund, or whatever they call it. Very successful and wealthy
guy. He drives his Ferrari and Turbo Porsche way worse than I do. He gets no
tickets. Zero. Is there anyone out there who is surprised at that?
About thirty years ago he and I were surrounded by four or five cop cars and
probably ten officers with drawn handguns and shotguns in the town of Seal
Beach, CA. Somebody had seen that I was carrying a pelletgun (we had been
doing some target practice) and decided we were suspicious characters. Not a
big deal, though scary. But as we were getting it sorted out one of the cops
got irritated because Barney mouthed off a little. He said "you've got a big
mouth for a little chink" (Barney is chinese). Barney said "you've got a big
mouth for a fat white guy". The fat white cop and another immediately jumped
on Barney--who never raised a hind to either of them. They broke his arm,
cuffed them behind his back and took him to jail for assault and resisting
arrest. He still has nerve damage.
I don't have any trouble remembering that like it was yesterday. These
things stick with you. I don't have anything against cops, and I try not to
lump people together (except when I'm trying to figure out how to influence
them--that's what I do for a living), but I really don't like petty, vicious
assholes.
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