This is a true story. The names of the characters involved have not been changed to protect the innocent or guilty. I know the story is true because it happened to me.
Of all days of the year it was on St. Patrick’s Day March 17, 2019, a Sunday. It was a warm Sunday morning and the darkness still held its grip on the outside land when my door bell was rung. Answering the door with my grandson standing aside me I saw a man standing there with a small flashlight. He said he had come to pick me up.
I had an inkling this would happen so I had my backpack ready near the door. I picked it up as the man retreated back towards his car. My grandson waved goodbye as I walked out the front door into the back seat of a black sedan as the driver held the door.
He asked me the time my flight was scheduled to leave Ten-thirty I responded. The airport was over an hour away. The driver had been in the Marines at the same time I had been. He spent much of his time with a helicopter squadron in the Far East while I spent over a year with the air wing at Atsugi, Japan.
Talking about the old times made the trip pass quickly. When he asked me about Justice Roberts taking a more moderate stance I remembered I was in Trump country. I was whisked through the airport onto a plane.
Landing in Boston another car waited me. I entered into a discussion with this driver about Algiers. He was from there via Paris. He was happy to talk to someone who knew something.about his country. I had read an interesting book “A Savage War of Peace” about its war with France. He drove me to the restaurant outside Boston where I was to meet my party. We sat outside it for at least fifteen minutes continuing our discussion. I finally but reluctantly had to excuse myself.
Inside I stood near the entrance waiting to see if anyone would approach. I received a text. They were on the way. They were coming from the South Boston parade where they had been working. I took a seat at a table near the front window. I ordered a pizza and ice tea. When I finished I asked for a coffee.
I was approached by a man in his late twenties (I’m not too good at judging ages). He introduced himself as a member of the team. We chatted for about a half hour as I nursed the coffee. The conversation was informative, pleasant, and easy as if we’d known each others for years. We did not discuss the purpose of my trip as much as his home country.
We then left and entered a car waiting outside the door. Off we went to the location where the rest of the team was waiting for us. It was in an unexpected building near the top of a very steep hill. It was not the type of place where I expected the enterprise would occur. We had a slight difficulty finding our way into the building. We first walked down a driveway aside it until we heard a voice beckoning us back to the front.
When we entered I met the team leader. A man in his late forties or early fifties, an attractive woman whose age I would not dare guess at and two others. The leader was quite knowledgeable and well spoken. Like the first man I met he too was from another country. He made me feel quite comfortable as he briefed me on what was planned. The woman graciously took me on a tour of the facility. The set up was remarkable.
The meeting consumed the rest of the afternoon. At seven with the business being over we had a beer, as befitting the day, together. The car that would take me back to the airport arrived. We all shook hands.
They indicated their pleasure that things had gone smoothly. I left somewhat relieved that they did not feel they wasted their money in recruiting me into their project.
I landed back at the airport where I began my trip around half past midnight. A car was waiting. I arrived back after two. Pizza was waiting on the kitchen counter. It was my first St. Patrick’s Day where my sole food was pizza. Although I must admit I had corned beef and cabbage the day before.
jkm, it’s good to see that you’re weighing in on this matter — nice touch with “martinet”
gok … we’ve both been called worse .save your energies for more important matters than bill’s CAPITAL OFFENSES. Sláinte
Matt was offered a job as a speech writer in the Trump administration.
2. Remember, I know Matt and most former prosecutors and judges and FEDs and Staties and Gov Workers in America are good and honorable people.
I see too many Power Abusers, Precedent-Ignorers, and Constitutional Infringers. Those are the men and women I seek to purge from Government and Prosecute fully.
3. All that is necessary for evil FED/STATIE Power Abusers to thrive and spread, is for good people to do and say nothing, to sit on the sidelines, to go along, and be happy with their checks or comfy retirements. FOLKS, STAND UP AND SAY WE’RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT AND WE WON’T BACK DOWN FROM THE CORRUPT SUITS AND CORRUPT BLACK ROBES.
4. TO define Matt’s and My views’ differences is simple. MATT agrees Judge Tauro’s 10 years sentence was OK, a bit too harsh perhaps. I side with ONE JUROR who repeatedly said on TV, Radio, and in Press, that he expected PROBATION: his exact words were “I would not have convicted him on any charge if I thought he would do one day in jail.”
So, Matt sides with Tauro, The System, The Establishment; I side with the dissenting Juror, the Salt of the Earth, the Rebels, the Hoi Polloi, Les Miserables, the Deplorables, the, as Kenneth Roberts phrased it quoting Bostonion Rebels of 1775-76, THE RABBLE IN ARMS.
THERE ARE GOOD PERSONS ON ALL SIDES . . . .BUT THERE ARE SIDES . . . .AND THERE ARE EVIL MEN/WOMEN DOING AND HAVING DONE EVIL THINGS (ABUSING POWER, PERSECUTING, TARGETTING INNOCENTS, OVERCHARGING, OVER SENTENCING, BULLYING, SEEKING UNWARRANTED WARRANTS, fisa etc, and ILLEGALLY, UNCONSTITUTIONALLY SEARCHING AND SEIZING AND ILLEGALLY INVESTIGATING AND BULLYING . . . .AND DO I HVE STORIES FOR YOU ABOUT FEDS IN SUITS VISITING GOOD MEN IN THE HOSPITAL, BREAKING INTO INNOCENT PARENTS HOMES, RANSAKING THEM, TAKING NOTHING, RANSACKING AN INNOCENT CONTRACTORS TRUCK AFTER SMASHING A FED VEHICLE INTO IT . . . .no warrants . . . .THE FEDS, THESE DEEP STATE POWER ABUSERS MUST BE PURGED FROM THE AMERICAN GOVT AND PROSECUTED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT . . .NO ONE SHOULD BE IMMUNE FROM THE ABUSE OF POWER
Sir, I have a spare keyboard for you. It’s in very good condition. Free pick-up on either side of the Cape Cod Canal.
You’ll never be forced to SHOUT AGAIN!!!
READ MY BOOKS! My typewriter will not be stilled, despite the best efforts of the FEDs or their GOONS who destroyed 8 years of my WRITINGS ON TWO LAPTOP COMPUTERS, one night not so very long ago
See. e.g., e. e. cummings
one of these days I may well “see” e. e. cummings at forest hills cemetery — with any luck (or justice), I will see not a single capital letter on his headstone or similar marker
GOK,
Sorry to disappoint you so you might as well not make the visit. Here [ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1854/e_-e_-cummings ] is a photo of the gravestone all in capital letters.
Do you think Bill had something to do with it?
Thank you, Matt.
Crushed,
GOK (in no way does the preceding acronym constitute shouting)
Matt, I doubt Bill had anything to do with it. Isn’t he too busy writing books (THERE! A DIG AT BOTH OF YOU!) ?
GOK:
True
Bill:
You don’t seem to understand that writing in capital letters is plainly not right. I don’t know why you persist in doing it. I explained to you before that it is like shouting which is the opposite of discussing things. The comment section is for discussion not for shouting. If you want to shout there are plenty of places you can do that but please don’t continue to do it in this comment section. It is rude not only to me but to others who post here.
I’ve asked you before to make your writing comply with internet etiquette. If you find you cannot do that and want to continue shouting here I will be forced to delete your posts where you do it in the future.
I’m not clear whether the meeting was to conspire on use of the 25th Amendment or plan a class reunion.
Brian:
I was pledged to secrecy but I can tell you it had nothing to do with Trump or class reunions.
Was this an April’s Fools story?
Oy, so MANY names!
Awaiting part 2…