Triad Today

As far as I’m concerned, NFL star Michael Vick should still be in prison for torturing and murdering scores of pit bulls at his dog fighting operation in Virginia. Instead he was only incarcerated for 18 months. It was a small price to pay for his heinous crimes, but at least it was a price. Too bad for Vick he wasn’t abusing his dogs at the Guilford County animal shelter, otherwise he’d have gotten off scot-free. That’s what happened to shelter director Marsha Williams and her staff when District Attorney Doug Henderson and his chief assistant Howard Neumann decided not to prosecute anyone for the widespread, systematic, and heart-breaking abuse and neglect that went on at 4525 West Wendover Avenue.

The Guilford D.A.’s office said that it had no definitive proof that any one individual committed the abuses, but something about that explanation smells to high heaven. For one thing, there were security cameras located throughout the shelter. As one inside source told me, “there were so many cameras in that place that you couldn’t fart without someone knowing it.” For another, the abuses and neglect had been going on for years under the supposed oversight of Williams and the United Animal Coalition Board, whose former President John Nieman just happens to be a public defender. Notice I said “former President.” Nieman and fellow Board member Judge Michelle Fletcher both bailed out just when the shelter investigation was about to hit the fan. Somehow, Henderson’s refusal to prosecute those sickening abuses, smacks of cronyism. Speaking of oversight, how is it that a respected Board that included a public defender and a Judge never took time to conduct unannounced inspections of the facilities under their purview?

It should be noted that UAC operated both the Guilford and Davidson County shelters, but it was an investigation of the latter that triggered charges of abuse in the former. The saga began when the Davidson Sheriff’s department was tipped off about the Lexington shelter’s possession of the pain med Tramadol, which they were not licensed to have. Sensing there might be corroborating evidence at the Guilford shelter, Davidson prosecutors sought a search of the Wendover facility. Guilford Sheriff BJ Barnes and his deputies executed a search, which involved seizing computers and other materials. During their investigation and a series of interviews, the Sheriff’s department and the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services learned of horrendous conditions and signs of abuse and neglect, including one dog who had been caged up for six days with his eyeball hanging out of the socket. On a subsequent visit to the shelter, deputies, now armed with a broader warrant, discovered a freezer door jammed shut with a crowbar. Upon opening the door they witnessed animal carcasses piled up over five feet high.

That discovery begs the question, “Why were animal bodies stacked up in a freezer when the Guilford shelter had its own crematorium?” Here’s where the story gets a bit murky and more disgusting, if that is even possible. According to my source, Williams, whose base salary exceeded $90,000, was also eligible for a bonus if she reduced the number of euthanizations at the shelter. The bonus was presumably offered in order to facilitate more adoptions. But in order to euthanize less dogs at the Guilford shelter, Williams was allegedly sending animals down to Davidson to be cremated, then piling others up in her own freezer. If true, that is a hell of a way to earn a bonus. But bonus not, dogs who either came to the shelter abused, or were neglected while there, needed to be cared for, or else put out of their misery. In many cases, it seems, Ms. Williams did neither, causing animals to endure untold suffering.

Speaking of bonuses and money, Williams hired a number of her own family members to work at the shelter, where the total employee salaries exceeded $900,000. That in addition to Williams’ base pay, accounted for over half of all public funds contributed by Guilford County. One could conclude that family members don’t rat out other family members, especially when big money is involved, so perhaps that’s another reason why the D.A. was reluctant to prosecute. But common sense dictates that Williams and her staff should be prosecuted because they were the only ones who had access to the dogs being abused and neglected. If a man in good condition walked into a store that had ten employees and no other customers, then he exited five minutes later beaten and bloodied, the police would charge all ten employees with assault if none of them ratted out the attacker. Same should apply with abuse and cruelty at an animal shelter. The dogs didn’t abuse and neglect themselves, so the D.A. should have charged the entire shelter staff as accessories to felony animal cruelty.

Yes I know there’s a difference in gathering evidence about abuse of animals versus abuse of a human. Dogs can’t talk, and they can’t tell you who abused them. But dogs also don’t have friends on Boards or family members covering for them. Fortunately Marsha Williams has been charged with several felonies at the Davidson shelter, and late last week, Sheriff Barnes was able to tack on five misdemeanor charges in spite of the Guilford D.A.’s foot dragging. That means Ms. Williams may pay a price yet. But she should be in prison for what she allowed to happen in Guilford, and her entire staff should join her in a cell. Meanwhile the NCDACS has suspended UAC’s license to operate in the State. As for the D.A., he and his assistant should resign for refusal to prosecute a case which involved a public defender and a sitting judge as members of the Board whose shelters were being investigated.

Going forward, Guilford County has the resources to run a clean, caring, and efficient animal shelter, and Guilford Commissioners have an obligation to thoroughly vet anyone who works there, or who operates that facility. As taxpayers, we can never again allow any agency to abuse our trust the way that UAC did. As human beings we must never again allow individuals like Williams to abuse the pets in their care. Animal lives matter.
 
 

In November of 1775 Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Those oft-misquoted words served as a warning to Franklin’s fellow colonists about the choice between accepting status quo under a British regime, versus fighting to be free. In modern times it was a warning we should have heeded before passing the USAPatriot Act, which later allowed the NSA and Homeland Security to monitor our phone and email communications. And it was a warning that Americans should have heeded in 1949 when the House Un- American Activities Committee (HUAC) launched a witch hunt to expose communists and communist sympathizers, particularly those working in Hollywood.

If called to testify before HUAC, film industry professionals were expected to denounce or deny their own communist leanings, then give the Committee names of people who might have an association with communist activity. Anyone who failed to name names, faced prison time and the loss of their livelihood, the latter of which came to be known as “Blacklisting”. In order to keep working, most people cooperated with HUAC, but screenwriter Dalton Trumbo and nine other notable wordsmiths refused to name names. For their defiance the so-called Hollywood Ten served a year in prison, then, upon their release, were only able to earn a living by writing under assumed names.

This week, “Trumbo”, a film starring Bryan Cranston in the title role, opens in theatres across the country. It also stars Helen Mirren, John Goodman, and Diane Lane. Cranston is a multiple Emmy winner for his role as science teacher turned meth dealer Walter White on Breaking Bad. He also won a Tony award in 2014 for his one man Broadway show, All the Way, in which he portrayed former President Lyndon Johnson. Bryan is perhaps the most versatile American actor of his generation, and can move with ease between comedy and drama. I first met Bryan in 2009 when he appeared at a “TV Dads” event that I moderated for the Television Academy. Late last month we spoke about his role as one of the most famous Americans to ever defy Congress.

JL: What kind of research did you do for Trumbo?

BC: The good thing about playing a non-fictional character like Dalton Trumbo is that you can look at the films he wrote (Roman Holiday, Spartacus, etc…). Also there’s the biography by Bruce Cook, which is what the movie was based on. I also read a bio by Larry Ceplair, and that was illuminating. And I had the benefit of films and audio tapes. Also, Trumbo’s two daughters are still alive, and they were very cooperative, so I had the gift of being able to talk extensively with them in person and over email.

JL: Does the film focus mainly on the man, or do we get a broad stroke of the events around him, or both?

BC: We look at this very serious subject with sincerity, humor, pathos, and real storytelling, so it’s not as dour as some might think that a film about the threat of First Amendment rights, HUAC, prison, and the blacklist might be. And the reason for that is not just to make an entertaining film, but the Hollywood Ten were very entertaining men. They were witty, and engaged in banter that was very clever and funny, and so the film encompasses a lot of that, so you feel connected emotionally to these characters, and not just to the battle they fought.

JL: Given abuses by the NSA and Homeland Security under our last two Presidents, you certainly must feel that Trumbo is especially relevant today.

BC: Yeah, I think it will resonate with today’s audience. What the story of Trumbo illuminates is the need for us to maintain that kind of vigilance for the First Amendment, and for our Constitutional rights. The HUAC era was a dark, dark period in American history, and it just so happens that the backdrop of it was the motion picture business.

JL: If you were a struggling actor trying to feed a family in the late 1940’s and early ’50’s, do you think you would have defied HUAC, or would you have cooperated with them in order to keep working?

BC: That’s a great question, and that’s what’s good about our film because it brings out both sides of that coin. If I had a wife and kids, and I was threatened with jail, I would have denounced my affiliation with Communism, but I would draw the line at naming names. It’s one thing to protect yourself, it’s another to point fingers in a condemning way. They are asking me to name people so they can persecute them, the same tactics the Nazis used.

JL: I still think I might have chickened out.

BC: That’s a very honest response, but you have to look at what your career is worth. It’s like being in a lifeboat. Do I throw this woman overboard in order to save myself? Do I save myself at the risk of someone else losing their life or livelihood? I hope I would take the honorable path, of course in the hypothetical, you can only wonder. Dalton Trumbo and the rest of the Hollywood Ten were not living in a hypothetical.

JL: In searching for videos on Dalton Trumbo, I came across a TV commercial you did at the start of your career. You were the spokesperson for “Preparation H”. Did that experience in any way prepare you to work in Hollywood?

BC: (laughs) Well, I’ve dealt with a lot of assholes in my time (laughs).

Spoken like a true Trumbo.
 
 

Last week something really surprising happened. Dr. Ben Carson, the Neurosurgeon turned GOP presidential candidate, overtook Donald Trump in a CBS News poll by a margin of 26 percent to 22 percent. Not so surprising, is that Dr. Carson as the new frontrunner, has come under much more scrutiny and criticism than ever before. I particularly liked the comments by several bloggers who compared Carson to Chance the Gardener, a pitifully naive character played by Peter Sellers in the 1979 film, Being There.

In the movie, Chance’s employer dies, leaving the simple-minded gardener to wander aimlessly through the streets of Washington D.C. where he is struck by a limo belonging to Ben, a billionaire political kingmaker a la the Koch brothers. Chance is taken to Ben’s mansion to recuperate where everyone thinks his name is Chauncey Gardener. One thing leads to another and when Ben invites his friend the President of the United States over for a visit, Chauncey is mistaken for a trusted political advisor. In one scene, the President asks Chauncey what he should do about an economic policy under consideration. Chance’s idiotic garden-speak is misinterpreted as some sort of brilliant metaphor.

President: Do you think we can stimulate growth through temporary incentives?

Chance: As long as the roots are not severed, all is well, and all WILL be well in the garden. In a garden, growth has its seasons. First comes Spring and Summer, but then we have Fall and Winter. And then we get Spring and Summer again.

Ben: I think what our insightful friend is saying is that we welcome the inevitable seasons of nature, but we’re upset by the seasons of our economy.

Chance: Yes, there will be growth in the Spring.

President: I admire your good common sense. That’s what we lack on Capitol Hill.

Chance soon becomes the talk of the town, and eventual successor to Ben’s empire.

The film ends at Ben’s funeral where powerful mourners decide to run Chauncey for President in the next election.

Suddenly Being There has become relevant again, especially to those of us who have taken time to read and re-read the plethora of simple-minded statements made by Ben Carson. What’s scary, though, is that Crazy Carson’s ideas are resonating with millions of uneducated and uniformed voters. Kanye West, for example, recently called Carson, “The most brilliant guy.” It’s Chauncey Gardener all over again.

Make no mistake. Just because someone speaks softly and slowly, doesn’t make what comes out of his mouth brilliant. Like Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain before him, Carson has become the Republican’s leading looney for this election cycle.

Need proof? Then just take a look at some of Dr. Ben’s more notable nuggets.

Homosexuality as a Choice: Carson told CNN’s Chris Cuomo that homosexuality is a choice “because a lot of people who go into prison, go into prison straight, and when they come out, they’re gay.”

Anarchy: Carson told Fox’s Chris Wallace if we don’t begin to deal with our problems now, that there might not be an election in 2016 because of widespread anarchy.

Affordable Care Act: At the 2013 Values Voters Summit, Carson said, “You know Obamacare is the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery.”

Same Sex Marriage: Carson told Fox’s Sean Hannity that marriage is between a man and a woman, adding, “It’s a well established fundamental pillar of society, and no group, be they gays, or people who believe in bestiality… they don’t get to change the definition.”

Nazis: Carson has implied on numerous occasions that Democrats and anyone who votes for Obama can be compared to Nazis. According to ForwardProgressives.com, Carson once said, “Most of the people in Nazi Germany did not believe in what Hitler was doing, but did they speak up? Did they stand up for what they believe in? They did not, and you see what happened.” Carson has also said that “the likelihood of Holocaust would have been greatly diminished if the people of Germany had been armed.” So let me get this straight. If German Jews had each been armed with a rifle, and spoke their beliefs, they could have defeated Hitler’s army. Makes perfect sense.

Mass Shootings: Carson recently told CBS News that lives would have been saved if students at Umpqua Community College had been armed. Said Carson, “The shooter can only shoot one person at a time. He cannot shoot a whole group of people…I would not just stand there and let him shoot me.” Interesting that Carson is a gun expert, yet obviously hasn’t heard of magazines with multiple rounds of ammo. And I suppose every student who carries a gun will be cool under fire and can kill the attacker without hesitation and without harming others. In Carson’s perfect world, Hitler could have been stopped if only there were community colleges in Nazi Germany.

AP Terrorism: Referring to an AP History course that teaches students about civil disobedience, Carson told an audience, “I think most people when they finish that course, they’d be ready to go sign up for ISIS.”

In fairness to Dr. Carson, he has attempted to walk back some of his more ridiculous statements, but we need a President who thinks before he speaks.

We also need a President whose views and positions are based on science and a working knowledge of government and the law. We can’t afford to have Chance the Gardener for our next President.

Americans are a forgiving people. We believe in fallen heroes who resurrect themselves. We believe in second chances. Of course, there is a practical and moral side to those second chances. For example, when a convicted bank robber gets out of prison, it’s not likely he’ll get a job as a bank guard.

I’m just saying. Likewise, someone who left college after two years because he was at the center of a major scandal and faced five federal indictments shouldn’t expect to get a job as a college professor. It just doesn’t pass the smell test.

But last week, Wake Forest University appeared to have lost its sense of smell and, along with it, its moral compass as well, by hiring scandal ridden Chris Webber to teach its students.

Webber, a five-time NBA All-Star, attended the University of Michigan for two years, during which time he received $280,000 in so-called loans from a booster named Ed Martin. Martin, as it turns out, was laundering money from an illegal gambling operation and, in addition to loaning Webber a fortune in ill-gotten gains, he allegedly also provided the basketball standout with spending money, jewelry, and clothing.

In 2002 following an exhaustive joint investigation by the NCAA, FBI, IRS, and Department of Justice, Webber was indicted on five counts, including obstruction of justice and lying to a federal grand jury (he had originally denied accepting the loan from Martin). He faced 25 years in prison and a one million dollar fine. Meanwhile the NCAA put Michigan’s basketball program on four year probation, vacated the University’s post season wins for multiple seasons, removed Webber’s name and achievements from the record books, and ordered Michigan to disassociate itself from Chris for 10 years. The University also had to return $450,000 to the NCAA for revenues earned during post-season play.

In July of 2003, just as jury selection had begun in Federal court, Ed Martin died suddenly, thereby weakening the Fed’s case against Webber. Chris escaped prison time by pleading guilty only to criminal intent. In basketball terms that’s known as getting away with an offensive foul. After leaving college in disgrace, Webber had a stellar career in the NBA, then became an analyst for Turner Sports. In May of 2013 Chris was allowed to once again associate with his alma mater.

One year before Webber’s exile was to end, he and filmmaker Peter Gilbert formed the Webber-Gilbert Media Group which the Raleigh News & Observer described as, “a multimedia production company that produces feature films and documentaries focusing on the intersection of sports, culture, and society.” Gilbert is also a professor at Wake Forest, and the man responsible for recruiting Webber to join the faculty. Together the business partners will teach a masters level course in “Sports Storytelling.”

In a statement issued by WFU, Webber said, “I’m excited to bring real life experience to the program … telling stories about sports is my new career … I understand how sports, business, race, gender, and economics mesh.” Added Gilbert, “Students will graduate with the expertise to tell the stories behind the stories.” The problem is that Webber’s story should preclude him from teaching those students in the first place.

To begin with, Webber not only doesn’t have a college degree, he didn’t even finish college. So how is he able to teach a Masters of Sports Storytelling course? He like Gilbert is considered a “Professor in Practice”, a designation which allows someone lacking in academic credentials to teach because of the experience he has gained in his chosen profession. Actually the adjunct position is widely used by colleges who want to give their students a real world perspective in their major. I myself once presided over a student-run TV show at UNCG, and, more recently my friend Sandra Hughes was hired to oversee a similar project at NC A&T. But Sandra and I have a direct connection to our respective alma maters, we weren’t recruited by our for-profit business partner, and neither of us committed crimes at our respective universities.

In my way of thinking, Webber is a poor role model for students of any age. It’s one thing for him to be invited to speak before a class of law school students who might be interested in his brush with the criminal justice system, but that’s a far cry from hiring him to teach full time. What was Wake Forest thinking? How in God’s green earth is it OK to hire a man to teach college who was involved in one of the biggest scandals in the history of college athletics? How is it Ok for a university to pay money to a man who cost his own alma mater millions of dollars? What message will it send to Wake students that their “professor” broke the rules, and broke the law when he was in college, and has profited ever since. By placing Webber in a position of influence over students, Wake has, in a sense, hired the proverbial bank robber to guard the bank.

I’m sure Chris Webber is a nice guy and he’s well liked, so there are plenty of ways he can contribute to society, but please just not as a college professor. Then again, perhaps he’s exactly where he should be. After all Webber was once convicted for storytelling, and now he’s being paid for it. Aren’t second chances great?

Sometimes the sequence and proximity of unrelated events can bring great clarity to a bigger issue. Such was the case earlier this month with the unfolding of two different massacres that took place 6,800 miles apart.

On Thursday, October 1, Christopher Harper Mercer walked into Oregon’s Umpqua Community College and proceeded to murder nine students while wounding nine others. The next day, President Obama spent his lame duck time blasting Jeb Bush and other Republicans for their insensitivity to gun violence, and their unwillingness to prevent mass murders. Then on Saturday, that same President who was so appalled by the Oregon killings indirectly authorized the use of air strikes on a Doctors Without Borders facility in Afghanistan. The bombings resulted in 22 innocent people being slaughtered and 20 others wounded. The irony and hypocrisy of this is inescapable and unforgivable.

At first, General John Campbell, Obama’s coalition commander, said that the air strikes, though launched by our gun ships, were requested by Afghan officials who said there were Taliban fighters and heavy weapons in the hospital (where have we heard a similar bullshit story before?). We now know that Campbell’s sources were not credible. In fact, Doctors Without Borders officials do not allow any weapons in their facilities, EVER. Campbell, Obama, and Defense Secretary Ash Carter know that, and should have seen a red flag when told of so-called heavy weapons. But it gets worse. As soon as the air strikes began, hospital personnel called Campbell’s staff and begged them to halt the attack. Despite those pleas, the bombings continued for another thirty minutes. Once that information came to light, Obama, Carter, and Campbell took responsibility for the murderous attack and apologized publicly. A few days later, the President announced that “condolence payments” would be made to families of the people his administration had murdered.

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, Doctors Without Borders officials declared that the air strikes were war crimes, and last week when the Associated Press released more details, DWB President Meinie Nicolai said that the attack amounted to a “premeditated massacre.” Meanwhile, Red Cross executive Jean-Nicolas Marti said, “This was an appalling tragedy.” Indeed. Just read the eyewitness accounts, including one by Nurse Lajos Zoltan Jees who said, “Six patients were burning in their beds. There are no words for how terrible it was.” DWB has called for an independent international investigation, but President Obama has said that a Defense Department investigation will suffice. He promises transparency. Of course this is also the same man who promised we wouldn’t even be in Afghanistan by now.

The hospital massacre was not the first so-called collateral damage we have inflicted on the people of Afghanistan. Our air strikes have killed civilians attending a wedding, motorists out for a relaxing drive, and people gathering firewood. In addition to the numerous fatalities, another 33,000 innocent men, women, and children have been wounded in Afghanistan since Obama took office. New York Times correspondent Alissa Rubin commented that such Afghan casualties at the hands of Americans, “has done much to alienate the Afghan population, which, in turn, has hurt the United States-led forces and their Afghan government allies.”

The Afghan people have no doubt been victimized by rebels, but Rubin points out that, “insurgents do not have aircraft and the devastating ability to kill from above.” It’s no wonder that the people whose countries and families we have bombed feel real contempt toward America. It’s the same kind of hatred that no doubt helped to incite the 9/11 attacks, after which, George Bush made things worse by invading the wrong country and killing a million innocent men, women, and children in Iraq. Those war crimes and the resulting destabilization of the region gave rise to Isis, and now, thanks to Mr. Obama’s hospital massacre, we can probably look forward to a new wave of potential attacks on Americans both overseas and here at home.

Years ago I called for Bush and Cheney to stand trial for war crimes in Iraq, and now I believe Obama, Campbell, and Carter should be tried for the recent atrocities in Afghanistan. Such a trial would demonstrate to the world that no one person or government is above the law, and that even those who are indirectly responsible for mass murder, must be held accountable.

It’s time for America to stop policing the world and stop interfering in foreign civil strife that has existed in one form or another for thousands of years. And it’s time for us to hold our political leaders accountable for the mass murder of civilians, whether it’s nine deaths in Oregon, twenty-two in Afghanistan, or a million in Iraq. We need gun control here and gun ship control abroad. We have it within our power to do all of these things. To do otherwise is criminal.

A recent CNN poll showed that the majority of Americans will vote for a Presidential candidate even if they don’t agree with all of his views. The implication is that there IS no perfect candidate out there, and that we’ll settle for something less than perfect when aligning ourselves with a potential Commander in Chief. But what if there was a way to construct the perfect candidate to fit our views? As it turns out, most of the people running for President have at least one good idea, so I have attempted to play Dr. Frankenstein and piece together all of their best “parts” into one body. Here then is my ideal composite candidate for 2016.

For me, Bernie Sanders offers a platform that most conforms with my views, so I’ll use a number of his components, among them his belief that in America there should be “Medicare for All”. At present, the overwhelming majority of personal bankruptcies are caused by debt from medical bills. Like me, Bernie believes that no family should lose their home or go bankrupt because a loved one had to undergo expensive treatments for a curable disease. Bernie also wants every student to have access to a free college education at a public institution. He wants to impose a hefty tax on Wall Street speculators, and enact a Pay Fairness Act that would benefit women in the workplace. Bernie is also the only elected official running for the White House who opposed George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq in 2003, and believes that military action of any kind must be a carefully studied last resort.

In constructing my perfect candidate I would mix in Marco Rubio’s approach to debt reduction. On his website, Rubio quotes Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen as saying, “the single biggest threat to our national security is our debt.” Mullen is probably correct. Our debt now stands at $18 Trillion dollars, or about $150,000 of debt for every family. Rubio is the only candidate harping on the national debt as an impediment to our future safety and economic growth. His solutions include reducing spending, enacting a balanced budget, and having States return unused federal funds to the Treasury.

My perfect candidate would also include several of Chris Christie’s views on criminal justice. Years ago, Christie pushed for a community policing model in Camden which has resulted in a 22% drop in violent crime and a 57% drop in homicides. Meanwhile, as President he would establish federal drug courts to try first time offenders who would receive treatment instead of prison time. And, Christie would protect our border with Mexico by investing in additional manpower and technology. Christie is a bully, and was probably the master mind of the revenge-inspired “Bridgegate” scandal, yet ironically, he also knows how to work with political foes when it comes to the safety and security of his constituents. Remember his hug with Obama during the aftermath of hurricane Sandy? That hug resulted in federal dollars for clean-up.

A few of Rand Paul’s views would also make it into the body of my perfect candidate. For one thing, Paul believes in term limits for Congress. That position alone, if enacted, would go a long way to ending beltway corruption and obstruction. Senator Paul also wants to end government spying on innocent American citizens. He, like Benjamin Franklin, doesn’t support abdicating any of our essential liberties just to buy a little security.

Though she is turning into the biggest flip flopper in history, Hillary Clinton has been consistent in her opposition to Citizens United, and vows to get it over turned if she is elected President. If she accomplishes that feat and also supports Rand Paul’s bill on term limits, we might have a chance to return to an honest system for electing state and federal officials. And so I’m including a piece of Hillary in the mix.

Mike Huckabee’s religious views are a bit too fundamentalist for my taste, but that wouldn’t stop me from using his most popular idea when constructing my perfect candidate. If elected President, Mike vows to abolish the IRS and establish a Fair Tax that would affect everyone equally because it is based on what you purchase, not what you earn.

Most of Ben Carson’s ideas are so far fetched and without merit, that I hesitate to use any of his components in my candidate. However, I must admit that I like his approach to minimum wage. Dr. Carson believes that we should index the federal minimum wage so that it would automatically increase every year based on the rate of inflation. We just better hope his index isn’t also based on the rate of global warming.

Former Governor George Pataki is pro choice and respects the rights of women in making decisions about their own reproductive health. For that, and for his push to enact Gay rights legislation in New York, I will include some of his characteristics in my composite candidate.

Jeb Bush looks and acts more Presidential than anyone else running, so I would naturally make use of his cosmetic appeal in building my perfect candidate.

Meanwhile, Jeb also has the best idea for how we should profit from our own homegrown energy sources. Specifically, Bush wants to lift restrictions on natural gas exports so we can sell them to China and Europe more easily.

When it comes to Presidential demeanor, John Kasich runs a close second to Jeb Bush. But the characteristics I would steal from Kasich for my perfect candidate are more substantial, like his proposal to enact a 3rd grade reading guarantee program. Literacy is essential to building a strong future for our country, so I support his plan. He also wants to make it easier for returning veterans to transition into the workforce, and have their military experience expedite state-issued licenses and job placements.

As I mentioned previously, most candidates have at least one great idea, and for Donald Trump, that idea is to repeal NAFTA and impose a hefty penalty tariff on any company who moves their plant out of America, then tries to ship their goods back into the USA. Spoiler alert: don’t look for executives at Ford and Hanesbrands to support Trump.

There are several candidates who have no redeeming value, and so I cannot in good faith find any reason to include them in my construct. Lindsay Graham has never met a war he didn’t like. Ted Cruz has never met a government shut-down he didn’t like. Carly Fiorina has never met a worker lay-off or golden parachute she didn’t like. And Rick Santorum has never met a family he didn’t value except one that doesn’t look like his, or believe the way his does. Remember, it was Santorum who once said that homosexuality can be equated with bestiality and pedophilia.

So there you have it – my recipe for building a perfect candidate. I just hope I can have him ready before the first primary. Gotta run now. Igor just brought me a brain in a jar labeled “Rick Perry.” Good help is hard to find these days. So are good candidates.

SNL’s Weekend Update of October 10 featured a composite photo of GOP candidates, which the anchor described as “stitched together like some sort of ‘FrankenSpeaker’. Mr. Longworth and YESWeekly art director Austin Kindley submitted this original column and photo on October 7.

If you’ve ever had a prescription filled you can probably thank Inmar. If you’ve ever used a coupon to save money, you can probably thank Inmar. In fact, Inmar has an indirect impact on our everyday lives by creating and operating intelligent commerce networks, and managing billions of dollars of transactions for trading partners engaged in everything from retail to healthcare. And while Inmar uses technology to make our lives better now, the company is also working to ensure that our lives run smoothly in the future as well. One way they do that is by nurturing young talent, and encouraging today’s students to pursue careers in Science Technology Engineering and Math (S.T.E.M.) tomorrow.

First, Inmar opens its doors to school groups for tours of the company’s headquarters, located in Winston-Salem’s aptly named Innovation Quarter, as part of its S.T.E.M. program. “Teachers love bringing their students here to Inmar. We let them talk to our engineers, our analytics folks, and to our data scientists,” said David Mounts, Chairman and CEO of Inmar. “That lets them learn about and envision themselves in those types of careers. It’s a breakthrough moment for them, and creates motivation and inspiration for them” Such events and activities allow students to further explore their interest in the STEM arena.

For example, through its “Math Matters” program, Inmar demonstrates to young students how math matters in the real world regardless of the career they choose. Inmar also participates in a Robot Fun Run at Innovation Quarter in which middle school students “coach” engineers and technologists from area companies to build and program a LEGO Mindstorms robot, and then the teams compete to score as many points as possible on a thematic playing surface. Inmar also partners with the Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont in co-sponsoring an all-girls robotics team to compete in the NC First program. “The robotics competition is the premier engineering challenge for high school students,” said Mounts. “Teams of students working with teachers and mentors conceptualize, design, build, program, modify and test a robot to participate in the annual competition. Last year we had six girls come into the program, and this year already we have 20 girls interested in joining the team.”

Then there’s the Analytics Forum, sponsored by Inmar and the Wake Forest University School of Business Marketing, in which the brightest university students from around the globe compete in teams to provide solutions to real world marketing situations. “The capabilities enabled through data analytics will touch almost every area of business across all industries, so we must ensure that students emerge from our universities with a sound understanding of this evolving area,” said Mounts. “This exercise provides an opportunity to apply classroom learning and creative team-based problem solving to a real world situation in a competitive setting, which is very much like what they will encounter post graduation.”

And as a way of bringing all these educational activities full circle, Inmar offers a comprehensive, 10 week intern program for college students who want to pursue a career in technology data science, analytics, supply chain, and finance. Appearing on Triad Today, Inmar corporate counsel Mark Johnson told me, “The intern program allows us to go onto campuses and identify top candidates early. We are competing with many other great companies for many of these same skillsets. It also gives the student time to see how they fit into the Inmar culture.”

Speaking on a corporate video, intern Yu Wang, a student at the University of Pennsylvania said, “The environment Inmar provided promotes open collaboration, and made me feel like I was really contributing to something worthwhile.” Said Johnson, “Our interns not only bring the newest skills and knowledge, they also bring a new perspective, different ways of thinking and operating. When your company is focused on innovation, diversity of perspective and experience is very important.”

From a purely selfish standpoint, Inmar’s involvement with students of all ages helps the company nurture a qualified and enthusiastic labor pool for the future. But Inmar’s commitment to innovation now also demonstrates a selfless desire to strengthen the area economy, and improve quality of life for people all over the world.

For more information on Inmar’s educational outreach programs, contact solutions@inmar.com. Girls interested in joining the robotics team, can come to Inmar headquarters at 635 Vine Street on any Tuesday night at 6:30pm.

Every Halloween season for the past twenty-four years, Piedmont North Carolina has been haunted by a very tall, very scary looking man with half his face painted like a skeleton, sporting spiked red hair, and with a giant snake draped over his shoulders. He is affectionately known as Bone Daddy, and you’ve no doubt seen his image on billboards and in countless newspaper ads. However, if you’re very brave, you can see him and hundreds of his fellow monsters in person at Woods of Terror on Church Street, now through November 8. Earlier this month I spent some time with Bone Daddy’s alter ego when Eddie McLaurin visited Triad Today.

JL: You look scary in your monster costume, but you look normal here in the studio.

EM: I have two sides, the business side and the scary side.

JL: So you’re bilingual, as Barney Fife might say.

EM: (laughs)

JL: What’s the first Halloween costume you ever remember wearing?

EM: I dressed up as The Crow, from the movie starring Bruce Lee’s son Brandon.

JL: Who or what led you to create Woods of Terror twenty-four years ago?

EM: I visited a couple of friends of mine at a haunted house that they were working at, and one of the guys said, “I thought I’d be making more money.” And I said, “Well let’s open one up ourselves and I’ll pay you more.” And that’s where it started.

JL: How many people or “monsters” do you typically employ during Halloween season?

EM: We run a staff of about 175 people, and a hundred of those are actors.

JL: Woods of Terror must have a tremendous impact on the local economy along Church Street.

EM: Yeah we do. The local store owners say their business goes up 35% when we’re open.

Abbey Morgan, general manager of Uptown Charlie’s restaurant confirms McLaurin’s assessment, saying, “When Woods of Terror is open, we see customers come in before and after they go to the attraction, and we have our staff work longer shifts to cover for more customers.”

But McLaurin’s business also has an impact on local charities, like the Cone Health Cancer Center.

JL: I understand you’re hosting a special fund raiser to fight breast cancer?

EM: My mother-in-law had breast cancer, so ten years ago I came up with “Terror for Ta-Tas.” The event takes place every October which happens to be breast cancer awareness month, as well as Halloween season. This year’s “Terror for Ta-Tas” is October 10, and part of the proceeds will go to Cone’s Cancer Center and their “Finding Your New Normal” program. It’s a great way for the community to have some fun at Woods of Terror, and support the Cancer Center at the same time.

“Finding Your New Normal” is an eight week program that includes a variety of activities for women, including exercises, group discussions, and guest speakers. Some of the topics covered include: Spirituality and Self Care; Emotional Health; Nutrition; and Sexual Health and Relationships. “Terror for Ta-Tas” helps us educate women of all ages about breast health, early detection, and treatment,” said Lisa Morrison, Cone’s breast cancer coordinator. “Woods of Terror especially helps us reach teenage girls and young women, and the event also raises much needed funds to keep this program going.”

JL: Eddie, you seem very committed to your work and to helping others. Who was the biggest influence in your life?

EM: Probably my grandparents because of their honesty and integrity, and the things they instilled in me. My dad also taught me a lot about hard work. If I hadn’t been taught those things, Woods of Terror wouldn’t be open. It’s a big challenge to keep this place open, it’s a lot of work, and it’s a year-round process.

JL: Is there anyone who shouldn’t come to Woods of Terror?

EM: If you’re on crutches with a broken leg, or if you have a heart condition, then don’t come. Also, Woods of Terror is PG 13, so if your kids are too young to watch horror films, they’re not going to like our place. We’re really there for adults and for teenagers 13 and up. They’ll have a great time.

JL: I think I’m too young.

EM: I think you’ll do alright.

Woods of Terror, located at 5601 North Church Street in Greensboro, is open every weekend in October and some weekdays closer to Halloween. Check their website, WoodsOfTerror.com, for dates, show times and ticket information.

Robert (“Bob”) Gordon Van Horn was an unassuming man, not given to boasting, and devoid of any ego. If you spoke with him, you’d never know that he was a popular TV personality, a creative innovator, or a war hero. As our mutual friend Dave Plyler told me, “Bob saw fierce combat in World War II at the Battle of the Bulge for which he earned a purple heart and a bronze star, but he never discussed his service.” Several years ago I called Bob to invite him to be a guest on my Triad Today show. I wanted to recognize him for his contribution to local television, especially as a host who entertained and influenced countless thousands of children who watched him on WSJS-TV (now WXII). Bob’s wife Margaret and I tried our level best to persuade him to join me for the interview segment, but Bob politely declined. He just didn’t want to toot his own horn. Then, two weeks ago I called again to see if Bob would at least agree to be interviewed by phone for one of my newspaper columns. Margaret answered the phone and broke the bad news to me. Bob was under hospice care and battling congestive heart failure. It’s the same disease that ultimately took my mom’s life last year, so I knew what Margaret was trying to say without saying it. A few days later on Friday, September 11, Bob died in the same way he had lived: quietly and unassumingly. Bob Gordon was 90.

Bob was born and reared in Winston-Salem and attended Mineral Springs High School before joining the Army. In 1953 he went to work for WSJS-TV as the station’s first announcer. He also built sets and props, ran camera, and when WSJS needed a host for a new kids’ show, Bob did that job too. Over the decades that followed, Bob’s program aired at various times and days, first as a Monday through Friday entry, and later as a weekend show. Throughout his tenure on air, Bob always managed to entertain and educate his audience. As a prop master, Bob knew how to make anything, whether it was folding a dollar bill into a bow tie, or showing us the best way to put a Moravian Star together. He also had a sidekick to witness his handy work, a ventriloquist’s dummy named Van (later named “The Great Scott”). But no matter whether he was demonstrating a folding trick, revealing a secret code, or introducing a chapter of Radar Men from the Moon, Bob always seemed to have fun, and he never talked down to his young viewers. His quiet demeanor and self-deprecating style was evident to anyone who tuned in, and his trademark smile came easily and often, almost as if he was embarrassingly amused at what he had just said.

Always the tinkerer, Bob is also credited with designing and building WXII’s first remote truck from scratch, several years before they were commercially available. In fact, there was nothing Bob couldn’t do at the TV station, including filling in for a friend. One icy morning Dave Plyler couldn’t make it out of his driveway to host Today at Home, so Bob answered the call. Said Dave, “Bob had no fear. He easily made it to the television station and did a great job hosting my show.” Of course, Bob could host anything. That’s why on October 18, 1976, he was tapped to anchor a new morning show, called Daybreak. In addition to reporting the news and weather, Bob, a licensed pilot, also gave viewers a daily dose of aviation weather. The show aired from 6am to 7am, and was the first time WXII had broadcast live at that hour. In a 1976 interview, Bob told Jerry Kenion of the Greensboro Daily News, “I swore when I was in the Army I’d never take a job where I had to get up before 7am. Never say never.” Bob would host “Daybreak” for two years, then was laid off due to corporate downsizing. That led him to take a job as a crime prevention officer for the Forsyth County Sheriff’s office, a position he held until his retirement.

I always regretted not meeting Bob in person. When I worked at WSJS radio in the early 1970’s, I would often sneak over to the TV studio (radio and TV were in the same building back then) and see if I could catch a glimpse of Bob. Unfortunately we didn’t work the same shift, so our paths never crossed. Never the less, I felt like I knew Bob personally because I had grown up watching him on TV. I especially remember the “Halloween Spooktaculars” that he produced. Every October, Bob built spooky sets, then persuaded guys from both the TV and radio departments to dress up as famous monster characters and introduce classic horror films throughout Halloween night. The “Spooktacular” was so popular that WXII even pre-empted Johnny Carson for it. The show also kept a lot of kids off the street late, because we would collect our allotment of candy quickly, then rush home to watch the monster movies on channel 12.

Bob is preceded in death by North Carolina’s other legendary children’s TV show hosts: George Perry (WFMY’s Old Rebel); Fred Kirby (WBT’s singing cowboy); Uncle Paul Montgomery (WRAL’s jazz artist); and Brooks Lindsay (WSOC’s Joey the Clown). His passing earlier this month should serve as a reminder of the pioneering work they all did to make growing up just a little more fun.

Of course there’s no way to know exactly how many young lives Bob Gordon touched and influenced, but talk to folks over 50 who grew up around here, and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who didn’t remember that kind, gentle man in the slightly tilted white cowboy hat, with the self effacing smile. Bob Gordon was a class act, and he will be missed.

During their first 25 years in business, Crumley Roberts has stood up for thousands of people who were injured through no fault of their own. As such, Crumley Roberts attorneys often help clients who have been involved in accidents which they could not possibly have prevented. But as the law firm begins its second quarter century of service, it also wants to focus on protecting people from things that CAN be prevented. That’s why Crumley Roberts CEO Chris Roberts and his wife Kimberly, the firm’s Vice President of Cultural Development, have committed themselves to a culture of wellness, both within the company, and throughout the communities they serve in North and South Carolina. In 2013, for example, they established “C.R.E.W.”, the Crumley Roberts Employee Wellness program.

Appearing on Triad Today, Kimberly Roberts told me, “The purpose of the program is to assist our employees in achieving balance in their lives to whatever level they choose to participate. There’s a focus on physical, spiritual, emotional, environmental, and occupational health. We have nearly 200 employees, and to date, we have over 97% participation in the program.”

And those numbers aren’t surprising because “C.R.E.W.” offers a variety of services and activities, including a subsidized smoking cessation program, a flu shot clinic for staff and their families, and regular lunch and learn events. Crumley Roberts also pays half the cost of an in-house Weight Watchers program.

“The wellness initiatives at Crumley Roberts have empowered me to finally pursue a healthier lifestyle, and as the program has continued to evolve, I have seen my personal health and wellness continue to improve to a level that I never dreamed I could attain,” said Crumley Roberts staffer Donna Gardner.

But Crumley Roberts’ commitment to a culture of wellness extends far beyond their employees. For example, Kimberly has spearheaded the law firm’s involvement with “Go Red for Women”, and, this year, Crumley Roberts became a major sponsor of the American Heart Association’s “Life is Why” campaign.

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women, but fortunately it is 80% preventable. That’s why Crumley Roberts is helping the American Heart Association educate women about making healthier lifestyle choices,” said Ms. Roberts.

In particular, Crumley Roberts is working with the American Heart Association to make all adults more aware of the seven major risk factors for heart disease and stroke, those being: smoking, weight management, cholesterol, high blood pressure, blood glucose, nutrition, and physical activity. The law firm also supports a number of initiatives to keep young people healthy, including efforts to reduce childhood obesity, and activities like bike safety rodeos that promote safe ways to exercise.

“We are thrilled to have such an incredible partner who realizes that prevention of heart disease goes well beyond the walls of their employee wellness program, but also sees how they can impact the entire community,” said Ruth Heyd, executive director of the American Heart Association in Guilford County. “Working with the Roberts family and their team is inspiring. They are trailblazers in this community for their substantial support, and we are blessed to have them involved with our local heart association.”

And Crumley Roberts’ involvement in promoting a culture of wellness continues to grow as the firm grows. “Our advertising slogan is ‘We Stand Up for You’, but it’s much more than just a slogan,” said Chris Roberts. “We only hire attorneys and staff who care about the community, and we’re all standing up for anyone and everyone who can benefit from adopting a healthier lifestyle.

Hopefully, that means saving lives in the process.”

For more information on heart disease, visit www.heart.org. To learn more about Crumley Roberts’ wellness initiatives, visit www.crumleyroberts.com.

During my forty years in broadcasting I’ve known anchormen to say that TV is in their blood, but Neill McNeill is the first one to tell me TV was in his baby formula. More on that later.

Neill McNeill, a native of Raeford, had an interest in radio and television from an early age. While attending UNC Chapel Hill he reported and anchored at WKFT in Fayetteville, then upon graduation, he landed a full time job with WGHP-TV. After filling in on the morning and noon news programs, Neill became the regular anchor of various weekend and weeknight newscasts before succeeding long time evening anchor Fred Blackman, who retired in 2001. Today, 32 years later, Neil co-anchors four newscasts each day, reports and produces the “Newsmakers” series, and writes or edits many of the stories he reads on-air.

Because of his longevity, Neill is perhaps the most popular television personality in the Triad, but he is also well liked and respected by his colleagues and management. “Neill is an extremely knowledgeable journalist and an overall great guy,” said his co-anchor Katie Nordeen. “He’s been a mentor to me over the past two and a half years and I’m lucky to call him a friend.” WGHP General Manager Jim Himes added, “Neill is a skilled and seasoned journalist who really knows the Triad. His stories give perspective and have great depth. It is wonderful to have such a leader inside our newsroom to help coach and teach. We look forward to another 32 years!”

Neill and I spoke by phone late last month.

JL: What did your parents do for a living?

NM: Dad worked in the planning department at Burlington industries, which was the largest employer in Raeford. My mom was a public school music teacher. She also directed the choral groups, taught music theory, and music appreciation. I sang in all of her choral groups. She was a big inspiration for me. She got me in front of people doing narration parts, and that helped me develop an interest in performing in front of people and telling stories.

JL: When did you catch the news bug?

NM: Probably in junior high. Every night at 5:30 we’d eat dinner while watching Andy Griffith, then we’d all move into the den at 6 o’clock and watch Charlie Gaddy on WRAL News and Rich Brenner doing sports. One of the reasons we watched Charlie religiously is because my mom and dad listened to him on WPTF radio. In fact, Mom claims to this day that she used to feed me my bottle and listen to Charlie Gaddy in the morning.

JL: Who specifically influenced you to go into broadcasting as a career?

NM: It was a minister in the Presbyterian church I grew up in. His name is John Ropp. I remember listening to his radio sermons on Sunday mornings. What a great voice he had,and what an effective minister he was. He would share stories with our youth group about how much fun radio was. But again, growing up watching Charlie Gaddy and Rich Brenner was a big influence. I don’t even know how to describe being able to work beside Rich for 26 years. He’s a guy I grew up watching ,and he would later become one of my best friends.

JL: Neill McNeill is such a great name for TV. Is that your real name?

NM: It is my real name. I was named after my father and he was named after a great uncle. Whether it’s a good name for TV is a matter of opinion. When I first applied at WITN in Washington, North Carolina right after I got out of school, the news director said to me, “Have you ever thought of changing your name?” Later on a news consultant asked me the same thing. So if I had it to do over again, I’d probably use my middle name which is Adams, and I’d go by Neill Adams. But I was always worried about what my family would think if I changed my name. Once I asked my mom, “What if I had called myself Neill Adams?”, and she said, “I would have been cool with that” (laughs).

JL: How has local TV news changed over the past 32 years?

NM: Technology has been the biggest change. We now have these portable units that can send high definition video and audio back to the station from the field, and you don’t need a live truck. I wish we had those twenty years ago.

JL: What’s the most difficult story you ever reported?

NM: That was when I got the first interview with Phil Bradshaw, who was the husband of Sandy Bradshaw who died in the plane crash in Pennsylvania on 9/11. That affected me emotionally because here’s a guy my age who had two young children, and all of a sudden his wife was just gone.

JL: What’s the most rewarding thing about being a news anchor in the Triad?

NM: Being able to tell good stories and helping to change people’s lives for the better.

JL: Have you ever been confused with another local TV personality?

NM: Yeah, WXII’s Cameron Kent a couple of times, and Cameron will tell you he’s been confused with me too. I also get confused with our morning anchor Brad Jones. People will say to me, “Hey Neill we enjoy watching you in the morning!”

JL: What was the most embarrassing thing you ever did on air?

NM: The most embarrassing thing I’ve ever done on air wasn’t on WGHP, it was on WFMY. Early on in my career we were doing a live shot at the airport and so was WFMY. We had just finished our live shot and I thought Channel 2 had finished theirs as well. So I walked over to their camera and waved into the lens.

At that moment, WFMY went live from that camera to go into a commercial break. My news director had a talk with me later and said, “Try and stay off the other station” (laughs).

JL: What would you have been if you hadn’t gone into TV news?

NM: Probably a lawyer. I think a lot of the same skills apply. I’ve also thought sometimes about the ministry. I would enjoy the speaking part of being a minister, but I don’t know if I would be very good at the pastoring part.

JL: 32 years from now, when you’re still anchoring the news in the year 2047, what would you like for your lead story to be?

NM: I’d like to say, “We’ve found a cure for cancer, we’ve cut childhood abuse numbers tremendously, and we’ve gone three years without a mass shooting.”

I hope I’m around for that broadcast. In the meantime, if you see Neill on the street, please don’t call him Cameron or Brad. And for God’s sake, don’t let him get near WFMY’s camera.

As sometimes happens, two ironic or eerily connected stories occupy news headlines on the same day. Such was the case last Wednesday when James Holmes was officially sentenced for murdering twelve people and wounding 70 others at an Aurora, Colorado movie theatre in 2012.

Holmes was given 12 life sentences, plus another 3,318 years without parole. Meanwhile, as closure came for one massacre, another was unfolding 1,300 miles away. WDBJ-TV reporter Alison Parker and photojournalist Adam Ward were conducting a live interview on location in Moneta, Virginia when they were gunned down by their former colleague Vester Flanagan.

Flanagan (aka, Bryce Williams) was fired from WDBJ two years ago after he demonstrated behavioral problems, including repeated incidents of aggression toward fellow employees. His was a pattern of disturbing behavior, dating back to his last two television jobs in San Diego and Tallahassee, where he got into physical altercations with staff. According to a “manifesto” he faxed to ABC News immediately after shooting Parker and Ward, Flanagan indicated that he had been bullied, and was the victim of racism at WDBJ. But, in fact, that harassment never took place, except inside Flanagan’s sick mind. Nevertheless, he took out his wrath on Parker and Ward by discharging seventeen point-blank rounds at them from his .40 caliber Glock handgun. They died instantly. Flanagan later took his own life.

In the aftermath of the WDBJ shooting, Ms. Parker’s father vowed to fight for gun control. Good luck with that. Congress is noted for its inaction when it comes to handgun reform. They failed to act after Columbine, Fort Hood, Virginia Tech, Charleston, and even after one of their own members was shot. And for all the blame that Republicans receive for hiding behind the Second Amendment, let’s not forget that following the Newtown massacre, President Obama’s Democrat-controlled Senate refused to enact his gun control legislation.

Not long ago I asked Governor Pat McCrory if he favored stricter gun laws, such as increasing the age for purchasing a handgun, requiring that the applicant be gainfully employed, and extending the wait time to allow for more thorough background checks. McCrory told me that we did not need new laws so long as local sheriffs continued to be responsible for background checks. He has a legitimate point. For example, a federal background check will red flag someone who has been convicted of a previous crime. But a county sheriff can deny a gun purchase if he simply thinks an applicant is not of good moral character, even if that person has never been convicted of anything. Who knows, perhaps if sheriffs in Virginia, California, and Florida had had more shared information available, and more latitude with investigations of moral character, Vester Flanagan’s history of workplace aggression might have kept him from purchasing the Glock that killed Parker and Ward.

On the other hand, there are enough guns in circulation now that Flanagan might have obtained one without going through a legitimate dealer anyway. Just look at the statistics. As of 2010, the population of the United States was 306 million, but according to the Congressional Research Service, there are 310 million firearms in America. Those astounding numbers make it easy to believe the CDC who says that over 11,000 people are murdered by a handgun each year, and another 21,000 commit suicide with a handgun. Last week’s tragic incident in Virginia is an example of both categories. But Flanagan’s murder/suicide act is not just a by-product of guns. It is first and foremost a by-product of mental illness.

So why then did WDBJ hire Flanagan in the first place if he had a history of behavioral problems? Former WDBJ News Director Dan Dennison released a statement saying that “the station had no idea of his (Flanagan’s) shortcomings.” Seems plausible given the nature of the TV business. In other words, had one of Flanagan’s former employers blackballed him to Dennison, he or she would have been open to a lawsuit. Ok, but why didn’t WDBJ just fire Flanagan at the first sign of trouble? Once again you can thank the legal system for that obstacle. In the corporate world, there are strict guidelines an employer must follow before discharging an employee, or else risk being dragged into court on civil rights violations. A TV station manager can’t even force a troubled worker to undergo psychological treatment as a condition of continued employment. Such treatment can only be suggested. In other words, the laws that are in place to protect the rights of sane people, also keep us from dealing expeditiously with insane people.

Last week, Mental Health America issued a statement, saying that “there is currently solid, bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress to address our mental health system…Now is the time to erase the discrimination and stigma surrounding mental illness…and to intervene effectively to save lives…” It’s a nice sentiment, but, given Congress’ track record, I won’t hold my breath for reform of any kind until I see it enacted.

For now, America is a victim of its own unwillingness to develop effective gun laws and comprehensive mental health services, and its propensity for creating legal obstacles that tie our hands when it comes to early intervention. It’s no wonder, then, that we lead the world in homicides and prison populations. Let’s face it, we’re mainly good at two things: killing and sentencing. We need to get better at preventing.