Somebody said to me once that she thought I should try ignoring the news for a week or more, just think about positive things, and see if my mood wouldn’t improve. Well, I didn’t bother to try her suggestion, for I’m a news junkie. I think it’s our responsibility to stay on top of what’s happening, not only in our own country, but in the world. Y’see … it’s not all about me … happiness and joy aren’t the end goal here, but rather, at least in my book, leaving a positive mark in the world we occupy, making a difference somehow. And that’s why things like these two snippets make me growl, put a scowl on my face, and why I must share my growls and scowls with you, my friends. Happy Sunday!
Murder by any other name …
Chris Craven, a 38-year-old NASCAR team worker, was having a mental health crisis last August 2nd and was threatening suicide. His family called 911 for help. Big mistake. ‘Help’ arrived in the form of two police officers, Alexander Arndt and Christopher Novelli, apparently operating, under the philosophy of ‘shoot first, ask questions later’, and after shooting Mr. Craven 15 times with high velocity bullets, Chris Craven was dead. The officers claim that Mr. Craven pulled a pistol on them, but Craven’s family disputes this and says he was complying with the orders the officers barked.
Last Friday, ten months after the murder of Chris Craven, the prosecutor assigned to the case, District Attorney Andy Gregson, decided not to file criminal charges in connection with the shooting. He says that the two officers ‘reasonably feared for their lives’ when they opened fire. Even if that is true, why did they fire their weapons 15 times and why did they shoot to kill? They already knew that Mr. Craven was suicidal from the content of the 911 call … why did they decide to murder him rather than call for help?
The body cam footage has been kept secret and not released to the public. Gregson claims that the body cam footage shows Craven pulling the gun, but the family says otherwise and they have not been allowed to see the body cam footage. Craven’s wife, Amy, said in a statement that the District Attorney’s findings were …
“… a tale of twisted stories where unsubstantiated statements from the officers are mixed into the explanations of the video to create a story that suits the narrative the MPD wishes was the truth.”
The killing is one of more than 900 fatal shootings by U.S. law enforcement over the past year. Don’t you think it’s time we changed the way law enforcement officers are trained to deal with such situations? Don’t you think it’s time we hold police officers accountable for their actions? I damn sure do!
Andrew Clyde once again crosses Filosofa’s radar
Freshman Representative Andrew Clyde from Georgia (the same state that sent Margie Greene to the House) has crossed my radar no less than three times in the past month. First, he declared that the mob who attacked the Capitol on January 6th were just ‘normal tourists’ and that there was no insurrection. Then he joined forces with the ignoble Louie Gohmert in filing a federal lawsuit claiming that the requirement to pass through a metal detector in the Capitol was in violation of his civil rights, or some such nonsense. And third, he was one of the 14 racist members of the U.S. House of Representatives who refused to vote for the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. These newbies sure do know how to raise our hackles, don’t they? They come into Congress, still wet behind the ears, and act like they know more than anybody else.
Anyway, Clyde has now set a new record by flying across my radar a fourth time in a period of a month. This one is just downright disrespectful and as a human being, Mr. Clyde disgusts me. Clyde voted against awarding police officers the Congressional Gold Medal for their bravery in protecting the U.S. Capitol against violent, pro-Trump rioters on January 6th, but it gets even worse than that.

Alexandria, VA – January 13: Michael Fanone, 40, is an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department that helped fend off rioters at the U.S. Capitol and was captured in a now viral video where he was dragged down stairs and beaten unconscious and suffered a heart attack. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Officer Michael Fanone was one of the more than 140 police officers who were injured that fateful day. His injuries were severe – he was beaten unconscious and suffered a concussion and a heart attack. Along with U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, Mr. Fanone came to Congress this week in an effort to meet with the 21 members of the House – all Republicans – who voted against awarding the officers the Congressional Gold Medal and tell their story about that day. One of the first people Fanone ran into in the Capitol was Representative Andrew Clyde. According to Fanone …
“I simply extended my hand and said, ‘How are you doing today, Congressman.’ I knew immediately he recognized me by the way he reacted. He completely froze. He just stared at me. I said, ‘I’m sorry, you’re not going to shake my hand? I’m sorry, sir, my name is Michael Fanone. I’m a D.C. police officer and I fought to defend the Capitol on Jan. 6.’ His response was nothing. He turned away from me, pulled out his cellphone and started thumbing through the apps.”
What a disgusting piece of human flesh Mr. Clyde is! Democrat or Republican, male or female, there is absolutely NO EXCUSE for such rudeness. Georgia has sent to Congress at least two of the most disrespectful, horrible representatives that have ever walked the halls of the U.S. Capitol! DO NOT send them back in 2022, Georgia! And in the future, teach them some damn manners!
So, Andrew Clyde is now near the top of my list of the ten most horrible people in the Republican Party.