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The May 24, 2022 massacre of elementary school children in Uvalde, Texas continues to haunt me. The profound shamefully irremediably cowardly acts of law enforcement that allowed a massacre of children to evolve remain inexcusable.
Armed law enforcement personnel to be in the school's hallway: looking to "find the key" (Years ago when a proposed mobile ballistic missile system was under consideration, a congressman asked "what would happen it you cannot find the key?"); personnel appropriating hand sanitizer — FOR WHAT?; possessing more fire power than any squad of United States Army Rangers —MY GOD THESE WHERE CHILDREN!!!!!!
I took this massacre intimately personally because of Amerie Jo Garza. Amerie was a Girl Scout. My wife and I were very active in Scouting, both Boy and Girl Scouts. Being a Registered Nurse, I assisted in our girls selling the sumptuous Girl Scout Cookies. Before beginning my hospital shift, I would have sold ten cases such that ALL our girls received camperships. Individual members of our troop became: a United States Army Officer; a lawyer; school teacher; mother; and, most of all productive contributory citizens. Amerie Jo Garza will not get that chance.
Vivian Flossie Swain Bryant, my late mother made it from Old Dime Box, Texas to Huston Tillotson College in Austin, Texas to graduate cum laude in Home Economics. While there, she worked as Frank Hammer's maid. Frank Hammer is regarded by many to be "The Texas Ranger." Mom often told her sons, "James and Barry I remember the day that he went to kill Bonnie and Clyde." In spite of his extrajudicial killings, his harassment of Texas State Representative Jose' Tomas Canales during his time as a Ranger — Frank Hammer would have broken that door down. Frank Hammer saved at least fifteen people from lynch mobs. South by Southwest was in town; however, there was no well attended event than the lynching of Black men. People came by the thousands to attend such an event. As a testament to this Ranger's matchless, audacious intestinal fortitude he allegedly stopped fifteen men from being lynched. Frank Hammer WOULD HAVE BROKEN THAT DOOR DOWN AND ENTERED!!!!!
In my "life's journey," I continue to learn. Yes Mom, you always said "keep living." As a kid growing up, I would never miss a television episode of the Lone Ranger. The fictional character was a former Texas Ranger. Bass Reeves, who the character was patterned after, was not fictional. Reeves was formerly a slave owned by the Reeves family. He was kept enslaved by Texas Sheriff, Colonel George R. Reeves, legislator, and one-time speaker of the House of Representatives. Marshall Reeves was the first Black United States Deputy West of the Mississippi River. During his career, records reflect that he executed more than three thousand arrests and killed at least fourteen individuals in self defense. He could speak several Native American Languages. Bass Reeves WOULD HAVE BROKEN THAT DOOR DOWN AND ENTERED!!!!!
As evidenced by their "Lone Star Law" television series, Texas Game Wardens would have broken that door down IMMEDIATELY. Game Warden (B.R.?) kicks a door in and THEN states (I am paraphrasing), "State Police Game Warden Warrant." Game Wardens are Licensed Peace Officers. They protect the wildlife resources of Texas. They search ice chests and trucks without permission. They board maritime craft without "request permission to come aboard." They literally count each single oyster to establish assigned quotas. Subsequent to the massacre in Uvalde, they remain for me the, the "the elite Law Enforcement Agency of Texas" and not the Texas Rangers. When this honorific is attributed to the Texas Rangers, I commence projectile regurgitation.
In observing my own police chief, Chief Stan Standridge of San Marcos, and Chief Jimmy Perdue of North Richland Hills, President of the Texas Police Chief’s Association before Texas State Senators, school safety was discussed. Other topics were cursory discussed. Their presentations were; factual, honest, bereft of the "company line" as one senator alluded to and for me personally enlightening. Chief Standridge and I have issues; however, his always specious " ... they are doing a great job" (George Bush's rendition in defending Michael Brown, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator during the Hurricane Katrina) really raises my hackles. His knee-jerk effusive defense of our municipal departments remains unacceptable. Even though he has been chief for less than two years, I cut him slack.
EVERY HAYS COUNTY CITIZEN should enroll in our Hays County Citizen's Sheriff’s Academy. Too many law enforcement personnel are saying "To "hell with it. I am just waiting on retirement." There are well publicized "staff shortages" in Law Enforcement for both good and bad reasons. In all honesty, I cannot blame law enforcement personnel which can be said for other first responders, teachers, nurses et cetera.
Simply, most law enforcement personnel are DECENT HUMAN BEINGS WHO WANT TO GO HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES. With my attendance in this Academy with a deputy's mother and step-father — I was profoundly perspicaciously shocked when this deputy for an extended period affectionately hugged his mother in this public forum. In my participation in a scenario, my total inexcusable inaction resulted in my death and that of the innocent participate. I stood there like the proverbial "deer in the headlights." I concur with the 2020 Reuters report in its characterization of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sotomayor "the Supreme Court has built qualified immunity into an often insurmountable police defense by intervening in cases mostly to favor the police." Executing stark naked juveniles running down a street; standing on a bridge firing "nonlethal rounds" into lawful protestors shattering their mandibles and craniums and then laughing about it; hurling a elementary school teacher to the ground and then later being told "black people have violent tendencies," all incidents occurred with Austin PD. Qualified immunity does not give government officials nor courts license to do such things.
Respectfully submitted,
James Bryant, Jr.
