August 29, 2014 at 2:33 P.M. It is my hope to create a new blog at blogspot. At this time, I cannot determine the obstacles that I will have to overcome in order to do so. However, I plan on posting at least one more essay in August, 2014. More New Jersey corruption issues will be discussed soon.
Isabel Kershner & Fares Akram, "After Strike On family, Fate of Hamas Commander Is Unknown," The New York Times, August 21, 2014, p. A6. (An 8 month-old "Jihadist," Ali Dief, was killed by an Israeli strike aimed at a senior Hamas leader. Was this strike "successful"? "Zero Dark Thirty.")
Rick Gladstone, "Gaza Cost Far Exceeds Estimate, Official Says," The New York Times, August 21, 2014, p. A6. (350,000 Palestinians have been "displaced" -- effectively, made homeless by the bombings in Gaza. People are surviving in the rubble.)
Deborah C. Lipstadt, "Why Jews Are Worried: Europe isn't on the cusp of another Holocaust, but it's pretty bad," (Op-Ed) The New York Times, August 21, 2014, p. A20. (Reaction to Gaza is negative and intense in the world. Fascist parties are gaining influence. Antisemitic attacks are expected; some have already taken place.)
Jodi Rudoren, "Israel Kills 3 Top Hamas Leaders as Latest Fighting Turns Its Way," The New York Times, August 22, 2014, p. A1. (I would not describe the use of an army against a civilian population -- with a few genuine guerilla fighters among them -- as "fighting" between rival military forces.)
Ed Mullins, "An Open Letter to the Chairperson of the Democratic National Convention," (Advertisement) The New York Times, August 26, 2014, p. A5. (Written ex-cathedra as President of the Sergeant's Benevolent Association -- in uniform as it were -- Mr. Mullins' letter questions the bringing of the Democratic National Convention [DNC] to Brooklyn. This is a move aimed at hurting Bill de Blasio, New York's highly successful mayor, because of the mayor's affiliation with Reverend Al Sharpton, but the move may also deprive New York of billions of dollars that might be used to pay for police services, including overtime and enhanced pay. Additional funds generated for the city by the DNC could also be used to pay for the mayor's proposal to equalize pay for police officers, overcoming gender and other biases in the pay structure, while preserving the benefits of longevity. Politicizing police roles is highly dangerous. Minority officers who disagree with Officer Mullins may establish relationships with liberal politicians, who will, possibly, reward their efforts by damaging the career prospects of more conservative officers, perhaps, who favor Republican politicians. New Jersey's disaster is an example of what happens when police departments become the private armies of politicians, or belong to one party over another. I do not care about the personal politics or opinions of police officers. No one's politics belongs on the job. Nevertheless, Mr. Mullins' statement is certainly Constitutionally protected political speech that is absolutely within his rights and must not be used against Officer Mullins in any way, direct or indirect, nor should the statement be relevant to the assessment of his performance as a police officer.)
Matt Flegenheimer & J. David Goodman, "Sergeants' Union Warns Against Convention in Brooklyn," The New York Times, August 27, 2014, p. A19. (Controversy about police entering the political fray is new in New York. This opens a dangerous door; responses are expected from other officers.)
Nikita Stewart, "Safety Agents and City Reach Labor Deal," The New York Times, August 27, 2014, p. A21. (More important than the content of speech is the fact of politicizing speech against a mayor, seeking to increase police pay, after learning that overall crime is DOWN even if there is a brief spike in shootings -- not unusual in Summer -- and some lingering quality of life issues. Weird. Was someone in politics behind this so-called "Open Letter"?)
Dan Ivers, "150 in Newark Protest Police Tactics: Spurred by Ferguson Killing Activists Call for Justice, More Accountability," The New York Times, August 21, 2014, p. 15. (The Ferguson incident seems to have focused and allowed for the expression of hostility and bewilderment when it comes to police functions in urban communities.)
"Police Militarization: Obama Calls For Review of Surplus Equipment," (Editorial) The Record, August 26, 2014, p. A-8. (Police must not see themselves as occupying armies in minority communities. It is not the police's responsibility to protect white residents from persons of color, but law-abiding citizens from criminals of all races.)
Jean Rimbach, "State Reviews Military Gear Use," The Record, August 26, 2014, p. L-1. (Tanks, planes, helicopters, drones, will be less useful than smarter and better-educated officers who can communicate with people in the streets.)
John Brennan, "Woman Pleads Guilty in Sex Ring: Helped Steer Super Bowl Visitors to Prostitutes," The Record, August 26, 2014, p. L-1.
"A 41 year-old woman has pleaded guilty of promoting prostitution to wealthy clients who received text messages advertising [emphasis added] for Meadowlands Super Bowl-related 'parties' in the days before the Feb. 2 game."
You have to feel pretty secure (or protected) to advertise illegal activity or services online.
Alternatively, you have to be a very stupid criminal to inform the world that you will be committing a crime on a particular date and time. Since this specific offender appears to be a millionaire, I doubt that the word "stupid" is applicable to her actions.
The number of people -- male and female -- in this line of work in New Jersey seems to be vastly disproportionate to what is found in other states. This reality must have a lot to do with the continuing child-prostitution and -abuse crisis in the state to say nothing of corruption. ("New Jersey Welcomes Child Molesters" and "Menendez Consorts With Underage Prostitutes.")
"NEW YORK attorney general Eric Schneiderman on Friday anounced the guilty plea of Hyun Ok Yoon Ung of Woodbury, N.Y. said to be the lead defendant [front person] in a criminal ring that sold 'party packs' involving prostitutes and cocaine."
Many of the persons "controlling" networks of prostitutes (sometimes with affiliates all over the country), including children, have a New Jersey base of operations while living outside the state. Miami, Florida seems to be a popular location for such persons. ("Marilyn Straus Was Right!" and "Diana's Friend Goes to Prison!")
Legalizing prostitution will eliminate -- or reduce -- the criminal element in the sex industry, cut down on drugs and children involved, protect the, mostly, women desperate enough to sell their bodies, or threatened into doing so, allowing those persons choosing freely to enter the sexual services "field" to do so, safely and without the stigma that benefits no one. Legalization seems like a good idea to me. ("Protecting Sex Workers" and "Prosecutorial Misconduct.")
"According to Schneiderman's office, the sex-and-drugs ring targeted out-of-town clients before and during large-scale events in the New York/New Jersey region. For example, 10 days before the Super Bowl, frequent customers received a text message that 'new sexy and beautiful girls R in town waiting for U.' In some cases the prostitutes would meet the clients and hand over drugs that had been ordered beforehand."
Women in such a situation may have no choice about "handing over" drugs. ("Abuse and Exploitation of Women in New Jersey" and "Not One More Victim.")
That is exactly the kind of thing that can be eliminated by enterprises concerned to protect their multi-million dollar licenses to provide sexual services, as with some casinos and red light districts in the world, where sex is sold without too many incidents of abuse and violation.
A defendant who had no problem turning over $700,000 in cash proceeds from a single day's business in New Jersey, to say nothing of comparable efforts with other employees in other parts of the state -- as well as other jurisdictions, like New York -- is no amateur and will have very little to say about colleagues or higher-ups in her organization.
I suspect that this defendant can also supply minors for an extra fee. ("Edward M. De Sear, Esq. and New Jersey's Filth.")
I also suspect that this person would not have been charged or convicted by New Jersey law enforcement.
That's not because of the Italian mafia which would be happy to get rid of the competition, but because of corrupt politicians and judges taking bribes in the Garden State. ("New Jersey is Lucky Luciano's Havana" and "Is Union City, New Jersey Meyer Lansky's Whore House?" then "Is Menendez For Sale?" and "Bribery in Union City, New Jersey.")
"Charges against 18 alleged members of the crime ring were filed in January -- four days before the Super Bowl at MET-life stadium -- as part [of something] called 'Operation Out of Bounds' that utilized under-cover investigators, electronic surveillance, and analyses of business records." ("Menendez Blames Castro For His Prostitution Habit!" and "New Jersey is the Home of Child Molesters.")
We need to examine OUR hypocrisy, as a society, about prostitution and drug-use in order to decide, honestly, whether we wish to deal in a serious and meaningful way with these matters that are connected with the welfare of our children and quality of life issues.
Do we really want to protect women and men in the sex industry? I hope so because many such persons are decent human beings who are far more often sinned against than sinning.
The sale of sex will never be eliminated from human societies; hence, the issue becomes whether this activity and industry can be regulated to ensure safety of sex workers and that profits (BILLIONS of dollars are spent on sex for sale) benefit the persons providing the services and/or those wishing to do so, legally, if possible. The similarity to the gaming industry is obvious.
More guilt or sanctimonious moral judgments are the last things needed in dealing with this issue, or its victims.
