Political Gossip and Tidbits Wandering About The Small Wonder That is Delaware-The 3/20/15 Edition

Student Gun Club at University of Delaware? How cool is this? My take on the Bodenweiser action, some intriguing comments from the local politicos Deaver and Schwartzkopf. SHE thinks the county should pay for her newspapers; HE thinks only cop killers should get the death penalty.

Gun Fanatics at the Univ. of Del. Quick, someone tell the Feds!
I forget just how I came across this but it did make me smile. So the University of Delaware has a group of students in favor of the second amendment although my curmudgeon friend, Matthew Opaliski-update on him late- would say it isn’t something people should be in favor of, it’s the law of our land whether you like or not.

Still, there is no place more liberal than the U of D so we’ll see how this goes.

So, this past semester at the University of Delaware, I along with some friends, have started a club, and now we’re officially registered with the University. Our club name is – Students for the Second Amendment – we promote and fight for our second amendment right, and promote and teach responsible firearm ownership. We have MAJOR plans for the next couple months, and we’d love any help / advise we can get. We have about 75 on our roster,…

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Opaliski Update

Speaking of curmudgeons:

Forty-year-old Matthew Opaliski of Greenwood was indicted last month on three counts of dealing firearms without a license and two counts of unlawful transfer of firearms. The indictment included a notice of forfeiture upon conviction listing two handguns and two rifles.
But in a court filing Friday, prosecutors greatly expanded the list of weapons subject to forfeiture. The new list includes more than 60 rifles, shotguns and handguns, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and more than $3,100 in cash.

It was hardly any secret that Matthew Opaliski, former RD of RD35 in the Sussex GOP, sold guns. I believe he also sold jackets and socks and stuff, goodness somebody sic the clothing police on him. NO WAIT! Forget I said that….because, well, why wasn’t there an FBI agent assigned to catch this man selling socks without benefit of a 1099 and such?

They only went after Matthew for the guns it would seem and they want to take his cash? I know for a fact that all that cash was raised from the sale of camouflage jackets. How do these people know where that cash came from?

I am still unclear on how this all came down but it will take a lot to convince me that Matthew Opaliski was some kind of public danger that required a grand jury and secret agents.
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Speaking of Republican Criminals

ericbodenweiserI am quite confused over what took place in the Eric Bodenweiser case recently, details here .

Then I’ve been confused for quite a while about this case and let me atone. Indeed Eric was NEVER elected to any public office, he won a Republican primary for State Senator against incumbent Joe Booth. Often I argue that he was lawfully elected by we the people but so okay, the guy was forced to quit recently after his election and what bad timing is this? To me, a voter, it looked like the local government was using their last option to get rid of him as Eric did bother a bunch of people, a bit like Matthew Opaliski.

My confusion was not helped by the publicity of the case that had me hearing that Eric told his preacher that there was a “there” there, a baffling juxtaposition of words meaning there was something to the charges but like that expression means….it wasn’t quite like the public perceived it.

Eric was my RD for the then 37th district and hey, I really liked the guy. He was always pleasant and generous….well hey they tell me not to like Christine O’Donnell or Matthew Opaliski or Sarah Palin or on and on…..and yet I still think they are all fine people. And Eric has a perfectly lovely wife who should be nominated for sainthood.

The jury was hung on the Bodenweiser case here in Sussex county and as time passed it was obvious that the accuser was not a boy-saint and much of his testimony was suspect if not outright perjury. The testimony of Eric’s preacher really hurt things….you get somebody’s preacher telling the world that the accused confessed, in a fashion, to him…. Not that I think all that much of that guy, me being Catholic and priests do not tell public what is said to them in confession.

Now Eric has pleaded no contest on a misdemeanor account and I’m no lawyer but my first thought, seriously , was it worth all this Beau Biden? For throughout the term of that trial not a single other person came out of the woodwork asserting Eric did the same thing to them.

I, a jury of one and a member of the public, concluded that there was possibly something that happened between Eric and that boy…NOT an 8 year old but closer to 13-14 when all this happened. Even if what happened was merely Eric allowing the kid to watch porn movies and that right there is illegal and would be a misdemeanor, right? And Eric readily admits that he allowed the kid to watch the movies.

Maybe there is more to it but even so, Eric Bodenweiser is no serial molester, he did go through a bad period in his life and resorted to drugs and booze. He admits this.

Goodness, let this guy sue Eric in civil court and stop destroying his life for what was a youthful mistake.

There’s nothing about this case that was handled right and it bothers me that Delaware handles this kind of thing so sloppily and even, as I suspect, corruptly.
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Sussex County council’s only Democrat irked because she has to pay for own newspapers

Joan Deaver needs a Republican to run against her, a Republican who will win! I can’t believe the Sussex GOP can’t get a decent candidate, put all their might behind him or her, and get Joan out of there.

Well yeah, Joan’s another lady I like and I hate to hurt her feelings, insert wink here, but I just might have to run against this lady.

Now she’s all mad because the county makes her buy her own newspapers and on some level I can understand her ire. Sussex county council people are not paid any grand sum. I am to understand they get $28K a year, health car coverage, $250 for each council session. Not peanuts as come on, they don’t work 40 hours a week or anything.

But I must suppose that Sussex county, a place I love because it is so cheap, doesn’t want to go reimbursing council members for a lot of stuff, nicklel dime crap more of a hassle to track than to pay.

So it isn’t that perhaps she’s got a whisper of a grievance but Lord the woman puts it up on her Facebook page, witness below:

joandeaver

Someone could run against her and win by showing all the potential voters this whine of hers. To us peons out here struggling to buy groceries and pay the electric, complaining about having to buy a newspaper seems so petty.
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Delaware Teachers Vote “No Confidence” in Dept. of Education

Last year the teacher’s union voted no confidence in Common Core so God bless these teachers are fighting bejeesus against this federal takeover of the government. And still Greg Lavelle, MSNBC’s “rising star” a Republican, broke a victory to keep Common Core testing standards out Delaware schools.

Delaware’s statewide teachers union has issued a vote of no confidence in Secretary of Education Mark Murphy.
The vote took place Saturday at the Delaware State Education Association’s annual Representative Assembly and was taken by elected delegates from each of the state’s local teachers unions.

I am trying to wrap my mind around this Common Core and indeed, on my other writing gig, interviewed an expert on the matter. I followed what happened in the last stages of the legislature last year and the betrayal by the Republicans. But I’m still cloudy on the matter.

I took my daughter, mother of my 11 year old granddaughter, to a meeting put on by the Board of Education about Common Core. It was such a wash job that I almost sobbed. My daughter’s response to my query that she should keep coming? “Mom, those teachers wouldn’t participate in something really bad for their students,” she said and I am left to fight the battle alone.

I do know that the teacher’s union in Delaware has voted no confidence in both Common Core and now the Delaware Secretary of education.

Maybe my daughter was right. But the government that we elect, they don’t seem to be listening do they? Even the Republicans in our state and now we have …..TADA….

Jeb Bush!
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Schwartzkopf Against Death Penalty Unless You Kill a Cop

Delaware Democrat Karen Peterson introduced a bill to abolish the death penalty in Delaware, thereby saving Capano! No wait! Thomas Capano already has been spared the death penalty because he was convicted back when Delaware once again was stupid with no death penalty.

NO WAIT! Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf to the rescue. NO WAIT! Pete doesn’t want to eliminate the death penalty in any case EXCEPT where a convicted felon shoots a cop.

Which is fine with me, Pete my friend. But I don’t think we should get to “select” those who die and those who don’t. Our current system works right well. It was monkeying around with a system the American public seems to favor that has us taking care of fat Thomas Capano and yes, I do know everything.
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I do not respond to comments on my posts. I certainly have no problem with such commentary and, indeed, encourage it. But I’ve written my piece and I don’t want to argue it further.

Please feel free to email me at patfish1@aol.com if you want to send me a special comment or have any ideas or information you want to share.

NEXT : Will be doing my Sunday political talk show column tomorrow. Let’s catch up on this ISrael thing and Hillary’s email problems.

15 Comments on "Political Gossip and Tidbits Wandering About The Small Wonder That is Delaware-The 3/20/15 Edition"

  1. Frank Knotts says:

    Pat you said,”NO WAIT! Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf to the rescue. NO WAIT! Pete doesn’t want to eliminate the death penalty in any case EXCEPT where a convicted felon shoots a cop.”
    Are you saying Speaker Schwartzkopf want to exempt cop killers from the death penalty?

  2. Jack Black says:

    Pat. I can not express how disturbing it is that you continue to defend Eric B. A good man does not show porn to children. It seems from your post that because Eric was oh so “nice” to you that this is your reason to believe he has done nothing wrong. Really?!! Do you know how ridiculous that is? How can you be so naive? Sometimes in adulthood you have to realize that a friend or buddy of yours is wrong. It’s the tough part of being an adult but sometimes we find that a friend is not the good person we always thought he or she to be. Seems to me you are suffering from the same problem some others are having in Sussex County. Because you always been someone I like or because i think you BELIEVE what I BELIEVE than I will defend you to the end. Well wake up people! Why are people defending their so called “Friends” when they are openly breaking rules, harassing and bullying people! (Yes I’m referencing other actions continually coming to light from certain leaders in Sussex County.) As for you Pat, let me remind you that child molesters, serial killers and rapists ALL can portray themselves as NICE people in their communities. In fact they are brilliant at convincing others they are the best neighbors you could ever have. Why would you or anyone else in Sussex County ruin their own character to defend their friends when behaviors have evolved into inappropriate, harassing and some even criminal? To me this is a much different topic than a debate between who voted for this primary candidate vs. another. You realize that YOU are DEFENDING horrendous actions that involve horrific behavior? Even if the behavior is only showing PORN to other people’s children. And another shout out to others in Sussex County defending your buddies who are bullying, harassing people who question their actions. Take a step back and take a HARD look at what your friends or “people you like” are doing to others around them and ask yourself if you would be OK if they were treating your wife, husband, son or daughter in this manner?? PLEASE do this at least once! Insert your loved one in the situation and then think about how you would feel about this person being in any type of position of power or influence? Then ask yourselves one last question “Why am I defending bad actions and going to great lengths to defend bad actions?” What are all of you gaining from this? If the answer is nothing maybe you should start standing up for the people who are being victimized. Even if it’s standing up for a person who has been bullied. Because it could be your husband, wife, daughter or son who is next.

  3. fightingbluehen says:

    “Thomas Capano already has been spared the death penalty because he was convicted back when Delaware once again was stupid with no death penalty.”
    You do realize that Capano died in 2011, right?

    Concerning Pete Shwartzkopf ,and the death penalty. Is he saying that the life of a police officer who voluntarily choses to be in law enforcement, should somehow be placed above, let’s say someone’s child who is murdered? I have a hard time with that.

  4. Yes, Stupid says:

    “Thomas Capano already has been spared the death penalty because he was convicted back when Delaware once again was stupid with no death penalty.”

    Wrong, again, Einstein:
    http://articles.philly.com/2011-09-19/news/30176109_1_jealous-maniac-gerard-capano-anne-marie-fahey
    A jury convicted Capano of first-degree murder and recommended in a 10-2 vote that he receive the death penalty. Superior Court Judge William Swain Lee complied, berating Capano as a “malignant force” and a “ruthless murderer” whose “only remorse is for himself.”

    The Delaware Supreme Court overturned the death sentence in January 2006 after Capano’s lawyers argued that the jury’s vote to condemn him had to be unanimous.

  5. Yes, Stupid says:

    Aren’t there any bloggers available that know about Delaware?

  6. Dave says:

    If we had some absolute means of ensuring that we never exact that penalty for someone innocent of the crime, then I probably would not have much objection to the death penalty. However, that day has not yet come. Innocent people have been put to death.

  7. Dave says:

    “I know for a fact that all that cash was raised from the sale of camouflage jackets.”

    The only way you know that for a fact is if you were a party to the transactions or witnessed the transactions. Other than that, all you know is what you have been told. Be that as it may, if he violated federal or state laws that will be sorted out in court and not prejudge his guilt or innocence.

  8. Just Sayin says:

    I’ve watched this whole Bodenweiser thing from the beginning and the charges sounded horrific. Iattended two days of the trial and the impression i have of the so-called victim is that he is a con man that is in this thing for the money. He claimed not to be able to walk right without the aid of a cane or walking stick but I seen a short video of him running down and alley with his pole-dancing mistress after count. The cane was held high and he was running full speed down the alley without the aid of the cane.
    There was evidence introduced the day I was there, that one of his facebook comments said, “this is all about the money now.” The alleged is a twice convicted felon and committed felonies while in Delaware that were excused. Anybody that can find this guy and his pole-dancing paramour credible have been sadly misguided.
    I don’t know Bodenweiser personally but I believe he was forced to accept a plea bargain, or face the possibility of facing the rest of his life in prison. Which would you pick, even if you were not guilty.

  9. Dave says:

    Don’t know him personally, but you take two days to attend the trial?

  10. mouse says:

    Interesting how the educated people at universities, the ones who have had critical thinking courses are so liberal. Think that would mean something to people.

  11. anon says:

    Study after study shows that children who are raped have a higher frequency of delinquency, here are two examples:

    Adolescents who were victims of sexual assault are three to five times more likely to suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder, be abused again, be dependent on drugs and alcohol, or commit delinquent acts compared with adolescents who were not victimized, according to a nationally representative sample.

    The authors provide evidence that the apparent negative effects of maltreatment on children’s propensity to engage in crime are real and not simply artifacts of other features of dysfunctional families. They find that being maltreated approximately doubles the probability of engaging in many types of crime and that the effects are worst for children from low socio-economic status backgrounds. Perhaps unsurprisingly, boys are at greater risk for increases in criminal propensities than girls. Sexual abuse appears to have the largest effects on crime, perhaps justifying the emphasis on this type of abuse in the literature and in the media.

    So not only is Bodenweiser responsible for sexually abusing this man when he was a boy, Bodenweiser is more than likely responsible for whatever wretched existence this man lives today.

    This is why Jesus said if you harm children you should have a millstone tied around your neck and jump in the sea.

  12. anon says:

    – just sayin

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