Ricardo J Gonzalez for a Better America

He kicked in doors and made arrests. He helped the people in Gerald, Missouri end their problems with Meth. Sometimes he was a Federal Marshall, others, a member of the DEA, but it was not always clear which. When asked to show a warrant he informed people he was a federal agent, and didn't need one. Sergeant Bill was no federal agent. He was an unemployed former rent-a-cop who went on a spree of arrests with the approval of the Gerald Police Department. When he first arrived, the Police Department confirmed his credentials with the "Multijusrisdictional Task Force", a non-existent entity whose name comes from Beverly Hills Cop II. While the Gasconade County Republican ousted him on May 14th, he has yet to be charged with a crime.


I shouldn't be surprised that he hasn't been charged. What he did is no worse than what actual enforcement agencies do. No-knock warrants combined with mistaken addresses can end up with SWAT members shooting little old ladies. What's absolutely disgusting is that some tout him as a hero:

I’m not saying it was legal or lawful. But look, they were very effective while he was present. I don’t think Gerald is having the drug problem they were having. I’ve heard from some residents who were thrilled that he was there.

his lawyer said in a Fox News Channel interview.

I say this on no uncertain terms: this man, and anyone who knowingly assisted him, needs to be thrown in prison for a long, long time. That his lawyer has the chutzpah to suggest that the ends justified the means is an indication of just how far the erosion of civil rights and the rule of law has gone. The people in Gerald complied without a warrant likely figuring that just as so many rights lost in the "post-9/11 world" the necessity of a warrant was considered too big a burden for federal law enforcement.

Linda Trest, the reporter that broke the story, was able to uncover his lie in an hour of research. On NPR's Talk of the Nation, Ms. Trest claims that dogs in Gerald go through a more rigorous scrutiny with their vaccinations than "Sergeant Bill's" credentials got. Cursory investigations found evidence that some victims were robbed, and many assaulted with a sawed-off shotgun. 17 of his victims are suing him and the city. According to Fox News one victim was an "an elderly woman who was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric ward because she didn't cooperate with the police"

The ends do not justify the means. The protections the constitution guarantees are in place to lessen abuses of power by those whom we elect to govern us. It is never acceptable that a man with or without official authority go around terrorizing citizens with no burden of proof and no accountability to anything except his whims. Over a month has passed since his actions were discovered and reported, yet he remains a free man, making a circuit of talk shows and news programs. No crime has been charged, no bail has been necessary. The biggest criminal in Gerald has yet to pay any consequences, as he gets protection under the law, something his victims never got.

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NPR is holding a pledge drive right now, trying to raise funds for its operation. As it is mostly a listener supported station (they do receive a bit of government funding), they make pleas to reason and emotion to motivate their listeners to pledge. I enjoy NPR and I hope to one day be in a position to be able to donate. When they returned to their regular programming there was a spokesperson for Causes for Change International on Worldview. The organization works doing a variety of different community service projects in poor areas of Ecuador. As you would expect, Causes for Change was also making a plea for support. While the elements were similar to those on the NPR pledge drive, there was one definite difference: little white lies.


Chicago Public Radio tells you of the content it brings you; tells you their operating costs; points out the benefits of not only keeping them on the air, but of being a member ('Thank You' gifts and such). They plead their case openly and honestly, and know that the service they offer is worth while. When the people from Causes for Change plead they offer nothing in return but memories and satisfaction of helping others. While helping others may be a worthy cause, the problem comes from the form it is presented.

Among the various anecdotes she gave was a story describing the economic conditions of single mothers in Honduras. She related how many of them worked "80 hour weeks" to feed "sometimes six or more people". While this in itself isn't far fetched, she also said that many of these women survive on "no more than one tortilla a day for themselves". While I have not been there myself to confirm the story personally, there is an obvious problem with this claim. Looking at it simply mathematically: suppose that one of these "many women" being referred to was able to worth 80 hour weeks on 2000 many calories a day. According to this calorie counter, even the most calorie heavy tortilla only has about 170 calories. That leaves our hard working head of the family short 1830 calories a day, and at that rate, she will starve to death in about a month.

Obviously, the account was an exaggeration; a little white lie. But without the use of reason, the exaggeration would've remained uncovered. "How terrible", we're expected to say "that these women are starving when I have so much to eat". Yet I can't help but be insulted. The assumption behind the little white lie is that if you or I heard the truth, we'd be too selfish (or too stupid) to help. The complaint about Bjorn Lomborg's "The Skeptical Environmentalist" wasn't that his claims were untrue, but that by telling people the truth, they would cease their efforts to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

Most of us recognize these as little white lies for what they are, yet we let them slide because "the ends justify the means". It's ok that they lied because it will help people. When the bum on the streets approaches us to tell his little white lie, most of us dismiss it and ignore him. When the beggars wear a suit, we praise them for their altruism.

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