BEHIND THE BADGE: STUDENTS' BLOG ENTRIES A SURPRISE

Once again I have no organized topic for this week, so here are a
couple of random items that will hopefully pass for some semblance of
an article.

I am back this semester teaching a criminal justice intro class at
Iowa Western Community College. I kind of enjoy doing that, as most of
the students are pretty good and I like the interaction with them.
This year I am trying something new, I am having the students blog on
a site I set up on different topics from each chapter of the textbook.
They can write whatever they choose to write, as long as it is
respectful and civil.

I am getting some pretty interesting comments, and I am amazed at how
close the opinions are of the students, even though not all of them
are criminal justice majors or interested in a career in criminal justice.

I did have a couple of students write comments that took me back a
little bit on a topic related to the first chapter of the book, which
deals partially with "what is justice." When I read them I thought,
"Uh-oh, I'm not sure Iowa Western is going to appreciate these
opinions," but that is what they are, and even though I disagreed with
them, having an opinion on a controversial subject is part of being a
citizen of the United States.

One student wrote how he felt that marijuana should be legalized and
regulated by the government, which would include taxing its use. He
quoted stats from the Web site of the National Organization for the
Reform of Marijuana Laws and one other pro marijuana Web site.

I, of course, have an opinion that is the exact opposite of this
particular student, for many reasons including medical issues, safety
issues, addiction problems and the fact that I don't really think we
need anymore people in our country who find it hard to go to work.

This is an ongoing debate that I doubt will be settled any time soon.
I don't think that we will see the government in the marijuana
business in the near future.

Did anyone see this story out of Valentine, Neb.? I saw an Associated
Press article about it on Officer.com. It is about some nut job that
goes around town, I guess in the middle of the night, pressing his
petroleum jelly coated posterior against business windows. It has been
going on for over a year, and so far the local PD has no suspects,
even though one night the suspect apparently "left his mark" on every
window of a local hotel.

Can you imagine getting up from your hotel room in the middle of the
night and looking out the window to, oh, maybe check the weather or
check on your car, and seeing some big hairy behind pressed against
the window? Not exactly a chamber of commerce moment for Valentine.

The police chief was quoted in the article that it started last summer
but died down over the fall and winter. No kidding. If your tongue
sticks to a flagpole in the winter, would your butt stick to a cold
window?

But the best quote of the article was from the Cherry County attorney,
who said, "This is not normal behavior for Valentine. It's not funny
or something people want to be exposed to."

Counselor, that is not normal behavior for any town, but it is funny,
and you are right about the last fact, nobody wants to be exposed to a
rear end in a window.

- - Keith Mehlin is chief of the Council Bluffs Police Department.