I’ve been following the mess that comedian Michael Richards has gotten himself into. Apparently, Richards was doing his comedy routine when two black men began heckling him. Richards let loose with a profanity laden retort, and used the word Nigger several times as his anger got the better of him. If you want his exact words, you can Google them easily enough.

I do not like the word Nigger, any more than I like any of the other derogatory labels society insists on using to hurt each other. I speak from experience - racial epithets can hurt, deeply. Richards was quoted as saying that he “was not a racist.” We’re all racists. Every single one of us, at one time or another, was taught all about what “race” meant, and how to recognize the differences. Separating and categorizing our own species is one of the things that makes us human.

We have this remarkable thing called a brain, which allows us to communicate our thoughts and ideas to each other. So what do we do? We use our brain to come up with ways to do hurtful, negative things to each other. The issue is not the use of these derogatory words. Nor is it just about prejudice or hate.

The whole issue centers around our inability, as a species and as a society, to stop and think about why this sort of thing continues to exist. If a term is deemed derogatory, then it should be derogatory universally. Why can calling the wrong person “homey” get you killed? Why is it okay for one African American to refer to another as “Nigger” and it is a good thing — but if it is used as an epithet by a non-black person it destroys lives and careers? Even the media, afraid of any lash back, refuses to use the word “Nigger”, even when quoting someone else. They have to refer to it as “The N Word.”

I think Michael Richards’ current P.R. fiasco is his just reward. However, I also think that the Rev. Jesse Jackson and other African American leaders are overreacting. Yes, I really do. Jackson is calling for a boycott of the “Seinfeld” series DVD collection. Why punish all the other actors and people involved in the production and sale of those DVDs? We’re right back at looking for ways to hurt one another. This, even after Richards publicly apologized.

Human society should not be so complex that we must constantly be on guard for a word, term, or concept that may offend someone. Where does it end? Will we each be issued a Politically Correct daily bulletin so we can keep up? Here are the words, gestures, or ideas that can get you in trouble today, subdivided by race and sub-categories, thanks for subscribing.

No, what the world needs now is not love or peace. What we need is RESPECT. Respect for one another, ourselves, and the cultures and societies that make us who we are. The love and peace will follow.

The Associated Press recently ran a story stating that the old radio “10 codes” used by the Virginia State Police are being phased out. I’m not sure where that writer got his/her information, but the story was inaccurate.

According to the article, “The 10-code system dates to the 1920’s when police radios had only one channel and officers needed to relay information succinctly.” Apparently, the Homeland Security Department is pressing local law enforcement, fire, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to improve communications between agencies during an emergency. They feel that plain old English is better. Sorry to pop anyone’s bubble here, but as an ex-military Communications Specialist, I think I qualify to set the record straight.

There are a number of code systems that were originated by the military, including many of the 10 codes. There are also “Q-sigs”, a series of usually 3 letters that begin with the letter Q. These codes were used primarily when communicating in morse code, and their primary purpose was brevity, and the ability to communicate with others regardless of their language. “QRL” for example, meant “are you busy?” and “QTA” meant to stop or discontinue. The military also had what were referred to as “Z-signals”, similar to the Q sigs except they were meant for military-to-military communications. Back in the 70’s when the CB radio craze was in full swing, 10 codes were adopted for the same reason - brevity and clarity.

The writer used TV shows such as “Dragnet” and “Adam 12″ as the method of first learning about 10 codes and other radio procedures. That’s probably part of the problem.

Here are some Hollywood examples that have always driven me nuts. Everyone has heard the term “Over and Out”. In radio-lingo, “Over” literally means “I am finished transmitting, now it is your turn. “Out” literally means “I am finished talking.” So, “Over and Out” means “I am finished talking, now it is your turn, but I am done communicating.”

Or even better, the phrase “Roger Wilco, Over and Out.” “Roger” simply was an acknowledgement. “Wilco” is short for Will Comply. So, that infamous phrase is saying “I acknowledge what you said, I will comply with your request, I am done talking, it is now your turn, but I am finished.” Yeah, Homeland Security is really going to simplify things by using plain English. One thing that the AP story got correct is that many departments made modifications to their use of the 10 codes. Some even had 8 codes. What Homeland Security should have done is standardized the 10 codes across the board. The codes themselves worked great. Remember, brevity and clarity. It is when we start to accomodate the needs of a few that things really get messed up for the remainder.

As a little side story, did you know that morse code is no longer used for military or commercial purposes? It has been demoted to hobby status, a favorite now of amateur radio operators. When I was in the military, morse code was often the means of last resort when communication was impossible any other way. Now they have digital communications. The cool thing about morse code was that, no matter how bad the reception was, or how distant the signal needs to travel, if you could do nothing more than start and stop a burst of static, you could communicate. The kicker? In the event of a nuclear blast, the EMP (electro-magnetic-pulse) generated will fry all the satellite and digital communications. But the amateur enthusiasts will be able to talk about the war with each other, as morse code would still be functional.

I love this story out of El Cerrito, California. Witnesses had reported to police that there was a naked man exposing himself and masturbating in public. The police arrived and the man was taken into custody on suspicion of indecent exposure.

Even though the man was naked, standard police procedures require the officer to ask the suspect in custody whether they had anything on them that the officer should know about. This is a common, and surprisingly effective way to jog the suspect’s memory about hidden drugs, weapons, and other contraband.

I thought it was an odd question for the officer to ask a naked suspect. More amazingly, the suspect admitted that he did in fact, have a weapon. Now things get really interesting. The suspect told the officer that he had a screwdriver hidden in his rectum. The police, unsure or perhaps unwilling to do anything, called the fire department.

The firefighters arrived as requested, but after considering the situation, felt this problem was beyond their area of expertise. They suggested that it would be best to take him to the Emergency Room. Upon hearing this, the suspect proclaimed it was nothing to worry about, and volunteered to remove the screwdriver himself.

It later turned out that the suspect was recently paroled from state prison. The new charges included suspicion of parole violations and indecent exposure. Oh, and let’s not forget the felony count of possessing a concealed weapon!