I Could Have Danced All Night

The Policeman’s Ball Goes On

Back in my father’s generation if you owned a business or held a government job you were expected to buy a ticket to the Policeman’s Ball every year. I’m not sure how widespread this practice was but I’m pretty certain there has been some form of Policeman’s Ball in all major U.S. cities since before the Civil War. Probably not 5% of the people who bought tickets ever actually attended one of these balls but ticket sales have always been tremendous never-the-less. Why? Because that ticket was your insurance policy against government attack. It was extortion, pure and simple. You paid or you lost your job or your business.

Yesterday Tony Rezko was found guilty of selling tickets to the ball. The general public seems not to understand that he was selling these tickets and those of us who do understand are puzzled as to why Tony was singled out. The goal of this prosecution does not seem to be putting an end to political extortion. No one I know imagines this to be possible considering it is a two hundred year tradition here in my kinda’ town. And I have to admit that I don’t get why Tony was singled out either; unless it’s just the first step in going after our governor who’s been straying outside his political bounds.

But there is something rather suspicious in the timing of this prosecution. The upper management of the Illinois Dem Party (even I am not foolhardy enough to mention names) is about to make B. O’Bama your next President. Now call me cynical but the assassination of Tony looks to me like a chain around Barack’s leg. An insurance policy, if you will for the king makers. After all, those who really know B. O. understand that his racist ties to Black Nazi… er, um Nationalism  are very strong. What if power should go to his head after he becomes President and he should decide to throw off the shackles of his mostly white political mas’uhs? Well, the solution to that is now in place. The chain around O’Bama is directly linked to one that extends to the prison that will soon be holding Mr. Resco. It can be yanked at any time.

I know what you’re thinking. I’m a conspiracy nut. They don’t sell tickets to the Policeman’s Ball anymore. True enough. Today they don’t bother to disguise what they’re doing. Today they sell tickets to “political fund raisers”. Hey, why be coy about it? It’s practically a patriotic duty now to cough up a few bucks for the man of your choice.

But it’s not patriotic when the arm is put on you and you are forced to pay against your will or beyond your means. I’ve bought tickets many times, both when I was in business and when I held government jobs. I especially hated it because it was a Democrat every time who put the arm on me and I’m not even a dirty damn Democrat! It’s extortion – it’s criminal – and it’s mostly why Rezko’s going jail. Virtually every living politician could be brought up on charges similar to those they hung Rezko on if you were to stretch the interpretation of the laws just a bit.   

I have never had a Republican come to me and in any way stress me for money. If it ever does happen I will let you know. Because when it does happen Democracy will be over in this country and it will be time for shooting.