Monday, December 17, 2012

PRAYERS FOR NEWTOWN


Friday's mass murder in Newtown, Connecticut, is one of the most horrifying and unimaginable events in our nation's history.
With it, will come questions about gun control, school safety and security, parenting, and how society responds to, and reports troubled behavior by it's citizens. There will be plenty of time for those debates, but now is not the time.
Although there are no words that will ever ease the pain of those whose loss is incomprehensible, our entire country needs to muster every bit of prayer, compassion and support, for them and their families during this difficult time.

We also need to insure that the courageous teachers and school officials that sheltered surviving students, and those students themselves; and the local, state and federal law enforcement officers, whose job it was to evacuate the school, and process a crime scene that will haunt most of them forever, must be looked after and taken care of.
There is nothing that will erase the images of that day from their minds - ever. I KNOW.
In the aftermath of Newtown, give your own children and loved ones, a special hug and kiss. There are many of our neighbors that will never have that opportunity again.
God Bless them, and remember them always in your thoughts and prayers.


-BERNARD B. KERIK

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

IN REMEMBRANCE


On November 13, 2001, these words were published in my book, The Lost Son, A Life in Pursuit of Justice.


"The events of September 11, 2001, robbed the New York City Police Department, and the city at large, of 23 extraordinary human beings: police officers, sergeants, and detectives; twenty-two men and one woman who were beloved by their families and valued by the communities they served. But in their sacrifice, these fallen heroes gave the world something truly great in return: a demonstration of unshaken courage in the face of death, and the nobility of the human spirit. In a city of superlatives, theirs was an ultimate act of virtue; let their lives, and their bravery, never be forgotten."


Today, let us also not forget the 343 members of the FDNY, or the 37 Port Authority Police Officers who died as well, or the dozens of first responders from the NYPD, FDNY, AND PAPD that have died since, due to 9/11 related illnesses.


I salute and honor them all, as well as their surviving brothers and sisters in uniform, who on that day, and in the days after, put life before death, in one of the greatest rescue and recovery missions in United States history.


God Bless them all.


-BERNARD B. KERIK

Monday, September 10, 2012

JOE LEWIS - Rest in Peace



In the summer of 1969, I was 13 years old, when I began studying the Martial Arts. I earned my first degree black belt in American Goju Karate in 1972, and a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, in Korea in 1975.



The Martial Arts Grand Masters of today, back then, were the top competitors in the world, inspiring young men and women just like me, to train and train hard, and to fight and fight hard. They taught us discipline, respect, and honor.



Chuck Norris, Jeff Smith, Bill Wallace, Joe Lewis, Joe Corely, Mike Stone, and Skipper Mullins, were some that I looked up to, admired and tried to emulate as a fighter and artist. I have had the pleasure of meeting most of them, and the distinct honor of getting to know them personally, and calling them friends. Good friends.



Joe Lewis was one of them. A living legend in the martial arts world, he was inducted into 13 martial arts halls of fame, including Black Belt Magazine, and named Black Belt's Instructor of the Year, and Fighter of the Year.



On Friday, August 31, 2012, Grandmaster Joe Lewis past away. He will be sadly missed by his family and friends, and millions of martial artists around the world. I will miss an inspiration, a good man, and a great friend.



My thoughts and prayers are with his family, during this difficult time.



-BERNARD B. KERIK

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Happy Father's Day

For years as a child, on Father's Day, I would give my dad a card, sometimes with a small gift and sometimes not. As I got older, it went from a card to a call...until 2006. That was the year my dad died. There were no more cards and no more calls.




When I too became a father, the same routine was repeated. My children gave me cards or little gifts on this special day.



I often think of my dad, Donald Raymond Kerik, Sr. His wisdom, humor, attitude, and his humility have stuck with me,along with all of the things he taught me about life, both big and small. I am in awe of his strength, his courage. It was something I never realized until the end. Throughout his life and mine, I never saw it, or witnessed it, or felt it. He was mild mannered, peaceful, and most often a passive man, until the day we sat in a room with two doctors who told him that the end was near.



He had no fear, he didn't flinch, and he sat there as stoic as one could be in the face of death, in complete control.



He wasn't going to take chemo. "I hear it makes you sick," he said. He didn't want pain killers. "I've never done drugs, and I'm not going to start now."



When he asked how long he would live, the doctor replied, "Without treatment, months... maybe three or four."



With my brother and me in shock, my mother in hysteria, and the doctors a bit stunned, Dad thanked them for their time, stood up and said, "I'm not sure what I intend to do, so I'll discuss it with my wife and sons, and I'll get back to you tomorrow. Now let's get some lunch," and off we went.



I learned more about him on that one day than perhaps any other. He died six months later.



This coming Father's Day will my third away from my own children, and as difficult as this time has been for all of us, it has given me another way to look at Father's Day, and what it means to me.



I've realized it has nothing to do with cards, gifts or calls.



To me, Father's Day is the first time you hear your child say "Daddy." It's their smile in the morning, a kiss on the cheek, the soft touch of their hands. It's running your hands through their hair when they're sleeping and the way they smell after their evening bath. It's the words, "I love you," before bed, and butterflies and Eskimos. It's movies on Saturdays, pancakes on Sundays, and outrageous ice creams at Friendly's. It's watching your oldest succeed and your youngest excel. It's teaching them things that you never knew and giving them more than you ever had. It's your daughter with your freckles, eyes, and attitude, and your son with the same birthmark on his back that you have on yours. It's the joy that comes from being a father, and the heart full of love that you cannot explain.



For me, Father's Day is every day, all year long. Missing the last three years with my children has done nothing more than make me understand that.



I miss my father. He was a good man.



As for my children, Happy Father's Day! You've given me the greatest gift of all.
-BERNARD B. KERIK



You can follow Mr. Kerik at www.twitter.com/bernardkerik

Thursday, June 7, 2012

A MUST-READ: SWAGGER by Lisa Bloom

Last year, a friend of mine sent me an article titled "How to Talk to Little Girls" by Lisa Bloom. As a father of two little girls, twelve and nine, I read the article with interest and thought, as many readers have since, what about "How to talk to little boys?"


As fate would have it, that question would stir up enough commotion that Lisa Bloom would answer that question in her newly released book, SWAGGER--10 Urgent Rules for Raising Boys in an Era of Failing Schools, Mass Joblessness, and Thug Culture. If this was a lottery, SWAGGER is the jackpot. If this were baseball, SWAGGER is a World Series winning grand slam. But this is real life, and that being said, SWAGGER is a MUST-READ for every parent, educator and legislator in this country.


After 30 years in law enforcement, commanding two of the largest law enforcement organizations in the United States--the NYPD and the New York City jail system, including Rikers Island--I must admit that for most of my career, I had a one-sided view of the American criminal justice system until I became a federal investigative target and later surrendered to federal prison.


The circumstances surrounding my investigation and my incarceration has contradicted much of what I once believed. There are times when I am filled with bitterness and anger at the system--and at myself--for being here. I am constantly trying to make sense of it all, to seek out and find what good can come of this.


If there has been one benefit to society in my incarceration, it is that I have witnessed what no one with my experience has ever seen before. No one.. There is no site survey, inspection, guided tour, or magic window to look through that allows a federal judge, attorney, prosecutor, member of Congress, or law enforcement or prison administrator to clearly see what it is like to live as an inmate. They do not and cannot see the system's successes or failures or injustices without having lived within the system.


As a father, an American, and someone who has fought for and defended the very freedoms and liberty that I feel are in jeopardy for our young men today, I believe SWAGGER can be one of the most important books of our time.


This no-nonsense, no B.S. guide to raising boys and young men is one of the first books I have read in a long time that's not about the left or right, not about liberals or conservatives, and it is not gauged for the politically correct.


Ms. Bloom clearly outlines the problems with America's educational system, economy, criminal justice system, and thug culture. She then lays out 10 rules for guiding young boys and men into adulthood, rules that can help them get an education, stay out of prison, and become successful members of society.


Do you know that only one in three Baltimore kids graduate from high school? Or, nationwide, that the majority of African American and Hispanic boys drop out of high school? They are destined for doom and failure if things don't change, and Ms. Bloom explains why.



She also raises serious questions as to why there is there no outrage at the glamorization of drug use, drug dealing and violence in the music and entertainment industry. "We're not talking about little racy innuendo; some of the biggest artists today advocate joining the Crips, punching your girlfriend, or murdering gay men," she writes, calling for parents to know and stare down the reality and critically discuss media messages with their boys.



From teaching boys how to respect girls and women, to being ever-critical of all media, to the lost virtue of humility, in this hard-hitting, must-read guide to mentoring, educating and raising healthy sons, Ms. Bloom provides the reader with easy, common sense solutions that can help parents, educators and our political leaders change the future of young boys and men in this country. And, although her book focuses primarily on boys and their upbringing, there is so much you can learn from it when it comes to raising girls as well.



I grew up hard, on the streets of Newark and Paterson, New Jersey. I was abandoned by my mother, a prostitute, who was murdered when I was nine. I dropped out of high school, destined for failure, but the U.S. Army, martial arts, and the right mentoring and guidance from my father, step-mother, and those who cared changed all that. Thirty years later, I was nominated for a presidential cabinet post.



I've seen the boys that Lisa Bloom writes about.. They were on the streets of Newark, Paterson, and New York City, and on Rikers Island. Many of those high school drop outs from Baltimore are right here in this minimum security camp. So too are young men from some of America's most wealthy cities.



Lisa Bloom talks about what happens without the proper mentoring. I can tell you my first hand observations: Once the youngest and most vulnerable are incarcerated, and mix into their new surroundings and the fear of prison dissipates, they begin their "new education" with the older inmates as their teachers. These are grown men who sit around like teenage boys, talking about old times, drugs, guns, cars, jewelry, women and sports.



The young men, newly incarcerated, will learn how to lie, cheat, steal, con, manipulate, and gamble. Their vocabulary diminishes into a profound ghetto slang, their posture changes into an intimidating swagger, a fist bump replaces a handshake, and a grunt replaces "Good morning." They learn more about the drug trade than they did on the outside, and disagreements often result in threats of violence. This is just for starters.



The longer they are here, the more demoralized and hopeless they become. Whatever societal values they may have had upon their arrival now change to institutional ones that lack respect, discipline and responsibility.. The cost of their incarceration is in the billions, but the collateral cost to society is immeasurable.



Our government and criminal justice and prison systems cannot fix this problem alone. It take parents, teachers and educators, and our political leadership.



Lisa Bloom explains who should do what and why, and she talks about the power of parenting, and how mentoring is a must.



In the end, through her questions and research, she finds the answers that every parent needs to hear. The boys tell us all, in their own ways, what they need, what they want, and what would make them be the best they could be.



"Listen to me, Pay attention to me, Get to know me, Spend time with me. And, protect me."



It doesn't seem like too much to ask. And although that, in itself, will not fix everything, it is a great start.



There was something else Ms. Bloom said in her book that could not be more true. "Closing our eyes and hoping for the best won't cut it, not when our boys live in the real world."



Most Americans live in that real world and know and understand these problems, but don't have the courage to acknowledge or admit them. Lisa Bloom does it for us. She outlines the problems as clear as day, and then takes it a step further, by bringing real solutions to the table that don't cost money, will save lives, and keep our kids out of prison.



If you care about your children, SWAGGER is a must-read. If you care about this country, get your educators and political leadership to read it as well.



-BERNARD B. KERIK



You can follow Mr. Kerik at: www.twitter.com/bernardkerik

Saturday, May 26, 2012

REMEMBERING OUR HEROES

Although summer doesn't officially begin until the middle of June, to most Americans, Memorial Day and the weekend is the start of summer. It's the first weekend of the year when American families open their swimming pools or head for the beach, plan backyard barbeques, make sure that their landscaping is in tip-top shape, post an American flag on their porch, and if they have time, they just may attend their local Memorial Day Parade. That is what most American families will do.



But there is another group of American families who will be far less focused on summer festivities or the beach or barbeques, and they probably won't have time to go to their local parade.



They will wake up on that Monday morning - Memorial Day - and instead of driving to the beach, they will drive to a cemetery. Instead of standing over a barbeque pit, they will stand over a grave. Instead of landscaping at home, they will remove the weeds and debris from around the tombstone that bears the name of an American hero who gave his or her life defending and protecting this great country. After they've cleaned up this hallowed ground, they will post an American flag as a solemn reminder of who lies there.



There will be no ceremony or guest speaker, and the eerie silence of that cemetery will only be broken by the faint sounds those crying or praying out loud. These mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, family members and friends are not there to celebrate, but to mourn, to honor, to remember, and to reflect on the life of their loved one who gave their all so that the rest of us could live in freedom, freedom that we so often take for granted.



That is what Memorial Day is all about. Remembering our heroes..



On this Memorial Day, let s take a moment to honor and pray for our heroes and their families who have sacrificed so much for all of us. Let s take a moment to thank a veteran for service to our country. Let s take the time to send a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project, the USO, Fisher House, or any organization that supports our veterans.



Most importantly, let us honor these fallen heroes by sowing the seeds of patriotism in our children, teaching them what Memorial Day really stands for and why it is so important to never forget the sacrifices others have made on our behalf. Let's teach them that freedom is never free, and that without the members of our armed forces, here and around the world, this country would not be what it is today.



https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/

http://www.uso.org/donatelanding.aspx

http://www.fisherhouse.org/donate/



On this Memorial Day, I also want to give special thanks to the men and women of the NYPD for their sacrifices on and after 9/11 and to the members of our Armed Forces, the FBI, CIA and local and state law enforcement for standing between good and evil and keeping this country safe from harm.



Godspeed and God Bless you all.



-BERNARD B. KERIK



Follow Mr. Kerik at: www.twitter.com/bernardkerik

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

DORIAN J. MURRAY

DORIAN J. MURRAY




On April 23, 2012, 8 year old Dorian J. Murray, was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma Stage 4 Cancer, and immediately began treatment at the Hasbro Children's Hospital in Rhode Island. His grandfather, is a life long law enforcement officer in New York State.



On June 16, 2012, his family and friends are holding a fundraiser at the Garrison Volunteer Fire Company, in Garrison, New York. Donations are $15. now and at the door.



Please support Dorian and his family during this difficult time, by sending a check to: Dorian J. Murray, c/o Garrison Volunteer Fire Company, 1616 Route 9, Garrison, New York 10524.



I know his grandfather well enough to know, that were the tables turned, he would do the same thing for me or you.



God Bless You all.



Saturday, April 28, 2012

CLAUDE RACINE, SPD - Rest In Peace



It is with great regret that I learned of the passing of Somerville Police Officer Claude Racine.



I came to know him about four years ago when he invited me to his home for a birthday celebration. I showed up unexpectedly, but in time to meet his wonderful family, and his gracious friends. In the short time I knew him, I found him to be a loving husband and father, a patriot, and a dedicated public servant.



Our country and the State of New Jersey has lost a good man, and a great cop. He will be sadly missed.



His family and friends are in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.



-BERNARD B. KERIK

Monday, March 12, 2012

A DANGEROUS PROPOSAL

The Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) recently circulated a $250 million proposal to prison officials in 48 states, offering to buy state prison facilities in exchange for various considerations, including a controversial guarantee that the state governments would then have to maintain a 90% occupancy rate for at least 20 years.



As someone who once ran two of the largest law enforcement organizations in the United States - the NYPD and the New York City Department of Correction, including Rikers Island -and is now incarcerated in the federal prison system, I can tell you that this proposal is not only dangerous, but raises serious questions about the integrity and credibility of any company that would propose such a ridiculous idea.



For more than two decades, constitutional scholars, former Attorneys General, federal and state judges, and criminal defense bars have been calling for alternatives to incarceration, revised sentencing guidelines, and a repeal of mandatory minimums. State and federal prison systems could save billions by aggressively addressing these issues, but, at the risk of appearing soft on crime, many government leaders instead choose to skirt the issue.



Now, along comes a private company that says, in essence, "I'll buy your prisons to put some cash in your pocket, for which you will pay me an annual fee per inmate, but you must also guarantee that you will keep those prisons filled to 90% of capacity for the next 20 years."



Any logical person must ask, What happens if you drop below 90% capacity? How much does it then cost the state, and what are the penalties for doing so?



A more important question is this: To what extent will a state go to avoid those penalties?



Will state prosecutors be urged to maximize sentences and use their prosecutorial discretion in unfair ways? Will this mean the elimination of alternatives to incarceration, such as probationary sentences, community service and other life improvement programs that may help reduce recidivism? Will probation and parole officers be forced to violate the rights of former offenders, returning them to prison simply to ensure maximum prison capacity? Will prison officials be forced to overly punish inmates in order to reduce their good time incentives, thereby keeping them in the facilities longer? These are just a few of the many questions that come to mind and show how ludicrous this proposal from CCA actually is.



As a former prison adminstrator, I can say this without reservation: No one in his right mind would agree to guarantee a 90% rate of capacity in a prison facility over a 20 year period, unless he intended to do everything in his power to keep that facility full, which could only be done by violating the Constitution in some way. That threatens the very foundation of our democracy.



If state prison administrators need to cut costs, I suggest they follow the advice of Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, former Attorneys General Richard Thornburgh and Edwin Meese III, and others, by addressing the sentencing guidelines and mandatory minimums.



First time, non-violent offenders should be considered for alternatives to incarceration, where they receive community service, probationary sentences, and home confinement, which would give them the ability to work, pay taxes and take care of their families. This approach allows them to be punished while still being able to give back to society and saves American taxpayers billions of dollars.



The enhancement of good time incentives for inmates displaying good behavior could be another enormous cost savings, and would be a blessing for prison administrators, by reducing inmate-on-inmate violence and giving facility commanders much more control over inmates in their custody. Inmates who follow the rules get to return to their families sooner, and inmates who misbehave, don't. The cost savings from simply enhancing good time incentives could also be in the billions.



There are endless ways to reduce prison budgets, while still administering punishment, deterring those who need it, and protecting society from dangerous individuals. State legislators must get smart on crime and realize that there is an extremely high number of inmates in state prison systems who are not low life miscreants and could be better held accountable for their misdeeds by alternatives to incarceration.



With creative management, accountability, and reforms, we can reduce criminal justice spending in prisons, without trampling on the Constitution of the United States or putting Americans at greater risk.



Promising to keep prisons loaded to 90% capacity over 20 years for a quick buck is irresponsible, dangerous, and un-American.



-BERNARD B. KERIK

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

LET RAY KELLY DO HIS JOB

For the past several weeks, politicians, members of the media, and community activists have made Raymond Kelly, New York City's Police Commissioner, the target of scathing criticism over the NYPD's intelligence and surveillance operations that have principally focused on publicly accessed information relating to Muslims and Muslim communities. He's been accused of racial profiling and infringing on the privacy rights of the general public, and in a strange way, he has been made out to be some sort of monster for doing his job.



Based on all reports, like it or not, Kelly is operating within the law and doing so for good reason. No one knows the ramifications of failed intelligence--or not enough intelligence--better than the men and women of the NYPD. They do not have to be reminded that New York City continues to be a primary target for members of Al-Qaeda and radical Islamic extremists.



The FBI, CIA and Department of Homeland Security are working around the clock to protect our country and our borders. But let's not forget, New York City is in a league of its own. Ray Kelly may get some help from the federal government, but at the end of the day, the safety and security of New York City is his responsibility. The buck stops with him. If, God forbid, things go bad, those same critics today would be calling for his head. This is wrong...dead wrong!



Let Ray Kelly do his job and protect the people of New York. For those who have difficulty letting him do so, take a walk down Memory Lane dating back to September 11, 2001. Reflect on every close call that we've had since, every thwarted attack on our city. Intelligence and surveillance often saves day. Unless or until Ray Kelly does something outside the law, let him do his job to protect the people of New York.



We will all be a lot better off for it.
 
 
Bernard B. Kerik

Thursday, February 16, 2012

JEFFREY ZASLOW - REST IN PEACE

Jeffrey Zaslow was a columnist for The Wall Street Journal, and a New York Times best selling author. He co-wrote The Last Lecture with Randy Pausch who later died of cancer, and most recently wrote The Magic Room, A Story About the Love We Wish for our Daughters.



On February 10, at 53, his life ended in a tragic car accident, leaving behind his wife Sherry, and three daughters, Jordan, Alex, and Eden.



In reading the books he has written, you come to realize that he was a brilliant man and a wonderful story teller, but more than anything, a loving and caring husband and father.



In The Magic Room which was dedicated to Jordan, Alex, and Eden, he talks about his love for them, and as someone who loves his children as I do, I could relate to every word. He wrote, "My three daughters are now ages twenty-one, nineteen, and fifteen, and I know they will need love in their lives - from me, my wife, each other, and someday I hope, from their husbands and children."



Every parent can learn from this book, especially two of life's most important lessons: Never take life for granted, and always remember to say to your children, "I love you." Jeffrey Zaslow knew and understood this, and in leaving our world for another, he left behind The Magic Room, not only for us to share, but as an eternal reminder to his daughters of the unconditional love he had for each of them. All children should be so lucky.



May he rest in peace, and my God Bless the family he left behind.



-BERNARD B. KERIK

Friday, January 20, 2012

RICHARD SHEIRER - Rest In Peace

On the morning of September 11, 2001, while the entire nation watched the horrific events unfold in New York City, Richie Sheirer, the Director of the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management, was on the scene within minutes, assisting in the rescue and evacuation of the Twin Towers. In the days, weeks and months after, he was a pillar of strength for many. For me, he was there whenever I needed him, always with the answer and always with a smile. He was a big man with a bigger heart, and for anyone who knew him, you knew that he gave our city and our country his all.


Today, we lost a piece of our country's history, and we lost a good, sweet and gentle man. He was one of a kind, and he was one of the best. He was a hero, in every sense of the word, and he was a good friend.



My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. He will be truly missed.



May he rest in peace, and may God Bless his family always.



-BERNARD B. KERIK