Gerard Dessoye was a great police officer

I am told that in his day, Gerard Dessoye was a great police officer. I believe this. I am told that he was very smart and I can tell he has a nice manner about him (when he isn't trying to pin charges on me). Nobody can take that away from him.

However it appears a really nasty disease has gotten in the way. Probably half of the arrests made are against people with this disease. There is no imaginary line where the disease stops. It can happen to anyone. The problem is when you are police chief or mayor you are insulated by your position and all the of suckholes that want favors from you. Trust me... you are expendable. They could care less about your health.

I am really getting tired of cops and others of saying "Everyone knows he's a drunk" and do nothing. Gerard - please know this is what is being said behind your back. But please take comfort in knowing that all alcoholics have this said about them before they get help. You are definitely not alone. 

It amazes me that the police arrest addicts and alcoholics every day and won't confront the fact that when a mirror is raised to them. But political expediency takes over. If someone can gain an inch... they will take it even if it means those who are sick may soon go under. People are selfish in this way.

Apparently there was a retirement party for Dessoye on Wednesday night - at a bar of course. Celebrating and drinking with an alcoholic may be one the dirtiest feelings in the world. It's like faking you are happy after being told you have cancer.

I hope Dessoye takes a good look at who showed up last night. These are the folks he won't see visiting him in rehab. These are the sycophants.

I doubt Father Ryan would make the trek. Shame on all who takes this man close and closer to the grave. As completely awkward as it sounds - I have tried to reach out to him. I at least tried. And I have risked looking foolish in the process . Oh well.

Remember - it is embarrassing for everyone in the very beginning.

Getting better is way more courageous than anything you have done as a police officer. It's time. You too Leighton.


         IS YOUR ANSWER "YES" TO ANY FOUR QUESTIONS?

Is A.A. For You?        AA Link  HERE

Twelve questions only you can answer

Copyright © 1973 by A.A. World Services, Inc.

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Only you can decide whether you want to give A.A.a try — whether you think it can help you.

We who are in A.A. came because we finally gave up trying to control our drinking. We still hated to admit that we could never drink safely. Then we heard from other A.A. members that we were sick. (We thought so for years!) We found out that many people suffered from the same feelings of guilt and loneliness and hopelessness that we did. We found out that we had these feelings because we had the disease of alcoholism.

We decided to try and face up to what alcohol had done to us. Here are some of the questions we tried to answer honestly. If we answered YES to four or more questions, we were in deep trouble with our drinking. See how you do. Remember, there is no disgrace in facing up to the fact that you have a problem.

Answer YES or NO to the following questions.

1. Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but only lasted for a couple of days?

Most of us in A.A. made all kinds of promises to ourselves and to our families. We could not keep them. Then we came to A.A. A.A. said: "Just try not to drink today." (If you do not drink today, you cannot get drunk today.)

 Yes  No

2. Do you wish people would mind their own business about your drinking-- stop telling you what to do?

In A.A. we do not tell anyone to do anything. We just talk about our own drinking, the trouble we got into, and how we stopped. We will be glad to help you, if you want us to.

 Yes  No

3. Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the hope that this would keep you from getting drunk?

We tried all kinds of ways. We made our drinks weak. Or just drank beer. Or we did not drink cocktails. Or only drank on weekends. You name it, we tried it. But if we drank anything with alcohol in it, we usually got drunk eventually.

 Yes  No

4. Have you had to have an eye-opener upon awakening during the past year?

Do you need a drink to get started, or to stop shaking? This is a pretty sure sign that you are not drinking "socially."

 Yes  No

5. Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?

At one time or another, most of us have wondered why we were not like most people, who really can take it or leave it.

 Yes  No

6. Have you had problems connected with drinking during the past year?

Be honest! Doctors say that if you have a problem with alcohol and keep on drinking, it will get worse -- never better. Eventually, you will die, or end up in an institution for the rest of your life. The only hope is to stop drinking.

 Yes  No

7. Has your drinking caused trouble at home?

Before we came into A.A., most of us said that it was the people or problems at home that made us drink. We could not see that our drinking just made everything worse. It never solved problems anywhere or anytime.

 Yes  No

8. Do you ever try to get "extra" drinks at a party because you do not get enough?

Most of us used to have a "few" before we started out if we thought it was going to be that kind of party. And if drinks were not served fast enough, we would go some place else to get more.

 Yes  No

9. Do you tell yourself you can stop drinking any time you want to, even though you keep getting drunk when you don't mean to?

Many of us kidded ourselves into thinking that we drank because we wanted to. After we came into A.A., we found out that once we started to drink, we couldn't stop.

 Yes  No

10. Have you missed days of work or school because of drinking?

Many of us admit now that we "called in sick" lots of times when the truth was that we were hung-over or on a drunk.

 Yes  No

11. Do you have "blackouts"?

A "blackout" is when we have been drinking hours or days which we cannot remember. When we came to A.A., we found out that this is a pretty sure sign of alcoholic drinking.

 Yes  No

12. Have you ever felt that your life would be better if you did not drink?

Many of us started to drink because drinking made life seem better, at least for a while. By the time we got into A.A., we felt trapped. We were drinking to live and living to drink. We were sick and tired of being sick and tired.

 Yes  No

Did you answer YES four or more times? If so, you are probably in trouble with alcohol. Why do we say this? Because thousands of people in A.A. have said so for many years. They found out the truth about themselves — the hard way. But again, only you can decide whether you think A.A. is for you. Try to keep an open mind on the subject. If the answer is YES, we will be glad to show you how we stopped drinking ourselves. Just call. A.A. does not promise to solve your life's problems. But we can show you how we are learning to live without drinking "one day at a time." We stay away from that "first drink." If there is no first one, there cannot be a tenth one. And when we got rid of alcohol, we found that life became much more manageable.