Life and Island Times May 5 2016

“The use of misdirection can help you out maneuver your competitors”
(Subtext of artist Gabe Leonard’s painting entitled Smoke Screen)

The above painting (entitled Smoke Screen) spoke volumes to Marlow, when he and W saw it at a local art gallery this past Friday. While gazing upon it with a dirty martini in one hand and stogie in the other, Marlow harkened back to the past 18 months of unrestricted covert ops against the thieves and liars in his coral rock’s veteran service organization. Misdirection, perception management and reflexive control had been his tools to open up the rusty cans of worms that were lying about everywhere at the Post.

The smoke has begun to clear, but the thieves still can’t see what happened to them or what awaits them. One of the thieves had the temerity to ask openly for financial assistance at the April 20th general membership meeting to attend this summer’s American Legion state convention. Previously, all he had to do was steal the money.

Post profitability and sustainability have returned, but the crooks can’t stand to see themselves not leading this parade. Post donations to charities went stratospheric, topping $100,000 in the past six months; but, nowhere are the faces of the thieves and liars in the grip-n-grin check presentation photos that have been plastered across the local newspapers and social media websites

The suspects have been charged and arraigned inside the American Legion Post administrative system; but, those charged still haven’t grasped that their convictions and expulsions are done deals.

An insurance claim for $60,000 has been silently filed. The Post stands a good chance of recovering much of what it lost to embezzlement. The suspects will be charged with the State Attorney Office, when Marlow receives the insurance company’s forensic auditor’s report.

Meanwhile an independent accounting firm has been contacted. An engagement letter will be signed for a Financial Review with Agreed-Upon Procedures of the Post’s finances from June 1 2015 through May 31 2016. Their report should be in hand around the time that Marlow steps down from office. When distributed to the Post’s Officers and Legionnaires, the old guard thieves and liars will be served written notice that, if they violate any financial rules going forward, they will be criminally prosecuted.

Marlow has begun to draft a what was once called in the long ago US Navy an AMF letter to all Post members –Legionnaires, Auxiliary and Sons – describing in a non-libelous fashion the who, what, when, where, why and how of the past two years. After reading it, none can say they were not told. If they choose to remain ignorant and passive, they are binary thinking dolts.

Welcome to Chez Marlow. The jail and prison time for those involved will be the icing on the cake. These predators are now prey. Given the Post’s contacts in law enforcement and the Florida prison system, those who will be incarcerated will enjoy some new and varied lifestyle experiences. This is especially true when the cons discover they both stole from children and that one is a dirty ex-cop.

“Being a predator isn’t a matter of morality; it’s a matter of nature”
(Subtext of artist Gabe Leonard’s painting entitled Shark Tank)

Looking back, Marlow wonders how is it that some can be at the same time the most selfish and the most generous persons we know? How can we hate a bully while being one? What is it with our constant second-guessing of others, a kind of crystal-ball bullshit? What is with our hyper-verbal vocabulary-vomit thing that we do? It makes these people we second guess and despise disappear around us.

Marlow wanted to be the prosecutorial version of Atticus Finch until this situation started eating him alive.

It is time to clear the air and cleanse his soul of this.

Copyright © 2016 From My Isle Seat