Submitted by Greg Alderete.
The Case of the Vanished Swing
In the town of Blippity-Bloop, on the square’s sunny ring,
Stood a marvelous, magical, musical swing.
It creaked and it squeaked, it groaned and it sang,
A tune so delightful, the whole village rang.
For one hundred and twenty bright, blustery years,
It brought joy and laughter, and sometimes some tears.
But Mayor Minaur, with a scowl and a frown,
Declared, “This swing is the oddest in town!”
He huddled with Lawless, the Dictator Grand,
Who ruled with a whistle and wave of his hand.
They whispered and plotted, they schemed and they planned,
To rid the town square of that swing so unplanned.
“It swings without reason! It swings without care!
It swings when no children are even out there!”
“It’s sacred!” cried Minaur. “It’s spooky!” said Lawless.
“It must be removed, for it’s clearly quite lawless!”
So deep in the night, when the moon hid its face,
They tiptoed and crept to the old swing’s place.
With hammers and wrenches and a big burlap sack,
They dismantled the swing and they didn’t look back.
By dawn, the town square was empty and bare,
No swing to be seen, just a hole and some air.
The townsfolk awoke and gathered around,
They scratched at their heads and stared at the ground.
“Where’s our dear swing?” little Timmy did shout.
“It vanished!” said Granny. “It just up and went out!”
But Minaur and Lawless, with innocent grins,
Said, “Swings are for sinners! And also for twins!”
They built in its place a statue so grand,
Of Minaur and Lawless, both shaking a hand.
But the townsfolk just sighed and went on their way,
For swings bring more joy than statues, they say.
And sometimes at night, when the moon’s shining bright,
You can hear a soft creaking, just out of sight.
A whisper, a giggle, a ghostly old tune,
Of a swing that once danced under sun and the moon.
Dr. Seuss had nothing on you. Well done.
Shame on the people who dismantled its frame, no rhyme or reason, let’s just say they are lame (brains ) No respect!
Vote
I see our rugged individualism as that old swing. Respect.
Perhaps it is in reference to the mob tearing down historical monuments and burning property during the BLM movement and the “Summer of Love”?
Maybe it symbolizes the tearing down of tradition for the sake of God knows what?
That “what?” seems to be a moving target these days, with a $ reward attached for those privileged to be of certain race, gender, or sexual orientation – victims of having been born.
At any rate, this isn’t about a piece of playground equipment.
Tearing down monuments isn’t about erasing history — it’s about refusing to honor injustice.
Prioritizing marginalized groups isn’t special treatment — it’s correcting a rigged system.
The chaos isn’t collapse — it’s the painful birth of real equality.
This is so sad! How can the people of Steilacoom let this happen??? Come on Steilacoom get out there and get your swing back !!!
Vote
You are a cunning linguist, but much of what you say is for the sake of argument.
You scream revolution, while preaching peace.
You rail against change while calling for change.
This is the voice of confusion which has gripped the PNW.
This isn’t confusion — it’s clarity breaking through the old noise.
People in the Pacific Northwest aren’t “screaming revolution while preaching peace” because they’re confused; they’re doing it because they finally realize you can want radical change without wanting violent change.
They rail against the wrong kind of change — the fake progress that just shifts power from one elite to another — while calling for the real, uncomfortable transformation that might actually benefit everyone.
It’s not mixed messaging. It’s nuance.
It just sounds messy because real democracy, real growth, is loud, imperfect, and full of contradiction.
The Pacific Northwest isn’t gripped by confusion — it’s gripped by a messy, necessary awakening.
What does that have to do with the swing? Pray tell
You’re talking the kind of random spew that comes generally from people with a chemical dependency.
Do you smoke a lot of pot Greg?
It is no coincidence that the areas of the country where drug use is high, are on a nonsensical trajectory to God knows where.
Is this how you led troops in the military?
I’ve led troops in three different conflicts.
So here’s the deal:
You go first.
Tell me about the time you led men in combat under fire — not from behind a keyboard, not from your living room — for real.
Then I’ll pick one of mine to tell you about.
Sound fair?
Or is this gonna be another case of a guy who’s never been shot at telling the people who have how leadership is supposed to work?”
BRIAN D. BORGELT, 41, of Lakewood, Washington, the former co-owner of Bull’s Eye Shooters Supply in Tacoma, pleaded guilty today to Failure to File a Federal Tax Return. BORGELT pleaded guilty to the “major count” of a superseding indictment returned by a grand jury this Spring, charging him with failing to file tax returns between 1997 and 2001.
Bull’s Eye Shooters Supply gained national notoriety in 2002 when the Bushmaster rifle involved in the D.C. sniper case was linked to the store. Lee Malvo, one of two men convicted of murder in the case, told investigators he had stolen the rifle from the Tacoma store. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) inspections at the store had revealed problems with required paperwork tracking the disposition of firearms. The U.S. Attorney’s Office determined there were no viable federal firearms charges that could be pursued against BORGELT. ATF has administratively revoked BORGELT’s Federal Firearms License.
Failing to File a Tax Return is punishable by up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. BORGELT will be sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Strombom on December 6, 2005. BORGELT has agreed to pay in back taxes, penalties and interest for all the counts alleged in the indictment – amounting to $230,884.
Mr. Borgelt, “Where a debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the losers.” – anonymous
Questioning one’s motives is not slander, it is part of an open discussion.
I’m talking about a pattern of rhetoric that spills from a common mindset here on the left coast, and wherever populations are in tight confines it seems.
There is a lashing out against “billionaire” boogymen and “former plantation owners” and men with testosterone and so forth.
The far left always identifies these as “the problem” which is exploiting everyone else. People who are not paying “their fair share” you say.
And then the people you voted for impose ever-increasing taxes and discriminatory policy on the middle class, while the truly ultra-wealthy and the freeloaders hardly notice.
If you want to attack actual billionaires who are involved with bio research and global experimental gene manipulation, or election interference through money laundering schemes like “Act Blue” or ” US Aid”, be my guest.
But to impose the sort of radical policy on the common man, like forcing us to buy houses for people we don’t even know, while we struggle to support our own families, is criminal. You don’t care.
It is no mystery that substance abuse has destroyed the minds and bodies of many people around here.
The damage that these people inflict, goes far beyond their own person.
Some of these people are in elected office.
This state government didn’t drive itself into a 16 billion dollar hole by implementing sane fiscal policy. Quite the opposite.
Now, the far left wants to tax the responsible man to bail them out, again.
How is that not communism? Tyranny.
If that’s your intent, then be honest and say so.
Speaking to the “mindset”.
Oh please, Brian — spare me the “left coast is going to hell” panic attack.
You sound like you’ve been trapped in a Facebook comments section since 2016.
Every time someone like you runs out of real arguments, you dust off the same greatest hits:
“Drugs!”
“Communism!”
“People getting stuff for free!”
Yeah, we get it. You’re terrified that somewhere, somehow, a poor person might catch a tiny break while billionaires continue buying entire islands.
And your “chemical dependency” line?
Oh, that’s cute. Real original. Next you’re gonna tell me we need to bring back DARE and Nancy Reagan.
Meanwhile half the people lecturing about “personal responsibility” are drunk by 3 p.m. at their suburban golf course bar.
Here’s the real deal, Brian:
The reason places like the Pacific Northwest seem “chaotic” to you is because people are actually wrestling with how to fix a broken system — not just slapping an American flag bumper sticker on their car and pretending everything’s fine.
Yes, change is messy. Yes, some ideas are bad.
But clinging to 1950s thinking while the world melts down around you isn’t “rugged individualism,” it’s delusional nostalgia.
You don’t want a debate, Brian.
You want to lecture people about “the good old days” that mostly just worked for you.
Guess what?
We’re not buying it anymore.
Oh, Brian’s worried about people who smoke weed? That’s rich. The guy who couldn’t even keep track of his own assault rifles — one of which ended up in the hands of a teenage sniper — thinks stoners are the real threat? News flash, Brian: the guy who forgets to file his taxes for five years and loses deadly weapons like he’s misplacing his car keys is a hell of a lot more dangerous than someone getting high and forgetting where they left the remote.
Maybe if you had smoked a little weed, you would’ve chilled out, double-checked your gun inventory, and paid your damn taxes. But no — in your world, a joint is the apocalypse, but 200 missing guns? Hey, accidents happen!
You’re not protecting America, Brian. You’re what we need protection from.
Brian, there are so many bots out here. I just wanna make sure that I’m dealing with the right person is this you?
BRIAN D. BORGELT, 40, of Lakewood, Washington, the former co-owner of Bull’s Eye Shooters Supply in Tacoma, was indicted today by a federal grand jury on 5 counts of Failure to File Federal Tax Returns. The indictment charges BORGELT with failing to file any income tax returns for years 1997-2001.
Bull’s Eye Shooters Supply gained national notoriety in 2002 when the Bushmaster rifle involved in the D.C. sniper case was linked to the store. Lee Malvo, one of two men convicted of murder in the case told investigators he had stolen the rifle from the Tacoma store. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) inspections at the store had revealed problems with required paperwork tracking the disposition of firearms. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has determined there are no viable federal firearms charges that could be pursued against BORGELT. ATF has administratively revoked BORGELT’s Federal Firearms License.
“The inspections identifying the possibility that guns were stolen or missing are very troubling to the government,” stated U.S. Attorney John McKay. “But after careful review of ATF records going back to 1997 we have concluded BORGELT’s conduct did not reach the standard necessary for a successful criminal prosecution.”
Each count of Failing to File a Tax Return is punishable by up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. BORGELT could also face back taxes, penalties and civil fines.
An indictment is a statement of charges that have not yet been proven beyond a reasonable doubt in court. BORGELT will be arraigned on these charges October 22, 2004 at 1:30 PM in front of U.S. Magistrate Karen Strombom in U.S. District Court in Tacoma.
Oh, here’s my hot wash on Brian and again if this is a different Brian than my apologies.
Brian D. Borgelt didn’t just fail to file his taxes — he failed his country. As the former co-owner of Bull’s Eye Shooters Supply, his careless oversight allowed a stolen rifle to fuel one of the deadliest killing sprees in recent memory. His brand of arrogant, right-wing negligence — hiding behind the flag while ducking basic responsibility — is a blueprint for disaster. Borgelt’s story proves that in America, it’s not just hatred that kills. It’s incompetence dressed up as patriotism.
Is that your idea of leading?
Hey Brian —
When you finally climb down from your right-wing, holier-than-thou pedestal — all that God, country, and guns nonsense — and you find the nerve to start indicting real combat veterans, let me offer you a little reality check.
Four of my soldiers ran over two anti-tank mines in a Humvee.
One of them was blown 250 feet out of the cupola.
The other three? They weren’t bodies anymore. They were blood, mucus, and shredded tissue — barely recognizable as human, except for the burning scraps of their uniforms.
And you’re worried about people smoking weed?
Man, your priorities aren’t just screwed up — you’ve buried yourself in a cult that’s stripped away your ability to think critically, feel empathy, show compassion, or even recognize basic human decency.
You’re not standing for anything, Brian. You’re just another lost voice in a country that desperately needs fewer guns, fewer fake patriots, and a hell of a lot more soul. This is my last comment to you unless you feel compelled to be embarrassed further.
The modern right-wing obsession with “God, Country, Guns, and Flags” is not simply a political stance; it is the outward symptom of a deeper psychological capture. Individuals like Brian are no longer engaging with the world through rational thought. Neurologically, the parts of the brain responsible for critical analysis and adaptive reasoning — particularly in the limbic system and prefrontal cortex — have been effectively bypassed. In cult psychology, this phenomenon is well-documented: belief overrides evidence, loyalty overrides empathy, and reaction overrides reflection.
Prolonged immersion in ideological extremism permanently alters neural pathways, making deprogramming exceedingly difficult. What remains is a person whose emotional triggers are easily exploited, whose empathy for others is severely diminished, and whose capacity for civil democratic engagement is largely disabled.
Such individuals are not merely “misinformed” citizens. They are biologically and cognitively compromised participants in society — often incapable of functioning within a constitutional democracy designed to balance competing rights, protect minorities, and require reasoned deliberation. In this sense, they pose an enduring threat not only to public safety, but to the very stability of a pluralistic nation.
Wow Lt Colonel Alderete.
That’s a lot of hate and frustration .
Let it out man.
You harbor much that you cannot handle.
I’ve been called much worse by much better
If you think you’re the only one who’s ever dealt with blood and guts, you’re soarly mistaken .
I sent you a reply but the algorithm must not have liked something in it .
It will probably catch up later.
We all have a story pal, but we don’t use it as a crutch to bludgeon others with .
Now you’re trying to act like you’re some kind of wise sage because you’ve been through stuff? Please. I didn’t think I was the only one who’d seen some things — that’s not the point. The point is when you’re so wrapped up in your “story” that you turn it into a shield to avoid looking at your own nonsense, that’s when it becomes a problem.
And you’re right, everyone’s got a story, but it’s not about using it as a crutch to hammer people with. It’s about using it to grow, not throw it in someone’s face like a damn weapon. So spare me the lecture about “bludgeoning others.” If you think just ’cause you’ve been through some stuff means you get to lecture everyone else, you’ve missed the point completely.
Oh great, a convicted felon telling the rest of us how to be good citizens. That’s like asking a thief to teach you about honesty or a liar to give you tips on trust. Maybe focus on fixing your own mess before you try giving anyone lessons on integrity. You’ve got as much business lecturing people on being a good citizen as a fox has lecturing chickens on safe places to roost.
You are again contradicting yourself.
Good grief man, get a grip.
What’s it like to be a convicted felon?
A convicted felon?
Oh wow.
You actually put that in print.
No, I think I was preceded by a number of news agencies that documented your tax evasion case. I’m just bringing it forward because you have not addressed it yet.
Unless you are a different Brian D. Borgelt, of Lakewood, Washington, the former co-owner of Bull’s Eye Shooters Supply in Tacoma,
https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20030429/gundealer29/errant-gun-dealer-wary-agents-paved-way-for-beltway-sniper-tragedy
Great American
Did you skirt the felony part or did you just have to pay a fine. Man, if I had a direct link to the D.C. sniper, I’d be too embarrassed to show my face in public, let alone act like some moral authority. I wouldn’t be handing out lectures — I’d be crawling under a rock, hoping everyone forgot I ever existed. But some people are so shameless, so completely detached from reality, they actually think they’ve still got the right to run their mouths. Newsflash: when your legacy is tied to mass murderers, you don’t get to sit at the grown-ups’ table and talk about “good citizenship.” You’re a cautionary tale, not a mentor.
Oh, I have addressed it many times over many years hot head.
But you are so eager to attack that you didn’t bother to gather the true facts.
You won’t find them in archived news articles from the likes of the Seattle Times, but that doesn’t concern you does it?
You’re a sick man.
Get help.
Dude, you’re the one who piped into my thread — about a funny story involving a swing, no less — and now here you are, lecturing me like you’re handing down commandments from a mountain. You’re projecting hard, man. I’m doing just fine. If anybody needs to take a long look in the mirror and maybe book a few sessions on a couch, it’s you.