Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyJune 29th, 2009
"State Police" (Dallas Voice)
This is very odd. Look at the photo taken during Saturday night’s raid on the Rainbow Lounge in Ft. Worth on the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion. See the armed men in uniform with the words “State Police” emblazoned on the back?
According to news reports, the raid was conducted by the Ft. Worth Police Department with agents from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC). Texas doesn’t have a “state police.” The highway patrol, run by the Department of Public Safety, is known coloquially as the DPS (i.e. “DPS officers were on the scene…”). The state’s investigative arm is the Texas Rangers, but they generally don’t get involved with cases like this.
So without trying to feed any conspiracy theories, I still have to ask: who are the “State Police” in the photo? Are they TABC agents? If so, why wouldn’t their uniforms identify them as such? Any Texas readers have an answer?
Latest Posts
Featured Reports
In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.
When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.
In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.
On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.
Prologue: Why I Went To “Love Won Out”
Part 1: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With “No Exceptions”
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"
At last, the truth can now be told.
Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!
And don‘t miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.
Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.
Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.
Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.
The FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.
“Google” is a trademark of Google Inc.
© Box Turtle Bulletin. All Rights Reserved.
Posts 
Posts via daily email:
Matt
June 29th, 2009
Jim,
Just speculating, but the companies that make those vest/windbreakers that police wear in raids (to prevent friendly fire) probably have a limited number of terms they print on “generic” items ordered off-the-shelf. Since they probably don’t stock “TABC” nor would most people recognize that (it’s not exactly as commonly known as “ATF”), the department just ordered something that matched the function.
Matt
Richard W. Fitch
June 29th, 2009
Matt – I have to express extreme doubt regarding your explanation. If the uniforms are indeed “off-the-shelf” it will be the first time in my recollection that any govt. agency did not go thru bids for design and price to clothe their staff. There is just too much ego involved for them to trot into some uniform shop for their supplies. This increases reasons to speculate just who was executing this “inspection”. Another issue – we all need to keep Chad Gibson (the patron who was injured) and his family in our prayers. According to the most recent report, his condition has worsened and may require brain surgery.
Lane
June 29th, 2009
FW and TABC police will “investigate themselves” and determine that they can actually wear uniforms that say anything they wish, as long as it doesn’t indicate a rank above their real one. All part of their practice of working undercover, etc.
Obviously, the reason they wore uniforms of a nonexistant organization was to keep folks from finding out who exactly was behind the raid. The mainstream press will have difficulty confirming facts, and will probably drop the story rather than run with the “police out of control” angle.
jim
June 29th, 2009
This whole episode is making me paranoid. Do I NEED a gun to protect myself, family and property?
OK, Maybe I’m overreacting. My question is why were the police at the bar in the first place?
I’d like to hear the law enforcements side of the story too. INQUIRING MINDS REALLY WANT TO KNOW!
I think we need law enforcement. Our police gets lots of bs, but they are needed in society. They put their lives on the line every day.
Our law enforcement people need some respect too.
Here’s mine. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
And, thank you, Jim for putting this kind of information out there for us.
It is appreciated.
Love, Jim.
Timothy Kincaid
June 29th, 2009
Perhaps they accidentally printed the two words in reverse order. “Police State” certainly seems more appropriate.
BJohnM
June 29th, 2009
Timothy’s explanation makes the most sense.
tavdy79
June 29th, 2009
Not if they also focus on the police’s attempt to prevent people from knowing exactly who was responsible for the raid. The fact that they were wearing vests for a non-existent organisation shouldn’t be viewed as a roadblock, but as something to be played up. It’s a pretty obvious case of dishonesty in the police, and that will get others – especially other minority groups – worried that they could be treated the same way.
Tim
June 30th, 2009
GOOD QUESTION….
The OFFICIAL TX STATE police…according to WIKIPEDIA….
The Texas State Police were formed during the administration of Texas Governor Edmund J. Davis on July 22, 1870, to combat crime statewide in Texas. It was dissolved April 22, 1873.
So what is this? SCARY thats what.
David
July 2nd, 2009
That’s got to be TABC. It’s acknowledged their agents were at the scene and FWPD wears the black uniforms (which can be seen in that picture as well).
CopCadet
October 26th, 2009
I’ve often wondered about this. I have had two experiences with the “state police”. Once, I was at a park at night and an officer identified himself as being with the “state police” and was looking for a missing teen. I was certain there was no state police aside from DPS, WHO WOULD ID THEMSELVES AS DPS. Another time, I was standing in line at a gas station when a “state police” officer came in the door. His badge was embroidered on his shirt and his car had regular, (not EXEMPT) license plates. He carried a gun and a radio and his car had several antennae… My guess is that it is a security organization made up of certified Texas peace officers, but who do not work for a particular agency.
WNEWSOM
June 19th, 2011
REAL SIMPLE ITS A GENERIC TERM EASLY RECOGNIZED AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER EMPLOYED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS. EASIER TO RECOGNIZE THAN TABC, DPS, TEXAS RANGER, TEXAS FIRE MARSHAL. IT SIMPLY STATES AS RECOGNIZABLE TERM IDENTIFYING THE OFFICER AS LAW ENFORCEMENT. EVERYBODY KNOWS POLICE. IM A DEPUTY SHERIFF I ALWAYS GET CALLED OFFICER INSTEAD OF DEPUTY. NORMAL PEOPLE CANT TELL THE DIFFERENCE.
Priya Lynn
June 20th, 2011
Wnewsom, you’re missing the point. When a generic term is used no one knows which organization they belong to so the public can’t hold them responsible for their actions. Its like toyota selling cars under the name “Car Manufacturers” and not telling you who they are and then when you need warrenty repairs you don’t know who to go to.
Jared
May 27th, 2012
That is the TABC, even on their patch it says STATE POLICE.
Ranger
February 18th, 2014
YOU MUST BE AN IDIOT!!PRIYA lYNN,,,YOU GO TO THE STATE TO COMPLAINT BY GETTING NAMES,,,THEY KEEP A LIST OF ALL STATE OFFICIALS OF WHAT AGENCY THEY WORK FOR WHETHER IT BE DPS,TABC,TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL INVESTIGATORS,TEXAS RANGERS,,,ALL HAVE STATE POWER TO ENFORCE WITHIN THEIR SPECIALTY.QUIT HATING ON LAW ENFORCEMENT AND GET A LIFE,,YOU MUST BE PARANOID BECAUSE YOUR DOING SOMETHING WRONG…HUH!
Leave A Comment