Explaining not complaining, and certainly not apologizing. Patience, I will get to “Billy’s Mark” shortly; being raised a farmer’s son has given me what many city people consider to be a simplistic not sophisticated view of life or current events.

For example I tend to accept the following.

1. Farming and ranching cycles can be profitable or unprofitable.

2. There are two kinds of worlds civil and uncivil.

3. There are two kinds of laws: civil world (spiritual, common, criminal, contractual, constitutional) and uncivil world (rules of survival).

4. Ethical choices for oaths to uphold, protect, and defend America’s Constitution are what is right and what is best.

5. There are two surveillance or security management systems: participant and observer.

It has been suggested that one reason football is so popular in America is that football is a game with two quarterbacks on the field and thousands of quarterbacks watching the game.

America is a great country, I have the right to write what I believe and others have the right to agree or disagree with what I write.

My words are intended for issues relating to the uncivil world, a place where America’s enemies have no intention of allowing myself or any other American to express either of our views.

Remain patient, I am writing my way to “Billy’s Mark”. A career in surveillance teaches the following: intelligence is power; accurate information is intelligence and non-prejudicial or non-partisan investigations generate accurate information.

Conclusion, covert intelligence can provide an edge that when combined with appropriate timely resources can determine outcome.

Surveillance managers have two basic operation management styles to choose from: observer or participant. Mutual components for both management styles include: security, resource management, databases, superior technology, personal contacts, experts, surveillance, investigation, and undercover activities.

It takes ability, training, experience, integrity, and attitude to make participant management style work. Since I have never placed a lot of faith in “desk pilots” or people who give orders they could never carry out themselves I remain an advocate of the participant management system.

Definitions of national security enemy sympathizers, activists, collaborators, or terrorists my be fluid in civil worlds. Speaking from experience, physical death in uncivil world is never fluid (not including spiritual issues let’s not get distracted).

Example a six year old child tries to run up to my client with a flower bouquet containing a grenade; experience tells me that fractions of seconds are all that remain to protect my client, a civil world approach of helping child understand their feelings would not be appropriate to save my client’s life.

Never forget these words, no lawyer, politician, diplomat, bureaucrat, or free trader will ever protect your civil world from terrorists known as barbarians in past times. Only those schooled in managing uncivil world problems will be able to protect your civil world. Classic example is “Billy’s Mark.”

William Long “Billy” Rogers was born in 1822. During April 1846 Billy was camped with his family’s wagon train on the Arroyo Colorado near Paso Real, Texas.

The group of fifteen men, three women, and four children was transporting supplies for General Zachary Taylor during the opening days of the American -Mexican War resulting from Mexico’s opposition to the Republic of Texas joining the United States.

During the encampment, the group was surrounded about fifty members of Mexican Army militia unit. The Rogers party agreed to surrender under a flag of truce in return for promises of civilized treatment by the Mexican Army.

Two of the men were immediately shot, the remaining men had their throats cut and were tossed over one bank of the Arroyo Colorado. Since this is a “family” format, I will just say the women and children were abused, had their throats cut, and were also thrown over same bank of the Arroyo Colorado.

Unfortunately for the offending members of the Mexican Army, Billy Rogers did not die from having his throat cut “ear to ear”. Billy managed to walk and crawl for four days to help.

Billy was eventually able to identify the guilty for General Taylor who tried but was unable to apprehend the guilty. Billy turned to the Texas Rangers who managed to track down and kill twenty four of the guilty.

After asking about the remaining guilty, the Rangers told Billy he would have to deal with the rest himself.

Billy after learning Spanish and turning to a Hispanic Texan woman (he eventually married) who also did not care much for Mexican military troops decided to follow the Rangers’ advice.

During the next several years Billy individually tracked down and personally cut the throats of every single remaining Mexican militia member who participated in the Rogers Massacre. Some historians put the number from twenty to twenty five, although Billy was the only one knowing the exact number.

Citizens in South Texas came to identify the bodies as those with “Billy’s Mark” and the incidents were never investigated or questioned by law enforcement. Such was life and death in an uncivil world.

Eventually times became more civil, and Billy was elected first as county sheriff and later to the state legislature. Billy eventually went on to become a successful businessman.

Billy’s Mark teaches all of us two lessons. First there is a time to be civil and time to be uncivil.

Second, if you do have the “stomach” to know what it takes to totally defeat terrorists or barbarians show those who do what needs to be done the same respect Billy’s neighbors showed Billy’s Mark.

Translation, do not judge those fighting and dying in an uncivil world so you can have the luxury of going home every day to play with your wife and kids. I told you when I started this writing exercise that as a farmer’s son many consider me simplistic.

A once admired sophisticated intelligence operations manager said better than I ever could: Their only business is to stay out of my business. Now maybe you can better understand laws of survival in the uncivil world of national security. Keep comments and criticisms coming it is your right hope you exercise it.