I would like to thank The Citizen for their public response to the arrest and charges of General Livsey and now his assistant.
Let me first state that this is not a condemnation of the events that happened to the general or the actions of the Police Department; I am asking questions and stating my opinions.
I feel I have the authority to do so as a resident of Fayette County since 1989, a senior citizen (although I hate to admit it!), a wife of a retired Army officer, a father-in-law who is a retired colonel in the Air Force, two family members who are seasoned police officers, and one who has been serving with the Fire Department for over 30 years.
I also have senior parents who are a very important part of our family and who we care for on a daily basis. Also, none of the family I have mentioned as police or fire serve in Fayette or PTC, so please do not try to connect them to this in any way.
When I read about what had happened to Gen. Livsey, I was very concerned and frankly upset. I know how seniors act. And like it or not, the general is a senior. He has had changes take place in the past year with the death of his wife and changing life. You don’t have to have some sort of educational degree to understand that.
We can become upset and confused with little events in our daily life that are not a big deal to others. The fact that he could not find his money and got flustered and found an expired credit card and then, as us “older” folks often do, offered to pay by check should never have escalated into the situation that happened that evening.
I am sure as a retired military man and having reached the rank of general he was probably accustomed to having either his wife or someone else handle money. Even if that were not the case, we get flustered sometimes.
Being military, he has a certain type of personality. I know; remember my family background. They are aggressive, they had to be to survive, train and lead. They make decisions and command. That is how they are trained. Do you expect that personality to leave totally when they retire?
Nope, it does temper a bit, but it is who they are. As we age, we see the abilities that are lost; it is sad, frustrating, and can be depressing.
And then we have the police that were called to his home. How, by asking three questions, could they possibility know what had truly caused the event reported?
I know that police officers deal with unspeakable and adrenaline pumping events everyday. I know how threatened their lives are and how, as their family, we shudder every day when they put on their uniform and walk out our doors, praying constantly that they come home to us at the end of their shift unharmed and safe.
But I really know that Gen. Livsey was not a person of potential deadly harm, nor the event reported of a theft of less than a $100, should have caused the officers to react in the manner that these officers did.
They are trained and know have to protect themselves with the same vigilance as they serve and protect citizens in their county and city. We all know how crimes and criminals have increased not just in our town, but all across our country. We all know the serious issues that come across their radios and into 911 each day. I understand that and I respect your job and training.
Since you are trained professionals, could you not step up and really understand this situation? I also know that you always have the availability of a senior officer on duty each shift to report the events and ask for assistance in decision making. What happened? And that is the question Cal Beverly is asking.
I have always been told that I expect too much and require only the best. Guilty. We have to start somewhere, how about here? No shifting blame, no hiding facts, no protecting behavior or actions.
Find out the truth, don’t turn it into a “drama” that is so much bigger than it should be and then accept responsibility for the part that was played by each person involved from Gen. Livsey, food delivery guy, the personal assistant, house guests, and the responding police officers.
And why are you now arresting the assistant accusing him of witness tampering? Maybe he was trying to explain what and why it happened and ask the owner of the Chinese restaurant for their understanding. I know I might have tried to clear the air.
Then perhaps look at how it could have had a better outcome and make those changes.
One of the issues that is coming into play more everyday is the aging population in our county. We all have parents, or ourselves who live here and are older. We are a seasoned, loving, professional and an important part of this community. Remember that when you see us drive weird, move slowly, say something harsh or unkind, or get confused in the checkout line at the store.
Offer a smile and a few kind words and the grace we showed you when we were younger. And perhaps additional training with our police and fire departments in handling that population is a timely discussion to have now.We really are not terrorists or thugs; honestly, we just don’t have that kind of energy. And as Mr. Beverly pointed out, it could be one of us next time.
I hope to read soon that an honest investigation took place, accountability was accepted, apologies were made, changes are being discussed and training to provide better communication and understanding between officers and events. I can hope, I’m not sure it will happen.
I encourage The Citizen and Cal Beverly to continue asking questions and printing the truth. We owe to all our citizens to do this thing called Life better.
Malinda Frost
Fayetteville, Ga.
