A Family Divided: Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman (Bounty Hunter)

The only reason that I know who this man is … is because when he was arrested in Mexico and then cleared of all charges … it was all over the national news. That was some time back in time.
It was mentioned then, that he had a show all his own, on A & E and that it was so popular … it had recently become the number one series on that network. Kinda any other ‘Cop’ show; I do not watch any of them.
If you know anything about me, before today, you know that I watch EWTN, almost exclusively except for NBC Nightly News and local news each night. I try to watch the Mass each day at 6 pm, except Sunday. That is the time slot of Sunday Night Live with Father Benedict Groeschel. The programming on EWTN from 7 pm to 8 pm … Monday through Friday … is my kind of pleasure and joy. Sometime it is serious, but lots of times, it is also funny enough to make me laugh out loud, not just smile gleefully. Each host is a ‘star’ in their own right … for me.
But for some reason, I do not watch EWTN on Saturday night. (Maybe I will check the schedule and see why.) So yesterday, I watched Geraldo on FoxNews when I found out that the whole show would NOT be about ‘OJ’. It was about Drew Perterson and his families. I will not even try to talk about that man and his deceased wives.
But since I do not like war stories, at 8 pm, looked around, ending up with Larry King and Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman. I had seen some of his story on a couple of other ‘news’ shows this week, so stayed there. I got in on the beginning, this time.
This is a pitiful story, if even only a small part of it is true. Sons against father is predicted in scripture. And … these sons … sold out for ’30 pieces for silver’. Now, hear this well. I am still naïve, as someone told me long ago … and it is not just because I never worked with the public at large. I just trust folks unless they hurt me or mine.
The gist of this story is the ‘N’ word; much as the rapper (I forget his name) and the Don Imus mess. Of course, Mr. Imus knew he was on the air … and he did not use the ‘N’ word; just a rather common term for ladies of color … used by the black community … but taboo for any other race. That was part of Mr. Chapman's problem. He hangs with other races; and considers himself ... 'a brother from a different mother' ... to quote him.
Mr. Chapman, on the other hand, was on the phone with one of his sons. Seems that son or someone else had a recorder going. That may have been illegal, but as Mr. Chapman told Larry King, that is not even the point of his hurt. He was telling his son, Tucker ‘you know that I use language not accepted by all, and if you bring this girl into our home and business, she may hear things that are not for public display’. Well, he said more than that, but I do not want to go into the whole story. If you do not know it … and are interested, I am sure you can find it on line.
Mr. Chapman’s oldest son was on the King show at the end; admitting that he also ‘sold’ his story of being the son of ‘Dog’ right after he got out of prison. I think he said ‘I was 21; knew ‘Dog’ was my biological dad; but we had never met’. But when the supermarket scandal sheet offered him money … he took it; told lies; they knew he was telling lies; and they printed it any way. (They paid for the lie detector test.)
Now the ‘Tucker’ story is different, in a way. The scandal mongers had been offering him money for months … and he finally got hungry. This taping, by the way, was way back around the first of the year. But the story hit the airwaves just recently. Could they have been checking the facts for the truth? NAW! They had another motive, I am guessing. Like ...
So why did they wait? More honey for the money; ‘Dog’ has progressively become more and more popular. Hit him while at the top; why bother if he is not a ‘media/series/TV’ MegaStar. That is where the money is. Printing stories that 'sells' is their motive.
The purpose of all this ‘talk’ by me … is to ask ‘why’ would sons do that to their father. ‘Money’ was the answer for the son sitting next to him on the King show. HOW SAD!!!
And even though I know a lot of dis-functional families … money is not usually what tears them apart. Now … the control issue; that is a whole ‘nuther story. This touched me deeply; more so than I could have imagined.
The show ended (like another one I saw) with Mr. Chapman’s pastor and spiritual director chiming. That man is black. And he has known Mr. Chapman for quiet some time. They are working on this problem; had been for several years … and … (not a quote) the preacher said ‘He is coming along; never talks like that in front of me and my congregation’. And ‘he is sincere; I know that in my heart’. And I feel that also.
Well, Mr. Chapman has shed tears, every time I have seen him (three or four partial shows) and seems sincere to me. One of the ‘cam questions’ was really just a comment by a small white girl saying ‘GOD forgives everyone who makes mistakes. Even I … make mistakes. GOD forgives you for your mistake. We should all forgive others.) And again, that is not a direct quote, because I was not taking notes and am relying on my memory.
Forgiveness is what Jesus is all about. Forgiveness of ourselves; forgiveness of others; and a sincere promise on out part … not to repeat that mistake. Jesus, I trust in YOU. DIEU TE BENISSE!!! GOD BLESS!!!