Thursday, January 30, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Monday, January 27, 2014
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Police Issues II
Building upon previous posts: Police Issues and Cops
***
"Two former Fullerton California police officers were just acquitted this
week in the death of a homeless man. Police brutally beat and killed Kelly Thomas after a violent struggle that was captured on surveillance
video.
Admittedly, it is rare for officers to be charged in a death involving actions that occur while they are on duty. But the sheer brutality of the beating that Thomas received led many to believe that maybe this time some sense of justice would be served.
Unfortunately, all of those who believe that the officers might face justice had their hopes dashed as former Fullerton police officer Manuel Ramos was acquitted Monday of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter charges. Former Cpl. Jay Cicinelli was also acquitted of all charges, in his case involuntary manslaughter and excessive use of force."
source
Anonymous also investigates the issue
***
"Kim Nguyen, a 27-year-old pharmacist, says she was thrown from a squad
car after police kidnapped and sexually assaulted her. Nguyen was shown
on camera tumbling from a moving LAPD cruiser last year, after being
handcuffed in the early morning hours of March 17, 2013."
more here and information about the filed complaint here
***
"Police in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma are being accused of using excessive force in their beating of a deaf African-American man. ...
Pearson has a sign on his vehicle that informs officers that he is deaf and thus may not hear commands. But this didn’t seem to matter to the officers involved in the beating.
Local KFOR reported that affidavit indicated Pearson didn’t comply with multiple orders to show his hands after he was pulled over on January 3. KFOR later removed the article, apparently after pressure from local law enforcement. No retraction was ever issued for information in the article, and a search of the KFOR website revealed nothing of the story."
source
***
"An argument between two moviegoers turned deadly on Monday when a
71-year-old retired cop allegedly shot and killed another man in a
Florida theater where the victim had been texting during the previews.
According to police, the confrontation began when Curtis Reeves, a
retired police captain, asked 43-year-old Chad Oulson to put his phone
away. "It ended almost as quickly as it started," said Pasco County
Sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin."
source
***
"A 16-year-old boy in Philadelphia was hospitalized after a stop-and-frisk encounter with police led to a brutal sexual assault by police....
***
"Cops in Durham, NC, claim that Jesus Huerta committed sμicide by shooting himself in the face in the back seat of a police car. I say claim because Huerta had been searched by a cop before he was put in the car with his hands cuffed behind his back. Yet they want us to believe that he could’ve had a gun on him the rookie cop who frisked him didn’t notice AND could’ve contorted himself to use that gun to shoot himself in the face!"
source
Police will not be facing any charges on this case...
***
The above pictured cop:
"In Spring Hill, Florida, a Hernando County detention deputy was arrested after burning a 3-year-old boy who was left in his care. Deputy Cody Marrone, 21, was charged with aggravated child abuse and child neglect, after having burned the toddler for “not letting” Marrone sleep.
The toddle in his care was brought to a local hospital with severe burns, including burns to his genitals, according to authorities."
source
***
"The police marksman who killed Mark Duggan will be allowed to have his gun back and return to armed duties. The officer was found to have lawfully killed Duggan by an inquest jury last week though the jury decided his account of the shooting, in which he said Duggan had had a gun in his hand, was wrong."
source
and more here
***
"[O]ut of New York City... Over the weekend, an elderly man was hospitalized after being left bloody and violently arrested by police on the Upper West Side. His crime? Jaywalking, apparently."
source
***
"An Oregon reserve officer and former sheriff’s deputy is behind bars after allegedly beating his girlfriend’s four-year-old son nearly to death.
On New Year’s Eve, the boy had to be medivaced to a nearby hospital after sustaining a severe brain injury, internal tearing of his bowel and intestine and seven fractured ribs.
34-year-old Michael Shane Abo, who had worked as a sheriff’s deputy for the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Department from 2008 to November 2012, was arraigned Monday following a grand jury indictment."
source
***
***
Admittedly, it is rare for officers to be charged in a death involving actions that occur while they are on duty. But the sheer brutality of the beating that Thomas received led many to believe that maybe this time some sense of justice would be served.
Unfortunately, all of those who believe that the officers might face justice had their hopes dashed as former Fullerton police officer Manuel Ramos was acquitted Monday of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter charges. Former Cpl. Jay Cicinelli was also acquitted of all charges, in his case involuntary manslaughter and excessive use of force."
source
Anonymous also investigates the issue
***
more here and information about the filed complaint here
***
Pearson has a sign on his vehicle that informs officers that he is deaf and thus may not hear commands. But this didn’t seem to matter to the officers involved in the beating.
Local KFOR reported that affidavit indicated Pearson didn’t comply with multiple orders to show his hands after he was pulled over on January 3. KFOR later removed the article, apparently after pressure from local law enforcement. No retraction was ever issued for information in the article, and a search of the KFOR website revealed nothing of the story."
source
***
source
***
"A 16-year-old boy in Philadelphia was hospitalized after a stop-and-frisk encounter with police led to a brutal sexual assault by police....
Darrin Manning, a black, straight-A student and star basketball
player, was walking with his coach and teammates to basketball practice
when they were stopped by three white police officers. The officer's
admitted reason for stopping the group was that they were wearing
scarves to cover their faces--on one of the coldest evenings ever
recorded in Philadelphia.
After the encounter, Manning had to be rushed to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where he underwent reconstructive surgery on his genitals. Despite his injuries, the teenager was still charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest."
source, watch news report hereAfter the encounter, Manning had to be rushed to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where he underwent reconstructive surgery on his genitals. Despite his injuries, the teenager was still charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest."
***
"Cops in Durham, NC, claim that Jesus Huerta committed sμicide by shooting himself in the face in the back seat of a police car. I say claim because Huerta had been searched by a cop before he was put in the car with his hands cuffed behind his back. Yet they want us to believe that he could’ve had a gun on him the rookie cop who frisked him didn’t notice AND could’ve contorted himself to use that gun to shoot himself in the face!"
source
Police will not be facing any charges on this case...
***
"In Spring Hill, Florida, a Hernando County detention deputy was arrested after burning a 3-year-old boy who was left in his care. Deputy Cody Marrone, 21, was charged with aggravated child abuse and child neglect, after having burned the toddler for “not letting” Marrone sleep.
The toddle in his care was brought to a local hospital with severe burns, including burns to his genitals, according to authorities."
source
***
"The police marksman who killed Mark Duggan will be allowed to have his gun back and return to armed duties. The officer was found to have lawfully killed Duggan by an inquest jury last week though the jury decided his account of the shooting, in which he said Duggan had had a gun in his hand, was wrong."
source
and more here
***
"[O]ut of New York City... Over the weekend, an elderly man was hospitalized after being left bloody and violently arrested by police on the Upper West Side. His crime? Jaywalking, apparently."
source
***
"An Oregon reserve officer and former sheriff’s deputy is behind bars after allegedly beating his girlfriend’s four-year-old son nearly to death.
On New Year’s Eve, the boy had to be medivaced to a nearby hospital after sustaining a severe brain injury, internal tearing of his bowel and intestine and seven fractured ribs.
34-year-old Michael Shane Abo, who had worked as a sheriff’s deputy for the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Department from 2008 to November 2012, was arraigned Monday following a grand jury indictment."
source
***
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Pro-Internet: Feb. 2014
"A broad coalition of activist groups, companies, and online platforms
will hold a worldwide day of activism in opposition to the NSA's mass
spying regime on February 11th. Dubbed "The Day We Fight Back", the day
of activism was announced on the eve of the anniversary of the tragic
passing of activist and technologist Aaron Swartz. The protest is both
in his honor and in celebration of the victory over the Stop Online
Piracy Act two years ago this month, which he helped spur."
read more here
source
WSJ: How a Court Changed the Way the Internet will be Paid for
"The FCC’s open Internet rules were struck down by a federal appeals court Tuesday, dealing a major blow to the idea of “net neutrality” and opening the door for companies like VerizonVZ -0.37% to start charging content providers more money for faster speeds. NetflixNFLX -0.49%, for example, swallows up huge chunks of bandwidth as its customers stream video. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said the FCC would consider appealing to the Supreme Court."
read more here
Media Law Prof. also comments here
On a related, but slightly different area: Do police need a warrant for cell phone searches?
"The Supreme Court said Friday it would decide whether police need a warrant before they can search the cellphone of someone they arrest, the latest in a string of cases that have tested how constitutional protections conceived in the 18th century apply to the digital age"
read more here
read more here
source
WSJ: How a Court Changed the Way the Internet will be Paid for
"The FCC’s open Internet rules were struck down by a federal appeals court Tuesday, dealing a major blow to the idea of “net neutrality” and opening the door for companies like VerizonVZ -0.37% to start charging content providers more money for faster speeds. NetflixNFLX -0.49%, for example, swallows up huge chunks of bandwidth as its customers stream video. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said the FCC would consider appealing to the Supreme Court."
read more here
Media Law Prof. also comments here
On a related, but slightly different area: Do police need a warrant for cell phone searches?
"The Supreme Court said Friday it would decide whether police need a warrant before they can search the cellphone of someone they arrest, the latest in a string of cases that have tested how constitutional protections conceived in the 18th century apply to the digital age"
read more here
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Friday, January 17, 2014
![What's Your Whiskey? [Infographic] | Palms](http://palms.com/content/dam/palms/Blog/Palms_Whats_Your_Whiskey_Infographic.jpg)
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Sunday, January 12, 2014
What's wrong with TED talks
"Instead of dumbing-down the future, we need to raise the level of general understanding to the level of complexity of the systems in which we are embedded and which are embedded in us. This is not about 'personal stories of inspiration,' it's about the difficult and uncertain work of demystification and reconceptualisation: the hard stuff that really changes how we think. More Copernicus, less Tony Robbins."
read full text here
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Monday, January 6, 2014
Sunday, January 5, 2014
15 Life Lessons from the Godfather
Source
1. Don’t make promises you cannot keep. Your word is the most important thing that you have to offer. Don’t take it lightly. Always deliberate whether you can or cannot fulfil a promise. It’s also okay to say no to a request (unless it’s on your daughter’s wedding day).
2. Don’t involve yourself in other people’s personal lives. Especially, do not involve yourself in the life of a married couple. Gossiping or giving advice on personal matters is and should always remain frowned upon. Someone’s personal life is exactly that – it’s personal and privacy must be respected. When Connie and Carlo have a fight at the dinner table, Sonny tries to intervene only to be hushed by Mrs. Corleone, “Sonny, don’t get involved.” – Carmela Corleone
3. Family is the most important thing in life.
Blood is thicker than water. “A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man” and “the only wealth in this world is children, more than all the money, power on earth.” – Don Vito Corleone
4. Don’t go against your family.
Don’t be like Fredo Corleone. No matter how much you might dislike your family, they’re still your family. Out of respect, do not go against your own blood, unless you’re prepared to suffer the consequences of alienation (or death). “Fredo you’re my older brother, and I love you. But don’t you ever go against the family again. Ever.” – Michael Corleone.
5. Don’t act on emotion.
Act only after you have mulled over all of the possible outcomes that will commence after your action. Think wisely and diplomatically. Emotional outbursts, like those of Santino “Sonny” Corleone, eventually lead to his downfall. Why? Because he became predictable. Don’t ever become predictable. “Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment.” Michael Corleone.
6. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. Always keep a watchful eye on your enemies and play life’s “game of chess” with precision, dedication, and tact. Always hold your ground and never burn bridges, no matter how much you might dislike someone. Especially in public. When Michael Corleone was bullied by Senator Pat Geary he simply replied “My offer is this…nothing.” He kept Mr. Geary in his circle, and played his cards right, eventually landing the politician in his pocket.
7. Establish friendships out of respect, business, and trust. Family you cannot chose, but friends you can. Consider the benefits that a certain friendship can bring. Likewise, consider the disadvantages. Weigh the pros and cons and choose carefully. “Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family.” Don Vito Corleone.
8. White-collar criminals are the most powerful criminals. From Wall Street to Bay Street, to international investors and politicians, people in high places of power can create more chaos and impact your family in a much more negative way than your average criminal. Thus, education and working your way up into the upper echelons of society is a life lesson that you must adhere to if you want to become successful and powerful. The average street criminal is not glorified in the grand scheme of things. “The lawyer with the briefcase can steal more money than the man with the gun.” Mario Puzo, The Godfather
Michael: My father is no different than any powerful man, any man with power, like a president or senator.
Kay Adams: Do you know how naive you sound, Michael? Presidents and senators don’t have men killed.
Michael: Oh. Who’s being naive, Kay?
9. Keep your business private; only discuss it amongst family members. Michael Corleone: “Don’t ask me about my business!” Don’t discuss your personal or family business to strangers. You never know who will use this information in their own favor, for their own personal gains. It’s best you keep business private to outsiders.
10. Violence is the last option. Throughout The Godfather, the theme of diplomacy over violence cannot go undetected. Once a war begins, lives are lost, business slows down or completely halts and it’s financially deflating. “I don’t like violence, Tom. I’m a businessman. Blood is a big expense.” – Solozzo.
11. Don’t sell drugs. There exists a hierarchy of crime, and drugs rank at the top. Selling drugs taints one’s public image. “It’s true I have a lot of friends in politics, but they wouldn’t be so friendly if they knew my business was drugs instead of gambling which they consider a harmless vice. But drugs, that’s a dirty business.” – Don Vito Corleone.
12. Never make a request without offering your respect and friendship in return. Making a formal request to someone be made with respect and your offer of friendship and loyalty. Otherwise, you will be considered weak, unreliable, and untrustworthy. “Now you come to me, and you say: ‘Don Corleone, give me justice.’ But you don’t ask with respect. You don’t offer friendship. You don’t even think to call me Godfather. Instead, you come into my house on the day my daughter is to be married, and you ask me to do murder for money.” Don Vito Corleone.
13. Build a powerful community. By helping others, you will receive help as well. You will also receive respect. Don Vito Corleone built a powerful empire by building a strong community. He helped his local neighbours and friends and established a strong reputation. “Someday, and that day may never come, I’ll call upon you to do a service for me.” – Don Vito Corleone.
14. Be prepared ahead of time. Never make a move or judgement without careful planning ahead of time. Patience is also key. “Hey, listen, I want somebody good – and I mean very good – to plant that gun. I don’t want my brother coming out of that toilet with just his dick in his hands, alright?” – Santino “Sonny” Corleone.
15. Don’t take things too personal. Sometimes, you simply need to remember that, “it’s not personal, it’s business.” – Michael Corleone.
source
1. Don’t make promises you cannot keep. Your word is the most important thing that you have to offer. Don’t take it lightly. Always deliberate whether you can or cannot fulfil a promise. It’s also okay to say no to a request (unless it’s on your daughter’s wedding day).
2. Don’t involve yourself in other people’s personal lives. Especially, do not involve yourself in the life of a married couple. Gossiping or giving advice on personal matters is and should always remain frowned upon. Someone’s personal life is exactly that – it’s personal and privacy must be respected. When Connie and Carlo have a fight at the dinner table, Sonny tries to intervene only to be hushed by Mrs. Corleone, “Sonny, don’t get involved.” – Carmela Corleone
3. Family is the most important thing in life.
Blood is thicker than water. “A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man” and “the only wealth in this world is children, more than all the money, power on earth.” – Don Vito Corleone
4. Don’t go against your family.
Don’t be like Fredo Corleone. No matter how much you might dislike your family, they’re still your family. Out of respect, do not go against your own blood, unless you’re prepared to suffer the consequences of alienation (or death). “Fredo you’re my older brother, and I love you. But don’t you ever go against the family again. Ever.” – Michael Corleone.
5. Don’t act on emotion.
Act only after you have mulled over all of the possible outcomes that will commence after your action. Think wisely and diplomatically. Emotional outbursts, like those of Santino “Sonny” Corleone, eventually lead to his downfall. Why? Because he became predictable. Don’t ever become predictable. “Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment.” Michael Corleone.
6. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. Always keep a watchful eye on your enemies and play life’s “game of chess” with precision, dedication, and tact. Always hold your ground and never burn bridges, no matter how much you might dislike someone. Especially in public. When Michael Corleone was bullied by Senator Pat Geary he simply replied “My offer is this…nothing.” He kept Mr. Geary in his circle, and played his cards right, eventually landing the politician in his pocket.
7. Establish friendships out of respect, business, and trust. Family you cannot chose, but friends you can. Consider the benefits that a certain friendship can bring. Likewise, consider the disadvantages. Weigh the pros and cons and choose carefully. “Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family.” Don Vito Corleone.
8. White-collar criminals are the most powerful criminals. From Wall Street to Bay Street, to international investors and politicians, people in high places of power can create more chaos and impact your family in a much more negative way than your average criminal. Thus, education and working your way up into the upper echelons of society is a life lesson that you must adhere to if you want to become successful and powerful. The average street criminal is not glorified in the grand scheme of things. “The lawyer with the briefcase can steal more money than the man with the gun.” Mario Puzo, The Godfather
Michael: My father is no different than any powerful man, any man with power, like a president or senator.
Kay Adams: Do you know how naive you sound, Michael? Presidents and senators don’t have men killed.
Michael: Oh. Who’s being naive, Kay?
9. Keep your business private; only discuss it amongst family members. Michael Corleone: “Don’t ask me about my business!” Don’t discuss your personal or family business to strangers. You never know who will use this information in their own favor, for their own personal gains. It’s best you keep business private to outsiders.
10. Violence is the last option. Throughout The Godfather, the theme of diplomacy over violence cannot go undetected. Once a war begins, lives are lost, business slows down or completely halts and it’s financially deflating. “I don’t like violence, Tom. I’m a businessman. Blood is a big expense.” – Solozzo.
11. Don’t sell drugs. There exists a hierarchy of crime, and drugs rank at the top. Selling drugs taints one’s public image. “It’s true I have a lot of friends in politics, but they wouldn’t be so friendly if they knew my business was drugs instead of gambling which they consider a harmless vice. But drugs, that’s a dirty business.” – Don Vito Corleone.
12. Never make a request without offering your respect and friendship in return. Making a formal request to someone be made with respect and your offer of friendship and loyalty. Otherwise, you will be considered weak, unreliable, and untrustworthy. “Now you come to me, and you say: ‘Don Corleone, give me justice.’ But you don’t ask with respect. You don’t offer friendship. You don’t even think to call me Godfather. Instead, you come into my house on the day my daughter is to be married, and you ask me to do murder for money.” Don Vito Corleone.
13. Build a powerful community. By helping others, you will receive help as well. You will also receive respect. Don Vito Corleone built a powerful empire by building a strong community. He helped his local neighbours and friends and established a strong reputation. “Someday, and that day may never come, I’ll call upon you to do a service for me.” – Don Vito Corleone.
14. Be prepared ahead of time. Never make a move or judgement without careful planning ahead of time. Patience is also key. “Hey, listen, I want somebody good – and I mean very good – to plant that gun. I don’t want my brother coming out of that toilet with just his dick in his hands, alright?” – Santino “Sonny” Corleone.
15. Don’t take things too personal. Sometimes, you simply need to remember that, “it’s not personal, it’s business.” – Michael Corleone.
source
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Police issues
To "serve and protect"
Cop planting drugs:
Source
Cops don't care if you're innocent:
"Police didn’t want to hear DeAndre Brown’s alibi. They wanted him to confess to a crime instead. Never mind that he had no criminal record. A witness placed the 26-year-old Pittsburgh-area security guard at the scene, and that was good enough to lock him up for a month, despite the existence of a surveillance tape showing him at a training event somewhere else." more here
Cops beat a nurse:
The Nurse(!) is facing felony charges.
Cop runs over girl then kills dad:
Cop kills white 19 year old kid after car chase:
“He took off with my truck. I call the police, and they kill him,” James Comstock told The Des Moines Register on Tuesday. “It was over a damn pack of cigarettes. I wouldn’t buy him none.
source
Cops beat white woman booked for drunk driving:
Cops have man anally probed 8(!!) times after traffic stop:
source
Cop rapes 19 year old:
Cop arrests employee for trespassing (62 times) at the store he works at:
"Earl Sampson has been stopped and questioned by Miami Gardens police 258 times in four years.
He’s been searched more than 100 times. And arrested and jailed 56 times.
Despite his long rap sheet, Sampson, 28, has never been convicted of anything more serious than possession of marijuana.
Miami Gardens police have arrested Sampson 62 times for one offense: trespassing.
Almost every citation was issued at the same place: the 207 Quickstop, a convenience store on 207th Street in Miami Gardens.
But Sampson isn’t loitering. He works as a clerk at the Quickstop."
source
Cops order arrested African Americans to sing or dance:
"Most of the videos are shot from squad cars while at least one black man are told to sing or dance in humiliating ways. One of the subjects is even in the back of police cars." source
And then, to make it even worse:
"Videos and and photos with degrading portrayals of black men were submitted earlier this month to the blog, Motor City Muckraker, purportedly from officers who disseminated them to friends and colleagues in the upper class, majority-white Michigan suburb of Grosse Pointe Park. One video portrayed a voice alleged to be an officer asking black men to do humiliating tasks, including “dance like a chimp.” In another incident, an officer allegedly texted a photo of a black man in the back of his trailer with the text, “Gotta love the coloreds.” The journalist, Steve Neavling, told the Huffington Post that he has more than a dozen videos shot by officers, but has not shared most of them because of their “humiliating nature.” source
Cops stand by, taze, and laugh at a mentally-ill suspect in handcuffs:
source
http://politicalblindspot.com/cop-shoots-kills-college-student-for-speaking-disrespectfully/
And, there are much more cases of crooked cops, cops protecting each other, beating civilians etc. etc.
There are several things one could say about a post like this. Either you agree that there are injustices perpetuated by law enforcement, who are insulated by a group loyalty willing to protect themselves as a unit until the press and the public get hold of the information. At which point, higher authoritative figures descend down from their administrative and governing posts for disciplinary action. And this post will further make the case that the police is not the romantic knight in shining armor and paragon of justice we think them to be.
The second reaction is disagreement. That each of these cases are singular anecdotal pieces of evidence, embellished or twisted by the news and vehicles of media with a particular agenda, that none of us can really know what happened in the background of each of these cases, that we are prone to emotional reactions like the Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin incident, and that the cops involved are simply a "few bad apples" fallen off the wayside. That these cases do not represent all police. And no doubt, we can not and should not judge based on singular cases or buy into mass hysterias that fuel certain kinds of bigotry. This is precisely why racism, stereotypes, and sexism happens. We create impressions based on our experienced encounters, or exposure to media and the cries of those around us, and operate based on those impressions for future encounters.
One could also comment that if you're looking for police induced injustice and police brutality, you're going to find it because that is what you want to believe. And yes, there is a tendency for persons to find consonant information with the beliefs they have in mind. The theory of cognitive dissonance predicts and continues to confirm as much. I myself am no particular exception (My past experiences with police and the law have left me with a very bitter and unpropitious view of the police accompanied by a disdain for notions of "justice" in U.S. courtrooms). Similarly, if you wanted to look for "cops helping people" I'm sure you'll find that as well - my own bias and experiences tell me (while remaining open to correction if there is a significant and overwhelming amount of evidence presented) that white cops tend to help white people or more instances of citizens helping police. I also acknowledge that the internet doesn't capture all things that cops do and that there may be a bias to post negative things about cops. But I think this is justified. Police should never be the perpetrators of violence against the civilians they are employed to protect and serve. Not thugs and gangsters in uniforms representing government. So my question is to what extent do people tolerate the bullshit antics of police?
There comes a point when pieces of anecdotal evidence - which are more concrete now due to video surveillance - are important. I myself am inclined to make a systemic critique about a particular culture of power, in this case a critique of power and authority instilled within police culture and the problematic bias of justice when considering testimony. In the U.S. this is further laced and layered with hostilities and debates surrounding race that goes back a long long time. But to keep it within a contemporary context, at least from the 80s (Rodney King comes to mind),
Dave Chappelle expands in comedic fashion:
Cop planting drugs:
Source
Cops don't care if you're innocent:
"Police didn’t want to hear DeAndre Brown’s alibi. They wanted him to confess to a crime instead. Never mind that he had no criminal record. A witness placed the 26-year-old Pittsburgh-area security guard at the scene, and that was good enough to lock him up for a month, despite the existence of a surveillance tape showing him at a training event somewhere else." more here
Cops beat a nurse:
The Nurse(!) is facing felony charges.
31
Oct, 2011, A nurse in Lawrenceville was tackled, manhandled,
handcuffed, and arrested for calling her supervisor, as she had been
instructed to do, when police demanded entry to the hospital at 2am.
She is facing a felony charge of obstructing a police officer.
Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1ff_1383622491#DPyKR8AwuFy854rr.99
She is facing a felony charge of obstructing a police officer.
Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1ff_1383622491#DPyKR8AwuFy854rr.99
31
Oct, 2011, A nurse in Lawrenceville was tackled, manhandled,
handcuffed, and arrested for calling her supervisor, as she had been
instructed to do, when police demanded entry to the hospital at 2am.
She is facing a felony charge of obstructing a police officer.
Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1ff_1383622491#DPyKR8AwuFy854rr.99
She is facing a felony charge of obstructing a police officer.
Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1ff_1383622491#DPyKR8AwuFy854rr.99
31
Oct, 2011, A nurse in Lawrenceville was tackled, manhandled,
handcuffed, and arrested for calling her supervisor, as she had been
instructed to do, when police demanded entry to the hospital at 2am.
She is facing a felony charge of obstructing a police officer.
Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1ff_1383622491#DPyKR8AwuFy854rr.99
She is facing a felony charge of obstructing a police officer.
Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1ff_1383622491#DPyKR8AwuFy854rr.99
31
Oct, 2011, A nurse in Lawrenceville was tackled, manhandled,
handcuffed, and arrested for calling her supervisor, as she had been
instructed to do, when police demanded entry to the hospital at 2am.
She is facing a felony charge of obstructing a police officer.
Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1ff_1383622491#DPyKR8AwuFy854rr.99
sourceShe is facing a felony charge of obstructing a police officer.
Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1ff_1383622491#DPyKR8AwuFy854rr.99
Cop runs over girl then kills dad:
Cop kills white 19 year old kid after car chase:
“He took off with my truck. I call the police, and they kill him,” James Comstock told The Des Moines Register on Tuesday. “It was over a damn pack of cigarettes. I wouldn’t buy him none.
source
Cops beat white woman booked for drunk driving:
Cops have man anally probed 8(!!) times after traffic stop:
source
Cop rapes 19 year old:
"[40-year-old] Jackie Len Neal ... is accused of handcuffing and raping a woman he pulled over while on duty around 2 a.m. Friday. ... Neal allegedly tailed a woman until she pulled over on Betty Street and stepped out of her vehicle. He turned on his overhead lights and requested that she get back inside. The woman complied with the order but left her door open, the report said.
Neal told the woman he was following her because the car she was driving was reported stolen, the woman told police. She showed the officer a sales slip for the recently purchased car. Officers could not confirm whether the vehicle was ever reported stolen.
Neal asked the woman to get out of the vehicle so he could pat her down, according to the affidavit. The woman said she felt uncomfortable and asked that a female officer pat her down, but her request was ignored. During the pat-down, the affidavit said, Neal groped the woman, placed her in handcuffs and moved her to the back of his patrol car. The document said he then raped her and instructed her not to tell anyone."source
Cop arrests employee for trespassing (62 times) at the store he works at:
"Earl Sampson has been stopped and questioned by Miami Gardens police 258 times in four years.
He’s been searched more than 100 times. And arrested and jailed 56 times.
Despite his long rap sheet, Sampson, 28, has never been convicted of anything more serious than possession of marijuana.
Miami Gardens police have arrested Sampson 62 times for one offense: trespassing.
Almost every citation was issued at the same place: the 207 Quickstop, a convenience store on 207th Street in Miami Gardens.
But Sampson isn’t loitering. He works as a clerk at the Quickstop."
source
Cops order arrested African Americans to sing or dance:
"Most of the videos are shot from squad cars while at least one black man are told to sing or dance in humiliating ways. One of the subjects is even in the back of police cars." source
And then, to make it even worse:
"Videos and and photos with degrading portrayals of black men were submitted earlier this month to the blog, Motor City Muckraker, purportedly from officers who disseminated them to friends and colleagues in the upper class, majority-white Michigan suburb of Grosse Pointe Park. One video portrayed a voice alleged to be an officer asking black men to do humiliating tasks, including “dance like a chimp.” In another incident, an officer allegedly texted a photo of a black man in the back of his trailer with the text, “Gotta love the coloreds.” The journalist, Steve Neavling, told the Huffington Post that he has more than a dozen videos shot by officers, but has not shared most of them because of their “humiliating nature.” source
Cops stand by, taze, and laugh at a mentally-ill suspect in handcuffs:
source
http://politicalblindspot.com/cop-shoots-kills-college-student-for-speaking-disrespectfully/
And, there are much more cases of crooked cops, cops protecting each other, beating civilians etc. etc.
There are several things one could say about a post like this. Either you agree that there are injustices perpetuated by law enforcement, who are insulated by a group loyalty willing to protect themselves as a unit until the press and the public get hold of the information. At which point, higher authoritative figures descend down from their administrative and governing posts for disciplinary action. And this post will further make the case that the police is not the romantic knight in shining armor and paragon of justice we think them to be.
The second reaction is disagreement. That each of these cases are singular anecdotal pieces of evidence, embellished or twisted by the news and vehicles of media with a particular agenda, that none of us can really know what happened in the background of each of these cases, that we are prone to emotional reactions like the Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin incident, and that the cops involved are simply a "few bad apples" fallen off the wayside. That these cases do not represent all police. And no doubt, we can not and should not judge based on singular cases or buy into mass hysterias that fuel certain kinds of bigotry. This is precisely why racism, stereotypes, and sexism happens. We create impressions based on our experienced encounters, or exposure to media and the cries of those around us, and operate based on those impressions for future encounters.
One could also comment that if you're looking for police induced injustice and police brutality, you're going to find it because that is what you want to believe. And yes, there is a tendency for persons to find consonant information with the beliefs they have in mind. The theory of cognitive dissonance predicts and continues to confirm as much. I myself am no particular exception (My past experiences with police and the law have left me with a very bitter and unpropitious view of the police accompanied by a disdain for notions of "justice" in U.S. courtrooms). Similarly, if you wanted to look for "cops helping people" I'm sure you'll find that as well - my own bias and experiences tell me (while remaining open to correction if there is a significant and overwhelming amount of evidence presented) that white cops tend to help white people or more instances of citizens helping police. I also acknowledge that the internet doesn't capture all things that cops do and that there may be a bias to post negative things about cops. But I think this is justified. Police should never be the perpetrators of violence against the civilians they are employed to protect and serve. Not thugs and gangsters in uniforms representing government. So my question is to what extent do people tolerate the bullshit antics of police?
There comes a point when pieces of anecdotal evidence - which are more concrete now due to video surveillance - are important. I myself am inclined to make a systemic critique about a particular culture of power, in this case a critique of power and authority instilled within police culture and the problematic bias of justice when considering testimony. In the U.S. this is further laced and layered with hostilities and debates surrounding race that goes back a long long time. But to keep it within a contemporary context, at least from the 80s (Rodney King comes to mind),
Dave Chappelle expands in comedic fashion:
Svetlana from the 'Sopranos'
"That’s the trouble with you Americans. You expect
nothing bad ever to happen. When the rest of the world expect only bad
to happen. And they are not disappointed."
-Svetlana Kirilenko, ”The Sopranos,” Season 4, episode 10: The Strong, Silent Type
-Svetlana Kirilenko, ”The Sopranos,” Season 4, episode 10: The Strong, Silent Type
Friday, January 3, 2014
Miles Davis quotes
"If you hit a wrong note, it's the next note that you play that determines if its's good or bad."
"In improvisation, there are no mistakes."
-Miles Davis
"In improvisation, there are no mistakes."
-Miles Davis
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
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