Rather than writing separate posts, here’s a summary of things in the news. Feel free to share other news or whatever is on your mind. By going to the links embedded, you can find additional information and news on the summaries below.
In effort to stop policing for profit, Ferguson, MO. Municipal Court Judge Donald McCullin, who was appointed in June, has announced sweeping changes to the city’s court system. All active warrants issued before December 2014 will be withdrawn. The accused will be given new court dates and alternative penalty options such as payment plans or community service.
Jared Fogle who is famous for pitching Subway for losing weight, has plead guilty to federal charges of distribution and receipt of child pornography and unlawful sex acts with minors. He has agreed to pay restitution of $1.4 million to be divided among the 14 minor victims. Read the rest of this entry
The New York Times just reported the results of Michael Brown’s autopsy. Michael Brown is the 18-year old shot dead by Ferguson Officer Darren Wilson on August 9, 2014.
The report is based on the preliminary private autopsy performed today, August 17, 2014. Michael was shot at least six times, including twice in the head.
Dr. Michael M. Baden, former chief medical examiner for the City of New York, flew to Missouri today at the family’s request to conduct the separate autopsy. Dr. Baden found that one of the bullets entered the top of Michael’s skull, suggesting that his head was bent forward when it struck him and caused the fatal injury. Michael was also shot four times in the right arm. It does not appear that the shots were from a close range because no gunpowder was present on Michael’s body. Dr. Baden does not have access to the clothing that Michael wore when he was killed. Read the rest of this entry
[ione_abacast_player uid=”6294″ popupurl=”http://filesource.abacast.com/reachmediainc/081514/081514ROLAND.mp3″ version=”v5″]
Roland Martin talks to Attorney Ben Crump about the shooting of Michael Brown, the Ferguson teen who was unarmed and shot by police. Attorney Crump is representing Brown’s family and has famously represented Trayvon Martin and many other deaths on social injustice.
“I was so proud of President Obama…that did not look like America the other night,” Crump says. “We cannot have the FBI doing a joint investigation where they’re going to rely on the St. Louis police department to give them evidence.”
Click the link above to hear the entire interview!
MSNBC host and Tulane University professor, Melissa Harris-Perry educates her audience in a three minute and four second presentation on her Saturday show.
In a short but powerful segment on Saturday, Melissa Harris-Perry connected the recent police killing of Michael Brown to the deaths of other black men at the hands of police — and to America’s history of injustice towards black people.
Harris-Perry read the names of some of the hundreds of men who were killed by police across the country “in the past decade alone,” from Sean Bell to Oscar Grant to Eric Garner to Brown. All of the men she mentioned were unarmed at the time of their death.
In the past decade alone, these men and hundreds of others have lost their lives to police.
“From 2006 to 2012 a white police officer killed a black person at least twice a week in…
View original post 84 more words
This week has been exhausting. Thankfully, I subscribe to other blogs that give me a sigh of relief with gorgeous photos and quotes of wisdom. However, it’s not long before I return to thinking about seeing law enforcement on the streets of America with equipment that was manufactured and intended for use by military troops.
Some of you might remember when I wrote “Upsetting the Apple Cart.” It is about my first experience hearing about cops killing and a cover-up. Entire cities lose trust in law enforcement. In the 1960’s and until about the mid 1970’s, it was common to hear cops referred to as “pigs.” Knowing some cops personally, I never wanted to include them in the pot with stupid, cowardly cops. Still, I can look back in history and consider now that in some cities, such as Chicago, vigilante justice runs rampant because citizens do not trust cops.
Since the 1970’s, cops have acquired more tools for protection, and more tools to force the submission of “suspects.” The problem however, as we saw with Sean Bell, is that when there is no resistance, cops still want to use their tools to control, as tools to punish and torture. The cop who killed Sean Bell said he thought he was pulling his taser, but Sean Bell was not resisting where a taser was necessary.
Also, as we saw with Kelly Thomas, when a “suspect” has a mental 
disease, there are cops who take pleasure in experimenting to see just how much pain they can inflict, even pain that results in death.
Resisting is now defined as moving any part of your body; asking any question; being deaf; having physical conditions where you can’t move fast. Read the rest of this entry
Hallelujah!
At a press conference Thursday, Capt. Ronald Johnson of the Missouri Highway Patrol was named the leader of security operations in Ferguson, Mo. Hours later, he marched at the head of a protest in the city in response to the shooting of Michael Brown. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) | Scott Olson via Getty Images
What a difference a day makes. Amazing!
The man now leading police in Ferguson, Missouri, walked Thursday night with those protesting the shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, one day after protesters faced rubber bullets and tear gas from heavily armed officers in riot gear.
On Twitter, MSNBC’s Jamil Smith in Ferguson captured a scene Thursday:
Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri Highway Patrol walks along with the Ferguson march. Compare this to Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/Vtezu4MuHk
— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) August 14, 2014
“We all want justice. We all want answers,” the…
View original post 1,222 more words
I learned of this story from Tayhlor on twitter, @tayhlordaniele, who linked to a page on Instagram by @thebestdamndj.
The video depicts a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri admitting that someone had been shot in the head. Before he could say too much, the other officer tries to physically shut him up. It is symbolic as the entire police force seeks to silence much more than that.
The victim was Maya Aaten-White, a Howard graduate. She survived. She was in Ferguson supporting justice for of Mike Brown and his family and protesting the lack thereof. The social media age gives people who used to be voiceless a voice. It is precious power. She was reporting the events taking place in Ferguson, Missouri on Instagram and Twitter.
View original post 138 more words
Michael Brown is the teen who was gunned down in Ferguson, Missouri by a cop. That town has been in an uproar. I don’t believe in violence, but will share the following opinion. Unless we WALK in the shoes of others, we cannot stand in righteous judgment to understand their reactions.
Hypocrisy is running rampant. There are people who kill others purportedly in self-defense. Those who support them, in spite of physical evidence and logic, rely solely on what the killer said about what they felt and what they believed would happen unless they pulled the trigger. At least the killer gets the opportunity to say what they experienced emotionally and/or physically that justified taking the life of another human being. Read the rest of this entry
Aug 10
This gallery contains 7 photos.
Originally posted on QBG_Tilted Tiara:
I have two sons and two grandsons; I am safe in knowing they will under all but the very worst circumstances be safe on the streets of most cities. Why and how do I know this? My sons and grandsons are White, they are Caucasian and they aren’t mentally…
I’m speechless.
Michael Brown’s stepfather holds a sign which reads, “Ferguson Police Just Executed My Unarmed Son!!!”
As she was driving home to her apartment Saturday afternoon, Desiree Harris of Ferguson, Missouri passed by her grandson who was nearing her place for a visit. As was parking her car, however, she was suddenly alarmed at what appeared to be the sound of several gunshot ringing out. She quickly ran to see what was going on, but nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to see: her 18 year-old grandson’s body lying in a pool of blood in the middle of the street. “What happened?!,” Harris demanded to know of a nearby police officer. But he would give her no answer. It was approximately 2:15 P.M. Saturday, August 9 when Michael Brown’s life was tragically ended by multiple bullet wounds in his body, and as of 2:15 A.M. there remained…
View original post 692 more words
Post racial America??????
My questions are: When does it end? How does it end?
GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. — Crews are investigating after a dummy bearing a President Obama face mask was found hanging from theLesholz Bridge over I-70 near Grain Valley, Mo. Police received the report around 5:30 a.m. Monday.Authorities rerouted traffic due to the distraction it caused Monday. Traffic across the bridge has since been allowed to cross.
Crews, using a robot, removed the dummy and took it into a nearby field where it was x-rayed for possible explosives.
FOX 4 News is at the scene and will have more information as soon as it becomes available.
They have removed the dummy with a bomb handling robot and investigation will continue today.
Stay Classy, there. I have no problem with protest, even big protest.. but it’s real chicken s*** stuff to do something like this over a federal…
View original post 49 more words
Photo by http://www.zastavki.com/
2020 Nominated by Iridium Eye Reviews
Nominated by Studiotj
Nominated by Micheline Walker
Respect Award
2018
Second nomination 1/2017
We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident 