Have You Ever Felt Overwhelmed?
When things happen, and are resolved, it is not as stressful as when things happen, pile up on each other, and nothing is resolved. Since the death of Michael Brown at the hands of Darren Wilson, things have mounted and mounted.
A Black actress who kissed her White partner in public was placed in handcuffs by the Los Angeles Police, accused of being a prostitute.
A young man in Utah was killed by cops. Witnesses say that the cops shot him in the back. The cops say he rushed towards them with a sword.
The media promotes that bosses get into the personal business of their employees. I’m talking about the professional athletes with domestic problems. I’ve withheld opinion about it because this might be another test pattern that spills over into private industry.
SCRodriguez wrote two articles that were published here. His harasser is now accusing Rodriguez of libel. The harasser uses his GoFundMe page as a means to continue harassment. Rest assured that Rodriguez can back up the truth in everything he wrote.
It has now been reported that State’s Attorney McCullough, who is going before the grand jury in the case of Darren Wilson killing Michael Brown, is Vice President of an organization that supports and is raising money for Darren Wilson.
There are times I wish that someone could wave a magic wand so that everyone loves each other, treat others as they want to be treated, and stop the hate, deception, and lies.
Feel free to use this thread for open discussion.
Posted on 09/15/2014, in open discussion, Potpourri and tagged Darren Wilson, McCullough, Michael Brown, open discussion. Bookmark the permalink. 46 Comments.
We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident 
If I Could Change the World …
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*deep breath* I commend you and others who can take the heat of conflict. I come and scan and read but I am not a debater; to me things are black and white, figuratively. If a person is guilty then they should be punished, that is what I’ve always been told. That is not what I’m seeing and it happens over and over. Racism and cockeyed laws that enable someone to return to abuse the victim in a repetitive pattern is not right. My hat is off to you, Xena, and countless others who have the stamina to deal with this crazy country and it’s backwards laws.
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Jackie,
Thank you for your kind words.
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That was better than labeling myself as a gutless coward. I am terrible with conflict.
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Jackie,
With me, it depends on the conflict or rather, the solution. On a personal level, I seek to find solutions to stop conflict.
On the greater level, such as what we have with police brutality, the only thing that any of us can do is report, update, report, share our opinions, find out what we can do in the voting booth, a letter to the editor, sign a petition, etc.,
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I sign a lot of petitions and I have shared information on a regular basis about racism. There are about 360 parents and professionals that get my Reminder weekly but it has nothing to do with WordPress. On a statewide level I have written many letters to various legislators and department directors. I got a response today from a senator for one of my members. I have no fear of these types of people but from reading about your experience, it has made me be much more careful, especially concerning guns, race issues and so on. Some people are crazy, really, and I am defenseless.
You are braver and tougher than I. 🙂
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Jackie,
Thank you so much for your work. Together, mankind makes a Body with each part doing its work for the betterment of the entire body. The feet do something different than the hands. The hands do something different than the heart, The heart does something different than the stomach, etc.
I’m not braver nor tougher than you or anyone else. There is nothing that the cyber-extortioners can do to hurt me and I refuse to give them power to think so.
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*big hug* @ Xena!!
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Hey Roderick!!
Great to see you. Have you read Dr. Turi’s article about the solar storms?
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Reblogged this on idealisticrebel and commented:
Domestic Violence is a crime. Abusing a child is assault.
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Hey Barbara,
Yes. I don’t approve of domestic violence nor child abuse. Victims should be helped and the perpetrators charged and given due process. What bothers me is how the media stirs the public to believe that employers should punish employees for crimes. Nothing has ever happened in America without there first being a “test” group. It’s like using marketing strategies to see if a product will sell. If and once it does, it expands and spills over. That is my concern.
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As a Federal employee, I can tell you that the government does take action against their employees for crimes. Yes it will depend on the crime but the biggest is any form of embarrassment to the agency/government will/can result in your termination.
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Towerflower,
If only municipalities did the same as the federal government. (sigh)
There are members of law enforcement (2 cops, 1 deputy sheriff), in a city of approximately 150,000. Two killed an unarmed man in a church daycare center and walked. The Deputy Sheriff shot an unarmed teen in the back — deliberately (it’s on video), and walked. The 3 adults that the teen was hanging out with were charged with the teens murder. But, that’s not the entire picture of what gets to me …
Deputy Sheriff Frank Pobjecky was awarded for stopping a robbery, and he figured that he would run in the primary for sheriff. He lost. I can only imagine that his peers egged him on, but the citizens of the county did not forget the entire story. Pobjecky wounded the armed man who was robbing the place, but seeing him deliberately aim and shoot an unarmed teen who was face down on the ground is something that this community will not forget.
They are out of touch with the communities they serve. It’s that mindset that frightens me.
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Xena, Good morning!
“A young man in Utah was killed by cops. Witnesses say that the cops shot him in the back. The cops say he rushed towards them with a sword.”
I posted a link to this story yesterday, if anyone had read it they would have realized the “sword” was not really a sword, it was simply a replica with no cutting edge. However the young man was still killed because he was allegedly threating the police officers with it. As I said yesterday, this problem with killing black (and white) kids by the police departments across the entire nation is becoming an epidemic and a cure must be found NOW!
Here is a link (at bottom of comment) to what is allegedly part of the diversity problem found in the police departments across the nation. While I do agree with some of it, parts of it seem to me as making an excuse for the problem rather than offering a solution. There was one paragraph in it that I find extremely troubling, and IMO deserves discussion.
“If you were taught from the time that you could speak, from the time that you could understand speech, that police are to be feared and that they’re part of an occupying force that is there to circumvent the democratic processes and to strip you of your rights, then it’s very difficult for that department to come into your neighborhood and tell you that they respect you and that you should join their team,” says Phillip Atiba Goff, co-founder and president of The Center for Policing Equity at the University of California, Los Angeles.”
Not having raised children for many years, and never having to do this myself, I don’t know first hand if this statement from the article is true or not. Is it? If so, how do we as a unified people change the need for this training of our collective children? My mind keeps coming back to the article that Yahtzee posted the other day and the term “Implicit Bias”, is that part of the problem that causes parents to feel the need to teach fear to their children? To anyone who actually takes the time to read my comments and questions, I say thank you for your time, hopefully they will not be taken out of context…
http://news.msn.com/crime-justice/achieving-diversity-in-police-ranks-no-easy-task
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We would be VERY naive to give any credibility to that excuse…that intentionally misleading “observation” that you quoted, crustyolemothman.
Do you think that Black children do NOT constantly observe and witness the mistreatment of Blacks in their neighborhoods? How can they NOT see police roughing up INNOCENT Blacks in “stop and frisk” modes?? How can they not see and learn about the police killings of unarmed Blacks?
By the time these children are adults, they KNOW what they have witnessed. This is not about Blacks not joining a police force because their parents taught them to fear the police from the “time that (they) could understand speech.” This about Blacks knowing from direct observation not to trust police because they have witnessed criminal acts by police and unfair stereotyping and profiling of INNOCENT Blacks by police.
As far as “the talk” that Black parents at some point give to their children, here is a comment that I saved from a Black lady who was part of our Trayvon team under NBC articles:
“One of the most conscious attempts to NOT be racist can be found in the statement, “color doesn’t matter”. Sounds very tolerant on the surface. But that is not reality. Color does matter, as can be evidenced by the existence of white privilege, the inequities in applied justice, and the social inequities that still exist in this country. Color is obvious. A Black person cannot walk out their door and not be seen as a Black person. And because of that, and because of the amount on unconscious and covert racism that still exists, color very much DOES matter. Just ask Trayvon Martin’s family.
“African American families have to teach their children about the existence of racism from the time those children are small because it does exist and they will encounter it. It is simply a fact of life. It isn’t taught with hate. It is simply taught as a fact of life. Just like George Zimmerman decided that Trayvon Martin was “suspicious” based on nothing more than his race and his hoodie the night of February 26, 2012, young African American and biracial children have to be taught that this kind of thinking exists and how to protect themselves from it.
“Caucasian families do not have to have these conversations with their sons and daughters. Racism is usually only addressed from the perspective of how not to be racist, not how racism affects them personally every day. It is the difference between being the receiver and being the giver. And it is a huge difference. Until you can begin to look at things from the perspective of the receiver you will never understand the perspective of someone of a minority status.”
As far as your question, crustyoldmothman:
“If so, how do we as a unified people change the need for this training of our collective children?”
We can stand up the way the protestors did in NYC who successfully forced the NYPD to end its “stop and frisk” program. We can follow the example of the demonstrators in L.A., NY, etc. and Ferguson who demand accountability from their police and “powers that be”, who demand justice for unarmed Blacks killed by police officers, and who demand an end to police brutality.
When police begin to show respect for the community they are assigned to and when they actually protect and serve the community they work in, then perhaps the Black community and other minority communities will view the police differently.
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yahtzeebutterfly:
“We would be VERY naive to give any credibility to that excuse…that intentionally misleading “observation” that you quoted, crustyolemothman.”
I’m curious, is there anything that I could say or ask that would not be considered as a “intentionally misleading observation”? If so, then tell me and I will go away and never bother you again. I did not post that in any sort of malicious or with evil intent, and the words in the paragraph that I quoted were not mine. Perhaps because I used the term “troubling” was the problem? I don’t find the quote itself troubling, what I do find “troubling” is the need for any parent to give that type of training to their child, and quite frankly IMO it should never be something that should be needed to be taught to a child, regardless of color. Hatred is something that obviously not something that is easily overcome, forgiveness is not something that some people who preach it actually possess the capability of giving… Hopefully some day we can all actually offer from ourselves that which we demand of others…
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Hi, crustyolemothman,
I thought I had worded my comment in such a way that the quote was not yours. I am sorry if that was not clear.
I knew you were simply quoting it in order to begin a discussion and that you posed some questions. I did answer on of your questions, but I did not want to answer that without first dealing with the quote that you wanted us to look at.
You had even said the quote was troubling. I just went on from there telling why I, too, saw it as troubling.
You, yourself, wrote NOTHING “misleading”….I was simply referring to the quote.
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Ah…I just reread my original comment: I should have used the word “anyone”
Instead of saying
“Do you think….”
I should have written “Does ANYONE think….” at the start of the second paragraph in my original comment.
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yahtzee, It seems that the murder of Mike Brown has all of our nerves on edge. It stresses me not only because another young person has died at the hands of our law enforcement, but unfortunately due to the way the laws are written the killer will probably walk free. Even if the grand jury votes to charge him, it is unlikely that any prosecutor will work hard enough to get a conviction. It disgusts me that this is where our nation failed our fellow citizens. One can only wonder in the case of Ferguson, Mo., how the police can now enforce the law? They seem to be caught in a quagmire of their own making. If the problem was limited to just one city or county or even state, it would be much easier to correct, but it has swallowed up the entire nation and the real question now is can our nation survive the swell of conflict that is coming? I wonder, in the event of major civil unrest, up to and including riots, and violent acts, what will be the outcome? I suppose my real dilemma is that I really can’t see that anyone can or will win in the event of a race war, all I see is destruction and death. Even the most hardened racist must be able to see what is coming, can they not see that they can’t actually win, because there can never be a true winner when we fight amongst ourselves, there can only be loss…. I’ll close this now, my frustration level is so high that my blood pressure med’s are not working… I’ll leave you with this one thought, the emotions of anger and fear are very similar and many times end with the same results…
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crustyolemothman,
I have a different assessment and have different predictions than you.
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yahtzee, It would be great if the justice system would somehow not follow it’s historical past, and while I would be absolutely thrilled if it does, but I can’t see it happening. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope you are right…
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Crusty,
When I was in 5th or 6th grade, this song from “Westside Story” was part of my awakening to the fact that all was not well in America:
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Mothman,
They left out a few things — there are communities where the cops do not arrive until everything is over with. There are cops who tell victims that their situation is “civil” and to get an attorney. This is not only in predominately minority communities but also in small, predominately White communities.
Something else they left out is that there have been minority cops on forces who are subjected to discriminatory practices to the point where they resign, or they are accused of wrongdoing and terminated.
I know several former cops who are Black and they told the same story; i.e., they feared being killed by their White peers more than they feared being killed by criminals on the street.
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Xena, They also left out that there are more than two tiers of law in this nation. There is the law as it applies to the rich white people, there are laws that apply to the black, Hispanic, and the poor whites of this country, and then there are laws that apply specifically for the “protection” of the law enforcement community… Some people seem to think that when I point out that the law has not been used to punish the members of the PD, that I am the one that writes the laws… Those are among the first laws that need to be changed. There should be no, absolutely none, that allow a member of a police agency to murder another person without due process… However at this time, a police officer is not only hard to bring to trial, it is almost impossible to find a prosecutor that will work hard to convict him… people can either shoot the messenger, or we can work together to bring positive change that benefits all of society, regardless of race, color or religion.. Personally, people can think of me as they wish, I still intend to continue to work to improve “all” of my fellow citizens lives regardless of the obvious contempt some feel toward me. It is not popular to say this, but I will say it anyway. Just because we feel something is not right, does not make it wrong according to the way the laws are enforced. Until we reach the point that all laws apply to our citizens equally then we will continue to have racial problems, when we have a nation that laws do not discriminate because of race then our racial problems will begin to lessen, until they are at a minimal level.
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Mothman,
Make that three. Women are also subjected to biased law enforcement and prosecutors. If I had a dime for every woman who has been told to file for a restraining order “in the courthouse in the morning,” when they believed their lives were in jeopardy THEN, I could afford a vacation in Hawaii.
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Too much to absorb sometimes, one must put on their own oxygen mask first in order to help others. (((((((Everyone)))))))
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Mindmyme,
Thanks for those words of wisdom.
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Hello,yes I feel overwhelmed. Even though you say I understand why things are,it can still be frustrating. Analysis of a problem is always helpful. Especially an analysis of racism. The stories of Black females being mistaken for prostitutes is upsetting. The age or situation at the time doesn’t matter. This actress being was in her 30’s I believe. Now what did her husband do,why did he get a free pass from cops? Renisha McBride a 19 yr old victim of murder can be rumored to be a prostitute. There’s even this story of a 12 yr old Black child.
http://wearechange.org/twelve-year-old-girl-mistaken-prostitute-four-plainclothes-officers-beat-flashlights-leaving-hospital-later-arrested-school-resisting-assa
Its also overwhelming that self defense isn’t supposed to be an option for Black people. As far back as Lena Baker this is supposed to be the norm. Especially self defense against a white person. We see Zimmerman,Dunn,Wafer,Darren Wilson etc applauded,deemed as justified and heroic for killing Black people. However, when it’s the reverse Trevor Dooley,CeCe McDonald,Roderick Scott,Joseph Walker,etc. self defense is deemed wrong,incorrect,illegal. It’s as if a white person whether assaulted or not,whether he /she just shot someone for no reason is deemed ok. The black person however,is supposed to take threats ,violence. Reminds me of The Purge where the white gang leader was disgusted and complained how The Black guy he and his gang were trying to kill,had the nerve to resist.
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chuquestaque,
I hear you. It’s a scary situation and things have gotten out of hand. There is no one in authority to turn to. Prosecutors cannot be trusted anymore than the cops who kill and go on paid vacation.
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Hat tip to scrodriguez.
Hampton, Florida cleans city of elected officials and police department.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/29/us/hampton-florida-corruption-survival/
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UPDATE
According to an independent autopsy performed by his family, 22-year-old Darrien Hunt was shot in the back by the cops who killed him.
http://kstreet607.com/2014/09/15/utah-man-accused-of-attacking-police-with-samurai-sword-was-shot-in-the-back-autopsy/
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Case after case after case of shameful, heinous killings by police.
This needs to stop NOW!
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“Race and police: Four Seattle-area families share concerns post-Ferguson:
The shooting of an unarmed black teen by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., highlights the concerns of parents of African-American and mixed-race youths. Four area families speak with The Seattle Times about their concerns.”
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2024534643_parentsracexml.html
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Sometimes I think our society is meant to be overwhelming. Easier to keep us paralyzed….
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Eurobrat,
It’s like walking into a house that has been hit by tornado, hurricane, earthquake, and then set on fire. You can’t just get rid of it but don’t know where to start cleaning up the mess and deciding what is worth keeping.
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And, eventually you rebuild with GOOD materials and with STRONGER supporting beams.
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I’d like to build the world a home
And furnish it with love
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Yahtzee,
Your words would be very encouraging if not but for the fact that we know that cops are seldom prosecuted and when they are, they are generally acquitted.
Here is what I’d like to see — a law in every state that applies to all members of law enforcement. If they kill an unarmed person, they are immediately terminated and not allowed to work in law enforcement again. Like employees in private industry, if their jobs were placed on the line based on their performance, cops might not be so quick to pull the trigger.
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“Here is what I’d like to see — a law in every state that applies to all members of law enforcement. If they kill an unarmed person, they are immediately terminated and not allowed to work in law enforcement again.
Great idea!
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And then the people in power look at you and say “Hey, your own fault if you don’t know how to live in a destroyed house…”
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“Officer Who Fatally Shot Rekia Boyd to Stand Trial:
Dante Servin, the officer charged in the shooting, will stand trial in October.”
http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/09/officer_who_fatally_shot_rekia_boyd_to_stand_trial.html
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PBS this Friday:
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Antonio French@AntonioFrench
A recall of the mayor can’t officially begin until October, six months after he was lasted elected.
Many groups are planning for it.
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