I’m a black man. I am 6 feet 3 inches tall and 230 pounds, just like King. Do I scare you? Am I a threat? Does your fear justify your actions? Twelve people believed it did.
Black male: Guilty until proven innocent.
Reactions to my kind are justified. Scrutiny is justified. Surveillance is justified. Search is justified. Fifty-six blows…Justified.
Justice? Dear God…
I graduated from Stanford last June–I was elated. I was one of four presidents of my class–I was proud. In the fall, I received a Rhodes Scholarship–I approached arrogance.
But late one night, as I walked the streets of Palo Alto, as the police car slowed down while passing me, as his steely glare met me, I realized that to him and to so many others I am and always may be a Nigger: guilty till proven innocent.
Engaging in a different strategy than some of his fellow New Jersey pols, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) today declined to criticize a grand jury that opted not to indict the white police officer who shot an unarmed black teen in Ferguson, Mo. in August.
Booker would say only that federal officials should continue to engage in a “fair and thorough” investigation of the Aug. 9 shooting, which left 18-year-old Michael Brown dead and created months of unrest in Missouri, as well as the “patterns and practices” of Ferguson police officers.
“The rule of law is something that we have to put our faith in,” said Booker, appearing in Jersey City with Mayor Steve Fulop. “There was a grand jury, they went through a process, evidence was presented for a jury and they came to that conclusion. I respect that conclusion.”
If what happened in Ferguson represents “rule of law” in any other sense than “one rule for law enforcement, another for everyone else especially young black males”, I’ll eat my hat.
Of course I share your sentiments. I am disgusted and outraged by all this.
However, there is nothing wrong with what Booker said:
“federal officials should continue to engage in a “fair and thorough” investigation of the Aug. 9 shooting,
Because if federal officials really do engage in a fair and thorough investigation, and they are a lot more capable of doing that than a Ferguson grand jury, then we may see some justice after all.
As I understand it, they will be investigating the “investigation”, and there are a lot of serious questions about that, to put it mildly.
There never was a federal process against Zimmerman.
Grand jury meeting in civil-rights case involving George Zimmerman
Finally!
Thanks, I missed that. Should be interesting.
I Have been watching with morbid anticipation for quite some time for the harbinger, the lynchpin, the moment historians look back on as when, as when it All boiled over. This isn’t going away. The white dogs have their race war, though I doubt it Will out quite as they hope.
Violence is not the last resort of the inept, it is simply the last resort.
One rule of law is another of those lovely American myths. Todashev’s FBI executioner was exonerated as a justified killing with no public oversight. FBI agents may carry a bigger immunity badge than local cops.
The biggest crooks in this country are more likely to have dinner with Senators and cut them fat campaign checks than find themselves staring at the barrel of a law enforcement gun as it begins firing.
Perhaps you can clarify something for me. Is the FBI agent an executioner because he murdered Todashev? Or is he an executioner because he did not face public accountability for killing Todashev on the job?
Good question. Many of us probably use that word too loosely, but think I got it right in this case. Applies when the killer(s) have determined that the individual has done something warranting death but without benefit of filed charges, a judge, and jury; IOW extrajudicial. And the killing is execution style.
In the Todashev situation, the authorities chose not to conduct the interview at a law enforcement facility but at his apartment. Beginning in the afternoon and lasting eight hours. There were two FBI agents and two MSP officers. Todashev wasn’t arrested and reportedly not cuffed (which may be doubtful now that I think about it).
In the initial press report, it was said that at the time of the shooting there was only one FBI agent in the apartment with Todashev. As that violates FBI protocol, that claim was dropped. The autopsy report wasn’t released. The official report was that he was shot multiple times. Todashev’s father released a picture indicating that he’d been shot at point blank range in the back of the head.
Like the execution of Nguyễn Văn Lém that has always been classified as an execution.
Thanks, definitely a case warranting suspicion.
Can we get the civil lawsuit going, please?
You were expecting a “Fight the Power” cover?
Looking forward to a close look at the grand jury process. what happens if some of it was extra legal?
this witness # 40, for example, who wanted to address personal racist feelings by learning more about African American life, so drove over to Ferguson on the day and witnessed the entire incident
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2014/11/25/witness-40/
I guess it’s possible, the unexpected does happen sometimes
He’s a Senator that wants to have a future in politics. As such, he can’t really speak his mind. He has to account for the citizens’ shortcomings.