Tasering and Toturing Black Americans Is Not Post Racial

Today is a special day, it's a day when bloggers from around the United States, Canada, UK, Africa, Europe, Brazil, and other parts of the world have come together for “A day of blogging for Justice - Standing up against the pre-trial electrocution.”

Here is what black bloggers are saying and thinking:

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Today, Black bloggers around the web (including Afrospear members and The Electronic Villiage) are setting aside the day to stand up against the use of tasers by the police. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) refers to them as “Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs)”. Some of the bloggers refer to their use as “Police Pre-Trial Electrocution”.

- Villager, Electronic Village

AAPP says: Wayne Hicks has been tracking the tasing issue even before I began publishing the blog, Tasered While Black. Wayne takes a look at the tasing issue and details many of the abuses in todays post:


I've shared other examples on my blog in the past:

1. Valreca Redden (Trotwood OH) - pregnant Black woman tased by Officer Michael Wilmer when she went to police department for help.


2. Eugene Snelling (Austin TX) - tased by Officer Thomas O'Connor driving with his mother on Thanksgiving Day.


3. Donnell Williams (Wichita KS) - deaf Blackman tased in his own home.


4. Major Lemon (Madison WI) - Blackman tased while holiday shopping at the local mall.


5. Xavier Jones (Coral Gables FL) - Tasers deployed by two police officers killed this Blackman.


6. Darryl Turner (Charlotte NC) - unarmed 17-year old Black youth killed when Officer Jerry Dawson decided to fire at him with a taser gun.


7. James Garland (Miami FL) - unarmed and naked 41-year old Blackman killed by police taser gun while disoriented in the street.


8. Baron Pikes (Winnfield LA) - Police officer Scott Nugent indicted for murder because he tasered a handcuffed 21-year old Blackman to death.


9. Terrance Kennedy (Dallas NC) - Police killed another Blackman in North Carolina with their taser guns.


10. Marcus Moore (Freeport IL) - unarmed 40-year old Blackman killed by police with their taser guns.


11. Robert Mitchell (Warren MI) - unarmed 16-year old Black youth killed police taser guns.


12. Gary Decker (Tucson AZ) - unarmed 50-year old naked man killed by police taser guns while in his own hotel room.


13. Michael Jacobs (Ft. Worth TX) - unarmed, mentally impaired 24-year old Blackman killed by police taser guns on his own front yard in front of his parents.

The successes aren't the problem - the failures are.
How many more Black folks need to be executed by the police before the Congressional Black Caucus does something about it? I encourage all villagers to immediately sign online petition demanding a congressional investigation into Taser Torture in America. More HERE

Meanwile, Asabagna of the Afrospear Think Tank says:

When I started to contemplate what I was going to write for this day of blogging action on the use of tasers… i.e., “electrocution” to control and/or stop what are considered dangerous, anti-social behaviors… what stood out in the forefront of my mind was that in the past, electrocution (called Electroconvulsive Therapy), was also widely used for a similar purpose: as an approved, standard medical/psychiatric procedure for “supposed” dangerous and anti-social behaviors deemed to be mental illnesses, which included homosexuality and political dissent.

As a police officer (in Canada), my initial point of view is that I will use whatever level of force I deem necessary, when dealing with a violent criminal suspect, to protect the life of others and/or prevent bodily harm, but more importantly… to ensure that I go home to my family at the end of my shift! Presenting my wife and son with a Canadian flag and a hug or handshake at the end of a memorial service in my honor, just isn’t a life-affirming ambition of mine. With that being said, the police organization I work for, like most if not all police services in North America, are mandated and trained to follow some sort of “use of force continuum model”, which dictates what level of force is to be used in a given situation.

However, what this type of model does not show are the individual, environmental and societal factors that may influence how an officer will react to a given situation or person. It does not consider what are the beliefs, values and more importantly, the prejudices that may spur an individual officer’s action or reaction, to a particular situation or person. More HERE

The publisher of AroundHarlem.com says, AroundHarlem.com is strongly against the use of tasers. We have based our decision on information revealed by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and the fact that the use of tasers are harmful and dangerous to potentially innocent people. The NYCLU states that the NYPD has instituted the use of a leathal weapon without proper research or public dialogue. While the NYPD did conduct a Rand Study, according to Donna Lieberman (NYCLU executive director), the NYPD commissioned the study on important public policies without involving the public or anyone outside the NYPD. As a result, the NYCLU and AroundHarlem.com doubt the thoroughness and objectivity of the study.

The Rand Report, which was supposed to be aimed at evaluating the racial disparities in NYPD practices following the Sean Bell Incident (two black men and one latino man were shot at 50 times by the NYPD [Sean Bell was killed]), focuses on supporting the increased use of tasers as a replacement for handguns. The use of these weapons has been linked to hundreds of serious injuries and fatalities.

Last year police fatally tased Iman Morales, a 35 year old man suffering from mental illness. The police responded to a call by Morales’ mother, who had resorted to calling the NYPD after her son had stopped taking his medication. The incident left Morales standing on a metal box that was on top of a store’s security gate, naked, screaming incoherently with an 8 foot fluorescent light tube in his grasp.

Lt. Michael Pigott issued the order to shoot Morales with a taser which was a clear violation of NYPD guidelines stating that “when possible, the CED (taser) should not be used in situations where the subject may fall from an elevated surface.” As a result of being tased, Morales fell head first onto the pavement below and was killed. The was incident was captured on camera by an onlooker. (Lt. Pigott committed suicide shortly after the incident occurred.)

Months before this tragedy 17 year old Alexander Lombard 3rd, son of a NYPD veteran, was tasered 4 times, hit 15 times with a nightstick and put in a choke hold by a NYPD officer. Lombard suffered serious injuries (video) as the result of excessive use of force by an officer at a community sponsored barbecue in Harlem. No charges were filed against Mr. Lombard indicating that he was neither resisting arrest nor carrying a weapon. The use of the taser against Lombard can only be described as excessive and unnecessary. More HERE

There is plenty more thoughts and opinions regarding the torture and tasering of black Americans. Kathy - a DailyKos Blogger wonders: Do White People Care About Tasing? http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/4/24/724113/-Do-White-People-Care-About-Tasing

Blogger Francis L. Holland provides a history of Naming" it "Police Pre-Trial Electrocution and Execution"

Check out these great bloggers and their thoughts about the torture of black American by Taser, and what they think should be done.

Shawn Williams, Dallas South Blog.com - http://tinyurl.com/cx6h97

Nate, Nateo Blog - http://nateo.blogspot.com/2009/04/call-for-stopping-pre-trial.html

Antoinette - Antoinette's Point of View - http://aapov.blogspot.com/

Cherie S. - http://memoirofcherieamour.blogspot.com/ Mr. E-D - Excited-delirium.com

Rock, African American Opinion - http://africanamericanopinion.ning.com

Francis Holland - Francis L. Holland Blog - http://francislholland.blogspot.com/2009/04/police-pre-trail-execution-pigs-on.html

Kathy - Daily Kos Blogger - Do White People Care About Tasing? http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/4/24/724113/-Do-White-People-Care-About-Tasing

Zhana - Ancestral Energies - http://ancestralenergies.blogspot.com/2009/04/no-to-pre-trial-electrocutions.html

The Kid - Pirate satellite: A Day of Blogging for Justice - http://kid-kidfunkadelic.blogspot.com/

Wayne Bennett, The Field Negro, Major side bar and link highlighting the importance of this day.

http://field-negro.blogspot.com/

Purple Zoe - UltraVioletUnderground - http://purplezoe.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-ban-pre.html

April D. - Around Harlem.com http://blog-aroundharlem.com/2009/04/24/blogging-for-justice-standing-up-against-the-use-of-police-tasers/

PaJoyner - PlezWorld - http://pajoyner.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justice-death-by.html

Yobachi - Black Perspective.net - http://www.blackperspective.net/index.php/act-against-police-taser-abuse/

Ms. Lady Deborah - From my Brown Eyed View - http://msladydeborah.blogspot.com/2009/04/day-of-blogging-for-justicestanding-up.html

Eddie Griffin BASG - http://eddiegriffinbasg.blogspot.com/2009/04/gravest-injustice.html

More Links to come...

Check out The Angry Indian's blog post on When "Non-Lethal" Weapons Kill

*This article is in response and solidarity with the call from fellow Afro-blogger African American Political Pundit's call for editorials concerning the use of Tasers on not just the African population but against free citizens in general. Follow the links immediately after this commentary. Check out more of the post HERE


AAPP: Hat tip to all the afrosprear, and other bloggers who contributed to this day of blogging for justice. Don't forget to sign the online petition demanding a congressional investigation into Taser Torture in America

A Day of Blogging for Justice: Standing Up Against the Police Pre-Trial Electrocution - April 24, 2009

Hat Tip and Shout Out to the Villager at the blog Electronic Village for his recent blog post. Check out how the afrospear is blogging about the issue of the tasing, beating and electrocution of Black folks in America. He writes about A Day of Blogging for Justice: Standing Up Against the Police Pre-Trial Electrocution

The AfroSpear is calling on all bloggers to join us in a Day of Blogging for Justice: Standing Up Against the Police Pre-Trial Electrocution on Friday, April 24, 2009.

The rules are simple:

1. Share a post on your blog focused on your concerns about the tasering of Blacks folks.
2. Send an email to AfricanAmericanPoliticalPundit@gmail.com so that we may document everyone's participation.

He gives examples of what bloggers have been reporting on the police pre-trial electrocution:

• Afro-Netizen - Taser Death of Black man by White cop near Jean ...


• Black Voices - 21st Century Whips


• Diane Dimond - The 50-Thousand Volt Solution


• Electronic Village - Police Taser 16-Year Old Robert Mitchell to Death


• Electronic Village - Taser Policy Defined by 'Use of Force Continuum'


• Jack and Jill Politics - A Day of Blogging for Justice - Against Extra-Judicial ...


• Mondoglobo - Lousiana Police Electrocute Handcuffed Man in Grocery Store
• 
  


• Pam's House Blend - NC: More Freestyle Law Enforcement Death-by-Taser


• Problem Chylde - Tasing as Deadly Force


• Race Wire - Black Teenager Killed by Cop’s Taser


• Tasered While Black - Black Man Pepper Sprayed, Batoned, Tased ...


• Tasered While Black - Police Taser and Kill Black Man and Laugh About It


• Tasered While Black - Black Man Tased and Beaten in Peoria, IL.


• The Super Spade - Tasered While Black


• Ultraviolet Underground - Electrocuted While Black

I like the villager, and so many other bloggers hope that you will participate. Please read villager's complete post on A Day of Blogging for Justice: Standing Up Against the Police Pre-Trial Electrocution

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Post Racial Baggy Pants Laws? Or bi

A big shout out and H/T new African American Female blogger Antoinette, who has posted on an important issue that just may place more young African American boys and men into prison for the clothes they wear.

Here is a first guest blog post from blogger Antoinette of the blog Antoinette's Point of View.

Outlawing Baggy Pants

By Antoinette

Can the style of clothing now send young men to jail? According to one of the newer additions to the criminalized-for-no-good-reason list: baggy pants.



I don't like the way how young men or older men wear their clothing hanging off of their behinds but to give these young men a fine and jail sentences for their clothing is an outrage.

In a proposed bill in Kentucky you will be fined for a thousand dollars for wearing pants below the waist. In Missouri, the parents could spend 90 days in jail. This is an expression as all generations went through of their own style. I don't like their style as I am sure that my elders were not to happy with the styles of the 60's and 70's with the mini-skirts and tube tops and hot pants. But it did not merit a criminal charge against any of us who went through this expression of one's self.

Are we going to arrest the blue collar worker if we are able to see the crack of their behinds while they are working? If you have a plumber at you home and are able to his behind, is this a cause for alarm to call the police and have him arrested for breaking the law. Of course not. When the young and old females are walking down the street and you can see the cleavage from their breast and the low-rider jeans and thongs is this going to cause them to be arrested? Anything that shows any part of the body that is deemed unapproved for public vision is this going to be a cause for alarm and people are going to be fined and imprisoned for this? What about the beach, are we going to go back to the days where you were covered so that your body was not exposed at all.

Is this a law that is meant for everyone, or only for a certain group of young men and boys, or is it for our minority and poor youth, who use this style as their expression? Does this now give a reason for minorities to be harassed by law enforcement, for no cause, except for the clothing on their body.

Is this another way that the budget is going to be fixed, the government on a state and local level will fix their budgets by fining people who cannot afford to be fined and put into prison for not paying their fines are have to many offenses against them for their clothing and now have a criminal record for breaking a foolish law?

What is next are we going to wear uniforms in the streets to show what area we are from, what our stature in life is, what neighborhoods we live in to show if we belong in this area or not. Are we going to be robbed once again of our identify and our style of expression through our hair or make-up. Is this a signal to us to wake up and look at the concentration camps that are being set-up around the United States of things to come?

Where is the Black Caucus and Urban League and not to mention the NAACP, Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson, why are they not out fighting against this new injustice that is coming out against our people? And this is being done because there is some people that are offended regarding the way someone dresses.

How much legal slavery are we going to stand for? Is this going to fix the economy and put the American people back to work, is this going to stop the foreclosures in this country and not to mention is this going to stop the drugs from coming into our communities? Should we not be more concerned about fixing these things, then being concerned over how someone is dressing?

Read more from this up and coming black blogger HERE

Cross Posted on Antoinette's Point of View, African American Political Pundit and
African American Opinion

Texas State Rep. Betty Brown or Betty Bigot?

File this under: Female Texas Bigot

Hat Tip to the blog, Think progress for their recent report on this post racial American side show.

On Tuesday, State Rep. Betty Brown (R) caused a firestorm during House testimony on voter identification legislation when she said that Asian-Americans should change their names because they’re too hard to pronounce:

“Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese — I understand it’s a rather difficult language — do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?” Brown said.

Brown later told [Organization of Chinese Americans representative Ramey] Ko: “Can’t you see that this is something that would make it a lot easier for you and the people who are poll workers if you could adopt a name just for identification purposes that’s easier for Americans to deal with?”

Yesterday, Brown continued to resist calls to apologize. Her spokesman said that Democrats “want this to just be about race.”

The Post Racial blog publisher says: OK, Ms. Betty Brown, it would behoove you to adopt a last name the relates to your ignorance, and is readily understandable. Let's have this Small Minded lawmaker change her own name to "Betty Bigot."

Post Racial Cointelpro? Black Groups Spyed on at HBCU's

Even as the Department of Defense (DoD) Grants $17.4 Million to minority academic institutions it may be spying on black campus groups who as one terrorism assessment finds radical nodes on HBCU campuses. AAPP says: Here the government goes again folks. Targeting black folks, and black organizations as they have in the past. This reminds me of COINTELPRO (1967-1971). I guess this is COINTELPRO 2009. No wonder the United States Government seems to be involved with plans to place Federal troops to quell urban violence, but to protect who? The government should really be watching those white terrorist groups and not black folks. You have to read more about this:Hat tip to Raw Story, and also a Hat Tip and Shout Out to "Dale D" at Blog Talk Radio for the link to this Raw Story post about a newly leaked terrorism assessment from a law enforcement fusion center in Virginia. The Assessment shows that police and feds are targeting "historically black colleges" as "radicalization nodes" for terrorists. RAW STORY has published the entirety of the 215 page report, available at Raw Story in PDF format.

From page 17:A wide variety of terror or extremist groups have links to [a highlighted area of Virginia]. This area not only has a diverse population due to the strong military presence, but it is also the site of several universities.While most of these universities are considered urban, two are designated as a Historically Black Colleges and Universities, while Regent University is a private, evangelical Christian institution. While the majority of individuals associated with educational institutions do not engage in activities of interest to the VFC, it is important to note that University-based students groups are recognized as a radicalization node for almost every type of extremist group.Though the report singles out "historically black colleges" early on, it also contains an extensive list of peaceful American and International activist groups from nearly all cross-sections of political engagement, placing them side-by-side with groups that have long been known for resorting to violence. The list of groups the fusion center considers potential terrorist threats is as follows: Read more HERE and More Here

Cross posted on African American Political Pundit.com

UPDATE: Black Man Tased and Beaten in Peoria, IL.

Tasing of a Black Man Tased - Beaten in Peoria, IL.
Cross posted on African American Political Pundit and The Post-Racial Blog

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Indicted Tuesday were, from left, Peoria police Officers Gerald W.Suelter, 39, Andrew R. Smith, 29, and Jeremy Layman, 31. The charges stem from a chase last May of Bryce R. Scott, 34, who claims he was beaten after he stopped his car and put his hands outside his window near the intersection of Abington Street and Perry Avenue.

As reported by PJ Star, Another Peoria police officer has been charged with official misconduct in connection with the pursuit and arrest of a Peoria man last May who was kicked, stomped and Tased after he apparently surrendered.

A Peoria County grand jury on Tuesday returned a five-count indictment against Jeremy J. Layman, 31, of Hanna City. The officer faces four counts of obstructing justice and one count of official misconduct. Layman posted 10 percent of a $15,000 bond Tuesday to remain out of custody.

Two others, Andrew R. Smith, 29, and Gerald W. Suelter, 39, were also indicted Tuesday for their alleged role in the May 3 incident.

Both men face charges of official misconduct, aggravated battery, battery and mob action. They had already been charged by way of a complaint in mid-March and their bonds were set at $10,000.

Smith and Suelter will next appear in court on April 16 for their arraignment. A court date for Layman has not been set. All three face up to five years in prison on each of the official misconduct charges.

The charges stem from an early morning chase of Bryce R. Scott, 34, who claims he was beaten after he stopped his car and put his hands outside his window near the intersection of Abington Street and Perry Avenue.

Scott, who is facing federal and state drug dealing charges, claims he was pepper sprayed, stomped, kicked, tased and punched after he complied with officers’ requests.

A dashboard camera in a squad car recorded what happened next. After Scott stopped his car, he is surrounded by several officers, who shout for him to comply, which he apparently does. Within seconds, Scott is taken to the ground and is out of the camera’s view.

A prosecutors said at a earlier bond hearing for Suelter and Smith that Suelter repeatedly Tased Scott while Smith allegedly stomped and kicked Scott “at least 20 times, at one point repositioning himself for leverage.”

Layman is accused of stopping the squad car camera from recording. The official misconduct charge for him states “he knowingly concealed, altered or disguised physical evidence concerning the stop and apprehension of Bryce Scott.”

When asked if more officers could face charges, State’s Attorney Kevin Lyons said “a review of police officer conduct continues.” More HERE

Writing the Next Chapter on Race.

AAPP says: Check out this recent post By Judith Browne-Dianis, Co-Director Advancement Project on Writing the Next Chapter on Race. It's a Great Post!
H/T Joseph Huff-Hannon for the link.

Publisher

Source: Race Wire

For several months, the media has been pushing the fairy tale that the United States moved beyond racism with the election of President Obama. As untrue as that is, there are people who started acting on their post-racial fantasies years ago, eight years in fact, as the Bush Administration used that excuse to essentially stop enforcing the civil rights laws we already have. President Obama and his administration have the opportunity to take dramatic steps towards dismantling institutional racism and inequality by simply enforcing the laws that are already on the books. Rather than blindness or silence, taking this action requires us to live in reality so that we can change that reality.

On November 5th, 2008, we woke up in a nation where people of color are nearly twice as likely as Whites to live near toxic waste dumps. We woke up in a nation where healthcare inequities mean that a Black child is more than twice as likely as a White child to die before age one. We woke up in a nation where Black and Latino students are more than 20 percent less likely to graduate from school than their White classmates and more than twice as likely to be arrested when they are at school. All of these disparities exist with government support or permission. More Here

Cross posted on African American Political Pundit and The Post Racial Blog

Commentary: 'Post-racial' America isn't here yet

By Leonard Pitts Jr.

Source: CNN.com

Indeed, one suspects the National Urban League's recently released 2009 State of Black America report quantifying racial inequities in employment, housing, education, criminal justice, health and other arenas will be about as welcome as graffiti on the Lincoln Memorial among those Americans who convinced themselves in November the country had entered a "post-racial" era.

Those Americans will be overwhelmingly white and will resist with mighty determination the report's implicit argument: that we have not yet overcome, not yet reached the Promised Land, not yet come to a point where race is irrelevant, Barack Obama notwithstanding.

Years spent engaging Americans on the knotty conundrums of race leave me confident in that prediction. So does a 2008 Gallup poll in which 46 percent of non-Hispanic whites said there is no widespread racism against blacks. But it took a Yale University study to help me understand why some whites feel that way.

Psychology professor Richard Eibach was reported last year in the Washington Post as having found that in judging racial progress, white people and black ones tend to use different yardsticks. Whites use the yardstick of how far we have come from the nation we used to be. Blacks use the yardstick of how far we have yet to go to be the nation we ought to be.

The most complete picture, of course, requires both measures. But who can be surprised that blacks and whites each tend to gravitate toward the measure that is most forgiving of their individual groups, that shoves the onus for change off on the other? The black yardstick, after all, leaves black people no obligation other than to demand justice and equality from white people. The white yardstick requires of white people only that they exhort black people to become more self-reliant and take more responsibility for their own problems. More HERE

Post-racial USA after Obama not happening

By NNPA Columnist Nicole C. Lee

Source: Frost Illustrated

Since the Obama-phenomenon began, some commentators have clamored to declare the U.S. racial problems a thing of the past. Mimicking Francis Fukuyama’s notion of the “end of history,” these pundits claim that now that the U.S. has a black president, the verdict is in: people of color can stop worrying. Racism is finished. The glorious post-racial era has begun.

Huh?

Remember election night? When Obama was declared the projected winner, we cheered and hugged. A few minutes later, we were on the streets celebrating with thousands of other black, white and brown strangers. It was a great moment, a confirmation that change is possible. But unlike a fairy tale, happily ever after in this so-called postracial America is not a foregone conclusion.

As the honeymoon begins to wear off, all too soon because of the financial crisis, experts looking at foreign policy will tell you clearly that post-racial America is still executing policies that are anything but “post-racial.”

The Obama administration has decided not to participate in the World Conference Against Racism. This is a United Nation conference whose purpose is to look at the effects of racism in countries and regions, and to develop progress benchmarks that countries agree to meet. The U.S. attended the conference in 2001 only to pull out before agreeing to the document, disagreeing with language about the Israel- Palestinian conflict as well as language about reparations for slavery. Two weeks ago, the Obama administration sent a team to negotiate terms by which the U.S. would agree to participate but in the end, they determined that the U.S. would not participate in this multilateral event.

The WCAR was not a perfect process; the final document was certainly not perfect. But, this conference is one of the most important processes to globally address the legacy and current realities of racism. Where else can people of Africa and the African Diaspora in places like Europe, the Middle East, all over Latin America and even the U.S. come together to address racism and xenophobia, and have their voices heard?

The Congressional Black Caucus has shown leadership in their dedication to still attend the conference despite the administration’s decision. But, it is extremely detrimental for the first administration led by an African American to not send an official delegation to a conference that needs the leadership that Obama can uniquely provide.

Unfortunately, post-racial America also seems to mean that Haitian immigrants still will be afforded disparate treatment. The government of Haiti has requested Temporary Protected Status, a designation that would suspend deportations to Haiti, because four hurricanes hit last year, but the U.S. has refused to grant the request. Haiti is in the midst of a humanitarian disaster. The storms cost Haiti 15 percent of its total GDP, and Haitian children are eating pies made of mud due to the lack of food.

Even though countries in Central America such as El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua have received TPS in the aftermath of natural disasters, Haiti has never received it. In the first 50 days of Obama’s administration, more than 30,000 Haitians received deportation orders.

Mothers are being deported even though they have husbands and children who are U.S. citizens. Young people without families in Haiti are being deported with no safety net. Some have said the policy towards Haiti is not racially based. But, given this disparate treatment and the legacy of poor treatment of Haitians who come to our shores with legitimate claims, what other conclusion can be found? More HERE

"Bloggers Roundup" established by Shawn Williams

It's been a few weeks since NPR’s News and Notes, and it's segment called Bloggers Roundtable with Farai Chideya went off the air. We all miss the News and Notes family.

Well there is good news folks, brother Shawn Williams, publisher of The Dallas South Blog, and producer of The Shawn P. Williams Show, and his co-host Kristin, are planning a new bloggers talk show on blogtalkradio called, "Bloggers RoundUp."

Starting this week on The Shawn P. Williams Show, Kristin and Shawn will host their first Bloggers Roundup on Thursday April 2nd.

Carmen D. from the blog All About Race and this African American Political Pundit will be the first guest of the program. Shawn has contacted a representative at NPR and Farai to let them know he plans to “take care” of the concept until they bring it back. More HERE

Spread the word check out The Shawn P. Williams Show,Thursday April 2nd at 10:00 PM E.S.T.

Another White Guy In Black Face - 2009 Style

Here is an interesting post about George Barich. You see, this guy has made a name for himself, with controversy over his "blackface" photo. H/T Antoinette a regular at my blogtalkRadio program for the link. Another Post-Racial Moment?






Now it appears that residents are asking for Barich's resignation after this city councilman got dressed up and played out his fantasy of being a black man. One has to wonder what other fantasies he wants to play out?


He now writes in his blog: Keeping Cotati "funky" brought outrage from the Cotati Chamber of Commerce. What appeared to be an orchestrated move by a far-left fringe group of the Cotati Chamber of Commerce, three chamber members called for Barich's resignation at a city council meeting but failed to articulate exactly the reason why.

3-25-09: For fear of looking like racists themselves, speakers John Moore, Andre Morrow, and Cheryl Nixon stopped just short of offering an explanation as to what it is about this blog that offended them so much. It was very obvious that none of them wanted to begin to discuss who is "white", who is "black", and who really gives a damn while our town heads closer to bankruptcy each day. Perplexed faces from the audience confirmed that a political witch hunt was being performed right before their eyes. The Chamber has yet to come up with a plan to promote more economic development in Cotati, and appeared to be upstaged by a lone council member who is single handedly doing their job for them by recycling an old bumper sticker as a new slogan for the town, Keep Cotati Funky.

At the meeting recess, Barich supporters and other chamber members thanked Barich for bringing attention to the blatant racism of people like Andre Morrow who claims to hold a monopoly of being the only Afro-American in the audience. For a town that strives to be more "color blind", it was clear Cotati city leaders were again, deeply disturbed by Morrow's comments.

Morrow had been chastised by Mayor Guardino in the past for bringing racist comments into a city meeting earlier in the year. Cheryl Nixon embarrassed herself further by suggesting that other council members control the free speech of Barich on his private blog who will not conform to the far-left political agenda which is losing favor in town.

No council action was taken.

John Moore, who has previously promised Barich to run him out of town for his fiscal conservatism and for exposing John's Moore's Marxist's views, appeared sober, and suffered another huge personal defeat by not getting the support from the audience he had hoped for.

What do you think?

Cross posted on African American Political Pundit.com

Dallas Police Officer Should Be Fired!

AAPP: More heartless bullying of black men by police, again ... caught on tape. This time it's Police delaying an NFL player from seeing his dying mother-In-Law. The NY Times says it best when they said, a Dallas police officer makes death even worse. The Dallas News is also on point when they write, Editorial: Dallas cop doesn't deserve his badge.

As reported by the Associated Press, A Dallas police officer was put on desk duty after pulling over an NFL player rushing to see his dying mother-in-law in the hospital and holding him in the hospital parking lot as she died. Dallas Police Officer Robert Powell stopped Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats' SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center during the early hours of March 18 after Moats rolled through a red light.

The Dallas Morning News provides an unedited Dallas police dashboard camera video shows traffic stop of NFL player Ryan Moats. The Dallas Morning News provides the nearly 17-minute video shows the entire incident involving Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats and Dallas police officer Robert Powell. Moats was rushing his wife and two of her family members to a hospital, where his mother-in-law lay dying. She died while Moats and his wife's grandfather waited outside the hospital for the officer to issue a ticket. Edited

Moats and his family had gotten a call saying his mother-in-law was dying.
Video from a dashboard camera inside the officer's vehicle, obtained by Dallas-Fort Worth station WFAA-TV, revealed an intense exchange in which the officer threatened to jail Moats.
He ordered Moats' wife, Tamishia Moats, to get back in the SUV, but she ignored him and rushed inside the hospital to see her mother, Jonetta Collinsworth, 45, and was by her side when she died a short time later. She had breast cancer.

"Get in there," said Powell, yelling at 27-year-old Tamishia Moats, as she exited the car. "Let me see your hands!"

"Excuse me, my mom is dying," Tamishia Moats said. "Do you understand?"

Moats explained that he waited until there was no traffic before proceeding through the red light and that his mother-in-law was dying, right then.

Moats couldn't find his insurance paperwork, and was desperate to leave.
"Listen, if I can't verify you have insurance...," Officer Powell said. "My mother-in-law is dying," Moats interrupted.

As they argued, the officer got irritated. "Shut your mouth," the officer said. "You can either settle down and cooperate or I can just take you to jail for running a red light."
By the time the 26-year-old NFL player received a ticket and a lecture from Powell, 25, at least 13 minutes had passed.

When he and Collinsworth's father entered the hospital, they learned Collinsworth was dead, The Dallas Morning News reported in today's editions.
The Moatses, who are black, said they can't help but think that race might have played a part in how Powell, who is white, treated them.

"I think he should lose his job," said Ryan Moats, a Dallas native.

Powell was placed on disptach duty pending an investigation. The ticket issued to Moats was dismissed, Lt. Andy Harvey told WFAA-TV.

"There were some things that were said that were disturbing, to say the least," he told the Dallas Morning News.

Powell told police officials he believed he was doing his job, said Dallas Police Assistant Chief Floyd Simpson.

AAPP: What do you think should happen to this cops job? Should he be fired? Was he just doing his job?

Cross posted at African American Political Pundit.com

Black Women get Double Life Sentence for $11.00!C

Mississippi gave Gladys and Jamie Scott each a double-life sentence in an armed robbery where no one was murdered or harmed and the amount alleged to have been taken was a whopping $11.00.

This is a damn shame and a total injustice, says, African American Political Pundit. Can we get a post racial review of this injustice in Mississippi?







H/T and Shout Out to Nancy Lockhart, M.J.
Website: www.freethescottsisters.com


Scott County, MS ---- In a trial fraught with legal malpractice and witness coercion, Mississippi Judge Marcus Gordon oversaw one of the most blatantly corrupt trials in history, culminating in the staggering over-sentencing of sisters Gladys and Jamie Scott to double-life each in an armed robbery where no one was murdered or harmed and the amount alleged to have been taken was a whopping $11.00.

On December 24, 1993, the Scott County Sheriff’s Department arrested the Scott sisters for armed robbery even though three young males, ranging from ages 14 to 18, confessed to committing the crime. Despite this, the corrupt Mississippi sheriff used coercion, threats, and harassment to compel them to turn state’s evidence against the Scott sisters due to a long-standing vendetta against a family member. The 14-year-old male would later testify that he did not read the statement and was pressured to sign a written statement prepared by the sheriff without an attorney being present.

As if that weren't bad enough, these young women received incompetent legal representation at the lower court trial. Their attorneys, Firnist J. Alexander, Jr. and Gail Shaw-Pierson failed to interview and subpoena witnesses, only calling one witness when there were several. Incredibly, the jury never even heard any testimony from the alleged victims. The sisters were advised to not testify on their own behalf by their attorneys, Alexander and Shaw-Pierson, denying them the opportunity to speak for themselves.

In October of 1994, Jamie and Gladys Scott were sentenced to extraordinary double life terms each in prison, even though neither sister had prior convictions and there was no violence involved in these charges.

The four State’s witnesses provided conflicting testimony and one alleged accuser was not called to testify – he was not questioned or subpoenaed by defense attorneys Firnist J. Alexander, Jr. or Gail Shaw-Pierson. Witnesses admitted however, that reports prepared by the Sheriff, of their descriptions of the event contained no such claim. In other words, the sisters were not present. Jamie and Gladys Scott were not involved in the armed robbery and they did not conspire to plan such. Witnesses all testified that they were coerced and threatened by Deputy Sheriff Marvin Williams. Testimony also revealed that Marvin Williams prepared statements of the events from the night of December 24, 1994 BEFORE obtaining signatures and BEFORE the witnesses were brought into his office. In other words, the statements were not written by witnesses. (1) Three affidavits exist – they all state that the Scott Sisters were not involved in this robbery. One affidavit is written by a trustee of the local jail, his account of the facts reveal that a wallet was located a few days after this alleged robbery and that wallet contained the photo ID of one of the alleged victims of the trumped up robbery and three twenty dollar bills. The trustee also reveals that there was NOT a robbery, he was also threatened to be sent to Parchman Penitentiary if he told the truth.

According to the Request for Commutation of Sentence and/or Pardon prepared by attorney Chokwe Lumumba, the Scott Sisters challenged their convictions on direct appeal; arguing that there was insufficient evidence to convict them, and the guilty verdict was against the overwhelming weight of evidence, which should have exonerated them. The court of appeals found no error and affirmed the convictions on December 17, 1996. As a result, they filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court, which was denied on May 15, 1997. They consequently filed an Application for Leave to File Motion to Vacate Conviction pursuant to the Mississippi Post Conviction Collateral Relief Act. The Supreme Court also denied that application.

This family is shell-shocked, yet determined to fight on. They have tried to have faith that at some point this unbelievable travesty would be corrected and their upside-down lives righted. Yet 14 long years later nothing has changed, the women's five children are still being raised by their now ailing mother, and their father has died of a massive heart attack because of this. The emotional strain this burden has placed upon their family is immeasurable.

Jamie Scott writes, "What began as an implication and outright miscarriage of justice, has catapulted to destroy an entire family. Gladys was a 19 year old pregnant mother, and myself, Jamie, a 22 year old mother during the time of our arrest, conviction and sentencing for a crime we did not commit." She continued, "We are convinced that once this chain of events is exposed and unraveled, the events that occurred, the lives that have been destroyed, the pain and suffering the citizens of Scott County have endured; everyone will be utterly amazed, astonished and compelled to assist us in our plight for freedom. We pray that the people would insist upon an investigation into their misconduct and miscarriage of justice."

Gladys and Jamie’s older brother has recently returned from Iraq and has served in the US Army for 22 years, while his sisters remain victims of wrongful convictions in the very country that he proudly represents. The defendants and their family are wholly depending on support from the press, organizations, and all those dedicated to justice in making this debacle as public as possible.

Information source:

THE COMMITTEE TO FREE THE SCOTT SISTERS
CONTACT: NANCY LOCKHART, M.J.
P.O. BOX 389
Green Pond, SC 29446
Phone: 641-715-3900 Extension ~ 99222
Website: www.freethescottsisters.com
E-Mail: thewrongfulconviction@gmail.com


What You Can Do

Please Call The Governor's Office For The Scott Sisters

Please call the Governor’s office and ask to speak with Governor Haley Barbour. Please relay the message below.

1-877-405-0733 or 601-359-3150

Hello Governor Barbour I am calling in support of The Committee To Free The Scott Sisters.

My name is:________________

I would like to bring to your attention the case of Jamie and Gladys Scott.
The Scott Sisters have served 14 years 5 months of a double life term where no one was murdered or injured. State’s witnesses have testified to their innocence.

Their MDOC numbers are 19197 and 19142. Please free the Scott Sisters.

Thank you for your attention to this matter Governor Barbour.

If you choose to mail a letter to the governor via US mail the address is:
Governor Haley Barbour
P.O. Box 139
Jackson, Mississippi 39205

Thank you for your assistance in The Campaign ~To Contact The Governor Of Mississippi!

Black Man Tased and Beaten in Peoria, IL.

No Post Racial HERE.

A Peoria man was punched in the face, kicked, stomped on at least 20 times and repeatedly stunned with a Taser during his arrest by police after leading them on a brief chase in May.

---

Peoria Police Officers (above) Andrew Smith, left, and Gerald Suelter, were charged Wednesday with multiple counts of official misconduct and other charges in connection with the beating of another man.

Two of at least seven Peoria police officers involved in the arrest were formally charged Wednesday with multiple counts of official misconduct as well as mob action and battery for the alleged beating of then 33-year-old Bryce Scott.

Officers Gerald W. Suelter, 39, and Andrew R. Smith, 29, each face four counts of official misconduct and one count each of battery, mob action and aggravated battery. Both men appeared in court via video from the Peoria County Jail, where they have been held since their arrests on Monday.

Assistant State's Attorney Steve Pattelli on Wednesday offered details of the May arrest, both seen and those not caught on tape from an in-car video camera, that began after Scott stopped his SUV near Abington and Perry streets after a brief chase.

"One officer punched the driver at least twice in his face, and while three officers were handcuffing the driver, Peoria police officer Gerald Suelter approached and drew his electronic Taser . . . Suelter removed the air cartridge from his Taser and began to repeatedly stun the driver," Pattelli said, noting Scott was Tasered by Suelter at least three times.

"Peoria police Officer Andrew Smith was the last of the officers to arrive . . . after (Scott) had been pulled from the vehicle and was on the pavement with five other police officers above him," Pattelli continued. "When Smith arrived, he began to kick and stomp the driver at least 20 times, at one point repositioning himself for leverage." MORE HERE

By Denise Jackson at WEEK-TV reports:

Two Peoria police officers arrested for allegedly beating a man last May remain in custody tonight. They face a barrage of charges including aggravated battery and mob action.

The officers, Andrew Smith and Gerald Suelter (SEWL'–ter) are among six police officers named in a lawsuit filed by the victim Bryce Scott.

Dan Cusack is the attorney for Bryce Scott the man allegedly beaten by Peoria police officers last May after a chase in the North Valley.

The chase was captured on videotape in the squad car. After pulling over Scott put his hands out of the window as instructed by police and got out of his vehicle. The tape shows officers approaching Scott who is on the ground . Scott's attorney says without the videotape they would not have a good case against the police.

"To me it's just absolutely wrong. It's not about lawsuits. It's about a constitution and it's about activity and Bryce Scott is entitled to the constitution as much as Mother Theresa and he wasn't doing anything wrong at that point," Cusack said.

In January of this year Bryce filed a lawsuit against the police officers and the city. Cusack says his office has received about 30 complaints since the Scott incident. He is not sure if there is a pattern of excessive force among some Peoria cops.

He does not expect the civil lawsuit to go to trial until next year. The two police officers Smith and Suelter (SEWL'–ter) are scheduled to appear in Peoria County court tomorrow. More HERE

Now we learn that Taser International has a plan to gain millions in Obama stimulus money. More on this later!

Cross posted on African American Political Pundit and the blog Tasered While Black

Wash. State Video Shows Black Teen Being Beaten By Deputy.

Assault on Black America

As reported by the Washington Times a surveillance video released in an assault case against a King County, Wash. sheriff's deputy shows him kicking a black young girl, slamming her to the jail cell floor and striking her repeatedly. Check out the reports, on the Wash. State Video Shows Teen Being Beaten By Deputy.

The Washington Times reports King County sheriff's deputy kicks a 15-year-old girl, slams her to the floor of a jail cell, strikes her and pulls her hair in violence captured on videotape.

Prosecutors released the surveillance video Friday in the assault case against Deputy Paul Schene, who is accused of using excessive force on the girl. Schene, 31, pleaded not guilty to fourth-degree assault in Superior Court on Thursday.

The incident last November began after the girl was brought in for an auto theft investigation, according to court documents. The footage shows the attack beginning after the girl enters the cell at suburban SeaTac City Hall and kicks off one of her shoes toward the deputy. More Here

More on the black girl beat by police king county

Cross-Posted on African American Political Pundit