What goes through my my mind when I read the news with my morning coffee. …Or for the Simon's Rockers in the group, this is my response journal.
A former Virginia police officer was convicted Thursday in the killing of an unarmed 18-year-old man suspected of shoplifting.
Former Va. police officer convicted in killing of unarmed teen – NY Daily News
May all of his appeals end up just like his victim, dead on arrival.
“Let me go, let me go!” the 64-year-old suspect yelled as the employees held him down, according to police.
Higgins, a Walmart support manager, Nunez, a customer service manager, and Toko, who works in the store’s loss prevention unit, were arrested last week based on a medical examiner’s findings, which determined the cause of death was mechanical asphyxia — strangling or choking by hand. The autopsy also revealed Wisham had 15 broken ribs.
Each employee faces one manslaughter charge. They were arrested on Thursday and appeared before a judge Friday. According to James “Rusty” Franklin, the attorney for Higgins, all three have bonded out of jail.
Three Walmart Employees Charged After Shoplifter Dies
That is madness. Hope all three go to jail.
Surely, to whatever extent it can be “known” that a Clinton in the White House leads to right-wing extremism, it certainly was not known during the Third Reich — which occurred several decades before the first Clinton administration, at least according to the standard neoliberal calendar.
…The crisis in Weimar Germany had many causes, but one of them was the Communist Party’s insistence on destroying the Social Democrats. Because the Communists would not support any center-left government coalition, it was impossible to form a parliamentary majority without the Nazis. So whatever lessons about left-wing political strategy we should draw from the Nazi era, “withhold votes from the mainstream party that is the only viable alternative to the far right” is definitely not one of them.
…And yet, proceeding from her premise that Clintonism will lead to fascism, [Stein] concludes that she must “stand up to” both Donald Trump and the only candidate who can prevent Donald Trump from winning the presidency, in equal measure. “Neoliberalism” — the left-wing term of abuse for liberalism — leads to fascism, so we might as well skip the neoliberalism step and go straight to the fascism.
Jill Stein Explains Her Plan to Stop Trump by Electing Him President
What a freaking psycho whackjob this woman is…
Let me be as candid and transparent as possible: I was a very strong supporter of Bernie Sanders, and until the past four weeks, held out great hope that he would become our next President. Over the course of the past month, I have had to do a great deal of reflecting and ask myself where does this seemingly irrational antipathy for Hillary Clinton come from? Why have I participated in it? After doing some research and looking hard at systemic misogyny, I have had to confront myself with the truth that I bought into a narrative about Hillary Clinton that has been produced, packaged, and perpetuated by mostly the GOP with the help of many democrats and independents.
: Dear Hillary: How Very Dare You! | Social Justice For All
hmmm
“I can’t get this in one tweet. So bear with me.”
Whoa!
In 2014, the President set out to make meaningful changes to this country’s approach to clemency. To spotlight instances of over-sentencing in our prisons, the President directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prioritize petitions for commutations from individuals convicted of non-violent drug offenses who were serving longer sentences than they would be given today if convicted of the same crime.
President Obama Commutes the Sentences of 214 Additional People | whitehouse.gov
hmmm
Korryn Gaines shooting: US police kill woman as child watched – BBC News
Calling this anything that 1st degree murder is a lie.
Any cop who is OK with this, or obstructs and investigation into this is culpable in this crime. Until the police drop the law-evading and law-flaunting thin blue line, very single one of them is guilty of every single sick, twisted, and violent crimes officers across this corrupt, racist, and increasingly fascist country commit. Every single one. Guilty of murder one.
Police have the right to shoot to kill when they are in danger? fine. If they shoot someone who poses no danger they should go directly to jail. Until then they are not upholding the law, they are disrespecting it, and deserve no respect (and no credit for serving the public.)
At least 682 people have been killed by American cops so far this year. The average person in my circle can probably only name two of them.
To be fair, sometimes police must use lethal force to protect themselves and the community they pledge to serve. Other times, the lethal force was an optional choice. Police, for instance, did not need to choke Eric Garner to death to protect themselves. Police, for instance, did not need to shoot Tamir Rice or John Crawford or Rekia Boyd to protect themselves. Police did not need to shoot Amadou Diallo or Sean Bell or Ramarley Graham to protect anyone. Even they thought they needed to — they were wrong. All of those men and women posed no true threat to anyone, but police chose to kill them based on their incorrect assumptions.
…Gaines was wanted for several petty misdemeanors — traffic violation, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Why it took a team of men to arrive at her home over these violations is not yet clear. What is clear, is that Gaines did not feel comfortable turning herself over to police, possibly because she had her 5-year-old son with her.
…Police decided to go ahead and shoot her instead, killing her. Police do not dispute that they shot first. They claim she shot at them after they shot at her. Her young son was shot in the process and is currently hospitalized.
KING: Cynicism over mom slain by cops illustrates white privilege – NY Daily News
What the fuck is wrong with people that this stuff goes on? What the fuck is wrong with Baltimore that with all of the actual danger they have to protect citizens from they are shooting and killing a 23 mother in front of her young son because she had some minor violations? Where the sense of justice and perspective? Where is the value of the citizenry’s life? Where is the value of the life of young black people? What is wrong with this country that we tolerate our police departments acting like vicious gangs of murderers even once?
As long as any police department acts like this and gets away with no law enforcement agency in this country deserves the respect of the citizenry they hunt with impunity.
FUCK THE PIGS. BBQ THEM!!! IT’s what they would do to you. And if they wouldn’t, they certainly cover of for a fellow officer who did who they are ALL GUILTY of these crimes.
<snicker> awesome.
Hillary Clinton’s speech at the Democratic National Convention, as prepared for delivery.
Full text: Hillary Clinton’s DNC speech – POLITICO
hmmm
Lawyer for female inmate says jailers refused to give her feminine hygiene products for days, in addition to not giving her pants
Kentucky judge furious at jailers for not giving woman pants – CBS News
WTF?! That jail should be closed and the staff brought up on charges.
Since Bernie Sanders endorsed Hillary Clinton, I’ve heard a number of Sanders supporters indicate that they’re considering supporting Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party’s nominee…
…the Libertarians are political and economic Luddites. They want to go back to the bad old days when governments didn’t do anything for anybody and if your sister got sick and you didn’t have the money she died on the street.
Gary Johnson is Worse than Donald Trump | Benjamin Studebaker
Yup.
A casting call was sent out last week “looking to cast people for the event to wear t-shirts and carry signs and help cheer him in support of his announcement.”
Heh
Refugees join with the Franco community to revitalize a language some had feared could disappear in the state.
This. Is. Awesome.
Errr…
Ç’est Magnifique!
Never mind that former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Republican, has said he used a system similar to Clinton’s — and never mind that in 2007 Karl Rove deleted 22 million emails from a private server in the Bush White House — a matter about which the Beltway media said little and Republicans in Congress, like Rep. John Boehner, said nothing.
Anyone remember this?
Anyone?
Bueller?
Bueller?
Government officials revealed tougher EPA regulations aimed at providing consistent protection to farmworkers across the country.
New Rules Aim to Reduce Farmworkers’ Exposure to Pesticides | Video | NJTV News
Really? Because they don’t sound like they are aimed at doing anything except dancing around the problem and creating more regulations/work for farmers to deal with.
An environmental law group sues the Department of Agriculture over pesticides detected in local waters at popular sites.
State Sued Over Kauai Pesticides – Civil Beat News
hmm
Bill Clinton loves balloons more than anything | The Verge
OK, I’ll stop now but this one has the best video of Bill!
On Thursday evening, Hillary Clinton gave the speech she’s been waiting for more than a decade to give: A grave promise to take care of America when she becomes president, along with a clear outline of her policies and a full-throated takedown of Donald Trump. Oh, and then Hillary and Bill Clinton, plus Tim Kaine’s family, drowned in balloons.
These Bill & Hillary Clinton Balloon Drop Memes & GIFs Will Make You Laugh Out Loud | Bustle
awesome.
The U.S. Army whistleblower could face indefinite solitary confinement.
More Charges for Chelsea Manning After Suicide Attempt – The Atlantic
Man I wish I was commander in chief for a day or two. I have some fucking commands for the fucking military…
And why is it that no one from military/government ever serves time or is charged for malfeasance unless they are the whistleblower.
Oh what I would do with 24 hours in charge!
The North Carolina GOP thought Kaine’s pin was the flag of Honduras. It was the Blue Star Service pin for his son, a deployed Marine.
North Carolina GOP called Kaine “shameful” for pin honoring his Marine son | McClatchy DC
<facepalm>
Definition of reactionary.
She’s not perfect, but she’s the responsible choice
Michael Bloomberg’s speech made the Hillary hater’s case for Hillary – Vox
hmmm
The former police commissioner in charge when Freddie Gray died from injuries sustained in a Baltimore police van said State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby is “in over her head” and has added more flaws to a broken justice system by prosecuting innocent officers.
Former police commissioner: Mosby ‘incompetent’ and ‘vindictive’ – Baltimore Sun
Sure being a police officer is supposed to be an honorable profession but that honor is tarnished when officers disrespect the laws they are supposed to be upholding. And that is exactly what happens when officers cover for each other or obstruct investigations into “their own.” The honor of the badge is tarnished. When a police officer covers up for another officer they aren’t just “protecting their own,” they are choosing their fellow officers over the public they are sworn to protect and the laws they are sworn to enforce.
As President Barack Obama took the stage at the Democratic National Convention inside the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night, chaos erupted nearby.
As Obama speaks, chaos and arrests outside DNC
If you want to protest, protest. If you want to riot, riot. Don’t do one and call it the other though.
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