What do these protesters want, anyways???- Page 2

[Taryn]

Posted: 12/8/14 at 4:49pm

It doesn't really matter what the racial breakdown of a community is when the average black person is still stopped by the police more often than the average white person. This is the case even in neighborhoods that are predominantly white. Even when whites end up more likely to have something illegal on them in random stops. And those are all just stats from NYC's Stop and Frisk.

People also love to talk about how crime rates are higher in black communities, which clearly justifies police focus on them, ignoring the fact that this crime isn't a racial problem, it's an ECONOMIC one. Because for SOME REASON, these communities also tend to be poorer and more disadvantaged, which is the real issue. America has spent hundreds of years enslaving and disenfranchising an entire population of people, and then turns around now to go, "What's your ****ing problem?"

[HorseTears]

Posted: 12/8/14 at 5:25pm

Add to that independent prosecutors to present charges against cops to grand juries; really surprised this is not included in the list.

I wish the focus of the media's attention on the protesters would switch from hate-the-cops to what's wrong with prosecutorial misconduct and the misuse of the grand-jury system.

There will always be a few bad cops who go too far, but with honest prosecutors a changes to the grand-jury system, they would be properly punished.


Okay, I'm obviously woefully ignorant of this part of the system. I stopped watching Law & Order in the 90s. Are there currently city/county/State prosecutors who don't work for their local DA's office? Or is this a new type of role we'd have to create? Either way, these^ comments are dead on. Having a prosecutor who is basically a close colleague of law enforcement is a recipe for disaster when you have a cop as defendant.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 12/8/14 at 6:31pm

HorseTears, special prosecutors are nothing new. They are appointed on certain cases where there is a conflict with the local d.a.. (or similar prosecutorial agency). Often times the attorney appointed is not currently working in prosecution but often he or she has had prosecutorial or at least highly related experience. At other times they are attorneys who currently work as prosecutors in another jurisdiction.

Ken Starr was an independent prosecutor appointed to investigate various concerns around Bill Clinton because, obviously, Janet Reno would have had a conflict of interest, her being Clinton's Attorney General. Similarly, Patrick Fitzgerald investigated the government in the Valerie Plame cia-outing case and Archibald Cox investigated Richard Nixon in Watergate.

In the instance of complaints against cops, there would not nec. need to be ad hoc appointments of independent prosecutors; rather each state could have a permanent prosecutorial agency assigned to investigate criminal complaints against the police (in addition to already existing internal affairs bureaus, civil complaint review boards, etc. which are of civil investigating agencies rather than criminal (although what's being investigated might also be criminal)), thus removing the agency from the appearance of a conflict of interest that would attend a local prosecution by the District Attorney.



Updated On: 12/8/14 at 06:31 PM

[HorseTears]

Posted: 12/8/14 at 6:33pm

Thanks, Henrik!

[South Florida]

Posted: 12/8/14 at 6:41pm

All you guys have valid points. Taryn really resonated. Right now I think the police are getting an unwarranted bad name, however, it's easy to see that racial profiling happens. I don't know if matching the police forces make up to coincide with the community is the answer, but I think it's worth a try.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 12/8/14 at 7:43pm

unwarranted ????

[South Florida]

Posted: 12/12/14 at 9:10pm

I can't breathe 11 times, and 4 cops around to be there in case he was lying, you're right horse tears, it breaks the heart, but a justice department can only look into if it was racial. I hope civil court finds some justice. But once again, the legal system and who goes to jail, so tainted against the poor it hurts.

[South Florida]

Posted: 12/12/14 at 9:13pm

What really freaks me is that some are claiming he killed himself by screaming he can't breathe, messed up.

[South Florida]

Posted: 12/12/14 at 9:15pm

However, cops are very used to hearing the "I can't breathe" complaint, but when there are 5 around how can you not let up. Bummer.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 12/14/14 at 4:25am

Did any of you participate in or witness the big protests this weekend? I recently had to relocate to the quiet burbs, but if I were still in LA, I'd certainly have participated. The NY protests looked massive.

[Taryn]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 2:00pm

I wasn't able to participate, but the march actually got all the way out to Crown Heights, which I was thrilled by. I was shocked to hear it that evening when I was home.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 2:10pm

Some tasty thought nuggets and suggestions…


… on being a white person in solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement

Updated On: 12/15/14 at 02:10 PM

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 3:22pm

"Sometimes the best thing that we can do is stay home."??

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 4:26pm

I know! We're white people! We get to go wherever we want and we should be treated with the respect we would get from any FAN ON THE STREET.

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 4:39pm

How cool is it that if you're white you can just sit home and still count it as supporting the black community. They really make being white so easy sometimes...

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 4:43pm

I think that's where the other personal steps come in. Like talking to other white people about racism, because, I don't know about you, but there are a lot of white people in my life who really don't understand that we're not all on a level playing field. And it's a risky proposition to do it. I've done anti-racist work for decades and I'm embarrassed by how often I let things slide with some people I know and love because it's easier. Easier doesn't make anything better.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 12/16/14 at 6:45pm

I saw a video of some white people protesting with the black community. That's actually touching in a way...

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 12/17/14 at 1:37pm

'The Blind Side' woman does something racist, gets retweeted by white people

Updated On: 12/17/14 at 01:37 PM

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 12/17/14 at 2:22pm

^Ugh. I really, really hated The Blind Side too.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/17/14 at 3:40pm

Imagine my surprise when I went to Namo's link and there were more words than just "stay home."

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/17/14 at 3:50pm

Yeah, it is surprising someone would only quote the passage they were mentioning, and not the entire blogpost...

[South Florida]

Posted: 12/17/14 at 3:54pm

Namo it's so true. You want to tell people you hate their racism or homophobia, but when they're family it's harder. I have gun loving family members and that's hard for me.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 12/17/14 at 7:29pm

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/22/14 at 2:55pm

Yeah, it is surprising someone would only quote the passage they were mentioning, and not the entire blogpost...

But it seems like you deliberately ignored all the other words around it.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/22/14 at 2:59pm

I think the "but you don't mean ME" response is a very common one. I can't BELIEVE they don't realize I'm a very special exception to the generalities! Some of my best friends are… ! We white people have a hard time hearing that some of our actions can be unhelpful.