Obit: In Honor of Aime' Cesaire: Thinking Clearly and Dangerously

"In Honor of Aimé Césaire: Thinking Clearly and Dangerously"
By Dr. Maulana Karenga

Aimé Césaire (1913-2008), one of the great minds and men of African people and the world, made transition last Thursday at the age of 94, rising up in radiance, highly valued and vindicated by his work in the world and the legacy he left and thus, worthy of eternal life in this world and the next. Surely as it is written in the Husia, "he shall be counted among the ancestors, his name shall endure as a monument and what he has done on earth shall never perish or pass away". Césaire was a literary lion-a poet, novelist, playwright, journals founder and editor; a political leader, the mayor of Fort de France, the capital of Martinique, his beloved land, for 56 years and representative of his people in the French Assembly for 45 years.

An anti-colonialist and cultural nationalist, Césaire focused on culture as the fundamental ground for liberation, still arguing in 1997 in an UNESCO interview that "just at the moment when Africa is truly being born into the world, it is in greater danger than ever of dying unto itself", if it abandons its own culture and its people lose their essential selves and become as Fanon taught "obscene caricatures" of others. Indeed, he notes "the shield of a merely political independence, unaccompanied and unsupplemented by cultural independence, would in the long run prove to be the most unreliable of shields and the most untruthworthy of safeguards". It is this position on the centrality of culture in the struggle for full liberation that drew us to his writings and reasoning as activist intellectuals and students in the 60's and as advocates (members) of our organization Us. Although his classic poem Notebook of a Return to My Native Land was a key statement of his philosophy and focus, it is his seminal work Discourse on Colonialism and his other essays such as "Culture et Colonisation" and interviews on culture that were our central references and resource, along with Toure, Fanon, Cabral et al.

In his Discourse, Césaire starts with the fundamental assertion that Europe in its current colonial, capitalist and racist form "is unable to justify itself" and "is morally, spiritually indefensible". For, in spite of its self-sanitizing self-portrait, colonialism is not about evangelization, philanthropy, education, humanitarian concern or "for the glory of God". It is the violent project of those committed to plunder and piracy, gold-digging and greed, and a world-scale commerce without conscience.

He contrasts Europe's claim of benevolence with the magnitude of its malevolence imposed on the people of color and the internal malignancy which emerges as Nazism. He says "They talk to me about progress", but he talks instead of millions killed, tortured and sacrificed to profit, instilled with fear and inferiority complexes, denied justice, and reduced to serving the cruel and crushing interests of the oppressor. And he talks of "societies drained of their essence, cultures trampled underfoot, institutions undermined, lands confiscated, religions smashed, magnificent artistic creations destroyed, extraordinary possibilities wiped out". Césaire argues that racism and colonialism are directly linked to the rise of Nazism. Indeed, he reminds Whites "that before they were its victims, they were its accomplices". Thus, he says, what the Europeans "cannot forgive Hitler for is not the crime in itself, the crime against man; . . . it's the crime against the White man and the fact that he applied to Europe colonialist procedures which until then had been reserved exclusively for (peoples of color)".

Here he reminds us of "the value of our old societies which were not only ante-capitalist . . . , but also anti-capitalist". He argues in defense of those democratic, cooperative and fraternal societies and suggests our building a new society "rich with all the productive power of modern times, warm with all the fraternity (and sorority) of olden days". In his interview with the Haitian poet, Rene Depestre in Havana in 1967, he talks of his coming to consciousness, working with Léopold Senghor and Léon Damas on the journal, the Black Student, searching "beneath the social being (for) a profound being": rooted in history and culture. This he called Négritude, Negroness, Blackness, Africanness and he and his colleagues launched a movement around this project of cultural recovery.

Césaire criticizes and eventually breaks from his communist colleagues whom he labels "abstract communists", who questioned his solidarity with other Africans and commitment to culture. He argued that "the emancipation of (Black people) consisted of more than just a political emancipation"; they had also to free their minds and culture from racist conceptions and constraints. Indeed, he says, "our struggle was a struggle against alienation. That struggle gave birth to Négritude". Moreover, he maintains, "we must have a concrete consciousness of what we are-that is of the first fact of our lives: that we are Black; that we are Black and have a history". Furthermore, we must accept and assert that our culture is worthy of the highest respect, contains "universalizing, living values that (have) not been exhausted" and has an important contribution to make to the world.

Césaire also argued that we must resist the tendencies to label our commitment to ourselves and our culture as narrow, racist, separatist or any new negative names assembled from the right or the left or try to be "universal" at the expense of our particular selves and culture. He says Europeans "told us that in order to be universal we had to start by denying that we were Black. I, on the contrary, said to myself that the more we are Black, the more universal we would be". For if the universal is to be real, it must be, as we say in Kawaida, based on mutual respect for each people and culture as a unique and equally valuable way of being human in the world.

Finally, these are among his most important words and wishes for us: that we struggle in radical, progressive and productive ways to liberate ourselves culturally and politically and make our own unique contribution to history and humanity, and that we remain acutely "aware of the non-negotiable responsibility that goes with a consciously accepted identity" as Africans. This too he would want for us: that we recognize "we are always, all of us, warriors; that the war takes different forms at different times"; but we must always be "in rebellion against . . . things that are unacceptable" and that we constantly strive "to see clearly, to think clearly -- that is dangerously" and to act likewise in the ongoing interest of our people and the good of the world.

Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor of Black Studies, California State University-Long Beach, Chair of The Organization Us, Creator of Kwanzaa, and author of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture, http://www.Us-Organization.org and http://www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org.

The continuing American hatred for Black life

HERBERT: Clueless in America : Information Clearing House - ICH

Clueless in America : Information Clearing House - ICH

E-Newsletter: Communities United Against Police Brutality

KEEP UP THE FIGHT FOR FREE SPEECH!
PS&RS Meeting
Wednesday, April 23
1:00 p.m.
Minneapolis City Hall
350 S 5th Street, Rm 317

When we last reported on the machinations of free speech in Minneapolis, the "Free Speech" Working Group was looking at three proposals--two would require mandatory permits and one would "encourage" voluntary permits, even for demonstrations on sidewalks that don't block the streets or pedestrian traffic. We are, of course, opposed to all of these measures--even the "voluntary" scheme would allow the police chief to be the sole arbiter on who gets permits and would allow the cops to change the rules "on the fly"--while an event is in progress. See the statement below for a full analysis of why we oppose these measures.

The fight for free speech has moved to a new stage as the city council essentially relieved the "Free Speech" Working Group of their duties after it appeared that the group was leaning strongly in favor of the proposal for voluntary permits. This didn't square well with certain more reactionary city council members, who want to use this opportunity to force through a highly restrictive ordinance that would hamstring the community for years to come. At its last meeting, the Public Safety & Regulatory Services (PS&RS) committee thanked the working group for its efforts and took the ball back out of their court, ordering the city attorney's office to prepare a "staff recommendation" [read: legal justification for what the council president wants] to be presented at the next meeting. April 23rd is this next meeting. The meeting after, May 7, other members of the "Free Speech" Working Group will have their turn to talk, including the police chief and fire chief. Finally, on May 21 there MAY be a public hearing (no guarantees) and then the committee will take a vote. Note the elaboate effort to block out all input from the community.

THAT'S WHY YOU NEED TO BE AT THIS NEXT MEETING. We need to sit right out front and let it be known that we will not go passively away while they decimate our First Amendment rights. And we need to be at every meeting along the way, objecting to their efforts to clamp down on free speech. So mark your calendars now: April 23, May 7, May 21, all at 1:00 p.m.

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STATEMENT ON PERMITS FOR FREE SPEECH

In recent months, the city councils of Minneapolis and St. Paul formed “Free Speech” Working Groups ostensibly to “protect” free speech during the Republican National Convention. However, these groups have met secretively and pressed for new ordinances that would clamp down on dissent and criminalize activities that are perfectly legal if engaged in for purposes other than protest. St. Paul has already passed a draconian ordinance and has begun “practicing” use of it on protesters.

Protest on sidewalks that doesn’t obstruct pedestrian or vehicle traffic has always been legal and has never required a permit, since it is no different than people gathering to cheer on their sports team, watch a parade, or for any other purpose. The St. Paul ordinance has changed this, and individuals protesting peacefully at an embassy in St. Paul recently felt the “iron heel” of the state when police announced a dispersal order and rushed in to arrest people as they were dispersing.

The Minneapolis “Free Speech” Working Group is working to craft a similar law. There are three proposals on the table­two requiring mandatory registration and one on voluntary registration.

We oppose all proposals for regulation of free speech on general principle. We reject the “need” for government “protection” of our free speech.

The First Amendment to the Constitution IS our permit to protest. Under this amendment, the government is prohibited from "abridging the freedom of speech...or the right of the people peaceably to assemble..." We neither need nor ask the City of Minneapolis or any other governmental entity to "protect" or "guarantee" our right to free speech. The proper role of the government regarding free speech is not to protect it, but to GET OUT OF OUR WAY as we practice what is already guaranteed to us as a right. The First Amendment is there to protect US from THEM­the government.

Permitting schemes are unneeded and won’t be obeyed.

Permitting schemes are a solution in search of a problem. Twin Cities activists have a long history of well organized protest. We do a far better job at marshalling our own crowds than the police ever could. No one has ever been injured during a protest except by actions of police. Even during protests in the streets (which already require permits), protesters are quick to move aside for ambulances and other emergency vehicles­far faster than the cars that would normally be on the streets.

Members of the Minneapolis “Free Speech” Working Group have repeatedly stated that their primary interest in creating a permitting process is to “gather information” on protests­information they are simply not entitled to. Why would the city need to know when people are going to use a sidewalk?

The bottom line: People are going to protest the Republican National Convention. Some will cooperate with the permit scheme but the vast majority will not even be aware of it or will choose to ignore it on principle. No one else gathering on a sidewalk is required to get a permit­why should people practicing free speech be any different?

Permitting schemes are an invitation to police violence against protesters.

Current law requires permits for demonstrations that block the streets. Proposals under consideration by the Minneapolis city council would criminalize merely gathering on the sidewalk with the intent of expressing political speech. Not only is this unconstitutional but would give cops­who often look for excuses to violate the rights of protesters­another tool for repressing dissent. With the city spending large sums of money on Tasers and other weaponry, police will be eager to ply these weapons on protesters. We have already seen this in action at the September 2007 Critical Mass bicycle ride, in which hundreds were pepper sprayed, Tased and beaten while legally riding their bicycles.

The Bush Administration and other Republican leaders are the REAL lawbreakers. What are the cities doing to protect US from them?

While Minneapolis and St. Paul are expending great energy figuring out ways to clamp down on free speech, they are giving free reign to real lawbreakers­of national and international laws regarding wars of aggression, torture, human rights, and so much more. These are people who are responsible for the deaths of millions. They kill people to steal their oil. They ply oppressive measures such as roadblocks and checkpoints throughout Iraq and Palestine.

Why are the cities spending enormous amounts of money and effort to control protests when true criminals will be openly coming to our cities? Shouldn’t they be making plans to arrest and prosecute these criminals?

Why are blatant lawbreakers welcomed as “an opportunity” while protesters are seen as “the problem”?

Both groups will bring large numbers of people to the Twin Cities, spending money, and bringing the attention that our city leaders crave. Both will cause some disruptions in the daily lives of our local community. Yet the cities have been working for over a year to accommodate the RNC while pulling out all the stops to thwart and frustrate the planning efforts of protest leaders with excessive delays and constructive denials of the permits we have applied for, unnecessary restrictions on our activities and other tactics. Through this conduct, the cities already show a preference and take a political stand in favor of rich lawbreakers over the community.

What­if anything­should the cities do toward free speech?

If members of the city councils really wished to respect our First Amendment rights, they would remove the burdensome permit processes in place in both cities’ parks. They would eliminate ordinances blocking the use of amplified sound at demonstrations. They would craft policies that reign in police and reduce the risk of police violence during protests. These, rather than new restrictions on the practice of free speech, would leave a positive legacy long after the RNC leaves town.

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OFFICIAL CHANNELS FOR POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY NEARLY NON-EXISTENT IN MINNEAPOLIS

Official channels for police accountability in Minneapolis--the Civilian Review Authority, the Civil Rights Department, the Police Community Relations Council, and the Internal Affairs Department of the MPD--have become, for a variety of reasons, ineffective at addressing improper conduct by police officers. In some cases, agencies lacks the power or political will. In other cases, the agency itself acts as a stumbling block for the community in holding police accountable.

Civilian Review Authority

Started in 1991 after a groundswell of popular demand, this agency has undergone multiple waves of redesigns and reforms. Some have helped to improve functioning but mostly these efforts have weakened an already troubled agency. The agency is further stymied by direction from city attorneys who substitute the interests of the city for the interests of their client. Most recently, the agency has been significantly weakened by a unique interpretation of the law by assistant city attorney Lisa Needham, who directed the CRA to change all of its rulings from sustained or non-sustained to "closed"--a ruling that has absolutely nothing to do with the actual status of the case but everything to do with removing complaints from the realm of public data, even if sustained and disciplined.

With 9 vacancies out of 11 positions, the board of the CRA is currently all but defunct. They haven't held a hearing since December. The city council will question applicants for the 9 open positions at a meeting tomorrow and we'll be monitoring the hearings to get a sense of these potential board members. However, even if all of the board positions are filled with people who believe in police accountability (which is highly improbable), by the time the new board is trained and begins hearing cases again--June or July at best--they will already be months behind.

The agency itself is chronically underfunded, with a terrible shortage of investigators. An outreach position mandated in the enabling ordinance for the CRA has never been funded. Thus, many in the community are not even aware of the existence of the CRA or how it operates. This is probably for the best, as the tiny staff of investigators is still working on cases from as far back as 2005 and 2006 and clearly can't deal with a workload commensurate with the actual numbers of brutality cases in the city.

Internal Affairs

Many people, perhaps swayed by TV shows or movies, harbor the idea that when something goes wrong with police they should run down to internal affairs to complain. In cities outside of Minneapolis, there generally isn't anywhere else to complain. However, in Minneapolis, Internal Affairs has traditionally been a politics-laden agency used by MPD leadership to handle internal personnel issues (like coming to work late) or to punish their political rivals. CUAPB analyzed 10 years worth of Internal Affairs complaints and found that the agency only upheld two complaints by community members out of the more than 900 complaints received from the community during that time. Further, CUAPB has documented multiple incidents of retaliation by police against people who have complained to Internal Affairs. As a result, we generally steer people away from complaining to IAD.

In recent years, the agency has cleaned up its act a bit under the leadership of Susan Piontek. IAD recently upheld an especially egregious complaint of excessive force against William Woodis--perhaps MPD's most brutal cop--and recommended termination. However, Chief Tim Dolan overruled IAD, showing that under this chief the agency lacks the power to make its recommendations stick.

Civil Rights Department

The Civil Rights Department has chugged along in the city for years, doing virtually nothing to uphold anyone's civil rights. The position of director of this agency has been a patronage job doled out by the mayor to loyalists who work hard at looking the other way while the city fails to uphold its own laws on granting contracts to minority and women owned businesses. One of the most important ways to judge the effectiveness of a civil rights unit is to look at the dollar volume of civil rights judgments secured by the agency. In this regard, the Minneapolis department has an extremely anemic record as it pursues proportionately a much lower rate of cases and secures far fewer judgments than other agencies of similar size.

Under the weak leadership of current director Michael Jordan--a former St. Paul cop--the agency infuriated community members by ignoring complaints by five Black police officers, who are now suing the city. A few people we have worked with have tried to file civil rights complaints against police for patterns of racial profiling or harassment and have run into a brick wall. It has certainly been interesting, to say the least, to watch Jordan--a guy who should have at least a passing interest in civil liberties--sit in silence at the Free Speech Working Group meetings each month.

Police Community Relations Council

Perhaps the most dysfunctional body of them all is the PCRC. This is a grouping of representatives of the city and representatives of the community (that were mostly also hand-picked by the city) who were responsible for the disappointment known as the federal mediation agreement. For a detailed analysis of this agreement, go to http://www.charityadvantage.com/CUAPB/AnalysisofFedMedAgree.asp. From jump, this grouping had disaster written all over it. On one side sat city representatives who were far more interested in pushing the city's agenda and undermining the process than actually mediating to resolve problems. On the other side sat a few good people but far more people with serious ego issues and narcissistic tendencies. The community was, for the most part, left out in the cold and this is reflected in the poor quality agreement that was finally signed in December 2003. The agreement is set to expire at the end of this year and there has been almost no process on the points in the agreement, despite the fact that they didn't require the MPD to do all that much in the first place.

The community side of this equation voted unanimously on December 5, 2007 to sue the city for noncompliance with the mediation agreement and this was communicated to the city in January. However, behind the scenes some members of the community side started meeting with the city in defiance of the vote. At this point, it is not clear whether the community side has the wherewithal to go through with the lawsuit. If they don't, the mediation agreement will be just another set of broken promises to the community.

Where to from here?

In our next newsletter, we will examine the role of the courts and non-government organizations such as CUAPB in police accountability. We will also be able to report on the selection of CRA board members by the mayor and city council.

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CRITICAL MASS: NOT GUILTY
By Katrina Plotz
April 15, 2008
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2008/04/14/critical-mass-not-guilty.html&print=1 #

On April 14, after a week-long trial, Gus Ganley was found not guilty of charges stemming from last August’s clash between Critical Mass bike riders and Minneapolis police. On August 31, 2007, Gus Ganley was among 19 people arrested during Critical Mass, a bike ride that takes place on the last Friday of every month in Minneapolis. The August event, which drew hundreds of riders, included participants in the pReNC, a gathering organized by the RNC Welcoming Committee, an anarchist/anti-authoritarian group planning protests at next fall’s Republican National Convention.

After being held overnight, the 19 were released and most had their charges dropped. It wasn’t until two weeks later that Ganley learned he was being charged with assaulting a police officer and obstructing the legal process using force – both gross misdemeanors and fleeing a police officer – a misdemeanor.

“My heart sank,” said Ganley, a twenty-one-year-old film student at the University of MN. “I couldn’t believe it.” If convicted, Ganley could have faced up to two years in jail and a $7,000 fine. He was offered a plea bargain that would have required him to plead guilty to one of the gross misdemeanor charges in order to have the other charges dropped.

“I never considered it,” said Ganley. “I wasn’t going to plead guilty to something I didn’t do.” The case went to trial last Monday and concluded yesterday when a jury found Ganley not guilty on all counts. Approximately ten supporters, many of whom were also present at the August Critical Mass, attended the trial and were on hand to congratulate Ganley after the verdict was announced.

“This is the result I was expecting,” said Ganley after the trial. “But you can’t be too confident. I never should have been here in the first place.”

Ganley, who was represented free of charge by National Lawyer’s Guild attorneys Jordan Kushner and Carla Magnuson, said he was fortunate that so many eyewitnesses testified. Several took photographs and cell phone video of the incident, which ultimately decided the case in Ganley’s favor.

“We were able to reach a verdict fairly quickly,” said an anonymous juror as she left the courtroom. “The defense had much stronger evidence on their side.”

The defense called a total of 11 witnesses who described the August Critical Mass ride as unusual from the beginning.

“There were three police cars following the ride and they were being unusually aggressive,” said Andy Fahlstrom, a witness for the defense. He said police used their sirens during the ride without explanation and said police drove their squad cars within inches of some cyclists. “A couple times, I asked them not to drive so close to people,” said Fahlstrom. “I felt like they were endangering people’s safety.”

Other witnesses testified that they immediately noticed a heavy police presence even before the ride began.

“In the past, we’ve sometimes had one police car monitor the ride from the back,” said Fahlstrom. “But this was different.”

Police Sergeant David Stichter, the first witness for the prosecution, testified that a task force was created to monitor the August 31 Critical Mass ride, which included three traffic enforcement officers, three intelligence officers in unmarked cars, and two officers in a state patrol helicopter. When asked if he was expecting trouble during the ride, Stichter testified that the task force was informed ahead of time that members of the RNC Welcoming Committee would be at the event. He was told to be prepared for “potential property damage or assaultive behavior,” and mentioned that officers from Ramsey County were present during the briefing. Supporters present at the trial speculated that Ramsey County officers were involved because police believed the August 31 Critical Mass had implications for the 2008 RNC in St. Paul.

Officers were already on hand for an informal meeting of cyclists in Loring Park around 6 pm on August 31. Participants shared flyers describing their rights as cyclists and as citizens when dealing with police. Before the ride began, a member of the RNC Welcoming Committee made an announcement about organizing workshops scheduled for the weekend and emphasized, “We want this to be a safe ride and we don’t want anyone to get arrested.”

Stichter described two incidents during the middle of the ride that eventually led to a larger confrontation between police and cyclists – one involving the attempted arrest of a biker who allegedly eluded the police, and another involving a rider who was apprehended by undercover officers, but released in a case of mistaken identity.

Stichter testified that as the ride approached the corner of Grant and LaSalle Avenues, he decided to arrest a cyclist who was “swerving back and forth in front of police cars.”

That individual was 17-year-old Isaac Siegel-Peter who testified during Ganley’s trial. “I was not intentionally blocking any police cars,” said Siegel-Peter. “I really had no idea why I was being arrested.”

As Siegel-Peter was led to a squad car in handcuffs, police arrested Critical Mass rider Paul Kristapobich who was asking what the charges were and using a voice recorder to document the incident.

After the second arrest, Stichter testified that cyclists surrounded police and began chanting, “Let him go!” and “What’s the charge?” At that point, officers issued a call for help and several squad cars arrived at the scene.

Gus Ganley observed the arrest of Kristapobich and was among the people calling for his release. Officer Richard Lillard, the second witness for the prosecution, testified that Ganley was told to “get back” and that he seemed to be “inciting the crowd.”

When asked if he grabbed anyone during the incident or used mace on anyone, Lillard denied it. Defense attorney Jordan Kushner then introduced three videos showing Lillard using mace, running into the crowd, and grabbing someone off of his bike and throwing him to the ground. The video also showed Lillard grabbing Ganley and shoving him backwards against a police car.

“When I was told to step back, I did,” said Ganley. “And I raised my hands to show I didn’t mean any harm. But I felt it was my right and my duty to stay at the scene and witness what was going on.” Ganley testified that after Lillard pushed him against the police car, he was sprayed with mace and could no longer see clearly. After being shoved again by Lillard, he said he was tackled by three officers, punched several times, and handcuffed.

Officer Craig Williams, the final prosecution witness, was one of the officers who responded to the call for help. He testified that after eluding Officer Lillard, Ganley “squared up with me and swung at my left shoulder, then attempted to flee before being placed under arrest.”

Testimony from all 11 eyewitnesses contradicted Williams’ account. “I never swung at an officer or tried to get away,” said Ganley. “It wasn’t even possible. I couldn’t see or breathe because of the mace and I couldn’t have fled. The police had control of me the whole time.”

Video evidence showed that Williams was one of the officers who wrestled Ganley to the ground, but that the assault that he described did not occur. About ten seconds elapsed between the moment Ganley was grabbed and maced by Lillard, and the time he was tackled by three officers. Williams is not visible in the video until Ganley is being taken to the ground. Photographs show Ganley being grabbed and later lying on his back holding his glasses, which broke during the encounter.

In closing arguments, Kushner described Ganley as a “victim of police brutality who was accused of three crimes he didn’t commit.” After Ganley’s arrest, several more people were arrested or maced and some were shot with Tasers. Many were confronted as they were attempting to walk away from the scene. One was arrested while talking on the phone with an attorney.

During deliberation, the jury requested to see the videos again and asked which officer Ganley was accused of assaulting, obstructing, and fleeing. After being told it was Williams, they deliberated about ten minutes and returned with a not guilty verdict for each of the three charges.

Amid hugs from supporters, Ganley thanked the witnesses especially those who provided visual evidence. “Without the photos and videos, who knows what would have happened,” said Ganley. “It’s scary that the cops can lie so easily and try to get away with it.”

Ganley’s father, Dan, was present throughout the trial and expressed relief and outrage after the result. “Seeing that video brought me to tears,” he said. “It’s terrible what the police did.” He said it was a blessing to hear several witnesses describe his son as kind, thoughtful person. “That was very joyful for me,” said the elder Ganley. “From what I know of my son, he wouldn’t assault anyone.” After the trial, father and son were eager to recover the $3,000 in bail the City has been holding since last August.

Of the 19 who were arrested August 31, only two cases remain open. Charges against Siegel-Peter and Kristapobich, the first two arrested, were dropped months ago. Defense attorney Carla Magnuson said she hoped the result of Ganley’s case would pressure the City to drop the charges against the two others.

“It’s a poor use of taxpayer dollars to try cases like this,” said Magnuson. “The charges were completely unfounded.”

A statement from a Critical Mass community support group described Ganley’s trial as an attempt to cover up police misconduct.

Steven Marsh, a writer for Minneapolis/St. Paul magazine, participated in the August Critical Mass ride and described police behavior as a “dress-rehearsal for the RNC.”

Supporter Karen Redleaf emphasized the importance of solidarity in the face of police repression. “Gus was the one they chose to pick on, but it could have been anyone. By standing up and saying ‘not guilty’ he said it for all of us.”

Katrina Plotz is a substitute teacher, a freelance writer and an anti-war activist. She lives in Bloomington.

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POLICE TREATMENT OF MINORITIES PROTESTED
By LORA PABST, Star Tribune
March 20, 2008
http://www.startribune.com/local/north/16881526.html

Cars rushed by a small group of protesters outside of Brooklyn Park's Police Department on Thursday. Wind buffeted homemade signs that read "Stop cop harassment of kids" and "Leave our kids alone." Every few minutes a car would honk in support.

One of the protesters, Monika March, said that after police from the inner-ring suburb's department followed her 17-year-old son and questioned him about incidents he said he wasn't involved in, she began to realize she wasn't alone in her concern about Brooklyn Park police. She hopes the protest will help other parents step forward.

"Brooklyn Park is known for this problem," said March of Brooklyn Park. "I know this is not just happening to my son."

She was among a handful of people from Communities United Against Police Brutality demonstrating to draw attention to what they say is an increasing number of incidents targeting youth and people of color in the north metro suburb. The organization, which has brought attention to alleged police brutality in Minneapolis and St. Paul, says it is now reaching out to suburban residents who face similar situations.

The action comes about a month after Minnesota's sixth-largest city hired its first black police chief, Michael Davis. About 30 percent of Brooklyn Park's 72,000 residents are people of color.

"Brooklyn Park has been on our radar for a long time," said Michelle Gross, vice president of Communities United Against Police Brutality. After Minneapolis and St. Paul, her group gets its highest number of calls about alleged brutality from Brooklyn Park, she said.

Police respond

Davis said Thursday that his department hasn't received any allegations of police brutality. "We can't act on what we don't know," he said. "There are a number of ways people can get their message to me."

Brooklyn Park law-enforcement officials also pointed to programs that they have started to improve relationships with immigrants and teenagers.

"We have had a lot of dialogue and outreach going on in the community," said Capt. Greg Roehl. "It's disheartening that they wouldn't come forward to the administration and the department."

But Gross questioned whether those programs include opinions from young people of color. "It seems like you're doing good on one hand and undoing it on the other hand," she said. "One of the things that youth need to be heard about is their relationship with police."

Gross said the issue will only continue to grow in importance as Brooklyn Park, which is home to many immigrants, gets more diverse.

"Brooklyn Park has gone through a lot of changes and some of the people weren't ready for that change," Gross said. "We want to take our message to the community."

Lora Pabst • 612-673-4628

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POLICE STATE UPDATE: THE WAR OF ERROR
By now we have all heard about the cases--people held in Guantanamo for years who have never had a thing to do with terrorism: farmers on their way to the market, neighbors turned over to the military for a bounty, etc. This article will look at two such cases a little closer to home.

Practice Makes Perfect? Trial #3 for the Liberty City Seven?

2nd Mistrial in The Miami Liberty Seven Case

A federal judge recently declared a mistrial in the second trial against six men accused of plotting to spark an anti-government war by toppling Chicago’s Sears Tower and bombing FBI offices.

U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard ordered a mistrial April 16th when jurors reported they were hopelessly deadlocked after 13 days of deliberation in the case of the so-called “Liberty City Seven.” The first trial ended in a mistrial in December 2007 because of a hung jury for the same six defendants and the acquittal of a seventh. These mistrials stem from the fact that this case was a total setup from the start. The FBI created this "gang of seven" from thin air and now can't figure out how to make mythical charges stick.

The seven men started out as unemployed or underemployed slackers, hanging out in a basement, smoking pot, totally penniless, loudly complaining about the government (who doesn't?) and practicing their karate kicks and archery when an FBI operative found them. The FBI agent offered them money, a better place to hang out, and even handed them a "tape of an Al Qaeda swearing-in ceremony."

The men were then arrested, with feds proclaiming to eager media that they had arrested an "Al Qaeda cell on US soil." The feds even held up the tape they gave the men as "proof." They claimed the men planned to bomb certain targets but no proof of any such plans has ever materialized. Moreover, the Liberty Seven men appear to be low functioning individuals, barely able to hold down jobs let alone plot such attacks.

This case has gone through the court system twice, ending in mistrials both times--with juries deadlocked on the facts--though the first trial cleared one of the men. The feds want to take the case to trial a third time, in yet another travesty in the so-called "war on terror."

******************************

**************************************
Cross Border Collusion: An Update on the Aaron James Story

Aaron James is a Canadian citizen who, along with his mother, came to the Mayo clinic in January 2006 seeking health care. Disappointed that doctors recommended against surgery for his painful arm condition, he boarded a Northwest Airlines plane at the Minneapolis airport for the flight back home. However, the post-911 political climate caught up to Aaron, who is of Afro-Caribbean descent. While waiting for the plane to take off, he set his carry on bag on the seat next to his mother and went to the restroom. While returning to his seat, he passed by a flight attendant, who said something to him that he didn't hear. A few minutes later, that same flight attendant approached him asking him if there was a problem. He repeatedly told her there was no problem but when she continued to harass him, he told her he would be filing a complaint.

Within minutes, five Minneapolis cops boarded the plane, grabbed Aaron and tased him repeatedly, causing him to fall to the floor and gash his head. He was hauled off to jail covered in Taser burns, cuts and bruises and was held for nine days under multiple felony charges. His mother witnessed the attack (police seemed genuinely surprised that there was a witness) and spent those days sleeping on a bench in the police station trying to bail out her son. While in jail, federal agents visited Aaron and asked him to identify men he had never met.

When the case finally made it to court, the prosecutor added a misdemeanor assault charge. A jury--stacked with relatives of Northwest Airlines employees and family members of cops--did not sustain the felony charges but upheld the misdemeanor charge. By that time, Aaron and his mother had spent over $25,000 defending him against bogus charges. Aaron and his mother have also been added to the "no fly" list and returned to Canada by bus. He was to have returned to the US for his sentencing hearing but physically, mentally and financially spent, he has not done so. Instead, he has taken up the work to clear his name by setting up a website ( http://aaronjamesstory.com/), contacting political officials, and going on talk radio shows to tell his story.

Because his conviction is on a misdemeanor, Aaron is not extraditable to the US. Still, Winnipeg cops seem only too eager to help out their brothers to the south. They have repeatedly raided Aaron's home. In the most recent attack, six cops arrived at Aaron's door, guns drawn. They ransacked his apartment, taking his computer and other personal property. They did not have a search warrant. These same cops are being prosecuted for a similar unwarranted raid on another house. Aaron has been to court twice to get his property back and each time the cops have some excuse about not bringing the file with them to court. It is almost certain that Aaron's property was illegally sent to the US and cops are now trying to figure out how to cover that up.

The James family has lived a nightmarish existence for the two years since this incident occurred, never knowing when they will be attacked by police again. All because an oversensitive flight attendant with a hyped-up mix of patriotism, fear and racism targeted Aaron in the post-911 political climate. The James family--more victims of the backward "war on terror."

___________________________________________________________
Communities United Against Police Brutality
3100 16th Avenue S
Minneapolis, MN 55407
Hotline 612-874-STOP (7867)
Meetings: Every Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Walker Church, 3104 16th Avenue South
http://www.CUAPB.org

Mogadishu devastated by war

Pan-African hero Patrice Lumumba

US: Death sentence postponed for Mumia Abu-Jamal

US: Death sentence postponed for Mumia Abu-Jamal

But the court upheld the faulty decision that sentenced him in the first place.

CUAPB to receive NLG's social justice award 4/5/08

National Lawyers Guild

Minnesota Chapter

Annual Social Justice Dinner

Saturday, April 5, 2008 starting at 6:00 p.m.

William Mitchell College of Law, 875 Summit Ave., St. Paul

Keynote Speaker:

Cheri Honkala

Social Justice Award:

Communities United Against Police Brutality

Paul Marino People’s Lawyer Award:

Larry Leventhal

National Lawyers Guild

Minnesota Chapter

3547 Cedar Ave South

Minneapolis, MN 55407

(612) 326-4315

From InfoClearingHouse: When America Can't Handle the Truth

Or, rather: Wright was Right!

The August Review - Plundering the Public Purse

The August Review - Plundering the Public Purse
An interesting little article emphasizing what many of us have known for a while: the bedrocks of capitalism are propped up by false measures, war and violence, and Hollywood image making. The world is rapidly renouncing the dollar, choosing new currencies. That Bear Stearns gets a massive dose of corporate welfare will not be investigated further by cnn or fox.

Newsletter: Communities United Against Police Brutality

Communities United Against Police Brutality
EMAIL NEWSLETTER
March 18, 2008
**********************************************

MAYDAY! FREE SPEECH UNDER ATTACK!
As you may remember, Minneapolis and St. Paul have been using some pretty creative ways to try to deny free speech rights to people who are planning to protest the RNC in 2008. They’ve both formed “free speech working groups” that are busy crafting new ordinances and resolutions to severely restrict our ability to protest.

Minneapolis is holding a working group meeting tomorrow and we just learned that there are three proposals on the table:

1) a voluntary proposal that's bad because it includes sidewalks and other traditionally open areas and because it precludes counterdemonstrations

2) a MANDATORY proposal that's bad for the reasons above PLUS criminalizes people who don't get permits

3) an absolutely draconian ORDINANCE CHANGE that would make these assaults on our free speech PERMANENT--so long after the RNC has moved on, we'll be stuck with this crap

We must oppose these proposals (all three are bad), while we still can!

Move heaven and earth to get to this "free speech" working group meeting tomorrow:

“Free Speech” Working Group of the City of Minneapolis
Wednesday, March 19
11:a.m. to 12:00 noon
Minneapolis City Hall
350 S Fifth Street, Room 333

___________________________________________________________

BROOKLYN PARK YOUTH ARE UNDER ATTACK--
WE'RE GONNA STAND UP AND FIGHT BACK!
Brooklyn Park cops have always been on our radar screen. For as long as we've had the hotline, BP is the suburb we get the most complaints about. At times, they outranked St. Paul (before Harrington became St. Paul's police chief). So there has always been a problem with racially insensitive and outright thuggish cops in BP.

Their latest move has been to target and attempt to criminalize youth of color and white youth who stand with them. We are working on a number of these cases, in which youth have been arrested standing in the front yard of their own homes, harassed and arrested at school, etc. In one case, some youth were at school when a fight broke out at the end of the day. These young people were not in the fight and had nothing to do with it. As they tried to leave the school, the cop assigned to the school demanded to know the names of the kids involved in the fight. When these youth told the cop they didn't know the names, they were arrested and brought up on false charges, which have changed several times. This is just one of several incidents. Youth in these various incidents will be going to court soon but we need to send a strong message to the BP cops now: "hands off our kids!"

Please join us for a little "education" session with the BP cops. We'll be holding signs in front of the Brooklyn Park police department at rush hour on a busy main artery:

Thursday, March 20
5:00 p.m.
Brooklyn Park Municipal Plaza
5400 85th Street (Intersection with Regent)
Brooklyn Park

___________________________________________________________

The Lyncher in Me with Warren Read
Tuesday, April 1, 7 p.m.
Merriam Park Branch Library, 1831 Marshall Avenue, Saint Paul

This event is free and open to the public.
For more information, call 651-222-3242 or friends@thefriends.org

March 12, 2008, SAINT PAUL, MN ­ The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library presents author Warren Read, reading from his debut book and family story, The Lyncher in Me: A Search for Redemption in the Face of History.

In June 1920, in Duluth, a mob of over 10,000 charged the police station, inflamed by rumors that black circus workers had raped a white teenage girl­-charges later proven false. Three men were dragged from their cells and lynched in front of the cheering crowd. Over 80 years later, Read discovered that his beloved great-grandfather had incited the deadly riot years before. In this poignant memoir, Read explores the victims and perpetrators of the heinous crime, and investigates the impact of the long-held secret on his family, calling even himself to task. Listen to excerpts from The Lyncher in Me on Tuesday, April 1, at 7 p.m., at the Merriam Park Branch Library, 1831 Marshall Avenue, Saint Paul.

Warren Read is a writer and elementary school teacher on Bainbridge Island, Washington. This is his first book. This program is free and open to the public. Contact The Friends at 651/222-3242 or visit www.thefriends.org for more information.

___________________________________________________________

CUAPB TO RECEIVE NLG SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD
JOIN US AT THE NLG ANNUAL DINNER
We are extremely honored to learn that the National Lawyers Guild, Minnesota Chapter will be recognizing us with their Social Justice Award at their annual social justice dinner. Larry Leventhal will be presented with the Paul Marino People's Lawyering Award. Cheri Honkala of Poor People's Econonomic Human Rights Campaign will be keynote speaker. Please join us as we proudly receive this prestigious award.

The Minnesota Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild
Annual Social Justice Dinner
Saturday, April 5, 2008
6:00 to 10:00 pm
William Mitchell College of Law
875 Summit Avenue
St. Paul, Minnesota

To reserve your tickets or for more information, reply to this email or call (612) 326-4315. ___________________________________________________________

RNC WELCOMING COMMITTEE ORDERS TASERS FOR EVERY PROTESTER

By RNC Welcoming Committee , RNC Welcoming Committee
March 13, 2008
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/10006#

The RNC Welcoming Committee (RNC-WC), an anarchist and anti-authoritarian organizing body based in the Twin Cities, announced today that it has ordered tasers for each of its members and friends. The announcement comes on the heels of last month’s St. Paul City Council approval of a St. Paul Police Department (SPPD) request for 234 tasers. Due to a unique corporate-anarchist confidentiality agreement, the exact number of tasers or documentable evidence of this new order will not be disclosed.

Both the SPPD and RNC-WC taser orders are scheduled to arrive before the September 1 so-called Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul. However, “The RNC Welcoming Committee’s order of tasers has absolutely nothing to do with the upcoming Republican convention,” said Ann O’ Nymmity of the RNC-WC. “These deadly, yet humane, weapons are needed simply to protect the safety of members of our community on a day-to-day basis. The timing is purely a coincidence.”

Last month, St. Paul police spokesperson Tom Walsh made similar statements to the Associated Press, saying that in regards to the RNC, his department’s purchase is “in no way related [to the timing of the RNC in St. Paul]. It simply isn’t.”

During scheduled protests of the RNC, local police and federal agents are likely to get violent. In Minneapolis last August, police used tasers and pepper spray to attack a nonviolent Critical Mass bike ride which coincided with the “pReNC”, a weekend of radical organizing in preparation for the RNC.

The RNC-WC does not have state-approved funding revenues. O’ Nymmity explained: “Our plan is to finance the purchase through raids on local WMD manufacturers, such as Alliant Techsystems.” The SPPD is funding their taser purchase through $210,000 from drug raids. O’ Nymmity added: “Through their website, the RNC Welcoming Committee is also accepting contributions from the public.”

Tasers, manufactured by Taser International, Inc., range from $300 to $1,000 and the fashionable weapons come in a variety of styles, including “black pearl,” “electric blue,” “metallic pink,” “leopard print,” and “forest camo.” O’ Nymmity noted, “We imagine St. Paul police will be visiting us soon, and now we’ll have something to talk about when they do. For instance, I can’t wait to compare my leopard print model to St. Paul police deputy chief Matt Bostrom’s metallic pink one!”

Once the RNC-WC order is finalized, the St. Paul Police Department will no longer have a monopoly on the weapons that have been implicated in hundreds of deaths nationwide, including the killing of a Fridley man by Minnesota State Troopers in January.

The Welcoming Committee has no plans to purchase machine guns, rubber bullets, pepper spray, tear gas, concussion grenades, batons, water cannons or helicopters, all of which will be at the disposal of local police and federal agents in September.

O’ Nymmity concluded, “Convention delegates and attendees should feel free to enjoy their five-star hotels, three-course meals, and “gentleman’s clubs” without fear of protest or disruption. After all, if they follow the law and don’t start any illegal wars or anything, what should they have to worry about?”

___________________________________________________________

1 in 100 US ADULTS BEHIND BARS, NEW STUDY SHOWS
February 28, 2008
By ADAM LIPTAK
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/us/28cnd-prison.html?_r=2&ex=1361941200&en=353bf6ba42c6ee84&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

For the first time in the nation’s history, more than one in 100 American adults is behind bars, according to a new report.

Nationwide, the prison population grew by 25,000 last year, bringing it to almost 1.6 million. Another 723,000 people are in local jails. The number of American adults is about 230 million, meaning that one in every 99.1 adults is behind bars.

Incarceration rates are even higher for some groups. One in 36 Hispanic adults is behind bars, based on Justice Department figures for 2006. One in 15 black adults is, too, as is one in nine black men between the ages of 20 and 34.

The report, from the Pew Center on the States, also found that only one in 355 white women between the ages of 35 and 39 are behind bars but that one in 100 black women are.

The report’s methodology differed from that used by the Justice Department, which calculates the incarceration rate by using the total population rather than the adult population as the denominator. Using the department’s methodology, about one in 130 Americans is behind bars.

Either way, said Susan Urahn, the center’s managing director, “we aren’t really getting the return in public safety from this level of incarceration.”

But Paul Cassell, a law professor at the University of Utah and a former federal judge, said the Pew report considered only half of the cost-benefit equation and overlooked the “very tangible benefits ­ lower crime rates.”

In the past 20 years, according the Federal Bureau of Investigation, violent crime rates fell by 25 percent, to 464 for every 100,000 people in 2007 from 612.5 in 1987.

“While we certainly want to be smart about who we put into prisons,” Professor Cassell said, “it would be a mistake to think that we can release any significant number of prisoners without increasing crime rates. One out of every 100 adults is behind bars because one out of every 100 adults has committed a serious criminal offense.”

Ms. Urahn said the nation cannot afford the incarceration rate documented in the report. “We tend to be a country in which incarceration is an easy response to crime,” she said. “Being tough on crime is an easy position to take, particularly if you have the money. And we did have the money in the ‘80s and ‘90s.”

Now, with fewer resources available, the report said, “prison costs are blowing a hole in state budgets.” On average, states spend almost 7 percent on their budgets on corrections, trailing only healthcare, education and transportation.

In 2007, according to the National Association of State Budgeting Officers, states spent $44 billion in tax dollars on corrections. That is up from $10.6 billion in 1987, a 127 increase once adjusted for inflation. With money from bonds and the federal government included, total state spending on corrections last year was $49 billion. By 2011, the report said, states are on track to spend an additional $25 billion.

It cost an average of $23,876 dollars to imprison someone in 2005, the most recent year for which data were available. But state spending varies widely, from $45,000 a year in Rhode Island to $13,000 in Louisiana.

The cost of medical care is growing by 10 percent annually, the report said, and will accelerate as the prison population ages.

About one in nine state government employees works in corrections, and some states are finding it hard to fill those jobs. California spent more than $500 million on overtime alone in 2006.

The number of prisoners in California dropped by 4,000 last year, making Texas’s prison system the nation’s largest, at about 172,000. But the Texas legislature last year approved broad changes to the corrections system there, including expansions of drug treatment programs and drug courts and revisions to parole practices.

“Our violent offenders, we lock them up for a very long time ­ rapists, murderers, child molestors,” said John Whitmire, a Democratic state senator from Houston and the chairman of the state senate’s criminal justice committee. “The problem was that we weren’t smart about nonviolent offenders. The legislature finally caught up with the public.”

He gave an example.

“We have 5,500 D.W.I offenders in prison,” he said, including people caught driving under the influence who had not been in an accident. “They’re in the general population. As serious as drinking and driving is, we should segregate them and give them treatment.”

The Pew report recommended diverting nonviolent offenders away from prison and using punishments short of re-incarceration for minor or technical violations of probation or parole. It also urged states to consider earlier release of some prisoners.

Before the recent changes in Texas, Mr. Whitmire said, “we were recycling nonviolent offenders.”
______________________________

_____________________________
Communities United Against Police Brutality
3100 16th Avenue S
Minneapolis, MN 55407
Hotline 612-874-STOP (7867)
Meetings: Every Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Walker Church, 3104 16th Avenue South
http://www.CUAPB.org

Chafee calls out Clinton, other dems at "Bush enablers"

So true.

Funny: "Fed", JP Morgan, have to prop up Bear Stearns

Remember, the Fed is a PRIVATE bank.

wcco.com - 2 Law Enforcement Employees Federally Indicted

Dollar trading at record low against euro --despite $200 billion injection from "Feds"

The Fed, of course, is a PRIVATE bank that prints money for the US at interest, so every dollar printed essentially comes with debt!

LA Gang violence escalating

Tainted drinking water kept under wraps - More health news- msnbc.com

Tainted drinking water kept under wraps - More health news- msnbc.com

In MN, here in the Twin Cities, multinational corporation 3M's chemicals have been found in virtually all TC lakes, streams and rivers. The state environmental protection agency has given 3m a pass and lots of protection in the past, and they continue to do so now.

USA's $2 trillion nightmare

Private prisons profit off of locking your Black ass up

Prison profiteering fueling incarcerations.

Indian Uprising -- 3/9/08

KFAI’s Indian Uprising for March 9, 2008 from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. CST #256

U.S. presidential candidates 2008 - Program guests are to discuss their perspectives from an Indigenous, political and personal stance.

Guests are:

Jamie S. Edwards (Mille Lacs Ojibwe), Government Affairs Coordinator for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Minnesota and treasurer of the DFL American Indian Caucus

Laura Waterman Wittstock (Seneca), Co-Chair, DFL American Indian Caucus, Minnesota, and former Minneapolis Public Library Board Trustee.

~ ~ ~ ~

Screw the Voters. Let Superdelegates Decide! by Paul Rockwell for CommonDreams.org, February 18, 2008

Millions of Americans, many of them first-time activists, voted for Barack Obama in the Democratic Party primary. They voted in good faith, expecting their votes to be counted and respected.

Now many young voters are discovering that there are two kinds of delegates at Democratic Party Conventions: real delegates (duly elected from the states) and fake delegates, delegates artificially created by the Democratic National Committee. These delegates, who lack direct support from primary voters, are called superdelegates.

With over 200,000 signatures, a Move-On petition to Democratic Party superdelegates reads: "The superdelegates should let the voters decide between Clinton and Obama. Then support the people's choice".

The seating of delegates at Democratic Party conventions has often been a source of conflict. In 1964, Fanny Lou Hamer led a sit-in on the convention floor. The Mississippi Freedom Democrats wanted nothing more than a few convention seats - seats to which they were entitled by open, fair elections in their home state. Walter Mondale, who was to become the architect of the current superdelgate system, refused to seat the elected
delegates of color in 1964. Wait until 1968, Mondale insisted, as the representative of the Credentials Committee. [So much for Walter Mondale. -ed]. Read more, attached.

Indian Uprising a one-hour radio Public & Cultural Affairs program relevant to Native Indigenous people, broadcast each Sunday at 7:00 p.m. CST over KFAI 90.3 FM Minneapolis and 106.7 FM St. Paul. Producer and host is volunteer Chris Spotted Eagle. To receive or stop getting announcements: radio@spottedeagle.org

For internet listening, visit www.kfai.org, click Play under ON AIR NOW or for listening later via their archives, click PROGRAMS & SCHEDULE > Indian Uprising > STREAM. Programs are archived only for two weeks.

Sexual harassment is not African culture

allAfrica.com: Gambia: Jammeh - a Personification of Pan-Africanism (Page 1 of 1)

allAfrica.com: Gambia: Jammeh - a Personification of Pan-Africanism (Page 1 of 1)

A more comprehensive look at Abu Gharib

BLACKLOGIC

Whites continue to torment S. African Blacks

This is a disgusting and emotionally charged video...Pan Africanism or perish.

Pan-African Unity still possible despite globalization

http://media.www.beaconnewspaper.com/media/storage/paper540/news/2008/02/21/AtTheBay/Anws-To.Reflect.On.Historical.Struggle-3222662.shtml

The Associated Press: Fidel Castro Was Long in Anti-US Camp

High court rejects appeal of Katrina victims - CNN.com

High court rejects appeal of Katrina victims - CNN.com

Anniversary of the first Pan African Congess

BLACKLOGIC -- BLACK HISTORY

African nations give thumbs down to US imperial expansion

Peltier v. FBI, March 11th at the US Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit in Minneapolis

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2008, BEGINNING AT 9:00 A.M.
Case No. 07-1745MN
Leonard Peltier v. Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit
University of St. Thomas School of Law
Frey Moot Courtroom
1000 LaSalle Avenue
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Background:

On June 8, 2007, Peltier attorneys filed with the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Eighth Circuit an appellate brief asking the Court to
review and release some 11,000 pages of documents related to the
investigation and prosecution of Leonard Peltier. The FBI continues
to withhold those documents, claiming that their release would violate
promises of confidentiality made to informants and would, incredibly,
endanger the national security of the United States. In the brief, it
is argued that the FBI's promises to its informants expired long ago,
and were waived when those informants testified publicly. It is
asserted that the virtually unprecedented public interest in the case
of Leonard Peltier warrants careful judicial review of the withheld
documents. In addition, it is demonstrated that the FBI's historic
misconduct in this case, coupled with its continued misrepresentations
about Peltier's case, shows sufficient bad faith to require the most
searching inquiry into any claims of privilege.

The government's response was to categorically insist that there is no
degree of governmental misconduct toward a FOIA litigant that could
cause a court to "question the good faith of the agency," Cox v
Department of Justice, 576 F2d 1302, 1312 (8 Cir. 1978) unless the
litigant can prove misconduct in the FOIA proceedings themselves.

On October 9, 2007, attorneys Ron Kuby and David Pressman filed a
reply brief with the United States Courts of Appeals for the Eight
Circuit. According to the Peltier attorneys:

"The government's assertion that it can wave away its sordid history
of proven FBI and prosecutorial misconduct toward Peltier with a 'what
have we done to you lately' nonchalance rests entirely on the
government's own insistence. More significantly, the government
conflates Peltier's lengthy, documented, proven history of the most
serious governmental misconduct with some fanciful, gauzy grievance
made by some hypothetical litigant. The government again demonstrates
that it does not now, nor has it ever, taken seriously any of the
courts that have admonished it about the treatment of Leonard Peltier.
It has been proven that the FBI withheld exculpatory evidence,
manufactured inculpatory evidence that it knew to be false, coerced
witnesses and engaged in an over reaction to Wounded Knee sufficiently
grave to cause a Senior Judge of this Court to opine that the
Government shares responsibility for the firefight that led to the
death of the two FBI agents. The government has shown no solicitude
for the enormous 'burden on the judiciary' that its own malfeasance
has caused."

Time to set him free... Because it is the RIGHT thing to do.

Friends of Peltier
http://www.FreePeltierNow.org
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Minneapolis police: Who protects us from them?

BLACKLOGIC

February 12, 2008

Who's really protecting us?
What is a populace to do when those sworn to uphold the law exhibit criminal disregard for the law?

A federal lawsuit filed by five high-ranking veteran African American Minneapolis Police Officers has garnered some attention in the Twin Cities (http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/12081986.html), drawing attention to what the officers describe as “a hostile work environment” within the department, which has been plagued for years by cases of criminal misconduct and brutality. As details emerge from the suit (http://www.charityadvantage.com/CUAPB/Lawsuit%20by%205%20Cops.pdf) about the climate for officers of color, more information as been made available to Blacklogic.blogspot.com concerning police relations with the community at large.

Below we list samples of atrocities committed by the Minneapolis Police Department according to their own Internal Affairs records from 2003 to 2006.

Blacklogic recently obtained internal complaint forms from the MPD citing incidents, officers involved in said incidents, and the complaint allegations. Taken as a whole these forms illuminate a culture of violence, patronage, disdain and disregard for the citizens the MPD are sworn to serve and protect.

Internal Affairs Case No# 05-27 – Date of Incident, 2/6/05

Complaint allegations:

“The complainant (Demiteras Cooper) alleges that during his arrest on 2/26/05 excessive force was used. Officers used profanity and racial slurs towards the complainant. He was kneed, kicked and punched during the arrest. He was stomped on his head causing his teeth to break. The complainant alleges that he was tazed unnecessarily during the arrest. Officers did not provide the complainant with medical attention.”

The complaint was sustained, and for their actions Officers Clinton Letch and William Woodis were both given 40 hour suspensions, or were docked one-weeks work for violating the MPD professional code of conduct (MPD R/R 5-105), deadly force (MPD R/R 5-307) and use of force/injury reporting (MPD R/R 5-308).

Internal Affairs Case No# 05-53 – Date of Incident, 8/19/05

Name/Badge: Officer James Brickley # 00771

Complaint allegations:

“It is alleged that on 8/19/05, Officer James Brickley, while off-duty, was involved in a single vehicle accident involving his personal vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. It is alleged that Officer Brickley had in his possession an off-duty loaded firearm when the incident occurred. Officer Brickley was place[d] (sic) under arrest for two counts of gross misdemeanor DWI and one count misemeanor for carrying a weapon while under the influence. Officer Brickley's BAC tested .25.”

The complaint was sustained with a 20 day suspension.

Internal Affairs Case No# 06-01 – Date of Incident, 1/5/06

Name/Badge: Officer Mark Kaspszak

Complaint Allegation:

“It is alleged that Officer Mark Kaspszak was arrested by White Bear Lake Police on 1/5/06 while operating his personal vehicle while under theinfluence of alcohol.”

Sustained with a 30 hour suspension.

Internal Affairs Case No# 06-13 – Date of Incident, 3/04/06

Name/Badge: Officer Richard Muro #4899 & Officer Lonnie Hoffbeck #03063

Complaint Information:

“It is alleged that Officers responded to an assault and failed to take the appropriate action to do an adequate on-site investigation and/or attempt to identify or apprehend the perpetrators of the crime.”

Both Officers were served with 10 hour suspensions each.

Internal Affairs Case No# 06-31 – Date of Incident, 5/13/06

Name/Badge: Officer Daniel Ungurian #7362

Complaint Allegations:

“It is alleged that Officer Ungurian was operating his personal motor vehicle off-duty in Mlle Lacs County while under the influence of alcohol. Officer Ungurian was arrested by the MN State Patrol and subsequently charged with 4^th degree DWI. As a result of this arrest, his driving privileges were [r]evoked.”

Sustained with a 30 hour suspension.

Internal Affairs Case No# 06-51 – Date of Incident, 6/05/06

Name/Badge: Officer Steven Manhood #4323

Complaint Allegations:

“Complainant stated that an Officer responded to an inebriated man at their bar. The man was unconscious. The complainant alleged that the Officer slapped the man in the face and head trying to wake him up. The complainant asked the Officer not to hit the man so hard and to bring him out in the rain. The Officer got angry and used derrogotory language towards the complainant and a witness. The ambulance arrived and took the inebriated man to the hospital.”

Sustained with... a letter of reprimand! Oooohh.

Internal Affairs Case No# 04-22 – Date of Incident, 5/21/04

Name/Badge: Officer Heidi Eisenbeis #7619, Officer William Barta #0323

Complaint Allegations:

“Complainant alleges that he had properties, i.e. Timberwolves game tickets valued at $315.00 taken from him and that he was not arrested nor issued any citations for any violatons of the law and that these tickets were subsequently used by unknown persons to attend the event.”

Sustained: Officer Barta terninated, Officer Eisenbeis not terminated.

Internal Affairs Case No# 04-18 – Date of Incident 4/22/04

Name/Badge: Officer James Brickley (again) #0771

Complaint Allegations:

“Officer Brickley while off duty was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.”

Sustained with a 20 hour suspension.

Internal Affairs Case No# 04-15 – Date of Incident 4/05/04

Name/Badge: Officer John Sullivan #7007

Complaint Allegations:

“Officer Sullivan while on duty and performing his duties as a police Officer encountered indivuduals at the above time and location and used language considered derogotory based upon race.”

Sustained with a 10 hour suspension.

Internal Affairs Case No# 04-06 – Date of Incident 1/28/03

Name/Badge: Officer Kelly O'Rourke #5575

Complaint Information:

“Officer O'Rourke has failed to respond to Garrity Notices (Second Notices) regarding Civilian Review Authority.”

No consequence cited.

Internal Affairs Case No# 04-04 – Date of Incident, 2/28/04

Name/Badge: Officer Michael Arett

Complaint Allegations:

“Officer Arett is alleged to have violated MPD R/R 5-106 On Duty Code of Conduct, “Officers shall respond without delay to calls for police service unless otherwise directed by proper authority. Emergency calls for service shall take precedence. However, all dispatched calls shall be answered as soon as possible consistent with departmental procedures.””

Sustained with a 20 hour suspension.

Internal Affairs Case No# 03-28 – Date of Incident, 10/12/03

Name/Badge: Officers Jeffrey Jindra #3289, Todd Babekuhl #0246, Michael Killebrew #3716, Francisco Porras #5785, and Patrick Daly #1421.

Complaint Allegations:

“Officers were alleged to have sexually assualted a party with a plunder. During the course of the investigation other allegations of misconduct were alleged to include throwing of paintballs, throwing of food and dishes, use of inappropriate language, inappropriate use of force.”

No discipline cited.

Internal Affairs Case #03-23 – Date of Incident, 7/24/03

Name/Badge: Officer John Mills #4802

Complaint Allegations:

“Officer Mills, while on duty, is alleged to have placed a female street prostitute in his Minneapolis Police squad car and transported her to a location in the Third Precinct where he took lewd photographs of her.”

Sustained – Terminated.

Internal Affairs Case No#04-23 – Date of Incident, 3/28/02

Name/Badge: Lt. Lawrence Doyle, Officer James Brickley (again!), Officer Todd Lappegaard, Officer Lance DuPaul.

Complaint Allegations:

“It is alleged that on 3/28/02, Officer[s] improperly engaged in a police vehicle pursuit and that this pursuit was ended with the improper use of deadly force. This use of deadly force resulted in the fatal injury of a non-involved pedestrian.”

Sustained – letter or reprimand for Lt. Doyle only.

Internal Affairs Case No# 04-28 – Date of Incident, varies

Name/Badge: Lt. Richard Thomas #7182

Complaint Allegations:

“Complainant alleges that Lt. Thomas engaged in an extra-marital affair with her. Complainant further alleged that at the conclusion of the affair Lt. Thomas provided false information to the Anoka County Sheriff's Office when completing a police report.”

Sustained with a 16 hour suspension.

Internal Affairs CaseNo#04-30 – Date of Incident, 6/22/04

Name/Badge: Officer Daniel Anderson

Complaint Allegations:

“It is alleged that Officer Daniel Anderson tried to elude Oklahoma City Police when they attempted to stop him for speeding. Officer Anderson was arrested in El Reno, OK., for eluding police and endangering the life of another. Officer Anderson's passenger, Jeffery Lupient, is a convicted felon. It is alleged that Officer Anderson knowingly associates with a person involved in criminal behavior.”

Sustained – 40 hour suspension.

Internal Affairs Case No# 04-31 – Date of Incident, 6/6/04

Name/Badge: Officer William Barta #0323

Complaint Allegations:

“On 6/6/04 Eric Henderson was arrested near 4^th Street and First Avenue North by Officer Barta and susequently monies were removed from his person. These monies were not placed in inventory until four days after the arrest, nor was any receipt issued (amount was over $200), as required by policy, nor was there any mention of the monies in CAPRS reports also required by policy.”

Sustained – Terminated.

Internal Affairs Case No# 05-25 – Date of Incident, 10/2/03 – 6/2004

Name/Badge: Officer Brian Potocnik #5790

Complaint Allegations:

“It is alleged that beginning in October of 2003, Officer Potocnik engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a minor female whom he met while working off duty at Roosevelt High School in his capacity as a Minneapolis Police Officer. This relationship was both romantic and sexual in nature; it is alleged that Officer Potocnik engaged in sexual activity with the female both on and off-duty over a period of approximately 14 months. It is alleged that Officer Potocnik consumed alcoholic beverages with the minor female including one occasion when he socialized with the minor female and her friend at a bar whle all three consumed alchololic beverages, although both girls were under 21. It is also alleged that Officer Potocnick failed to comply with the conditions of his relieved of duty status on 7/08/05 when he failed to remain at his home during work hours. Officer Potocnik was untruthful when asked about the matter by a supervisor.”

Sustained – Terminated....but before that....

Internal Affairs Case No#05-24 – Date of Incident, 2/23/05; 4/27/05; 5/01/05

Name/Badge: see above

Complaint Allegations:

“Officer is alleged to have not attended special duty training and failed to notify a commander of his absence.”

Sustained – Two day suspension.

Internal Affairs Case No# 03-22 – Date of Incident, 8/04/03

Name/Badge: Officer Ryan Chancellor

Complaint Allegations:

“Officer Chancellor is alleged to have obtained and been in possession of child pornography on his personal computer. Officer Chancellor is also alleged to have sent electronically a picture of himself in MPD uniform in conjunction with sexually explicit chat dialogue. Officer Chancellor has refused to give a compelled statement and in any way cooperate with the Internal Affairs Investigation.”

Sustained – Terminated.

Not included in this report are findings from the Minneapolis Civilian Review Authority, which whom the MPD has a long, antagonsistic history (http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2005/10/same_old_story_mpd_ignores_civ.php).

Some Minneapolis advocates for social justice have long advocated federal receivership of the MPD instead of being subjugated to a department overtly hostile to diversity, communities of color, and to providing equal justice under the law. After being given many reprieves with the PCRC, it may be time to support the justice advocates' claims. A criminally minded police department is paradoxical to the needs of all people.

Blacklogic welcomes reader comments at blacklogic.blogspot.com

Deputy dumbs disabled man from wheelchair: WCSH

BLACKLOGIC

Ex-Florida prison boss: Drunken orgies tainted system - CNN.com

Losing my add-ons

BLACKLOGIC: I recently got the latest Mozilla Firefox update on Feb 8th to be exact, and lo and behold, all of my toolbars and add-ons are now missing: It's as if I've back-dated actually. WTF is up with that. In this crazy crazy world my Firefox, you were my one bastion of certainty. Has anyone else had this problem?

Moyers: Torture cheered on by military brass

Does the USA even exist anymore?

I heard this mentioned on the documentary Zeitgeist. Apparently the nation has been dissolved by our national monkey into a three-headed single entity of Real ID totin' lemmings soon to be using a currency called an Amero?

Newletter: Communities United Against Police Brutality

Communities United Against Police Brutality
EMAIL NEWSLETTER
Febuary 6, 2008
**********************************************

JOIN CUAPB AT SECOND CHANCE DAY ON THE HILL

Second Chance Day on the Hill
February 13, 2008
11:00 a.m. rally
12:00 noon lobbying
State Capitol Rotunda
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr., St. Paul
Transportation available: see below

Over 50 organizations­including CUAPB­are coming together for the first ever Second Chance Day on the Hill to demand justice system reforms that will make it easier for ex-offenders to reintegrate into society. Over 1000 ex-offenders, their families and supporters of justice reform will be present to highlight the importance of second chances. We will be raising statewide and national attention to barriers facing individuals with criminal records that affect the social, civic and economic stability of families and communities. For more information on the events of the day, go to http://www.employexoffenders.com/secondchance.html

There are currently 155,000 Minnesota adults under some form of correctional supervision; 142,000 on probation, 4,200 on some level of supervised release, and 9,100 in prison. And there are at least as many with a criminal record who have satisfied all the requirements of their sentence. This equates to one in every sixteen Minnesotans having the stigma of a conviction they must overcome to qualify for housing, employment and student loans, among other things. Legislatively we have created nearly 200 collateral sanctions over and above the penalties associated with a conviction. For a report on these sanctions, go to http://www.employexoffenders.com/Draft4_CollateralSanctions_Report_2008.pdf

These collateral sanctions limit the ability of people to reintegrate into society and to survive in the mainsteam economy and are the leading cause for recidivism. CUAPB is proud to be part of this organizing and we urge you to attend this important event.

For transportation:
There will be a bus at each of the following Minneapolis locations:
Sabathani Community Center, 310 E 38th Street
Minneapolis Urban League, 2100 Plymouth Avenue

Buses will load at 10:00 am from both locations and leave at 10:15 for the Capitol
Buses will load at 1:00 PM at the Capitol and leave at 1:15 PM to return to Sabathani and the Urban League.
Please contact Elena Gaarder if you have any questions.

___________________________________________________________

For our families, communities and public safety, give ex-offenders a Second Chance
by Charles Hallman
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 1/30/2008
http://www.spokesman-recorder.com/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=85687&sID=4&ItemSource=L

There are currently 155,000 Minnesota adults under some form of correctional supervision ­ 142,000 on probation, 4,200 on some level of supervised release, and 9,100 in prison. At least 95 percent of those in prison will eventually be released.

“The actual prison population is overwhelmingly male, and overwhelmingly minority,” noted Sarah Walker, director of juvenile services at 180 Degrees, a Minneapolis-based organization that runs a halfway house. Eighty percent of all male prisoners have a child, she said, adding that the number of female prisoners has been rapidly increasing in the past 10 years.

Getting a second chance often becomes an elusive goal for too many ex-offenders, who must face housing and employment barriers upon their re-entering society. Even getting a student loan can be difficult for someone wishing to pursue an education who possesses a criminal record.

These barriers are the reason for the “Second Chance Day on the Hill” scheduled for February 13 at the State Capitol in St. Paul. On this day, several organizations, many of which are heavily involved in criminal justice issues, are calling for the Minnesota Legislature and the general public to seriously begin looking at “Second Chance” legislation.

Representatives from these organizations have met weekly over the last few months to plan this event. Organizers are anticipating that at least 1,000 ex-offenders, their family members, and supporters of criminal justice system reform will attend.

“This is the first time in many years that I have seen so many diverse organizations come together for one issue,” Walker said. “I think we wouldn’t be having this conversation 10 years ago. What we have now is a window of opportunity to look at things [in] a pragmatic way.”

“The Day” organizers also want the general public to be aware of the importance of Second Chance legislation, continued Walker. “Second chances are about public safety,” she pointed out. “If you want to increase public safety, you need to facilitate successful re-entry [of ex-offenders].

“Everyone gets scared, and everyone wants to feel safe in their community. All I am saying is to give someone a second chance, you are going to make your community safer.”

Among the principles the Second Chance supporters emphasize are:

• Providing ex-offenders with fair access to housing, employment, credit, and higher education, along with restoring their voting rights;

• Making sure all criminal background checks are accurate and up-to-date;

• Providing treatment programs in correctional facilities, including improved prison mental-health intervention programs, and providing diversionary community-based programs for first offenders;

• Eliminating collateral punishment so that once offenders have served their time, they do not face unnecessary and unfair side effects once they are back in society;

• Providing rehabilitative opportunities for offenders while incarcerated, and preparing willing individuals to become productive members of their communities when they are released;

• Ensuring that punishment falls on the offender and not on the offender’s children, other family members, and communities; and

• Developing pragmatic and cost-effective approaches to public safety.

Upon their release from prison, most ex-offenders then experience a vicious cycle of circumstances, Walker explained. “If you don’t have stable housing, you have trouble finding a job because you don’t have a regular residence. However, you have trouble finding stable housing if you don’t have any income.

“I think the two most important things [facing ex-offenders] are barriers to employment and opportunities to stable housing,” said Walker.

A University of Minnesota doctoral student, Walker has been involved in criminal justice issues for a long time. “I have been interested in this all through my undergraduate years,” she noted. “Criminal justice is where all issues of disparity come in: poverty, mental health, inequality and racism. If you want to address all these issues, they all end up in prison.”

Also, Walker has a personal stake in second chance issues. “I stole something, and I ended up in big trouble,” she admitted. “I was able to not go to prison or spend any significant time in jail.”

Nonetheless, Walker now has a criminal record. “I am still not eligible for many types of employment. There were many schools who wouldn’t accept me [for graduate school] because I have a criminal record.”

The U.S. House of Representatives last November passed a Second Chance bill (H.R. 1593). Now awaiting U.S. Senate action, the bill calls for federal funding for ex-offender reentry services and job training.

Now it is Minnesota’s turn to do something as well, Walker concluded.

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesman-recorder.com, or read his blog, www.wwwchallman.blogspot.com
______________________________

_____________________________
Communities United Against Police Brutality
3100 16th Avenue S
Minneapolis, MN 55407
Hotline 612-874-STOP (7867)
Meetings: Every Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Walker Church, 3104 16th Avenue South
http://www.CUAPB.org

Powell’s UN Fiasco: Fresh and Festering

A so called Christian non-profit recently erected a new school in Mpls, MN which they named after Powell, and will serve inner city kids -- Powell Academy I think it is --

What a great disservice to our children -- there are actual role models they could have chosen, but a lying, stepping and fetching war monger seemed to fit their bill.

The machine gun of capitalism

"Dead soldiers, peak oil, and mind-boggling profits; praise Jesus, the machine's still working!

EnTV - environmental news, conservation, ecology, extinction, global Warming, Wildlife

The tsunami that was Katrina

More on Katrina: Scalar Wars The Brave New World of Scalar Electromagnetics

Scalar Wars The Brave New World of Scalar Electromagnetics

Was Katrina A 'Man-Made Storm' For Profits?

Crooks and Liars » Tomorrow is Fifth Anniversary of the “Day of Shame”

Yes, on this day Colin (step'n'fetch) Powell delivered, with a straight face, a deception before the UN to make the US case for war with Iraq.

Big Easy to Big Empty

What's really going on in New Orleans

The Evolution of Evil

FROM ARTICLE:

"...Power elites have an arsenal of weapons to control and manipulate social, political and economic systems globally: corruption of public officials that make elections a sham; corporate mainstream media that turn news into propaganda; manipulation of financial markets that create fear for the public and profits for the privileged; false free trade globalization that destroys the middle class; rising economic inequality that keep the masses time-poor and financially insecure; intense marketing of pharmaceuticals that keep people passive; and addictive consumerism, entertainment and gambling that keep people distracted and pacified.

"The biggest challenge for dissidents and rebels is to avoid feel-good therapeutic activism having virtually no chance of removing evil and tyranny. Idealism without practicality tactics without lofty goals, and symbolic protests pose no threat to power elites. Anger and outrage require great strategic thinking from leaders seeking revolution, not mere change..."