With two stolen elections in the last eight years why do we pretend democracy is alive in the US?
Could it be that we know better, but go through the motions to legitimize a failed system of two-party dominance?
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Vernon Bellacourt: In Memoriam
This is a beautiful tribute to the great AIM co-founder and Indian leader who passed last week in Minnesota. Mr. Bellacourt was a tireless fighter for the rights and dignity of his fellow Indians, and also contributed and worked with others for the human rights of all. I am still learning about him myself, albeit too late to say to him how much he was appreciated by ALL human rights fighters.
rz
From: Janice Denny <jdenny@fdltcc.edu>
Date: Oct 24, 2007 11:00 AM
Subject: Vernon Bellecourt
In Memoriam
On December 15, 1966 Walt Disney died of acute circulatory collapse,
caused by lung cancer, at age 65. Outside hanging on the wall in the
Intensive Care Unit at Abbot Northwestern Hospital where Vernon
Bellecourt was fighting for his life is a print of a lone microphone
spotlighted, and the cartoon characters standing aside that Disney
created, hanging their heads. I stood staring at the print for minutes
at a time while the doctors and nurses worked on Vernon day after day. I
was horrified that the print might reflect the end result here. On a
beautiful fall day in Minneapolis, it did.
The American Indian Movement Website and office received hundreds of
emails and phone messages from the four corners of the world after the
news spread about Vernon's passing into spirit. Tears flowed and
disbelief prevailed.
Vernon was so filled up with life and positive energy, and he infected
everybody around him with it. The hard reality that Vernon's life was
over affected everyone around him, and everyone who knew him with
profound sadness. Vernon was hardly ever sad except for when he lost
family members, and his dear friends, Jerry Roy, Dick LaGarde, and Kwame
Ture.
Vernon's agenda was always full speed ahead on the issue of the day, and
his unbending will in getting the job done was infamous. You had to
understand that in order to live around, and live with Vernon. His
passion was justice for Indian people everywhere, period. That passion
took him all over the world, and his last trip took him to Venezuela. He
came home full of happiness after meeting people from the Wayuu Tribe
there, and other Indigenous people throughout South America. He was not
well, but he was happy. He was worried too because there were a lot of
issues to deal with as usual. He worked until I finally took his cell
phone away from him in the hospital so he could rest.
The National Coalition on Racism in Sports in Media was organized to
combat racism. Vernon was at the head of the helm because he, like so
many Indian people, experienced racism very early in life. Vernon also
worked for his people in White Earth, and he never forgot his roots. His
work took him across Canada, throughout the U.S., into Central America,
and South America. He traveled to Africa, Europe, Aotearora (New
Zealand), and to the islands, Cuba, the Carribean, and so on. He raised
issues, consciousness, and hell.
Vern was selfless and candor. The love of family was solid. He would
have given them the world if he could. It was kind of hard to remember
his laughter last week, but now I do. His laughter was infectious too,
and his silly jokes. For 27 and a half years I laughed with him, worked
with him, and lived with him. I mean really lived with him.
He was always saying, he would not live to see 80. He did live to see
some change as a result of the American Indian Movement and the
International Indian Treaty Council. He will also live on through the
stories that we all have like, remember the time when Vern had the idea
to take his AIMster friends into the heart of "redneck" territory to a
farmhouse pancake breakfast...
Vernon had a mountain of friends, and they came to support him on his
final journey. I am eternally grateful for all of you, and deeply thank
you for everything. I was continually amazed how easy it was for him to
make friends, and converse with strangers. He gave a little of himself
to everyone he met.
He would hate that he caused so many tears, and made people so sad. He
would prefer that you raise a little hell like he did.
..Janice Denny
rz
From: Janice Denny <jdenny@fdltcc.edu>
Date: Oct 24, 2007 11:00 AM
Subject: Vernon Bellecourt
In Memoriam
On December 15, 1966 Walt Disney died of acute circulatory collapse,
caused by lung cancer, at age 65. Outside hanging on the wall in the
Intensive Care Unit at Abbot Northwestern Hospital where Vernon
Bellecourt was fighting for his life is a print of a lone microphone
spotlighted, and the cartoon characters standing aside that Disney
created, hanging their heads. I stood staring at the print for minutes
at a time while the doctors and nurses worked on Vernon day after day. I
was horrified that the print might reflect the end result here. On a
beautiful fall day in Minneapolis, it did.
The American Indian Movement Website and office received hundreds of
emails and phone messages from the four corners of the world after the
news spread about Vernon's passing into spirit. Tears flowed and
disbelief prevailed.
Vernon was so filled up with life and positive energy, and he infected
everybody around him with it. The hard reality that Vernon's life was
over affected everyone around him, and everyone who knew him with
profound sadness. Vernon was hardly ever sad except for when he lost
family members, and his dear friends, Jerry Roy, Dick LaGarde, and Kwame
Ture.
Vernon's agenda was always full speed ahead on the issue of the day, and
his unbending will in getting the job done was infamous. You had to
understand that in order to live around, and live with Vernon. His
passion was justice for Indian people everywhere, period. That passion
took him all over the world, and his last trip took him to Venezuela. He
came home full of happiness after meeting people from the Wayuu Tribe
there, and other Indigenous people throughout South America. He was not
well, but he was happy. He was worried too because there were a lot of
issues to deal with as usual. He worked until I finally took his cell
phone away from him in the hospital so he could rest.
The National Coalition on Racism in Sports in Media was organized to
combat racism. Vernon was at the head of the helm because he, like so
many Indian people, experienced racism very early in life. Vernon also
worked for his people in White Earth, and he never forgot his roots. His
work took him across Canada, throughout the U.S., into Central America,
and South America. He traveled to Africa, Europe, Aotearora (New
Zealand), and to the islands, Cuba, the Carribean, and so on. He raised
issues, consciousness, and hell.
Vern was selfless and candor. The love of family was solid. He would
have given them the world if he could. It was kind of hard to remember
his laughter last week, but now I do. His laughter was infectious too,
and his silly jokes. For 27 and a half years I laughed with him, worked
with him, and lived with him. I mean really lived with him.
He was always saying, he would not live to see 80. He did live to see
some change as a result of the American Indian Movement and the
International Indian Treaty Council. He will also live on through the
stories that we all have like, remember the time when Vern had the idea
to take his AIMster friends into the heart of "redneck" territory to a
farmhouse pancake breakfast...
Vernon had a mountain of friends, and they came to support him on his
final journey. I am eternally grateful for all of you, and deeply thank
you for everything. I was continually amazed how easy it was for him to
make friends, and converse with strangers. He gave a little of himself
to everyone he met.
He would hate that he caused so many tears, and made people so sad. He
would prefer that you raise a little hell like he did.
..Janice Denny
Friday, October 26, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
ABC News: Big, Buff and Bad: Police on Steroids
Big, Buff and Bad: Police on Steroids --
Sources here in the Twin Cities have, in the last year or year and a half, asked me to investigate rumors of the MPLS POLICE and steroids. It doesn't surprise me but thus far I have no real evidence beyond the extra-beefy, over-aggressive and violent behaviors.
But methinks there's something here. Policing is a copycat profession in this country, with every department in the nation trying to emulate the brutality of the Chicago, NY and LA PD departments.
Sources here in the Twin Cities have, in the last year or year and a half, asked me to investigate rumors of the MPLS POLICE and steroids. It doesn't surprise me but thus far I have no real evidence beyond the extra-beefy, over-aggressive and violent behaviors.
But methinks there's something here. Policing is a copycat profession in this country, with every department in the nation trying to emulate the brutality of the Chicago, NY and LA PD departments.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Akeelah actress told to be like Foxy Brown by Atlantic Records
rz: This article illustrates the long-held power and control of white, privileged recording exec determining who and what is or isn't "Black" enough. The same dynamic plays out in hip hop, particularly gangsta rap, which was seen as an antidote to the influence of POSITIVE hip hop artists like KRS-ONE, PARIS, and especially PUBLIC ENEMY. The industry, and the predominantly white consumers who support it, promote and desire images of Black death, misogyny, family strife, and Black on Black violence, and then market these images as 'real'. You couldn't have Chuck D teaching the youths about the 10 point BPP platform or exposing the shams of the criminal (in)justice system -- someone might get educated: Not that I haven't bopped my head to NWA and EAZY-E but I have avoided society's attempts to get me to internalize a desire to view my brothers and sisters through the prism of cut-throat Western/Capitalist competition, which seems to be required if you want a fat, million dollar record contract.
Bitches.
Atlantic Records Tries to Turn 14yr Actress Into Lil Kim
By Bruce Banter playahata.com
Keke Palmer, is the 14 year old girl who played Akeelah, in the movie, Akeelah and the Bee. She and her mother Sharon have a huge problem with the upcoming record deal they signed with Atlantic Records in March of 2006. The problem is that the record label wants to market the 14 year old as a sexpot but she does not want that image.
Keke admits “From the very beginning Atlantic's A&R representative tried to get me to record inappropriate music, and my parents and I resisted.”
Soon Keke and her mom became tired of fighting the negative images that the label kept trying to force on her, and they started looking for a management company that could deal with the situation. They settled on DAS Entertainment, a management company out of New York.(John Legend label. One problem, the label has been blocking the efforts!
Atlantic kept telling them that “Keke is “urban”, and should be singing urban music”. Keke’s mom Sharon got her in touch with Mr. Edmonds
(Babyface) and he and Keke worked really well together and came up with a good commercial R&B song, but when it came time to pay for the song the label said no, he was “too expensive”.
Paul Porter of www.Industryears.com says “Keke Palmer is the poster child for what’s wrong with the music industry. Imagine being 12 year’s old and Atlantic Records trying to mold Keke in the mold of Lil Kim or Foxy Brown.”
The problem with the corporate hip hop machine is more than black and white. Unfortunately, white America enjoys seeing and hearing about cultural misogyny, sex and violence. They honestly believe Black America is the mix of lyrically challenged artists[sic] they promote.
The industry spin on Keke is nothing new. When you fail to promote or market a new artist they often fail. If Keke recorded a Jibb type “Chain Hang Low” or say a Plies “Shorty” BET and radio would be all over it. In my eyes Atlantic Records for now has simply passed on one of the most talented artist to come around in decades. Keke Palmer is no one hit wonder.
Who’s behind this nonsense? Well the Senior A&R rep, Mike Caren, was the main antagonist, he kept on saying, ” Keke is urban”, so as long as they refused to record the raunchy tracks that he sent them, he refused to pay for the good clean music they brought him.At one point he even stopped Keke from recording by not paying for studio time.
Unfortunately, Das Entertainment the Management co was also ineffective in dealing with the label, they now began to codify the intent by repeating , ” we will not promote her unless she records urban music”.
This statement confused Keke and her mom.They are unsure of what is really being said indirectly.
Just for the record Keke is from the south side of Chicago. She began singing in her church’s choir at the age of five, and she auditioned for a stage production of The Lion King at the age of nine. She grew up listening to Brandy, Aaliyah and TLC, so it was not like she was recording rock music! She was recording good music, with great beats, with good positive lyrics, her music is what all kids want to hear no matter where they live. She was blessed to have worked with some of the top producers in the business, some even cut their price down so that the label would not have an excuse not to pay for the songs.
The only thing she and her parents could figure out was that the subject matters that she chose to sing about were not as, ” urban ” and they would have preferred.
She is only 14 years old, and when she signed the deal she was only 12 years old, “what did they think she would be singing about?” Anyway, they kept their word and did very little to promote her cd. They refused to provide marketing reports, even when Das management kept asking.Then on Sept 14th they received the report, 4 days before her cd release date of Sept 18th.
Needless to say, it was not a good report, there was absolutely no plans to pay for a national announcement to tell kids that her cd was even being released! They kept their word and did not promote Keke because she was too clean, she refused to go ” urban”, and sing words that disrespect her and other young girls.
Keke’s parents tried to promote the release in Chicago(her hometown), they called the press on their own, and managed to get on some morning shows, but that was only in Chicago. Her debut cd that she worked so hard on sold 1,325 copies, the label supposedly shipped 69,000 copies.
She was on a Disney Channel movie called, JUMP IN, that over 8 million households tuned in to watch it’s debut, also the soundtrack to that movie debuted at #5 on Billboard. She was the only artist to have 2 songs on that soundtrack(she can sing). The Akeelah DVD sold 1.2 million copies and on that DVD she has a music video, so her audience, kids from 8-15 know who she is. She also sung the end title credit to the block-buster movie NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, which grossed over 270 million, her voice is the first voice you hear coming out of the movie. Fox tried to get Atlantic to go half on a music video for Keke, but Atlantic declined stating,
”that song is NOT “Keke’s image” so we will not pay, of course they regretted that after the movie grossed so much! This was way back in February, 2007, this was a forshadowing of events to come!
Last week Keke’s mother, Sharon, received a call from an employee of Atlantic Records, a confidential call off the record. The caller told her mother that the president of the label is so disappointed with low sales that she may pull Keke’s cd off the shelf. The caller was so upset by this statement that she wanted Keke’s parents to know what was being said behind closed doors. She was disappointed that the label refused to promote Keke, and now they are blaming her for poor sales!
Keke was informed that Congress was working to make the labels promote positive music, well her music is positive, but the label will not spend a dime to promote it because she refused to sing raunchy lyrics, and dares to call herself Pop/R&B and not urban / Hip-Hop.
Keke admits “I am only a kid, my parents would kill me if I sang stuff like that”. Ask yourself would they want their daughters to sing negative music?
They knew her age when they signed her, they came to her after seeing Akeelah and the Bee, and begged her to sign, so why did they not think that she could really be like Akeelah, a good girl?
In closing, we are asking our audience, should Keke just let it go, accept the fact that this label will not promote this album. Or should they try to get the message out on their own?
Keke wants to try to get the message out because they worked extremely hard on this music and it is good, and the early reviews online are good.
G0 to www.kekepalmer.com and listen for yourself.
I think the kids would like it if they knew that it was out. Her parents are so tired of fighting the label. They are not rich and to launch their own promotions would cost a lot of money , so her parents don’t want to go broke trying to push a cd that the label should be pushing, they go broke to break the album, and the label just becomes richer.
Bitches.
Atlantic Records Tries to Turn 14yr Actress Into Lil Kim
By Bruce Banter playahata.com
Keke Palmer, is the 14 year old girl who played Akeelah, in the movie, Akeelah and the Bee. She and her mother Sharon have a huge problem with the upcoming record deal they signed with Atlantic Records in March of 2006. The problem is that the record label wants to market the 14 year old as a sexpot but she does not want that image.
Keke admits “From the very beginning Atlantic's A&R representative tried to get me to record inappropriate music, and my parents and I resisted.”
Soon Keke and her mom became tired of fighting the negative images that the label kept trying to force on her, and they started looking for a management company that could deal with the situation. They settled on DAS Entertainment, a management company out of New York.(John Legend label. One problem, the label has been blocking the efforts!
Atlantic kept telling them that “Keke is “urban”, and should be singing urban music”. Keke’s mom Sharon got her in touch with Mr. Edmonds
(Babyface) and he and Keke worked really well together and came up with a good commercial R&B song, but when it came time to pay for the song the label said no, he was “too expensive”.
Paul Porter of www.Industryears.com says “Keke Palmer is the poster child for what’s wrong with the music industry. Imagine being 12 year’s old and Atlantic Records trying to mold Keke in the mold of Lil Kim or Foxy Brown.”
The problem with the corporate hip hop machine is more than black and white. Unfortunately, white America enjoys seeing and hearing about cultural misogyny, sex and violence. They honestly believe Black America is the mix of lyrically challenged artists[sic] they promote.
The industry spin on Keke is nothing new. When you fail to promote or market a new artist they often fail. If Keke recorded a Jibb type “Chain Hang Low” or say a Plies “Shorty” BET and radio would be all over it. In my eyes Atlantic Records for now has simply passed on one of the most talented artist to come around in decades. Keke Palmer is no one hit wonder.
Who’s behind this nonsense? Well the Senior A&R rep, Mike Caren, was the main antagonist, he kept on saying, ” Keke is urban”, so as long as they refused to record the raunchy tracks that he sent them, he refused to pay for the good clean music they brought him.At one point he even stopped Keke from recording by not paying for studio time.
Unfortunately, Das Entertainment the Management co was also ineffective in dealing with the label, they now began to codify the intent by repeating , ” we will not promote her unless she records urban music”.
This statement confused Keke and her mom.They are unsure of what is really being said indirectly.
Just for the record Keke is from the south side of Chicago. She began singing in her church’s choir at the age of five, and she auditioned for a stage production of The Lion King at the age of nine. She grew up listening to Brandy, Aaliyah and TLC, so it was not like she was recording rock music! She was recording good music, with great beats, with good positive lyrics, her music is what all kids want to hear no matter where they live. She was blessed to have worked with some of the top producers in the business, some even cut their price down so that the label would not have an excuse not to pay for the songs.
The only thing she and her parents could figure out was that the subject matters that she chose to sing about were not as, ” urban ” and they would have preferred.
She is only 14 years old, and when she signed the deal she was only 12 years old, “what did they think she would be singing about?” Anyway, they kept their word and did very little to promote her cd. They refused to provide marketing reports, even when Das management kept asking.Then on Sept 14th they received the report, 4 days before her cd release date of Sept 18th.
Needless to say, it was not a good report, there was absolutely no plans to pay for a national announcement to tell kids that her cd was even being released! They kept their word and did not promote Keke because she was too clean, she refused to go ” urban”, and sing words that disrespect her and other young girls.
Keke’s parents tried to promote the release in Chicago(her hometown), they called the press on their own, and managed to get on some morning shows, but that was only in Chicago. Her debut cd that she worked so hard on sold 1,325 copies, the label supposedly shipped 69,000 copies.
She was on a Disney Channel movie called, JUMP IN, that over 8 million households tuned in to watch it’s debut, also the soundtrack to that movie debuted at #5 on Billboard. She was the only artist to have 2 songs on that soundtrack(she can sing). The Akeelah DVD sold 1.2 million copies and on that DVD she has a music video, so her audience, kids from 8-15 know who she is. She also sung the end title credit to the block-buster movie NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, which grossed over 270 million, her voice is the first voice you hear coming out of the movie. Fox tried to get Atlantic to go half on a music video for Keke, but Atlantic declined stating,
”that song is NOT “Keke’s image” so we will not pay, of course they regretted that after the movie grossed so much! This was way back in February, 2007, this was a forshadowing of events to come!
Last week Keke’s mother, Sharon, received a call from an employee of Atlantic Records, a confidential call off the record. The caller told her mother that the president of the label is so disappointed with low sales that she may pull Keke’s cd off the shelf. The caller was so upset by this statement that she wanted Keke’s parents to know what was being said behind closed doors. She was disappointed that the label refused to promote Keke, and now they are blaming her for poor sales!
Keke was informed that Congress was working to make the labels promote positive music, well her music is positive, but the label will not spend a dime to promote it because she refused to sing raunchy lyrics, and dares to call herself Pop/R&B and not urban / Hip-Hop.
Keke admits “I am only a kid, my parents would kill me if I sang stuff like that”. Ask yourself would they want their daughters to sing negative music?
They knew her age when they signed her, they came to her after seeing Akeelah and the Bee, and begged her to sign, so why did they not think that she could really be like Akeelah, a good girl?
In closing, we are asking our audience, should Keke just let it go, accept the fact that this label will not promote this album. Or should they try to get the message out on their own?
Keke wants to try to get the message out because they worked extremely hard on this music and it is good, and the early reviews online are good.
G0 to www.kekepalmer.com and listen for yourself.
I think the kids would like it if they knew that it was out. Her parents are so tired of fighting the label. They are not rich and to launch their own promotions would cost a lot of money , so her parents don’t want to go broke trying to push a cd that the label should be pushing, they go broke to break the album, and the label just becomes richer.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Guards acquitted in death of Black youth...no surprise there.
Shame.
Guards Acquitted in Boot Camp Case
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) -- Eight former boot camp workers were acquitted of manslaughter Friday in the death of a 14-year-old boy who was videotaped being punched and kicked. The scene sparked outrage and changes in the juvenile system, but it took jurors just 90 minutes to decide it was not a crime.
Anger over the verdict was obvious outside the courtroom, where bystanders screamed "murderer" at former guard Henry Dickens as he described his relief at the verdict.
Martin Lee Anderson died a day after being hit and kicked by Dickens and six other guards as a nurse watched, a 30-minute confrontation that drew protests in the state capital and spelled the end of Florida's system of juvenile boot camps.
"I am truly, truly sorry this happened. Myself, I love kids," said Dickens, 60. He added that Anderson "wasn't beaten. Those techniques were taught to us and used for a purpose."
The defendants testified that they followed the rules at a get-tough facility where young offenders often feigned illness to avoid exercise. Their attorneys said that Anderson died not from rough treatment, but from a previously undiagnosed blood disorder.
The boy's mother, Gina Jones, stormed out of the courtroom. "I cannot see my son no more. Everybody see their family members. It's wrong," she said, distraught.
"You kill a dog, you go to jail," said her lawyer, Benjamin Crump. "You kill a little black boy and nothing happens." He spoke outside court, which is across the street from the now-closed Bay County boot camp.
Anderson's family repeatedly sat through the painful video as it played during testimony. They had long sought a trial, claiming local officials tried to cover up the case. The conservative Florida Panhandle county is surrounded by military bases and residents are known for their respect for law and order.
The guards, who are white, black and Asian, stood quietly as the judge read the verdicts. The all-white jury was escorted away from the courthouse and did not comment.
Special prosecutor Mark Ober said in a statement he was "extremely disappointed," but added, "In spite of these verdicts, Martin Lee Anderson did not die in vain. This case brought needed attention and reform to our juvenile justice system."
The defendants would have faced up to 30 years in prison had they been convicted of aggravated manslaughter of child. The jury also decided against convicting them of lesser charges, including child neglect and culpable negligence.
Chuck Hobbs II, an attorney for the Florida chapter of the NAACP, said his group was considering asking the Justice Department to bring federal civil-rights charges against the guards. Defense attorneys called such a case unlikely.
"With a 90-minute verdict after a three-week trial (in the state case), it would be the same result," said attorney Bob Sombathy, who represents ex-guard Patrick Garrett.
Aside from hitting Anderson, the guards dragged him around the military-style camp's exercise yard and forced him to inhale ammonia capsules in what they said was an attempt to revive him. The nurse stood by watching.
Defense attorneys argued that the guards properly handled what they thought was a juvenile offender faking illness to avoid exercising on his first day in the camp. He was brought there for violating probation for stealing his grandmother's car and trespassing at a school.
The defense said Anderson's death was unavoidable because he had undiagnosed sickle cell trait, a usually harmless blood disorder that can hinder blood cells' ability to carry oxygen during physical stress.
Prosecutors said the eight defendants neglected the boy by neglecting his medical needs after he collapsed while running laps. They said the defendants suffocated Anderson by covering his mouth and forcing him to inhale ammonia.
"You may not hear anything coming out of that video sound-wise, but that video is screaming to you in a loud, clear voice, it is telling you that these defendants killed Martin Lee Anderson," prosecutor Scott Harmon said in his closing argument.
Anderson died Jan. 6, 2006, when he was taken off life support, a day after the altercation. The case quickly grew and shook up the state's boot camp and law enforcement system amid the boy's family alleging a cover-up.
An initial autopsy by Dr. Charles Siebert, the medical examiner for Bay County, found Anderson died of natural causes from sickle cell trait. A second autopsy was ordered and another doctor concluded that the guards suffocated Anderson through their repeated use of ammonia capsules and by covering his mouth.
"I am feeling a little vindicated. People got to see a lot more than what's been publicized in the media," said Siebert, who was widely criticized for his autopsy. He said he was going to celebrate with some of the guards.
Anderson's death led to the resignation of Florida Department of Law Enforcement chief Guy Tunnell, who established the camp when he was Bay County sheriff.
Then-Gov. Jeb Bush had been a strong supporter of the juvenile boot camps, but after Anderson's death he backed the Legislature's move to shut down the system and put more money into a less militaristic program.
Bush appointed Mark Ober, state attorney for Hillsborough County, as special prosecutor in the case. Bush also scolded Tunnell for exchanging e-mails with current Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen, in which he criticized those who questioned the effectiveness of the boot camp concept. He also made light of the protesters in the state capital.
The Legislature agreed to pay Anderson's family $5 million earlier this year to settle civil claims.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BOOT_CAMP_DEATH?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US
Guards Acquitted in Boot Camp Case
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) -- Eight former boot camp workers were acquitted of manslaughter Friday in the death of a 14-year-old boy who was videotaped being punched and kicked. The scene sparked outrage and changes in the juvenile system, but it took jurors just 90 minutes to decide it was not a crime.
Anger over the verdict was obvious outside the courtroom, where bystanders screamed "murderer" at former guard Henry Dickens as he described his relief at the verdict.
Martin Lee Anderson died a day after being hit and kicked by Dickens and six other guards as a nurse watched, a 30-minute confrontation that drew protests in the state capital and spelled the end of Florida's system of juvenile boot camps.
"I am truly, truly sorry this happened. Myself, I love kids," said Dickens, 60. He added that Anderson "wasn't beaten. Those techniques were taught to us and used for a purpose."
The defendants testified that they followed the rules at a get-tough facility where young offenders often feigned illness to avoid exercise. Their attorneys said that Anderson died not from rough treatment, but from a previously undiagnosed blood disorder.
The boy's mother, Gina Jones, stormed out of the courtroom. "I cannot see my son no more. Everybody see their family members. It's wrong," she said, distraught.
"You kill a dog, you go to jail," said her lawyer, Benjamin Crump. "You kill a little black boy and nothing happens." He spoke outside court, which is across the street from the now-closed Bay County boot camp.
Anderson's family repeatedly sat through the painful video as it played during testimony. They had long sought a trial, claiming local officials tried to cover up the case. The conservative Florida Panhandle county is surrounded by military bases and residents are known for their respect for law and order.
The guards, who are white, black and Asian, stood quietly as the judge read the verdicts. The all-white jury was escorted away from the courthouse and did not comment.
Special prosecutor Mark Ober said in a statement he was "extremely disappointed," but added, "In spite of these verdicts, Martin Lee Anderson did not die in vain. This case brought needed attention and reform to our juvenile justice system."
The defendants would have faced up to 30 years in prison had they been convicted of aggravated manslaughter of child. The jury also decided against convicting them of lesser charges, including child neglect and culpable negligence.
Chuck Hobbs II, an attorney for the Florida chapter of the NAACP, said his group was considering asking the Justice Department to bring federal civil-rights charges against the guards. Defense attorneys called such a case unlikely.
"With a 90-minute verdict after a three-week trial (in the state case), it would be the same result," said attorney Bob Sombathy, who represents ex-guard Patrick Garrett.
Aside from hitting Anderson, the guards dragged him around the military-style camp's exercise yard and forced him to inhale ammonia capsules in what they said was an attempt to revive him. The nurse stood by watching.
Defense attorneys argued that the guards properly handled what they thought was a juvenile offender faking illness to avoid exercising on his first day in the camp. He was brought there for violating probation for stealing his grandmother's car and trespassing at a school.
The defense said Anderson's death was unavoidable because he had undiagnosed sickle cell trait, a usually harmless blood disorder that can hinder blood cells' ability to carry oxygen during physical stress.
Prosecutors said the eight defendants neglected the boy by neglecting his medical needs after he collapsed while running laps. They said the defendants suffocated Anderson by covering his mouth and forcing him to inhale ammonia.
"You may not hear anything coming out of that video sound-wise, but that video is screaming to you in a loud, clear voice, it is telling you that these defendants killed Martin Lee Anderson," prosecutor Scott Harmon said in his closing argument.
Anderson died Jan. 6, 2006, when he was taken off life support, a day after the altercation. The case quickly grew and shook up the state's boot camp and law enforcement system amid the boy's family alleging a cover-up.
An initial autopsy by Dr. Charles Siebert, the medical examiner for Bay County, found Anderson died of natural causes from sickle cell trait. A second autopsy was ordered and another doctor concluded that the guards suffocated Anderson through their repeated use of ammonia capsules and by covering his mouth.
"I am feeling a little vindicated. People got to see a lot more than what's been publicized in the media," said Siebert, who was widely criticized for his autopsy. He said he was going to celebrate with some of the guards.
Anderson's death led to the resignation of Florida Department of Law Enforcement chief Guy Tunnell, who established the camp when he was Bay County sheriff.
Then-Gov. Jeb Bush had been a strong supporter of the juvenile boot camps, but after Anderson's death he backed the Legislature's move to shut down the system and put more money into a less militaristic program.
Bush appointed Mark Ober, state attorney for Hillsborough County, as special prosecutor in the case. Bush also scolded Tunnell for exchanging e-mails with current Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen, in which he criticized those who questioned the effectiveness of the boot camp concept. He also made light of the protesters in the state capital.
The Legislature agreed to pay Anderson's family $5 million earlier this year to settle civil claims.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BOOT_CAMP_DEATH?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Monday, October 08, 2007
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Nine white farmers demand court appeal, refusing to leave land in Zimbabwe - Africa, World News - Independent.ie
Then begone already....you received African land during the colonial period. Go Mugabe!
Chicago cops on desk duty after video - Crime & Punishment - MSNBC.com
Has the time come for municipalities to ELECT those we entrust to SERVE and PROTECT us? Across the nation PDs seem to be locked in a battle of one-upsmanship to see who can terrorize the most citizens with citizen (taxpayer) money: Minneapolis, Chicago, New York, St. Louis, ad infinitum. The ranks of police across the nation are filled not so much with benevolent defenders of justice but often racist/violent individuals who have belatedly recognized that the badge literally shields their hatred of certain individuals and groups from accountability. Community policing can best be assured when we elect those who have license to kill instead of allowing those with violent mentalities to treat our cities and the people in them with criminal disregard.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
ABC News: White House warns Costa Rica on trade ahead of vote
ABC News: White House warns Costa Rica on trade ahead of vote
How nice of them.
I hope the Costa Ricans reject CAFTA.
How nice of them.
I hope the Costa Ricans reject CAFTA.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Despite What President Arias Might Want You to Believe: Why Costa Rica Might Not Need CAFTA After All, and Why It May Be a Bad Deal for the Average Co
"Collective suicide."
"It was what Costa Rica President Oscar Arias has publicly predicted for his country if its good citizens don't ratify the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) , which will be put to referendum this Sunday. "Let's not close the door. Let's not cut our wings. Lets not deny our young people this challenge, " was the impassioned, almost moralistic appeal that Costa Rican economist Alvaro Cedeno made in the country's national newspaper La Nacion. This hortatory, if not establishmentarian advice on the part of Arias and the Costa Rican academic, is reminiscent of President Clinton's appeal to Democratic legislators in 1994 when he urged them to vote for NAFTA. Just as the pro-free trade bloc bought NAFTA by throwing millions of dollars to promote the enactment of it, a comparable fortune has been spent in Costa Rica to guarantee that no October surprises take place on Sunday."
"It was what Costa Rica President Oscar Arias has publicly predicted for his country if its good citizens don't ratify the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) , which will be put to referendum this Sunday. "Let's not close the door. Let's not cut our wings. Lets not deny our young people this challenge, " was the impassioned, almost moralistic appeal that Costa Rican economist Alvaro Cedeno made in the country's national newspaper La Nacion. This hortatory, if not establishmentarian advice on the part of Arias and the Costa Rican academic, is reminiscent of President Clinton's appeal to Democratic legislators in 1994 when he urged them to vote for NAFTA. Just as the pro-free trade bloc bought NAFTA by throwing millions of dollars to promote the enactment of it, a comparable fortune has been spent in Costa Rica to guarantee that no October surprises take place on Sunday."
Jones to admit drugs use says IOC - CNN.com
Jones to admit drugs use says IOC - CNN.com
Now this, this makes me sad -- screw Barry and Big Mac, but you Marion?
Nooooooooooooo!
Now this, this makes me sad -- screw Barry and Big Mac, but you Marion?
Nooooooooooooo!
Thursday, October 04, 2007
BBC NEWS | Business | Wal-Mart must pay extra damages
"One of Wal-Mart's undisclosed secrets for its profitability is its creation and implementation of a system that encourages off-the-clock work for its hourly employees."
Damn.
Do you think news of this sort will stop the sheep from shopping with the wolves?
Damn.
Do you think news of this sort will stop the sheep from shopping with the wolves?
Crooks and Liars » Audio of Larry Craig’s Bust!
Crooks and Liars » Audio of Larry Craig’s Bust!
Craig is a naughty and NASTY boy.
Just call him Vanity 1
Craig is a naughty and NASTY boy.
Just call him Vanity 1
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Sudan pledges $300 million to rebuild Darfu
But some critics say security is the prime issue after the atrocious attacks on African Union troops stationed in Darfur as security, known euphemistically as "peacekeeping" (see Farscape).
U.S. Plans Biggest Terror Drill Ever, Three Fictional "Dirty Bombs" To Go Off In Portland, Phoenix And Guam - CBS News
U.S. Plans Biggest Terror Drill Ever, Three Fictional "Dirty Bombs" To Go Off In Portland, Phoenix And Guam - CBS News
What are those boys up to?
The last "biggest terror drill ever" was just just before 9-11-01, and involved planes going into buildings.
What are those boys up to?
The last "biggest terror drill ever" was just just before 9-11-01, and involved planes going into buildings.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Republicans prepped for 2008 voter disenfranchisement
Thanks, Eric Kattan, for this link detailing how republicans are going to 'cage' voters of color -- again.
Obama: Eliminate all nukes
Blacklogic is boycotting the 2008 elections and all campaigns because elections in this country are now a sham, two have been stolen, hence there's no leg for democracy to stand on in this country. Moreover, all the candidates are lackeys for the Council on Foreign Relations/Trilateral Commisson/Military/Industrial Complex. Nonetheless, the elimination of nuclear weapons being proposed by a (longshot) presidential candidate is news worth passing on at least.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Books: America's Terror War on America - Newsweek Entertainment - MSNBC.com
Many of these new books are finally starting to ask questions the authors should have asked decades ago during the Reagan Adm.
With two stolen elections under our fascist belt, there is no doubt the USA has phased-out democracy's most important trait -- free elections.
But, these attacks on the Constitution, and our blind acceptance of them, shows you how tolerant all Americans -- conservative and so-called liberal -- are of fascist principles as long as it keeps white privilege going a little while longer. That is the tacit reason the Pelosis and Reids have aided and abetted this criminal administration -- they too are benefactors of the regime.
With two stolen elections under our fascist belt, there is no doubt the USA has phased-out democracy's most important trait -- free elections.
But, these attacks on the Constitution, and our blind acceptance of them, shows you how tolerant all Americans -- conservative and so-called liberal -- are of fascist principles as long as it keeps white privilege going a little while longer. That is the tacit reason the Pelosis and Reids have aided and abetted this criminal administration -- they too are benefactors of the regime.
Chicago police again mired in scandal - Yahoo! News
Chicago police again mired in scandal - Yahoo! News
Dig the part about the "99.9 percent" of officers who allegedly aren't corrupt.
Without a doubt, the police, military, mercenary outfits like Blackwater USA and other careers of this type are as much, if not more, of a haven and finishing school for racist and violent people with an axe to grind against others in society, whether Blacks, Latinos, GLBT, and Natives and especially now Arab descent persons.
It will be too late when the nation wakes up to this fact: There are no checks in place to prevent violent racists from careers in criminal justice because criminal justice as practiced in the USA is a function of a violent and racist agenda in the first place.
Dig the part about the "99.9 percent" of officers who allegedly aren't corrupt.
Without a doubt, the police, military, mercenary outfits like Blackwater USA and other careers of this type are as much, if not more, of a haven and finishing school for racist and violent people with an axe to grind against others in society, whether Blacks, Latinos, GLBT, and Natives and especially now Arab descent persons.
It will be too late when the nation wakes up to this fact: There are no checks in place to prevent violent racists from careers in criminal justice because criminal justice as practiced in the USA is a function of a violent and racist agenda in the first place.
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