Displaying 751 To 780 Of 13,190 Comments Ferguson: Why Does a Mostly Black City Have Mostly White Government & Police? There might also be a short and not-so-sweet answer to this question in this article on the seamy underbelly of Ferguson. Which appears to be a town that supports itself — to the tune of over $2 million — on trumped up charges, phony traffic stops and fines. They seem to escalate changes on minority people to the point at which they’re ending up as “felons” — which naturally would make voting and running for office very difficult. » Posted By kesmarn On August 19, 2014 @ 10:45 am How sickening… What is wrong with these people? Are things worse now than they have been? Or are there just a few people who are more vocal than ever? I really can’t tell… » Posted By kesmarn On August 18, 2014 @ 7:01 pm Michael, I’d missed your 2011 post somehow. Good Lord, that was a harrowing episode. I’m so glad you lived to tell — and write — about it. Here we are three years later and — by the looks of Ferguson — we still have a long, long way to go in educating police departments on issues of justice. Maybe now — with the eyes of the whole world (including Amnesty International) on us — we’ll make some progress. » Posted By kesmarn On August 18, 2014 @ 12:56 pm I didn’t realize you were that close to the scene, NoMan. You certainly will provide a unique and valuable perspective on this as things play out. I’m beginning to wonder if Missouri will begin to be known as the “Don’t Shoot” state. This whole situation deserves a thorough investigation and clean-up by the Feds! » Posted By kesmarn On August 15, 2014 @ 12:43 pm AdLib, I think part of the problem is that they’re afraid to lose face. They’ve already gone to a certain point in their error and they feel that if they say: “OK. Time out, people. Tell me what actually happened here.” And then the result is that they have to let their “suspect” go, they’ll look foolish. Which is a pretty stupid reason to take away someone’s civil rights. But human pride is so strong that a lot of awful things have been done for the sake of it. It was good to get the info you provided on what is and isn’t private property and the limits to what can be done in either situation. Unfortunately — I think this will be valuable information to have down the road. Thank you! » Posted By kesmarn On August 15, 2014 @ 12:36 pm And it’s a shame, SLM, that she has to worry so much about having her face shown as she’s speaking. But I totally understand why she does worry! I would have felt the same way. She’s absolutely right in what she says, though. » Posted By kesmarn On August 15, 2014 @ 11:17 am So disappointing, AdLib, to read that there’s no public condemnation of what’s been happening from Nixon and Johnson (wow…weird to type those two names together for the first time in a long time). Is it all part of the dubious “keep a united front” theory in times of crisis — or what? I can only hope that maybe they’re thinking that the situation needs to cool down a bit before they make any kind of statement to the effect that a rigorous investigation is going to be undertaken and heads will roll. I don’t see any way they could have a realistic hope that this will just be swept under the rug and everything will go back to “normal.” With the whole world watching, that seems incredibly unlikely, no? » Posted By kesmarn On August 15, 2014 @ 11:05 am This is a truly shocking and very revealing story, NoMan! Thanks so much for getting this link out there. I also put it in our Twitter feed. It needs to be widely circulated. » Posted By kesmarn On August 15, 2014 @ 9:21 am This is another encouraging sign: State Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson marches with protesters today. » Posted By kesmarn On August 14, 2014 @ 6:23 pm I agree on all points, Homie! I was wondering the same thing. Who knew that malls were private property? Are we trespassers every time we go shopping? I think those were protesters against the situation in Gaza who witnessed this whole event. Probably a good group to have around when there’s injustice going down… I think this man would have a strong case for a lawsuit, to say the least. And that’s the way to hit them where it hurts too. I’d also add in the local police who refused to step in and de-escalate the situation as defendants in that lawsuit. » Posted By kesmarn On August 14, 2014 @ 5:45 pm It definitely does, monica. Where are all those Bundy cowboys riding into town on their horses with their six-shooters by their sides, ready to take back the “real ‘Murrika”? Strangely absent. Which they usually are when they sense that they might actually get hurt. » Posted By kesmarn On August 14, 2014 @ 5:38 pm Thank God, the bystanders got involved in this case. Not to much avail though, I’m afraid. Not at this point, anyway. » Posted By kesmarn On August 14, 2014 @ 4:13 pm Friends, please tell me what you think of this latest event. There’s a video in this article that shows a mall cop (of all people) macing a black man whom all witnesses say is the wrong person in the scenario. What’s more disturbing is that the “real” police totally backed the rent-a-cop. » Posted By kesmarn On August 14, 2014 @ 3:47 pm Absolutely, AdLib. And I agree, these don’t seem at all to be rogue cops. They’re “just following orders” from a higher level, I’m pretty sure. » Posted By kesmarn On August 14, 2014 @ 3:19 pm I had exactly the same reaction, monica! 🙂 » Posted By kesmarn On August 14, 2014 @ 10:50 am Good Lord. Among the myriad disturbing aspects of all this is the fact that poor AlJazeera just cannot catch a break. They’re being arrested, tear gassed, shot at and imprisoned all around the world. I guess that’s what happens when you attempt to get the truth out. Also — interesting side note — people who’ve checked in on the NRA’s website are finding them curiously silent on this whole Ferguson situation. Strange. For a group that rants endlessly about the imminent likelihood of the US being taken over by hordes of “jack-booted thugs” in militarized police departments, in this case they don’t seem to be alarmed. Wonder why… ? I think we all know. » Posted By kesmarn On August 14, 2014 @ 9:37 am AdLib, this just came through on Google News and I think it’s a step in the right direction. St. Louis County police are being removed from the situation: » Posted By kesmarn On August 14, 2014 @ 9:27 am Exactly, monica. This business of driving ridiculously huge and over-armored vehicles, kicking down doors and shooting first, asking questions later is familiar territory to some of these guys. The brakes need to be applied, asap. » Posted By kesmarn On August 14, 2014 @ 7:26 am This is a worrisome trend, AdLib, and many thanks to you and monicaangela for your thoughts on the issue. The visuals of riot police through the decades are really chilling to look at. I’ve been reading a bit about the parallel developments of Bush’s wars in the ME and increasingly militarized police forces here in the US. I suspect there’s a connection. Especially in the hiring of veterans by police forces. (Which is not to imply that I’m about to say that every vet now on a police is a walking PTSD time bomb.) I found this article interesting: » Posted By kesmarn On August 13, 2014 @ 7:44 pm Why Preventing Genocide Isn’t the Same as Re-Invading Iraq Thanks for keeping us posted, Beatlex! Wishing him all the best. » Posted By kesmarn On August 11, 2014 @ 5:32 pm AdLib, forgive me for telling a little anecdote that will seem completely unrelated at first glance. But bear with me. One of my co-workers at the polling place last week was talking about a recent conversation that her brother-in-law had told her about. He’s a plumber (no, not Joe) and had gotten a call to do some plumbing work at a house in a suburban area near Toledo. This was during the recent Toledo water crisis, during which all Toledo tap water was declared unsafe for consumption. So people were scrambling to find bottled water. There was 24 hour semi-hysterical coverage on all the local media as well as a lot on the national media. This plumber arrived at the house he’d been called to just as the homeowner had finished unloading 100 large bottles of water from his SUV. (The plumber’s task wasn’t related to the water crisis.) He mentioned to the homeowner that he felt very lucky that he’d been spared the misery of finding bottled water and standing in line to buy it. “I’m so fortunate. I have a well, so this doesn’t affect me.” Suddenly the homeowner’s eyes got big. “Wait a minute…. I have a well…..” Hilarity followed when my co-worker told this story. But in real life there’s a more sobering undertone. This guy had been so conditioned to take the media seriously that he allowed himself to be stampeded into group-think and panic. He wasn’t able to use his own brain to ask a very simple question: “Does this make sense?” That’s the crucial question you’ve asked here. Does it make sense for the President to try to stop the advance of ISIS? It sure does. As you said, no one else was going to rescue those people. Does it make sense for the media to declare that what he’s done is the same thing that Dubya did? It sure doesn’t. But it does stoke the hysteria fires. Critical thinking skills really are critical. I loved your analogy of the mistaken police home invasion as opposed to the rescue call. Perfect. I think we might also take a minute to ask if punching a guy to stop a rape is the same as punching a woman so that you can rape her. The later sounds a lot more like what Dubya did to me. The former is what the President has done. Does that make sense? » Posted By kesmarn On August 11, 2014 @ 5:02 pm Video from Canada On Fukushima MBX, thanks so much for raising these issues, but like Nirek, I have to say listening to the speaker in the video was difficult. As you mentioned, he’s not a public speaker and does need someone to sharpen his rhetoric, edit out very numerous repetitious statements, clearly define exactly what he’s trying to say and get it said in less than an hour and a half. If his science is solid, that is the only way to get people to listen to it. That said, I wondered if you’d seen this article yet: » Posted By kesmarn On August 12, 2014 @ 5:35 pm Satan Announces First Ever Summer Vacation Plans And we all know that both Satan and the Repubs break out in itchy hives whenever they get within fifty feet of the truth, NoMan! » Posted By kesmarn On August 16, 2014 @ 6:33 am Absolutely wonderful as always, AdLib. Have you heard the latest breaking news, though? Word’s out on the wire services that Satan’s tour bus broke down in the middle of Sierra Leone. He’d neglected to get his Ebola vaccine, so he’s confined to the bus for the duration. Food, water and air conditioning are in short supply. He’s quoted as saying that it’s a considerable improvement over the week he spent in Wasilla at the Palin household, though. » Posted By kesmarn On August 15, 2014 @ 6:19 pm GOP Millionaire Candidate Posed as Homeless & Unemployed in Fresno Murph, it looks like a reasonably slick 10 minute anti-Brown swift-boating job. Any reasonably bright voter will see right through it. » Posted By kesmarn On August 7, 2014 @ 3:59 pm Terrific comment, Homie. Talk about “keeping it real”! » Posted By kesmarn On August 7, 2014 @ 3:52 pm GOP Rep. Fights Against “War on Whites” Check. Check. And check on that, boss. When it comes to war, we Dems are nothing if not thorough. I think we eliminated pretty much 100% of “those people.” » Posted By kesmarn On August 7, 2014 @ 1:22 pm AdLib, I just love this one! I’m sorry it took me so long to respond, but I was out there Monday and Tuesday of this week doing my civic duty. As a Democrat I was at the polls, waging war on white people. Monday evening I was setting up the Diebold machines, making sure that I inserted the special pre-hacked memory cards supplied to me by certain anonymous “operatives.” Then Tuesday (even though this was a special one-issue election regarding a school tax levy — no candidates) I made sure I asked all the white voters for gold medallion proof of citizenship, personally signed by either Ted Cruz or Ted Nugent. No proof. No vote. Sorry. Yes, it was 10:30 p.m. before we all got out of there. But — hey — that’s the price of democracy. Or rather “Democraticocracy.” Anything for my party. » Posted By kesmarn On August 7, 2014 @ 8:45 am Nirek, thanks so much for this post. Quite a while back, a friend of mine made what I thought was a very astute observation about John McCain. He said that even though McCain had been out of that Vietnamese prison camp for many years — “mentally, he’s still in the ‘tiger cage.'” Meaning that he was in a sort of chronic, angry, fearful, defensive crouch in his own mind. Maybe that’s one reason someone who seems to have the same emotional qualities — Sarah Palin — appealed to him? » Posted By kesmarn On August 7, 2014 @ 3:49 pm AT LAST! The Sarah Palin Channel……You Betcha! There’s something about Sarah that just invites creative nicknames. I thought the best one was “The Tundra Twunt” — until I read the most recent one: “The Great Whore of Babble-On. Now on Channel 666.” » Posted By kesmarn On July 30, 2014 @ 7:39 pmComments Posted By kesmarn
«« Back To Stats Page
Home Stats