short notes:
will brady's ruminations
will brady's ruminations
2009-02-15
crime : famous murderers
Maricopa County Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio rode into power by running against a fellow Republican and incumbent Maricopa County Sheriff, Tom Agnos, by bad mouthing Agnos and arguing that the entire Maricopa County Sheriff's Department needed to be cleaned up. Five terms and seventeen years later, he has not accomplished his stated goal.
Instead, publicity hound Sheriff Arpaio has used his post to foster his own agenda, namely that of a bigoted, hostile yahoo now in power. Although his racist, anti-immigrant opinions are well known being in power, I suspect, is his most important priority, not serving the citizens of Maricopa County Arizona.
So I am heartened that members of the US House Judiciary Committee are calling investigation of his crimes, if not is ouster, just yet.
Now, in case you are wondering why I calls him as a "murderer" when he has not been found guilt of such an act, it's simple; because, while under his watch he and his minions took part in, and over saw the deaths of three unconvicted detainees, Scott Norberg, Charles Agster and Clint Yarborugh.
All died while in strapped into a restraint chair. In the case of Agster, a mentally retarded man arrested for trespassing. A report conducted by the US Department of Justice found that "...Detention officers at the Madison Street Jail pulled a hood over his head and slammed him into a medieval-looking restraint chair. The hood around Agster's throat smothered him to the point that he became brain dead."
The weblog Firedoglake stated
Maricopa County Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio rode into power by running against a fellow Republican and incumbent Maricopa County Sheriff, Tom Agnos, by bad mouthing Agnos and arguing that the entire Maricopa County Sheriff's Department needed to be cleaned up. Five terms and seventeen years later, he has not accomplished his stated goal.Instead, publicity hound Sheriff Arpaio has used his post to foster his own agenda, namely that of a bigoted, hostile yahoo now in power. Although his racist, anti-immigrant opinions are well known being in power, I suspect, is his most important priority, not serving the citizens of Maricopa County Arizona.
So I am heartened that members of the US House Judiciary Committee are calling investigation of his crimes, if not is ouster, just yet.
Now, in case you are wondering why I calls him as a "murderer" when he has not been found guilt of such an act, it's simple; because, while under his watch he and his minions took part in, and over saw the deaths of three unconvicted detainees, Scott Norberg, Charles Agster and Clint Yarborugh.
All died while in strapped into a restraint chair. In the case of Agster, a mentally retarded man arrested for trespassing. A report conducted by the US Department of Justice found that "...Detention officers at the Madison Street Jail pulled a hood over his head and slammed him into a medieval-looking restraint chair. The hood around Agster's throat smothered him to the point that he became brain dead."
The weblog Firedoglake stated
" It should be noted that neither Norberg, Agster, nor Yarbrough were ever tried or convicted for the charges they were arrested on; none of them lived to see their first court date and died innocent men under the law. Those are just the deaths associated with the medieval restraint chair, there have been numerous deaths from improper or complete lack of medical care, neglect and other perils."So I think of Arpaio the same way I regard the circumstances of Ronald Rajcok, the guy who drove Mary Ann Measles to her assault, gang rape and death, even though he didn't hold the weapon. Arpaio is complicit in the crime, and, as such, deserves time in the same institutions he should proudly and brazenly lords over.
Labels: arizona, joe arpaio, racism, vigilantes
¶ 21:06 0 comments
2009-01-17
the star spangled banner
We have come a long way from the days when people were seized from their homes, changed and shackled into ships as if they were inanimate cargo, sold into slavery and subjected to abuses and wrongs that are almost unspeakable in their horror.
These abuses were - and are not - unique to Americans. But perhaps Americans are uniquely suited for being in the forefront of eradicating slavery and injustice from the planet. Not because of the hatemongers amongst us, but in spite of them.
In recognition of the anniversary of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr's birth, and the inauguration of Barak Obama as our nation's first non-white president, I post up this rendition of our national anthem by the Dells.
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These abuses were - and are not - unique to Americans. But perhaps Americans are uniquely suited for being in the forefront of eradicating slavery and injustice from the planet. Not because of the hatemongers amongst us, but in spite of them.
In recognition of the anniversary of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr's birth, and the inauguration of Barak Obama as our nation's first non-white president, I post up this rendition of our national anthem by the Dells.
Labels: overcoming prejudice, racism
¶ 11:20 1 comments
2008-12-07
racism
White separatist and supremacist groups grow. The mainstream media don't discuss it, but some do. This is from the American News Project.
White separatist and supremacist groups grow. The mainstream media don't discuss it, but some do. This is from the American News Project.
Labels: conspiracies, hatred, racism, stormfront
¶ 14:19 0 comments
2006-11-23
combating racism
I'm confused. Can somebody explain to me how Sasha Cohen's Borat is any less racist [and hence, presumed acceptable] than Mel Gibson's drunken anti-Semetic screeds or "Kramer's" vitriol while performing in a night club?
I really can't understand how Cohen's imbecilic, insensitive and insulting slur against an entire nation and what is posited as the nation's culture is considered comic genius while these two other reprehensible outbursts [which were, I'll note, much shorter in duration and quickly castigated] are called boorish.
Are we to find solace in that the film Borat at least challenges geographically ignorant Americans to learn where Kazakhstan is on the planet?
I really can't understand how Cohen's imbecilic, insensitive and insulting slur against an entire nation and what is posited as the nation's culture is considered comic genius while these two other reprehensible outbursts [which were, I'll note, much shorter in duration and quickly castigated] are called boorish.
Are we to find solace in that the film Borat at least challenges geographically ignorant Americans to learn where Kazakhstan is on the planet?
Labels: anti-semitism, racism
¶ 13:54 0 comments
2006-05-05
immigration | borders
For what it's worth, this is where I stand on immigration ~ legal, illegal or otherwise. I believe that borders create false barriers of privilege. That they allow for some [such as comfortable, well-fed, over pampered spoit brats with privilege and a grossly distorted sense of entitlement] to believe they are actually better than others and somehow blessed to be given more of the jackpot than most 
other people. You know, the Newt Gingriches, the Paul Wolfowitzes, Rush Limbaughs, Ken Lays, Bushies and all the screaming syncophants that have made Rupert Murdoch's family billionaires as they falsify the truth and call it news.
I believe that as long as there exist some illusory Londons whose streets are paved with gold, then others, less well heeled, shall make an effort to get to improve thier own odds at getting richer. Why shouldn't they?
Let's face it, if we go back far enough, geneologically speaking, we're all immigrants, even [well, maybe especially] yahoos like the free agent vigilantes who call themselves the Minutemen. Not content to suffer from historic amnesia about white boy privateers stealing land and natural resources from Native Peoples in the western hemisphere [they probably didn't read the same history books that George W Bush didn't read] they get on the case of ridding America's shores of ferrign speakin immigrants... [and to hell with how much the iceberg lettuce costs next year] when they need to learn that all of us, as humans, are in this planetary mess together.
A sad fact that, until the majority recognize that borders only cause problems for everyone, exepct the rich and hyper-rich, then those borders shall, stupidly, remain.
Do I think dropping the borders can be done across the planet painlessly? Hell, no! But we gotta start somewhere. And, much as I am loathe to admit it, the big boys of globalization have helped the tearing down the border process. If we are all lucky, our new planetary borderless society will be the downfall of the Walmart and ExxonMobil people. Corporations, after all, being merely individuals like the rest of us.
other people. You know, the Newt Gingriches, the Paul Wolfowitzes, Rush Limbaughs, Ken Lays, Bushies and all the screaming syncophants that have made Rupert Murdoch's family billionaires as they falsify the truth and call it news.I believe that as long as there exist some illusory Londons whose streets are paved with gold, then others, less well heeled, shall make an effort to get to improve thier own odds at getting richer. Why shouldn't they?
Let's face it, if we go back far enough, geneologically speaking, we're all immigrants, even [well, maybe especially] yahoos like the free agent vigilantes who call themselves the Minutemen. Not content to suffer from historic amnesia about white boy privateers stealing land and natural resources from Native Peoples in the western hemisphere [they probably didn't read the same history books that George W Bush didn't read] they get on the case of ridding America's shores of ferrign speakin immigrants... [and to hell with how much the iceberg lettuce costs next year] when they need to learn that all of us, as humans, are in this planetary mess together.
A sad fact that, until the majority recognize that borders only cause problems for everyone, exepct the rich and hyper-rich, then those borders shall, stupidly, remain.
Do I think dropping the borders can be done across the planet painlessly? Hell, no! But we gotta start somewhere. And, much as I am loathe to admit it, the big boys of globalization have helped the tearing down the border process. If we are all lucky, our new planetary borderless society will be the downfall of the Walmart and ExxonMobil people. Corporations, after all, being merely individuals like the rest of us.
THANKS TO: Love and Rage for finding the t-shirt |
Labels: anti-hate, immigration, race-bating, racism
¶ 00:48 0 comments
