I Feared for My LIfe

"I feared for my life,” is the tired phrase some of these rogue and out of control racist cops use to justify killing black boys and men.  In Chicago, a young guy was shot down over a year old because he was carrying a three-inch knife.  A police car pulled up in within 6 seconds of the officer stepping out of his cruiser; he shot the teenager 16 times.  Two of those bullets in his back.  Tomorrow the video is being released as the result of a reporter. 

The boy’s parents received 5 million dollars although the state/police department admitted no wrong.  The parents didn't want the video released.  Chicago is already in dire trouble with crime and murders and releasing this graphic video of a white man clearly murdering a teen will probably cause riots.  If they had not planned to release the video, the cop would still be out of jail and not charged with a crime.  But because it will be released, he was arrested with no bail today.  I'm so tired of our men being shot down like animals.  Rioting and burning down cities haven't stopped one thing.  We must figure out how to stop this mess.  I recommend:

• Training officers how to de-escalate the situation.
• Training officers to handle people with mental health and substance abuse issues
• Arrest the officer for murder if his cameras are not on.
•  If an officer, does not have his camera on, fine him a large fine.  
• If he shoots an unarmed person, make him reimburse the city, and pay the hospital bill of the person he harmed without cause.

Nothing is going to change these racist cops from thinking they can continue to get away with murder, but hitting them in the pockets and taking their badges. 

I realize these strategies are not enough, but we have to start somewhere.

Race Riot, Never Again

When I was growing up my mother warned us about two things that would shape our characters. First she required that we choose our friends wisely. My mother used to say, "Birds of a feather flock together." I resisted that assumption. I told my mother that people could change with the right associations. She disagreed. Throughout my 40 plus years of living I have found her to be mostly correct. Normally the stronger personality can pull the other to do things they might not have considered before. It's called peer pressure and many other terms.

The other thing mother said was never mistreat people because the same ones you see on your way up the ladder of success are the same one you meet coming down when you are falling.

McCain and Sarah Palin are horrible together. She is a conservative animal killer who appears vindictive and will do anything to become Vice President- you know the position she told the third grade class that monitors the Senate or something to that nature. Did she read study her job description? What was the vindictive act she did in trooper gate?

The McCain campaign has pretty much crossed the line between negative campaigning and inciting vigilantism. Daily their attacks about Obama patritism heighten. We know what kind of woman Palin is from all reports and from her own interviews but you would think that a seasoned, supposedly poised, and professional war veteran would not stoop so low as to allow his supporters to shout out at rallies for him and Palin to kill Obama and not stop and say that is inappropriate and we would never ever support such a thing. But does he want to be president so bad that he would do anything to get there? Well I guess so since he chose a running mate without getting a background check. Heck, even I when seeking potential new workers check their backgrounds thoroughly. Google along is just not enough.

In Sarah Palins' own words she challenged people to look through the smears. Let’s just hope that the people heed to them. She said, "On the campaign attacks underway now, with a flurry of negative ads flying: "You can't underestimate the wisdom of the people of America. They're seeing through the rhetoric, and they're seeing through a lot of the political cheap shots, also. And they're getting down to the facts and the voting records that are going to show that stark contrast."

There will not be another race riot without plenty of casualties on both sides, not in the USA. Not in my neighborhood are anywhere else and McCain and Palin can lay that one to rest.