White Police Officer Murders Unarmed Black Man #WalterScott

The New York Times reports that:

A white police officer in North Charleston, S.C., was charged with murder on Tuesday after a video surfaced showing him shooting in the back and killing an apparently unarmed black man while the man ran away.

The officer, Michael T. Slager, 33, said he had feared for his life because the man had taken his stun gun in a scuffle after a traffic stop on Saturday. A video, however, shows the officer firing eight times as the man, Walter L. Scott, 50, fled. The North Charleston mayor announced the state charges at a news conference Tuesday evening.

The shooting came on the heels of high-profile instances of police officers’ using lethal force in New York, Cleveland, Ferguson, Mo., and elsewhere. The deaths have set off a national debate over whether the police are too quick to use force, particularly in cases involving black men...

North Charleston is South Carolina’s third-largest city, with a population of about 100,000. African-Americans make up about 47 percent of residents, and whites account for about 37 percent. The Police Department is about 80 percent white, according to data collected by the Justice Department in 2007, the most recent period available.

“When you’re wrong, you’re wrong,” Mayor Keith Summey said during the news conference. “And if you make a bad decision, don’t care if you’re behind the shield or just a citizen on the street, you have to live by that decision.”

The shooting unfolded after Officer Slager stopped the driver of a Mercedes-Benz with a broken taillight, according to police reports. Mr. Scott ran away, and Officer Slager chased him into a grassy lot that abuts a muffler shop. He fired his Taser, an electronic stun gun, but it did not stop Mr. Scott, according to police reports...

Moments after the struggle, Officer Slager reported on his radio: “Shots fired and the subject is down. He took my Taser,” according to police reports.

But the video, which was taken by a bystander and provided to The New York Times by the Scott family’s lawyer, presents a different account. The video begins in the vacant lot, apparently moments after Officer Slager fired his Taser. Wires, which carry the electrical current from the stun gun, appear to be extending from Mr. Scott’s body as the two men tussle and Mr. Scott turns to run.

Something — it is not clear whether it is the stun gun — is either tossed or knocked to the ground behind the two men, and Officer Slager draws his gun, the video shows. When the officer fires, Mr. Scott appears to be 15 to 20 feet away and fleeing. He falls after the last of eight shots...

Mr. Scott had been arrested about 10 times, mostly for failing to pay child support or show up for court hearings, according to The Post and Courier newspaper of Charleston. He was arrested in 1987 on an assault and battery charge and convicted in 1991 of possession of a bludgeon, the newspaper reported. Mr. Scott’s brother, Anthony, said he believed Mr. Scott had fled from the police on Saturday because he owed child support.

“He has four children; he doesn’t have some type of big violent past or arrest record,” said Chris Stewart, a lawyer for Mr. Scott’s family. “He had a job; he was engaged. He had back child support and didn’t want to go to jail for back child support.”

Enough is enough. No one deserves to die for having a broken taillight. No one deserves to die for owing child support. This injustice must end. These stinking police officers are not our protectors. They are our oppressors. They are terrorists.

If that scum bag Pig Slager is not convicted for murder, the message will be clear, yet again. The message will be this. The American criminal injustice system does not give a damn about us. As far as this system is concerned, a fart has more value than a black life.  If the U.S. Department of Injustice finds that there was no civil rights violation, the message will be clear. The civil rights laws are like toilet paper, useless and worthless.

Terrorists Kill 147 Students at a Kenyan University

CNN reports that:

The massacre that killed 147 people and wounded scores of others at a Kenyan university lasted for hours Thursday before the terror was over.

"It is a very sad day for Kenya," Interior Ministry Joseph Nkaissery said of the carnage at Garissa University College.

The death toll is the highest in a terror attack on Kenyan soil since the U.S. Embassy was bombed in 1998. More than 200 people died in the Nairobi blast.

A total of 147 people were killed Thursday, according to the official Twitter account of Kenya's National Disaster Operation Centre and Kenyan media reports. The agency also said 79 people were injured and 587 people were evacuated.

Four gunmen were killed, officials said.

The Somalia-based Al-Shabaab militant group claimed responsibility for the assault.

Awaking to terror: 'I am lucky to be alive'

Islamist gunmen burst into the university before dawn Thursday, shooting students and taking hostages during early morning prayer services.

At one point, the attackers cornered a building in which 360 students live, but some of the students escaped, Nkaissery said.

Kenyan forces cleared three of four dormitories and had cornered the militants in the last one, the Interior Ministry explained.

Read more here.

This is truly sickening. This is not Islam. This can't be Islam. Why do so many groups kill innocent people in the name of God?

President Announces Tentative Nuclear Arms Deal With Iran

Good evening, family. May peace prevail over war and hatred. Hopefully, this deal will make the world a safer place. Congress must have the courage to stand up to the war mongers.

Isaiah Washington and the Broken Negro

Freedom is natural and fundamental. It is our birthright. Human beings and even animals have an innate desire to be free. Oppression and bondage are unnatural states of being. If a man is mentally free, he will do everything in his power to fight and resist oppression and captivity. If a hunter attempts to capture a lion, the lion will attack or flee. The same is true for a wild horse or any other wild animal. If captured, the mentally free man will constantly attempt to escape.

To deal with such a man, the captor or oppressor must either break that man or kill that man. To break such a man, as Dr. Amos Wilson has stated, the oppressor conditions the captive through a reward and punishment system. Submissive and obedient behavior is rewarded. Defiance is severely punished. Eventually, the oppressed man succumbs. He gradually begins to embrace and accept his condition of oppression. He adapts to his new hostile environment and becomes subservient. The situation is similar to how a ferocious and powerful lion is tamed and trained to be an obedient, amusing and entertaining circus animal. Another example is a wild horse being broken and transformed into a beast of burden, a vehicle to transport men.

Sadly, this is what happens to people like actor Isaiah Washington. They are broken Negroes. His frightening and humiliating encounters with the police have forced him to adapt. Apparently, he felt compelled to adapt in order to protect his family and himself.

Rather than driving around in an expensive Mercedes Benz, he drives around in Prius to avoid being racially profiled and stopped for driving while black. Instead of standing up to racial profiling, he has submitted to it. In fact, he encouraged comedian Chris Rock to adapt to it as well. The broken Negro thinks that if he is a good boy maybe Mr. Charlie will leave him alone.

Unfortunately, that is not the case. Driving a less expensive car will not save you. The police will still stop, harass and beat you. They will stop and harass you whether you are driving a fancy BMW or rundown jalopy. They will brutalize you regardless if your an honor student at UVA or a brother in hood selling loose cigarettes. You can say, "I go to UVA! I go to UVA!" hundred times.  The police do not give a damn.  It does not matter whether you are wearing saggy jeans or a suit. You can still end of being the next police brutality victim, the next Twitter hash tag. It does not matter whether you are a prominent Harvard professor trying to enter your home or if you an African immigrant returning home "from a meal". The police will still harass you or even kill you. In their eyes, you're just another nigger.

In America, black people are born suspects. Driving while black, walking while black, shopping while black, and hell, even breathing while black are crimes. We cannot afford to adapt. We must resist. We must fight. We should never surrender our human dignity to placate racists.

What happens when 007 becomes Double Bro 7...

Today, we discuss the true meaning of what it means to be "English English." As in I'm English as all bloody hell. But you? You are simply english, with the little 'e'. Because things like this matter and require clarification so that the rest of us will be better informed and equipped when seeking to better measure any Englishman we happen to meet in the future who needs measuring.

So for the sake of reference, there was this story last week about how Roger Moore, the 007 who once upon a time replaced Original Bond Sean Connery in the subsequent long line of movie actor 007s, registered his disapproval of the choice of Idris Elba as the possible next 007 because he wasn't "English English." This comment tossed Moore straight in the line of fire of criticism from quite a few folk who viewed that comment for what it was, which is idiotic. Not wishing to be viewed as idiotic, it was less than surprising when, similar to the young Oklahoma University frat brat who joyfully joined his brethren in chanting racial slurs on a bus until it became public that he had been chanting racial slurs on a bus, swiftly issued a public correction and stated that his comments had been taken out of context in the Paris Match interview where he made said comments.  For the record, this is the part of what Moore said that got everybody so pissed off:

"Although James may have been played by a Scot, a Welshman and an Irishman, I think he should be 'English-English.' Nevertheless it's an interesting idea… but unrealistic."

But the more complete quote, reported in the Guardian, isn't much better:

"The 87-year-old actor was quoted by Paris Match saying: 'A few years ago, I said that Cuba Gooding Jr would make an excellent Bond, but it was a joke!' He reportedly continued, 'Although James may have been played by a Scot, a Welshman and an Irishman, I think he should be ‘English-English’. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting idea, but unrealistic.”

And this is his apology, as reported by Shadow and Act:

“An interview I gave to Paris Match implies I said something racist about Idris Elba. That is simply untrue... When a journalist asks if 'Bond should be English' and you agree, then quotes you saying it about Idris Elba it's out of context."

And if I can back up for a second, I'm aware that frat brat issued an apology whereas Double O No Bro issued a 'clarification', but since neither can be taken all that seriously, does it really matter?

Moving on, those who are fans of James Bond are well aware that every single James Bond replacement since Sean Connery, the original Bond, has been criticized as unworthy, and oftentimes not mildly so. Daniel Craig really got lit up for essentially not having dark enough hair. So if being too blonde for Bond can cause a problem, Moore's reaction shouldn't come as a shock when a dark-skinned black man is now being considered for the role. Because going from Pierce Brosnan to Daniel Craig was a jolt to the Double O system, but going from Craig to Elba is gonna give some folks whiplash. Because trust me when I say that if Elba gets this, Moore's comments will fade into the rear view mirror and sound almost like a wet kiss endorsement compared to what's coming.

So then, to review; what is the precise meaning of 'English English'? Roughly translated, it means, "Not you, Idris."

Note: This has been crossposted from The Blue Route

Were Black Men Lynched in Mississippi and North Carolina?

Raw Story reports that:

Officials in Claiborne County, Mississippi confirmed on Thursday that a missing black resident’s body was found hanging from a tree, WLOX-TV reported.

Members of the local chapter of the NAACP had identified the man as 54-year-old Otis Byrd, who had been reported missing. According to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Byrd was last seen being dropped off at a casino in Vicksburg by a friend earlier this month.

WJTV-TV reported that, according to state and FBI officials, Byrd was found “in the woods near Old Rodney Road,” about a half-mile away from his home, by officials from both the local sheriff’s office and state wildlife department.

Authorities are looking into the specific cause of Byrd’s death. The NAACP has subsequently asked the Justice Department to conduct its own investigation into the matter.

This story reminded me of something that I saw on Hidden Colors 3.  In that important documentary, Dr. Joy DeGruy stated that several black police officers approached her and told her about several dead African American men being found hanging. I wonder if Mr. Byrd's death is a part of a criminal pattern.

Not too long ago, activists called for an investigation of another hanging in North Carolina. As reported in the New York Times,

ATLANTA — The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Friday that it had joined the inquiry into the August death of a black teenager in North Carolina, where family members and their supporters have questioned the finding by the state authorities that he committed suicide.

A spokeswoman for the F.B.I., Shelley Lynch, said agents were “reviewing the investigation” that followed the Aug. 29 death of Lennon Lacy, 17, whose body was found hanging from a swing set in a trailer park in Bladen County, North Carolina.

Thomas G. Walker, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, requested the F.B.I.’s involvement, Ms. Lynch said in an email. A spokesman for Mr. Walker, Don Connelly, declined to comment beyond saying that federal officials agreed to review the case after Mr. Lacy’s family and the North Carolina chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. had asked them to intervene.

Both Mr. Lacy and Mr. Byrd died in southern states with a long history of lynching black people. Both men died under suspicious circumstances. Sadly, even in this age of Obama, I would not be surprised if these brothers were lynched. For now, I will not make any conclusions until the investigations are complete.

"Why Does This Keep Happening?"

The Huffington Post reports that:

[Martese] Johnson was standing near the Trinity Irish Pub around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Watkins said, when "an employee of the establishment approached him and asked for his license."

The employee quizzed Johnson about his zip code, and Johnson provided his mother's current zip code, Watkins said. The number is different from the one listed on his current Illinois license. Watkins said that at that point, Virginia ABC agents questioned Johnson about being in possession of false identification.

Johnson is originally from Chicago, where his mother still lives. He was never in possession of a fake ID, Watkins said.

The Virginia ABC agents then forced Johnson to the ground, where they handcuffed him while "his face and skull [were] bleeding and needing surgery, all of this over two alleged offenses," Watkins said.

Virginia ABC declined to comment further about the incident to The Huffington Post on Thursday. Trinity Irish Pub told HuffPost it had no comment. Watkins declined to take questions Thursday.

"I'm shocked that my face was slammed into the brick pavement just across the street from where I go to school," Johnson said in a statement, read by Watkins. As Johnson was on the ground, he added, "One thought raced through my mind: How could this happen? I still believe in our community. I know this community will support me during this time."

UVA students marched on campus Wednesday night and Thursday in protest of what they believe was excessive force used by Virginia ABC agents. Johnson has asked for activists to remain civil in their protests.

A couple of days ago, my daughter and I were watching Martese Johnson's story on the Today Show. While watching the news segment, my daughter asked me, "Why does this keeps happening?" When a Staten Island police officer choked Eric Garner death, she asked the same question. Both times, I was rendered speechless. Her question was simple, yet profound. Today, in this blog post, I will try to explain why this keeps happening.

It keeps happening because America fears and hates the black man. We are perceived as a menace to society. It does not matter if one is an honor student like Martese Johnson at a prestigious university. The news constantly shows African American men and women as wanted or arrested violent, criminal suspects. When we turn on the radio or watch television, the black man is depicted as a gun toting, pants sagging, drug dealing, hyper sexual, thuggish animal plaguing society.

Consequently, our black skin is presumed to be a badge of criminality. Often, our historical greatness as people is blotted, negated or forgotten. When police see a black man or women, they do not see a fellow human being. They see a subhuman beast that must be subdued or killed. In the eyes of dominant culture, our lives simply do not matter.

In fact, as Tupac Shakur says in this song Changes, if you kill a black man, you are considered to be a hero. People will ask for your autograph and want to take a photo with you. If you're a police officer, you will get a paid vacation for doing the American people a service by killing or hurting a black man. News networks will pay you top dollar to tell them your story.

Unfortunately, there will be more cases of police brutality like Martese Johnson's case because not enough people are truly concerned about the issue. Sure, our people will get amped up and march around for a minute. The hand picked Negro spokespeople will fight for the television spotlight. Eventually, the story will die down. Then, it is business as usual until the next brother or sister is beaten or killed. Then, the cycle will repeat itself. Meanwhile, the racist police power structure will remain intact and fully operational.