Monday, November 08, 2010

We're the Only Ones Minimally Possible Enough

Dozens of protesters took to the streets Friday, some breaking windows and knocking down fences, after a white former transit officer was sentenced to the minimum possible prison sentence of two years for fatally shooting an unarmed black man on a California train platform. [More]
Left wing establishment vs. left wing test subjects...And here I thought the big threat to law and civil order came from the right...

[Via lots of you, who sent lots of different accounts]

5 comments:

Defender said...

A handcuffed, prone, immobile man surrounded by cops had one of them draw, aim and fire a pistol into his body, and the city says "accident"? After the transit police on scene tried to confiscate all cell phone cameras from witnesses?
That goes far beyond race. I hope people are getting the message.

Kevin Wilmeth said...

Actually, Defender, it's worse than "accident". I read "involuntary manslaughter" in those accounts.

"Involuntary".

(Yes, I know there's a "legal definition" of what that means. For that matter, there's "legal definitions" of what our agents of the state may, and may not, do, as well. What of it? Doublespeak is doublespeak.)

Every time we accept it, it gets worse. Sooner or later, they'll just drop all the pretense entirely, and the interview at the scene will feature lines like, "I had to do it...my God, he just continued to stand there and exist in my hallowed presence. And the worst part is that I got a little on my shirt cuff. Dirtbag's family is gonna pay for that...oh, and for the ammunition, too."

Anonymous said...

You have to feel sorry for any boy who mistakes a Taser weapon for a handgun weapon.

Well actually we don't.

Ed said...

I still cannot get past understanding why the officer felt the need to stun the handcuffed man. For mouthing off? To control the arrestee and silence him by causing massive pain? It appears that the officer must have led a sheltered life and incapable of handling any stress. It also appears that the officer got his desired effect. In any other situation, if it was not a police officer, then the charge would have been murder.

Mack said...

This is worth reading:

The Killing of Oscar Grant: Why most Blacks don't trust the Judicial System