I see the tide coming.

YouTube videos of police abuse-including sexual misconduct...

yes, sexual misconduct!

And did I mention...sexual misconduct? And arresting people who complain about it!

...flood the internet (a google search of 'police brutality reveals roughly 9.5 million). Victims come forward, emboldened by national outrage over police misconduct. And police, trained to control situations, react to one they cannot control by escalating misconduct to tragically comical proportions.

Even my brother, an establishment neocon republican, refuses to justify current police actions. He expressed actual concern and even empathy for the victims of frivolous SWAT deployment the last time I talked to him.

We’re not there yet, but we’re getting there. It isn’t just black people and social justice warriors raising the alarm any more. Even the U.N. is condemning American law enforcement. The U.N.! As law enforcement agencies attempt to smear activists and concerned community members, it is blowing up in their faces as it turns out some of the people challenging them are quite mainstream and have even supported them in the past.

The genie escaped from the box in Ferguson. Everyone knows now.

So what now? Well, I think that due to the general arrogance and hubris of a law enforcement establishment that has always enjoyed the benefit of the doubt in these matters, said establishment will continue to escalate, reaching a point where it will be facing the combined might of the American majority.

And at that point, it will finally see the error of its ways.

It will acknowledge that it has been tasked with upholding a corrupt system and will offer to be a partner in solutions to the problem.

It will have an epiphany in regards to race, acknowledge its shortcomings, and institute policies and training to correct discriminatory practices.

It will understand that police brutality is a problem, and that the few bad apples ruining it for the  rest of the officers who abuse their power need to be dealt with harshly.

And it will all be lying lies.

Allow me to restate those last few paragraphs, sans spin:

The law enforcement establishment will shift blame for its actions to the system.

It will hire a few black cops and tweak its language a little.

Most importantly: it will offer up a few sacrificial lambs, the “bad apples”. This will be done by bending the rules set in place to protect bad cops, just long enough to make a show of accountability. The bad apples will most likely be shuffled to the private armed security sector, and the mainstream American public will probably go back to its Facebook accounts, Hi-def flat-screen TV’s, and following their favorite sports teams while ignoring the people who make the decisions that affect their life-and the armed agencies that enforce their crooked laws.

But here’s the thing: We cannot do that. Not this time. Because the “few bad apples” narrative is proven wrong by some elementary logic. If it was a matter of “a few bad apples making the rest of us look bad” the law enforcement establishment would not be spending ridiculous amounts of taxpayer dollars defending said bad apples. They would get rid of them already. This is not rocket science. But they do defend them. I feel that this is because if real accountability practices were in place, it would open a door that would ultimately show the real number of bad apples, which is probably a lot.

The reason I believe that is because law enforcement agencies have historically refused to let any  officers be held accountable, except in cases where the evidence is so clear, and the crimes so heinous, they have no other option but to take real action. Case in point: does anyone really believe that the uncharacteristically slow grand jury proceedings would be happening in Ferguson at all if this hadn’t become a national incident? Hell no, Because law enforcement agencies don’t care until they have to. And, as I anticipate the inevitable innocent verdict in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary will show, it is just a dog and pony show.

Look up your history. We’ve been here before, and we’ve heard promises from law enforcement agencies that there were problems to be acknowledged and that things would be different this time. Seriously-run some google searches and learn the history of the various jurisdictions you live in. Well, things are certainly different now, aren’t they? Cops respond to noise complaints by pepper spraying whole families and pistol-whipping the parents in front of their kids. Shootings of unarmed citizens have been on the rise, and are happening pretty much daily right now. While German police fired 85 rounds in a year, American police fired 85 rounds into just one of the hundreds of suspects shot at in that same year. Swat teams are throwing flash bang grenades into cribs and pistol-whipping toddlers over small or nonexistent amounts of marijuana. We’ve imprisoned more people than China and Russia combined! Oh yes, things are definitely different now. America is number one. Great job, guys.

Yes-the very establishment that has historically protected corporate and government interests with attempts at brutal suppression every time there has been a movement toward progress, has several times promised to embrace progress when they lost the struggle, and they have lied. Every. Damn. Time. The master’s tools will never tear down the master's house.

That’s why we are headed toward the exact same dialogue again, which they will manipulate into an escape hatch through their massive lobbies, bought-and-paid for politicians, and PR machines. Do a little digging and see for yourself how massive and crooked it all is, and you will be amazed.

For the record, I’m calling bullshit in advance. And I hope America is finally wise enough to do the same. Because I want us to push hard through peaceful means and put a stop to the games LEO’s play, so that real accountability measures can be put in place and racist practices in Law Enforcement can end. That way I can maybe chill the hell out and have time to do something significant with my music.

Because if you think confronting this thing is a bitch now, just wait until another decade if we let them play us and get away with this “business as usual” bullshit.

See what I did there? I just called bullshit again.

Just saying.

In response to Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau's cancellation of a community listening session due to vaguely asserted claims of "threats" to the chief and her officers, Communities United Against Police Brutality has called B.S. and filed a data practices request demanding all internal communications between members of the Minneapolis Police Department in regards to this matter. In addition, they are also demanding all communications between members of the city council, the mayor's office, and the city attorney's office in regard to this matter.

Typically, a government entity is expected to respond within 10 days' time. If the city of Minneapolis fails to provide the records, Communities United Against Police Brutality has legal recourse, which they are prepared to follow.

The actual Government Data Practices Act has been included with this article.

I have been skeptical from the outset, as she refused to show any clear and credible indication of threats from the outset, other than a reference to "direct action" on the Critical Change Coalition Facebook Page, which I was able to easily refute. This demand for proof is very appropriate and neccesary

We at ifoughtthelaw.info will be following this matter closely, and will report on new events as they occur.

Stay tuned.

In response to Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau's dodging of the community listening session on Thursday, September 19th at The Sabathani Community Center in Minneapolis due to vague references to "threats to the the physical safety" of her and her officers, Communities United Against Police Brutality has issued a public response condemning her slander of concerned community members planning on attending the event. In their press release, they called shenanigans by stating that they have submitted a legal request for data pertaining to all communications related to the supposed threats. they have also challenged her to reschedule a session allowing the community to finally address her and have long standing questions of trust answered, since the "public safety concerns" were proven to be unfounded by the peaceful conduct of all who attended, even in spite of her brazen slap in their faces.

In an earlier article, I gave my own harsh analysis of her behavior and why I think her claims are false. I am very happy to see Communities United Against Police Brutality stepping up and throwing down the gauntlet on this one, and I look forward to what the city of Minneapolis provides in response. I am guessing will probably be excuses and stalling tactics, ultimately proving them-and all of us who are concerned about the lack of transparency and accountability-correct.

I have included the full press release in its original form below.

As I have become involved with the struggle against the evils running rampant in American Justice, I have heard and learned a lot about the role racism plays in this, and trust me-it is a big one. I have conservative leanings, and many of my white conservative friends are just not aware of how big of a problem racism actually is. This article is really for them.
 

I don't like talking about racism. As a white person, I will never be able to truly understand the frustrations black people have to live with daily, and since I know that I lack the knowledge experience provides, I don't want to sound like someone who thinks he does. I think black people deal with enough insult-intentional and unintentional-on a daily basis. Plus, as a white person who lived for many years in ignorance of how truly pervasive and widespread this problem is, it's just plain uncomfortable to hear about. I let this happen, through willful ignorance. Hell no, I do not want to talk about that. Also, I get a headache just thinking about certain angry conservatives who are going to accuse me of "race baiting" just for talking about it. Great job of avoiding the issue, guys...but this white boy doesn't give a damn. You can accuse me of whatever you like.

The fact remains, one simply cannot talk about the problems in the criminal justice system without talking about racism. This is because while the system does prey on all of us, it really seems to prefer the flavor of dark meat.

In a minute, I will get into some actual statistics from a very credible source that illustrate not just the existence of racism in the criminal justice system, but also the awe-inspiring magnitude of it. But first, I would like to share with you a tale of two Texans, as reported by The Free Thought Project. It is a web site that is rapidly becoming one of my favorite, actually. Give it a look.

View the full article here.

It reports how two men, in very similar scenarios, were subject to "no-knock" raids by police in the early morning hours while sleeping-for suspicion of minor drug offenses. Both of these men, responding to armed, masked intruders invading their homes, opened fire on the officers. In each case, an officer was tragically killed.

One of them  was cleared of all charges due to the state of Texas's "castle doctrine", a law which allows for the use of lethal force in protecting oneself in one's home.

The other is facing the death penalty.

Can you guess which one is black?

Please, read the article. I want you to understand that these two cases are very parallel, except for the legal outcome.

In addition, look at the pictures of the two men in said article. It is there to illustrate how these two men were portrayed in the media. One was lovingly holding his kid on the playground, looking all kinds of apple pie, the other had his mug shot featured. Again, before you look, can you guess which one was white?

You see, this is why black people are so pissed. It is also why you are going to hear a lot about racism when taking an honest look at this issue.

"But Steve", you tell me. That is an isolated incident. You can't use an isolated incident to say that racism is commonplace!"

Correct you are. I was simply using a poignant example to illustrate my point and grab peoples' attention. What it takes to show the widespread nature of the problem, is hard data. So sit down, because I am going to share with you some very sobering statistics that were shared with me by Nancy Heitzeg, a sociology professor at Saint Catherine University and author of the weekly series Criminal Injustice. It's a great series, well written with a lot to think about. These statistics are by The Sentencing Project and the full report can be read here:

• More than 60% of people in prison today are people of color. Yes, minorities makeup the majority in prison!
• Black men are 6 times more likely to be imprisoned than white men and 2.5 times more likely than hispanics.
• One in ten black men is in jail on any given day.

But wait, it gets worse! (unless you're white). Of the 1 in 9 men in America likely to experience imprisonment:

• 1 in 17 are white.
• 1 in 6 are latino.
• Aaaaaand...drumroll please! 1 in 3 are black.

This is really just the tip of the iceberg. I haven't even touched police practices like profiling and racial disparity on use of force. The information is readily available from many unbiased sources. Do some homework.

Now I know somebody out there is going to say it...so I'm just going to face palm over their stupidity in advance, then say it first so I can address it: "Well, maybe black people should stop being criminals!"

Okay, here's the thing: if you really think that, you are an idiot. Yes. An idiot. You see, I know a lot more about black people than you do. I'm in their neighborhoods. I'm at events with them. I have many black friends, and have dated black girls. And once you get to know a significant number of black people-even black people in the rough parts of town-you discover that they are not lazy or dangerous. They are quite pleasant to be around, actually. And I'm not just talking about the ones who live in the suburbs and dress nice.

Yes, white America-your televisions are lying to you. The black ghettos have a small criminal element but are no worse than white trailer parks, which actually aren't that bad either. You see, while black people have their own TV station and magazines now, the way they are treated in media as a whole is designed to scare us. And while it's a complex issue, here's a very simplified explanation of why:

The system makes money off black people. It made money off of enslaving them. When slavery was done away with, it made money off limiting them to the jobs that sucked and paying them less for their labor than a white person would earn, along with other discriminatory methods that I am only now being made aware of. When civil rights reform did away with that, the system started fining and arresting them. The system has always extorted black people, and it continues to find ways to do so. It succeeds because white America is not evil, but ignorant due to basic human nature: everyone wants to think that if it's not happening to them, it's not happening at all. The system needs for white America to continue this train of thought, because white complicity has slowed the train of racial equality time, and time, and time again.

But white people, it is our problem. If you don't understand why one race systematically mistreating another race is a big problem-even if members of the mistreating race are simply going with the flow-you can stop reading now. Go listen to talk radio or arm up for the race war, or whatever it is you do. I just don't have time to try and reason with you.

But for the rest of us, we need to start thinking about this and start listening to our black brothers and sisters.

I'm not going to present solutions. I really don't want to be 'Captain White America', here to save the oppressed black man from injustice. I think that would be incredibly cavalier and patronizing. Because I still don't get it. None of us can get it, unless we experience the routine exploitation at the hands of the criminal justice system-and actually, the host of other injustices in other areas of American life-that black people experience. For now, I'm mostly going to shut up on this issue and listen to what black people have to say. I'm guessing that's the first and most important thing white America needs to do right now.

I'm just putting it out there for other white people to think about and recognize. I'm not trying to be a social justice warrior here, I'm just trying to inform. I think it matters, in the fight against the prison-industrial complex and in America, period.

Because in our fight against the U.S. criminal justice system run amok it's possibly the biggest part of this whole puzzle, and we are going to have to deal with it. It's also our responsibility as conscientious Americans to be aware of injustice in its many forms.

Keep that in mind.

*UPDATE: According to Fox 9 News, Chief Harteau specifically referenced the Coalition For Critical Change, saying there was a call for "direct action" on its Facebook page. She plays the politics game very well. The "direct action" she referred to was spelled out clearly: red arm bands and signs protesting police brutality, as well as making sure it remained a discussion, and not a one-sided PR session. Which, actually, must be pretty terrifying to the Minneapolis Police Department, now that I think of it.


I try to be fair and level-headed, but sometimes you just have to call a duck a duck. Or, in this case, a chicken.

Tonight at the Sabathani Community Center; A community listening session was scheduled at which Chief Harteau was expected to attend. It is my humble oppinion that Chief Harteau's idea of a community listening session is mostly her talking and the community listening. This of course solves nothing, as police have been talking to the community and not letting the community talk to them for a long time now. At this community listening session people were actually able to speak to the panel, presenting their questions and comments. I think that once she learned that this session may involve actually answering for her department's actions, she backed chickened out.

This behavior from a public servant, whose job is to face the community her department allegedly serves, is despicable. However, it's only the beginning. The reason she gave was she had reason to believe that people attending were planning on disrupting the meeting, and said people would potentially pose a safety threat for her and her officers.

Yes-that's right. She weaseled out of a listening session, where she would have to face the very public her department routinely terrorizes, by slandering said public. Two birds, one stone. It's brilliant, but despicable.

First, let's be clear on something that Chief Harteau as the chief of police, knows very well: This community of activists has a well-established track record of safe and peaceful events. I refuse to believe that Chief Harteau, as the head of an agency we are protesting, is unaware of this.

Second, the reason we are out here doing what we do is because we have a very keen awareness of the fact that police are killing and brutalizing people in increasing numbers. We know that many in the law enforcement community are looking for reasons to brutalize and kill people. Why would we give them a reason. We know how it would end and we don't want that. I refuse to believe that Chief Harteau got her job by being too stupid to use elementary logic.

Third, the nature of what I do has me with my ear to the ground in this community. I hear about things. If something so foolish as aggressive action was actually being planned, I would have heard about it and I would have been heard speaking out against it, because I-like others-am of the firm belief that violence is not the answer to violence.

I do believe that people who are tired of being told to listen to their community servants when their community servants refuse to listen to them were prepared for Chief Harteau to attempt to control the conversation-and as such were prepared to disrupt the proceedings with real questions and a demand for answers. This is not a threat to anyone.

That is, unless it results in the police chief having to face the community on even ground and finally answer our questions. Questions like:

• Why do you allow cops with a clear history of brutality and aggression to remain on the street, when this costs cost the city Hundreds of thousands of dollars in lawsuits?
• Why are victims of police brutality prosecuted more harshly than those who aren't victims of police brutality?
• Why do police have military weapons when they have clearly demonstrated that they lack the restraint and professionalism of the armed forces they inherit said weapons from?
• Why do victims of police brutality have to sue to gain any sort of justice?
• Why are paramilitary raids used to execute search warrants on non-violent offenders?
• Why do patterns of racism show themselves in law enforcement, to the point of drawing criticism from the U.N.? 

Chief Harteau has illustrated one of the major facets of the problem we are addressing: Law enforcement's fear of the same accountability they claim the rest of us should be held to.

Or, as I am just going to come out and say: She's chicken.

Or maybe I have it wrong. As I read through this article again, I'm wondering if maybe she's a weasel.

Yeah...I said it.