Excellent and powerful OpEd by Arthur Rizer and Joseph Harman in The Atlantic: How the War on Terror Has Militarized the Police
The most serious consequence of the rapid militarization of American police forces, however, is the subtle evolution in the mentality of the “men in blue” from “peace officer” to soldier. This development is absolutely critical and represents a fundamental change in the nature of law enforcement. The primary mission of a police officer traditionally has been to “keep the peace.” Those whom an officer suspects to have committed a crime are treated as just that – suspects. Police officers are expected, under the rule of law, to protect the civil liberties of all citizens, even the “bad guys.” For domestic law enforcement, a suspect in custody remains innocent until proven guilty. Moreover, police officers operate among a largely friendly population and have traditionally been trained to solve problems using a complex legal system; the deployment of lethal violence is an absolute last resort.
Soldiers, by contrast, are trained to identify people they encounter as belonging to one of two groups — the enemy and the non-enemy — and they often reach this decision while surrounded by a population that considers the soldier an occupying force. Once this identification is made, a soldier’s mission is stark and simple: kill the enemy, “try” not to kill the non-enemy. Indeed, the Soldier’s Creed declares, “I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.” This is a far cry from the peace officer’s creed that expects its adherents “to protect and serve.”
Study: Whites More Likely to Abuse Drugs Than Blacks
Black youth are arrested for drug crimes at a rate ten times higher than that of whites. But new research shows that young African Americans are actually less likely to use drugs and less likely to develop substance use disorders, compared to whites, Native Americans, Hispanics and people of mixed race.
Obama unwise to ignore marijuana petition
Nicely done OpEd by Junior Ian Huyett at Kansas State.
Nice to see the DOJ take a little heat in Congress. Thanks to Rep. Steve Cohen.
The Justice Department again came under fire for its enforcement of marijuana laws Wednesday, as a Democratic House member pressed Laurie A. Robinson, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, on the level of DOJ grant funds that are used to enforce those statutes.
“Marijuana is not the problem,†Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), said at a House Judiciary subcommittee on crime, terrorism and homeland security oversight hearing. “It’s turning a whole generation of young people against the system and that’s something we can’t afford.â€
Robinson said her office would look into how many Byrne law enforcement grants are used to reimburse local law enforcement agencies for enforcement of cannabis possession laws.
Cohen pressed Robinson to justify the federal government’s role in encouraging the enforcement of laws that the congressman said disproportionately affects people of color and tarnishes the records of young people for their entire lives.
Congressman’s Daughter Seeks Injunction Against Federal Crackdown on Medical Marijuana
Daughter has cancer and finds marijuana to be the best relief for chemo nausea. Her Congressman father says he supports his daughter, but opposes her ability to get her medicine legally. I find that incomprehensible.
Jimmy Kimmel Live: ‘Only revelation: Herman Cain has never smoked pot.’
http://www.talkleft.com/story/2011/11/8/14743/2530
Anyone lacking the honorable American tradition of Presidents who have smoked marijuana has no business running for the highest office in this land of the allegedly free and home of the brave.
To think that Cain is a also a pizza mogul, a man who profited from herbs of all kinds, especially marijuana munchies, is just too hypocritical to stomach.
C’mon, he’s just reviving the “honorable American tradition” of lying about it.
Speaking of the presidential race, tonite was a debate of the GOP candidates on CNBC. Hubby doesn’t vote, hates politics but due to the controversy over Ron Paul (thanks to my venting) decided to watch it to see how he was treated by the media and how he spoke and whether his answers were good answers. He now knows the truth — the media ignores him as much as possible (only Santorum got fewer questions), even tho they have frequently gone to him for expertise about economic matters on their news shows they only asked him about student loans after alsking all the others a couple questions about how to save the economy (hubby said their answers were “stupid”). The two answers hubby got to see (we tuned in late) hubby was pleased with them. He decided Ron Paul WOULD be our best choice for president.
Thing is, CNBC put up a poll online asking viewers to vote on who won the debate, but . . .:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/45233756/
“We had a poll up from our Republican Presidential Debate asking readers who they thought won…”
Ron Paul won with 90%, so they pulled the poll. There are (currently) 8 pages of comments, every one of them, so far, is pro-Ron Paul.
There is glitch on the comments pages, they are posted double, at the top of each page the comments are new and then halfway down the page they repeat, on each page. And the “register” (to post a comment) link links back to the page you are on. Guess they don’t want any more comments, either. perhaps should go read them all before they disappear like the poll.
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But did he ever meet Alice B. Toklas? We’ve recently discovered that’s why Mr. Clinton never inhaled.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OOxYZI5jLfA/Ru-dJvj3mCI/AAAAAAAAAIg/pvO-lcp6zVQ/s1600-h/I_love_you_Alice_Toklas_LP8010.jpg
A lot of us took the bait when Obama was elected,actually thinking he would at least start to end the prohibition of marijuana.
And probably a lot of us signed up for newsletters from Obama,,hoping we would get a letter addressing the issue.
Now is the time for all of us to cancel those subscriptions,,if he loses enough supporters at one time from his web page,,he will notice,,he still counts us as supporters if we are accepting his newsletters,,,let’s show him we ain’t.
I’ve been tagging all the obama email as spam. If enough people do this, the hireling in the bubble may start to get the message.
diva! I’ll be around tomorrow morn at The prospect and bay woods. Somewhen about 10:30. If yer around, stop by.
spoke too soon. gotta run to Stanwood in the AM. ‘nuther time.
Well, I’ll be there after all…
On that last one…OMFG. Unbelieveable….now THERE’S a level of cruelty I am just unable to get my head around. His office: “In a statement released by the congressman’s office Monday, Brian Bilbray said, “Karen and I raised our children to be strong individuals who think for themselves. I respect my daughter’s right to fight for what she believes in based on her personal experiences. We may not agree with our children on every issue, but Karen and I are very proud parents.â€
So, he supports her right to”fight for what she believes in”, but he’ll gladly throw his daughter in jail for using a medicine that is helping her cope with stage four cancer, which she will likely die from???
That doesn’t register as a human response….more like an insect. Guy ought to be thrown out of office for cruelty.
A Canadian company is all set to sell a new electric vehicle comprising a hemp body shell. Low weight and economically produced hemp fiber reduces the cost and the car’s weight to 2,500 lbs (Ford Fusion = 3720 lbs) to create a road-ready electric and super-green vehicle called the Kestral. Looks like a Fiat. Available in 2012. Cost will be about $25,000:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIT6sOnAje8&feature=related
http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2011-02/introducing-first-road-ready-hemp-mobile
French home builder has a huge market for homes built with hemp shard bricks that are stronger than regular concrete:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRtDh6YUt-0&feature=related
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I’m ready for a new car in the near future. 100 miles? Where would I plug it in?
It seems that Motive Industries, Inc isn’t publicly traded. But I see editors and news writers in Canada are just as addicted to lame pot jokes as their American counterparts? What is it about these people that makes them start drooling on themselves and mouth breathing when the subject is cannabis? Sure, these jokes were funny the first 187,276 times we heard them but that ceased being true decades ago.
“Indeed, the Soldier’s Creed declares, “I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.†This is a far cry from the peace officer’s creed that expects its adherents “to protect and serve.â€
There is the whole problem: the police now aim to kill us. They get promotions when they do. If they screw up and kill the wrong person – they get off because now their jobs are “National Security”. Anything involving “National Security” means the citizen has no rights because (in theory) the whole country is more important than one citizen.
Feel safer yet?
Protect & Serve (Themselves!)
I can only shake my head at such a sharp disconnect in a father’s stated pride in his daughter with his refusal to help her.
I wonder if it has anything to do with the twisted “suffering is righteous” mentality that so many people ascribe to. They seem to do so out of the notion that it makes them more faithful. That burdening everyone else with this mentality makes them righteous as well. As a congressman he could so help her, and many other people, by speaking up. He’d help even if he simply stood behind her position and goals showing human empathy.
But instead he stands behind death, pain, and sickness and tows the old line that these are all our mortal payments for the “sin” of being alive. He silently lectures us from his pulpit. ‘How dare anyone try and mitigate gods brilliant love with a filthy plant?’
Sorry… Recovering Catholic here …
Don’t get me wrong, I know that it’s not only the big three Abrahamic faiths that twist minds into pretzels, it just that they do it so damned well and nearly all who hold power in this country are followers of some flavor.
check out my post on 14 july.(2011 national drug control strategy) that bilbray is as weasley as they come. you can see it in his eyes.
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The prohibitionist responds, “we really need to stop this racism and arrest those white kids.”
I can just hear them claiming that mass arrests of black kids has reduced the number of black “abusers” compared with white. Proof that prohibition works!
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Wow, talk about confusing, diametrically opposed positions in today’s TCPalm Op-Ed page:
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I guess I should mention that I snipped out the phrase, “Here’s the flip side of the coin:” from the start of the second blockquote, and that it was a single op-ed.
Are we there yet?
Marshall Frank is a LEAP speaker…
http://www.leap.cc/author/Marshall/
He was trying (I believe…) to make a point. If he failed to make that point, tell it to the LEAPsters (I’m pretty sure they’re responsive… and I think Tom Angell drifts thru here…), there is a contact button at Frank’s bio page.
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Does LEAP require their members to come to their beliefs based on facts or logic, or are they like me and don’t really care how the got to the destination, just that they’re there? I think its gratuitous and silly to demand perfection from people, and he sure sounded serious in his column to me.
Calm yourself, polluted city dwellers: “Prof. Itzhak Schnell of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Geography and the Human Environment has discovered that low levels of the poisonous gas [carbon monoxide or CO] can have a narcotic effect that helps city-dwellers cope with other harmful environmental factors of an urban environment, such as off-the-chart noise levels.â€
http://www.aftau.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=15501
When you removed all the harm done to people by the law,,most of Mr Franks harms disappeared.
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I don’t care what fantasy he believes as long as he leaves me alone. Heck, he can even declare himself a superior life form and I’ll say, “Dude! Your awesome!” whenever we cross paths. I’d probably even invite him to fellate me. Sorry, that last part is silly. He’s welcome to blow me regardless of the status of the law or his (political) position.
Cali dispensaries seek injunction to stop Federal crackdown:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/us/Medical-Marijuana-Industry-in-California-Moves-to-Block-Federal-Crackdown.html?_
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Yeah, good luck with that.
Luck is funny…..
10% of the States on one day?
When Kerli blew smoke at Rep Cohen he must have made an enemy that isn’t waiting long to strike back at him,,if he gets marijuana off the bonus money list,,even the cops will support legalization.
The only reason that the upper echelon support prohibition is because of the money in it,,if the DOJ takes that away, Kerli can kiss prohibiting marijuana good bye
A response to the Atlantic piece by Alex Pareene over at Salon:
Our militarized police forces
several stories on Dr Gabor Mate’ (Vancouver, Canada) and ayahuasca in treating addiction. Go to GoogleNews and enter ayahuasca… interesting reading.
hmmm… and at the Cato Institute:
Reefer Madness Here and Abroad
seems they’re having a conference in a week:
and here’s the link to the conference
Yup just another reason I left the Republican party and I’m now a Libertarian.Bilbray prefers political expediency over his own flesh and blood.
Republicans got slapped hard by Ohio and Mississippi voters yesterday… that was nice to see especially on two issues that needed a hard slap.
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Don’t forget Kalamazoo!
Wooo-Hooo! Kalamazoo!
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I wonder, does the Indian drugzar deals with drinking alcohol? India has more than one “dry” state you know. You might be shocked to learn just how many organized criminal syndicates which exist in India that specialize in illicit drinking alcohol distribution. If that surprises you, you might be further surprised to learn that some produce significant revenue from exporting drinking alcohol into Dubai, with which India has a shared border. Then the next shocker is that these international organized criminal syndicates which specialize in the illicit distribution of drinking alcohol are arguably even more violent than their Mexican counterparts. Have you ever heard of a Mexican cartel using their members to rape one of their competitors before murdering/slicing and dicing him? That is man on man rape outside of a prison cell to which I refer.
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/bootleggers-accused-of-raping-and-burying-alive-rival-gang
Of course I know the regulars here are at least minimally aware of the Indian drinking alcohol cartels and their particular brand of malicious mischief. At least the regulars who still actually read my posts are so informed. IMO it would really benefit us to emphasize the contemporaneous violence of international organized criminal syndicates which specialize in the illicit distribution of drinking alcohol instead of, or at least in addition to the systematic use of violence by Al Capone and his colleagues almost 9 decades ago.
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Unless I miss my guess being fixated on illegal rates would be particularly vexing. Illegal taxation?? WTF?
Note: Dimapur is on the opposite side of India from the shared border of India/Dubai.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimapur
(say, wouldn’t “Malicious Mischief” be a great name for a death metal band?)
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The Know Nothing prohibitionists have never met an activity that they couldn’t find at least some part of which to ban using the force of law. Next on the agenda: Inappropriate halloween costumes.
Is San Narciso the patron saint of narcissists?
What’s next, an organized effort to criminalize leaf blowers?
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Oh well shit. Have I ever mentioned that IMO the Know Nothings have absolutely killed the arts of satire and parody because there’s just nothing too ridiculous for them to do or say? Proof positive above, I didn’t realize that the above was parody until I noticed the link to the disclaimers. I’m glad that I decided against asking how it happened that Stimpson J. Cat wasn’t consulted. I suppose I should have Googled San Narciso, CA before I posted.
Alas, there really is an organized group of wackos trying to criminalize leaf blowers. Like I said, nothing to ridiculous that the Know Nothings wouldn’t do or say.
leaf blowers suck
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No, they blow. If they sucked, they’d be leaf suckers, duh.
But seriously, lots of stuff sux but that’s not a reasonable basis for prohibition. Limited hours for use, rewarding manufacturers for reducing the decibel levels, etc. Outright bans? No way. BTW you’re reading a post from a guy that uses a lawn sweeper, powered by old fashioned elbow grease. Much easier on an old man’s joints than a leaf blower, picks up stuff a leaf blower wouldn’t budge, and I hate gas engines so no lawn vacuum for me.
i hate the noise and dust. as long as some yingyang isn’t blowing dust and debris onto my yard i don’t have a problem with it. in my town the gardeners and builders make the rules about noise and the cops back them up. there is no way my town would outlaw leaf blowers or any noise because it’s next to an air base. plus we have a large population of lazy people whose hands don’t fit no rake handle.
Puritan shitballs. And here I was going to dress up as Michele Leonhart.
P.S., If I was out and bought a beautiful girl a drink, and she turned out to be a he, I’d likely buy him another and congratulate him on a great costume. It’s a rare guy who can pull that one off.
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Now that should be illegal. What’s next, John Walters masks? What about the children indeed.
I actually had a room mate in 1981 who didn’t figure it out until he was in the bed with her. Luckily she knew how to run away because he was going for a kitchen knife and sure appeared to have murder in his heart. The strange thing is I thought he knew as she came through the living room on their way to his bed. Like you said DC, not many guys can do that convincingly. There’s nothing a guy can do about having man hands.
I know. Just ask Janet Reno.
P.S. My wife just read this and said, I quote: “You guys are awful. Why don’t you just run away together? I’m sure his wife would be grateful, too.”
I support leaf blower criminalization. Get a rake already!
Synopsis: A powerful international investigation of the global pharmaceutical industry. Every year, many new drugs come to market which offer hope to the sick and dying. They also bring billions of pounds into the coffers of the pharmaceutical industry, making “Big Pharmacy” the most profitable and powerful business on Earth. Two years in the making, this film investigates just how far drug companies are prepared to go to get their drugs approved; what they will do to make sure they get the prices they want and what happens when profits are put before people.
http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/filmedia/play/5080/Dying-For-Drugs
Oooh. Gonna hafta watch after Asha goes to sleep.
Supreme Court to hear GPS tracking case….don’t look for a freedom-friendly outcome:
http://my.firedoglake.com/shahidbuttar/2011/11/09/supreme-court-hears-gps-tracking-case/
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I’m going to laugh my ass off when the Roberts Court starts reversing the denigration of civil rights that the SCOTUS has perpetrated on this Country over the last 4 decades. Supreme Court Justices are notorious for not ruling the way the POTUS who appointed them had planned. I think it may have something to do with reaching the pinnacle of their profession with guaranteed lifetime tenure. And the really take that lifetime thing seriously. Retired Justice of the SCOTUS? You don’t see that very often. We’re right on the verge of having the death penalty finally outlawed, and it’s the Roberts Court that’s going to do it. I suppose there’s nothing they can do about getting this country converted to the metric system.
Are you talking about the same Supreme Court that I am? The one with I have no opinions about anything Alito, and the guy with pubic hairs in his coke? The same Supreme Court that ruled that sound of a flushing toilet was as good as a judge’s order to break down your door? THAT Supreme Court?
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Are you talking about the same SCOTUS you thought might uphold the California suit to enjoin the Feds above? You know, the “luck is funny” one?
I’m not talking out of my ass when I say there’s a damn good chance that America is finally going to join the rest of the civilized world and outlaw the death penalty thanks to the Roberts Court.
Now here’s something we knew, that could use a bit more of this sort of exposure:
http://www.truthout.com/former-narcotics-detective-admits-drug-planting-common/1320333381
Mexico City’s Mayor Joins the chorus:
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/728514/mexico_city_mayor_calls_u.s._drug_policy_%22schizophrenic%22/#disqus_thread
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It was a couple of years back, and I might be recalling incorrectly, but I swear I heard someone mention that new sources of tax revenue to which by and large the voters would not object are like crack to a crack head for a politician. Rent a car at the airport in Phoenix AZ and help pay for the Diamondbacks’ new Stadium. I don’t even know what game the Diamondbacks play, but I don’t vote in Phoenix either and neither do 99% of people who rent cars at their airport.
Aren’t the residents of Sacramento most unfortunately neighbors of Linda Taylor? Comments might need some help, there’s already 52.
Why aren’t the laws against ugly in public enforced? Sheesh, Ms. Taylor deserves the enhancement to aggravated ugly.
(I really am sorry about the gratuitous insults directed at Ms. Taylor. I just can’t help myself. My issue with her really has nothing to do with her being one of the most sought after performers in the freak show industry. She deserves every penny her agent can negotiate.)
Hacktivists and Los Zetas Fistfight in Cyberspace
…”Yesterday, Brown characterized the hacked information as about 25,000 documents, including information about an U.S. district attorney on the Zetas payroll.”…
http://www.texasobserver.org/lalinea/anonymous-and-los-zetas-fistfight-in-cyberspace
I don’t believe that Papa John’s pizza chain is owned by Herman Cain. Papa John is the chain who denounced the man over a jay. There are still valid reasons to ignore the Cain train, or boycott those who allow themselves to be used by the prohib monopoly. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
Godfather’s
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Papa John owns the franchising company. I worked there part time back in the ’90s and he’s got quite a cult of personality going. Well 18 years ago it was true, could have changed no doubt. Gosh I can’t recall how many times I heard that he started the company in the closet of a bowling alley. I used to wonder what he referred to as a “closet” actually looked like.
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To me this blog is the epitome of synchronicity. My wife won a free pizza from Papa John today. It’s an actual, no strings attached free pizza, not a BOGO in prize winner drag. And the last time Papa John’s name appeared on this site was when?
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Oh right, when one of their drivers called the cops on a Colorado patient. No free Pizza back then.
Confirmation bias is a bitch.
Mmmmm….Pizza.