[Content Note: Police brutality; racism.]
"It is not stretching things too far to find a connection between these matters and the treatment of the controversy concerning the role of the Los Angeles police. The report goes into this question at great length, finally giving no credence to the charge that the police may have contributed to the spread of the riots through the use of excessive force. Yet this conclusion is arrived at not from the point of view of the Watts Negroes, but from that of the city officials and the police. Thus, the report informs us, in judicial hearings that were held on 32 of the 35 deaths which occurred, 26 were ruled justifiable homicides, but the report—which includes such details as the precise time Mayor Yorty called Police Chief Parker and when exactly the National Guard was summoned—never tells us what a 'justifiable homicide' is considered to be."—Bayard Rustin, in "The Watts," an essay written in 1966 on the Watts Riots of 1965.
I highly recommend reading the whole thing. It is a long read, but it is so important. Read it and think about what is happening in Ferguson, about the National Guard being "summoned," about the recent report on school segregation, about the very things that are being said about black communities right now, in order to justify the killing of Michael Brown.
1966.
Forty-eight years ago, that was written.
[My thanks to shani for passing it along.]
Quote of the Day
RIP Don Pardo
Don Pardo, who was the voice of game shows, news, and Saturday Night Live for NBC for seventy years, has died at age 96. His New York Times obituary is here.
Pardo's voice was instantly recognizable to me. Long before I was old enough to stay up and watch SNL, I was obsessed with Weird Al Yankovic, and I can still, to this day, say Don Pardo's speaking part from "I Lost on Jeopardy" by heart.
I always used to play my favorite Weird Al tracks for my grandma, when we were in New York, or when she was in Indiana. (She was so patient, lol.) And I remember that I didn't know who Don Pardo was, when I first heard that song, and sitting on the floor with my little boombox, in front of her chair, while she told me all about Don Pardo and his amazing career as a legendary announcer.
Good innings. Rest well, Mr. Pardo.
[Note: If there are less flattering things to be said about Pardo, they have been excluded because I am unaware of them, not as the result of any deliberate intent to whitewash his life. Please feel welcome to comment on the entirety of his work and life in this thread.]
Ferguson
[Content Note: Police brutality; images of aimed weapons; racism.]
Yesterday, the National Guard arrived in Ferguson, adding another layer of militarism to the scene of protests advocating for justice. The National Guard set up to defend the police's "command center," and the police kept everyone moving all night, disallowing anyone from standing still. If they wanted to protest, they had to march. Which is a clear violation of the right to assemble, but the police aren't especially concerned with rights in Ferguson, in case you hadn't noticed.
During an early evening interview with MSNBC's Chris Hayes, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said that cops "provide first amendment rights." Which I'm sure would be dismissed as his having "misspoke," if anyone with a platform actually bothered to challenge him on it, but that's sure an interesting bit of "misspeaking," no? The idea that police are the arbiters of who gets rights is what led to the shooting of Michael Brown in the first place, and that contention has underwritten every garbage decision by the state since.
Everything was pretty calm through most of the evening, but then, in a repeat of virtually every other night for more than a week, as soon as the sunlight fell from the sky, things changed. The police announced over a loud speaker that people should take their children home, and, despite the fact that the curfew had been lifted, announced over a loud speaker: "Get off the street. You are unlawfully assembled."
They told people to keep moving and get off the streets, but:
Different rules—and rights—for the police and the people.
Things devolved quickly (in no small part because of opportunistic white agitators from out of town, who have zero concern for the welfare of the people of Ferguson), and tear gas was deployed once again. Police had their weapons trained on protestors and members of the media.
More members of the media were detained, and there were 31 arrests by the end of the day, including Hedy Epstein, a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor, who was wearing a shirt reading "Stay Human."
Police Officer Darren Wilson, who shot and killed Michael Brown, still has not been taken into custody or indicted.
Meanwhile, CNN Anchor Rosemary Church asked on air why police aren't using water cannons to disperse protesters. Seriously. In the year of our lord Jesus Jones two thousand and fourteen, a white woman actually asked on air why predominantly white police aren't using water cannons against predominantly black protesters.
In materially better work for CNN, Jake Tapper demonstrates clearly and concisely that it is police who are escalating tensions in Ferguson:
CNN's Jake Tapper Going In by 3030fm
Jake Tapper, a thin white middle-aged male reporter, holding a microphone, walks in a wide space between protesters and police in Ferguson last night. The footage is labeled onscreen as "Police and Protesters in Tense Standoff."Yeah.
Offscreen, Don Lemon says: "Jake Tapper is out on the streets as well. Jake, ah, for the moment it appears to have quieted down where we are. We did see a huge force of police officers heading the other way, closer to that QuikTrip, uh, where you and I have been staged."
Jake Tapper: "I just want to show you this, Don. I just want to show you this, okay? Let me just give you an idea of what's going on. The protestors—here's this main intersection—the protestors have moved all the way down there. They're about half a block down here. [asks cameraman to turn camera] They're all the way down there, okay? Nobody's threatening anything; nobody's doing anything; none of the stores here that I can see are being looted; there's no violence."
He turns so that the camera follows to face the police line. "Now I want you to look at what is going on in Ferguson, Missouri—in Downtown America, okay? These are armed police. With machine—ah, not machine guns— With semi-automatic rifles, with batons, with shields, many of them dressed for combat. Now why they're doing this I don't know. Because there is no threat going on here." [gestures toward protestors] "None. That merits this." [gestures toward police]
"There is none, okay? Absolutely, there have been looters; absolutely over the last nine days, there's been violence. But there is nothing going on on this street right now that merits this scene out of Bagram. Nothing. So, if people wonder why the people of Ferguson, Missouri, are so upset, this is part of the reason! What is this?! This doesn't make any sense!"
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker masculine_lady: "What was your favorite song when you were sixteen?"
Get It!
These are two lies that people tell about turtles:
1. That they have no individual personalities. Such a lie. My grandfather had two box turtles named Tommy and Matthew, who came to live with us after he died, and they had very distinct personalities. Also: You can totes tell when a turtle is being petulant and when zie is being a clown. TRUE FACTS.
2. That they are slow. Hell no. Not when they want something. Like a blue truck, for instance.
Video Description: A turtle chases a remote-controlled blue truck across a hard floor floor in a residence, its wee legs moving quickly to catch up. It is very cute.
Number of the Day
[Content Note: Poverty; class warfare.]
36%: The percentage of USians 18 or older who have no retirement savings, according to a survey.
More than a third of American adults have no retirement savings, including 14% of those 65 years of age or older, according to a new study released Monday.I love the idea that all those people could be saving for retirement, but are simply choosing not to.
The low savings rate for people at or approaching retirement age is alarming, said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate.com, which conducted the survey.
About a quarter -- 26% -- of those age 50 to 64 haven't started saving for retirement, the survey said; the figure was 33% of people who are 30- to 49-years-old.
Overall, 36% of those 18 years or older have not started saving for retirement, according to the survey of 1,003 adults.
"They still have time to start, but they still have to save so much as a percentage of their income to make up for the years they weren't saving that it puts them in a tough spot," McBride said.
..."There's no better time than the present to start saving for retirement," he said. "This isn't money that's gone. You've just put it aside for your future self instead of spending it on your present self."
And, sure, that's probably true for some people. But I suspect that the vast majority of people who have no retirement savings aren't being capricious as much as they are using that money for things they need right now.
There's also the little issue of people who used to have retirement savings, but had to raid it after some sort of emergency or crisis. How many people used to have retirement savings until they needed it to pay medical pills, or come up with balloon mortgage payments, or buy basic necessities after being laid off?
I mean, if I'd had a choice between not being laid off and continuing to save for my retirement and being laid off and having to decimate my savings to live, I can tell you which one I would have chosen.
[Related Reading: Culprits.]
President Obama on Ferguson, Again
Note: In a few minutes, President Obama is going to make another statement on what's happening in Ferguson. Here is one of the places where you will be able to watch it live.
I will post video and transcript here afterwards, as soon as they become available.
UPDATE 1: Being keenly aware of the President and/or his team rightly or wrongly feeling that he is limited in what he can say because of racism, I have a suggestion: This is going to sound like a joke, but it's not: This would be a perfect time to send out Biden to "go off script." I am utterly serious: Biden was chosen as veep because of his status as a white statesman. Let him leverage that now to change the conversation. I know Biden's credentials on race are garbage, but when I say "go off script," I mean appear to go off script w/ carefully crafted language. Let Biden create room for the President to agree with him, while also being able to do the "oh you know Joe" routine to maintain distance.
UPDATE 2: Here is video of the presser, which includes the President's statements on Iraq and Ferguson, as well as Q&A with the press corps. If you want to skip ahead to the Ferguson statement, start at 4:32.
UPDATE 3: The Washington Post has a complete transcript available here. Below is the excerpt of the President's statement on Ferguson.
I also want to address the situation in Ferguson, Missouri.There's more in the full transcript about Ferguson, from the Q&A session.
Earlier this afternoon, I spoke with Governor Nixon as well as Senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill. I also met with Attorney General Eric Holder.
The Justice Department has opened an independent federal civil rights investigation into the death of Michael Brown. They are on the ground and, along with the FBI, they are devoting substantial resources to that investigation.
The attorney general himself will be travelling to Ferguson on Wednesday to meet with the FBI agents and DOJ personnel conducting the federal criminal investigation, and he will receive an update from them on their progress. He will also be meeting with other leaders in the community, whose support is so critical to bringing about peace and calm in Ferguson.
Ronald Davis, the director of the DOJ's Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, is also traveling to Ferguson tomorrow to work with police officials on the ground. We've also had experts from the DOJ's community relations service working in Ferguson since the days after the shooting to foster conversations among the local stakeholders and reduce tensions among the community.
So, let me close just saying a few words about the tensions there. We have all seen images of protesters and law enforcement in the streets. It's clear that the vast majority of people are peacefully protesting. What's also clear is that a small minority of individuals are not.
While I understand the passions and the anger that arise over the death of Michael Brown, giving into that anger by looting, or carrying guns, and even attacking the police, only serves to raise tensions and stir chaos. It undermines rather than advancing justice.
Let me also be clear that our constitutional rights to speak freely, to assemble, and to report in the press must be vigilantly safeguarded, especially in moments like these. There's no excuse for excessive force by police or any action that denies people the right to protest peacefully.
Ours is a nation of laws, of citizens who live under them and for the citizens who enforce them. So, to a community in Ferguson that is rightly hurting and looking for answers, let me call once again for us to seek some understanding rather than simply holler at each other. Let's seek to heal rather than to wound each other.
As Americans, we've got to use this moment to seek out our shared humanity that's been laid bare by this moment. The potential of a young man, and the sorrows of parents, the frustrations of a community, the ideals that we hold as one united American family.
I've said this before: In too many communities around the country, a gulf of mistrust exists between local residents and law enforcement. In too many communities, too many young men of color are left behind and seen only as objects of fear. And through initiatives like My Brother's Keeper, I'm personally committed to changing both perception and reality. And already, we're making some significant progress, as people of good will of all races are ready to chip in.
But that requires that we build, and not tear down. And that requires we listen, and not just shout. That's how we're going to move forward together—by trying to unite each other and understand each other, and not simply divide ourselves from one another. We're going to have to hold tight to those values in the days ahead. That's how we bring about justice, and that's how we bring about peace.
So, with that, I've got a few questions I'm going to take…
Today in Rape Culture
[Content Note: Spousal sexual assault.]
Republican Iowa State Representative Henry Rayhons has been arrested on a charge of third-degree sexual abuse for raping his wife, after officials at the Concord Care Center at which Donna Rayhons was residing told him "that she lacked the mental capacity to consent" then witnessed him a week later on video surveillance "leaving his wife's room and discarding her underclothes in a nearby laundry hamper." Her roommate corroborated the video evidence, reporting she heard noises indicating the sexual assault on the same day.
This is being reported in every story I've read about it as Rep. Rayhons "having sex with his wife." Even after he's been charged with felony sex abuse, thus making it entirely possible for any news outlet to say without legal issue that he was arrested for "sexually abusing his wife."
The state Attorney General's Office will reportedly be prosecuting the case. Although spousal rape is now illegal everywhere in the US, it is still difficult to successfully prosecute, especially when the victim is incapacitated. Donna Rayhons has also passed away since the assault.
Spousal rape has only been illegal in the entirety of the United States since 1993. It is crucial that we use correct and sensitive language that reflects the true nature of this crime, because there are still an awful lot of people who don't believe it should be a crime at all.
Welp
[Content Note: Racism; victim-blaming.]
So now the media is publishing, care of an anonymous source, the information that Michael Brown had "marijuana in his system" at the time he was killed. Here is the Washington Post's headline:
The story reads: "[A]nother person familiar with the county's investigation told The Washington Post that Brown had between six and eight gunshot wounds and was shot from the front. In addition, Brown had marijuana in his system when he was shot and killed by a police officer on Aug. 9 in Ferguson, according to this person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation."
An ongoing investigation which has revealed to us no police report about the shooting, but has made the public aware that Brown allegedly robbed a store, liked rap music, and smoked weed.
None of these things are relevant to the shooting.
Except insomuch as they are being publicly shared in order to exonerate the officer who pulled the trigger.
Daily Dose of Cute
Dudley will often rearrange the pillows and/or cushions on the sofa so that his delicate eyes are shaded from the light while he takes one of his two dozen naps during the day.
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
In the News
Here is some stuff in the news today...
[Content Note: Police brutality; racism] A couple more bits of recommended reading on Ferguson:
* Michael Brown's Family Asks: What Else Do They Need to 'Arrest the Killer'?
* Protesters, almost all of whom were white, say Darren Wilson is being victimised as they stage protest in St Louis.
* Three More Journalists Detained in Ferguson.
[CN: War] In Israel and Gaza: "The five-day ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip expires at midnight, with no firm indications that Egyptian mediators in Cairo have succeeded in securing a deal to end the five-week conflict. ...A military official told the Guardian on Monday that the Israeli delegation was still pushing for action on the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip, a divisive issue as Hamas and Islamic Jihad have repeatedly ruled out giving up their weapons. But he added that the delegation was hoping for an extension to the ceasefire later on Monday, and that Israel would be content for the time being for an 'exchange of quietness for quietness.'"
[CN: Sexual violence; reproductive coercion; self-harm] A woman in Ireland who became pregnant as the result of rape requested an abortion, was denied access to the procedure despite "a panel of three medical experts, including two psychiatrists and an obstetrician," having determined she was suicidal. The woman was so despondent, she went on a hunger strike, and still was denied an abortion, though she was forcibly hydrated. Finally, the woman was forced to deliver prematurely by caesarean section, "and the child will now be taken into the care of the state." I am absolutely without words. Nothing but red-faced rage.
[CN: Rape culture] Welp: "WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Monday he would 'soon' be leaving the Ecuadoran Embassy in London, where he took refuge more than two years ago to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning for alleged sexual assaults. But in a lengthy statement to reporters, Assange did not give any indication of exactly when he would be departing the embassy. Nor did he explain why he may have changed his mind after repeated vows to defy what he has depicted as an international effort to persecute him for his role in releasing a vast trove of classified U.S. government documents." There are some reports he's having health problems. I suspect even if that is the case, and not just a way of engendering more sympathy, he's calculated that enough time has passed that he won't face charges. And he's probably right.
Twitter continues to tinker with its formula in ways nobody wants. Meanwhile, they still can't find the time to keep women from being viciously harassed.
[CN: Homophobia. Video.] "Matt Baume reports on the Fourth Circuit's refusal to delay its Virginia marriage equality ruling, the Supreme Court's possible intervention in the case, a Tennessee judge upholding the state's marriage ban, Mississippi gay couples successfully registering their marriage licenses, and more."
And finally! Here are just some terrific photos of Tom Hardy holding an adorable dog who definitely looks like an Ewok. You're welcome!
Mo'Ne!
Last Monday, I mentioned that 13-year-old Mo'Ne Davis would be "only the 17th girl to play in the Little League World Series in 68 years" after the pitcher led her Philadelphia team to series.
On Friday, Mo'Ne pitched a shutout in her team's first game in the series against Nashville. A shutout!!! She is the first girl to pitch a shutout in Little League World Series history.
And she is pretty much just the coolest:
In interviews, Davis comes across quiet but confident, preternaturally unruffled even as she makes history.From the New York Times' coverage of Mo'Ne's shutout:
In one memorable bon mot she described her pitching thusly: "I throw my curveball like Clayton Kershaw and my fastball like Mo'ne Davis." She admitted to a flurry of nerves before Friday's opener, but those nerves did not reveal themselves in the box score. Davis does this as if she's done this before. When Davis was asked by ESPN post game how she dealt with excess media fascination, she had a perfect answer.
"I can always say no," Davis said.
"Could she live up to the hype? Yes." Hell yes she could.
Even as I want to unreservedly celebrate this magical moment for this extraordinary athlete, I feel like I want to protect her. I want her to be so well supported no matter what she chooses to do with her life, even if it's not sports. I want her to always feel like she can say no.
Go get 'em, Mo'Ne.
Perry | Handcuffs 2016
(This is definitely one of my favorite Photoshops I've ever done, and I would like
to thank Governor Rick Perry for giving me so many occasions to use it.)
Friday afternoon, Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry was indicted on two felony counts of abuse of power:
A grand jury indicted Gov. Rick Perry on two felony counts on Friday, charging that he abused his power last year when he tried to pressure the district attorney here, a Democrat, to step down by threatening to cut off state financing to her office.Oh noes!
The indictment left Mr. Perry, a Republican, the first Texas governor in nearly 100 years to face criminal charges and presented a major roadblock to his presidential ambitions at the very time that he had been showing signs of making a comeback.
But HERO and PATRIOT Rick Perry will not be deterred by any stinking indictment! Hell no!
Undeterred by indictment, Texas Gov. Rick Perry intends to travel to three major 2016 primary states during the next two weeks even as he faces the prospects of a highly unpresidential booking on felony charges.Well, if Perry were a better candidate, I'm sure they would jump fully on his "government overreach" bandwagon (while diligently continuing to ignore evidence of actual government overreach in Ferguson), but since Perry is a fairly unspectacular candidate who routinely embarrassed himself during the 2012 campaign season, they might just let him sit out on the rain on his own.
...The details of the prosecution and timing of any trial remain unknown, and it is unclear how Republican activists will respond to a presidential candidate who has been indicted.
Sad trombone.
Ferguson
[Content Note: Police brutality; description of shooting; racism.]
Here are some of the things that happened over the weekend in Ferguson:
1. Friday night, a few people, whom many Ferguson residents asserted were not local, damaged some property and did some looting. The police did not stop them. The police could not stop them, because police intervention would have escalated the situation. Instead, peaceful protesters stood in front of stores, blocking their way. Peaceful protesters spoke to them, and discouraged them from doing any further damage. St. Louis Alderman Antonio French has detailed accounts of what's been happening each night.
2. Saturday, the instances of looting by a small number of people was used by Democratic Governor Jay Nixon as justification for declaring a state of emergency and imposing a curfew, "for security purposes." And it was announced in the most condescending way possible: "If we are going to achieve justice, we must first have and maintain peace. This is a test. The eyes of the world are watching."
So, basically, the Governor of the State of Missouri told the people of Ferguson who are protesting a police officer shooting and killing an unarmed teenager that they have to prove that they deserve justice by: 1. Not asking for justice; 2. Proving they refuse to be provoked by militarized police taking a totally provocative stance as they deny their right to demonstrate for justice.
3. The curfew was set for midnight, but hours before the curfew, police were already marching and lining up in riot gear.
At the time, I tweeted: Just look at a picture like this and consider what it communicates about what the police think of the people. To ignore what that communicates denies how culture works. What we are told we are affects us. What our state thinks of us matters. Under the auspices of "safety" and "security," the police are communicating something profoundly harmful, just in their very posture. It's not like it's only bad if and when they start throwing tear gas canisters. It's bad already.
4. The preliminary report from a private autopsy done on Michael Brown by top medical examiner Dr. Michael M. Baden was released, showing that Brown "was shot at least six times, including twice in the head. ...One of the bullets entered the top of Mr. Brown's skull, suggesting his head was bent forward when it struck him and caused a fatal injury. ...Mr. Brown, 18, was also shot four times in the right arm, he said, adding that all the bullets were fired into his front."
5. United States Attorney General Eric Holder ordered a federal autopsy of Michael Brown, as well.
6. Sunday, the curfew was imposed again. And again police were lining up long before the scheduled curfew. And again tensions rose, and a shooting that was off the protest route was used by police as a justification to unleash tear gas on protesters, including children. A police officer was caught on video threatening to shoot a journalist.
7. This morning, Governor Nixon signed an executive order sending the National Guard to Ferguson.
* * *
Here is something that has not happened in Ferguson: Officer Darren Wilson has not been arrested.
Over and over, watching the news this weekend, I saw in news scrolls and heard defenders of police talk about how Officer Wilson never intended to shoot Michael Brown and how terrible he feels that it happened.
Not so terrible that he won't surrender himself to custody, though.
No. He'll stay hidden away, on administrative leave with pay, while the people of Ferguson rally for justice, and the Governor sends in the fucking National Guard "for their own good."
I think we all know who's really being protected here. And it ain't the people of Ferguson.
Open Thread
Hosted by the quadratic formula.
This week's Open Threads have been brought to you by the letter Q.
The Virtual Pub Is Open
[Explanations: lol your fat. pathetic anger bread. hey your gay.]
TFIF, Shakers!
Belly up to the bar,
and name your poison!
