Cops have been turned into Toll Collectors and Leg-Breakers

Having worked The Job for many years, one of decisions I've seen many Departments adopt is the use of Police Officers as an additional source of revenue for the Village coffers.

While Broken Windows tasked Police Officers with treating everyone living in certain areas, usually People of Color as potential criminals, most Departments also have policies on the books so Officers treat the people, they are ostensibly tasked with protecting and serving, as ATMs.

Jaywalking? $50. Underage drinking? $100. Cannabis smoking pipe? Another $100. DUI arrest? Tack on the administrative tow fee. Left wheel to curb? Overnight Parking? 30 minute parking limit? Ca-ching, ca-ching, ca-ching...

From the small Village of Bull Valley, in McHenry County Illinois comes the story of traffic stops by the BVPD using a non-moving infraction as a revenue generator. BVPD is stopping construction vehicles that do not have proper lettering and signage on the side of the vehicle and issuing a Village Ordinance Citation based on State Law 625 ILCS 5/12-713. The problem is even though Illinois Representative Dan Burke said he crafted the changes in the law to allow application to be handed locally instead of through District Courts, the "loop-hole" discovered by Bull Valley's Chief of Police is not against the letter of the law.

Now, why are Police Departments doing this? The reason is simple, taxes are too low on the wealthy and Corporations therefore various Towns need some way to make up budget shortfalls. Especially in Illinois, where for the privilege of having Boening's Corporate Headquarters in Chicago, Boening pays an effective tax rate of near Zero Percent. Other large "Illinois-based" Corporations similarly benefit from tax code legerdemain.

But, despite the retasking Police Officers haven't been able to generate enough! Thus, enter the automated Red Light and Speed Cameras in the City of Chicago and Suburbs. In 2014, Suburban Red Light Cameras took in $12 million. These fines are of course borne dispropotionately by Working Class people driving to and from work.

Turning Cops into Debt and Dues Collectors has been the most wrongheaded decisions adopted by municipalities across the Nation as Villages struggle to meet financial obligations. But, it's only going to increase as the Rich transfer more and more of the financial burden onto the vanishing Middle Class and beleaguered Working Class.

Scott Walker's Socialism for the Rich and Cut-Throat Capitalism for the Poor

"Socialism, communism, whatever you want to call it, is never the answer." - Hank Steinbrenner, who received $1,200,000,000 Billion Dollars from the taxpayers of the City and State of New York to pay for the building of his baseball stadium.

Here's how Capitalism works in America. When a "private" business wants huge wads of taxpayer "relief" to finance some project, the discussion becomes a lofty, Grandiose debate on Utilitarian Principles and the greatest good for the greatest number; Highlighting the vast network of ancillary benefits to businesses, the community, the neighborhood, and the government. 

Therefore, it's only good and proper the Rich receive help. Also this is not Socialism. But, under Vulture Capitalism when were are talking about helping poor people with food assistance? Well, then the howls of lazy moochers and the mean-spirited tired cliche of 'feeding wild animals makes them too dependent' are trotted out. Also this is Socialism.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker announced his plan to enact Socialism in Wisconsin. It's just that like all Republicans, Scott Walker believes in taking money from the Working Class and giving it to the Plutocracy. Socialism for the Rich and Corporations and Cut-Throat Capitalism for the Poor is the motto of the Modern Republican Party.

After slashing $250 million from the Wisconsin budget for Education, Scott Walker brazenly turned around, and in a massive Pay-to-Play Scam, gave Millionaires (who contributed vast amounts of money to his two election campaigns, recall fight, and Presidential Super PAC) hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to pay for their new Milwaukee Bucks Basketball Stadium.

Scott Walker's entire governorship has been the forcible theft of Public Lands, Resources, and Monies for redistribution upwards to the Rich. That he feels free to do this so brazenly during the run-up to the 2016 Republican Nomination shows, that Walker would steal Billions from the American people writ large and transfer those monies up to the Plutocracy using the Awesome Power of the Federal Government.

Senator Mark Kirk was a lying criminal asshole before his stroke

And is still a lying criminal asshole afterwards.

So it appears that in between calling women "Ho's" and accidentally revealing a lot about Senator Lindsey Graham with his "Bro with No Ho" comment and siding with the 47 Republican Traitors in the Senate in undermining the Diplomatic Triumph of President Obama with Iran, Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois is dipping into his campaign funds to supplement his income and pay for his healthcare.

First off, how despicable that a Senator who gets ALL his EXPENSIVE Medical Care covered by the U.S. Government while siding with a Party whose sole mission is to eliminate coverage for the old, sick and indigent is also supplementing his care with money he's purloined from his campaign. In 2010 then Congressman Kirk ran for Senate on this slogan, "I’m Mark Kirk and I can’t wait to vote against the health care bill next week."

But, then we already knew Kirk took a non-chalant attitude towards monies which don't belong to him when he paid his former girlfriend with campaign funds. Because Senator Kirk has stolen money from his campaign on previous occasions. In 2010, Kirk used his Senate Campaign to funnel money to his then girlfriend, Dodie McCracken. 

The girlfriend, Dodie McCracken, who works in public relations, has acknowledged receiving more than $143,000 in fees and expenses for her campaign work. A former live-in girlfriend, she is no longer romantically involved with Kirk, according to a campaign aide.

At the heart of the matter is Vertolli's assertion that the Kirk campaign may have improperly hidden money to McCracken by paying her through another company working for the campaign. Because the money was not paid directly to McCracken, her name does not appear in Kirk's federal disclosures.

Now it appears that Senator Kirk is perfectly content to use funds which he has no right to use. For, you and me that's called Stealing. But, IOKIYAR is the first rule of Right Club.

And You Do Not Talk About Right Club. It's just Standard Operating Procedure for Illinois Republicans. If they aren't molesting little boys (Former Speaker Dennis Hastert), they're getting millions in kickbacks and lavish gifts (Congressman Aaron Shock) or just treating themselves to money which isn't theirs (Senator Kirk).

But, IOKIYAR. Just like when Senator Kirk lied about his military accomplishments, when he "misremembered it wrong" claiming to have been the Naval Intelligence Officer of the Year or in kinda/sorta allowing Illinois Voters to believe he served in Iraq and came under fire when he served in the Navy (Stateside) during the Bush Iraq Debacle.

So, while the Media have been hyperventilating about Donald Trump and his statements which supposedly do not reflect the Republican Party, the repeated despicable comments of so-called moderate Republican Senator Mark Kirk prove the Republican Party is filled with bigots, thieves and lying scumbags. Because stroked-out Senator Kirk has been a lying criminal scumbag for a long time.

The Oathkeepers descend upon Ferguson, Missouri probably hoping to murder black people

The Oathkeepers, or more accurately Oathbreakers, have invaded Ferguson, Missouri. Four heavily armed members of the militia say they are in Ferguson to protect Alex Jones Infowars "reporters". The four whiter-than-white tactically loaded to bear militia members marched around the streets of Ferguson right after Ferguson Police engaged in a "Shoot-Out" with Tyrone Harris on the one year anniversary of Michael Brown's murder.

After Michael Brown's murder by Darren Wilson, when black people began to assemble and protest, the Ferguson Police Department decided to greet those initial protests with Overhwelming Force. All legitimate complaints about excessive force, ticky-tack violations, and unconstitutional Stop & Frisk met a literal wall of riot shields and machine guns mounted on military surplus vehicles.

Of course, the complaints of the protesters were vindicated by the Department of Justice Report on the shoddy Police practices of the Ferguson PD which was based on the revenue generating Broken Windows Theory which treats every Person of Color as a potential criminal.

The Oathkeepers, Oathbreakers, were ostensibly founded to protect the American People from the excesses of the Government predicated on their Manifesto which includes the staunch "Not on Our Watch" Motto but, in reality they are a group of lily white Reactionary Conservatives who can be counted upon to support Right-Wing law breakers (e.g. Cliven Bundy) but, absolutely support the violent use of Government power against what they perceive as left-wing agitation (Occupy Wall Street and Ferguson last year after Michael Brown's murder.)

Much like their sister organizations the Unconstitutional Sheriff's of America, the III Inchers errr, Percenters, and the various unaligned Soverign Citizens, the Oathbreakers represent the Re-rise of the Anti-Government Militia Movement in the United States.

In his seminal 1962, SE Finer, in his seminal 1962 book The Man on Horseback: The Role of the Military in Politics, described the underlying mindset which fuels the Oathbreakers, 

"I find in existence a new and heretofore unknown and dangerous concept that the members of our armed forces owe primary allegiance or loyalty to those who temporarily exercise the authority of the Executive Branch of Government rather than to the country and its constitution which they are sworn to defend." 

No proposition, added General MacArthur, 'could be more dangerous.' On the contrary, it is General MacArthur's view which opens Pandora's Box. The moment the military draw this distinction between nation and the government in power, the begin to invent their own private notion of the national interest, and from this it is only a skip to the constrained substitution of this view for that of the civilian government. ( ibid. pg 22-23)

Finer used a quote from General Douglas MacArthur in 1952, who was in a power struggle with President Harry Truman, which famously led to MacArthur's removal as Commanding General during the Korean Conflict.

Like most of the Reactionary Conservatives who make up the American Right today the Oathbreakers are a lily white group who have convinced themselves that the only legitimate government is one which hews closely to their "understanding" and interpretation of the Holy Constitution.

In 2016, Jeb! Bush would like Women and Old People to go away while Republicans hope to bring back Slavery

Jeb! is very angry his brother, forever known as the Worst President in American History, only destroyed a few hundred thousand American Families. So, John Ellis Bush is going to do to Millions of Americans what his brother did to Millions of Iraqis.

Jeb! like all Republicans, is mad the Government helps the Sick and Old, "as it relates to Medicare" Jeb! believes "we need to figure out a way to phase out this program for others and move to a new system"...

Now, Jeb! as the heir apparent is setting his Party's sights on hurting Women as well, because he and the Republican Party are "not sure we need half a billion dollars for women's health issues".

2016 is their chance. A Republican President can secure the Supreme Court for another 25 years. Add in their gerrymandered Congressional Districts securing them more Representatives with less votes, they can enshrine unfair voting practices. And the stage will be set.

Because Republicans see 2016 as the time when they can finally murder the New Deal and grind Working Class Americans into crushing Poverty and Wage Slavery. With Jeb! or some other Plutocratic Drone in the White House, the Republicans will transition Social Security into Wall Street hands, were it will be slowly siphoned off until one day there will be no more SSI, at least for old and disabled people, Vulture Capitalists like Mitt Romney will enjoy the Billions swindled from Americans.

Jeb! or the other Right-Wing hatchet man elected President will phase out Medicare until one day Republicans can simply tell sick and dying elderly people to clip coupons and line up for discount healthcare coverage day while, Americans are denied medical coverage every other day of the year.

The meager food assistance and medicaid provided currently for Poor Americans? Eliminated completely. Sick Days? FMLA? Holidays? Weekends? Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone...

A Republican President in 2016 will turn back America 200 years, to those glorious days of Bondage. American Workers will be crushed into Penury, worked harder than Medieval Serfs and treated as poorly as Chattel. 

Republicans are always screaming Slavery! Slavery! Slavery! during election ads and debates. The reason it so readily comes to their mouths, is because it is on the forefront of their minds. The Republican Party's goal is nothing less than recreation of Slavery. 

When Republicans talk about taking America Back, the America they want to take us back to is one in which a group of insanely wealthy individuals made vast fortunes by stealing generations of labor and years of wealth.

What's behind the rightwing whine that white males are the most discriminated against group in the US?

Continuing the ideas expressed in an earlier post, Why was the Reagan Campaign of White Resentment and the continuing Conservative effort to keep whites incensed while convincing mainly white men that in fact they are the most wronged, the most persecuted, the most oppressed "minority" in the U.S. been so successful?

Well, because it's partially true, in the sense that a white conservative male could be guaranteed a certain minimum lifestyle, job, and opportunities, despite gross inadequacies.

All white men needed to do was dutifully support the Plutocracy and their guard dogs in the Republican Party and a good job, decent pay, a social safety net and freedom from maltreatment from the police state would be theirs. White Privilege used to mean there was a certain floor under which no white male would be allowed to fall.

But, Capitalism cares not for national boundaries or peoples or social contracts, once the American Worker became too expensive the American Worker needed to be downsized.

Since the Reagan Revolution their Corporate Overlords have broken the contract they had with white men and now conservatives are being treated by Capitalism and the Corporate State the same way blacks, women and immigrants have always been treated; as disposable goods.

Thus, The Reagan Revolution was the Destruction of the American Dream and the reduction of the American Citizen to a Wage Slave bargaining his wages against the vastly cheaper workers Capitalism could utilize in the Third World.

White men don't like it, and have been searching for a reason why their standard of living has gone down despite working longer hours, being more productive, having to pick up extra jobs to supplement his declining earning power, while his wife also has to work not as a luxury but as a necessity.

"You work three job? Uniquely American isn't it. I mean, it's fantastic that you're doing that." - W(orst POTUS in history) 2005.

After dutifully supporting George W(orst POTUS Ever) Bush no matter what evil and awful War Crimes the Bush/Cheney Regime committed or the $10 Trillion dollars Bush stole from the American people or the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans their warmongering cost, now Conservatives want to know what happened to the American Dream.

But, it's too late. For 35 years, Toxic Right-Wing Talk Radio, Faux News, and now the Incestuous Conservative Internet Bubble has been making sure Conservatives were suitably brain-washed to be outraged at Steak-Eatin' Young Bucks, Welfare Queens, the Lucky Poor, Teachers, Women, Gays and Illegal Immigrants instead of America's True Enemy, the Plutocracy.

"The first step is, we're going to deal with collective bargaining for all public employee unions, because you use divide and conquer.” - Wisconsin Governor and Presidential hopeful Scott Walker.

Thus, despite stated Republican Goals of stealing Social Security, "phasing out" Medicare, reducing Workers' Rights, eliminating welfare for the poor while increasing it for Corporations, and turning every American into a 3 Jobs-a-Day Wage Slave, conservatives still support Republicans because conservatives suffer from battered spousal syndrome and they can't break free of their abusive Right-Wing Masters, who ensure they vote to enslave themselves by saying,

"I don't want to make blaaack peoples lives better by giving them somebody else's money," Rick Santorum in Iowa 2012.

Now, a sizable portion of the right-wing voting base are absolute racists who hate people of color, and these are the ones fueling Donald Trump's "popularity". Trump, an absolute joke of a human being, is leading by saying what every Republican, since Nixon crafted the phrase Law & Order, has been saying just without the code words and dog whistles.

This worries Reince Priebus, the RNC, the Koch Brothers and the Plutocracy because appealing to the racist vote is something they would rather do behind closed doors, similar to Mitt Romney's infamous 47% Speech.

So, I hope Hillary Clinton (or whomever wins the Democratic Nomination) does not make the mistake of tacking towards the Right in order to slice of a portion of the Fragile White Abused Conservative Whiner vote. It's a losing formula. Democrats need to keep the focus on what they stand for, point out Republicans actually hate the angry white man they've been cultivating for decades, and demonstrate that the Reason White America feels it's lost the American Dream is because the Republican Party has stolen it.

And just like that I'm no different than Darren Wilson or any of the other Out of Control Criminal Cops

Take a look at the Lawman
Beating up the Wrong Guy - David Bowie, Life on Mars?

The Park District in my town serves a large and diverse group of people in Cook County and we have a fancy, very desirable pool complex. Therefore, every summer when kids leave their unlocked bikes outside the pool entrance, they find them stolen.

So, this weekend I have the misfortune to receive a few of these stolen bike reports, which stupidly, I decided to solve through basic investigation and some footwork, instead of merely writing up a report and moving on.

Now, I have to be purposefully vague here. After investigating, locating and returning several bikes, which had seemingly been stashed nearby, I also located a couple juvenile offenders.

And that's when things went haywire. I found myself being circled by women demanding my name and badge number. At least one had her cell phone camera out. Conversations about how This Isn't Right were spoken loudly nearby so that I might hear them. I think those mothers believed I was going to harm those juveniles...

A couple of pool lifeguards (envision privileged never been out of the suburbs white college kids), probably altered by the above mentioned mothers thought it was their duty to surreptitiously record the interaction with their cell phone cameras, eventhough I clearly positioned myself in front of the Pool's front entrance camera. Their feigned nonchalance was ludicrous.

I realized these people whom I never met were judging me by what I was wearing. That they had formed conclusions about me without any real knowledge of who I am. I was just another potentially out-of-control white cop who might snap at a moment's notice.

It would be the height of obtuse tone-deafness for me to say now I know what it feels like to be an African-American driving and be pulled over. Because, I can still easily badge my way out of any traffic stop and as a cop in a Cook County suburb I'm well off financially.

But, the take away from most police officers and the ones on my force whom I talked with about this incident, is far different than my own. The blame with the current environment between Law Enforcement and the American Public lies completely with the criminal cops who have no idea how to police. Who have been trained to be suspect all People of Color, subject their communities to the Broken Windows policy, hand out citations/tickets in order to plug budget gaps, see themselves wholly apart from the communities they've been ostensibly sworn to Protect & Serve, while they more and more see themselves as some sort of Paramilitary Occupying Power.

Gun-shaped Cell Phone Cases Banned, Concealed Carry getting Easier

Chicago just passed a ban on cell phone cases shaped to resemble guns. The FOP President cited the shooting of Tamir Rice as a necessary reason to outlaw the cell phone cases. Earlier in July, Governor Bruce Rauner signed changes to the Illinois Concealed Carry Law. Instead of cleaning up language of the Law, the changes, of course, work substantially to weaken restrictions,

"When the NRA gets a concealed carry bill passed, they work to dismantle what they passed so that it becomes super weak. They've been doing that for over 25 years throughout the country," said Brian Malte, senior national policy director for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

One of the changes allows individuals stopped or in contact with Police Officers to show their Concealed Carry Card instead of verbally informing the Officer that they are armed.

In light of the recent police shootings, it would seem to be a bad idea to have a person reaching for their waistband when the Officer is concerned they may be carrying a gun.

But, of course, such an event will never occur because Second Amendment Rights are for White People only.

And that leads to Gun Violence in the City of Chicago. When Conservatives sneeringly reference the Gun Violence of Chicago what they are actually ridiculing are the Chicago Police, Cook County Sheriff's Police and surrounding Departments. Conservatives actually hate Police Officers. The only time Right-Wingers support Police Officers are when those Officers murder black people. The flow of stolen guns coming into the city is even worse than the flow of narcotics. But, the NRA and Gun Manufacturers are perfectly content with this secondary straw market of stolen guns for sale. The Gun Humping Fanatics want more and more guns on the streets. 

The Chicago Police can not be held accountable for the lack of will and lack of enforcement by other Departments Nationwide. The vast majority of guns recovered by CPD originate from outside Chicago and often come from neighboring states or even further away in the US.

The Conservative Coup to turn The United States into The Neo-Confederacy

"Are you going to pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?"

America has been undergoing a rapdily accelerating Coup by Conservatives. After their military defeat during the Civil War, the conservatives of this Nation began a campaign of low-grade guerilla warfare against America targeting Women, Liberals, Unionists, Minorities, and Immigrants; all groups oppossed to the creation of the Southern White Man's Utopia the Neo-Confederacy.

Since the Era of Ronald Reagan, who opened up his white resentment campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi, with "I believe in state's rights. I’m going to devote myself to trying to reorder those priorities and to restore to the states and local communities those functions which properly belong there." Conservatives have inflitrated enough areas of local, state, and federal government to alter, undermine and neuter protections for the American People and re-establish the Era when the 1% Ruled and White Conservatives acted as Whip Holders and Attack Dogs keeping everyone else in line.

But, in the last 15 years, they've accelearated their efforts, with major strikes at the heart of Democracy.

• The impeachment of President Bill Clinton.
• Convicted Criminal Tom DeLay and other Republicans redistricting Congressional Districts to devalue Democratic Votes. 
• The Stolen 2000 Presidential Election, in which Al Gore won the Popular Vote by almost a million votes and won more votes in Florida.
• The SCOTUS rulings especially Bush v. Gore and Citizen's United and Shelby County v. Holder.
• The Congressional Obstruction during Barack Obama's Presidency.

Recall that beginning in 2009 Republicans declared their number one goal was to ensure President Obama was a one-term President, not to help American struggling with the Republican Recession, not to deal with the Global War on Terror which conservatives by and large avoided, nope their goal was to get back to undercutting the American Middle Class and impoverishing the American Worker in order to create the Neo-Confederate Corporate dominated Wage Slave State.

Another Mass Shooting. Another White Right-Wing Domestic Terrorist. It's far too late to talk about Gun Control.

Thus, endeth the world not with a whimper but with a bang...

Governor disgusting coward Jindal of Louisana gave a press conference where he stated it's too early to talk about Gun Control. No it is not, it's far, far, far too late.

America has been conquered by Conservatives. Every problem in this Nation can be traced back to the influence and effect the right-wing nut jobs have over the country. After losing the Civil War, the Confederacy (a Plutocracy of Rich 1% Slave Owners) has been engaging in guerilla tactics and asymetrical warfare for 150 years and they've turned the Nation (with some notable setbacks) into a Conservative Plutocracy in the same model as the Confederacy, a Neo-Confederacy.

Now, another Right-Wing White Domestic Terrorist has gone on a shooting spree but, unlike the immediate and voiceforus denunciations of "Terrorism" when the shooter is named Muhammad, Conservatives shout down anyone who links their despicable evil agenda to the violence it indisputably foments. As always right-wingers proclaim the murderer is actually a Liberal because No True Conservative...

And Gun Nuts declare we're too emotional to talk about Gun Control and converge like locusts to silence anyone who points out that Gun Violence in the United States is an Epidemic. No other civilized, so-called first world Nation suffers the levels of Gun Violence we do in the United States.

If guns were the real solution then we'd see appreciable reductions in gun violence but, the evidence shows more guns equals more gun violence.

This is such an obvious, blatant fact that Gun Makers and Gun Humping Lunatics demand those facts be altered and obscured, which is why just this month The Center for Disease Control has been banned for decades by Republicans in Congress and the NRA from collecting any data/information on Gun Deaths and Injuries.

Sandra Bland died for the "crime" of being Uppity. A Police Officer's View.

First off, there is literally no death of any black person at the hands of the Police which Faux News and Conservatives will not justify and defend.

Nothing will make them deviate from their playbook of, minimizing the LEOs actions, demanding the black person prostrate themselves completely and then slandering the victim after their death.

An arrest is not a conviction. Of course, Conservatives believe every black person is a born criminal. Thus, begins to ex post facto justification for Bland's death via the murdering of her character. It's the right-wing way.

Bland's toxicology report showed cannabinoids in her blood. Weed Smoking is only acceptable if you're white. The same with gun ownership.

There's a massive amount of wrong with this whole escapade. Even the release of the dashcam video which Ava DuVernay, the director of Selma, legitimately called doctored, was so fraught with "glitches" the Texas Department of Public Safety is turned it over to the FBI for authentication that no editing has been done and any apparent errors are problems with uploading. Texas DPS has also released 3 hours (out of 72) of Bland's incarceration but, there is no camera inside the cell and big gaps in video coverage down the hallway to the cell. So, whatever happened inside Bland's cell is never going to be known.

Now, I know exactly what Deputy Brian Encinia was doing when he zoomed up on Bland's vehicle, i.e. checking her license plate status to see if the driver is Suspended or has a Warrant. Nothing showed up on his squad car computer screen but, when she makes a minor traffic violation, failure to signal lane change, he's got his Probable Cause, to pull her over and run a name check and also get a better look inside the interior of the vehicle.

Well, he's got nothing. So he writes the moving violation and returns to Bland's window. And that's when he sees his opening.

When an officer or deputy escalates aggression it's either because he's weak and unsure of himself or he's trying to torque the person up in order to get a reaction ," a" rise out if that person. Deputy Brian Encinia starts in on Bland, seemingly asking innocuous questions, Sandra Bland answers the questions in too flippant a tone for Deputy Encinia and he rapidly descends into Eric Cartman level 'Respect My Authoritah'.

Conservatives of course begin the character assassination of Bland at this point. Calling her arrogant, demanding she obey* the orders of the Deputy, and blaming his verbal aggression on her. With indefensible incidents such as this, Conservatives focus on one aspect, Encinia's right to order her out from the car, instead of the totality of the circumstances.

Now, while Encinia can legally her out of the vehicle, she's not under arrest at that point as the Deputy asserts, but is being temporarily lawfully detained. But, once this "arrogant" black woman talked back to him Encinia apparently lost his composure, threatened "I will light you up", called for backing units, and the situation was totally out of control. A good Police Officer must be able to ratchet down during encounters. Encinia was apparently too weak or too stupid to do this.

Because prior to getting her out of the vehicle, there's nothing there. No DUI, No warrants known to him at the time, no major moving violations, no contraband in the vehicle. Just a black woman who didn't know her place.

Resisting/Obstructing are the catch-alls Police Departments use to charge a person whom they most likely should not have arrested. Much of what's wrong here stems from the decision to put the Resisting/Battery to a Peace Officer charge on Bland to cover for Encinia's mistakes.

I don't know what Waller County Texas lockup procedures are but, Bland should have been released on an IBond after she couldn't come up with the money. They had her car. They had already positively identified her. No felony had been committed. So, why wasn't she bonded out? Because as a further demonstration to her that if you don't prostrate yourself before the law, you are going to spend a whole weekend in lockup, to teach that uppity n-slur some manners.

Usually temporary holding cells contain no items like plastic bags no trash can liners and her food** would not be delivered in one. I never let the arrestee have plastic dinnerware, a straw or even the plastic lid on the drink. Also it's Standard Operating Procedure that even arrestee without self-admitted suicidal thoughts are made to give up shoe laces, belts and even drawstrings on hoodies.

Additionally, during processing prior to being placed into a Holding Cell, it is SOP to ask if the arrestee if they have ever harmed them-self or attempted suicide. And if Deputies knew she had a history of suicidal thoughts, as the processing form shows, then they are obligated and responsible for her well-being. If that means taking her to the Hospital for close non-stop observation and an evaluation by a Doctor, too bad they made the arrest.

The Waller County Sheriff Department didn't do this, most likely, because the Deputies believed she was feigning Incarceratius, in order to get out of lockup.

So, Sandra Bland is dead. The Texas Authorities are in overdrive to prove she committed suicide, but even if she did (which sadly I'm not ready to concede) her death nonetheless is still on Waller County Sheriff because they decided to hold a potentially suicidal person for 3 days for the Unforgivable Crime of being Black in America.

* - Conservatives have for years gotten away with this hypocritical dichotomy of fear-monging about distrusting government so much so that they've purchased 100 million guns and deployed themselves to Counter Jade Helm yet they unequivocally accept every Government Official declaration concerning the suspicious deaths of black people by authorities. It could not be any clearer that Conservatives support and desire the murder of black people by Police.

** - much was made of Dylann Roof, the white conservative domestic terrorist getting fed Burger King after he was under arrest. This is non-controversial. My Department provides McDonald's for every meal for someone held in our temporary detention cells.

Bernie Sanders needs to care about #Blacklivesmatter because Republicans do not (Update: Bernie Sanders is a Nazi)

In the Marine Corps my job was to focus on WET (Weather, Enemy, Terrain), the biggest enemy of America today is the Republican Party, on whom most of my posts focus.

But, it's important for the leaders of the Democratic Party or those who wish to secure the Democratic Presidential Nomination to remember not to take votes for granted.

#Blacklivesmatter descended upon Netroots Nation 15 and made a couple candidates, Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley uncomfortable. From all the reporting I've read O'Malley acquitted himself well, staying and speaking 1-on-1 with people, allowing them to voice their concerns. But, Bernie Sanders was apparently unprepared and could not deviate from his message about economic injustice and income inequality from which he ardently believes all injustices in the United States flow.

While, I tend to believe that more economic opportunities for Americans would help eliminate some of the problems we face, People of Color face another more dangerous barrier, which I do not. The frightening prospect that they will be killed by Police Officers or Stand Your Ground Gun Maniacs who adhere to the Conservative belief that all people of color are criminals.

All the white progressives posting and tweeting their irritation that Bernie Sanders was "ambushed" at the Netroots Nation conference and upset the GOP candidates aren't being subjected to similar tactics need to check themselves and understand #Blacklivesmatter isn't going to approach Republicans because they understand Republicans don't believe Black Lives Matter. Republicans are perfectly content with the situation as it exists today. Republicans are absolutely fine with Police Officers murdering People of Color.

But, Bernie Sanders is ostensibly running for the Democratic Presidential Nomination. As such, he needs to address the issues of Democrats, whom People of Color overwhelmingly, support and identify.

And if Bernie wants to win a nomination outside the comfy confines of his home state of Vermont he needs to be able to field hard questions and weather a few punches thrown his direction from the Left because the despicable vitriol, evil hatred, and vicious attacks from the Right during the campaign will dwarf this incident.

Update: And just like that the odious Kevin D. Williamson of the Conservative Cesspool NationalReview has labeled Bernie Sanders a National-Socialist.  

In the Bernieverse, there’s a whole lot of nationalism mixed up in the socialism. He is, in fact, leading a national-socialist movement, which is a queasy and uncomfortable thing to write about a man who is the son of Jewish immigrants from Poland and whose family was murdered in the Holocaust. But there is no other way to characterize his views and his politics.  

Williamson goes on in his putrid article to use the National Socialism tag an additional four times as he obliquely proclaims Senator Sanders is Adolf Hitler. And remember Bernie isn't even a real threat at this point and Conservatives are more than willing to go full HITLER! on him.

Now, of course I understand the Corporate Conservative Media can't wait to use this incident to ratfuck the Democratic Party because that's what they do. The Media serve the interests of the Plutocracy and that is the main opponent of Bernie Sanders.

In reality, though this incident is of little concern because Hillary Rodham Clinton is by far and away the front runner for the Democratic Nomination. But, the Left needs to ensure all the disparate voices of their collation are heard.

Prepare to have the #Blacklivesmatter movement ratfucked becuase Conservatives Love when Cops kill Black People

The United States has always vilified and demonized black people. Now, I'm not advising you to drive down Roosevelt Ave into Lawndale, the Vice Lords "Holy City", anytime soon but, in America every Black Person is a priori a criminal.

However, it's even more nefarious than just rabidly defending every White Officer who guns down an unarmed black man. The Conservative Media Complex in this Nation will spare no duplicitous strategy in obfuscating, muck-racking and slandering any black person who happens to be executed by Police Officers or self-appointed Neighborhood Watch Captains.

And not content with demonizing the murdered black person Faux News, rabidly racist right-wing internet media and so-called Libertarians immediately seek to minimize and lie about the actions of the murderous white racists. As when they pretended that Dylann Roof's murderous domestic terrorist attack was really on attack on the Christian Faith. A gorgeous, devious lie which allowed conservatives to segue into the phony War on American Christians. And this is because, the majority of conservatives are white domestic terrorists and racist neoconfederates.

It's fortunate no racist, insane "Witness 40" came forward to lie about the murder of Walter Scott, as "Witness 40" did with her "first-hand journal" of the Mike Brown's murder. Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Mark Levin and other conservative villains relentlessly referenced her so-called account as justification for Brown's execution. And that the bystander had the courage to record Scott's killing at significant risk to his own life, so the right-wing internet fart bubble wasn't able to lie to justify Scott's execution.

Every police officer should know the basic meaning, if not the entire ruling of the 1985 SCOTUS Tennessee v. Garner, which explicitly lays why a LEO can not shoot a fleeing suspect.

As well as, the 1989 Graham v. Connor, which requires the Officer take into account the severity of the crime when effecting an arrest or "seizure".

But, these ruling are why every Officer has been coached to proclaim fearing for his life in these incidents. Because don't fool yourself, every LEO has received official and unofficial advice prior to any statements.

But, the unconstitutional summary executions of black people isn't slowing down. In Stonewall, Mississippi a horse and buggy driver named Jonathan Sanders was choked to death by a part-time Police Officer who apparently wanted to show off to his wife (who was on a ride-along) how he could terrorize and brutalize black people.

The "suicide" of Sandra Bland in Texas stems directly from a violation of Graham v. Connor. During a traffic stop, not a Forcible Felony stop, Bland was thrown to ground and forcibly restrained before being put into a holding cell where Texas Officials proclaim they think they saw a plastic bag which she must have used to hang herself. Already the Texas Deputy who forcefully threw Bland to the ground on the traffic stop has been suspended for violating Department Policy on "courtesy during traffic stops." But, since Sheriff Glenn Smith, has previously been fired as a Police Chief before being elected Sheriff, for being racist it'll be up to the Texas Rangers, FBI and Department of Justice to ensure a proper investigation is conducted.

But, don't expect the Right-Wing Media Complex or the rabid racist white conservatives to give a fuck about Supreme Court Rulings, Department Policies or visual video evidence. None of those facets have dissuaded them before and they won't in regards to Bland's "suicide" or any of the deaths of blacks at the hands of Police. Conservatives believe the Police exist for the purpose of Killing Black People.

Already, the scouring of her past has begun as youtube videos have been found wherein Bland talks about suffering from depression. As with criminal background becomes de rigueur evidence that the killing of Mike Brown or Eric Garner or Trayvon Martin were justified, Bland's depression is going to be used by conservative bigots to proclaim she committed suicide and allow them to go back to stating all blacks are criminals who get what they deserve.

But, while these instances are case by case instances of conservative Ratfucking of the murdered individual, a systemic institutional catch-all Ratfuck is being developed by powerful members of the Law Enforcement Community to undermine the entire #Blacklivesmatter movement.

Recall, the "Credible Evidence" of a truce/pact between major factions of the Folks/Peoples Gang structure ivo Baltimore to engage in open warfare and attempts to murder Police Officers was leaked by Law Enforcement Intelligence Community.

While, this accomplished the desired effect of turning attention from Freddie Gray's death via a "rough ride" and towards getting public opinion against the protesters while allowing the media to broadcast the protests were a coordinated criminal enterprise by career criminals (i.e. Black people).

Of course, Faux News ran dozens of segments a day about property damage and a burned out CVS, which every dutiful right-wing blogger repeated on every platform of social media in order to delegitimize the movement and turn every person involved into a criminal suspect.

But, it was just the opening salvo in the whispering campaign trying to paint the #Blacklivesmatter movement as being funded by criminal gangs, foreign governments and international terrorist organizations.

The Right-Wing is not going to allow #Blacklivesmatter to succeed. It's not the 1960's anymore, they can't rely on proclamations of "Outside Agitators" and expect the majority of Americans to support the shooting and strangulation of unarmed blacks. They learned a great deal from their success at lying about Iraq and building a groundswell of support by disseminating false intelligence and propaganda.

Each and every black person's murder is going to strengthen the resolve of Conservatives, it's going to sharpen their vitriol and heighten they pandering to the most reactionary rabid racist elements of their party, which are no longer just a unspoken minority but the loud and vociferous super majority of the Right.

The Murder of 4 Marines and a Sailor in Chattanooga isn't Terrorism

Sometime in the last year a Kuwait born man decided to kill Americans. Two days ago he succeeded in killing 4 Marines and a Sailor, while seriously injuring another Marine.

The 24 year old murderer, thankfully killed by Police, was born in Kuwait during President H. W. Bush Operation Desert Shield/Storm time frame before moving to the States and ostensibly becoming an American.

The spectre of Iraq hangs over these killings. Kuwait isn't a real country. It was carved out of the area post World War I by the British to be a port for British Petroleum. The Arabic 1920 uprising against the British and they rule prior to World War II and subsequent decades-long American entanglement in the Region can all be traced back the Black Curse of Petroleum.

After Ronnie Raygun buddied up with Saddam Hussein he set the stage for the whole farcical last 25 years of American Foreign Policy on Iraq; A tragedy of Republican buffoons, Democratic wimps, and right-wing ghouls turning the United States into a Worldwide Nincompoop, while utterly destabilizing the region, empowering Iran, making America less safe and getting Americans killed. All the while stealing $5 Trillion from the American People and destroying thousands of American and Iraqi lives, families, and futures.

Now, more lives and families have been destroyed. And the weapon of choice? The Gun, the bloody High-Powered Rifle, which is the True Symbol of These United States.

Welcome to the NRA and The Republicans' Perfect America; A Bloody Wasteland of Bullet-Riddled Bodies. No one is safe in the United States anymore. Not Kindergarten Children. Not United States Marines. America has been consumed by the Gun Cultists. While the foul shade of Saddam Hussein our beloved Ally/Enemy laughs from beyond the grave.

And I Raaaaan! Iran so far away and the Disloyal Republican Opposition back home

The P5+1 Diplomatic success vis-a-vis Iran is yet another Foreign Policy Triumph for the Obama Administration. But, more importantly it lays the groundwork for improved worldwide relations unless a Republican President is anointed again, ala 2000, in 2016.

Prized GOP hopeful Scott Walker denounced diplomacy and declared he'll use magic, "I will terminate that deal. I will put in place crippling economic sanctions on Iran, and I will convince our allies to do the same."

Expected Candidate Bush the 3rd of his name, was angered that President Obama uses such big words in his Diplomacy, instead of bombing Iran as his Plutocratic Masters demand.

Tom Cotton and the 47 Republican Traitors in the Senate were back to invoking World War and Neville Chamberlain. War Criminal Dick Cheney wistfully mused about Nuclear War. All the while aided by the bloodthirsty Conservative Media and right-wing internet fart bubble, who never fail to invoke Munich 1938 whenever the United States doesn't drop bombs on someone.

Never mind that Iran progressed in their Nuclear Ambitions even with the sanctions in place. Or the damage the disloyal undermining of the international agreement would do to US prestige and diplomacy worldwide. Never mind the even if the US backs out Chinese and European businesses are going to move into Iran and defeat any so-called sanctions.

Republicans and Conservatives can not help but fear monger and invoke the spectre of World War III (or V*). But, the question is do Conservatives say these things in the hopes of being proven wrong or being proven right?

*- According to Rightwing Alternate reality, World War III was the Cold War, "won" by Ronnie Raygun and World War IV was/is the Global War on Terror "won" by W(orst POTUS Ever) until that Tricksy Obama gave back all the winnings.