October 31, 2014

Cross post

I have only had one response from a person of color. I would really like to see as many responses as possible.

If you wouldn't mind participating, please answer in the poll. Also, if you are so inclined, please rec for exposure.

Finally, is it possible to post to the head topic, "Race and Ethnicity"? Or should I just cross post in all the groups under it?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025739395

Thank you for your consideration

Mary

October 31, 2014

Poll on police abuse of power

I posted a question a couple days ago asking if anyone has been a victim of abuse by the police. It was suggested that "who hasn't been" would be easier. Probably would have had fewer responses.

I am curious to see numbers on what type of abuse, etc. Since it isn't possible to create sub-responses in polls, I will do my best to create one that is as specified as possible. I am unable to include if the initial contact was even legal and many other important factors, I would still like to see the high level answers.

Abuse doesn't mean physical abuse only. It is any wrong doing by the police. Even for being pulled over for driving while black or driving while pretty. If there was no legal reason to be pulled over, that is an abuse of power

The first 5 are specifically for people of color. 6 through 10 for white people

Sexual abuse specifically: If you were a victim of abuse because of some cop getting off on his power over you for sexual reasons, whether it went as far as physical abuse (seems strip searches are pretty common) or if there was no physical abuse, please respond to the sexual abuse question and not the physical abuse question.

I wish I could create sub responses. I also wish I could include sexual orientation. But those are not possible with only 10 answers allowed.

Please feel free to elaborate in replies. Obviously, the poll responses cannot possibly cover reasons, the end results, the degree of the abuse or if it went further than the police contact, like an arrest, conviction, a lawsuit, etc

Thank you for your participation

I also would appreciate a rec just for exposure. I am just trying to make sure this is seen by as many possible. I don't know what other way to make that happen except for recs. Thanks for considering

Mary

October 31, 2014

Even video showing misogyny is racist

The "Walking In New York" video that has gone viral isn't really an accurate portrail of what happened. The director admits to editing out white men

http://metro.co.uk/2014/10/30/100-catcalls-video-director-admits-editing-out-white-people-4928473/


Unreal.

October 30, 2014

The Secret Government

I am not sure if this qualifies as a conspiracy theory. Posting here so I am not in trouble for posting in GD

In doing a little research on the "shadow" or "secret" government that actually runs our country, I found this speech from all the way back in 1922. The then Governor of New York City, John Francis Hylan, gave a speech that is quoted, in part, on the meme below.



I created that in order to be able to tweet the speech.

It is very interesting to me that with the same players were accused in 1922 as are accused today. More accurately, relatives thereof, and leaders of the same corporations.

How do we knock down a "club" so influential for so many years, nearly a century that we know of? Though there was a time when they at least had to pretend to give in from time to time, that is no longer true.

We are no longer a republic. We have become an oligarchy. The police are the military for the rich in a war on the US citizens. We are watched, spied on, brutalized, marginalized, slandered, or minimally, ignored. The two parties have become hard to tell apart in so many aspects. Money is god and we are to worship those who have it.

Are we doomed? Can we fight? If so, how?

October 30, 2014

Who has had police violate their rights?

I used to get pulled over for being cute. It was annoying and a little scary being pulled over when you had no idea why. But nothing like I experienced when I was 17.

When I was 17 I was in a car with 5 guys. One was my boyfriend. He and 1 other in the car were in a band. We were waiting for the place they were playing to open.

Cops approached and ordered us all out of the car. They searched us and the vehicle. No one had anything but there was an unopened 12 pack in the car. I was the only one under age.

They took us all down to the police station and held us for hours. They finally let the guys in the band go. The owner of the place they were playing at had called and was upset the band couldn't play.

I was then taken into a holding cell that had cameras and was strip searched. The guys watched the cops watching this happen to me.

They eventually let us all go. I never did anything because I wasn't supposed to be with my boyfriend. I was more afraid of my parents at that time.

I wonder how many others here have been abused by cops.

Believe me, that experience was horrible and still haunts me.

10/31/14 7:10am I just posted a poll. Please feel free to respond to both this thread and the poll. I appreciate all responses a great deal

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025739395

October 29, 2014

THIS COUNTRY HAS GONE INSANE - MAN REFUSES TO LIE ON GROUND WITH COPS POINTING GUN AT HIM

October 29, 2014

AIG TRIAL:Paulson, Geithner ADMIT to Lying to Congress about Bailout

Another thing not reported by MSM. Why should they? Not in their best interest that we see AIG admitting to lying about the bailout.

Lee Camp tells what's happening in the AIG trial:

Paulson, Geithner ADMIT to Lying to Congress about the Bailout

:

October 28, 2014

Cyprus

Just saw this tweet and had to share. What an unbelievable picture.





Euripides Evriviades (@eevriviades) tweeted at 6:36 AM on Tue, Oct 28, 2014:
Two nights ago in Nicosia #Cyprus http://t.co/vC7cI85cwi
(https://twitter.com/eevriviades/status/527061261549576192?s=03)

October 25, 2014

We HAVE to TALK about racism and police brutality

I am desperately trying to have an honest and open discussion about racism. We have some very hard, horrible problems going on in this country and we HAVE to discuss it.

We are at a precipice.  We are watching what may be the most important, most life changing and law changing movement of our time.  And yet, most every post on the subject either drops like a lead balloon or has some very heated exchanges.  Exchanges that become heated because of what seems to be veiled and/or blind racism.

I have seen, even here on DU, denial of white privilege, denial or excuse for racial profiling and other such things.  We can't solve the problem without first admitting it exists. 

Please,  give your thoughts on the post and the items in the post.

Let's get this out in the open.

The current protests in Ferguson and St Louis started because of the shooting death of Michael Brown. But it has lasted for 75 days because of decades of abuses by the entire legal system. The people of St Louis County literally fear for their lives just walking down the street because of the color of their skin..And now, police and their friends, families and supporters are targeting streamers who truly do nothing but stream. They harass and give death threats all day long on twitter and other social media

I posted the first two videos yesterday in two different forums.  The lack of views, I believe,  shows how most people still prefer to ignore the problem of racism rather than even acknowledge it exists.

I am hoping it will be seen and discussed in this forum.

Hey White People: A Kinda Awkward Note to America…:

Vest or Vote:

While looking for the link to the F*CKH8 video, I saw this. (Link below) I thought it was going to be an open discussion on racism. I am shocked at what it is.  I don't have a clue who this radio host is but a HUGE part of the problem is the attitude he possesses. 

(***Explicit Language***) "Hey White People" Vide…:

I saw a post from 1StrongBlackMan regarding white guilt and white privilege. A thoughtful post with an excellent question. What I found sad about the post was the lack of discussion.

There have been two posts that I know about, addressing the Amnesty international report that had very little discussion or comment

We have to talk.  I am not even going for the Joan Rivers, "can we talk" question. We need to talk.  We need to force the discussion.

Although I am,  at the moment, more concerned with the police brutality and all aspects of the legal system's racist policies, laws and outright discrimination, any aspect of racism are open for discussion.

Last video I will post here is the song, This is What Happens When You Call The Cops. This was made prior to the murders of Eric Garner, John Crawford III and Michael Brown. It has 241 instances of police brutality. Although Trayvon Martin was killed by a wanna be cop, he wasn't arrested until there was national outcry. He wasn't tested for drugs but Martin was.

Call the Cops - Rob Hustle ft. Bump:

People are dying.  Closing our eyes and mouths isn't going to make it stop.

October 25, 2014

My voter registration seems to have disappeared

I have not missed an election, on any level, since I turned 18 and could vote.

I moved within the city of Chicago a few years ago. I have voted since then. I even requested and received a duplicate voter's registration card a few months ago because I misplaced the original.

I am now not on any registration list in Illinois. I went online to check where early voting was for my district. Because I have lived in 3 different districts in the last 7 years, and because I seem to have a bad memory for it, I couldn't recall my current district. So I used the online "check if you're registered" tool to find which district I currently reside.

Nothing. They have nothing for that name at that address. So I checked all my previous addresses. Nothing. So I called. Nothing.

Thank goodness Illinois has the grace period registration. I will go in today, reregister and vote.

Has this happened to anyone else? I can't even believe it. How does it disappear? Had I just waited until election day and gone to my polling place only to find out I couldn't vote, I would have been devastated