Some thoughts from GameJew’s Jonathan Mann who says “human rights are human rights no matter who you are,” in the wake of his stunning video account of the LA May Day Melee and the firestorm of astoundingly racists comments and controversy which came in it’s wake. Such comments were found at both his blog and on our own after running startling first-hand video account of LAPD in riot gears firing rubber bullets into the crowds and beating down men, women and children with batons during an Immigration Day rally…
We share his sentiments, and thank him again for his landmark and courageous work of citizen journalism.
UPDATE 2/5/09: L.A. agrees to $13 million settlement with victims of the 2007 “May Day Melee”. Details…
Yes, the “firestorm of astoundingly racists comments” covers the putrid bile I’ve been reading in posts pretty well. It’s just disgusting and very disturbing that some people have such hatred for other human beings.
We have so many sick, racist and fear-driven people in our society. Many people are afraid of their own shadow.
Thank you, Jonathan, for reporting on the protest and for your comments. I’m in complete agreement with you. Absolutely.
In the US we learn all about “Americn History.”
That would be more properly titled North American History, and even then much is missing from our history texts.
I wonder if the police in LA are tired of protecting wealthy industrialist’s insistence on hiring disposable labor?
When I watched Jonathan’s video on this site, the following thought crossed my mind, and has come back to haunt me, mostly in the middle of the night, when I wake up wondering about what is going on behind the (il)legal actions that target terrorists and immigrants.
What the LAPD did to the demonstrators in that park made no sense at all. They appeared to be acting as if on automatic pilot, kind of in a haze, as if they had no choice in what they were doing, but rather were following spelled-out steps given to them by someone else.
Could it be that the LAPD were used intentionally to try out some of their anti-terrorist tactics on an unsuspecting crowd of legally assembling people? Could it be that this May 1 event was chosen for this purpose, because it is located in a large urban area, and because it was primarily made up of non-anglos, and because the LAPD has the reputation for a willingness to use unnecessarily aggressive police tactics?
There was not a single reason to explain the LAPDs bizarre reaction to the event. Therefore, what I am writing here must be explored as being within the realm of possibility.
When you consider today that our government is more than just willing to torture; to render individuals suspected of terrorism to countries that do torture; to incarcerate individuals who might be terrorists, or who might have information about terrorists, indefinitely and without due process; to rig elections and commit election fraud and manipulation; to lie under oath about their knowledge and recollection of their own and their colleagues’ involvement in government activities under investigation; and on and on and on; the scenario that I am spelling out here in this post is not that unlikely.
Jonathan:
Yes! Too many people do not understand that:
The Bill of Rights is written in terms that the gov’t “shall make no law”¦abridging the freedom”¦” The rights are a given, not granted by the state. The state is prohibited from interfering with those rights.
The rights are not for citizens only”“they are human rights.
Linda #3:
I had the same feeling”“that this was a military exercise. Especially the one guy who positioned himself behind the tree before firing (on the TV footage). It looked like war games”¦war against the populace.
Hey, I apologise in advance if this is off topic. I was looking for a contact form on your site but didn’t see one.
Anyway, a while back I got kind of pissed off flipping between the O’Rielly Factor and Democracy Now, not so much because the had such completely different views, but rather because they both claimed to be objective. So I started coding a website that would allow people to be called out on biased opinions, where the community would decide which ideas get the most recognition. Well, after 6 months of work, I’m finally launching it: VocalNation.net
Anyway, I’m placing the control of this site, and control of the debate, largely in the hands of those who read this message. I’m starting things off by just picking a handful of conservative and liberal blogs to mention this to so that it will at least start off with a good balance of opinions from either side. I’m hoping that you could mention the site to your readers? After that, I guess it’ll be the side with the strongest arguments that’ll take control dictate what direction the conversation goes. I’ve already had a number of conservatives sign up and a few have added postings, the liberals don’t seem as motivated for some reason.
Also if you don’t want this post on your site, could you please at least let me know so I can add another blogger in your place to keep it balanced to start off with?
Thanks – Tony
VocalNation.net
Linda #3, you are onto something regarding the police. The exercise in crowd control, it’s a sign of the times. I remember clipping police magazines during the Vietnam war, where vendors were hawking creative items to the police. There were speakers for sale that emitted bass tones so low, the crowd was supposedly going to lose control of their bowels. Another ad was for ball bearings, to be released toward the crowd, making them unstable on their feet. Foam, huge piles of foam, could be sprayed toward unruly persons. And of course teargas. In Berkeley in the seventies, the police had a tank come down the street. Hanging in front like a cowcatcher was a doubled up cyclone fence that expanded to the required width of the street. Rumor was it was electrified. Tear gas spewed out the front of the grill, as the tank advanced. Street cops would wear gas masks and block the exit routes.
A dum dum bullet ruined my friend’s spine, causing him pain for the rest of his life.
As the Zimbardo experiments from Stanford decades ago proved, it doesn’t take much to bring out the sadistic side in the jailers. Clearly it takes good leadership to protect the public.
Police Chief Bratton should resign.
“Immigration” is to be the “wedge issue” that the Rethuglicans plan to use in 2008 to keep the opposition against their corrupt and criminal party divided sufficiently that they can steal the election.
It was “test driven” in the Busby/Bilbray race and worked just fine.
California, New Mexico, Ohio, and even Florida all poll well for using Immigration to split opponents of the Rethuglican party.
I’m not afraid of my own shadow OR anarchists or you Mitchell. I do not hate my fellow man. I hate criminals who steal into my country and then demand rights. That is bull shit and patriotic Americans will not stand for it. We are tired of our laws being broken and our Federal government not doing anything about it and we are still in the majority so the days of relentless illegal immigration are coming to an end. Their days are numbered. I am not afraid of anything and I say to you and all you supporters of anarchy – BRING IT!
What is right Jonathan Mann is for the police to clear a park when anarchists are throwing shit at them. You did NOT know the whole story. You did NOT see the troublemakers who created the entire problem. You condemn the police but not the anarchists who provoked the police? Eight officers were injured. That is all I need to know about this “riot” which people are portraying as a peaceful march. I saw hate and anger in this “peaceful” march even before the police started clearing the park. The hate and anger is toward the very country they are using as their job site. They don’t care about this country. They just want to USE it. Well we have had enough of that. LA is a cesspool of filth and lawlessness because of the Mayor’s love of illegal aliens. LA deserves what it has invited upon itself.
Linda #3 i agree also about the police being in a haze and i’ve been thinking about this issue a lot
i have a question and i don’t know where to find the answer:
WERE ANY OF THE OFFICERS INVOLVED IRAQ VETS?
i support our troops. i want them home and alive and healthy. and i want the killing of innocents to stop, no matter where they were born or what color their skin. but i know from talking to cops at various protests that some of them have served and do serve in the guard. the LAPD is proud of the way it treats its guardsmen and reservists. check this out: The Department of Defense honors the Los Angeles Police Department
for its support of employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve
and as lefty as i am, i have found it difficult in the past to say that we support the troops and then see folks at our demonstrations treat the cops poorly. they are both serving society in a way they see fit.
however, in light of recent polls that show that military members believe in torture — a result, i believe is of being underprepared, underarmed and then trained by rumsfeld and now negroponte — what can we expect?
this criminal administration is breaking the very infrastructure of our country. the only thing i have every witnessed trickling down is corruption.
According to an AP report, Bratton took the 60 or so police who fired the rubber bullets off street duty, said that some will not be returning as a result of the investigation, and agreed that proper police procedures weren’t followed.
Also according to this report, the rally had been both peaceful and lawful up until that point at which the Metro Division’s B Platoon took the actions we can see on Jonathan’s video.
What may have happened is that some outside agitators, who were not part of the organized demonstration, may have aggressively antagonized the police from outside the perimeter of the rally, followed by the police aggressively going after the lawful demonstrators within the rally perimeter.
If this turns out to be the case, then this police response clearly constitutes strikingly poor police work.
What irony that this happened so near the 37th anniversary of the Kent State shootings. This time, we won’t have to wait 37 years for the truth.
Tony, it seems to me, that it’s not a question of balance between DN! and O’Reilly, but DN! is based on FACTS and O’Reilly is a documented LIAR! It’s not “different points of view”, it’s the TRUTH vs. LIES!
Where is Democracy NOW! “spinning”??? They show mostly video, and have actual guests who were there and were SHOT!
Please explain where the “spin” is there?
And the witnesses claim, the police made up that “the Anarchists” started it.
Please show us the video of “the Anarchists”, please! There was video over every inch of the protest and shooting, so please post the video of “the Anarchists” starting this, and throwing things at police.
I’ll have no problem believing it, just show the video of “the Anarchists”.
There seems to be a pattern, of whenever there’s police brutality against peaceful protestors, the police claim “the Anarchists” started it. WHO are they, WHERE is the video of them, NAME “the Anarchists”. Sounds to me like “the terrorists” or “the libruls”…a vague group to blame things on. Who are “the libruls”: Rosie O’Donnell??? The Democrats SURELY are NOT “libruls”, no way!!! Dennis Kucinich might be “a librul”…
Watch out!!! “The Terrorists” are gonna getcha! Or “the Anarchists”….
BOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
…or the “VOTER FRAUD” is gonna getcha! Or ya better take some TAMAFLU! Or duct tape your house from “the terrorists”!!! Yeah, O’Reilly and Democracy NOW! are both spinning. Funny, how all these “boogeymen” are ALL from the corporate right!!!
BOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
DN! does NOT spin, it’s the only place that doesn’t! That’s why people are switching to it. Their slogan is, “The exception to the rulers.” NOT a megaphone for the powerful elites.
ANBCBSNNX have one view, and DN!/the INN Report/Liberty News have the TRUTH! On LINK-TV and Free Speech TV. You don’t vote for “the truth”…
Our current immigration policies are not sustainable.
This open door immigration policy is a dream for corporatist because it is specifically intended to lower wages for all Americans and eliminate the middle class. The immigrant labor force gets exploited in the deal – this is a dreamland for unscrupulous employers.
It may be time to prosecute corporations/companies/employers who hire undocumented workers to their payrolls.
Video (14 min.) of unsustainable immigration policies.
Click link.
oldturk
Again I am moved to ask you to marry me.
[That racists have seized on this argument does not make it wrong.]
Yes, illegal immigrants have human rights. The police may have over-reacted to the situation.
The United States has the most liberal immigration laws of any country in the world. We accept more legal immigrants than any other. We accept more refugees than any other country. Few countries give citizenship to children born to foreigners like we do.
Yet, for some, it’s not enough, they want to allow every one to come here. No limits, no laws, no assimilation, just open arms to the entire world.
That is insane.
Next is the RFID tag…..where people will be taged by RFID chips.
Taged like a dog on a leash. That will be the end of Freedom.
It will be used as a means to solve the illegal immigrants problem.
GIVE ME FREEDOM or GIVE ME DEATH..
Big Dan,
I appreciate where you’re coming from, as I’m really not a big fan on O’Rielly, and I even know alot of solid conservatives that think he’s completely full of it. But alot of people are equally critical of Amy Goodman & Democracy Now, and feel that she doesn’t represent their views… I’m just using these two as examples of the two sides of this conservation. Obviously VocalNation.net is not about these two. VocalNation.net is set up so you can decide which point of view is correct, and boost its ranking according. I’m hoping that through this process, it will map out where the “middle” actually is, and expose those ideas that represent mainstream america.
Thanks,
Tony
VocalNation.net