In both the cases of the police officer who shot unarmed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the one who strangled Eric Garner to death in Staten Island, New York, grand juries and prosecutors bent over backward to consider evidence that they might be guilty. What if the system treated blacks suspected of killing white cops with the same deference?
The System Works
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
17 Comments. Leave new
Speaking of prosecutors:
http://www.creators.com/editorialcartoons/chip-bok.html
😀
Today I noticed that the link I provided above triggers the *current* editorial cartoon. http://www.creators.com/editorialcartoons/chip-bok/30851.html is the one I intended. If this doesn’t work, click on *Previous* until you get to:
30851.html
Thanks for the link to that cartoon, mein verehrter Lehrer – it may not say it all, but it comes pretty damn close !…
Henri
«Innocent until proven guilty» ? But how is the issue to be proven, if those responsible for the death of another person are not even subjected to a trial of their peers – and, hopefully, the peers of the dead, as well ? Is what we see the result of a fundamental mistrust on the part of the powerful in trial-by-jury as an instrument to determine guilt or innocence, when the minions who serve their repressive apparatus are involved ?…
Henri
PS : Note this article from the New York Times, not least the date : 24 November 1993….
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose….
Thanks for the source. Two things worthy of mention from that article:
1) “Five officers were charged, but the charges against four were dropped and the fifth was acquitted.”
2) “Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly characterized the ban not as a new policy but as clarification of a 1985 order.”
So we’re actually discussion a 30-year-old ban! 🙁
discussion = discussing
I’m not certain that that old adage to the effect that a country gets the government it deserves is true – after all, we all know that interests of different sectors of society within a single country tend to diverge greatly, which complicates the issue of who deserves what. But if people in general are unable and/or unwilling to see a burgeoning police state when it stares them in the face – even before the tear gas and the pepper spray, which inhibit vision are applied – then one can, indeed, begin to wonder as to the degree of responsibility for developments they themselves bear….
Henri
Another good reason for my having moved to Mexico. The drug cartels don’t scare me half so much as the thugs wearing badges (and guns) in the U.S. 🙁
From what I’ve been given to understand, mein verehrter Lehrer, in (large parts of) Mexico, it’s hard to distinguish between the drug cartels and «the thugs wearing badges (and guns)». But I hope that you and Frau Lehrer have found a safe spot in which to enjoy your otium….
Henri
Oh, yes! When we arrived (in 2006) we rented a house on the North Shore of Lake Chapala – where most gringos settle. We moved to the South Shore four years ago. There have been several robberies, burglaries, and murders of North Americans over on the other side.
People here in Tizapán know us (at least by sight) and the local newspaper did a story about us a while back. We were told by acquaintances that the people are watching out for us to make certain that we aren’t victimized. The local cops always wave and greet us when they drive past us when we’re walking the dog.
Since we spend most of our time at home, we feel absolutely no discomfort. (And a neighbor has invited us over for lunch today, at 1:30 pm.)
😀
I hope and trust that both the food and the company will be good !… 🙂
Henri
The company for sure!
He is a music teacher and is bilingual. She knows a bit of English and when needing a translation relies upon him.
I’ll let you know later about the food! 🙂
So – how was the food ?… 🙂
Henri
@ mhenriday –
This morning I remembered that I had promised to let you know, but I couldn’t find which thread it was on!!!
.
Carlos & Lucilia have two children, a girl 13-years of age and a boy about 11, so the table was set for five.
.
I couldn’t believe the amount of food they had prepared! She had a Mexican-variety meatloaf (for lack of a better word) that was delicious. There were many various vegetables, some peppers and other consumable garnish, toasted bread, and for dessert an apple pie (my wife’s recipe).
.
Carlos said that he would critique the pies that my wife had served when they visited compared to the pie his wife made. I could tell where this was going from the tone of his voice, so I asked him not to go there. He went there anyhow!
.
My wife explained to him that she had been cooking this recipe for over 40 years, and that her mother and grandmother had passed down the recipe to her. She told him that he could judge how good his wife’s pie will be after 40 years!
.
Anyhow, after an hour-and-a-half we took our leave, fully stuffed and happy after a great meal and a bottle of Chilean red wine!
.
😀
Tausend Dank, mein geschätzter Lehrer ! Nice to receive some pleasant news, for a change !… 🙂
Henri
@ mhenriday –
Re-reading my post this morning, it occurred to me that the table actually was set for SIX — but the boy took his plate to his bedroom. That’s kids for ya! 😀