We Only Shoot Black People’: Georgia Police Lieutenant Under Investigation After Comment During DUI Stop

I’ve heard and seen a lot of outlandish things in my day, but this “truth” that this officer just told really takes the cake. There are a lot of thoughts that come to mind about this issue but on this one I’ll take the high road and let the article speak for itself. A Cobb County, GA police lieutenant stopped a car and tried to effect the arrest of it’s occupant. The occupant happened to be white. The officer gives instructions for the lady to get out of the car. The lady hesitated and showed her uneasiness with what she’s been seeing on the news regarding people being shot by the police. The cop assured the lady “We only shoot black people”. Read the article below.

According to yahoonews.com

‘We Only Shoot Black People’: Georgia Police Lieutenant Under Investigation After Comment During DUI Stop
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Georgia police have opened an internal investigation after dash-cam footage captured a police officer appearing to say to a nervous driver during a stop, “Remember, we only kill black people.”

The footage, obtained by Channel 2 Action News, shows Lieutenant Greg Abbott of the Cobb County Police Department asking a driver to pick up her cellphone during a DUI stop in July 2016. The incident only came to light this week following an open-records request by the channel.

The female driver said she was hesitant to move her hands because she has “just seen way too many videos of cops…,” suggesting that she may have been afraid of getting shot.

Abbott responded, “But you’re not black. Remember, we only shoot black people. We only kill black people, right? All the videos you’ve seen, have you seen the black people get killed?”

Cobb County Police Chief Mike Register told Channel 2 that Abbott had been put on administrative duties pending the outcome of the investigation. “No matter what context it was said [in], it shouldn’t have been said,” said Register, who was not police chief at the time of the incident.

The attorney for the woman in the case, Suri Chadha Jimenez, said she thought the officer was being sarcastic but added that “it makes you cringe when you hear it” and called the comments “unacceptable.”

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Abbott’s attorney Lance LoRusso said in a statement to Channel 2 that Abbott’s comments “must be observed in their totality to understand their context.”

“He was attempting to de-escalate a situation involving an uncooperative passenger. In context, his comments were clearly aimed at attempting to gain compliance by using the passenger’s own statements and reasoning to avoid making an arrest,” said LoRusso.

In 2016, 963 people were shot and killed by police in the United States, according to a Washington Post database. Of those 465 (48 percent) were white, compared to 233 black people (24 percent). But according to the last U.S. census, white people make up around 62 percent of the population compared to the 13 percent who are African American.

A December 2016 study by Drexel University found that black people are 2.8 times more likely to die in encounters with police than white people and 1.7 times more likely than Hispanics.

In July 2016, a police officer fatally shot Philando Castile, a 32-year-old black man, during a traffic stop in Minnesota. Castile had told the officer, Jeronimo Yanez, that he was carrying a gun and was licensed to do so. Yanez shot Castile, claiming that he was reaching for his gun, but Castile’s girlfriend claimed his was reaching for his ID.

Yanez was found not guilty of second-degree manslaughter in June, sparking protests.

 

COUPLE SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR RACIAL THREATS

Hate is a STRONG word. Why people hate others is probably one of the most baffling issues of all time. There have been people abused, maimed, killed, and even more in the name of hate. Yesterday, hate took center stage in a trial in Georgia and stiff sentences were handed down by the judge. The issue began on July 25, 2015 at an African-American child’s birthday party in a suburban Atlanta community. A group carrying and waving large Confederate flags approached and began to harass and otherwise threaten the group at the party. Hate and alcohol mixed with a gang mentality ignited a firestorm that culminated in jail-time for the culprits. Check out the article that I found on CNN regarding this story:

(CNN)A Georgia couple who rode with a Confederate flag-waving group that made armed threats against African-Americans at a child’s birthday party were sentenced to prison Monday.
Jose “Joe” Torres, was sentenced to 20 years, with 13 years in prison, after a jury convicted him on three counts of aggravated assault, one count of making terroristic threats and one count of violating of Georgia’s Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.
Kayla Norton was sentenced to 15 years, with six years in prison. She was convicted on one count of making terroristic threats and one count of violation of the Street Gang Act.
“Many people tried to make the case about simply flying the Confederate Battle Flag,” Douglas County District Attorney Brian Fortner said in a statement. “This case was about a group of people riding around our community, drinking alcohol, harassing and intimidating our citizens because of the color of their skin.”
On July 25, 2015, Torres and Norton, joined about a dozen other people in a convoy of pickup trucks waving large Confederate flags as they drove around Douglas County, a suburban Atlanta community. Most of them belonged to a group called “Respect the Flag.”
“The convoy of trucks passed by the victim’s residence where the victims were grilling hot dogs and hamburgers while hosting a child’s birthday party featuring a bouncy castle, snow-cone machines, and a DJ,” the district attorney’s office posted on its official Facebook page.
The party-goers said the people in the trucks yelled racial slurs as they passed, the statement said.
The drivers parked the trucks near the house, prosecutors said. Torres was part of a smaller group that “threatened to kill the party goers while repeatedly using derogatory racial slurs against them,” said the statement.
“Torres, who had retrieved a shotgun from his vehicle, pointed his shotgun at the group of African American party-goers and stated he was going to kill them while his co-defendants stated that ‘the little ones can get one too,’ referring to the young children at the party,” the statement said.
Norton was accused of making similar threats. The victims said some member of Torres’ group was armed with a knife and a tire tool.
According to the district attorney’s statement, Torres testified he carried the shotgun because he feared for his friends’ safety. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported members of “Respect the Flag” said people at the party had thrown objects at them.
CNN has tried to reach the two defendants’ lawyers for comment.
After the arrests, investigators looked through the defendants’ Facebook accounts, the statement said.
“Law enforcement was able to locate numerous posts and messages indicating that members of the group were white supremacists who discussed attending KKK rallies, joining Skinheads Nation, and making numerous derogatory remarks about African Americans as a whole,” the DA’s statement said.
Video of Monday’s sentencing shot by WSB-TV, a CNN affiliate, showed both Torres and Norton breaking down in court as Judge William McClain handed down the sentence.
Norton apologized for her role in the incident saying, “I want you all to know that is not me. That is not me, that is not him. I would never walk up to you and say those words to you. I’m so sorry that happened to you. I am so sorry.”
Hyesha Bryant, one of the people at the party, testified at the hearing and told Norton, “What you said affected my life. It affected my children’s lives.”
But Bryant ended up telling Norton that “I forgive you, I forgive all of you.”
‘They have to learn to forgive themselves’
Melissa Alford, who hosted the birthday party, told HLN’s Ashleigh Banfield on Tuesday that she still feels emotional about what happened in 2015, but justice was served.
“I think Judge Beau McClain did what he had to do” at the sentencing, she said. “I know justice was served.”
Like Bryant, Alford was concerned about the lasting impact the day had on the children at the party, but she also has forgiven the defendants.
“Yes, I did forgive them. They have to learn to forgive themselves for their wrongdoing,” Alford said.
For her, offering forgiveness was more about finding peace. “I’m not going around hating anyone.”
She also shared with Banfield that the children who were at the party are still confused.
One of her grandchildren is white, she added. “How am I supposed to explain the difference between white and black when she doesn’t see that. How are the other kids supposed to explain?”
Banished
A jury convicted Torres and Norton on February 6. They are both banished from Douglas County when they’re released from prison.
Fifteen members of the Respect the Flag group were originally indicted. The disposition of all their cases is unknown, but the district attorney said some of them pleaded guilty to similar charges and received shorter sentences.

MAILMAN CUFFED IN BROKLYN, NY * CAUGHT ON VIDEO *

Glen Grays, a 27-year-old community-oriented African-American mail carrier is in the news as of late for an incident that occurred just last week on St. Patrick’s day.  According to reports, the incident went down this way:  On the afternoon in question, Grays was backing down off the steps of his mail truck (he is a postal worker) when he noticed a vehicle making a sharp right turn onto the street he was parked on, President St.  Grays immediately climbed back up the steps to avoid getting sideswiped and he yelled at the driver.  The driver in question was in a black car that happened to hold five plainclothes police officers.  In an interview, Gray indicated that the black car came tearing back his way in reverse and the driver said to him “I have the right of way because I’m law enforcement.”

By the time Grays had arrived at 999 President St., the four officers were approaching him.  An innocent bystander began taping the incident at this point and the video can be seen below:  **** WARNING**** VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE****

In the video, Grays is shown being handcuffed and taken to the unmarked police vehicle.  People can be heard in the background questioning why this incident is occurring.  The five plain clothed white officers can be heard telling Grays to stop resisting arrest.  The video does not show that Gray was resisting.

In a later interview, Glen Grays indicates that he was placed cuffed in the back seat of the unmarked car without a seatbelt.  His mail truck was left unattended.  He also indicated that the driver of the police vehicle turned around to taunt him and hit a vehicle in front of them.  At this point, Grays indicated that this caused him to bang his shoulder against the front seat of the police vehicle.  Grays was taken to the police department and issued a summons for disorderly conduct and then released.

The above video was released by a former police officer, Eric L. Adams (now the Brooklyn borough president).  Adams indicated that he was outraged over “the ostensible violations of the civil rights of yet another young black man, this one an employee of the federal government.”  During a recent press conference Adams said: “It is not a crime for someone to voice outrage after almost being struck by a vehicle … It is not a crime to state that you’re angry at someone who almost hit you. That is not a crime,” Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams stressed.  Here’s how federal law reads: “when any person interferes with the delivery of the US mail.Title 18, USC, Section 1701. Section 1701. Obstruction of mails generally, whoever knowingly and willfully obstructs or retards the passage of the mail, or any carrier or conveyance carrying the mail, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both”.  There is nothing in the code that states that cops are exempt from the law. I guess we will see if charges are filed by federal officials

Grays is the oldest of six males in his family. His mother, Sonya Sapp, recently spoke only to say, “I worry about them every day, every minute, every second of every day,” before fading off with, “I’m short on words; I’m just hurt.”

The Police Department has indicated that this incident is “under internal review.” Mayor Bill de Blasio’s deputy press secretary, Monica Klein, added that the mayor would be “in close touch with  Police Commissioner William J. Bratton over this incident’s investigations and findings.”

Mr. Grays’s fiancée is a New York City police officer he met while delivering the mail.  No word yet on her feelings about this incident.

 

 

POLICE BRUTALITY AGAIN… ***WARNING VIDEO CONTAINS FOUL LANGUAGE***

I typically don’t post videos with foul language on this site but… this is one of those instances that I want to show the raw, bitter, real truth as to what happens to individuals, typically black men still here in America.  The police are sure to say that there is something that we don’t see on the video.  Surely you can see from what the man is saying even before the main confrontation… he is minding his own business.  Is that a crime?  “This is what we have to go through in Cincinnati, harassment”  29-year-old Charles Harrell said. “You can’t be a black man and enjoy your morning, because the police are going to harass you in Cincinnati, Ohio.”  Filming his trip, Harrell recorded his interaction with police officer Baron Osterman, who can be seen trailing behind Harrell on a bicycle. Sharing that the police officer asked if he “had a problem,” Harrell noted that this was a normal occurrence in his hometown.

This is senseless and I am so happy that cellphone cameras are now available so that we can see firsthand the injustice that is done in this country.  This really makes me angry and I think that something needs to be done with the overzealous cops.  I’m not going to let this ruin my day but this makes no sense whatsoever!

 

MAYA ANGELOU: PHENOMENAL WOMAN

Today is February 1st 2016 and it marks the beginning of Black History Month.

As one of the most diverse countries on earth, America continues to celebrate the history of Black Americans during the month of February.  Despite our storied past, and great strides towards inclusion, there are still many barriers that separate us.  What initially started as a week in 1926, this celebration was officially recognized as a month-long event by the government in 1976.  Some consider Black History Month as an antiquated event yet they fail to realize that  this is a time not only for Black Americans but a time for all to celebrate the rich backgrounds of all.  Today, I’m honoring an individual who certainly embraced all during her time on this planet.  That individual is Maya Angelou who was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis MO and died on May 28, 2014 in Winston Salem NC.  Maya Angelou was definitely a

Phenomenal Woman

By Maya Angelou 1928–2014 Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I’m telling lies.

I say,

It’s in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,

It’s the fire in my eyes,

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can’t touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,

They say they still can’t see.

I say,

It’s in the arch of my back,

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Now you understand

Just why my head’s not bowed.

I don’t shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing,

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It’s in the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair,

the palm of my hand,

The need for my care.

’Cause I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

MEMORABLE MLK, JR QUOTES

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a leader who, like Mahatma Gandhi before him, and Nelson Mandela after him, showed us the way from weakness and division to strength in unity.

He challenged and inspired us to reach deeper within ourselves, despite ourselves, for our best, which sometimes is, simply, better than yesterday. His power endures because it’s rooted in the courage to hold hope and faith in each others potential: “knowing” we can do it… we can be better every day, each in our own way.

On this, the U.S. holiday celebrating his life and legacy, I present you with ten of his extraordinary thoughts on leadership:
•”A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”

•”I am not interested in power for power’s sake, but I’m interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.”

•”All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.”

•”Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

•”The time is always right to do the right thing.”

•”We must use time creatively.”

•”Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

•”The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.”

•”Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.”

•”The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy”

THE DRUM MAJOR’S DAUGHTER: BERNICE KING

This is a video where Martin Luther King Jr.’s youngest child reflects on tragedy, fear and hope as she sits in the CNN Red Chair.   This video was originally published on youtube.com on August 23, 2013.

THE CASE OF RAVEN-SYMONE

“Raven is a really Beautiful, Sweethearted, Human Being. I should know. Her Mother and I Love her Very much and will always support her and have her back. Even if sometimes………. she says some dumb S#%T!”

The above comment comes from the father of the attention-seeking Raven Symone. Raven’s latest comment about not hiring people with “ghetto-sounding” names has sparked a firestorm of controversy and there are many who are calling for her firing.

She shocked her fellow co-hosts on this past Thursday’s episode of ABC’s THE VIEW when she stated that she would never put anyone on the payroll with a “ghetto” name.

”I’m not about to hire you if your name is Watermelondrea. It’s just not going to happen.”

Truthfully, it shouldn’t matter if a person’s name is Friedchickenata (since she wants to go there).  No child comes into this world with the ability to name themselves.  Discriminating against another person for any reason, is a form of bullying.

By the way, Raven(who was apparently named after a black bird) has a domestic partner whose name is Az Marie(does that sound ghetto?).  Pardon me if that offends Ms. Az…………………

I guess when one is going through an identity crisis, such as the one that Raven (the black bird) is going through, one can expect that person to say or do anything.

On Sunday she posted what some are calling an apology.  Here it is:

“I’d like to begin by saying that I was not attacking a specific race, but repeating a name that was said in a viral video which has received over 2 million likes,  “My comment was in poor taste. My lack of empathy towards name discrimination was uncalled for….As an equal opportunity employer, I have never discriminated against a name….even though I said I would, it’s not true. I have been denied many jobs because of my skin color, body size, and age. Each time I was rejected, my self-esteem was negatively affected, so I empathize with those who feel victimized by what I said. We would hope that when it comes to hiring, our names, physical appearance, sexual orientation, and age would never outweigh our qualifications, but often times, they do, that’s the truth and it sucks. But I should not be part of the problem, I should be part of the solution.”

Was all of this gibberish that she wrote because of the public backlash she received after her initial comment.  It must have been or she wouldn’t have made the asinine comment in the first place.  Since this is not the first comment that Raven made to distance herself from people of color, someone decided to try to assist her in moving further along.

Loyal reader A. Renae sent me this letter that is circulating on Facebook.  You’ve got to tell me what you think about it.

Dear white people,

As a 35 year old standing member of the Unbothered
Blacks of America Club, I hereby declare, with a unanimous vote from all other
Blacks of substance, that you guys are free to have raven-symoné.

Initially,
we were pleased to have raven be a part of our community. From the precocious
kid we all grew to love on the Cosby show to the self made multi millionaire who
managed to build an entire empire off of being comedic (but goofy), we felt that
we truly had a gem amongst us.

But as time progressed, we began to notice
attitudinal changes and inconsistencies that do not align with the standards set
forth within our community. From asserting that there are several continents in
Africa to now openly admitting that she wouldn’t hire some one with a “ghetto”
name (when her own name is hyphenated, has an “alternate” spelling, and makes
use of an unnecessary accent…all of which could also be deemed “ghetto”),
we’ve absolutely hopped off our last leg of hope with this young lady, and
again, wish to pass her straight on over to you…effective immediately. Since
you guys are far more consistent with inconsistency and discrimination, we feel
that our offer is substantial but do not need to be thanked for it.

We at
UBAC thank you for taking our offer into consideration. Please respond with
proper mailing details for package receipt and sign the enclosed documents,
which offers detailed biographical information on raven-symoné, a letter of
recommendation via stacy dash (a former member of UBAC that we provided you with
several months ago), and detailed information regarding our “absolutely no
fucking returns” policy, all of which are standard with each offer
sent.

Again, no need to thank us for our generous offer. Typical senses of
entitlement lead us to believe we wouldn’t get one anyway.

You’re
welcome,

Unbothered Blacks of America Club

PS: you may find it extremely
beneficial to offer raven-symoné a few lessons on discrimination within the gay
and lesbian community, as her delusions of grandeur may have helped her to
forget.

CAR THIEF WANTS TO KNOW…”WHERE YA AT”?

According to ABC,” the suspected car thief was being chased by multiple police vehicles in the downtown area when she inexplicably stopped her car, got out, and danced in the street to Future’s “Where Ya At.”

The woman was being pursued by cops for weaving through traffic and running red lights, even blowing a tire as she ran over a spike strip–but it wasn’t until a few moments after her dance break that cops were able to swarm her car and take her into custody.”

Sometimes a few words tell a lot.  Such is the case here.  I just wonder… if this woman had been of a different race and gender, would the end result be the same?  Or would we be talking about a funeral today???  You tell me what you think.

SHAUN KING – THE NEW RACHAEL DOLEZAL?

Do you remember the name Rachael Dolezal? She is the woman who was president of the Seattle, Washington NAACP. She garnered national attention when her biological parents told the world that she was white and not black as she had been pretending.

Let us fast forward to recent news and Shaun King. King has been a very noticeable face of the Black Lives Matter development since the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO. King has been accused of not being black as he has claimed. After this information made the news, CNN’s Don Lemon reported that a “family member” had given information that King’s parents are both white. Is this déjà vu?                                     Shaun King as a baby (on the right)

The report mentioned a birth certificate obtained from the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics that lists King’s father as Jeffery Wayne King, who is also white. King has fired back at these accusations by saying that he is in fact biracial. He has also defended his Oprah Scholarship to attend Morehouse College, a historically black school. He indicates that he did not lie about his race to obtain the scholarship.

Shaun King as a sophomore in high school

 

King recently addressed this entire situation by issuing the following statement:

I refuse to speak in detail about the nature of my mother’s past, or her sexual partners, and I am gravely embarrassed to even be saying this now, but I have been told for most of my life that the white man on my birth certificate is not my biological father and that my actual biological father is a light-skinned black man. My mother and I have discussed her affair. She was a young woman in a bad relationship and I have no judgment. This has been my lived reality for nearly 30 of my 35 years on earth. I am not ashamed of it, or of who I am—never that—but I was advised by my pastor nearly 20 years ago that this was not a mess of my doing and it was not my responsibility to fix it. All of my siblings and I have different parents. I’m actually not even sure how many siblings I have.

What do you think about this interesting story?  Why does race matter so much?  Is race the issue here?  When will all of this madness stop?                                          

                                           Shaun King’s wife and kids