TO SERVE AND PROTECT...

Today, in my daily walk around the neighborhood, a police cruiser past by me and about 100 feet in front of me... he pulled the car to the side... and I notice he came out of the car... in the middle of the road and began patting a dog... I caught up with him and he took the dog into the cruiser and asked me the name of the road... I responded, "Laurel leaf"... and added... "I guess you found a dog...eh"

He indeed did... the dog had strayed... he called his headquarter for instruction... and I walked away...

I was happy that the policeman was caring and protecting the dog... I hope they will be able to find the owner too...

To serve and protect makes sense... if the police are serving and protecting all...

On the weekend... a football team came to the field and some of the black players had their hands up... in solidarity with Ferguson demonstrators...

It created controversy...

The players with their hands up... "Hands up... don't shoot..."

Two responses...

Black police officers agreed... see below...

"We think that their actions were commendable and that they should not be ridiculed, disciplined or punished for taking a stand on this very important issue which is of great concern around the world and especially in the community where these players work," the Ethical Society of Police of St. Louis said in a statement this week.

The white police officers did not agree... see below...

Earlier this week the St. Louis Police Officers Association said it was "tasteless, offensive and inflammatory" when five Rams players who walked into the field Sunday displaying the "hands up, don't shoot" gesture adopted by protesters.

But I think the players have the right to express their feelings freely and if they want they should be FREE to express their solidarity with the community...
FREE SPEECH IS FOR ALL... white, black, brown, Asian... Caucasian and ALL... and the police cannot dictate how people will respond and how they will express their feelings...
After all, they are to "serve and protect" and not dictate their whims on how to behave... !

After Ferguson shooting... the chock-hold controversy...

Officers arresting an African American... he was selling illegal cigarettes and local shop owners had protested and called the police... But you'll be the judge... if what the photos convey is excessive force or not...
The black person says... eleven times... "I can't breath... I can't breath..." and dies in the hospital right after the arrest..

The officers tackling the cigarette paddler... and the protesters...

Indeed it is enough... Police are called to duty "to serve and protect" ALL... and After Ferguson comes New York and the chock-hold... also a shooting of a 12-year-old for playing with a toy gun... I love police when they "serve and protect"... today on my walk I saw that... The officers patted the strayed dog... took it into his car... and attempted to find the owner...

Demonstrators doing a dead lying down... in new York... People are fed up with brutality and violence... from the police... from the Big brothers...

When police serve and protect... the community will respect and love them... but when they use excessive force, brutalize the youth and shoot without any reason... communities will be distressed...
Something has to change... and police have to be kinder and gentler... and serve and protect ALL... not just Big Brothers... not just a sector of the community and property...
I hope they do...

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I responded to Ferguson and the shooting of a Black African American by the police often... in previous blogs... A friend... a former student of mine... wrote me and email few days ago... and I am publishing it as it is in its entirety...
I have made my sentiments and arguments quite clear... So now it is his turn...
I believe in honesty and FREE SPEECH... also I respect my friend and will give him all the space necessary...
I will not be selective... and if anyone else responds... I will publish them too... even if they swear...
Read the thoughts and arguments of my friend below...

Dear Sir,
[.....................the first part is personal and refers to other things........]
Secondly, I was debating emailing you about the whole Ferguson ordeal when it first happened but decided against it to avoid offending anybody at such a delicate time but what is happening now is just ridiculous. What happened was a tragedy, but we never knew the real story until just this week, when they finally started releasing evidence. Michael Brown and his friends were illegally walking in the middle of the street for no good reason and refused to walk on the sidewalk when asked politely by Darren Wilson. It just so happened that Michael Brown was also the suspect of a nearby robbery and so Darren Wilson pursued him. Michael Brown fled than turned back and started running at that police officer and survived a multiple shots before Darren Wilson finally fired the fatal shot that killed him. The use of lethal force is something really stupid for me and I will never understand it, especially when the suspect isn't holding a firearm. A taser would have been a much better option with a resisting suspect but even with his Michael Brown's size, it may not have had much effect. Again, his death is a tragedy and it could have easily been avoiding but the fact is that he was a violent criminal who posed a threat to the police officer.

Now what really enrages me is that all black people think that this was racially charged and this is just absolutely stupid. Had any white person robbed a convenience store and then attacked a police officer, he would have been shot just the same. To further enrage me, all of the protests claim to be against racism yet the stupid organizers write the following towards white people: 'refrain from taking up space in all ways possible', 'never be at the centre of anything', 'refrain from speaking to the media' and 'stand behind black folks or between us and the police'. How somebody could be so stupid and get away with it baffles me. If a white person said the same thing about black people, that person's family would get harassed and threatened, on top being sued by millions of people claiming to have been racially abused. Rather than the protests being anti-racism, they're all being pro-segregation without any remorse or punishment or for their actions. What's more, people who are supposed to be role models like LeBron James and the notoriously racist Serena Williams are encouraging them. These people need to use their brains and realize that they're only harming their cause with such immaturity.

This is all similar to the Trayvon Martin case and so I don't get why it gets magnified just because a white cop shot a black teenager. The opposite happens too yet nobody has ever heard a single word about it. How about the 5000 white people killed in South Africa every year by blacks? How about the thousands of lawsuits involving so called racism towards blacks by white people? Why is that most blacks are now offended by the use of the term of black instead of African American? Why doesn't somebody find the statistics behind racism lawsuits between whites and blacks and see just how ridiculous the difference is? I have never once heard of a white person alleging racism against a black person, let alone winning a case.

In a time of world unrest when we should be joining together, these people are further dividing the world and playing into the racist stereotypes that they are "fighting" against.

I hope that you don't find what I wrote offensive but I felt that I had to get it off my chest to somebody objective and open minded.

Thanks and hope to hear from you soon,

F.S.

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#CrimingWhileWhite, #ICantBreathe dominate Twitter talk in Eric Garner case

The anecdotes listed on #CrimingWhileWhite and #CantBreathe are backed by evidence that suggests racial disparities in American law enforcement are very real. Visit these sites and read the listed comments…

Studies show that for an identical crime, black teenagers are more likely to be arrested or jailed than white teenagers.

Studies by American Civil liberties Union…and a Princeton University Study show identical results and widespread discrimination in applying the law…

Police should care for all…

Police should serve and protect all…

That is their duty…

It may be scary sometimes… the offenders maybe violent at times… but that risk comes with the job…

When I was teaching, I was not allowed to hit a student despite all the verbal abuse dumped on me… I have told student at various times… that if they do not mature fast enough and if they repeat their depressingly funny behaviour outside… on the street, they may be beaten up by intolerant people… the school protects them, but not the street… and if they behave in a funny way… people will respond in kind…

If teachers are ask to tolerate the abuse and find alternative ways to deal with student outburst and abuse… why not the police too…!

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PEACE ON EARTH