Zdzisaw Beksiski
Sunday, March 25, 2012
In Edmonton anti-racist demonstrators send white pride packing
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In Edmonton, anti-racist demonstrators send white-pride rally packing
EDMONTON— The Canadian Press
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/in-edmonton-anti-racist-demonstrators-send-white-pride-rally-packing/article2380422/
Published A white pride rally in Edmonton's downtown lasted only minutes when the demonstrators fled into a subway stairwell after they were greeted by over 100 anti-racist counter-protesters.
Police then blocked subway platform entrances until the roughly two dozen white-pride demonstrators, most of them masked, were able to leave on a train.Police spokesman Scott Pattison said at one point as the racist group was nearing the site near Edmonton City Hall, both sides clashed briefly, but police separated them quickly.
“I believe there was some pushing and shoving but it was only momentary,” Mr. Pattison said, noting there were no injuries or arrests.
As the groups neared City Hall, police kept the anti-racists from crossing the street and getting close to the white-pride rally, but both sides shouted insults at each other until the white pride group left.
Anti-racist demonstrators ran from entrance to entrance of the subway in an effort to follow the rally, and expressed their frustration at police who were blocking the doors.
“I think it's a shame that our tax dollars are being used to coddle and protect racist hate groups in our city,” said one anti-racist demonstrator with a megaphone.
“Shame on police for coddling extremists. They should be ashamed of themselves,” he added.
A similar white-pride group gathered Saturday afternoon for a rally at London City Hall, where it was also met by a large group of anti-racists. Police said in a news release that there was “an altercation” between the two groups but that both sides dispersed when police arrived.
London police say there was minor damage to a parking arm, but there were no further incidents.
Springtime white-pride rallies in Alberta have been held in Calgary in previous years, but organizers moved it to Edmonton this year. The Edmonton rally was promoted on several racist websites, but those sites didn't say exactly where it would be.
Anti-racists staged their own rally earlier in the day, and then marched downtown when they heard it was where the pro-white demonstrators were gathering.
Mr. Pattison defended the decision by Edmonton police to keep both sides apart.
“I think the whole intent today, from EPS's standpoint, was to preserve the rights and freedoms of both groups and I think they successfully did that. And to maintain peace and order,” he said.
Tory treasurer's cash-for-access boast unacceptable, says David Cameron
Ed Miliband demands inquiry as PM urges progress on political funding reform and says Peter Cruddas was right to resign
- Daniel Boffey, policy editor, and Haroon Siddique
- guardian.co.uk, Sunday 25 March 2012 17.08 BST
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/mar/25/tory-cash-access-party-funding
David Cameron described cash-for-access by Peter Cruddas as 'completely unacceptable' Link to this video
David Cameron has described revelations that the Tory party co-treasurer Peter Cruddas offered access to the prime minister and chancellor for up to £250,000 as "completely unacceptable" and said it was not the way the Conservatives raised money, as he faced demands for an independent inquiry.
Cruddas resigned after footage emerged of him apparently making the offer to undercover reporters. Cameron moved quickly to try to minimise damage, instructing the Cabinet Office minister, Francis Maude, and the Conservative party co-chairman Andrew Feldman to urgently progress talks on political funding, according to the influential ConservativeHome website.
Cameron said: "What happened was completely unacceptable. This is not the way that we raise money in the Conservative party, it shouldn't have happened. It's quite right that Peter Cruddas resigned. I'll make sure there is a proper party inquiry to make sure this can't happen again."
But the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, said the announcement of an internal inquiry did not to far enough, calling for "a full independent investigation to reassure the British public". He said the investigation should cover "what happened, who knew what happened and what contributions were made".
In a letter to the prime minister, the shadow minister Michael Dugher demanded that the prime minister disclose which Tory donors had visited Downing Street, Chequers or Dorneywood since May 2010 and what policy representations they had made, particularly on the top rate of income tax, which was cut in Wednesday's budget.
Confronted with the allegations, the Conservatives were at pains to stress that large political donations were not their sole preserve, as a number of senior Tory figures referenced Labour's support from the unions and the Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone's infamous £1m donation to Tony Blair in 1997
The deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, is charged with reforming the party funding system, and the chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said Cruddas's actions strengthened the case for change.
Describing Cruddas's behaviour as "utterly disgraceful", Alexander told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show: "What these headlines show today is the absolute necessity of having reforms to our party funding system to deal with this sort of taint that big donors might be able to influence … policy."
However, Alexander rejected the idea that "big money" influenced government, saying: "There's no prospect of donors influencing government policy but we need to make sure the system does not allow the perception to arise either."
The Tory peer Lord Fink is to replace Cruddas as the party's principal treasurer, it was announced on Sunday. Fink, a hedge fund millionaire, previously held the role until earlier this month, when it was taken over by Cruddas.
In his resignation statement on Saturday night, Cruddas, the senior Conservative official responsible for collecting donations for the party, said he deeply regretted the repercussions of his "bluster" during the recorded conversations.
He said: "Clearly there is no question of donors being able to influence policy or gain undue access to politicians. Specifically, it was categorically not the case that I could offer, or that David Cameron would consider, any access as a result of a donation. Similarly, I have never knowingly even met anyone from the No 10 policy unit.
"But in order to make that clear beyond doubt, I have regrettably decided to resign with immediate effect."
Cruddas, founder of the online trading company Currency Management Consultants, is heard in the recording discussing how much access different-sized donations would get, during an undercover operation run by the Sunday Times.
He is heard to say: "Two hundred grand to 250 is premier league … what you would get is, when we talk about your donations the first thing we want to do is get you at the Cameron/Osborne dinners.
"You do really pick up a lot of information and when you see the prime minister, you're seeing David Cameron, not the prime minister. But within that room everything is confidential – you can ask him practically any question you want.
"If you're unhappy about something, we will listen to you and put it into the policy committee at No 10 – we feed all feedback to the policy committee."
The Sunday Times claims the offer was made even though Cruddas knew the money would come from a fund in Liechtenstein that was not eligible to make donations under electoral law. Options said to have been discussed included creating a British subsidiary or using UK employees as conduits. The overseas clients were, in fact, reporters posing as wealth fund executives who had made clear they wished to develop contacts with the prime minister and other senior ministers to further their business.
The Conservative party deputy chairman, Michael Fallon, told Sky News the donation "would certainly not have got through our normal compliance checks". He said Cruddas had "over-boasted about what you could do with a particular donation".
The disclosures appear to contradict previous claims by the Conservatives that their high-value donor groups, such as the "leader's group", are for genuine supporters who do not seek to influence policy in return for their cash.
They also raise questions about the role of the prime minister. Months before taking office, Cameron warned that this type of "secret corporate lobbying" was the "next big scandal waiting to happen".
Yet the Sunday Times claims the meetings, at which Cruddas claimed "premier league" donors could lobby the prime minister directly, have not been declared to the public.
Glad I have been able to carry on and make the best of my life
Zdzisaw Beksiski
Very quickly, once I was diagnosed, I had inkling that there would be no room for feeling any shame.
That did not stop me wasting my valuable time, shame; it’s always hindsight that allows useful intelligence to be gained.
Foresight would be better, but sadly, this can’t be possibie in a totally new circumstance, such as being told, that I had Multiple Sclerosis in 2006.
Now I can see that I could not have done anything differently, how could I, when I hadn’t any idea of what would happen next to me.
At the time all I felt was scared, petrified about what nasty developments might occur next.
What really worried me was discovering that no one knew, not even the neurologists the ‘’experts’’ knew.
No wonder there was so much fear, and no knowledge or any useful information to help me carry on with my life.
Glad I have been able to carry on and make the best of my life.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
It’s time to search our soul, Obama tells US after shooting of black teen
The Independent
It’s time to search our soul, Obama tells US after shooting of black teen
Protests sweep America as President calls for inquiry into Florida killing of unarmed youth
Los Angeles
The President, who previously described Trayvon's death as a "local issue," said yesterday that he empathised with the parents of the boy, who was shot last month by a neighbourhood vigilante in suburban Florida.
"When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids," he told reporters at the White House yesterday morning. "If I had a son he'd look like Trayvon. They are right to expect that all of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves and that we're going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened."
Mr Obama's decision to speak out about Trayvon's killing, in such personal terms, represents a calculated gamble. Although the case has sparked international outrage, it also risks widening racial divides in an election year.
Trayvon, who was 17 and had no criminal record, was shot on 26 March as he walked from a convenience store to the home of his father's girlfriend, in a gated community in the commuter town of Sanford, just outside Orlando.
Police failed to even arrest his killer, a local vigilante called George Zimmerman, apparently accepting at face value that he had acted in self-defence, and claiming that a "stand your ground" law enacted in Florida at the behest of the gun lobby would prevent his successful prosecution.
In the aftermath of the killing, it has emerged that they discounted the evidence of several witnesses, and misleadingly told the media that Mr Zimmerman, 28, was a "squeaky clean" individual with no criminal record.
It subsequently emerged that he had a previous arrest for battery and had been accused of domestic violence. In the past year, he had called emergency services almost 50 times to complain about "suspicious persons" in his neighbourhood. The majority of them turned out to be black.
During his 911 call on the night of Trayvon's death, he appeared to use a racial slur to describe his eventual victim as a "f***ing coon". And he was never asked why he had been forced to use a 9mm pistol to ward off a child who weighed at least 100lbs less than him.
Sanford's chief of police has resigned, pending a review of his department, which has faced widespread accusations of racial bias in this and several other cases. Mr Zimmerman, who was described by police as a "white male" but claims to be Hispanic, is now in hiding.
In his remarks, Mr Obama suggested that Trayvon's death ought to prompt states such as Florida to reconsider "stand your ground" laws, which have led to scores of murder cases being abandoned.
"I think every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative to investigate every aspect of this and that everybody pulls together – federal, state and local – to figure out exactly how this tragedy happened," he said. "I think all of us have to do some soul searching... And that means we examine the laws, the context for what happened, as well as the specifics of the incident."
French in uproar over oral sex anti-smoking posters
The Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-in-uproar-over-oral-sex-antismoking-posters-1908559.html
Paris
Rumours have been circulating this week about the release of a sex tape involving Tulisa Contostavlo.
A campaign to discourage young people from smoking shows male and female teenagers kneeling in front of a man, as if being forced to have oral sex. A cigarette takes the place of the man's sexual organ. The caption reads: "Smoking is to be a slave to tobacco."
The campaign, which was devised for a pressure group supporting the rights of non-smokers, has been attacked as "scandalous" and "potentially counter-productive" by feminist and pro-family campaigners.
The advertising agency behind the posters says only a shock campaign can halt the rise in smoking amongst 13 to 15-year-olds in France.
Marco de la Fuente, the leader of the project for the BDDP et Fils ad agency, said: "The old arguments – tobacco is bad for you – don't work any more. The message here is that tobacco is a form of submission. In the popular imagination, oral sex is the perfect symbol of submission."
Gérard Audureau, the president of Les Droits des Non-fumeurs (The Rights of Non-smokers), the pressure group which commissioned the ads, said health arguments did not reach teenagers. "Young people think that they are invincible, immortal," he said. "Fear of sexual exploitation worries them more than illness."
Opposition to the ads – to be shown in bars, clubs and newspapers – has been widespread. Florence Montreynaud, of the feminist pressure group Chiennes de Garde (Guard Bitches), said that it was "inadmissible" that an image implying underage sex should be exploited, even in a good cause.
Christiane Terry, of the conservative group Familles de France, said she will lodge a complaint with the French advertising standards watchdog. "Mixing up tobacco dependence and sex is ridiculous and scandalous," she said.
Surveys suggest smoking is, overall, in decline in France but becoming more common among teenagers. The number of French 13 to 15-year-olds who smoke is estimated to have increased by 66 per cent between 2004 and 2008. Almost one in five French 16 to 20-year-olds now smokes, compared to one in 10 a decade ago. However, in the population as a whole 55 billion cigarettes were smoked in 2009, down from 97 billion cigarettes in 1991.
Last year, however, there was a slight increase – 2.6 per cent – in overall smoking as the effect of the 2008 ban on smoking in bars, cafes and restaurants began to wear off.
The non-smokers' rights group says it does not care if adults are shocked by its posters. Mr Audureau said: "Very few anti-smoking campaigns catch the attention of the young. You have to use extreme images to make them take notice."
Read "Ten Adverts That Shocked The World"
Obama: Trayvon Martin death a tragedy that must be fully investigated
President urges authorities to look into 'every aspect' of teen's death and says: 'If I had a son, he would look like Trayyon.
- Matt Williams in New York
- guardian.co.uk
Obama said: 'I think every parent should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative that we investigate every aspect of this.'
Barack Obama made his first public remarks on the killing of Trayvon Martin, saying that the Florida teenager's death was a "tragedy" that needed to be fully investigated.
In a personal message delivered from the White House, the US president likened Trayvon Martin to his own children, and said: "If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon".
Obama vowed that authorities would look into "every aspect" of the shooting of the unarmed 17-year-old by neighbourhood watchman George Zimmerman, and called on federal, state and local authorities to work together as part of the investigation.
Martin was killed on February 26 in circumstances that have yet to be fully explained. Although Zimmerman admits he killed the teenager, he says it was in self-defence, citing Florida's controversial "stand your ground" law that allows the use of lethal force in certain circumstances. Zimmerman has not been arrested, sparking growing anger that has spread beyond Florida.
Obama's intervention was prompted by a question from reporters during a White House announcement on its nominee for head of the World Bank.
"Obviously this is a tragedy. I can only imagine what these parents are going through," he said from the White House Rose Garden.
"When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids, and I think every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative that we investigate every aspect of this."
Obama said that all of America had some "soul searching" to do over the incident, adding: "If I had a son he would look like Trayvon and I think they [his parents] are right to expect that all of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves."
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney later joined the president in calling for a "thorough investigation". He added that a full inquiry was needed so that "justice is carried out with impartiality and integrity".
Meanwhile, Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera sparked outrage on Friday when he claimed that Martin was singled out for attention because he was wearing a hoodie.
Calling on parents of black and Latino youngsters to prevent their children going out onto the streets in hooded sweatshirts, Rivera added: "I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin's death as George Zimmerman was".
The statement received an immediate backlash online, as critics took to twitter to vent their anger. Rivera later tweeted that his son had messaged him to say he was ashamed of his position.
The focus on black and Latino youths by Rivera also reinforced the view held by some that the incident may have had a racial element to it.
Sanford's police chief Bill Lee stepped down temporarily on Thursday. The announcement was followed by news that Florida state attorney Norman Wolfinger had also recused himself following criticism of his handling of the case. But neither move appeared to soothe the growing discontent or quieten calls for Zimmerman to be arrested.
On Thursday night a rally was held in Sanford, the city in which Martin was shot dead as he returned to the home of his father's girlfriend after a trip to a local convenience store.
At the demonstration, the 17-year-old's parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, were joined by civil rights leaders including the Rev Al Sharpton.
Sharpton told those gathered: "We cannot allow a precedent when a man can just kill one of us and then walk out with the murder weapon. We want George Zimmerman in court with handcuffs behind his back."
Friday, March 23, 2012
Being Incontinent A Fact Of Life When Seriously Handicapped
Roberto Matta
What a horrid shock, when I realised that I was incontinent, what was particularly horrible was how quickly it happened once I could no longer walk.
That occurred much too quickly once I got my diagnosis on 19th July 2006, suddenly without any warning one morning in October my ability to walk ceased.
It was horrible especially as I had appointments at the Amsterdam Rehabilitation clinic and the mobility bus would be arriving to pick me at any minute.
At first I found it to be dreadfully embarrassing, it felt like it made me into another being, which was unsettling, it made me extremely uneasy.
It totally freaked me out and made me feel somehow less of a woman, and not myself not at all, it was worrying, it made me unsure of myself and who I was.
On the 19th July 2006 it felt like my life was over and since then I have been trying my best to make the best of everything, together with my darling Richie.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Better to remain in the present.
John Melville
A better day today, not as good as I wanted it to be yesterday, but better; sadly I did not have a big enough bowel movement as I needed, to give me a truly relaxed day.
I can’t believe that I am actually writing about my bowel movements, but ever since my MS diagnosis, and when my mobility stopped they became an issue for me.
[
After I couldn’t walk anymore, it has become a huge problem for me, not being mobile, means everything is slower.
Today has been better, because after the second visit, finally the bowel movement I have been waiting for all week.
What a relief, suddenly my day became a whole lot better and I could enjoy my dinner t7onight which was a pleasant change.
Every day, is different, so it really is a case of enjoying every single moment that I can, without any thoughts about what the next day will be like, better to remain in the present.
Burden should fall on those with the most character, says Osbourne
| |
the dailymash
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/politics/politics-headlines/burden-should-fall-on-those-with-the-most-character%2c-says-osborne-201203225045/
Thursday, 22 March 2012
| weather | water cannons of love |
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
which was a pleasant interlude for us all.
Tina and Marleen
Today a friend, Anne came to visit us for one hour this afternoon, which was a pleasant interlude for us all. [
Today a friend, Anne came to visit us for one hour this afternoon, which was a pleasant interlude for us all. [
It was nice to see Anne, shame to see her so sad, I hope Anne will feel happier soon when the weather starts becoming nicer as spring gets going.
Today was another uncomfortable day for me, because again my minimal bowel movement let me down, so I had to put up with it until finally at 21.00 I had one.
At last I could relax without constant twinges reminding me that I can’t have a good bowel movement without several visits.
Last night Richie had to rush me to the toilet, he got me there just on time, it was a huge relief and it gave me a good nights sleep.
Hopefully tonight there will be no need for Richie to take me anywhere at 02.00 in the morning, and instead we can sleep, a fine perspective.
16 year-old Amina Filali -- raped, beaten and forced to wed her rapist -- killed herself
Dear friends,
 16 year-old Amina Filali -- raped, beaten and forced to wed her rapist -- killed herself because Morocco’s penal code allows a rapist to marry his underage victim. Let's end the outrage and push the government to make good on the promise to enact legislation that reforms the law and stops violence against women. Sign the petition and forward to everyone:  |
Days ago, 16 year-old Amina Filali, raped, beaten and forced to wed her rapist, killed herself -- the only way she saw to escape the trap set for her by her rapist and the law. If we act now, we can stop this unspeakable tragedy from happening to anyone else.
Article 475 in Morocco’s penal code allows a rapist to avoid prosecution and a long prison sentence by marrying his victim if she is a minor. Since 2006, the government has promised to strike this down and pass legislation prohibiting violence against women, but it hasn't happened.
Hundreds of Moroccan protestors are in the streets demanding real reform, turning up the heat on the Prime Minister and heads of other ministries, who write and sponsor bills and the international media has picked up the story. If we ramp up pressure, we can see real progress now. Sign the petition for a comprehensive law to stop violence against women, including the repeal of Article 475. When we reach 250,000 signatures, we'll work with local women's groups to deliver our call to decision-makers:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/forced_to_marry_her_rapist_b/?vl
When Amina was brutally raped, her family reported it to officials in their town of Larache. Instead of prosecuting the rapist, the court allowed him the option of marrying his victim-- and Amina's family agreed to the proposal.
Now, in response to global outrage, the government has issued a statement arguing that the relationship was consensual, but that story isn't verified. Our Moroccan partners on the ground say that this is a typical government attempt to blame the victim and whitewash the issue -- meanwhile the law is still on the books and now, more than ever, we need to reject Article 475. Women’s groups in Morocco have long fought this, and it's time for the legislature to renounce this wretched tradition and pass real protections for women.
Outraged Moroccans are flooding social networking sites and the streets in protest. Hundreds of women staged a sit-ins in front of the Larache court and Parliament this week. Let’s join in the demand that laws should protect, not trample on women's rights:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/forced_to_marry_her_rapist_b/?vl
Time and again, Avaaz members use our collective power to join with people around the globe to fight for a better world -- today, let’s stand together for Amina Filali and the legacy of hope that her story must leave.
With that hope,
Dalia, Carol, Emma, Rewan, Ricken, Luis, Antonia and the rest of the Avaaz team
More information:
Morocco protest against rape-marriage law (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17416426
Morocco mulls tougher line against rape-marriages (Al Jazeera)
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/03/20123171132404140.html
Protesters in Morocco demand reform of rape laws after teen girl's suicide (CNN)
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/17/world/africa/morocco-child-rape/index.html
Morocco: Amina’s parents contradict official account, insist their daughter was raped
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/03/17/201337.html
Global Rights report on violence against women in Morocco
http://www.globalrights.org/site/DocServer/2011-10-14_Final_Shadow_Report_to_CAT.pdf?docID=12983
Facebook Group Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/188082354639954/
Article 475 in Morocco’s penal code allows a rapist to avoid prosecution and a long prison sentence by marrying his victim if she is a minor. Since 2006, the government has promised to strike this down and pass legislation prohibiting violence against women, but it hasn't happened.
Hundreds of Moroccan protestors are in the streets demanding real reform, turning up the heat on the Prime Minister and heads of other ministries, who write and sponsor bills and the international media has picked up the story. If we ramp up pressure, we can see real progress now. Sign the petition for a comprehensive law to stop violence against women, including the repeal of Article 475. When we reach 250,000 signatures, we'll work with local women's groups to deliver our call to decision-makers:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/forced_to_marry_her_rapist_b/?vl
When Amina was brutally raped, her family reported it to officials in their town of Larache. Instead of prosecuting the rapist, the court allowed him the option of marrying his victim-- and Amina's family agreed to the proposal.
Now, in response to global outrage, the government has issued a statement arguing that the relationship was consensual, but that story isn't verified. Our Moroccan partners on the ground say that this is a typical government attempt to blame the victim and whitewash the issue -- meanwhile the law is still on the books and now, more than ever, we need to reject Article 475. Women’s groups in Morocco have long fought this, and it's time for the legislature to renounce this wretched tradition and pass real protections for women.
Outraged Moroccans are flooding social networking sites and the streets in protest. Hundreds of women staged a sit-ins in front of the Larache court and Parliament this week. Let’s join in the demand that laws should protect, not trample on women's rights:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/forced_to_marry_her_rapist_b/?vl
Time and again, Avaaz members use our collective power to join with people around the globe to fight for a better world -- today, let’s stand together for Amina Filali and the legacy of hope that her story must leave.
With that hope,
Dalia, Carol, Emma, Rewan, Ricken, Luis, Antonia and the rest of the Avaaz team
More information:
Morocco protest against rape-marriage law (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17416426
Morocco mulls tougher line against rape-marriages (Al Jazeera)
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/03/20123171132404140.html
Protesters in Morocco demand reform of rape laws after teen girl's suicide (CNN)
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/17/world/africa/morocco-child-rape/index.html
Morocco: Amina’s parents contradict official account, insist their daughter was raped
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/03/17/201337.html
Global Rights report on violence against women in Morocco
http://www.globalrights.org/site/DocServer/2011-10-14_Final_Shadow_Report_to_CAT.pdf?docID=12983
Facebook Group Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/188082354639954/
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Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Tomorrow, I want it to be a better day.
Tina and Marleen
Today was another sunny day, which was such a pleasant surprise for me, although I had plans for what I wanted to do, things went differently, like they often do. .
For the last couple of days I have had a rotten time because of my bowels; being so handicapped means that something as simple as going to the toilet becomes complicated
So again today I had a less nice time, then I had hoped for, even though Richie took me to the bathroom, I could not manage much of a bowel movement.
This usually, means that I will not have a relaxed time, not with a full bowel, as I thought this afternoon was as un-relaxing as I thought it would be.
I am being optimistic that tomorrow will be a much better day; in fact I am quite confident it will be a much better day, I want it to be better, I really do.
launch an investigation into the Sanford police department's mishandling of the case
Three weeks ago, 17-year old Trayvon Martin was gunned down by self-appointed neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman. Despite Zimmerman admitting to following, confronting, and killing Trayvon, he has yet to be arrested or charged with any crime.[1]
Just minutes before Trayvon was killed, Zimmerman had called police stating that Trayvon looked "suspicious." Trayvon was unarmed and walking back to his father's home in Sanford, Florida when Zimmerman accosted him.
At the crime scene, Sanford police botched their questioning of Zimmerman, refused to take the full statements of witnesses, and pressured neighbors to side with the shooter's claim of self-defense.[2] As it turns out, Sanford's police department has a history of failing to hold perpetrators accountable for violent acts against Black victims and the police misconduct in Trayvon's case exemplifies the department's systemic mishandling of such investigations.[3] And now, the State Attorney's office has rubber-stamped the Sanford police's non-investigation, claiming that there is not enough evidence to support even a manslaughter conviction.[4]
Trayvon's family and hundreds of thousands of people around the country are demanding justice.[5] Please join us in calling on the Department of Justice to take over the case, arrest Trayvon's killer, and launch an independent investigation into the Sanford police department's unwillingness to protect Trayvon's civil rights. It takes just a moment:
http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/Trayvon?referring_akid=2382.1437934.vRZ74n&source=taf
Walking home from the store shouldn't cost you your life, but when Black youth are routinely assumed to be violent criminals, being randomly killed is a constant danger.[6] Before Zimmerman decided to get out of his parked car — gun in tow — to pursue Trayvon on foot that night, he called the police to identify Trayvon as a "suspicious person" — apparently because he was wearing a hoodie and walking too slowly in the rain for Zimmerman's liking. Despite being instructed not to follow Trayvon, Zimmerman proceeded to confront and fatally shoot the boy in the chest within a matter of minutes.[7]
The case has been compromised from the beginning. When Sanford police arrived on the scene, Zimmerman was first approached by a narcotics detective — not a homicide investigator — who "peppered him with questions" rather than allowing him to tell his story without prompting. Another officer "corrected" a witness giving a statement that she'd heard Trayvon cry for help before he was shot, telling her she had heard Zimmerman instead.[8] And beyond the questions of professional competence or even the police's disregard for the facts, Florida's notorious "Shoot First" law takes a shooter's self-defense claim at face value — incentivizing law enforcement not to make arrests in shooting deaths that would lead to murder charges in other states.[9]
Sanford has a history of not prosecuting when the victim is Black. In 2010, the white son of a Sanford police lieutenant was let go by police after assaulting a homeless Black man outside a downtown bar. And, in 2005, a Black teenager was killed by two white security guards, one the son of a Sanford Police officer. The pair was arrested and charged, but a judge later cited lack of evidence and dismissed both cases.[10]
Please join us in calling on the Department of Justice to arrest Trayvon's killer and launch an investigation into the Sanford police department's mishandling of the case and when you do, ask your friends and family to do the same:
http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/Trayvon?referring_akid=2382.1437934.vRZ74n&source=taf
Thanks.
References
1. http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/15/2696446/trayvon-martin-case.html
2. http://abcnews.go.com/US/neighborhood-watch-shooting-trayvon-martin-probe-reveals-questionable/story?id=15907136#.T2QwBWJWrQI
3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/14/trayvon-martin-sanford-florida_n_1345868.html
4. http://www.wesh.com/news/30692415/detail.html
5. http://abcnews.go.com/US/trayvon-martin-family-seeks-fbi-investigation-killing/story?id=15949879#.T2aTkZggugE
6. http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/8/ramarley_graham_nypd_slays_unarmed_black
7. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-03-14/news/os-trayvon-martin-beth-kassab-031512-20120314_1_orlando-police-block-captains-zimmerman
8. See reference 2.
9. http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20120316/OPINION05/203160343/Teen-s-death-suggests-review-Stand-Your-Ground-Law-needed?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|frontpage|s
10. http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/article1128317.eceDear friends,
Three weeks ago, 17-year old Trayvon Martin was gunned down by self-appointed neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman. Despite Zimmerman admitting to following, confronting, and killing Trayvon, he has yet to be arrested or charged with any crime.[1]
Just minutes before Trayvon was killed, Zimmerman had called police stating that Trayvon looked "suspicious." Trayvon was unarmed and walking back to his father's home in Sanford, Florida when Zimmerman accosted him.
At the crime scene, Sanford police botched their questioning of Zimmerman, refused to take the full statements of witnesses, and pressured neighbors to side with the shooter's claim of self-defense.[2] As it turns out, Sanford's police department has a history of failing to hold perpetrators accountable for violent acts against Black victims and the police misconduct in Trayvon's case exemplifies the department's systemic mishandling of such investigations.[3] And now, the State Attorney's office has rubber-stamped the Sanford police's non-investigation, claiming that there is not enough evidence to support even a manslaughter conviction.[4]
Trayvon's family and hundreds of thousands of people around the country are demanding justice.[5] Please join us in calling on the Department of Justice to take over the case, arrest Trayvon's killer, and launch an independent investigation into the Sanford police department's unwillingness to protect Trayvon's civil rights. It takes just a moment:
http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/Trayvon?referring_akid=2382.1437934.vRZ74n&source=taf
Walking home from the store shouldn't cost you your life, but when Black youth are routinely assumed to be violent criminals, being randomly killed is a constant danger.[6] Before Zimmerman decided to get out of his parked car — gun in tow — to pursue Trayvon on foot that night, he called the police to identify Trayvon as a "suspicious person" — apparently because he was wearing a hoodie and walking too slowly in the rain for Zimmerman's liking. Despite being instructed not to follow Trayvon, Zimmerman proceeded to confront and fatally shoot the boy in the chest within a matter of minutes.[7]
The case has been compromised from the beginning. When Sanford police arrived on the scene, Zimmerman was first approached by a narcotics detective — not a homicide investigator — who "peppered him with questions" rather than allowing him to tell his story without prompting. Another officer "corrected" a witness giving a statement that she'd heard Trayvon cry for help before he was shot, telling her she had heard Zimmerman instead.[8] And beyond the questions of professional competence or even the police's disregard for the facts, Florida's notorious "Shoot First" law takes a shooter's self-defense claim at face value — incentivizing law enforcement not to make arrests in shooting deaths that would lead to murder charges in other states.[9]
Sanford has a history of not prosecuting when the victim is Black. In 2010, the white son of a Sanford police lieutenant was let go by police after assaulting a homeless Black man outside a downtown bar. And, in 2005, a Black teenager was killed by two white security guards, one the son of a Sanford Police officer. The pair was arrested and charged, but a judge later cited lack of evidence and dismissed both cases.[10]
Please join us in calling on the Department of Justice to arrest Trayvon's killer and launch an investigation into the Sanford police department's mishandling of the case and when you do, ask your friends and family to do the same:
http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/Trayvon?referring_akid=2382.1437934.vRZ74n&source=taf
Thanks.
References
1. http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/15/2696446/trayvon-martin-case.html
2. http://abcnews.go.com/US/neighborhood-watch-shooting-trayvon-martin-probe-reveals-questionable/story?id=15907136#.T2QwBWJWrQI
3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/14/trayvon-martin-sanford-florida_n_1345868.html
4. http://www.wesh.com/news/30692415/detail.html
5. http://abcnews.go.com/US/trayvon-martin-family-seeks-fbi-investigation-killing/story?id=15949879#.T2aTkZggugE
6. http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/8/ramarley_graham_nypd_slays_unarmed_black
7. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-03-14/news/os-trayvon-martin-beth-kassab-031512-20120314_1_orlando-police-block-captains-zimmerman
8. See reference 2.
9. http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20120316/OPINION05/203160343/Teen-s-death-suggests-review-Stand-Your-Ground-Law-needed?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|frontpage|s
10. http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/article1128317.ece
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