Hot Stuff: West Arrested...Again

[Smiley and West]

		For the second week in a row, West is arrested for protesting, this time against the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policy.   Smiley: This stop-and-frisk policy is happening under Mayor Bloomberg’s watch.   West: We know many police oppose the stop-and-frisk policy. We can appeal to their moral conscience.

[Tamam Tracy Moncur]

The stop and frisk policy was alive and well back in the day (20 years ago) when I was raising my sons in Newark, NJ. Before they got their licenses they were stopped on foot, thrown up against the wall, and frisked. Once they bought cars it transformed into racial profiling and they were stopped, searched, and of course their cars were searched. I don't hate the police I just don't trust them...

I'm amazed at Dr. West's compassionate attitude towards the police...I just wonder where is the same understanding and compassion for President O'bama?

[s]

I am glad that Mr. West makes it clear that many officers oppose violating people's rights (which stopping and frisking is).  As a Black individual I always wondered why when Black leaders/activists talk about the police and the poor relationship they have with black neighborhoods or racist/poor treatment of black people they never make the distinction that there are good cops and there are bad cops; always they refer to "the police" as if they are all of one heart and mind.  I think we should always make that distinction clear.  Also, that we know that cops are not good or bad based solely on their race. 

[s]

 

[Tamam Tracy Moncur]

When I speak about the police I speak about a "mentality" as opposed to a race. You're absolutely right. I'm sure that there are good, decent police officers. My problem is that I've suffered a lot of trauma at the hands of the police. Raising black sons in Newark was in and of itself a shock to my system. Being involved in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's in San Francisco...carted off to jail...those events lay dormant inside me ready to erupt...mine is a physiological response over which I have no control...the memories are right there inside me...a lot of police officers were laid off in Newark and I hate to see anybody lose their job...does this make me trust them? No...unfortunately the negative experiences for me outweigh the positive.

[Russell Hinkle]

Your arrest in NYC lat week puts you one up on me.  A day or so after I left Occupy Richmond to get back home to Occupy Louisville the police (100+, some with horses) came with bull dozer and dump trucks and cleaned out Occupy Richmond.  There are still people in jail.  I gave the phone numbers to the National Lawyers Guild to a Richmond occupier but I think several folks are still in jail and they will not set bail for them.

I am headed downtown to help Occupy Louisville and I am organizing Kentucky's first Veterans for Peace chapter.

Power to the People!