Thursday, May 24, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Why Europeans Still Smoke
Why do Europeans still smoke? They know that more freedoms are preferable and that excessive laws mean fewer rights. They tend to see things with an eye toward the future and know that whatever they do today will influence future generations. Not that other countries do not, but with reference (generally) to European social policies, they take a Rehabilitative approach versus the American Retributive one. When social policies include legalization of drugs and sex, you can focus on helping those people instead of sending them to prison. The Europeans had to deal with their issues (I know this sounds bad) because of the Nazi's, though.
After Nazi Germany, the very serious issue of determining when laws are unethical became salient, and the sweeping Geneva Convention rules against torture were instituted.
Unfortunately, it took the Nazi's to send Europe into social revolution. That social revolution spurred the promulgation of a new age that included major sociopolitical change. Americans have never experienced a Holocaust like the Europeans. Unfortunately, our are more insidious. In America, we won't be forced to change our damaged political system until, I don't know what.
It's sad, really. Instead, we have institutionalized Racism, Abelism, Hate, and Misogyny that are taught over a long period of time and are difficult to unlearn. Democracy, in its civilized nature, is actually doing many people more harm than good, because people don't know how to fix it. A good example lies within the philosophy and approach to vice. In addition, the approach to funding education is all wrong.
I have surmised that our, "pride" prevents us from, "borrowing" a European model. We struggle with simple things like saying, "I don't know." Developing the skills necessary to be oriented toward critical thinking would help. The reason we have not been able to teach more people how to, "stop and think," is also due to a tired, "rugged individualist" ethos.
I am not certain as to whether distances of space and time contribute to why Americans seem isolated from European values and wisdom, or whether it is because of the things I have mentioned in this post, but Americans are suffering from a blight of spirit, mind, and passion that, hopefully, with the help of the Internet and its influence on barriers, real or imagined, we, as one world will begin to thrive, again. When passionlessness is spread with such frivolity, we become hardened to the hatred we feel.
After Nazi Germany, the very serious issue of determining when laws are unethical became salient, and the sweeping Geneva Convention rules against torture were instituted.
Unfortunately, it took the Nazi's to send Europe into social revolution. That social revolution spurred the promulgation of a new age that included major sociopolitical change. Americans have never experienced a Holocaust like the Europeans. Unfortunately, our are more insidious. In America, we won't be forced to change our damaged political system until, I don't know what.
It's sad, really. Instead, we have institutionalized Racism, Abelism, Hate, and Misogyny that are taught over a long period of time and are difficult to unlearn. Democracy, in its civilized nature, is actually doing many people more harm than good, because people don't know how to fix it. A good example lies within the philosophy and approach to vice. In addition, the approach to funding education is all wrong.
I have surmised that our, "pride" prevents us from, "borrowing" a European model. We struggle with simple things like saying, "I don't know." Developing the skills necessary to be oriented toward critical thinking would help. The reason we have not been able to teach more people how to, "stop and think," is also due to a tired, "rugged individualist" ethos.
I am not certain as to whether distances of space and time contribute to why Americans seem isolated from European values and wisdom, or whether it is because of the things I have mentioned in this post, but Americans are suffering from a blight of spirit, mind, and passion that, hopefully, with the help of the Internet and its influence on barriers, real or imagined, we, as one world will begin to thrive, again. When passionlessness is spread with such frivolity, we become hardened to the hatred we feel.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Police Allegedly Beat Mentally Ill Man To Death With Commentary By Stephanie J Golden At The End
Two Fullerton, Calif., police officers will be tried in the death of a mentally ill homeless man whose apparent beating by police was captured on video, a judge ruled today.
Officer Manuel Ramos, 38, and Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 40, are charged in the death of Kelly Thomas, 37 -- Ramos with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, and Cicinelli with involuntary manslaughter and assault or battery by a public officer, according to The Associated Press. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Attorneys for the officers have questioned whether medical treatment, not the actual beating, could have resulted in Thomas' death.
"The grainy-but-gripping video of a homeless man being beaten to death was the key evidence in the prosecution's successful effort to convince the court to force a police officer to stand trial for murder in the second degree," said Royal Oakes, an ABC News legal analyst, according to ABC News Radio. "The video of the beating conjured up memories of the Rodney King police beating of two decades ago," Oakes said. "The videotaped evidence will no doubt be the centerpiece of the D.A.'s case in the upcoming murder trial, where one officer could be facing 15 years-to-life behind bars."
The July 5, 2011, surveillance video, taken from a publicly mounted camera, coupled with an audio recording device worn by an officer, stunned a packed courtroom of Thomas' supporters when it was shown for the first time Monday. "I can't breathe man," and, "sorry," Thomas could be heard telling officers as he allegedly endured punches to his left ribs and blows to his face from an officer's knee. Thomas, who is reportedly schizophrenic, repeatedly cried out for his father. He was also Tasered three times with the stun gun applied directly to his skin for five-second periods. He was hit a fourth time with two darts connected to the gun by wires, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office. The entire time he could be heard screaming in agony. The apparent beating lasted nine minutes and 40 seconds and ended with Thomas' limp body in handcuffs. Thomas was transported to St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, Calif., for intubation to help him breathe. He never regained consciousness. Five days later, Thomas died. The coroner's office ruled the death a homicide.
"You have 1,500 pounds of trained cop on my one little son, but they have to bring this out like they were just so overpowered by this brute to make themselves look innocent and that they're the victims," Ron Thomas, the victim's father, said outside of court Monday.
The officers had responded to the Fullerton Transportation Center after receiving a call that a homeless man was seen looking into car windows and pulling on door handles. Six officers arrived at the scene for back-up, but the district attorney determined that there was only enough evidence to charge Ramos and Cicinelli in Thomas' death. The video began with Ramos approaching Thomas and asking him to sit with his legs and hands in front of him. Thomas had trouble complying with the order and appeared to have cognitive difficulties, according to the D.A.'s office. Fed up, Ramos made fists and asked Thomas if he saw them. Thomas replied that he did. "They're getting ready to f--- you up," Ramos told him. When a shirtless Thomas, who had earlier forgotten his name and said he didn't speak English, stood up, Ramos and his partner were shown swinging at him with their batons. Thomas took off and was tackled, setting off the nearly 10-minute beating that allegedly led to his death. Ramos is a 10-year veteran of the Fullerton Police, while Cicinelli has been an officer in Fullerton for 12 years. The video ended with paramedics carrying Thomas' body to an ambulance, revealing a large blood stain on the spot where the altercation took place. "We ran out of options so I got the end of my Taser and I probably ... I just start smashing his face to hell," Cicinelli said at the end of the July 5 video, according to the transcript provided by prosecutors to the Associated Press. "He was on something, 'cause the three of us couldn't even control him." Thomas had no illicit drugs or alcohol in him at the time of the incident, according to the toxicology report. If convicted, Cicinelli could face a maximum sentence of four years in prison and Ramos could be sentenced to life in prison.
COMMENTARY:
Police have a duty to educate themselves about Mental Illness and its various expressions. This story sounds typical of how most cops handle people with Mental Illness in that they seem predisposed to targeting people with this particular disability when they should know by now how to either approach this kind of situation with care or if it is already out of control to de-escalate it. This situation could have been remedied before it got out of control. The officers could have chosen a better way to deal with this person by speaking calmly to him, informing him of his rights to speak to a Mental Health Crisis Team, (Fullerton should have one) or by simply using less lethal force, such as tasering him once and handcuffing him afterward.
"The grainy-but-gripping video of a homeless man being beaten to death was the key evidence in the prosecution's successful effort to convince the court to force a police officer to stand trial for murder in the second degree," said Royal Oakes, an ABC News legal analyst, according to ABC News Radio. "The video of the beating conjured up memories of the Rodney King police beating of two decades ago," Oakes said. "The videotaped evidence will no doubt be the centerpiece of the D.A.'s case in the upcoming murder trial, where one officer could be facing 15 years-to-life behind bars."
The July 5, 2011, surveillance video, taken from a publicly mounted camera, coupled with an audio recording device worn by an officer, stunned a packed courtroom of Thomas' supporters when it was shown for the first time Monday. "I can't breathe man," and, "sorry," Thomas could be heard telling officers as he allegedly endured punches to his left ribs and blows to his face from an officer's knee. Thomas, who is reportedly schizophrenic, repeatedly cried out for his father. He was also Tasered three times with the stun gun applied directly to his skin for five-second periods. He was hit a fourth time with two darts connected to the gun by wires, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office. The entire time he could be heard screaming in agony. The apparent beating lasted nine minutes and 40 seconds and ended with Thomas' limp body in handcuffs. Thomas was transported to St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, Calif., for intubation to help him breathe. He never regained consciousness. Five days later, Thomas died. The coroner's office ruled the death a homicide.
"You have 1,500 pounds of trained cop on my one little son, but they have to bring this out like they were just so overpowered by this brute to make themselves look innocent and that they're the victims," Ron Thomas, the victim's father, said outside of court Monday.
The officers had responded to the Fullerton Transportation Center after receiving a call that a homeless man was seen looking into car windows and pulling on door handles. Six officers arrived at the scene for back-up, but the district attorney determined that there was only enough evidence to charge Ramos and Cicinelli in Thomas' death. The video began with Ramos approaching Thomas and asking him to sit with his legs and hands in front of him. Thomas had trouble complying with the order and appeared to have cognitive difficulties, according to the D.A.'s office. Fed up, Ramos made fists and asked Thomas if he saw them. Thomas replied that he did. "They're getting ready to f--- you up," Ramos told him. When a shirtless Thomas, who had earlier forgotten his name and said he didn't speak English, stood up, Ramos and his partner were shown swinging at him with their batons. Thomas took off and was tackled, setting off the nearly 10-minute beating that allegedly led to his death. Ramos is a 10-year veteran of the Fullerton Police, while Cicinelli has been an officer in Fullerton for 12 years. The video ended with paramedics carrying Thomas' body to an ambulance, revealing a large blood stain on the spot where the altercation took place. "We ran out of options so I got the end of my Taser and I probably ... I just start smashing his face to hell," Cicinelli said at the end of the July 5 video, according to the transcript provided by prosecutors to the Associated Press. "He was on something, 'cause the three of us couldn't even control him." Thomas had no illicit drugs or alcohol in him at the time of the incident, according to the toxicology report. If convicted, Cicinelli could face a maximum sentence of four years in prison and Ramos could be sentenced to life in prison.
COMMENTARY:
Police have a duty to educate themselves about Mental Illness and its various expressions. This story sounds typical of how most cops handle people with Mental Illness in that they seem predisposed to targeting people with this particular disability when they should know by now how to either approach this kind of situation with care or if it is already out of control to de-escalate it. This situation could have been remedied before it got out of control. The officers could have chosen a better way to deal with this person by speaking calmly to him, informing him of his rights to speak to a Mental Health Crisis Team, (Fullerton should have one) or by simply using less lethal force, such as tasering him once and handcuffing him afterward.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
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