Cops vs Black People Round IV: Turnsignalgate

Trollheart · 07-23-2015, 06:14 AM

Is this even slightly believable? A Texas state trooper stops a black woman for not indicating when she turned, hauls her out of the car like a criminal, using offensive and rough language, stops her using her phone (which I don't think he has any right to do), takes her to jail when she languishes over the weekend and is FOUND HANGED THERE???

Say Her Name: Sandra Bland

Jul 22, 2015 | By CAP Action War Room
The Tragic Death of Sandra Bland, The Broader Problem Of Police Violence, And What We Can Do

The tragic death of Sandra Bland is the latest incident to underscore the important conversation about racial injustice and the excessive use of force by police that is taking place at dinner tables, on social media, and at presidential forums around the country. A new video of her arrest adds more details to the event in which an African American women pulled over for failing to use a turn signal was then arrested, and found hanging in her jail cell three days later. Her arrest and cause of death remain in dispute, and the FBI is investigating the matter.

For a complete timeline of the arrest and to see the video itself, check out a New York Times rundown here. Due in large part to social media, Bland’s death has received a lot of attention since the video of her arrest was circulated. In general, though, it is rare for black women brutalized by police to receive this much attention. Public figures — including President Barack Obama — continue to overlook them in some cases: “The bottom line is that in too many places, black boys and black men, Latino boys and Latino men experience being treated differently under the law,” Obama said at the NAACP Annual Convention last week.

While Bland’s death is an apparent suicide and is still under investigation, the extent of the problem of police killings is beginning to come into greater focus (a suicide is no less tragic, of course, and the rate jail suicides is extraordinarily high). One of the big issues is the fact that we have never had good data on exactly how often police officers kill civilians. But there are two new projects now keeping count in real time — and the numbers are astronomical. According to The Guardian, 637 people have been killed by police so far this year. The Washington Post, meanwhile, is tracking police shootings and counts 535 of those. That’s almost three people shot and killed by police every day this year. While neither of these are official counts, these numbers underscore that the problem goes far beyond the occasional high-profile incidents we write about and talk about.

The elevation of the dialogue around these important issues – to the point where many presidential candidates are discussing them – is a very important step toward meaningful solutions. Efforts at legislation are being made as well. The Senate introduced a bill in early June that would require increased data collection on incidents involving use of force by or against law enforcement officers. In the wake of the Charleston shooting, House Democrats introduced a bill that would allow the CDC to study gun violence, which it has been banned from doing since 1996 thanks to the NRA. It was swiftly blocked by House Republicans.

Our colleagues at the Center for American Progress have also put out recommendations to reform the criminal justice system, including to increase the federal government’s oversight of police conduct, implement ‘implicit bias’ training, collect better data, and increase the use of special prosecutors in police misconduct investigations. Given the new bills and involvement of the FBI in investigating Sandra Bland’s death, some of these are playing more of a role already.

BOTTOM LINE: Sandra Bland should be alive today. Her tragic death illuminates a number of serious problems with our current system of criminal justice and with the way many black people –including black women– are treated in America. While these issues are raising in their importance to the highest levels of government, we can’t act quickly enough.

Am I on another planet all of a sudden? What the **** is going on over there? Anyone live in Texas can enlighten me as to how this can happen in the 21st century? Is this not the equivalent of "You got a busted taillight/sorry officer/ you bein' smart boy/ No sir/ Get out of the car/ yes sir/ Look out he's got a gun!"??????????

Xurtio · 07-23-2015, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Anyone live in Texas can enlighten me as to how this can happen in the 21st century?

Not in Texas, but from Alaska (which is way way, mucho bigger than Texas btw). I don't know why our cops are so rude and entitled in the US. I figured it was a matter of power corrupts. In the US, cops have a lot of power. I think it would be easy for a percentage of them to start getting in their head that their way is the right way and their biases and prejudices and personal beliefs begin to dictate their authoritative behavior and they feel justified in it.

~~John Wilkes Booth~~ · 07-23-2015, 10:27 AM

i'm not trying to start something, or discredit this particular story, but honestly i think the cops vs black people narrative that the media has been pushing lately is really irresponsible and counter productive. i know that a lot of people probably mean well, and i am on board with the idea that the police need reforming.

but the constant alarmist propaganda campaign that basically tells black people day in and day out that the cops are out to get them is potentially very destructive and at best it's just going to fan the flames. i think people should think more carefully about cause and effect before they launch these campaigns. they should think about what kinds of unintended consequences the campaigns might yield. and make no mistake about it: there is a campaign. it's not just a series of coincidental news stories. at this point, it's been made blatantly obvious that for whatever reason this is a media agenda.

Xurtio · 07-23-2015, 10:47 AM

I agree on the national level. But there are certain places where the cops do seem to be out to get the blacks.

A lot of it comes down to racial profiling. Blacks are more likely to be violent criminals in a lot of neighborhoods, so the cops suspect every black person on sight.

~~John Wilkes Booth~~ · 07-23-2015, 11:08 AM

there are a lot of issues on both sides that need addressing. an example of "racial profiling" can be that cops can't always tell who the drug dealer is cause it seems like everyone dresses and acts like a drug dealer. try reading this thread if you are interested

KMC Forums - For Blacks Americans, US about as dangerous as Rwanda

RoxyRollah · 07-23-2015, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xurtio

I agree on the national level. But there are certain places where the cops do seem to be out to get the blacks.

A lot of it comes down to racial profiling. Blacks are more likely to be violent criminals in a lot of neighborhoods, so the cops suspect every black person on sight.

...

Trollheart · 07-23-2015, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Wilkes Booth

i'm not trying to start something, or discredit this particular story, but honestly i think the cops vs black people narrative that the media has been pushing lately is really irresponsible and counter productive. i know that a lot of people probably mean well, and i am on board with the idea that the police need reforming.

but the constant alarmist propaganda campaign that basically tells black people day in and day out that the cops are out to get them is potentially very destructive and at best it's just going to fan the flames. i think people should think more carefully about cause and effect before they launch these campaigns. they should think about what kinds of unintended consequences the campaigns might yield. and make no mistake about it: there is a campaign. it's not just a series of coincidental news stories. at this point, it's been made blatantly obvious that for whatever reason this is a media agenda.

Um, "Cops vs Black People" was your idea, I'm just piggy-backing on it....

~~John Wilkes Booth~~ · 07-23-2015, 12:40 PM

"cops vs black people" was meant to be a satirical statement on the current media narrative

DwnWthVwls · 07-23-2015, 01:10 PM

I think it would help if they focused more on cops being out of control than just the violence directed at black people. Obviously, the racial issue is a legitimate concern but the bigger picture is how cops are functioning as a whole. I feel like this should be taken step by step, and the first step is reforming the system as a whole, then the focus can shift to racial profiling, crimes against minorities, and police bias.

Trollheart · 07-23-2015, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Wilkes Booth

"cops vs black people" was meant to be a satirical statement on the current media narrative

Yes, which I piggybacked upon.
Look, it doesn't matter what the thread is called, the sentiment still stands. This is crazy as ****. What's next? People arrested for whistling on a Tuesday? Lookin' at me kinda funny?

07-23-2015, 06:14 AM	#1 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Cops vs Black People Round IV: Turnsignalgate Is this even slightly believable? A Texas state trooper stops a black woman for not indicating when she turned, hauls her out of the car like a criminal, using offensive and rough language, stops her using her phone (which I don't think he has any right to do), takes her to jail when she languishes over the weekend and is FOUND HANGED THERE??? Say Her Name: Sandra Bland Jul 22, 2015 \| By CAP Action War Room The Tragic Death of Sandra Bland, The Broader Problem Of Police Violence, And What We Can Do The tragic death of Sandra Bland is the latest incident to underscore the important conversation about racial injustice and the excessive use of force by police that is taking place at dinner tables, on social media, and at presidential forums around the country. A new video of her arrest adds more details to the event in which an African American women pulled over for failing to use a turn signal was then arrested, and found hanging in her jail cell three days later. Her arrest and cause of death remain in dispute, and the FBI is investigating the matter. For a complete timeline of the arrest and to see the video itself, check out a New York Times rundown here. Due in large part to social media, Bland’s death has received a lot of attention since the video of her arrest was circulated. In general, though, it is rare for black women brutalized by police to receive this much attention. Public figures — including President Barack Obama — continue to overlook them in some cases: “The bottom line is that in too many places, black boys and black men, Latino boys and Latino men experience being treated differently under the law,” Obama said at the NAACP Annual Convention last week. While Bland’s death is an apparent suicide and is still under investigation, the extent of the problem of police killings is beginning to come into greater focus (a suicide is no less tragic, of course, and the rate jail suicides is extraordinarily high). One of the big issues is the fact that we have never had good data on exactly how often police officers kill civilians. But there are two new projects now keeping count in real time — and the numbers are astronomical. According to The Guardian, 637 people have been killed by police so far this year. The Washington Post, meanwhile, is tracking police shootings and counts 535 of those. That’s almost three people shot and killed by police every day this year. While neither of these are official counts, these numbers underscore that the problem goes far beyond the occasional high-profile incidents we write about and talk about. The elevation of the dialogue around these important issues – to the point where many presidential candidates are discussing them – is a very important step toward meaningful solutions. Efforts at legislation are being made as well. The Senate introduced a bill in early June that would require increased data collection on incidents involving use of force by or against law enforcement officers. In the wake of the Charleston shooting, House Democrats introduced a bill that would allow the CDC to study gun violence, which it has been banned from doing since 1996 thanks to the NRA. It was swiftly blocked by House Republicans. Our colleagues at the Center for American Progress have also put out recommendations to reform the criminal justice system, including to increase the federal government’s oversight of police conduct, implement ‘implicit bias’ training, collect better data, and increase the use of special prosecutors in police misconduct investigations. Given the new bills and involvement of the FBI in investigating Sandra Bland’s death, some of these are playing more of a role already. BOTTOM LINE: Sandra Bland should be alive today. Her tragic death illuminates a number of serious problems with our current system of criminal justice and with the way many black people –including black women– are treated in America. While these issues are raising in their importance to the highest levels of government, we can’t act quickly enough. Am I on another planet all of a sudden? What the **** is going on over there? Anyone live in Texas can enlighten me as to how this can happen in the 21st century? Is this not the equivalent of "You got a busted taillight/sorry officer/ you bein' smart boy/ No sir/ Get out of the car/ yes sir/ Look out he's got a gun!"?????????? __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-23-2015, 10:47 AM	#4 (permalink)
Xurtio Brain Licker Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 1,083	I agree on the national level. But there are certain places where the cops do seem to be out to get the blacks. A lot of it comes down to racial profiling. Blacks are more likely to be violent criminals in a lot of neighborhoods, so the cops suspect every black person on sight. __________________ H̓̇̅̉yͤ͏mͬ͂ͧn͑̽̽̌ͪ̑͐͟o̴͊̈́͑̇m͛͌̓ͦ̑aͫ̽ͤ̇n̅̎͐̒ͫ͐c̆ͯͫ̋ ̔̃́eͯ͒rͬͬ̄҉

07-23-2015, 10:27 AM	#3 (permalink)
~~John Wilkes Booth~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 2,235	i'm not trying to start something, or discredit this particular story, but honestly i think the cops vs black people narrative that the media has been pushing lately is really irresponsible and counter productive. i know that a lot of people probably mean well, and i am on board with the idea that the police need reforming. but the constant alarmist propaganda campaign that basically tells black people day in and day out that the cops are out to get them is potentially very destructive and at best it's just going to fan the flames. i think people should think more carefully about cause and effect before they launch these campaigns. they should think about what kinds of unintended consequences the campaigns might yield. and make no mistake about it: there is a campaign. it's not just a series of coincidental news stories. at this point, it's been made blatantly obvious that for whatever reason this is a media agenda.

07-23-2015, 11:08 AM	#5 (permalink)
~~John Wilkes Booth~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 2,235	there are a lot of issues on both sides that need addressing. an example of "racial profiling" can be that cops can't always tell who the drug dealer is cause it seems like everyone dresses and acts like a drug dealer. try reading this thread if you are interested KMC Forums - For Blacks Americans, US about as dangerous as Rwanda

07-23-2015, 12:40 PM	#8 (permalink)
~~John Wilkes Booth~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 2,235	"cops vs black people" was meant to be a satirical statement on the current media narrative