Re: Excessive Use of Force, Senseless Shooting....

My thoughts are similar to yours. After the choking death n NYC I started thinking that perhaps the issue isn't black verses white but rather a reaction to over-violent and overzealous police actions. Black people may have had more run-ins with the police. But I think the victim could as easily have been of any race.

I think that a big part of the problem is over-militarization of the police. And by that I 'm not just referring to excessive weapons but to an attitude where we, the public; are at best suspect and at worst "the enemy". My opinion is that individual police and law enforcement people are a mix. I assume and believe that most are decent and reasonable. But a few are obviously as violent and sick as the criminals they deal with. When the justice system doesn't correct this then police can act as if they are little tin Gods.

Part of the problem is the excessive interrelationship between prosecutors and the police which results in prosecutors turning a blnd eye to obvious police misconduct because they work with the police on a daily basis. As one comentor said "A DA could indict a ham sandwich" with a grand jury since they control what information is presented. This hand-in-glove relationship between the prosecutor and the police force prevents the legal system from bringing members of the police force to justice who gave gone over the line - And the police know this and count on it.

Chazzz

You have my permission to post this.

As I replied to Chazzz:

There is also this to consider: In NYC the federal, state and local taxes on a package of cigarettes total a whopping $6 per pack. The high pack price has made the practice of selling single cigarettes, aka "loosies", grow. The higher taxes were justified as a means to discourage the use of tobacco. True or not the government glady took in and spent the money and came to depend on it. The loss of tax revenue plus complaints by merchants is what led to the police task force to cut down sales of "loosies". So, a BS law which should have resulted in a citation at most led to the unwarranted death of the guy in NYC. Yeah, he should have obeyed the police and not resisted - but his resistance was minor, he was not violent, and it appeared to me that just a bit more reasoning would have talked him down. Once he was on the ground it is simply inexcusable that he could have complained and pleaded ELEVEN times about breathing problems to no avail and end up losing his life.