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Militarized police vs. rich and poor

Hey, remember when millionaire Clive Bundy basically declared treason against the United States and had a bunch of armed white people pointing their guns at the police?  What a heck of a guy!  A true patriot, claimed Fox News.  Just a guy standing up for his rights;  someone the police would never think to shoot.

But if you’re a poor black kid who is upset because the police shot an unarmed friend of yours for no good reason, and you want to protest, we’ll send in the police after you, with the kind of gear that is usually reserved for trained members of our military.

Yeah, he's a fictional character, but the quote is appropriate.

Yeah, he’s a fictional character, but the quote is appropriate.

Arrest everyone (including innocent reporters) and sort it out afterwards, because, as one cop said, “They’re all animals.” Way to “serve and protect”, officer!

When a rich white kid is abused by the cops, lawsuits pop up. Poor kids don’t always have that alternative, and see no other choice but to riot and protest. It’s sad, but understandable. When you feel helpless, you lash out because that’s the only power you have.

Two days ago, I spoke about how important it is that people do not do that — it does not help your cause. However, that seems so minor in comparison to the abuses we’ve seen from the police. And this isn’t just hyperbole — people record things now, you know. Almost everyone is walking around with a high def camera in their phones, and it only takes seconds to upload those for everyone in the world to see. If you deny that the police are being abusive and overpowering, you’re just denying the obvious evidence.

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A cartoon tribute to Robin Williams

 

Editorial cartoon: Getting burned

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Yeah, that doesn’t help

Many residents of Ferguson, Missouri were rightly angered by the shooting of an unarmed man by police.  Protests ensued, and the FBI is taking a close look at it.

Protests are good.  Show your anger, demand answers.

But for God’s sake, stop the looting and vandalism.   looter No one looks at that and says, “Gee, those poor people must be right.  Burning businesses that had absolutely nothing to do with the situation and stealing from them surely is the best way to get back at police who have gotten out of hand.”

These people may have watched Spike Lee’s excellent “Do the Right Thing” and decided that this is how you protest.  (In the film, a young unarmed man is killed by police, after which the neighborhood riots and destroys local businesses).  But even that film didn’t say that the looting and destruction was a good thing that should be emulated.

Martin Luther King had it right:  Appealing to American’s sense of right and wrong is the way to get public opinion on your side, and that is what leads to change.  Violence only creates enemies out of those who could be your allies.

Editorial cartoon: Worst fears

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I’m against “gay marriage”

A couple I know announced this weekend that they’re getting married.  (Congratulations Kris and Emily!)  They’ve discussed how happy they are that they can do so now in Pennsylvania and how weird it will be to have a gay marriage in Amish country.

But I still am against “gay marriage.”  gay+marriage+generic081612

I don’t want them to get “gay married.”  I want them to get “married.”

When Heidi and I got married, we didn’t say “Hey, we’re getting straight married, everyone!”   Other friends of mine didn’t announce, “Guess what!  We’re getting inter-racially married!”

So what I’m really looking forward to is when people stop using the phrase “gay marriage.”  It’s just “marriage.”  I know it may take a while until we stop hearing that phrase, and that will be when it’s no longer news or different — and that’s what I’m looking forward to.

You’re getting married, and I couldn’t be happier for you!

 

Editorial cartoon: The Koch’s Secret of Success

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No Benghazi conspiracy, say Republicans

Hey, remember that terrible Benghazi conspiracy that was going to bring down the Obama administration?  The one that was an evil, illegal conspiracy because … well, they never actually explained that part, but it was certainly terrible because Fox News told us it was.

Well, guess what?  Here’s the funny thing.  The Republican-controlled Intelligence Committee of the House of Representatives finally concluded, after years of investigations, that golly gee, I guess there was no conspiracy after all!   benghazi_scandal

“This report shows that there was no intelligence failure surrounding the Benghazi attacks that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other brave Americans. Our investigation found the Intelligence Community warned about an increased threat environment, but did not have specific tactical warning of an attack before it happened, … which is consistent with testimony that the attacks appeared to be opportunistic.”  (from the Washington Post story of the report)

This comes after they lied about what previous reports had said, and after it was proven that the Obama administration was correct about the reason for the attack.

Aren’t you glad they spent millions of your dollars investigating nothing?  Well, don’t you worry your head, because prominent Republicans have vowed to continue to search for non-existent ghosts and continue to bash the President over this.   Fox News will continue to claim that there is a terrible scandal there somewhere and the only reason the rest of the media is ignoring it is because they are all subservient to Obama.  Benghazi will continue so long as it can be used to rile up the party faithful and get them to donate to the GOP.

Editorial cartoon: To serve and neglect

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Just because it’s historical doesn’t make it not religious

“But it’s a historical statue!” was the weak-ass defense of the legislators who placed a huge monument to the Ten Commandments in a courthouse in New Mexico.  “The fact that it promotes a specific God and religion to the exclusion of all others, and the fact that there are absolutely no other similar monuments anywhere else on this property is meaningless.”

Fortunately, a judge who actually took the time to read the Constitution (you know, that document all the legislators swore on their Holy Book to obey) said “Give me a break, what are you, stupid?“Ten Commandments Memorial Ordered Removed In Alabama

Okay, that’s not a direct quote, but you get the gist.

We’ve been through this many times before, and will continue to go through it again and again as Christians in America think that since they are the majority religion, everyone else can just suck it up.  And then when people say, “Hey, you know, I don’t really think this is allowed under the Constitution” and fight back, the Christians respond that we’re waging a War on Christianity.

Trust me, if Muslims, Hindu, Jews or Wiccans were doing this, it will still violate the Constitution.  That’s how it works, you see.

You want a monument to the Ten Commandments?  Fine, put it on your own property.  But public property belongs to all of us, which means you can’t favor one and not the others.  This is why even Satanists have been able to fight to get equal time on public property.

Don’t like it?  Then stop doing it.  Prohibit all religious symbols on public property and there’s no problem.