Open Sesame 07/09/16

I said that you were never to kill anyone, and I meant it.

I'd intended to carry on here with this piece, fulminating about Indian cases I have known. But doing so necessarily involves slagging members of law enforcement. And the Americans, at present, they are even more nutso around cops, than is usual. And so, tonight, I just don't feel like contributing any fresh meat. To the Colloseum.

Because on Tuesday, Baton Rouge police officers, responding to a report of a hustle man with a gun, they shot him dead—though Louisiana is one of many deranged states in the nation in which people may legally wander the land bristling with firearms, and it appears the dead man, he never threateningly went for said weapon.

Baton Rouge, it has long been known as a racist hog wallow, "notorious for its brutal treatment of black people"; one of the Baton Rouge cops who took Alton Sterling's life, he had already shot hisself a black man.

Then, on Wednesday, a couple of Minnesota cops, they determined a motorist had "robber nostrils," and so effected a traffic stop, courtesy of the car's "broken taillight." While Sterling, because he apparently had a criminal record as a felon, and was currently on probation, may not have been legally entitled to carry a weapon, not so with Philando Castile, the bearer of the robber nostrils, who informed the officers who asked him to produce license and registration, that he possessed a concealed-carry permit, and the firearm that went with it.

They shot him dead. Because it doesn't matter what any law book says. In the United States, a black man is allowed to carry, and use, a firearm only if: (1) he is duly micah-x-johnson-2.jpgenrolled as a serial killer in the United States military; and/or (2) he intends, and then uses, the firearm but on other black people. Otherwise, a black man's duty is to receive bullets. Not carry, much less—god no—fire, them.

Finally, on Thursday, Micah Johnson, deliberately programmed to be a serial killer in the United States military, and then, as is usual, not deprogrammed when discharged, shot fourteen people in Dallas, killing five of them, all of the latter police officers. Because Texas, it is another deranged state, wherein people may stride the streets openly bearing killing machines, a black man seen walking along with a rifle in a Black Lives Matter demonstration was initially identified as the wanted gunman; meanwhile, the ever-reliable Wikipedia, it identified the shooter as an infielder in the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball organization.

The actual shooter, Mr. Johnson, who is no longer with us, because the police got tired of "negotiating" with him, and so blew him up with a bomb, delivered via robot, it is said that he conceived an Anger, over black people being made dead by police officers, and so decided to hunt him up, some white cops.

Proving that, as always, these sorts of "revenge" killings, they are always of duncecaps, Johnson, he really stepped on his dick, because his chosen targets, members of the Dallas Police Department, they were of a department that in recent years has actually worked to behave more like humans.

For instance, the officers assigned to the Black Lives Matter march, which Johnson proceeded to shoot up, they were not all feared-up in the usual robocop armor. So as to appear to the marchers less intimidating.

Bet that won't happen again. Anytime soon. Anywhere.

All Johnson has done, is to drive law-enforcement officers, all across the land, deeper into fear, into us-against-them land. Everyone, as a consequence, will suffer. Cops, stewing in fear, they will now be more likely to shoot hustle men, mouth-bomb-robot-s3.jpgthose with robber nostrils. Not less.

And, of course, he has opened the floodgates, enabling every filthy stinking racist, with a mouth and a bullhorn, to drown the nation, in a tsunami of sewage.

The hideous schweinhund The Hairball, he channeled his forebear, Richard Nixon, in roaring that "we must restore law and order"; he then tried to arrange a photo op, upon the bodies of the dead cops, at an NYC precinct house. Meanwhile, one of his sperm, Donald Hairball Jr., merrily twitted out eruptions from the pustule Joe Walsh, former congressman, hallucinating that Black Lives Matter people want cops to be dead. Racist tube cretins like The Eggman (headline: "Black Lives Kills Four Police Officers") and Anus Jones ("Black Lives Matter Supporters Celebrate Murder of Dallas Cops"), they likewise tarred BLM.

Others went straight for The Kenyan. Racist lard-tub Runt Limprod, he hustled on to his show racist "researcher" Heather MacDonald, to giddily diddle her most recent dingbat tome, The War On Cops; the two then circle-jerked about how this war is waged straight from the top, from the sinister flaring robber nostrils of The Kenyan. William Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations, meanwhile flapped down to Klan central, a.k.a. Fox News, to further ululate about The Kenyan jihading a "war on cops." Klan News then breathlessly reported that the head of the Cleveland police union, he broke down and wept openly, sobbing that his officers, they could not possibly survive the upcoming Republican National Convention in that city, unless they are at once issued tanks, waterboards, and the sorts of flamethrowers the Chinese use to seal people up in the caves of occupied Xinjiang.

As Mister Senor Love Daddy, he says in Spike Lee's true-life documentary film Do The Right Thing:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jagGVq_GmUw]

As he also says:

My people. My people. What can I say? Say what I can. I saw it, but I didn't believe it. I didn't believe it, what I saw. Are we gonna live together? Together, are we gonna live?

WAKE UP!

Alton Sterling, he does not need to be dead. Philando Castile: does not need to be dead. Micah Johnson: should not be dead. And neither should, dead, be, the five police officers, that he killed.

Nobody should be dead. Nobody should be killed.

Everything that lives: is holy. And until people figure that out, first, they're not getting anywhere. At all.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-97XNCyAm5c]

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riverlover's picture

I guess there were micro-ambushes yesterday, as reported in various new sources that I was trying to ignore. Cop gets called to house and occupant shoots cop. Small details missing. But of course people with firearms are afraid now. Cause the TV tells them so.

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Bisbonian's picture

They have been acting as if they are above the law for so long, they have created a situation where people will seek to take the law into their own hands. Completely predictable.

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

martianexpatriate's picture

the issue of gun-control and the issue of cop over-reaction. We live in this most heavily armed society in the world by far, and that effects the reality that police live in.

This reality has gotten worse for decades, and it means that every time a police officer stops someone they have to worry that he will have a gun and it may show up out of nowhere.

I agree with you that they've learned to do things that cannot be allowed, but this is a problem that has been developing for a long time. We cannot ignore the factors that lead to it.

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Bisbonian's picture

I just think that they have, by their actions, guaranteed they will not only be showing up, but also be used.

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

martianexpatriate's picture

Morning all. I slept well last night. My sleep seems to be improving over time.

I've been trying to convince some of the older people who live at the assistare care facility to get out of their rooms, and I finally succeeded. I'm going to show one Bridge of Spies this morning. Hopefully it will go well. I think people spend so much time in their rooms it isn't good for them here, but it's actually hard to convince people to get out once they've been alone for a long time.

The social activities that they are supposed to hold in these places seem almost abandoned. There are still one or two things they do during the week, but that's all. I don't really blame the people who work here. They are working three 12-hour shifts a week, giving them 36 hours at barely above minimum wage. They are working constantly throughout their shift. Things have been structured so there is no way they can do everything they really ought to do. The result is a great many very lonely people. Disassociation can get pretty extreme in surroundings like this.

Hopefully I'll be able to do what I'm doing today again.

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riverlover's picture

that you could morph into a director of activities. If you feel that the general level of even neighborly connectedness is lacking, and it is dragging you down into sadness, whee-o! Try it out, you can abandon later if you can draw some more out. Good luck! Stuff you do is novel to many.

Be well, mxp. I mean it.

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martianexpatriate's picture

directing activities for others isn't something that comes naturally to me. I think I'm getting better at it though.

While I was in the apartment, and then the hotel it became very hard for me to speak to people face to face. Maybe this will help them feel active, and help me to learn to do that again.

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riverlover's picture

Pendulum swinging? I always feel better just to have had friendly chats with unknown people. Maybe more oxytocin then.

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Bisbonian's picture

called The Arthritis Brothers. A trio; fiddle, banjo, and guitar/singer. We have standing gigs (no pay, no tips, just for fun) at four assisted living facilities in Sierra Vista (25 miles from me...which is why I only do it when the other banjo player is sick) every Monday morning...first Monday at this home, second Monday at that one, etc. We play songs they grew up with, know all the words, sing along. "My Darling Clementine", "Yellow Rose of Texas", "Coming 'Round the Mountain", etc. We actually have enough material for three hours (we do that on the streets in Tombstone), but an hour at a time is about all the homes can take.

We can't come to yours, but you might be able to find a non-professional band in your area that might do the same sort of thing, just for the fun of it. The residents love it though, sing along if able, ask us the same corny questions each week, to which they get the same corny answers. It's a routine they look forward to and enjoy.

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

hecate's picture

your band in one of the airplanes to wherever is the Martian.

This fellow below, he figured out how to make his banjo light up.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NvVkNjJhBk]

Being an old hippie (now that's an oxymoron), I had a vision of what it would be like to have lights in my banjo that I could engage in the middle of a song. My son knows a lot about electricity, and how to use it. I had the concept, he had the design. He presented me with the product for Father's Day, 2008. I connected the string of of over 40 LEDs to a 4 cell AA battery pack, and a switch located at the heel of the neck. I needed something to liven up my drab playing (kidding).

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Bisbonian's picture

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

Deja's picture

He was given a banjo (fretted) by my brother. That night, while my baby bro and I were drinking, cutting up, my brother asked, "Do you hear that?"

My son was banging away, never having laid hands on a banjo before. His musical abilities are opposite of mine, thank goodness!

Of course, I'm blaming it on chicken talons.

Biggrin

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hecate's picture

Trust you to already know about the glowing. ; )

I also have that problem: "The question is always: how do I keep my head dry? How do I keep my head from changing so much?"

I'm thinking you could combine your passions, and build a banjo that flies.

You could ride around on it. Just avoid Norad. And people who might think you're a witch.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR4AXwWMBhc]

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Bisbonian's picture

Next month, I am taking the kayak I spent the last year building on a spin around Puget Sound, for several days. Lots of planning, campsite reservations, parking permits, packing, re-packing. My banjo building has been on hiatus for more than a year.

But a flying banjo? Okay. I swear there are already people that think I am a witch.

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

Deja's picture

Your post made me smile. Good on you, and the band.

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Damnit Janet's picture

A rant directed at no one here: Fuck your "All Lives Matter" non-response.

First off, if that was the case, if the people saying, "all lives matter" then they would be upset that black, brown, female, gay and disabled lives don't seem to matter. Ammiright?

If you truly believed that All Lives Matter, then you'd be marching in the streets because of the apparent lack of mattering and lack of equality and the uptick in public executions, violence and police brutality.

All lives matter??!!!

They should. But the whole fucking point is: They don't. And that's what we want to solve.

Thanks guys.

edit: phonetic typoing

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"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison

Deja's picture

He just said on NPR that the gun in the car in Minnesota caused the shooting.

Um, no! A trigger happy, scared of the black man cop caused the murder.

But let's say he's right. Wtf caused Michael Brown to be gunned down? What about Walker Scott shot in the back, running away? No guns on either of them, oh wise Mr President. Oh, I forgot, Brown was a doped up thug. What about Scott? What was the 'blame the victim' excuse for his murder?

This is bullshit and it's disgusting!

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Shahryar's picture

black men being shot by police: "troubling"
police being shot by a black man: "despicable"

on torture: "don't be sanctimonious. Those folks had a hard job"

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hecate's picture

is interesting: the firearm-fondlers of the NRA have commenced a circular firing squad over LaPierre's weak-sperm response to concealed-carrier Castile's killing: "It is important for the NRA not to comment while the investigation is ongoing."

The NRA faces an internal division as its members argue the group did not do enough to defend gun owners' rights by speaking out on behalf of Castile.

The delay in addressing Castile's death, as well as the promptness with which the NRA spoke out after the Dallas shooting, has prompted complaints of a double standard in the way the organization defends gun owners.

"Your lack of message concerning the Castile case disappoints me and makes me question my membership," wrote one man, Marco Gallologic, on the NRA's Facebook page. "What do I pay fees for if you do not represent gun owners and our rights?"

"Your silence is causing NRA members such as myself to question/wonder what exactly you do and don't stand for," another man, Bruce Johnston, wrote.

"Philando Castile had a valid concealed weapons permit but was shot and killed," wrote Dennis Gesker on Facebook. "As an NRA member I urge you to take a strong position in favor of this man."

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Deja's picture

If so, his money is fine, but defend him? Nahhh.

Really weird. A gun killed the cops in Dallas. A gun killed Castile. And they come out against killing cops, even with their idols (someone should remind them of the idolatry commandment, because I'm sure they call themselves Christians), but I guess an alleged broken tail light constitutes justification for death by gun (if used by white* cop against black, scary thug).

Gawd!

*Edit CORRECTION: I just saw that the murdering cop was Hispanic. Don't know if that falls into the category of White Hispanic or Non White Hispanic, so I added this.

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enhydra lutris's picture

was a very nice respite.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

but I understand people react differently to tragedies. My emotions are so raw it hurts. Last night was bad ,no one got hurt but heavy police presence was scary. I going back to the rally right now.
The only way these killings will stop is when bad cops realize they cannot get away with murder just because they have a badge! This city will explode if they get away with it again.

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" El pueblo unido jamás será vencido. The people united will never be defeated "

hecate's picture

been getting away with it in Baton Rouge for decades. Centuries, actually. It's apparently city policy. And it hasn't been a secret.

The Baton Rouge Police Department—like so many other departments across the country—is notorious for its brutal treatment of black people. And the confrontation that ensued between Sterling and Officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II should be discussed within its proper context. The Baton Rouge Police Department has a history of brutality against black people.

Many law enforcement officials came to Louisiana immediately after Hurricane Katrina to provide reinforcements, and one state trooper from Michigan said Baton Rouge police attempted to thank him for his help by letting him "beat down" a prisoner. A trooper from New Mexico wrote a letter to the Baton Rouge police expressing the concerns of seven New Mexico troopers and five Michigan troopers that Baton Rouge police were engaging in racially motivated enforcement, that they were physically abusing prisoners and the public and that they were stopping, questioning and searching people without any legal justification.

In case you weren't paying attention, I'll repeat it: The people accusing Baton Rouge police of brutality and racism were other law enforcement officials. And, yet, the general response from Baton Rouge was that those outside officers didn't know what they were talking about. An attorney for the Baton Rouge police union said all the stops the outside troopers criticized were legal. Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden, a black man, said that he had heard of looting in New Orleans and was determined not to have any such thing in Baton Rouge.

The visiting troopers say Baton Rouge police told them that they were under orders to be so hard on New Orleans evacuees that they'd decide against settling in Baton Rouge.

In 2014, a 15-year-veteran of the force resigned after a series of racist text messages were attributed to him. Michael Elsbury, who routinely patrolled an area around Southern University, resigned as the department was looking into text messages that called black people 3605239E00000578-0-Howie_Lake_II-a-16_1467903841590.jpgmonkeys (and worse) and expressed pleasure "in arresting those thugs with their saggy pants."

In April 2016 we saw a video of a 22-year veteran of the Baton Rouge force repeatedly punching a teenager in the back of the head as other officers held the teenager on the ground.

So let's not look at Sterling's death as an isolated incident.

We should all be thankful that Baton Rouge police aren't going to be investigating the actions of Baton Rouge police. (Like they investigated themselves and found themselves innocent of racism and brutality when outside officers who were deployed after Katrina expressed horror at what they saw.)

The two officers involved in the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling on Monday have been investigated—and cleared—five times between them in their collective seven years working for the Baton Rouge police department.

Blane Salamoni was accused last August of hitting a man while arresting him. A month earlier, he was accused of failing to follow orders after using a Taser in the course of pursuing a suspect.

Lake, who has been with the department since 2013, has been investigated twice for excessive force in connection with two incidents in 2014. In August, he was accused of injuring a 15-year-old boy while arresting him. Lake was also investigated in connection with the shooting that December of 28-year-old Kevin Knight, who opened fire on Lake and other officers after crashing his car during a pursuit.

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shaharazade's picture

'Everything that lives: is holy. And until people figure that out, first, they're not getting anywhere. At all.'

As for not slagging the police, why not? Even though the Dallas cops did not don their robocap suits doesn't mean a damn thing when you look at what the pigs are doing across this country to black people. Police optics and PR does not disguise their brutal intent and the fact that they can kill you regardless of their garb and friendly face.

Blow back is inevitable when everything is a war on.... Killing everything that lives is what this country is about it's 'security' and in our national interest's. They have armed people to the hilt because bearing arms is a sacred right. If you fear for your life it's not a crime for cops to kill you dead. In Florida civilian's can join in and kill each other if they think they are being threatened.

The run amuck killer of the cops was a military trained killer and so was one of the cops he killed. Our society glorifies and calls mass killers heroes. They have brought the endless bloody war on terra home and call it law and order, protecting der homeland and keeping you and your stuff safe. Sell a loosey and your a lawless thug that need to be brought to heel by choking to death.

The military cannot deprogram any human they have turned into a killing machine, they have literally been dehumanized and deranged to the point where killing people and unspeakable acts of brutality is an act of valor. Patriotic torturer's? They give you medals and decorate you for your service.

You cannot restore humanity after you destroy and kill it, even if the person is still alive and walking around. I lived in Baltimore decades ago and even then there were more cop cars on the streets then regular cars. The people in power that deploy these killers here and globally to keep the peace and protect us are lawless and humans everywhere should not accept this as order. As for the law we have no law it's a tool they took back to keep us safe. No justice no peace.

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hecate's picture

about not wanting to add my own slag to the heap is that there is at present already enough fulminating about cop badnesses out there. And, like Mister Senor Love Daddy says, everybody needs to take a chill. I'll return to it when people have moved on, forgotten all about it, and everything is back to normal: that is, all Mad Bomber, all the time. : /

And here's a song, back atcha. ; )

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqqWfsIxbPo]

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riverlover's picture

on a gigantic grinding wheel. Resist the attempts to wear us down! For many like me, that may require a few days' off, it all makes me tired and unhappy.

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shaharazade's picture

damn machine for a few days, it's nothing but lies, lies and damn lies. Just for entertainment I bookmarked DuckDuckGo on my toolbar next to google to compare what kind of results I got for a search. It blew my mind, CNN was not the first result for my political query.

The google programs the search to play dumb, like Spill Chicken. Google gives you the run around as they are in cahoots with the Brave New World'ers and want every ones reality to be google glasses strapped on the face of humanity forever. Who better to play god as the head Monsanto dude once said on my TV.

Where's the people here who used to talk about something besides The Mad Bomber vs. The Hairball. Democrat's to be or not to be? What happened to Jaye Ray and Gerrit? I don't like this turn of events on my lawn one bit. Your an interesting duck as your a science head who is an aware caring mensch. You care you dare to step outside the data line. It makes me mad and sad, not to mention mean as a junkyard dog.

I'm glad your a keeper of your forest. I keep my little tiny plot the best I can. Will it help? It does seem to draw bee's and bugs and critters not human.

Nobody even those of us aware knows whats going to happen. For me too much time on the net and 'now people just get uglier and I've lost all sense of time' . Jbou was right it burns your time. I don't have that much time left to spend it speculating on the worst evil vs, the better evil or whatever. I'm a ideological purist, that's right and more people need to say so what does that mean you fool. Ideology what is that fer god sake.

A little rant in your general direction. Think i will unwire myself a bit. I am addicted to this false real connection. However Tuesdays and Saturdays and Wednesdays OT's are okay they do not fuel my insanity. Well.... I'm glad you love the rivers are alive and run through us all if we let them. As I'm on a Rolling Stones roll.

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hecate's picture

for what makes you cranky.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JISfO7YC2xA]

A stone for what doesn't.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvkMRnsfmyU]

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riverlover's picture

Too much antidepressant. Tomorrow is the sixth anniversary of my husband's death. No lionizing, but it makes me edgy, don't even imagine. Talking with a female soulmate and favorite dancing partner is guilty satisfying because her life seems worse than mine. And neither of us thrive on drama.

A rainstorm today, all 0.2" of it, first in a damn month. Seems to have broken my tallest and blossoming tomato. No more virtual rain until Bastille Day, my virtual wedding anniversary. Yes, he died 4 days before our 26th(?) 27th(?) year of wedded existence. 7 years after we coupled. When he promised to follow me, I thought "I love him less than he, I". Things were scrambled at the end, love was not a word I can utter about that.

Best to you.

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featheredsprite's picture

[[hug]]

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Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.