05-24-2016, 05:45 AM
Ferguson has accepted, on principle, the overall consent decree with the US Department of Justice. That is, in principle. In specifics? It isn't quite so easy, and Ferguson apparently feels they can wiggle a better deal out of the DOJ.
(The Full DOJ Release is Quoted Above)
This is another of the stories I found great use for my multiple monitors to watch from several perspectives at once. Basically, it was a focus for quite some time for me, especially given its proximity and how it touched my own local politics and issues in some ways. Having said that for perspective?
#1. I've accepted the DOJ result of the shooting being a clean one. Questionable...borderline..I think goes without question. However, a Department of Justice LOOKING for an outcome to hang the cop...couldn't find basis, and so I accept that as a valid outcome for those reasons.
#2. The St Louis area has powerful, deep and very dark racial issues which are unique to that metro area, recent enough to be within current living memory of enough people to matter, and recent enough for the worst of it historically, to be just one generation back for living memory.
#3. That was, and as far as I know, still IS one 'cracker white' police department, who has multiple officers from other agencies who sounded to have had a racially charged history in their own dealings with the public. This...in a city that has changed in demographics within just a generation or two, from quite white as a suburb of St Louis to something damn near inner city in some ways. Demographics of the community changed...the department didn't, and it seemed to uphold the "best" traditions of a racial past most of us in Missouri would prefer NOT become more a focus of national attention. (sigh)
A boy died, and he shouldn't have. He brought that on by his own actions...MORE SO...(but not entirely, IMO) than the cop who put him down. The cop is no longer in that department, and MUCH more has changed...most by some degree of force. Still...The Department he represented is very much there and a very BIG problem to the local community.
If Ferguson cannot take things the nice and easy way ....then I hope they get very thoroughly edumucated on how much this is NOT an "Obama Presidency thing" that will go away or improve at the end of the year. Oh....I'll party when Obama and his racist henchmen are gone ...and I'll still root for the DOJ to give that city a first class enema by force of law and whatever decency the DOJ still has to muster above politics.
Quite a thing... but.. as they say?
This is one time I'll actually enjoy seeing the full weight of the US Justice Dept end up having to do something the hard way. Whatever....Justice people get their result, either way. As the hicks in Ferguson are bound to realize. Of course, any up for re-election to any position within the city at all, I'd write off as needing new work just as quickly as the locals get a ballot before them to vote with.
Quote:Statement from Head of the Civil Rights Division Vanita Gupta Regarding Ferguson, Missouri, City Council Vote on Proposed Consent Decree
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, released the following statement regarding the Ferguson, Missouri, City Council vote on the proposed consent decree with the Department of Justice:
“The Ferguson City Council has attempted to unilaterally amend the negotiated agreement. Their vote to do so creates an unnecessary delay in the essential work to bring constitutional policing to the city, and marks an unfortunate outcome for concerned community members and Ferguson police officers. Both parties engaged in thoughtful negotiations over many months to create an agreement with cost-effective remedies that would ensure Ferguson brings policing and court practices in line with the Constitution. The agreement already negotiated by the department and the city will provide Ferguson residents a police department and municipal court that fully respects civil rights and operates free from racial discrimination.
“The Department of Justice will take the necessary legal actions to ensure that Ferguson’s policing and court practices comply with the Constitution and relevant federal laws.”
(The Full DOJ Release is Quoted Above)
This is another of the stories I found great use for my multiple monitors to watch from several perspectives at once. Basically, it was a focus for quite some time for me, especially given its proximity and how it touched my own local politics and issues in some ways. Having said that for perspective?
#1. I've accepted the DOJ result of the shooting being a clean one. Questionable...borderline..I think goes without question. However, a Department of Justice LOOKING for an outcome to hang the cop...couldn't find basis, and so I accept that as a valid outcome for those reasons.
#2. The St Louis area has powerful, deep and very dark racial issues which are unique to that metro area, recent enough to be within current living memory of enough people to matter, and recent enough for the worst of it historically, to be just one generation back for living memory.
#3. That was, and as far as I know, still IS one 'cracker white' police department, who has multiple officers from other agencies who sounded to have had a racially charged history in their own dealings with the public. This...in a city that has changed in demographics within just a generation or two, from quite white as a suburb of St Louis to something damn near inner city in some ways. Demographics of the community changed...the department didn't, and it seemed to uphold the "best" traditions of a racial past most of us in Missouri would prefer NOT become more a focus of national attention. (sigh)
A boy died, and he shouldn't have. He brought that on by his own actions...MORE SO...(but not entirely, IMO) than the cop who put him down. The cop is no longer in that department, and MUCH more has changed...most by some degree of force. Still...The Department he represented is very much there and a very BIG problem to the local community.
If Ferguson cannot take things the nice and easy way ....then I hope they get very thoroughly edumucated on how much this is NOT an "Obama Presidency thing" that will go away or improve at the end of the year. Oh....I'll party when Obama and his racist henchmen are gone ...and I'll still root for the DOJ to give that city a first class enema by force of law and whatever decency the DOJ still has to muster above politics.
Quite a thing... but.. as they say?
This is one time I'll actually enjoy seeing the full weight of the US Justice Dept end up having to do something the hard way. Whatever....Justice people get their result, either way. As the hicks in Ferguson are bound to realize. Of course, any up for re-election to any position within the city at all, I'd write off as needing new work just as quickly as the locals get a ballot before them to vote with.