Blackburn Loves The Camera; Emptiness To The Core

 Small image for a small person. Small as a human being.  

We can only imagine any secret GOP meetings are an exercise in futility. The party has no empathy for people, thus it is impossible to change the direction of its ‘sails’. 

If you want to see one of the GOP’s major mouthpieces hang around for a few minutes and watch the embedded video.

Marsha Blackburn (R) TN. speaks about her opposition to all things rational, compassionate and humane.

There is one very notable point in the six plus minutes of pure drivel from Blackburn. She reveals that she was raised in Mississippi!  The rest of the interview is typical Blackburn. She speaks of earning $2.15 per hour (Back in ancient history as she forgets her age I suppose) and how the minimum wage should move to $9.00 per hour. She also states that low wages are, OK.  Blackburn may not realize that adults work in minimum wage jobs. 

While corporations and companies are earning at record levels, she feels low wages are fine.  The Tennessee ‘mouthpiece” also has a problem with the prospect of required medical coverage for employees who work 30 hours or more per week. 

MSNBC, Chuck Todd

What is it about the GOP the left it without a heart?

Let me close with something from the Ed Show. If you do not have time for the full 13:13 minutes, skip through the segment. But, it is a good one and it shows the extent to which the GOP is not “of the people”.

Christopher Jordan Dorner: "Hero", "Murderer", "Victim", "Nat Turner", Or Something Else?

  
These people were not LAPD management…

As the nation moves away from the case of a person who chose his own “way-out”, allow a few words from one who suffers from a dichotomy over the last ten days.

Various forms of mental deterioration and a “shelf of murderers.”

Aurora murderer

Sandy Hook murderer

I am unbiased in my view that Dorner “flipped” to a state of mind that touched into the irrational and mentally disturbed. He touched into the irrational because, he did not seem to be a permanent resident denizen of the insane as was the case of the Colorado theater murderer. Doner was a much different case of mental deterioration.   His actions appeared to resemble the acts the equally insane Sandy Hook murderer.  Yet, each exhibition of insanity were as different as day and night. No one kills five to six year old children. It just does not happen! 

I also do not place Dorner in the same ‘mental’ bag as Timothy Mcveigh and Terry Nichols (Oklahoma Bombing perpetrators).

   
                             Murderers. 

Dorner shared one fact with Ted Kaczynski, Ph.D, the “Unabomber”: A manifesto. Kadczynski and Dorner also appeared to have shared deep rooted and long developing mental deterioration with associated desire to harm other people.

Murderer, Maimer and Terrorist

Despite differences in the listed perpetrators, I place Dorner on that same shelf of shame: Murderers. 

Wayne LaPierre’s (NRA) “The only way to deal with a bad guy with a guy, is a good guy with a gun.” Really?

Murderers all and with varying degrees of mental deterioration.

Dorner’s Manifesto linked 
____________________________

LAPD (And other large city Police Departments)

More after the break

As a teenager, I witnessed the aftermath (blood in the middle of a street) from a nightstick beating death administered by two police officers.  It was a chilling experience for an inner city teenager. Yet, I was spared the real horror. Other neighborhood denizens (Adults, children and teenagers  actually witnessed the beating death.  

It is within my scope of cognizance to believe the majority of you have never had similar experiences and many of you may feel all (or the vast majority of) police offers are ‘the good guys”. “All” for us means we are talking in absolutes. If we have to deal in absolutes with no room for differences in police officers as human beings, we say your perception is way off-base.  Of course, the majority of police officers are not ‘beasts of brute”. Nor are they people who Dorner wrote were harder on people of their own race for sake of ‘acceptance’ into the club of the ‘blue, brown or black’ uniform. The Mayor of Los Angeles, just today, spoke on MSNBC about his police department as 75% people of color (maybe the mayor included gender in the more global scope of diversity).  His implication was, Dorner’s accusations may be less credible than written in his manifesto. While he was snot mayor during the period Dorner claims he was abused by the LAPD, he made the case of changing demographics to lessen the probability of Dorner’s accusations.  Dorner’s Manifesto struck home like being hit with a baseball bat to the head as he described the cop who is harder and more abusive of citizens of his or her own race. It was hard-hitting in its depiction and as human as ‘corporate butt-sucking’ for promotional advantage. It is real!

Law enforcement is a critical entity in all nations, even among tribes people and people who live isolated pristine clannish lives. Law enforcement fails society when it allows examples of Dorner’s alleged observation of brutality of people the cop places in custody. We know that such abuse happens, even if Dorner’s assertions cannot now be proven as accurate.  A well-known example is depicted below.  The victim is a woman!

  

BIG MAN Police Officer Edward Krawetz

The perpetrator (Krawetz) is as common a criminal as any thug in any community in the United States. The word “thug” on The Progressive Influence  in no way takes on the common ‘code’ of young black man.  Thugs reside in all communities and since there are many more whites in the nation than minorities, I can extrapolate there are more non-minority thugs than minority thugs.  In any case the thug officer’s actions against the handcuffed woman led to department discipline:   The officer’s sentence. 

Officer Krawetz did not go to prison, but was ordered into counseling and given a 10-year suspension by the judge.

What happens if the camera had not caught the brutality?  How would the department deal with the officer had the woman died from a broken neck or terminal head trauma?  

The images above when coupled with regular “caught on camera” acts from police against citizens give credence to Dorner’s claims. Specifically, his claims of an initial incident that he alleged led to his termination from the LAPD.  His claims were probably based in fact, and when mixed with a mind that appears to have been a tortured mind, well…….. 

1960s

I know a police academy candidate who is working his way towards graduation.  The guy once told me that if he could take a .50 Caliber Machine gun and go through the entirety of a predominant African-American part of our city firing his weapon, he would do so. He told me that without hesitation and without malice.

  

2011

Charges of brutality and racism against the LAPD goes without surprise.  I have written previously about LAPD’s Mark Fuhrman (OJ Simpson fame and the LAPD “N” word cop), and the Rodney King beating (also well known due to video technology), speaks to the existential threat from police officers. The case of Amadou Bailo Diallo in New York City is another case of extreme police brutality.  As he reached for his wallet to prove his identity he was shot 19 times.

WIKI

Amadou Bailo Diallo (September 2, 1975 – February 4, 1999) was a 23-year-old immigrant from Guinea who was shot and killed in New York City on February 4, 1999 by four New York City Police Department plain-clothed officers: Sean Carroll, Richard Murphy, Edward McMellon and Kenneth Boss, who fired a combined total of 41 shots, 19 of which struck Diallo, outside 1157 Wheeler Avenue in the Soundview section of The Bronx. The four were part of the now-defunct Street Crimes Unit. All four officers were acquitted at trial in Albany, New York.^[1]

The following graphics illustrate the prospect that Dorner was factually bothered by observation of abuse in LAPD. 

Click for larger view

Click graphic for larger view 

Infographic source

The data is there, Dorner’s claims of whistle blowing abuse is documented (in his writings), and police brutality is not subsiding. It is a real problem!

_________________

You could tell from the beginning to this piece, there was a “but” coming as you read about police brutality.

The Great “But”

What contributed to so very many people finding Dorner’s demise that of a fallen “Robin Hood“, “a hero” “a modern day Nat Turner” or with a great deal of disappointment, a Quentin Tarantino “Django Unchained“? The question is one that should be explored far more deeply than I can argumentatively passel  in this screed.  I will, however, discuss a few points.  

First, Dorner’s psyche before his self-declared commencement of issues that aggrieved him, is not available for scrutiny.  His mother and very intimate friends may know his psyche, but we do not.  Therefore, we are observing a tragedy that is framed in the context of Dorner himself without benefit of observation of his mindset.  Any cognitive assimilation of information with an intent to draw an opinion is not available. If the full picture is not available how can we draw together a 360 degree image for proper framing. We cannot!

Second, Dorner’s stated grievances appear in his manifesto as very specific and focuses mostly on LAPD management including a lawyer who defended him during his case against termination. Who were his first victims?  The daughter of the legal defender (an LAPD Police Dept. managers, I believe.) and her fiance a young African-American. One of Dorner’s grievances against the LAPD was a being call a “nigger”.  A reprehensible and offensive act, but one not at all uncommon for black people who live in America. After all,  we live in an “exceptional” nation, right?  Thus, Dorner shows his mental state was soiled well beyond simple retribution against those he alleges wronged him.  The key word there was “him”.  Dorner claims a heightened case of anger by being called the “N” Word, yet his first act of vengeance is to kill two innocents ,one of which is factually African-American. He also via that shooting took his deteriorated mental state well beyond vengeance against that one particular family.  What of that young man’s family, does anyone care?   

The shooter then indiscriminately and without warning ambushed a patrol car with two officers as passengers.  Within hours, members of the LAPD, mistakes a vehicle for that of Dorner, and they open fire. Inexcusable in every sense, but it appears to me yet another act framed by Dorner.  The shooter’s death toll is not at three, with one Innocent woman wounded by LAPD.  Not one LAPD Police Department Manager has been attacked or even accosted by the alleged avenging marauder. 

On a tertiary basis, Dorner’s Manifesto is laden with machismo, bravado, lucid examples of request to the media and immediate bouncing back to a mental state of “I am not going to live through this” (my words). He declared war on LAPD with full control over when he would start his attack. His planning was obviously developed with as much efficacy as  George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Condi Rice and their false claims of WMD. Problem for Dorner, his appearance of planning was nothing more than running-up to the wilderness in mid winter with a geography that included snow.  (Footprints, cold, little water and no serious opportunity to sustain life for a long period. Dorner clearly never studied The Art of War (an ancient Chinese military treatise attributed to Sun Tzu (also referred to as “Sun Wu” and “Sunzi”). 

After reports of  tweaking his assault rifle to that of fully automatic, he killed yet another low enforcement officer (with two kids, the oldest is seven years old). His death toll i snow four and not one of those he alleged treated him unfairly have even been addressed by Dorner. 

I must ask, where is the “hero”? Where is the often repeated in social media, “Django Unchained”?  Where is Robin Hood beyond Dorner’s choice of refugee in a wooded area? There is no need to visit the legacy of Nat Turner. Dorner’s torment while unacceptable and abusive, quite probably, if true, does not in any way induce mental images of a man fighting injustice.

And, I believe there-in lies the high-level of empathy and sympathy for Dorner.  Centuries of racial oppression against people via slavery has most certainly contributed to a mindset of ‘anyone busting free’ gets applause. From slavery through Jim Crow to modern-day GOP voter suppression, African-Americans find opportunity to ‘strike-back’ as something that garners pride. I should state that I am reading remarks from people who are not African-American with equal anger towards the police in this case and empathy for Dorner.  It is not impossible for me to imagine the fact that Dorner died in a cabin set ablaze (accidently or intentional), could induce visions of lynchings prevalent in African-American history. With every case of police brutality, some people are inseminated with the thought of getting even. If you are not bothered by the imagery of that cop kicking a handcuffed woman in the head, you are lost to humanity.

“Getting even” to the point of viewing Dorner as some sort of hero despite his killing spree which took the lives of a bunch of innocents is very very sad and callous. Families are mourning the outcome of his personal vendetta.  

 I read a comment in response to a person who cannot find good in Dorner’s rampage was along this line. “Did you read his story”?  I can only say “wow”. The person who wrote that is so involved in some form of retribution he/she cannot see that Dorner’s words are from a man who was very very troubled and was no longer mentally stable.

The title of this piecereflects my sentiments, I do not find Christopher Dorner a “victim”, I find him a “murderer”. 

And yes, police brutality disgusting and it is on the increase, not decreasing. As with Amadou Bailo Diallo with acquittal of all shooters and Police Officer Edward Krawetz (the kicking cop) with a veritable hand slap, It is not a reach to see how some of those I have criticize could feel Dorner sent an important message.  But, a message to whom and to what end?

UPDATE

The following article from Charles Blow of the New York Times most satisfying.  Linked.

The Daily GOP Ignominious: Validation of McCain’s 2008 Defeat

            


Now that John McCain has come clean on the full scope of his elderly childishness it should be obvious our nation is fortunate he was never really close to being our 44th President. 

McCain’s rationale for leading a “delay” in confirming Chuck Hagel as Secretary of State is proof positive he is “lost in space”. McCain consistently shows his hatred of his presidential campaign lose in 2008. His actions illustrate a need to consider retiring from the US Senate. 

CNN Blog “Republicans stall Hagel nomination“

McCain, R-Arizona, said Thursday evening on Fox News that Republicans approach to the Hagel vote was colored by past experiences. 

“To be honest with you … it goes back to [that] there’s a lot of ill will towards Senator Hagel because when he was a Republican, he attacked President Bush mercilessly and [said] he was the worst president since Herbert Hoover and said the surge was the worst blunder since the Vietnam War, which was nonsense,” McCain said. “He was anti-his own party and people. People don’t forget that.”

“People don’t forget…“!  Does that not answer the prospect that McCain has become a ‘king of resistance”  to Obama based in “Not forgetting?”  A few points about recent US history is noteworthy.  First, George W. Bush and the GOP took this nation to the darkness   of an economic collapse  Bush and his liars denied the Great Recession until after the 2008 General Election. Bush and another set of liars and deniers took this nation to war for no reason beyond his personal desire to attack Saddam Hussein.  He was a president who administered hiding war expenditures in federal budgets.   Ultimately, (and most telling)  Bush was hidden, by his own party,  from the face of the Earth during the last two General Elections.  How dare McCain and accompany ignore doing the right thing to pursue belated reactionary punishment against Chuck Hagel. 

Second, would someone direct McCain to information that the “SURGE” is not touted by all as some glowing military success? The elderly and erratic Senator from Arizona reminds of Rudy Giuliani and is oratorical fixation on 9/11.  US troops continued to die during and after the surge.  US (Coalition) payments directly to Muqtada al-Sadr led to reduced fighting in Iraq. 

The US government literally paid a Muslim cleric to hold his personal army out of all fighting in the cities of Iraq. No, the “surge” was no mastermind military strategy or glowing victory for the US. Despite candidate Obama’s proclamation of the surge as “…a success beyond its Wildest Dreams”, there are other schools of thought on the “surge” as a glowing success.

McCain’s comments also speak to how the US political climate has changed. Whatever happened to back room strategies with public rationale based in a lie. When our politicians can come forth and readily admit to child-like punishment (for a couple of weeks) before senatorial confirmation, we cannot hope for productive government other realms.

The following video includes and eight minutes exposition of one republicans frustration with his party.  Before the relevant discussion of Chuck Hagel’s delayed confirmation, MSNBC producers chose to include the almost over-the-top reporting of the Carnival cruise ship Triumph re-entry to US harbor. The two minute exposition works to place critical news items and the media in perspective. 

Morning Joe, MSNBC… The first 2 minutes of the segment is somewhat perplexing. 

The Wall Street Journal is not a ‘liberal rag’. The following link navigates to an interactive presidential approval poll data that shows G W Bush approval ratings compared to 12 other recent Us presidents. WSJ Linked (Click a president’s name and watch the trend lines).

One last piece that relates directly to McCain’s affinity for George W. Bush. 

Wiki Linked

A 2006 Siena College poll of 744 professors reported the following results:^[9]

• “George W. Bush has just finished five years as President. If today were the last day of his presidency, how would you rank him? The responses were: Great: 2%; Near Great: 5%; Average: 11%; Below Average: 24%; Failure: 58%.”

• “In your judgment, do you think he has a realistic chance of improving his rating?” Two-thirds (67%) responded no; less than a quarter (23%) responded yes; and 10% chose “no opinion or not applicable.”

Thomas Kelly, professor emeritus of American studies at Siena College, said: “President Bush would seem to have small hope for high marks from the current generation of practicing historians and political scientists. In this case, current public opinion polls actually seem to cut the President more slack than the experts do.” Dr. Douglas Lonnstrom, Siena College professor of statistics and director of the Siena Research Institute, stated: “In our 2002 presidential rating, with a group of experts comparable to this current poll, President Bush ranked 23rd of 42 presidents. That was shortly after 9/11. Clearly, the professors do not think things have gone well for him in the past few years. These are the experts that teach college students today and will write the history of this era tomorrow.”^[9] 

A 2010 Siena poll of 238 Presidential scholars found that former president George W. Bush was ranked 39th out of 43, with poor ratings in handling of the economy, communication, ability to compromise, foreign policy accomplishments, and intelligence. Meanwhile, the current president, Barack Obama was ranked 15th out of 43, with high ratings for imagination, communication ability and intelligence and a low rating for background (family, education and experience).^[10][11] 

The C-SPAN Survey of Presidential Leadership consists of rankings from a group of presidential historians and “professional observers of the presidency”^[12] who ranked presidents in a number of categories initially in 2000 and more recently in 2009.^[13][14] With some minor variation, both surveys found that historians consider Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Franklin D. Roosevelt the three best presidents by a wide margin and William Henry Harrison (to a lesser extent), Warren G. Harding, Andrew Johnson, Franklin Pierce, George W. Bush and James Buchanan the worst.

McCain’s 2008 public pronouncement of, “I supported 99% of George Bush’s policies“,   his child-like application of legislative privilege and his telling revelations of  holding grudges, all provide clear evidence of a need to excuse himself from federal governance while also providing validation of his presidential defeat in 2008.

…..And The Band Plays On…..