Showing posts with label Dallas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dallas. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Dallas Police Chief: "We're Hiring"

Following the killing of cops in Dallas, Police Chief David Brown, a black man, said this about the Black Lives Matter protestors:
"We’re hiring.  Get out of that protest line and put in an application. We'll put you in your neighborhood and help you resolve some of those problems."
What he is really referring to is the fact that we have too few black police officers.  As a result, we have too many white officers policing high crime black neighborhoods.   Obviously, this increases the odds of a white cop shooting a black suspect, and also feeds into complaints by blacks that white cops are likely to harass them with things like traffic stops.

For example, in Ferguson, Missouri, the community is 67% black.  Yet, the police force is made up of 50 white officers and just 3 black officers. In Abilene, Texas, the population is 39.3% black with a police force that is 3.1% black.  The imbalance is also true in Baton Rouge; the scene of another recent incident of a black man being killed by a white police officer.

Basically, Chief Brown understands that community policing will get better in this country,  if the police departments across America better reflect the demographics of the communities they serve.  Black Lives Matter would serve blacks better by becoming part of the solution instead of worsening the problem.  But then, not too many people want a job where you go to work everyday wearing a bulletproof vest.  Just shows how dangerous the job really is.

References:

Dallas police chief to protestors: "We're hiring": http://www.fox4news.com/news/172844863-story

New FBI Crime Figures Confirm: Black Towns Most Dangerous, White Areas Safest: http://newobserveronline.com/new-fbi-crime-figures-confirm-black-towns-dangerous-white-areas-safest/

The New Racial Makeup of U.S. Police Departments: http://www.newsweek.com/racial-makeup-police-departments-331130

Ferguson, Mo., has 50 white police officers, three black officers, NBC's Mitchell claims: http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/aug/17/andrea-mitchell/ferguson-police-department-has-50-white-officers-t/

Police Department Race and Ethnicity Demographic Data: http://www.governing.com/gov-data/safety-justice/police-department-officer-demographics-minority-representation.html

Baton Rouge: A majority-black city with a majority-white police force: http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/baton-rouge-police-for-whiter-than-city/265447114 


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

The Dallas Cop Killings Shows Us the Worst of Americans

Following the Dallas Police killings, a City Council Woman, Reinette Senum, from Nevada City, California posted this on Facebook:
 "This was completely incited by America's police force. They have obviously been given directives to go out there and kill."
So, basically, you have a public official claiming that the 5 Dallas cops deserved to die.  And, worse, she is saying that all cops have been given orders to kill.

If this was only one person's twisted viewpoint, then, we could afford to ignore it.  But, unfortunately, a lot of people who align themselves with Black Lives Matter believe this to be true.  Last year, at several of their protest marches, supporters chanted "Pigs In A Blanket, Fry 'Em Like Bacon".  Another chant was "What do we want.  Dead cops. When do we want em? Now." On Twitter, another posted this "“Y’all pigs got what was coming for y’all.”  And, it goes on and on.

The fact is that Black Lives Matter, and other groups have openly called for the killing of police officers; and Barack Obama and Loretta Lynch still refer to their demonstrations as "peaceful protests".

Lastly, as to the comment by Senum that cops have been given orders to kill.  Every year, police in this country make approximately 9 million arrests of which 2.5 million are blacks.  Yet, last year, just 40 unarmed blacks were shot and killed.  If cops were given orders to kill, they sure are doing a poor job of it.  Maybe, Obama and Lynch would best serve this nation by publicly stating these facts and supporting the police, instead of depicting Black Lives Matter as being peaceful and deserving of our "respect".

References:

Following the 2016 Dallas Police Protest Shooting, Senum posted on Facebook, blaming the Dallas Police Department for the attacks: https://www.everipedia.com/reinette-senum/

Black Lives Matter: 'Pigs In A Blanket, Fry 'Em Like Bacon': http://dailycaller.com/2015/08/29/black-lives-matter-protesters-chant-pigs-in-a-blanket-fry-em-like-bacon-video/

SICK: ‘Black Lives Matter’ Supporters Celebrate Murder of Dallas Cops: http://www.infowars.com/sick-black-lives-matter-supporters-celebrate-murder-of-dallas-cops/

#Blacklivesmatter chants for dead cops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqQXmnMr_w8

Obama defends Black Lives Matter movement as protests heat up: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-defends-black-lives-matter-movement-as-protests-heat-up/

AG Lynch: Peaceful protest will be protected - CNBC.com: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000532771

Obama calls for mutual respect from Black Lives Matter and police: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/07/10/obama-calls-mutual-respect-black-lives-matter-and-police/86917082/

FBI: National 2014 Arrests: https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2014/crime-in-the-u.s.-2014/tables/table-43

People Killed by Police: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2015/jun/01/the-counted-police-killings-us-database

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Dallas and the False Narratives of Obama and Black Lives Matter

It was just a matter of time before the mass killing of police officers was bound to happen.  Anytime you have a group, such as Black Lives Matter and even the President of the United States, spreading the belief that white cops are racists and only want to kill blacks, Dallas was waiting to happen.  And, what happened in Dallas is sure to be replicated elsewhere.

This belief, that white cops are racist is based on complete dishonesty. The more this false narrative is repeated and believed, more blacks will die as cops increasingly back away from aggressive policing for fear of losing their jobs or going to prison.  Meanwhile,  record numbers of murders keep piling up in cities like Chicago where, already this year, 267 blacks have been killed, and 77% of all the murder victims are black.

According to the website "The Counted" which started tracking people killed by police beginning in 2015, there were 1146 persons killed by police in that year due to a variety of reasons including vehicular deaths. Of that total, 40 unarmed blacks were shot and killed.  To put this number into perspective, according to the FBI, our police arrest more than 2.5 million blacks each year.  Not a fact that supports the perception that there is widespread killing of unarmed blacks by police such as the mantra; "Hands up...Don't Shoot" suggests. Also, that 40 blacks were killed makes no distinction as to the race of the cop that killed them.  But, even if they were all white, the number is still extremely small relative to the number of blacks that are arrested each year.

This is not to say that any cop involved in a questionable death shouldn't be tried and convicted if  warranted.  But, we should let our legal system decide that.  Not take to the streets and start revenge killing white police officers .

The conversation that Black Lives Matter and Obama should be having is why there is an almost wholesale slaughter of blacks by other blacks.  In 2013, the FBI reported that 2,491 blacks were murdered.  That was 41% of all murders reported in that year. Of that, 90% or 2,245 of those were committed by other blacks.  But, no one wants to talk about that.  Instead, the discussion is all about the 40 or so, unarmed blacks that might be shot by police each year.

Lastly, the President stated that blacks are twice as likely to be arrested than whites, the reason is that blacks commit more crimes relative to their share of our population.  For example, while blacks only make up 13% of the population, 51% of murders in this country and 56% of robberies are committed by blacks.  Also, in a recent Gallup poll, 78% of blacks said they were "not treated less fairly" by cops; although this is down from 81% in 2013.  Thus, the claim or implication that there is widespread harassment of black citizens by police, for only racial reasons, does not appear to be true.


References:

Dallas police shooting: Suspect told police he 'wanted to kill white people' as Philando Castile's death ruled a homicide: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/08/dallas-shooting-two-police-officers-wounded-as-shots-fired-at-ra/

Obama, angered by police shootings, calls for elimination of racial bias: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/07/07/obama-police-shootings-alton-sterling-philando-castile/86824568/

The Counted: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2015/jun/01/the-counted-police-killings-us-database

Murder by Race of Victim and Offender: https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crime-in-the-u.s.-2013/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/expanded-homicide/expanded_homicide_data_table_6_murder_race_and_sex_of_vicitm_by_race_and_sex_of_offender_2013.xls

2013 Arrests: https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crime-in-the-u.s.-2013/tables/table-43

HeyJackass!: 2016 Stats | Chicago Murder, Crime & Mayhem: http://heyjackass.com/

Despite Unrest, Blacks Do Not Feel More Mistreated by Police: http://www.gallup.com/poll/184439/despite-unrest-blacks-feel-mistreated-police.aspx?g_source=RACE_RELATIONS&g_medium=topic&g_campaign=tiles 


Monday, October 13, 2014

CDC Director On Ebola: "Don't Worry...Be Happy"

With the second confirmed case of Ebola on our shores, once again, the CDC Director, Thomas Frieden, took to the airways to assure us that our government has everything under control.  As if he could speak for the actions of every person who either contracts the disease or who treats those patients, he assures us that we have "decades" of knowing how to handle Ebola.  The problem with that statement is that 99.999% of the healthcare workers in this country have never dealt with it in their  lifetimes.

The world now has two healthcare workers, outside of West Africa, who have contracted Ebola while working with a patient.  The first was in Spain and, the newest is in Dallas. In both cases, they supposedly wore all the protective equipment but, in each case, some unknown errant action must have occurred, proving how difficult and deadly this disease can be.

Now, while Thomas Frieden might be a good doctor, we need to understand that he is a political appointee of President Obama.  For that reason, he wears two hats.  The first is to run the CDC.  But, the second, is to be a political spokesman for the President.  Much of what I have heard in the three news conferences that he has given has been downplaying the danger of getting Ebola.  He has also made certain to depersonalized the disease,  never referring to the first Dallas patient by name.  Instead he calls him the "indexed patient".  Frieden is also saying that the second Dallas patient must have contracted the disease through  a "breach of protocol".  But, the CDC still doesn't know how that "protocol" was actually breached.  Further, he insists that a travel ban is not necessary.  Yet, we know that the incubation period can last up to 21 days before any symptoms are evident.  So, it is possible that a person, who may be days into the disease but not showing symptoms, can safely pass airport security; only, to have full-blown Ebola days later. 

My problem with Frieden is that he isn't being honest with the American public.  He knows that he can't assure that every hospital and its workers, both urban and rural, will take all the necessary precautions when faced with an Ebola patient.  These workers are people and, just like the nurses in Spain and Dallas, they will make mistakes and, by doing so,  put themselves and others at risk.  He also knows that some individuals, who know they might have had contact with the disease, will lie on the airport screening checklist to gain access to the United States; insuring better care than they would receive in West Africa where, in some cases, there is a 90% death rate. Our first Ebola patient, Thomas Duncan, did just that.

Obviously, Obama, too, is not being up front with America.  Just two weeks before the first victim, hit our shores, he assured us that it was an "unlikely event" that would ever happen.  Yet, it did happen and we now know Duncan lied to get into this country.  Then, the President assured us we were prepared if someone does enter the country with Ebola.  Well, we weren't.  On his first visit to the hospital's emergency room, Duncan was sent home with a 103 degree fever.  Then, Obama assured us that  you can't get Ebola just by riding on a bus.  Well, evidently it now appears that you can get it while wearing full hazmat gear.

It's no wonder that people are nervous about the government's handling of Ebola.  When the President and Frieden are being contradicted by such early events, what confidence is there that an actual outbreak will be contained properly?

References:

At CDC, Frieden says 2d Ebola case shows clearly a “breach in protocol” in treating the indexed patient: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2014/10/at-cdc-frieden-says-2d-ebola-case-shows-clearly-a-breach-in-protocol.html/


Obama: You Can't Get Ebola 'Sitting Next to Someone on a Bus;' CDC: 'Avoid Public Transportation': http://cnsnews.com/news/article/brittany-m-hughes/obama-you-cant-get-ebola-sitting-next-someone-bus-cdc-avoid-public

Dallas County prosecutor considering criminal charges against Duncan for lying on the questionnaire:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/10/07/dallas-county-prosecutor-considering-criminal-charges-against-ebola-patient-in-texas/

Ebola Victim Thomas Eric Duncan Sent Home From Hospital With 103 Fever: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/ebola-victim-thomas-eric-duncan-sent-home-hospital-103-fever-n223296

3 more people under observation for Ebola in Spain: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/10/11/3-more-people-under-observation-for-ebola-in-spain/17094509/

Ebola typically kills 90% of those infected: http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/16/health/ebola-africa-update/

Two Weeks Ago, Obama Said Ebola in the United States was Unlikely: http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2014/10/03/weeks-obama-ebola-united-state/

pb