Taser Death: Bruce Chrestensen (Grass Valley, CA)

It happened again! This time an unidentified Grass Valley (CA) police officer decided that the only way to respond to a disturbance was to electrocute 52-year old Bruce Chrestensen with 50,000 volts of electricity from a taser gun. [SOURCE] I imagine that the police thought that they were calming the situation ... instead they killed a man who was already in their custody.

It seems obvious that Chrestensen was experiencing some type of mental stress. When the police arrived he was standing in the middle of the street yelling at passing drivers with his pants down. The police say that he attacked a passing car and wouldn't listen to police commands. Chrestensen was a 52-year old man without a weapon ... he was *UNARMED*. Even if the police officer thought that Chrestensen was trying to steal a car ... it is worth noting that we don't have the death penalty for such a crime.

There is no indication that Chrestensen has a previous criminal history ... and it appears that his only medical condition may be high blood pressure. The police and district attorney are investigating this in-custody pre-judicial electrocution ... but, the officers involved in the taser-killing have not been removed from duty.

Noah Sherry was at work when he witnessed all the commotion.

"I looked out the window and the guy was sitting out there, or standing out there, cussing at people, and doing things" said Sherry. "I think anyone on that mindset would be on drugs."

Does drug use justify being killed by any random police officer?

Taser Lawsuit: Martin Harrison (Dublin, CA)

I see that the family of 50-year old Martin Harrison filed a $20 million federal lawsuit as a legal response to his taser-related death back in August 2010. The lawsuit says that Harrison was the victim of excessive force by deputies, and his beating death in August was "brutal, malicious and done without just provocation or cause."

But Sheriff Greg Ahern said the deputies "used only the force needed to get the subject under control."

Harrison died at a hospital on Aug. 18, two days after the incident at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. The coroner determined that he had died of lack of oxygen to the brain due to cardiac arrest after the confrontation.

Harrison had been arrested by Oakland police for allegedly driving while intoxicated. On Aug. 16, Harrison began acting erratically, breaking a food tray and flooding his cell by overflowing his toilet. Deputies found Harrison hiding behind a mattress, and the inmate told them that someone was trying to kill him.

This blog looks forward to learning the outcome of the lawsuit. I think that it will take more successful civil lawsuits like this one to force police officers around the nation to reconsider taser use that results in weekly deaths.

Lakeesha Alert: Mitrice Richardson is Missing

Villagers, have you been following the case of Mitrice Richardson? She is a young college graduate from California State University of Fullerton, in Psychology, with a 4.00 GPA. Mitrice Richardson has begun the process of acceptance into the Psychology Professional College, Alliant, to pursue her Ph.D. as a Clinical Psychologist.

The Amber Alert system is failing. Mitrice is not blue-eyed woman with blonde hair ... so her disappearance isn't valued by the mainstream media. It is time for us to put out a Lakeesha Alert for this sister.

On September 16, 2009, Mitrice Richardson was booked into custody after 10:00 pm, and then the police released her shortly after 12:38am.

The police released Mitrice Richardson in a desolate area of canyons and wildlife with no money, food, water, identification or cell phone. She was not familiar with the area and had no transportation. The police did not contact her mother ... despite the fact that the mother had been talking with the police at 10:30 pm that same night. Mitrice was obviously in a depressed state of mind. She is loved and supported by her family and friends. Mitrice Richardson is in a crisis and is in danger, support is needed to find her.

Villagers, there is something seriously wrong. First, I ask you to listen to the police audio from the night of her arrest:





Now compare those audio clips with the police interpretation of events a few days later:





This blog joins other online activists who seek a federal investigation into the whereabouts of Mitrice Richardson to bring her home and to ensure that this does not happen to anyone else.

Mayor Dean Grose Resigns Due to Backlash on Racist Watermelon Email Postcard

Villagers will be happy to know that Los Alamitos mayor Dean Grose plans to resign next week. He insulted the Black community (in general) and President Obama (in particular) with the email postcard that he sent out last weekend.

According to Grose, “There is no way that I meant anything racist in my email. I was merely criticizing Obama’s fiscal plan, which is so horrendous that it’s almost as if it were written by watermelons.”

Obviously, he is a liar. He knew the so-called humor was race-based when he created and shared the email photo. His claim to be “absolutely shocked” at being labeled a racist is specious.

Anyhow, he issued an apology and indicates he will resign at the next City Council Meeting to be held on Monday night, March 2.

Perhaps this will be a learning moment for irresponsible Republican leaders who continue to think that it is OK to publically share racist images and comments about our president or the African American community.

More Racism from Republican Leaders -- This Time it is 'Watermelons on the White House Lawn'

Why do Republican politicians insist on insulting our nation's president with racist rants and images under the guise of ignorance or humor. Did you see where southern California Mayor Dean Grose sent out an e-mail this past weekend depicting the White House lawn planted with watermelons, under the title "No Easter egg hunt this year."

Mayor Grose was outed by a local businesswoman, Keyanus Price, who said,

"I have had plenty of my share of chicken and watermelon and all those kinds of jokes. I honestly don't even understand where he was coming from, sending this to me. As a Black person receiving something like this from the city-freakin'-mayor - come on."

Grose was re-elected to the Los Alamitos City Council in 2006 with the backing of Congressman Ed Royce, Senator Tom Harman and then County Supervisor Jim Silva. The “Orange County Republican Leadership Voter Guide” claimed that Grose was part of the “Orange County Republican Team” and announced that Grose was endorsed by the Orange County Republican Party. Los Alamitos is a 2 1/4-square-mile Orange County city of around 12,000 people. The mayor is elected by fellow members of the five-seat City Council.

Grose responded that he didn't mean to offend her. He said he was unaware of the racial stereotype that Black people like watermelons.

"Bottom line is, we laugh at things and I didn't see this in the same light that she did. I'm sorry. It wasn't sent to offend her personally - or anyone - from the standpoint of the African American race."

I hope that Grose is removed as mayor of his town for being a fool ... and for lying to us as if we were fools. Does any villager think that Grose didn't know that watermelons are part of a racist stereotype that Black people have endured for many years? Didn't he learn anything from similiar situation last year at the California State Fair?

I wonder if Michael Steele, the new RNC Chair, will have anything to say on this about this racist rant from one of his GOP leaders?

NAACP Challenges Prop 8 in California Supreme Court

I see that the NAACP continues showing signs of relevance. I must admit that I have been very pleased with the activities of the organization since Ben Jealous took over last year.

Earlier this week the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund(LDF) filed a friend of the court brief challenging California's Proposition 8 on the grounds that the basic rights of a minority group cannot be taken away by a simple majority. LDF joined other civil rights groups, the Asian American Pacific Legal Center, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Equal Justice Society, and the California NAACP in calling for the invalidation of Prop 8.

"It is imperative that the Supreme Court of California recognize that by allowing Prop 8 to take effect, it is setting a dangerous precedent that allows a bare majority to strip minority groups of their fundamental rights. We are joining this challenge to ensure that the rights of all minority groups are being protected," said John Payton, LDF President and Director-Counsel.

The California Supreme Court recognized marriage as a fundamental right. To take away that right a constitutional revision requiring a two-thirds vote by the state legislature - and not just a simple majority vote - would be needed in order to bar same-sex marriage. If Prop 8 is allowed to stand the fundamental rights of all minority groups will be placed in jeopardy.

"Proposition 8 effects more than just the LGBT community. This decision will ultimately affect how the rights of all minority groups are treated in the state of California," said Anurima Bhargava, Director of LDF's Education Practice.

We haven't blogged much about the Prop 8 results in California. Do you have any thoughts or insights on the issue that you care to share?

Racist Watermelon Caricature Removed From California State Fair

The folks at the California State Fair defended their display of a smiling watermelon seed. The "Waldo Watermelon Seed" drawing was removed this week after the couple said the image evoked negative stereotypes about Blacks.

The exhibit was intended to celebrate Colusa County's seed-producing crops, which generate $30 million a year. The youngsters at a county juvenile hall created a display honoring watermelon, cucumber, pumpkin and tomato seeds.

Veronica Hannon Thrasher and her husband objected to the "Waldo Watermelon" caricature, which they said looked like "a happy Black slave eating watermelon."

The county attorney said the wards had wrongly been cast "under a cloud of unintended racism."

Well villagers ... you be the judge. Is the display racist in nature? Or did the State Fair over-react by having it removed? What say u?

Rest In Peace: Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA)

There are so few African Americans serving in Congress that it is a national tragedy whenever we lose one. I imagine that I am more alert to the work of these brothers and sisters because my grandfather once represented the city of Detroit as their congressman. Therefore, it is with sadness that I learned that Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, a seven-term congresswoman from southern California, died early today of cancer. She was 68.
The congresswoman had asked for a four- to six-week leave of absence from the House last week to deal with her illness. She represented a heavily Democratic southern California district that includes Compton, Long Beach and parts of Los Angeles.

"She was a champion for the consumer and fought injustice wherever she saw it. She always valued public service and served her state and nation with grace and honor," said California Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres, who served with her in the California state Legislature.

Millender-McDonald is the second member of Congress to die this year of cancer. Republican Rep. Charles Norwood Jr. of Georgia died in February after battling cancer and lung disease.

"Many of us are very saddened by her death, and in some respects stunned by it," said state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas, who has worked with Millender-McDonald in different capacities for over two decades. "She knew about the issues of justice and injustice, and carried that banner wherever she went."

The congresswoman, a native of Birmingham, Ala., worked on former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley's unsuccessful 1982 gubernatorial campaign and other local races as a volunteer before getting elected to the Carson City Council in 1990. She went on to serve in the California state Assembly, and in 1996 sought a U.S. House seat during a special election. She won a full House term in November 1996 and has subsequently won re-election easily.

Millender-McDonald has recently worked on issues including election reform and opposing the genocide in Darfur. She drew national attention in 1996 when she took then-CIA director John Deutch to Watts to address the community following a newspaper report alleging that profits from domestic sales of crack-cocaine were funneled to the CIA-backed Contras in Nicaragua.

This year, Millender-McDonald became chair of the Committee on House Administration, which oversees operations of the House and federal election procedures.

She is survived by her husband, James McDonald, Jr., and five adult children. At the end of the day, all of the accolades and honors don't matter much. It all comes down to family. I urge all villagers to keep her family in our prayers this week.