Wichita Wants Taser Torture Case to Go Away with $50,000 Payment to Donnell Williams

This blog started following the growing incidences of taser abuse against Black folks back in 2007. One reason for our interest was Donnell Williams. He is the deaf man who was taking a bath in his own home when police busted in and tased him.

The police officers said they had to use the taser because the man wouldn't follow their instructions. Officers say they were concerned of their own safety. Of course, they were never in danger because they were fired up and ready to go on a false alarm.

"I was mad but I was scared and shocked about it," said Donnell Williams in 2007. "I've never had a gun pointed at me." Williams said he had just gotten out of the bathtub, wearing only a towel.

Wichita police now realize that Mr. Williams didn't 'follow directions' because he couldn't hear them - he's deaf!

Anyhow, the Wichita City Council voted to settle a lawsuit with Mr. Williams by paying him $50,000. The city is not admitting to any wrongdoing on the officers' part. But it believes the $50,000 settlement will save time and money.

No word yet on whether or not Mr. Williams will accept the settlement offer. Care to offer your village voice on taser torture (in general) or this Wichita case (in particular)?

What say u?

Philadelphia's Valley Club Brings Racism Back to America's Swimming Pools

Did you know that 58% of Black children can't swim? Did you know that Black children drown three times more often than white children?

These statistics would lead me to conclude that it is important for young Black children to learn how to swim. My two youngest take swimming lessons. They are both in summer programs that include weekly visits to community pool. They just returned from a trip to Jamaica where they enjoyed snorkling, swimming and just playing in the water.

Perhaps I wouldn't have these opportunities if we lived in Philadelphia.

60 young campers (mostly Black) from the Creative Steps Day Camp were kicked out of a private pool club because members didn’t want their children swimming with Black children. The Valley Club revoked the day camper’s membership after finding out they were minorities and offered a refund.

"When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool," Horace Gibson, parent of a day camp child, wrote in an email. "The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately."

America has never been comfortable with desegregated swimming pools. Why is that? Personally, I think that the fear of white women bathing with Black men is the root cause of this dysfunctional behavior by places like The Valley Club.

"Swimming pools were really the most intensely contested public space," said Jeff Wiltse, a University of Montana historian who studied municipal pools, where deep-seated emotions often created tortured logic to justify continued segregation.

Wiltse found that Blacks and whites routinely swam together in the late 1800s and early 1900s. That changed when the migration of large numbers of rural Southern Blacks to Northern states triggered a squeamishness among whites over sharing a pool with them.

The professed concern appeared to involve hygiene, and a notion that poor Blacks coming from a farming background would have lower standards of cleanliness. Even in public schools, swimming remained segregated long after all other scholastic activities were integrated.

Whatever ... it ain't right and we need to ensure that the folks at the Valley Club in Philadelphia pay a price for unleashing this racist behavior in 2009.




I encourage all villagers to contact The Valley Club. Ask to speak with club president John Duesler. Express your outrage!

Valley Swim Club
Physical Address:
22 Tomlinson Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006

Club Phone Number:
(215) 947-0700

Club E-mail:
info@thevalleyclub.com

I've shared my thoughts on this issue. What say u?

Bridge to Nowhere...

Sarah Palin had her 'Bridge to Nowhere' up in the wilderness of Alaska ... here is the urban version!

'This I Accomplish: Harriet Powers' Bible Quilt and Other Pieces' by Kyra Hicks

I encourage all villagers to check out the latest book published by quilting advocate Kyra Hicks. Her new book is entitled, 'This I Accomplish: Harriet Powers' Bible Quilt and Others Pieces'.

Kyra researched this book for over two years to document information about Harriet Powers (1837–1910) and her two known quilts (The Bible Quilt at the Smithsonian - and the Pictorial Quilt at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston).

What say u about quilting?

Much Respect to Rev. Al Sharpton for his Michael Jackson Tribute

I often think that Rev. Al Sharpton is self-centered. He seems to jump on causes that will provide him with media exposure. Often, I struggle with the impact and effectiveness of his organization.

Rev. Al Sharpton's eulogy at the Michael Jackson Memorial caused me to reconsider my thoughts. I think that Sharpton demonstrated why he is still relevant for much of the Black community. The content, tone and emotional connection of his message cannot be denied.




Sharpton hit the nail on the head during his eulogy when he told the three young Jackson children,

"There was nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with, but he dealt with it."

Villagers, you know how you can accumulate 'Get Out of Jail' cards in the game of Monopoly for use when you need it in the future? Al Sharpton just put away a few 'Get Out of Jail' cards from me today.

What say u about Al Sharpton?

Michael Jackson's Daughter Paris: 'I Love Him So Much'

The Michael Jackson Memorial was about 2.5 hours long. I watched the entire thing with a wide-range of emotions from pain to joy. However, at the end of the day I think that the moment shared by Jackson's 11-year old daughter ... which lasted less than a minute ... will be the one that sticks with me the longest.

I'm convinced that every father in the world would love to have his children express this raw emotion and love at our funeral...



Paris told us 'ever since I was born daddy has been the best father you can ever imagine.' Perhaps Rep. Peter King (R-NY) will sit his stank-butt down now.





Villagers, I have no problem with Peter King glorifying our troops, police, fire fighters, teachers, volunters and such. I just wonder why he can't glorify them without denigrating an American icon on the day before his funeral?

Methinks that the words of an 11-year old Paris Jackson trumped those of a United States congressman. What say u?

Judith Hill: Mystery Singer at the Michael Jackson Memorial

I'm the same age as Michael Jackson. As such, I don't keep up with the current generation of singers. I had to use twitter to get the identity of a couple of the performers at Michael Jackson's memorial. However, nobody could tell me about the young Asian singer who sang lead on "Heal the World".

It turns out that the mystery singer was Judith Hill, a Pasadena, California-based vocalist who was recruited to be one of the backup singers for Jackson’s This Is It! concerts at London’s O2 Arena.





Methinks that she won't be a back-up for much longer!

Village Book Club: 'Family Affair' by Gil Robertson

I'm currently reading 'Family Affair: What it Means to be African American Today'. Gil Robertson IV edited this collection of short, autobiographical essays in which 76 Black professionals detail how their families played a role in their success, either as springboards, or barriers to be overcome.

The book is divided into five parts: Family, Culture, Relationships, Community and Self.

I've completed the first part on Family. There were 14 essays in this section. Ironically the first essay is written by Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI) who's son did an awful lot to disgrace the family name with his actions as former mayor of Detroit.

My favorite essay in the Family section is titled, 'The Out-House Generation' written by Atlanta-based Raegan Burden.

Have any villagers read this book? If so, what did you think?

This Week in Blackness: BET Doesn't Care About Black People

I'm very happy to report that Elon James White is back in the mix with his unique video commentary, This Week in Blackness. In this episode Elon discusses the BET Awards and the connection between BET and Black folks.





I consider myself lucky that I didn't watch the BET Awards Show last week. It appears to have been a waste of time. On the off chance that you missed it as well, here are the 7 best and worst moments from the show.

I also didn't have a clue about the identity of Frankie and Neffie until today. I guess it is clear that I'm no longer in the BETF demographic.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the flow from Elon James White. I hope he gets back on a regular weekly schedule with his videos again this season!

Michael Jackson, "Bad" (1987)

Most villagers have seen the subway scenes of the music video, 'Bad', starring Michael Jackson in 1987. However, I must admit that I never saw the full 16-minute video directed by Martin Scorcese and featuring a then-unknown Wesley Snipes.

Michael Jackson - New Music - More Music Videos

At the end of the day Michael always found ways to make us proud, didn't he?

Electronic Village Nominated for 2009 Black Weblog Awards

Electronic Village is on the ballot in four categories for this year’s Black Weblog Awards: Best Culture Blog, Best Political/News Blog, Blog of the Year and Best Microblog. The top five vote-getters in each category become finalists. I hope that you will VOTE for our blog!

In addition, our 'Taser Torture' series has been nominated as 'Best Blog Post Series'.

The Black Weblog Awards was founded in 2005 to give recognition to bloggers of the African diaspora that were largely overlooked by other Internet award events online. What started out as a barely-known event has now grown into an international showcase. With participants from over 90 countries, the Black Weblog Awards stands out as one of the most widespread Internet award events for Black bloggers.

Winners are announced during the first week of September. We will work to ensure that all Black Weblog Award winners are included in the Villager's Black Blog Rankings.

(Th)ink by Keith Knight: Michael Jackson

(Th)ink is an editorial cartoon written and drawnby cartoonist Keith Knight (the K Chronicles).

Larry Chisolm: 'Reopen the Troy Davis Case'

The U.S. Supreme Court delayed a decision on whether to grant Troy Davis an appeal until after it returns from recess in September. The court's decision (or non-decision) should be taken as a good sign. It gives us hope that at least some Supreme Court Justices may finally be waking up to the strong claims of innocence in this case and want to take more time to weigh the facts.

Troy's case continues to inspire the support of millions of activists and countless leaders speaking on behalf of human rights, including former President Jimmy Carter and Archbishop Desmond TuTu.

Our activism has already put the U.S. Supreme Court and Georgia officials on the fence. Now we've got to do all we can these next couple of months to guarantee justice for Troy Davis!

Villagers, we must continue to beat the drums if we hope to get Troy Davis off death row. Davis currently has a final appeal before the US Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court rejects Troy's final appeal, his case returns to Savannah, Georgia, where a new District Attorney will have some life or death decisions to make. DA Larry Chisolm was elected in 2008 and campaigned on a platform to "increase the sense of fairness" in his office.

I ask all villagers to call on DA Chisolm to do everything in his power to prevent an execution, and urge him to reopen the case against Troy Davis, since most of the witnesses responsible for his conviction have now recanted.

Please take a moment to share your VILLAGER VOICE on this death penalty case down below.

Flipping the Bird...

Use the COMMENTS section to share your creative thoughts on what the caption should be for this photo!

Wordless Wednesday: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad' Nightmare

Justice for Basire Farrell Rally (Video)

Basire Farrell died while in the custody of the Newark police department. I'm not sure if a taser was involved in his death yet. However, the community continues to agitate for answers.




The video gives highlights of the Peoples Organization for Progress rally for Basire Farrell at 5th Precinct in Newark, NJ. POP Chairman Lawrence Hamm is the primary speaker at this May 2009 rally.

Can anyone point us to further details on the Basire Farrell death?

Another Taser Death in America - Shawn Iinuma (California)

Fontana (CA) family of 37-year old Shawn Iinuma called '911' at 1:15 am this morning to get him some medical attention. Fire personnel treated him for an apparent methamphetamine overdose.

At some point during his medical treatment the police decided to unleash 50,000 volts of electrocity into Shawn Iinuma's body with their taser gun. Police say he turned violent and so they felt justified in killing him with their taser guns.

"While being treated..., Iinuma became violent with those assisting him. During a lengthy struggle, a taser was used by police. Thereafter, Iinuma was restrained and, after being restrained, stopped breathing."

He later died at Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Fontana.

The early stages of this story are typical of the 24 taser-related deaths in America this year. The dead person is always villified by the police. Time will tell if the facts and circumstances match this initial statement by the police. In my view, Shawn Iinuma was a human being who did not deserve to be killed. His two children are now without a father.

I just keep wondering why people continue to die from these taser deaths without someone in congress taking notice?

(Th)ink by Keith Knight: Revolution

(Th)ink is an editorial cartoon written and drawn by cartoonist Keith Knight (the K Chronicles).

Military Coup in Honduras

I wonder what Americans would have done if George W. Bush tried to stay in the White House beyond the 8-year term limits established by the Constitution? The folks down in Honduras didn't have any patience with their president when he tried to extend his stay in the palace.

Military troops arrested President Manuel Zelaya before a proposed referendum on presidential term limits. President Zelaya wanted to seek a second term next year. By law, the Honduran leader, elected in 2005, is limited to one term in office.

Honduran lawmakers appointed a provisional president Sunday following the arrest and deportation of Zelaya. Roberto Micheletti, the head of the Honduran Congress, was installed as the country's new leader hours after soldiers detained Zelaya, placed him on a plane and flew him to Costa Rica.

The apparent coup prompted criticism by Human Rights Watch, which called Zelaya's ousting a "breach of democracy in Honduras" and called for the Organization of American States to act quickly to push for the re-establishment of democracy in Honduras.

"The OAS has a key role to play now. It must rapidly find a multilateral solution to this breach of democracy in Honduras," said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director for the international rights group. "To allow this coup to stand would be a huge step back from the progress that the region has made toward democracy in recent decades."

America is not recognizing the new leadership.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statement saying the action taken against Zelaya "violates the precepts of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and thus should be condemned by all."

"We call on all parties in Honduras to respect the constitutional order and the rule of law, to reaffirm their democratic vocation, and to commit themselves to resolve political disputes peacefully and through dialogue," Clinton said. "Honduras must embrace the very principles of democracy we reaffirmed at the OAS meeting it hosted less than one month ago."

Iran elections ... Honduras coup ... the world is a very difficult and dangerous place. What are your thoughts about this international development?

Am I Not Human? Darfur: Time to Turn Words Into Action

We support the 'Am I Not Human?' blogging campaign that lights up the 27th of each month. I encourage all villagers to find a way to support this effort to shine a light on human rights abuses taking place all over the world.

My focus this month is the continuing crisis in Darfur. Darfur has been a consistent topic on this blog. Villagers know that the conflict in Darfur that has taken some 300,000 lives and displaced 2.5 million. During the Bush years this was a passionate, rallying cause for liberal activists, some of whom now are well-placed in the Obama administration. The need to resolve it remains.

The following update on Obama's Sudan policy can be found on the White House website:

Ending the crisis in Darfur and ensuring Sudan’s long-term stability through the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement is a top priority for the Obama Administration. The humanitarian crisis there makes our task all the more urgent. The President has appointed a Special Envoy for Sudan as a strong signal of his commitment to support the people of Sudan. We are committed to working with the international community to end the suffering, seek a lasting settlement to the violence, and ensure a stable and secure future for the region.

More than two months ago, President Obama reminded us of his commitment and obligation to end the atrocities in Darfur. Since then, we've been anxiously waiting for him to turn his words into action with a PUBLIC plan for peace.

I realize that Obama has been quite busy ... but, all of us recognize that Obama moves as fast as a speeding bullet ... he has the ability to multitask. We need for him to PUBLICALLY release his plan for peace in Darfur.

By publicly releasing his plan, President Obama can rally other nations to do everything they can to support peace as well. We're waiting, the people of Darfur are waiting, and time is running out.

The people of Darfur cannot wait any longer. Every day, millions struggle to get by in makeshift refugee camps, and the coming rainy season will present even more hardships. Sudanese President Bashir's expulsion of 13 humanitarian aid groups means the people in these camps have even more limited access to vital services as the rainy season rolls in. Right now, President Bashir is betting that there will be no consequences for his actions, and he is growing bolder every day.

Please join me and send a message to President Obama urging him to announce his plan for Sudan NOW.

The people of Darfur are asking the question -- Am I Not Human?

President's Weekly Address: 'Opening the Door to a Clean Energy Economy'

President Obama is focused on three things this year -- economy, energy and education. He passed another obstacle yesterday when the House of Representatives passed legislation intended to address global warming and transform the way the nation produces and uses energy.

The legislation, which passed 219-212, with eight Democrats voting against it, could lead to profound changes in many sectors of the economy, including electric power generation, agriculture, manufacturing and construction.

At the heart of the legislation is a cap-and-trade system that sets a limit on emissions of heat-trapping gases while allowing utilities, manufacturers and others to trade pollution permits, or allowances. The cap would grow tighter over the years, pushing up the price of emissions and driving industry to find cleaner ways of producing energy.

The President praised this historic energy legislation in his weekly address:





The battle for this energy legislation now moves to the US Senate. I hope that it passes because I think that America needs to find a way to create jobs and become a world-class leader in the so-called 'green' economy.

What say u?

Jena 6 are Free

My blog is a mere cog in the afrosphere ... however, my blog was part of the online mobilization in support of the Jena Six that led to today's deal allowing five of the young men to plead 'no contest' to greatly reduced charges.

This is a just resolution to the racially-charged case. These young men were initially charged with attempted murder and conspiracy, they ultimately pleaded no contest to simple battery, and will serve a sentence of just 7 days of probation.

In addition, a civil suit filed by the family of Justin Barker was settled when the Jena 6 defendants (including Mychal Bell) agreed to pay the Barker family an undisclosed settlement. Attorneys are not allowed to reveal the details of the settlement but a reliable source has disclosed that the payment was approximately $24,000.

ColorOfChange.org said that the plea deal marked an acknowledgement by officials that the Louisiana justice system initially treated the then-teenage boys too harshly, privileging white students' accounts of a schoolyard fight over those of Black students in the largely segregated town of Jena.

"Today's plea deal shows that the original charges in the case were unfair and vastly overblown," said James Rucker, ColorOfChange.org's executive director. "The story of the Jena 6 was an extreme example of what can happen when a justice system biased against Black boys operates unchecked. But it's also an example of what can happen when hundreds of thousands of people across the country stand up to challenge unequal justice. Together, we drew the country's attention to this case and raised the money necessary to fund a strong legal defense."

The Jena 6 are now free to move ahead with their lives. Mychal Bell served his time under an earlier agreement. Each of the five remaining defendants in this case pleaded 'no contest' to the misdemeanor charge of simple battery. Each will be placed on non-supervised probation for one week and must pay a $500 fine and in most cases an additional $500 in court costs.

Pictured (left to right) are Corwin Jones, 20, Jesse Ray Beard, 18, Bryant Purvis (20), Robert Bailey (19) and Theo Shaw (20) and attorney Alan Bean. Judge Thomas Yeager was clearly impressed that all five of the defendants who appeared before him today are enrolled in college.

In a week of tragic news ... it is nice to end it with a victory. The Jena 6 are free!

Found: Dead Body of 2-Year Old Jada Justice; Her Killers in Custody

The body was found just off U.S. 421 and Snyder Road, near Otis, Indiana. Police said the investigation has shifted to a murder investigation. They expect to file charges against two people in custody soon.

Jada Justice disappeared June 16, when she was reported missing by her babysitter and cousin, Engelica Castillo. Police said Castillo, 18, seemed to be under the influence of some substance when she talked with police. Police have also said Castillo and her boyfriend Tim Tkachik have not been cooperative in the investigation.

Authorities believe Tkachik burned his face when he tried to burn Jada's dead body, a source close to the investigation said. Mug shots released by authorities clearly show blistered and burn-damaged skin on Tkachik's face.

The source said Jada did not die of those burns, and authorities believe Jada may have died two weeks ago Saturday -- several days before Castillo reported the toddler's disappearance.

---

Our prayers go to Jada's family with this sad news. Our special hope is that the people who caused her death burn slowly in hell.

Jena 6 Plea Deal

Drumbeats from Color of Change tell us that the remaining five Jena 6 defendants will likely be entering into a plea deal where they plead guilty to greatly reduced charges. Villagers may recall that the local district attorney originally wanted to put each of these youngsters in jail for up to 22 years for the schoolyard fight.

This American tragedy may be coming to an end in the next few days.

What are you lasting memories of the Jena 6 saga?

Autopsy Report: Taser Victim Rodolfo Lepe Dead as Result of Police Homicide

Rodolfo Lepe is 31-year old man killed by six (6) Bakersfield police officers in January. He is one of the 23 people to die after being zapped with 50,000 volts of electricity from police taser gun this year in America. Lepe was tased twice on Jan 11. Once in custody, the six (6) police officers noticed Lepe wasn't breathing and rushed him to Mercy Hospital, where he died.

Lepe was in his own home. No drugs. No weapons. His sister thought he was acting strangely so she called 911. Lepe hid in his closet when the police arrived.

Lepe reportedly refused to come out of a bedroom closet and fought with officers as they tried to take him into custody. Officers twice used a Taser, but Lepe pulled the darts out of his skin and continued to fight, according to police.

Now he's dead and the Kern County Coroner's office confirms that he died in police custody, as a result of homicide, from asphyxia and blunt force injuries during restraint. No mention of the Taser. [SOURCE]

An autopsy and toxicology and microscopic studies have since been completed. Since there is no mention of cocaine or drugs by the 'powers-that-be' it is safe to assume that none were found.

Something is wrong when a 31-year old man who is "acting strangely" dies. He needed medical assistance. Instead, he was killed by police action. He is zapped by taser fire, not once ... but twice. Six (6) trained officers were unable to get control of the situation without beating, choking and tasing the mentally unstable victim. As a result, Rodolfo Lepe is dead.

The involved officers are identified as: Officer Brian Holcombe, Officer David Brooks, Officer Jess Beagley, Officer Raelynn Aguayo, Officer Gilbert Rodriguez and Officer Adam Ketchum.

I guess now we wait to see if criminal action will be taken against any, or all, of these six police officers.

Old School Friday: Michael Jackson

Originally posted 2/20/2009

The theme for this week's Old School Friday meme is 'The Jackson Family'. Of course, the most famous (and talented) member of the the Jackson Family is Michael. His life has morphed into a sad parody over time ... but, there was a time when he was the alpha and omega of the music industry.

My favorite Michael Jackson songs have changed over time. Today, my favorite song from Michael's collection is 'Man in the Mirror'. I don't think that villagers of this generation fully appreciated the international superstar that was Michael Jackson. Check out this video to get a hint:

Lakeesha Alert

Originally posted in May 2008

Villagers, please take a moment and hug, call or think about your child.

How much would it tear you up if your child was missing? Two of my colleagues in The AfroSpear have made the commitment to use their online resources to highlight the disparity of coverage for missing children of color in favor of missing white children. HustleKnockin' and Black & Missing But Not Forgotten each do remarkable work to inform us when children of color are missing.

KTHustle feels that the Amber Alert only works for the Ambers of the world. As such, he created the Lakeesha Alert with the following operating instructions:

"Upon being pushed your Lakeesha Alert button will send
hyper-sonic signals to urban radio stations, online communities, urban newspapers, bloggers, street gang members ... and on the outside chance that they’re not too busy and might display a casual interest ... the police and mainstream media."

The idea is tongue-in-cheek. The topic and the need for our continued awareness and support is very real! Villagers, what say u about the idea?

Political Suicide by Mark Sanford (R-SC) Sealed by Emails w/ Maria the Argentine Booty Call

Villagers have seen this blog target South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford in the past for his wacky decisions on stimulus funding and state education.

All the chickens came home to roost today when he arrived at the Atlanta airport from his Buenos Aires flight today to be confronted by a reporter about the lies told by his staff earlier in the week ('Hiking the Appalachian Trail?'‎). Is it so hard to find politicians that make us proud?

The truth of the matter is that Sanford spent the last five days with Maria, his Argentine girlfriend. The two met a year ago and the relationship moved swiftly from innocent to romantic. Maria has two sons, one a teenager of driving age and the other younger.

Click here to see romantic emails between Mark Sanford and his Argentine girlfriend.

Sanford held a press conference earlier today to apologize for his extra-marital affair. He explained that his wife Jenny has been aware of the other woman for about five months now. They are not legally separated, but are apparently estranged. He indicates that he would like to work things out with her. The couple have four sons. Mark Sanford was 'hiking the Appalacian Trail' instead of talking with his four sons on Father's Day. That alone is reason to think that Sanford must have 'mad cow disease'?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

In an effort to appease those who may want to call for his resignation, he has resigned as Chairman of the Republican Governors Association. Personally, I think that Mark Sanford needs to resign as governor.

What are your thoughts on this growing scandal?

Autopsy Report: Tucson Police User Taser, Fists and Baton to Kill Unarmed, Naked 50-Year Old Gary Decker

Tucson police officers admit to electrocuting 50-year old Gary Decker numerous times during their confrontation in his hotel room earlier this year. They also beat him with closed fists and police batons. Gary Decker was buck-naked and unarmed.

Despite these facts it appears that nothing will happen to the three police officers involved in this taser-related death.

The Pima County Attorney's office has released their investigation results that excuses the multiple taser shots and beat-down because the officers were in fear of their lives. Evidently, Gary Decker was "reaching" for a non-existent weapon under the hotel mattress.

The autopsy report conducted by Dr. Veena Singh from the Office of the Medical Examiner concludes that Gary Decker died from while in police custody from the "combined effects of restraint, acute cocaine intoxication and multiple blunt force injuries."

DOCUMENT - Click here to read the official 4-page investigation report.

The report concludes, "The officers' fear for their safety was justified, and the force they used to negate the perceived deadly threat was not so unreasonable as to constitute a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable police officer would observe faced with a similar situation."

Lakeesha Alert: 2-Year Old Jada Justice is Missing

The Amber Alert system isn't working for our nubian toddler, Jada Justice. It is time to see if the Lakeesha Alert system can make a difference.

The search for a missing northwestern Indiana toddler has entered its second week as the FBI and police continue to investigate her disappearance.

Authorities say 2-year-old Jada Justice of Portage was apparently abducted from a car June 16 while her 18-year-old cousin who was baby sitting her went into a convenience store in Gary. The cousin was briefly held as a person of interest but has since been released.

Melissa Swiontek, Justice's mother, said, "I don't know. I don't know what to feel. I don't know. I feel there are so many speculations, there's so many things. I feel like I'm going to find her. I mean, I do feel like she can't be gone ... like this is not even happening."

Clothes worn at time of abduction: Jada was wearing an orange skirt, a white tank top with orange and green stripes, white sandals and purple underwear.

Circumstances: She was last seen on June 16, 2009. Jada may be with an adult companion. She was last seen wearing an orange skirt and a striped shirt.

Gary police are searching for a young girl who disappeared when a cousin who was taking care of her left the toddler alone in a car to get milk at a gas station.

Jada Justice, who turns three in August disappeared from the car at a gas station near the intersection of East Ridge Road and Louisiana Street in Gary about 9:30 p.m.

Jada was in the back seat of the car when her cousin stopped at the gas station about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 16. When the cousin returned to the car, Jada's car seat was still there, but Jada was missing.

Jada had been staying with her cousin temporarily, but was due to return to her mother on Saturday. No family member is involved in a custody dispute with the mother over Jada, and there's no reason to believe a family member may have taken her.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or Gary police Cmdr. Anthony Titus at (219) 881-1237, (219) 881-1229, (219) 881-1209 or (219) 881-1210.

Rev. Wiley Drake Prays for Obama's Death

Republican Alan Keyes once called Barack Obama an 'abomination'. So, it shouldn't surprise us that Keyes' one-time presidential running mate, Rev. Wiley Drake is now publically praying for President Obama to die. [SOURCE]

Drake, a former second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, told Fox News Radio earlier this month that he was practicing 'imprecatory prayer' (Imprecatory prayers basically are curses. They ask God to visit all sorts of bad things upon one's enemies. You find them in the Psalms, which is where Drake found the justification for his prayers) that would cause the president to die.

"If he does not turn to God and does not turn his life around, I am asking God to enforce imprecatory prayers that are throughout the Scripture that would cause him death," Drake said in an interview with Fox’s Alan Colmes.





I wonder if this is the official position of other Baptist preachers in America? Is civility and goodwill so far lost in our nation that a so-called 'Man of God' can publically pray for the death of our president?

I encourage all villagers to join The Presidential Prayer Team if you want to focus your energy in a more positive direction.

Wordless Wednesday: Lord of War

Buy Black. Empowerment Experiment. One Family. OUR Movement.

There is over $1 trillion flowing into the Black community. Less than 5% of it stays in our community because rarely do we spend OUR money in OUR community. The Anderson Family made a public pledge to buy from Black-owned businesses in 2009.



Isn't it time for the rest of us to support this effort? What say u?

Black Bloggers Urge Congressional Hearings on Taser Torture

The AfroSpear, a 2-year old coalition of Black bloggers recently conducted a Day of Blogging for Justice: Standing Up Against Pre-Trial Electrocution event.

The Afrospear encouraged supporters to sign online petition calling on Senate Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus to speak out and organize public hearings on the systemic human rights violations occurring against Black, Latino, Native American and others in America.

Group member Eddie Griffin (Eddie Griffin-BASG), said, "While there continues to be considerable media and congressional attention to torture in Guantanamo, there is comparatively little attention to the mounting evidence of human rights violations in the streets of America by a number of police departments across America, including torture and killings of Black children, women and men through-out the United States through the use and abuse of Tasers."

LN Rock (African American Political Pundit and Tasered While Black), a 2008 DNC Convention Blogger, said, "We want Congress to stand up with us against the police pre-trial electrocution of Black children, women and men - by taser. He went on to say, "We believe that few Americans support spending our tax dollars on torture, which violates our moral, religious and legal traditions. Most Americans expect an American policing policy that ensures the rights of all individuals regardless of race, greed, color, national origin, sex, disability or political or religious affiliation."

Wayne Hicks (Electronic Village) said, "We believe most Americans would favor Congressional hearings as to whether our own law enforcement officials, policing policies and actions violate human rights laws. Evidence of widespread police abuse of tasers is more than enough to warrant our concern and justify a congressional inquiry." He went on to say, "We propose that Congress undertake serious oversight into the extent to which our taxes are funding human rights violations through taser torure. Perhaps Congress can provide an alternative roadmap to the restoration of our democratic values while putting a stop to police pre-trial electrocution of Black children, women and men."

The bloggers are asking for:

1. The U.S. Attorney General and the Justice Department to aggressively fulfill its most basic mandate of enforcing the law. Torture by tasing is a crime, and the Justice Department is the right place to initiate an independent top-to-bottom investigation of the torturing of Black children men, women and children by local police jurisdictions throughout the United States. It's important that the general public understand the 'use of force continuum' used by law enforcement officials, and how it is abused by many in the law enforcement community. Although there is a Justice Department Review of TASER-related Deaths the on-the-spot pre-trial electrocutions continue.
   
2. Congress should investigate whether US police tasing policies violate Federal or international civil and human right laws, including the U.N. Convention against Torture, and international covenants against cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of citizens even in cases of so-called "state emergencies".
   
3. Congress should require the effective regulation of Taser use and require police/citizen review panels by Federal, state and local police and security agencies, including strict adherence to international human rights standards, or act to defund all such Federal, State and local police and security agencies who violate taser use regulations that would be established by Congress. No Federal stimulus dollars should be used to purchase tasers.

The bloggers point out UN's Committee Against Torture has declared that Taser use can constitute a form of torture. Amnesty International has a longstanding concern about the use of tasers on American citizens.

There is much angst in the mainstream media about the Bush torture memos and torture in the United States ... perhaps it is time for u to look at taser torture of Black people right here in our nation.

Here is a sampling of what Black bloggers are saying about the tasing of so many Blacks in the United States:

1. LN Rock - African American Political Pundit Report


2. LN Rock- African American Political Pundit Blog


3. Asabagna - Afrospear Think Tank


4. Antoinette - Antoinette's Point of View


5. Zhana - Ancestral Energies


6. The U - Anyway I Have To


7. April Davis - Around Harlem


8. Assata Shukur - Assata Shukur Forum


9. Yobachi Boswell - Black Perspective.net


10. Scotty - Black Talk Radio


11. Carmen Dixon - Black Voices


12. LN Rock - Chicago Cop Watch


13. Kathy - Daily Kos: Do White People Care About Tasing?


14. Shawn Williams - Dallas South Blog


15. Eddie Griffin - Eddie Griffin, BASG


16. LN Rock - Electrocuted While Black


17. Wayne Hicks - Electronic Village


18. Mr. E-D - Excited-Delirium


19. Francis Holland - Francis L. Holland Blog


20. Deborah Maiden - From my Brown Eyed View


21. Various - Independent Bloggers Alliance


22. Rev. Sequoyah Kofi bin-Tomas - Inteligentaindigena Novajoservo


23. Cherie S. - Lessons in Transition


24. Nate - Nateo Blog


25. Vanessa Byers - On The Black Hand Side


26. The Kid - Pirate Satellite


27. Plez Joyner - PlezWorld


28. Wayne Hicks - Proud Black Blogger


29. Sojourner - Sojourners Place


30. LN Rock - Post Racial Blog


31. Rover - Rover's Morning Glory


32. Super Spade - The SuperSpade


33. RiPPa - The Intersection between Madness and Reality


34. Lola - Whatever Lola Wants


35. Purple Zoe - UltraVioletUnderground

The AfroSpear petition to request Congressional hearings on the taser torture of Americans will also let you send personalized message to your congessional represenatives.

Share this post with others so that they are aware of our efforts. What other steps would you suggest?

Another Taser Death in America -- Derrek Kairney (Connecticut)

Derrek Kairney is a 36-year old man who died after been shocked with 50,000 volts of electricity from a police officer on June 20, 2009. The powers-to-be completed an autopsy in less than 48 hours over the weekend. When is the last time you've seen an autopsy report issued so quickly?

Anyhow, the autopsy report claims that the man died in a suicide. Apparently, the man stabbed himself with a knife ... and after he died, the police shot him with a taser gun. What the heck caused the police to use a taser gun on this guy? Doesn't it seem that the police are pulling out the taser gun for recreational target shooting more than for its intended purpose?

Police call this an 'untimely death'. They say Kairney confronted them when they responded to a call to a home on Birch Road. They ordered him to drop the knife, but he refused and police electrocuted him with a Taser.

There is something not-quite-right about this taser-related death. What say u?

Blog Safari #33

Have you been on our blog safari before? If not, you should know that our rhino-guide (she still needs a name!) is looking forward to taking you through the cyber-jungle to see some talented bloggers and creative blog posts. Enjoy the flow!!

• Black Digerati - The Spelman SpelBots Tie for First Place at 2009 RoboCup Japan
• Black on Campus - Amobi Okoye and Myron Rolle — A New Trend for Black College Athletes?
• My Good Life Fitness - How Do You Feel?
• The Intersection of Madness and Reality - Are you broke? Unemployed? Got Warrants? Pay Child Support Maybe?
• Why Am I Not Surprised? - The Face of Racism

Let us know if you come across any remarkable posts that should be shared in our next Blog Safari!

Maybe Supplier Diversity Isn't Worth It

Dr. Mel Gravely is the author of seven books including, Getting to the Next Level: Business, Race adn Our Common Goal to Be Competitive. He is also the managing director of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking.

In this month's Diverse Business Dialogue, Dr. Gravely wonders if supplier diversity is worth enough to really commit to it.

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I am still hearing comments I used to hear 20 years ago. "We can't find them", "What is the ROI", "We are not willing to sacrifice quality". On the surface it sounds like organizations are saying they don't know how-to. In most cases (of course not all) what organizations are really saying is they don't know how-to with the level of investment they are willing to make. It's like saying you don't know how-to eat healthy or you can't figure out how to lose weight. Are you kidding; with all of the health information available today? My problem with eating more healthy and losing a few pounds is not that I don't know how, I just keep looking for a way that requires less commitment. The reality is the route of less effort doesn't exist. To lose weight and be healthier I have to understand the basic "best practices", be intentional with my efforts to change my behavior and stay at it until I get the results I want.

Read the rest of the article here.

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What are your views on supplier diversity? Is it worth it?

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