police brutality (http://www.thebellforum.com/category/african-america/police-brutality)

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http://blackagendareport.com/sites/default/files/styles/image-400x300/public/tulsa-police-shooting-mbe-428p_fd438b9ca583c9222a71a509b19684a4.nbcnews-ux-2880-1000.jpg?itok=NOjaW0Aj (http://www.thebellforum.com/murder_by_occupation_tulsa_baghdad)

A Black Agenda Radio commentary by executive editor Glen FordThe mayor of Tulsa is promising a “transparent” investigation into the police slaughter of another unarmed Black man, 40 year-old Terence Crutcher.* The U.S. Attorney for Oklahoma is making similar noises, promising to explore whether Crutcher’s civil rights were violated. No justice can come from any of these quarters, because Crutcher’s death is a war crime. Justice begins with an end to the Occupation.
Murder by U.S. Occupation Forces: Tulsa 2016, Baghdad 2007A Black Agenda Radio commentary by executive editor Glen Ford“That looks like a bad dude.”
The narrators of the murder were high in the sky, circling the scene of the unfolding, racist crime in their police helicopter. Down below, a large Black man named Terence Crutcher (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/20/us/video-released-in-terence-crutchers-killing-by-tulsa-police.html) was standing with his hands up next to his disabled car. Four Tulsa, Oklahoma cops had arrayed themselves like a firing squad; one of them, Officer Betty Shelby, was the wife of Dave Shelby, one of the cops in the helicopter. From his elevated vantage point, Officer Dave Shelby provided the voice-over to Terence Crutcher’s last moments of life. “He’s got his hands up there for her now,” said Shelby. “This guy is still walking and following commands.”
You’d think that was a good thing. But, the other cop chimes in immediately: “Time for a Taser, I think.” Officer Shelby says, “I got a feeling that’s about to happen.” His partner clearly wants some damage done to the Black man, below. “That looks like a bad dude, too,” he said. “Could be on something,” he adds -- already providing some kind of drug-crazed justification for the murder that his fellow cops are about to commit. Then, with heaven and her husband Dave watching, Officer Betty Shelby blows Terence Crutcher away. The two cops in the helicopter express no surprise, no shock, no emotion whatsoever. As Terence Crutcher lays dying, the first thing out of Officer Dave Shelby’s mouth was about re-routing traffic around the killing zone.
The helicopter police voice-over of Terence Crutcher’s execution was a ghastly reminder of the video released by Wikileaks (http://www.democracynow.org/2010/4/6/massacre_caught_on_tape_us_military) of a 2007 mass murder of Iraqi civilians by U.S. helicopter gun crews over Baghdad. The Americans were engaged in what I’m sure some of them called “hajji-hunting,” which is the same as what the good ole boys back home call “coon-hunting” -- searching for colored folks to kill. Circling unseen way above the city, the Americans opened fire at an innocent group of unarmed men on a street corner.
Mission Unjustifiable
“Keep shootin. Keep shootin’. Keep shootin’. Keep shootin’,” hollered one of the killers. “Oh, yeah, look at those dead bastards,” said his partner. “Nice. Good shootin’,” the other soldier complimented his accomplice in murder. But they weren’t through, yet. The gunship then attacked a van driven by a father with two of his children inside. The voice of American Soldier #1 is heard saying, “Well, it’s their fault for bringing their kids into a battle.”
These voices over Baghdad and Tulsa speak the same language: the language of Occupation. When spoken by Americans, this language is always racist, but it also has its own, particular quality of horror. Occupations are always justified as “peace-keeping” missions. Domestic occupiers are called “peace” officers. But their mission is war against a civilian population -- to inflict preemptive terror on an entire mass of people. Since the actual mission cannot be justified, the Occupiers lie to themselves and everybody else about the real nature of their mission. In the end, the Occupied peoples have no choice but to expel their tormentors, or become as insane and morally degraded as they are. This applies just as much in Tulsa as it does in Baghdad. We need Black community control of the police, and an end to the Occupation.
For Black Agenda Radio, I’m Glen Ford. On the web, go to BlackAgendaReport.com.
BAR executive editor Glen Ford can be contacted at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.







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We need Black community control of the police, and an end to the Occupation.

Glenn was dead-on throughout this piece, then, at the end, he almost blunted his message. I would say that he did blunt his message, but I am an old, bitter leftist - so I am willing to concede that I might be seeing the "down" too easily.

"Black community control of police" is never going to happen - not in the way Glenn is speaking of. "Black community" within the framework of bourgeois society is STILL occupation. Black folks are just as likely to be supporters of bourgeois dictatorship as is whites, reds or yellows or whatever color you got. The "occupiers" aren't "white" they are ruling class occupiers. Their job is to oppress, and keep under the heel Black people wherever they find them. Remember Herr Professor Gates a few years ago who was oppressed on his own doorstep by occupation forces? He wasn't pissed "as a black man", he was pissed as a wealthy, bourgeois member of the ruling class (albeit a subaltern member of the RC). These cops - occupiers - of all colors, work for the government, the government whose top Boss currently is Black (is Obama a member of the "Black community"? If so...?).

Like I said, I may be going overboard, and Glenn Ford is very much dead-on in many ways and on many issues. Maybe "Black community control of police" is a necessary first step; but the remedy, that ends the "occupation" is working class rule.

Glenn was dead-on throughout this piece, then, at the end, he almost blunted his message. I would say that he did blunt his message, but I am an old, bitter leftist - so I am willing to concede that I might be seeing the "down" too easily.

"Black community control of police" is never going to happen - not in the way Glenn is speaking of. "Black community" within the framework of bourgeois society is STILL occupation. Black folks are just as likely to be supporters of bourgeois dictatorship as is whites, reds or yellows or whatever color you got. The "occupiers" aren't "white" they are ruling class occupiers. Their job is to oppress, and keep under the heel Black people wherever they find them. Remember Herr Professor Gates a few years ago who was oppressed on his own doorstep by occupation forces? He wasn't pissed "as a black man", he was pissed as a wealthy, bourgeois member of the ruling class (albeit a subaltern member of the RC). These cops - occupiers - of all colors, work for the government, the government whose top Boss currently is Black (is Obama a member of the "Black community"? If so...?).

Like I said, I may be going overboard, and Glenn Ford is very much dead-on in many ways and on many issues. Maybe "Black community control of police" is a necessary first step; but the remedy, that ends the "occupation" is working class rule.

You're not overboard at all Dhal. You're spot on and it was part of what I was getting at in the climate thread we were discussing. There are not going to be any lasting "solutions" to climate change under the capitalist ruling class power structure... there are not going to be any lasting "solutions" to police brutality and the murderous police violence directed against Blacks, the homeless, and the poor of all stripes under the capitalist ruling class power structure...there are not going to be any lasting "solutions" to institutionalized racism under the ruling class capitalist power structure...there isn't going to be any Social/Economic justice for all under the capitalist ruling class power structure...and on and on. What we will get - "solutions of the best intentions" - under the capitalist ruling class power structure is symbolism, tokenism, and the lip-service of "reforms."

To paraphrase Malcolm on a few things: "You put a fox in the chicken coop and are surprised when it starts to kill the chickens. Reform is for people who have government connections, revolution is for the people"

Capitalism is the fox and the working class, the exploited, the oppressed are the chickens. The destruction of the chickens will continue until that fox is gone. People who seek lasting change and solutions to what we face must clearly understand that. What is to be done ? As Anax would say...fight back as always...BUT... with a clear understanding and a firm grasp of that in mind. Until activists and movements against all the injustice and destruction understand that...it is all whistling past the graveyard.

You're not overboard at all Dhal. You're spot on and it was part of what I was getting at in the climate thread we were discussing. There are not going to be any lasting "solutions" to climate change under the capitalist ruling class power structure...

That is exactly what we've been saying, why the mainstream enviros serve as misdirection and water carriers for the capitalists, and why we 'own' this and most legitimate 'causes' as having the systemic answer to the systemic problem.