Am I Not Human: Police Brutality Am I Not Human

It bears repeating, as the the number of police brutality incidents seems to be rising. Unchecked, one has to wonder how far police brutality will go? How safe are we as civilians? As a child I was always directed to wave to officers, and feel safe with them in the community. I'm aware there are plenty of good officers who are dedicated to protecting and serving the community, but what of the renegades who endanger innocent civilians through various forms of bullying that on too many occasions have resulted in severe injury and death?

The recent Day of blogging for justice focused on putting a stop to pre-trial electrocution, and measures are being taken by the NAACP to see that police brutality is taken seriously. It lends hope that through the raising of our voices, awareness, and the insistence of our actions we can ensure our communities are served by those who are able to restrain individuals when necessary, without the danger of death becoming a factor, due to negligence or plain malice.

Please raise your voice in this stand for the safety of our communities. Blog your views. Share links to blogs focusing on raising awareness about police brutality. Spread the word persistently.




Was Oscar Grant not human? Was the 16 year male tasered to death recently after a routine traffic stop not human? Was the elderly wheelchair bound woman tased to death (10 times) not human?

There must be a stronger regard for human life, and a respect for the force continuum put in place to ensure tasers are used by law enforcement correctly and safely. Severe consequences need to be a factor put in place to dissuade renegade behavior, and ensure safety for innocent civilians.

Please sign this petition requesting Congressional investigation into brutal police-inflicted Taser torture: http://www.petition2congress.com/2/1822/taser-torture-in-america-call-congressional-hearings/


Thankyou to everyone participating in the Am I Not Human campaign. Your voices are appreciated. I applaud you stand.

The NAACP is investigating Excessive use of tasers by police

According to Electronic Village:

"The NAACP Frederick County Branch is seeking information and testimony from people about alleged excessive use of Tasers by police. NAACP has been looking into the use of tasers after the death of Jarrel Gray in November 2007 by Frederick County Sheriff’s Office deputy Corp. Rudy Torres."


Thought to be involved in an altercation that included at least 4 or 5 people, in a parking lot in the Gresham Court East housing complex on November 18, 2007, Jarrel Gray, a hearing impaired man was shocked twice by taser and killed.
The supposed justification for this is connected to Officer Rudy Torres' order to four people to show their hands. When Jarrel Gray did not respond by showing his hands he was tasered.
Jarrel was intoxicated, a fact backed up by witness testimonies, but this does not negate the fact that the officers were warned that Jarrel was far too incapacitated to do well with direction. After the first taser shock, there was no sign of movement from Gray, but he was tasered again for no apparent reason 23 seconds later. Gray's hands were beneath him during this time. Officers claimed they thought Gray had 'passed out', but officers didn't check his pulse after attacking him with the taser. His pulse was only checked when emergency personnel arrived on the scene and discovered Gray had gone into cardiac arrest. They proceeded to do CPR on him to no avail, as he died 3 hours later. The cause of death was determined to be a combination of the method of restraint chosen by police on the scene, alchohol intoxication, and Gray's anatomical makeup.

Officer Torres was somehow cleared of wrongdoing, but it won't stand. An innocent life has again been taken by an officer who took an oath to protect and serve. That cannot be discounted. An oath and duty of that magnitude are not made of hollow words. They have to mean something. Gray's family filed a $145 million federal lawsuit against Frederick County, and rightly so.

Is it necessary to taser someone who isn't posing a threat? No. It isn't. Why wasn't Mr. Gray simply handcuffed and brought to the station? Why was electrocution necessary in this situation. I truly do not see a cause for the taser to have been pulled out at all, in this instance.

What of the rules associated with Force continuum?

Officers that act as renegades and do not follow the rules create a major problem in society, to put it mildly. I'm relieved the NAACP is finally taking action. Many, many innocent lives have been taken by renegade officers. It's long been time to find a solution to this dilemma, as it absolutely cannot go on. It is a problem that has plagued the United States and countries abroad.

Tasing Violations of Human Rights

SARA BENNETT
Amnesty International, USA
5 Penn Plaza
New York, NY 10001
(212) 633-4160
sbennett@aiusa.org

RE: Tasing Violations of Human Rights

Dear Sara Bennett:

Please convey to our friends at Amnesty International that on Friday, April 24, the AfroSpear will declare this, “A Day of Blogging for Justice - Standing up against the pre-trial electrocution”, internationally.

It coincide the latest taser death of Michael Jacobs, a mentally ill black man, in my home town of Fort Worth, Texas.

We have a strong local base of support. On today, I had a chance to meet with the Fort Worth Chief of Police Jeffrey Halstead, and community activists representing the African-American community and the family.

We have waged a battle against Taser International, Inc., which started out an unregulated weapons manufacturer. Finally, after the rising sales of taser weapons and rising number of casualties, and numerous court defenses against lawsuits, Taser International finally conceded to issue some Product Warnings.

The warnings are adequate enough to immunize the company against wrongful death liabilities. If police departments around the country use the weapon, as it was designed to be used, in theory, there should be no fatalities.

There has been video footage upon footage of taser abuse and death. The AfroSpear has documented the history in the movement to stop the use and abuse of tasers, and the recordings of actual deaths, where subjects were tasered repeatedly until they expired.

The taser death of Michael Jacobs fit the profile of “Sudden In-Custody Death Syndrome”, one of the product label warnings. Because Jacobs’ mental illness, he was more susceptible to dying after a taser shot and retrained.

Signs of Sudden In-Custody Death Syndrome include: extreme agitation, bizarre behavior, inappropriate nudity, imperviousness to pain, paranoia, exhaustive exertion, “superhuman” strength, hallucinations, sweating profusely, etc.

The Product Warning label includes, among other things:

Sudden In-Custody Death Syndrome Awareness. If a subject is exhibiting signs or behaviors that are associated with Sudden In-Custody Death Syndrome, consider combining use of a TASER device with immediate physical restraint techniques and medical assistance. Signs of Sudden In-Custody Death Syndrome include: extreme agitation, bizarre behavior, inappropriate nudity, imperviousness to pain, paranoia, exhaustive exertion, “superhuman” strength, hallucinations, sweating profusely, etc.

Muscle Contraction-Related Risks. The TASER device can cause strong muscle contractions that may result in physical exertion or athletic-type injuries. In certain instances this may be serious for some people, such as those with pre-existing conditions and/or special susceptibilities. This may also occur in instances Sudden in-custody death results from a complex set of physiological and psychological conditions characterized by irrational behavior, extreme exertion, and potentially fatal changes in blood chemistry.

The description of Michael Jacobs’ death is classic to the definition above of Sudden In-Custody Death Syndrome.

Product Safety should be an integral part of every police department’s policy on training and deployment of tasers. And when the product safety instructions are ignored, who is liable? And when training is inadequate, who bears the responsibility of a wrongful death?

In the case above, the liability stops at the City of Fort Worth. For wrongful death, they must pay, and pay dearly. Of course, the City holds the Chief of Police responsible, and so does the community.

We are watching and we are blogging.

Prison Reform Becoming A Reality

Senator John Webb from Virginia has proposed a new law that examines our prison system with sweeping reforms. He will need our help to ensure the reforms actually take place. Would you take a moment to thank him for making this bold and necessary move? There is a quick auto-form you can use through Color of Change.

Click here to participate: http://colorofchange.org/webb/?id=1829-227923

Mumia Speaks With Democracy Now

Mumia speaks with Democracy now about the denial of his appeal, and his book focusing on Jailhouse Lawyers.







Thankyou Liberator Magazine for the intel.

Genocide Prevention Months begins today. Your voice is powerful.

Ask your local library to display books about Genocide.

Watch The Last Survivor.

Spread the word through blogs, conversations, twitter, and art.

Donate to aid groups alleviating suffering in lands plagued by genocide.

Join the Am I Not Human campaign on the 27th of every month with your own form of positive activism (blogging, art, meditation/prayer, etc)

Thankyou for caring and taking action no matter the size of the action.

Crossposted at UltravioletUnderground

The Chemical Holocaust Against A Generation of Children

The field of psychiatry has changed childhood into a disease in the last 30 or so years with various labels, one becoming especially 'prevalent' amongst youth; ADHD. Addressing this dilemma, that only seems to plague children in the West for some odd reason, Dr. Fred Baughman has written a book that outlines what has actually happened and why we need to be very careful who's 'medical' opinions we expose our children to.

Natural news' Mike Adams, the Heath Ranger, writes:

Dear readers,

In the last 30 years, the field of psychiatry has transformed childhood into a disease through the label of ADHD. That's exactly what Dr. Fred Baughman, a pediatric neurologist and fellow of the American Association of Neurologists explores in this downloadable interview from Truth Publishing.

Dr. Baughman is one of the few neurological experts that is willing come forward with the truth about ADHD and the mass drugging of America's children. Have you ever wondered why other countries don't have this explosion of mental illness in their kids? Have you ever wondered why people in your parent's generation didn't have these problems? The answers are all right here in this interview.

Plus, Dr. Baughman shares his latest book on the subject, and a DVD warning to parents about the latest epidemic of childhood diagnosis, who is profiting from it, and how the label could hurt their child for life -- not to mention the risk of heart attack, stroke, drug abuse and all the other side effects that children on ADHD drugs experience.

Read all this and more in "Live with Dr. Fred Baughman," available for downloading now at:

http://downloads.truthpublishing.com/LivewithFredBaughman.pdf

Dr. Baughman shares startling facts such as:

• What group wants four out of every ten children diagnosed as ADHD
• How brain "disorders" lack an objective standard
• Why an ADHD-labeled child will have trouble getting healthcare coverage, getting a job, or getting into the military
• How diseases are created by a "show of hands"
• How parents, teachers and school districts are getting paid for ADHD diagnoses
• How many psychiatric experts are owned by the pharmaceutical industry
• The law the Bush Administration put into action that will REQUIRE your child to be screened for ADHD
• Adult ADHD "recruiting" centers where 80 percent are diagnosed as ADHD
• How the FDA lobbied another country to keep dangerous ADHD drugs on the market after fatalities occured
• Why your grandparents were never diagnosed with ADHD
• What percentage of kids walk out of their first psychiatric visit with an ADHD diagnosis
• How taxpayers foot the bill for every ADHD diagnosis

You'll want to pass this information on to everyone you know with children or grandchildren, so they don't become just another vehicle of profit for the drug industry. The risks are just too great, and too many parents and children have suffered already.

Download "Live with Dr. Fred Baughman" right now and read it for yourself:

http://downloads.truthpublishing.com/LivewithFredBaughman.pdf