Eric Garner and New York City, NY

Eric Garner did not deserve to die for what he did (illegally selling cigarettes).  However, because he was engaged in illegal activity, he attracted the attention of the cops.  And because he chose to be an idiot and argue/fight with the cops, they had to subdue him.  And no, that picture of him in a tuxedo does nothing for me.

Allegedly, he also had health problems.  Why would you get into a scuffle with the police? Lord knows.  Did he have a death wish?  Or did he wish to repeat that lame-ass scene in the movie "Crash"?  He's no Terrence Howard.

(I mean the movie is lame, not Mr. Howard)

In Garner's case, we can hear him saying "I can't breathe".  At the time, it would be hard to tell if he was just saying it to be difficult or to engage in hyperbole.  In hindsight, he was apparently being sincere.

The New York City PIG Police Department is one of the few police forces that I actually do have some prejudice against.  Just the stories I hear. Just some of the pictures I've seen of them. The arrogant scowls, the thuggish demeanor.  I'm still shocked by the story where they tried to have one of their own (whose father was also a cop) committed to a mental institution for whistle blowing.  I don't have respect for a force that does something like that.

I know not all NYPD are like this. I know there are some good cops, and I know cops all over the country have a tough job keeping our streets safe (and most of us will never realize how hard they have it).  However, In this case, they went over the line.

To the credit of the protesters (or maybe people were scared to riot in NYC), the demonstrations against pig police brutality in New York City were very civil for the most part. People made their point without destruction (at least, none that I saw).  That should be lauded.  If only all protests were like that.

Ironically, the small amount of ghetto behavior we saw came not from NYC, but from the opposite side of the country, in one of the bastions of higher education - University of California Berkeley.  Berkeley cops appeared to be just as ghetto, though.

Stonehenge, Spinal Tap? No, Berkeley Police

Bane wannabe giving the bird - "The police will survive as they learn to serve true justice."

Skate or get gassed, brah

All this guy needs is a cowboy hat and a colt .45 revolver. Yee Haw!!!!!!

 

I went to my physics study group and all I got was this lousy choke hold.

OMG you'll never guess what happened to me. There was this really mean jerky cop with a big fanny pack attached to his leg, swinging this scary axe at me or maybe it was a bat but what---ever. Like seriously Britney, he was so scary.  I thought I was totally going to die. Caitlin and Makenzie are going to FLIP OUT when I tell them . . .

This protester apparently tried to prevent people from vandalizing the local Radio Shack, and was beat up for it.  As they say, no good deed will go unpunished.

There were also "die-ins" (the lying down equivalent of sit-ins) at Grand Central Station in New York and the railroad tracks in Berkeley.

Lying down or sleeping on tracks or in train stations is pretty ghetto, or at least very hobo.  Not violent, just annoying for people who need to get home and feed their kids. But since none of the people engaging in this behavior appear to be 'parent' types, they have no idea.

New York City:

How much longer do I have to lie here

I hope they mopped the floors last night. But just in case, I'm showering when I get home. Know what I'm saying, dog? (gnome sayin' dawg?)

Berkeley:

Does anybody have any rope?  The Hooded Claw? Snidely Whiplash?  The Pace Picante Sauce cowboys? Anybody?