A few months ago, I wrote a post disgusted at the way in which Chris Brown was carrying himself when he trashed an ABC studio in Manhattan, NY. I feel that the post was justified because at that time, he was acting like a spoiled rich kid with self-entitlement issues! (See post here http://tinyurl.com/3g5wcen)
But now my question is, when is enough enough? Chris Brown recently performed on The Today Show setting a record with 18,000 fans in attendance. However, that's not the story that Fox News decided to focus on. They attacked Chris Brown for his past mistakes and criticized NBC for allowing "such a person" to have as host Laura Ingraham called it..."top billing". She went on to say that by NBC allowing him to perform and that many fans showing up to support him, all of those people in effect were "rewarding bad behavior". You can see the Laura Ingraham story here (http://tinyurl.com/3vk4wzt).
Let's get this out of the way first....IN NO WAY TO I ADVOCATE WHAT CHRIS BROWN DID TO RIHANNA! I think it's abhorrent, deplorable, and down right evil to physically harm or abuse a woman.
But now that we're almost about 3 years past this incident between these two superstars...isn't it about time we move on? It certainly appears that Rihanna has moved on, and Chris is apparently trying to as well. But for some reason, certain media outlets just can't allow this to die down. They're still treating Chris like the events that took place in that car happened three weeks ago, not three years ago.
It kills me how so many in the news/media world have such STRONG beliefs and feelings toward Chris Brown even though he went through the judicial system, plead guilty, was sentenced and served that sentence. Now after he's completed his required community service, anger management, etc., there are still people who feel that he doesn't deserve to work again? He doesn't deserve to try to rebuild his career? He doesn't get to to back to having freeness of speech as an artist?
Was it necessary for Fox to go out to where the "Today Show" was doing their concert to start asking fans if their being in attendance was "rewarding bad behavior"? Did they need to have a photo of a bruised and hurt Rihanna out on the street asking if Chris Brown deserves to have this kind of attention because of what he did to Rihanna? I think it's embarrassing that a station such as Fox would allow their show hosts to go so far as to call Chris Brown one of the most degrading misogynistic artists that are out today! Especially when there are many others much worse than Chris Brown.
Like I said before...I don't agree with, approve of, or support what Chris Brown did to Rihanna. And yes....I do believe he hit her. We don't know the full circumstances surrounding the events of that night....but regardless of that, he should have NEVER put his hands on her. At the same time though, isn't it a bit unfair and hypocritical to continue exacting more punishment on Chris Brown when he's already served his penalty as laid out by a judge? The media....ESPECIALLY FOX NEWS and Laura Ingraham....need to stop putting forth their own opinions and agendas (like how she plugged her book before ripping Chris Brown and NBC), and just report the facts. If you want to express your own personal views....write a blog or as you already did Laura Ingraham...write a book....but please don't put your biased thoughts and personal feelings/emotions out on a nationally televised show as if those are the facts and EVERYONE feels the same as you. And if there are people who feel different than you do, such as the 18,000 fans who supported Chris Brown on "The Today Show"....don't show up and try to rain on their parade and dissuade them from having their own thoughts, views, and feelings. After all....isn't this the land of FREEDOM? The land that millions around the world would give anything to get to...because of the freedoms even the most average citizen is afforded. Laura Ingraham....Fox News....you all should be ashamed of yourself for your shady reporting tactics and unwillingness to report facts and not opinions!
Remember...."You're Worth It".
J. Earl Smith
knourworth@hotmail.com
@JSmith2523 on Twitter
www.smashwords.com/books/view/24495
Monday, July 18, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
To Protect & Serve or to Annoy & Harass?
Last night I was pulled over while driving my wife's car. The police said that they pulled me over for having an expired tag and that driving around with an expired tag is a felony for which I could have been arrested. So I decided to look up the penalties for driving with an expired tag and guess what I found? The fine for driving with an expired tag is just under $100, plus points on my license, unless I was to contest it then I'd have to pay court costs as well in court. Those penalties don't sound like I'd be getting arrested!
What it does sound like to me is the unending oppressive abuse of power that I've experienced many times before! Let's take a look at the scene....a man who's dressed in a suit, who has his wife and 2 month old baby with him, heading home after picking up dinner, wasn't speeding, didn't make an illegal turn, didn't run a red light, and who gave the officers no attitude whatsoever....why threaten said man with being arrested for having an expired tag? Did that man have anything in his background when you ran his ID that would suggest that you need to be that aggressive with him? Did he make any kind of snide remark to you...such as calling you a pig? Did he call you a donut wrangler? Did he cause any kind of commotion or make a scene? NO! He pulled over as soon as you said to, he gave you his ID, insurance, etc. upon request. All he did was follow your instructions.
Did I get a ticket last night??? NO...why? Because the Altamonte Springs Police Department is more about trying to build a reputation about themselves that they can do WHATEVER they want....WHENEVER they want! It's these kinds of things that make people not like the police. Granted, I know they do serve a purpose, but harassing people, wasting their time, and threatening them isn't called for! He had my family sitting in our car for close to 40 minutes last night as they ran my license....and checked my background and continued to ask me stupid questions...they even went so far as to come to the front of my vehicle to check the VIN number to make sure that I hadn't stolen the vehicle....ARE YOU KIDDING ME? So it's not enough that my name is on the insurance for this vehicle, or that my name is on the registration....YOU STILL HAVE TO "CHECK" TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T STEAL THIS VEHICLE??? GET OUT OF HERE WITH THAT NONSENSE!!! Looking at me and my FAMILY....I really look like I fit the profile of a car thief??? Seriously? I'm just thankful that my 2 month old son isn't old enough to know what happened last night? And only hope that as he gets older, he won't have to deal with the profiling that his father has had to deal with throughout his life!
Stay safe out there.....Big brother isn't watching.....BUT THE POLICE ARE!!!
UPDATE:
Shockingly (not really) the police are at it again, harassing black people for no reason except this time it's not the Altamonte Springs Police Department....it's the Casselberry Police Department. I won't even bother trying to explain what happened. Just know it's way worse than the detaining my family and I faced back when my son was 2 months old. I think the video footage will speak for itself.
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh3kEqo5SGzrR7G0c5
Once again this shows that it doesn't matter if you know the law, or even if the police are committing a crime. If you're black....you're presumed guilty until proven innocent. Notice how once they've tasered him a couple times and he's then cuffed and on the ground, the police officer then sees that the black man who was minding his business is carrying a weapon.
Throughout the whole video the weapon was never shown, never brandished or anything like that. He's a licensed gun owner and has a license to carry a concealed weapon. So it's not like he had his gun out and the cops were reacting to seeing someone with a gun out. Like this video....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPcvSsvEt2c
So not only was this white man reported as walking with his gun out, but upon the cops attempting to search him and seize his gun...a supervisor was called and the supervisor put an end to the unnecessary harassment and let the gentleman go on about his business.
My question is, why is there such a disparity between how whites and blacks are treated by the police? Someone called the cops about this white man walking with his gun out and was let go. The black man was questioned about crossing the street without having a "walk now" light. Did he really commit a crime? No, the first officer said himself he committed an infraction....and then proceeded to assault the victim by using a taser on him and attempting to arrest him. How can you charge him with resisting arrest when initially you said he wasn't under arrest and you just wanted his ID?
This is just another example of the Central Florida Police Department's abuse of their power in an attempt to strengthen their reputation in the community! The police officer followed his "suspect" across the street and waited for him to leave from cashing his check at Amscot and then began questioning him for NO REASON! Is this the society we have to live in? That a black man who's working, paying his taxes, and generally being a good citizen can be questioned, tased, and detained illegally just because a cop decides that he looks suspicious?
Being that I live in Central Florida....this increasing problem scares me, and has me wondering what kind of future my son will have if the police who are supposed to be "serving & protecting" can do as they please with little recourse to hold them accountable.
All the man asked was for the cop to provide him a statute requiring him to provide his identification...and the cop didn't even feel that he was required to do so. Which according to 2012 Florida Statute 856.021, The only time it's lawful for a police officer to demand/request someone's identification is when they're are loitering or prowling in a particular place, at a time or in a manner not usual for law-abiding individuals, or if the person takes flight upon the arrival of police on the scene.
No where in the entire statute does it REQUIRE an individual to identify themselves. Especially if they're told up front that they've done nothing wrong. Police ARE NOT lawfully allowed to request ID from someone in order to "rule out" that they've been involved in any criminal activity. There MUST BE suspicion of a criminal act having taken place, or proof that criminal activity is currently taking place.
I guess it's not enough to be black and know your rights anymore! Because at this time it really doesn't matter because even when we're right as black people....we're still getting tased!
The officers involved here probably won't receive any disciplinary action and will continue to harass any black person whom they care to! The worst of all is that requesting a supervisor to be called to the scene doesn't even get considered by these cops as something that's necessary on their part.
J. Earl Smith
knourworth@hotmail.com
@JSmith2523 on Twitter
www.smashwords.com/books/view/24495
What it does sound like to me is the unending oppressive abuse of power that I've experienced many times before! Let's take a look at the scene....a man who's dressed in a suit, who has his wife and 2 month old baby with him, heading home after picking up dinner, wasn't speeding, didn't make an illegal turn, didn't run a red light, and who gave the officers no attitude whatsoever....why threaten said man with being arrested for having an expired tag? Did that man have anything in his background when you ran his ID that would suggest that you need to be that aggressive with him? Did he make any kind of snide remark to you...such as calling you a pig? Did he call you a donut wrangler? Did he cause any kind of commotion or make a scene? NO! He pulled over as soon as you said to, he gave you his ID, insurance, etc. upon request. All he did was follow your instructions.
Did I get a ticket last night??? NO...why? Because the Altamonte Springs Police Department is more about trying to build a reputation about themselves that they can do WHATEVER they want....WHENEVER they want! It's these kinds of things that make people not like the police. Granted, I know they do serve a purpose, but harassing people, wasting their time, and threatening them isn't called for! He had my family sitting in our car for close to 40 minutes last night as they ran my license....and checked my background and continued to ask me stupid questions...they even went so far as to come to the front of my vehicle to check the VIN number to make sure that I hadn't stolen the vehicle....ARE YOU KIDDING ME? So it's not enough that my name is on the insurance for this vehicle, or that my name is on the registration....YOU STILL HAVE TO "CHECK" TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T STEAL THIS VEHICLE??? GET OUT OF HERE WITH THAT NONSENSE!!! Looking at me and my FAMILY....I really look like I fit the profile of a car thief??? Seriously? I'm just thankful that my 2 month old son isn't old enough to know what happened last night? And only hope that as he gets older, he won't have to deal with the profiling that his father has had to deal with throughout his life!Stay safe out there.....Big brother isn't watching.....BUT THE POLICE ARE!!!
UPDATE:
Shockingly (not really) the police are at it again, harassing black people for no reason except this time it's not the Altamonte Springs Police Department....it's the Casselberry Police Department. I won't even bother trying to explain what happened. Just know it's way worse than the detaining my family and I faced back when my son was 2 months old. I think the video footage will speak for itself.
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh3kEqo5SGzrR7G0c5
Once again this shows that it doesn't matter if you know the law, or even if the police are committing a crime. If you're black....you're presumed guilty until proven innocent. Notice how once they've tasered him a couple times and he's then cuffed and on the ground, the police officer then sees that the black man who was minding his business is carrying a weapon.
Throughout the whole video the weapon was never shown, never brandished or anything like that. He's a licensed gun owner and has a license to carry a concealed weapon. So it's not like he had his gun out and the cops were reacting to seeing someone with a gun out. Like this video....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPcvSsvEt2c
So not only was this white man reported as walking with his gun out, but upon the cops attempting to search him and seize his gun...a supervisor was called and the supervisor put an end to the unnecessary harassment and let the gentleman go on about his business.
My question is, why is there such a disparity between how whites and blacks are treated by the police? Someone called the cops about this white man walking with his gun out and was let go. The black man was questioned about crossing the street without having a "walk now" light. Did he really commit a crime? No, the first officer said himself he committed an infraction....and then proceeded to assault the victim by using a taser on him and attempting to arrest him. How can you charge him with resisting arrest when initially you said he wasn't under arrest and you just wanted his ID?
This is just another example of the Central Florida Police Department's abuse of their power in an attempt to strengthen their reputation in the community! The police officer followed his "suspect" across the street and waited for him to leave from cashing his check at Amscot and then began questioning him for NO REASON! Is this the society we have to live in? That a black man who's working, paying his taxes, and generally being a good citizen can be questioned, tased, and detained illegally just because a cop decides that he looks suspicious?
Being that I live in Central Florida....this increasing problem scares me, and has me wondering what kind of future my son will have if the police who are supposed to be "serving & protecting" can do as they please with little recourse to hold them accountable.
All the man asked was for the cop to provide him a statute requiring him to provide his identification...and the cop didn't even feel that he was required to do so. Which according to 2012 Florida Statute 856.021, The only time it's lawful for a police officer to demand/request someone's identification is when they're are loitering or prowling in a particular place, at a time or in a manner not usual for law-abiding individuals, or if the person takes flight upon the arrival of police on the scene.
No where in the entire statute does it REQUIRE an individual to identify themselves. Especially if they're told up front that they've done nothing wrong. Police ARE NOT lawfully allowed to request ID from someone in order to "rule out" that they've been involved in any criminal activity. There MUST BE suspicion of a criminal act having taken place, or proof that criminal activity is currently taking place.
I guess it's not enough to be black and know your rights anymore! Because at this time it really doesn't matter because even when we're right as black people....we're still getting tased!
The officers involved here probably won't receive any disciplinary action and will continue to harass any black person whom they care to! The worst of all is that requesting a supervisor to be called to the scene doesn't even get considered by these cops as something that's necessary on their part.
J. Earl Smith
knourworth@hotmail.com
@JSmith2523 on Twitter
www.smashwords.com/books/view/24495
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