Closing Time, Sorta

I’ve been meaning to write a final post to close the blog down. There are a multitude of reasons that I found myself coming to this decision: lack of time, sporadic updates and a lack of focus. These few months of silence have given me an opportunity to finalize my decision or so I thought. I find myself lost in the world where there is more talk of a doped up actor instead of what truly matters in our daily lives. I found myself locked in discussion with a coworker that left me shocked at the disconnect there seems to be in this age of information. Just the other day I found myself in a short conversation with a friend concerning Wisconsin that concluded when he stated “they are always protesting anyway.”

Instead of shutting down I have found a focus, I want to continue my study of democracy and provide information that is not often highlighted, as well as commentary on how this is relevant in this day and age. I may change the name and even the address of the blog, but that will come at a later date.

Cop Out

I saw a YouTube clip that has been making the rounds lately. It depicts a incident on a BART platform where cops were responding to a disturbance. Thanks to ubiquitous video recording technology in cell phones there is immediate proof and it has gone viral.

In this video there are several young men who are being detained by the cops. One man is lying face down with two cops attending to him. One officer has his knee on the guy's back the other seems to be grasping the guy's hands. No struggle occurs, yet the cop felt a need to pull out his weapon to further subdue the detainee. He discharged his weapon.

The disputes became about whether the cop intended to use lethal force. I think that it was unreasonable to consider using force at all. No matter the past or current offense a person is suspected of committing. Reaching for a taser to abuse an individual already in custody is absolutely ridiculous. It goes to show you how little respect and self control these officers have.

I can certainly appreciate the difficult situations and stress police officers are put through. On the same token officers need to understand what it feels like to be targeted and persecuted. The paradigm needs to change in order for there to be real peace. Officers tend to behave like field hands or masters, quick to crack the whip to make an example of a person. They should understand that they are there to serve us; give respect and it will be reciprocated

Similar Story:

New Orleans' Danziger Bridge

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6063982

White Out/Motivation

Out of bed before the first stroke of the familiar bells, yet not much else was. I have been groomed by the highways and by ways these past few years. The lonely walks down barren streets, to wait on empty wind whipped platforms were just a distant memory... an unkindly reminder of my humble beginnings, my early struggles, and fear for my future and that of the ones I love.

Days like this make it all seem like dedication and love, but it is survival. Survival measured in organic foods, trips over seas and nieces spoiled. In the end we are are ruled by hope, mine now fueled by distant glimmers that hold promise for comfort. Comfort immediately broken by those who have fallen through the cracks, my nose pinched with the unfortunately familiar scent of those society has cast away.

Jack Frost isn't just interested with your nose; he will take any point to chill your core and break your will. The purpose of this long cold trek is to not become one of those filling the cracks. Instead I find myself finding comfort in the bootstraps, scarves and various articles handed down, now keeping the cold at bay.

In the end what people see is the office, the fancy title, and the new kicks. Before the office came hope, a plan by my parents, and support from loved ones. The fancy title was born out of debt saddled by my mother. And the kicks were paid for by countless weeks in lab past 1am, 3 hour trips from Kodak and a work ethic required to pay back the sacrifice made by others on my behalf.