Hands Up. Don't Shoot.

It's been said repeatedly this month. Protesters have chanted it all across the nation. It seems like such a simple message to understand. So why do so many police officers and G-O-TEA media pundits act as if it's incomprehensible?

"Hands up. Don't shoot!"

That message came here to Southern Nevada last night as protesters gathered on Martin Luther King Blvd. in North Las Vegas for the 51st anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, "I Have a Dream" speech... And to remember the life and legacy of Michael Brown.



"Hands up. Don't shoot!"

Las Vegas Metro Police still seem to have a tough time understanding this. And they're not alone. In St. Paul, Minnesota, Christopher Lollie was tased and arrested for simply sitting in a park as he was waiting for his kids to be released from preschool. In Beverly Hills, California, film producer Charles Belk was arrested and detained because he "matched the profile of a suspected bank robber". And in Hartford, Connecticut, outrage over the stunning and arrest of Luis Anglero, Jr., has grown so strong that Hartford Police Chief James Rovella actually joined protesters demonstrating against his arrest.

"Hands up. Don't shoot!"

In North Las Vegas, police weren't just at peace with demonstrators. They were hugging, engagung in conversation, and posing for photos last night. For a moment, it looked like a real breakthrough.

And frankly, this is what we need more of. As we've said before, this problem isn't just limited to Ferguson and other areas of Missouri. It's happened here, and it's happened elsewhere in America. It's part of the legacy of institutionalized racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and all other forms of xenophobia America has struggled with since the first European settlers arrived on this continent. While we've seen much progress in building bridges in the last 51 years, there's still so much more to be done.

"Hands up. Don't shoot." Hopefully one day, we won't have to say that any more. Hopefully one day, we can all join hands and put the guns away.

Turn the Page

Yesterday, a body of a slain young adult was laid to rest. A family mourned this painful loss. And a reeling community began to pick up the pieces and hoped for eventual healing.

Michael Brown's funeral wasn't just for his family. It wasn't even just for Ferguson. It was for the nation.

Yesterday, Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) said this after the funeral: “This tragic event of Michael Brown — while as horrible as it is, and he should have never lost his life as an unarmed boy who had just graduated high school — it is providing the opportunity for us now to have a national discussion on what policies, laws and practice we need to change so we can improve going forward.” He's not alone in demanding change after this horrific tragedy.

This week, we've gained more insight into how and why St. Louis County, Missouri, has sparked this nationwide conversation on the state of American police. And none other than St. Louis County Police Officer Dan Page has helped explain everything.



Ah, where do we start? How about "warning the ladies" about "domestic violence stuff"? "Just shoot each other and get it done"? Did Las Vegas Metro Police actually take his advice earlier this month? Christy Mack's neighbors have been wondering why it took so damned long for Metro to respond to their 911 call. While they took their time, War Machine escaped to Simi Valley, California, while leaving Mack and Corey Thomas near death at her Las Vegas home.



Hold on, there's more. Dan Page also went into a tirade against "homosexual sodomites". According to Page, ICE should keep Marichuy Gamino in solitary confinement in a men's prison for daring to report her rape. According to him, Monica Jones deserved to be arrested for "walking while trans*". And perhaps he also doesn't mind Mia Henderson being taken from this earth way before her time.

He didn't even stop there. No, Dan Page also claimed President Obama wasn't born in America. He actually called himself "a killer". He repeated even more bizarre conspiracy theories.

Oh, and he gave this speech to the Oath Keepers earlier this year. Remember the Oath Keepers?



They're the Patriot Movement friendly militia who occupied Bunkerville and Mesquite during the height of Cliven Bundy's "Range War". They only left when sh-t became too real and they suddenly were under attack by fellow pro-Bundy militia groups.

Dan Page was one of the St. Louis County officers patrolling Ferguson during the height of the protests. He was the one who roughed up CNN reporter Don Lemon in front of a global audience. And even now, St. Louis County Police still won't fire him!

W. T. F?! And they're still wondering why so many in the St. Louis region have a hard time trusting the police? Perhaps they need to start looking in the mirror more often.

It's also important to keep in mind that this problem isn't limited to Missouri. We've seen shades of this here in Nevada as well. After all, Metro Police have often used excessive force on valley civilians (especially those living in inner city communities) while giving the Bundy Gang kid glove treatment and giving War Machine just enough time to escape the crime scene.



In so many ways, the Dan Page saga in St. Louis County illustrates why so many minority communities have trouble trusting the police. If police forces there, here in Southern Nevada, and elsewhere want to turn the page, they need to clean house. If they want to regain our trust, they must prove themselves trustworthy. We can't truly turn the page on this sorrowful chapter in American history until we see no more Michael Browns being shot, Monica Jones' being arrested, and Christy Macks left for dead.

Who's Policing the Police?

A funeral is happening today. It's certain to attract a large crowd. In fact, Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) is in Ferguson, Missouri, today.

Michael Brown's funeral is today. The Brown family has asked for calm in the St. Louis region today. And it remains to be seen how long the calm will last, especially since Ferguson Police still refuse to answer questions on Officer Darren Wilson's slaying of Michael Brown. There was never even an incident report filed.



And not only that, but Ferguson Police still refuse to admit they have a serious problem on their hands. Sure, they're finally dialing back the violence now. However, they're still refusing to take any accountability for their actions against local civilians.



Before Darren Wilson joined the Ferguson Police Department, he worked at the Jennings Police Department. He was let go in 2011... Along with the entire rest of the police force. Jennings Police had developed such a horrifying record of police brutality that the city council decided to dissolve the whole police department and start anew.

Apparently, this didn't faze Ferguson Police at all. Sure, it's never good to simply assume the worse and presume guilt before proving innocence. However, it's always a good idea to perform background checks on prospective enployees and investigate Wilson's role in the Jennings debacle.

Why didn't Ferguson Police seriously investigate Darren Wilson's record in Jennings? Why has Ferguson Police instead taken to Fox "News" to villify the victim? And why are the usual G-O-TEA suspects once again trying to stifle serious discussion on the serious issues surrounding Ferguson?



Once again, the actions of a mostly white police force against a minority-majority community has become a media circus full of heat yet lacking light. Once again, we're hearing outrageous accusations to go along with nonsensical conspiracy theories. What we have yet to hear are answers from Ferguson Police. So many in the media are rushing to put Michael Brown on trial, even as Michael Brown's funeral is underway. Yet who's policing the police?

Ugliest of Double Standards

This really says it all. This pretty much explains everything. This is why Ferguson, Missouri, has come to resemble the type of war zone we thought could only emerge in some far away land like Syria or Ukraine.



ACLU has already called for the removal of "Officer Go Fuck Yourself". After all, it's anything but appropriate for a "peace officer" to point his rifle at unarmed civilians and yell, "I will fucking kill you".

Ironically, Kansas City, Missouri, police officer Marc Catron had taken to social media to castigate the late Michael Brown along with the mostly African-American demonstrators in Ferguson protesting his murder. The Kansas City Police Department has placed Marc Catron under review for his Facebook rants.

Here's the problem. We expect demonstrators to remain peaceful. We expect them to refrain from violence. Yet when police officers turn violent on unarmed civilians, we hear constant excuses and endless attempts at blaming the victims.

Already, Ferguson Police have been working overtime to demonize Mike Brown. They seem to think he's the one who should be standing trial instead of Darren Wilson. But last time we checked, Darren Wilson shot Mike Brown dead.



This is nothing new. In fact, Metro Police does it all the time here in Southern Nevada.

But this must end. Now. This is the ugliest and bloodiest of double standards. Darren Wilson had the privilege to shoot first and ask questions later. He now has all the rights of due process that (Missouri taxpayers') money (and white privilege) can buy. But what does the Brown family have? A dead son. And now, these scurrilous attempts at blaming the victim.

And what do the nonviolent protesters of Ferguson have? Nonstop attacks on their character. And nonstop threats from local "law enforcement". This is the ugliest of double standards.

Disconnect

Violence and turmoil erupted again last night. This time, tear gas was used. Rocks were thrown. (More) Journalists were arrested. And Ferguson endured its most brutal night of conflict yet.

Ferguson has become a flashpoint in the growing conflict over police brutality, ongoing economic injustice, and institutionalized racism. But for G-O-TEA media pundits, this is just another chance for them to peddle conspiracy theories and inflammatory rhetoric.



Apparently, they haven't paid close enough attention to what's happening in Ferguson. While police continue to attack both protesters and journalists, most of the protesters have been dissenting peacefully. Oh, and they've also been cleaning up the street every morning. That's certainly something we typically don't hear from G-O-TEA media spinners decrying the "lawlessness" of Ferguson.



Even CNN's Don Lemon had to experience firsthand the reality of what's happening there.



This unrest first erupted because of public anger over the murder "good police work" of Michael Brown. Yet instead of answering questions and allowing for any kind of justice, police have added fuel to the fire by unleashing so much brutal force on both protesters and reporters. And now they're wondering why Ferguson is so tense and why a few demonstators have turned to rocks and Molotov cocktails to fight back.

Now don't get us wrong, we never condone violence. Two wrongs never make a right. No one should be celebrating the suffering of real human beings. So why don't Ferguson city officials and their G-O-TEA media apologists understand this?

Ironically, these very G-O-TEA media spinners were condemning local and federal law enforcement here in Nevada when they were trying to simply enforce the law in Bunkerville. When Cliven Bundy and his Patriot Movement militia buddies were engaging in armed conflict against federal agents, G-O-TEA politicians & pundits were praising them as "freedom fighters". Yet when a very large majority of protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, demonstrate against the wrongful execution of an innocent man, they're demanding water cannons and condemning voter registration drives.

Does anyone else notice the disconnect here? We wonder what may be causing this logical disconnect. We wonder why they're describing something that's far different from what the rest of us are actually seeing there. And we wonder why they're condemning protests that are less violent than the protests they championed on live TV 24/7 just four months ago. Why are we seeing this disconnect?

Missouri Burning

Why there? Why now? Why this? Why Ferguson?

On Thursday, we discussed how the history of de jure and de facto racial segregation have shaped the turmoil that's come to define Ferguson today. Desert Beacon just dove deeper into the St. Louis region's troubled past. Needless to say, it's a troubled past full of racial discrimination, municipal government turf wars, and sharp economic transitions.

Yet even as we're starting to understand how and why this is happening, we're still shocked by this. Why is this happening in America?



We've witnessed the incredibly disturbing trend of police militarization. Why are "peace officers" using weapons of war, sometimes even against unarmed civilians? Back in June, Congress had the opportunity to support bipartisan backed legislation to curtail a US Defense Department program that ships excess inventory of heavy artillery to local police departments. When it came to the House floor for a vote in that chamber, it failed by a huge margin. (And for the record, all of Nevada's House Members voted against this amendment.)



We now have a better sense of what Ferguson's and other police forces are using against civilians, but we must also address why they are using these military grade weapons against civilians. Why did Officer Darren Wilson shoot Michael Brown? It certainly wasn't because of the alleged robbery that the store never reported to police. So why did this occur?

And why have there been so many other "officer involved shootings" (and beatings) of unarmed civilians? Why are police officers allowed to commit acts they tend to arrest other people for? And why are we being told to just "submit" to this type of abuse?



And remember, we're not immune to this here in Nevada. Particularly in Southern Nevada, Las Vegas Metro Police has a disturbing record of "officer involved shootings" and excessive use of force. This is an issue that reaches far beyond Mississippi River.

But for the time being, Ferguson has become the epicenter of this horror. This corner of Missouri has become the burning reminder of something far too many of us have been far too afraid to publicly address. And it remains to be seen what else must occur (and who else must be hurt) before we finally take seriously this threat from within.

Protect & Serve

We know it's not an easy job. We know it's a very dangerous job. We know this is the kind of job that most of us are too afraid to take up.

However, none of that excuses this. None of that excuses the horrific human rights abuses we've seen at the hands of the police in Ferguson, Missouri.



Ironically, much of the very brutality we've criticized in Iraq, Syria, Russia, and other nations with rather spotty human rights records is now underway here in America. Think about that. No wonder why the rest of the world often doubts our "commitment to freedom".

The violence in Ferguson didn't erupt overnight. It's the product of decades of racist housing policies, limited economic opportunities for communities of color, and local "law enforcement" who have provided anything but.

We realize that law enforcement has come under attack in recent months. Right here in Las Vegas, 2 Metro Police Officers were murdered by 2 Patriot Movement/sovereign citizen extremists. And just this week, a sovereign citizen in Dallas attacked firefighters and police officers. With radical right domestic terrorism on the rise again, public safety officers have become moving targets for these extremists.

However, this does not condone police violence against unarmed civilians. The threats posed by extreme right militias that grew out of the racist "posse comitatus" movement do not condone extreme violence against historically oppressed minority communities. And the day to day pressure of "life on duty" does not condone the brutal slaughter of Michael Brown and other unarmed civilians.



President Obama just called for calm after multiple nights of police attacks on protesters, police violence against journalists, violent riots, and looting in Ferguson. However, this problem isn't limited to Ferguson. It's a problem that's prevalent across the nation.

We've even witnessed it here in Southern Nevada. Even today, Las Vegas Metro Police's top cops refuse to acknowledge the severity of their growing list of "officer involved shootings". Justice still hasn't been served in cases like the Adam Greene's. Police brutality is just as much of a problem here as it is in the St. Louis region.

It's time to talk. We can't ignore this any longer. And really, we also need serious action to curb this disturbing trend of police militarization and excessive force against civilians. Law enforcement will never enjoy the respect they should otherwise expect if they don't respect the citizens they're supposed to protect & serve. It's time we address this problem and prevent more of these horrifically senseless deaths.