They are thinking ahead to election day….and when only 12% of the blk populace vote in Ferguson…he does not worry about being accountable to those voters…
Since the Aug. 9 shooting death of Michael Brown, the nation and the world have witnessed the unrest that has gripped Ferguson, Mo. At the core of these demonstrations is a demand for answers about the circumstances of this young man’s death and a broader concern about the state of our criminal justice system. At a time when so much may seem uncertain, the people of Ferguson can have confidence that the Justice Department intends to learn — in a fair and thorough manner — exactly what happened.
Today, I will be in Ferguson to be briefed on the federal civil rights investigation that I have closely monitored since I launched it more than one week ago. I will meet personally with community leaders, FBI investigators and federal prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to receive detailed briefings on the status of this case.
The full resources of the Department of Justice have been committed to the investigation into Michael Brown’s death. This inquiry will take time to complete, but we have already taken significant steps. Approximately 40 FBI agents and some of the Civil Rights Division’s most experienced prosecutors have been deployed to lead this process, with the assistance of the United States Attorney in St. Louis. Hundreds of people have already been interviewed in connection with this matter. On Monday, at my direction, a team of federal medical examiners conducted an independent autopsy…..continued
….Law enforcement has a role to play in reducing tensions, as well. As the brother of a retired law enforcement officer, I know firsthand that our men and women in uniform perform their duties in the face of tremendous threats and significant personal risk. They put their lives on the line every day, and they often have to make split-second decisions. At the same time, good law enforcement requires forging bonds of trust between the police and the public. This trust is all-important, but it is also fragile. It requires that force be used in appropriate ways. Enforcement priorities and arrest patterns must not lead to disparate treatment under the law, even if such treatment is unintended. And police forces should reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.
Over the years, we have made significant progress in ensuring that this is the case. But progress is not an endpoint; it is a measure of effort and of commitment. Constructive dialogue should continue — but it must also be converted into concrete action. And it is painfully clear, in cities and circumstances across our great nation, that more progress, more dialogue, and more action is needed. This is my pledge to the people of Ferguson: Our investigation into this matter will be full, it will be fair, and it will be independent. And beyond the investigation itself, we will work with the police, civil rights leaders, and members of the public to ensure that this tragedy can give rise to new understanding — and robust action — aimed at bridging persistent gaps between law enforcement officials and the communities we serve. Long after the events of Aug. 9 have receded from the headlines, the Justice Department will continue to stand with this community.
As I write, the livestream from Gaza of news about death continues. If I give a casualty count, it may be outdated before I finish typing it. It won’t include those Palestinians—civilians and Hamas fighters—who may be buried in rubble in the Sajaiya neighborhood of Gaza City, which the Israeli army has invaded in search of rockets and of tunnels leading into Israel. Nor will it include recent deaths of Israeli soldiers; the military often delays such announcements for hours. Collapsing under the weight of the Gaza reports is whatever initial support Israel had in the West as its cities came under rocket fire. The same reports have fed criticism of Hamas in the Arab world.
Madness. Absolute madness. Double-down syndrome again. On both sides. Lost so much, so let's lose more http://t.co/3F98pje3Mk@lrozen
The war isn’t a hurricane; it didn’t happen by itself. Leaders on both sides made choices. In Israel, despite an unusual number of protests so early in a war, most of the public seems to think the government is doing the right thing, perhaps too timidly. I doubt anyone can judge public opinion accurately amid the chaos and fear in Gaza, but credible estimations are that support for the Hamas government rises in proportion to Israeli attacks. Maybe just to keep my own sanity, I have to ask: How do leaders believe that such flawed decisions were the only reasonable choices? How can masses of people keep supporting those policies even as they prove disastrous? What’s wrong with our heads? By that I mean not just the heads of Israelis and Palestinians but of human beings, since I don’t have any cause to think that the sides in this conflict are being uniquely irrational….continued
…If all-too-human blindness to alternatives has led us into this tragedy, the proper response isn’t despair. It’s to look for better options, for diplomatic opportunities, that are being ignored right now. There’s a Hebrew saying: A clever man climbs out of a hole that a wise man wouldn’t fall in. We’ve missed the chance to be wise. It’s not too late to be clever. ***This was written July 23, 2014*** The viscous cycle begins again….
Based on what I’m hearing, I am beginning to think that MO has the most cowardly poiticians of any stripe that I’ve seen. And I am including Claire McCaskill in that statement. I’ve selected a lot of juries over the years, and would challenge Bob McCullough for cause based in his family history (more the family of cops than his father), his history with the department, and what he has done in similar situations in the past. Based on challenges in the past, I’d guesstimate that I’d have better than a 70% chance the judge would sustain the challenge. If not, he would be my FIRST peremptory challenge in a case against ANY police officer. This simply is outrageous.
I don’t know about D.C., but I’ve used it in Chicago, California, and Charlotte……the service has gotten more expensive w/ popularity,,but you pay for convenience, and in my case AVOIDING DUI’s….
My parents used the service in India, but I agree they do seem to avoid taking fares in certain areas which is unfortunate.
The thinkprogress article includes a GIF that claims uber’s service area matches only areas that whites live in DC (although no legend accompanies the uber service area map).
I’ve only been to DC a couple of times, but unless things have changed, it’s apparent to an outsider that the entire east and northeast area of DC has no Metro light rail service. It made me wonder what the politics/funding of the rail system was at the time the system was built.
This is a good illustration of why the non-white communities are euphemistically referred to as “underserved.”
I looked into Uber’s policies and in most cases the driver has the power to decide where they want to take a fare, but your comment got me thinking, and I did some more digging…… and found someone’s personal take was exactly the opposite of what ThinkProgress is stating in their article specifically in DC. http://www.racialicious.com/2012/11/28/cab-drivers-uber-and-the-costs-of-racism/
“However, most analysis of Uber’s costs and benefits leave out one huge piece of the appeal: the premium car service removes the racism factor when you need a ride.
In 1999, actor Danny Glover made headlines by filing a taxi discrimination claim in New York City, noting that cabs failed to stop for him due to the color of his skin. Good Morning America experimented with having a black man and a white man hail cabs again in 2009 and found that the racial profiling still continued. In 2010, Fernando Mateo, head of the New York State Federation of Cab Drivers, encouraged racial profiling in the name of safety. Though it has been over a decade since Danny Glover made the issue a national conversation, the landscape hasn’t changed much.
As a black woman, I am generally seen as less of a threat than my black male peers. But that doesn’t mean my business is encouraged or wanted.I stopped using DC cabs back in 2003, when they were using zoning practices that ensured every time I stepped into a cab I wouldn’t get out for less than $25.00, even if I was just going ten minutes down the street. As I learned DC better, I figured out all the routes serviced by buses and trains and committed to walking the rest. The addition of a bike share program to DC has almost completely eliminated my need for a cab rides. A few years later, I repeated the process in New York and Boston, having learned the hard way that I could not count on getting a cab if I needed one, no matter how I was dressed or where I was going.
I had dismissed Uber outright, until a friend convinced me to take a second look. My friend is young and white and, when I asked her why she chose to use the expensive black car service as opposed to any other DC cab, she informed me that her neighborhood isn’t well-liked by cab drivers. As it turns out, while my friend could normally get a cab to stop for her, she suffered the same issues with cabs that black urbanities usually face. Though it is technically illegal for drivers to ask where you are going before allowing you in the cab (New York has clear rules about this; DC has similar rules that are not on any governmental site), it is a common practice. So, my friend noted with a shrug, she’d rather pay the extra five bucks for a fuss-free experience than hail cab after cab, hoping to find a driver to take her to her next destination….continued” ………she also expresses as a black woman her experience in NYC & S.F.
**she also includes in her post Washington Post columnist Clinton Yates support of Uber ***
“As a black man living in the city, I pray that the District doesn’t run Uber — the service that lets people reserve luxury-sedan rides via their smartphones — out of town. Even in our “post-racial society,” one of the realities of being a brother is that hailing a cab is a nearly impossible task. It’s a familiar story: If I’m not wearing a shirt and tie, I’ll rarely try to get a cab. And if I’ve got on my usual get-up of mohawk, T-shirt and Taxi’s lined up by Union Station. (The Washington Post) Vans sneakers, people laugh openly if I stick out my hand and/or yell, “Taxi!” It’s like the expressions on their faces say: “Ha! You think you’re getting a cab looking like that? Negro — please.”
That’s why I’m dismayed by the proposed regulations that could potentially put Uber out of business. It would be a step backward for those of us who are willing to pay more money for a respectable transaction rather than take our chances on the street and be degraded in the process…..
….But one thing that hasn’t been brought up in public discussion is how Uber increases the quality of life for those of us who are regularly dissed by taxi drivers. If you think I’m overplaying the difficulty of hailing cabs, ask around. Every man of color knows the time-tested tricks for finding your way into a taxi. There’s the hotel lobby maneuver. There’s also the bait-and-switch trick with a person of a different race. I’ve even gotten rides from police officers when cabs refused to stop for me.
But for one man, that struggle has become somewhat of a teaching moment. Kyle Dargan, who moved from Georgetown to Fort Dupont in 2009, appreciates the effort when he does get a ride. “I can tell when [a cabdriver’s] anxious, but they’ll still go. And then I’m like, ‘Okay, because you took me, even though I saw you had some apprehension, I’ll give you a little extra tip. I just want to show you that everything’s cool. It’s not a war zone. You can get mugged in Dupont as easily as you get mugged on Ridge Road,” he said. Dargan, 31, a professor at American University, considers it a form of community outreach. “That’s the thing. No one says anything — you just deal with the fact you can’t get a cab . . . rather than saying, ‘Yo, why don’t you do something about this?’ ” he said. “That’s what I try to do when I’m talking to these cabdrivers. I say, ‘Hey, Southeast isn’t all crazy. You need to chill and not act so scared when someone asks for a ride across the river.’ ”….. Standing two blocks from the White House last month, I waited half an hour to get a cab. Ten empty ones passed me by. I know there are legal kinks to be worked out, but it would be unfortunate if the city managed to get rid of a useful company with a guiding principle based on the color of the money in your pocket and not the color of your skin.
And let me further say, if Claire McCaskill was prosecuting a similar case, she would do the same. Any attorney that would NOT challenge him for cause should be subject to a malpractice claim. And he is the one person responsible for how this case, if any, will be prosecuted? Utterly disgusted.
Thanks a traaaaaaaaaabillion Amk – took the Dannymesiter for a 20 minute swim that turned in to, oh, a two-ish hour marathon, much of it spent pleading with him to to get out of the flippin’ river.
The obedience thing is going well, as you can see.
Listen you, I limped home drowned in river water (having just washed my hair), him having felt the need to share his swimming excitement by sharing his wateriness (ie jumped all over me, then did his shaky thing while slurping my face).
And since I am on a rant, let me further say I am completely disgusted with the media on other grounds as well. WHY is no one other than Amnesty International NOT challenging these attacks on the press and the infringement of First Amendment rights. This whole attitude of throw the Constitution out the window when it is not convenient is in part what leads to incidents like the murder of Mike Brown. The damn media can’t even seem to stand up for their own rights. And I know everyone thinks that the good Commander Ron Johnson is better, he too is justifying indiscriminately attacking women and children with tear gas. The fact that he is a “nice guy” doesn’t cut it with me. I’d almost rather have the more overt actions than the same violations taking place under the aegis of this “nice guy” which makes it easier for people to ignore exactly what is happening here. Sorry for the rant, but tonight I have truly had it with this whole mess. Many of us have spent our entire lives fighting for these rights and to see the justification for these blatent violations is beyond words.
Dear Foxfire – You have absolutely no reason to apologize for articulating the TRUTH. You are NOT ranting; you are writing with authority about the extensive corruption undermining the ‘Promise of America.’
This entire situation has a surreal quality to it. (repeat from the last thread)
The Ferguson police do their best to eliminate people of color (or extract funds for the city via traffic citations) and city of Ferguson PR team ignore that people of color exist.
The MSM report as though the police state in Ferguson is a normal occurrence in the utopia of Ferguson.
The MSM report heresay (aka gossip) as “sources” (see previous thread on Jake Tapper) and parrot whatever is fed to them by the police as fact.
Orwellian, and the majority of white people in America tune out and have no idea the scale of the lies being spread by the MSM.
Update:
I was going to tweet another photo from the paradise known as FergusonCity.com but the website is down — I now get a 404 message. I wonder if a media person tipped off someone in Ferguson after reading the comments here at TOD?
WASHINGTON (AP) – Two U.S. officials say they believe American journalist James Foley was the victim executed by Islamic State militants as shown in a grisly video released Tuesday. Separately, Foley’s family confirmed his death in a statement posted on a webpage that was created to rally support for his release. In the statement, Foley’s mother, Diane Foley, said the journalist, quote, “gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people.” One of the U.S. officials said President Barack Obama was expected to make a statement about the killing on Wednesday. The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the video by name.
After becoming very frustrated with the attitude of one of the shopkeepers, the young blonde declared, ‘Well, then, maybe I’ll just go out and catch my own alligator and get a pair of alligator shoes for free!’
The shopkeeper replied with a sly smile, ‘Well, little lady, why don’t you go give it a try?’
The blonde headed off to the swamp, determined to catch an alligator. Later in the day, the shopkeeper was driving home, and spotted the young woman standing waist deep in the murky water, shotgun in hand.
He saw a huge 9-foot gator swimming rapidly toward her. With lightning reflexes, the blond took aim, shot the creature and hauled it up onto the slippery bank.
Nearby were 7 more dead gators all lying belly up. The shopkeeper watched in amazement as the blond struggled with the gator. Then, rolling her eyes, she screamed in frustration…….
This is very interesting. My daughter read me some comments on a Facebook thread couple days ago and there was a right-winger (young woman) who kept going on and on about this exact thing. Proves it’s going around right-wing world and folks are being encouraged to put it out there. SICK and EVIL people!
Dan married one of a pair of identical twins. Less then a year later he was in court filing for divorce.
“Tell the court why you want a divorce,” the judge said.
“Well, Your Honor,” Dan started, “every once in a while my sister-in-law would come over for a visit, and because she
and my wife are identical twins, sometimes I’d end up making love to her by mistake.”
“Surely there must be some difference between the two women,” the judge said.
“Exactly, Your Honor. That’s why I want the divorce.”
The explanation I have heard is that those with faces covered, whether white or black, are protesters not interested in the “peaceful” part of protesting—–there to cause havoc, trying to prevent being identified when they do.
Yes, saw that. Also the man from Live Free. Thought much of the time I was listening to President Obama because he was saying the same thing PO says over and over.
Watching the live feed link, which JER gave us. Think the range of vision is from the media’s staging area. Here and there, individual police officers are standing by. Just saw at least two ministers with clerical collars talking with one of them. Of course, I can’t read a crowd, but just appears to be a free-speech kind of procession of people – at least in that location.
Well, I thought you were just being ironic. Looks like now, things are getting tense outside Sam’s Meat Market.
Someone decided to throw stuff. Arrrgh!
Some arrests going down right now.
I was attempting a bit of irony there, but I also saw (on Twitter) a little while ago that some of the media are being arrested. And somebody threw a bottle or something.
Think I’ll log off …
Sleep well when you get there, Dudette, and all TODers still here!
I think these issues do exist here and there is unrest because there is significant push back taking place…not just in Ferguson but on other issues as well….Minimum Wage…Voter suppression…to name a few…
the major difference between America and those other places…is that tyranny had taken over…
that is not the case here…
.the constitution has not been suspended…
Barack Obama is the President of the United States…
The police and the military have fundamentally different missions. The police protect citizens. The military attacks the enemy. When you start giving police powers to the military, citizens start looking like the enemy.
Just know that a tiny fraction of the total human population, alive today, could not be MORE DELIGHTED at what is happening in Ukraine, Syria, Norther Iraq, Mali, Libya, Gaza, South Sudan, Erickson …… because their net worth expands in proportion to how many weapon systems, command and control infrastructure, logistical systems and expendables (e.g., ammunition, SAMS, mortars, tear gas canisters, grenades, mines, etc) are purchased from their inventory of death products.
They are the REAL ENEMY, they are the TERRORIST ENABLERS …
CBS news radio aired a report last week that quoted a Ferguson official as saying that Darren Wilson would not be arrested before the Grand Jury issued its findings.
I think this was at the press conference where Tom Jackson, FPD chief, identified Wilson as the murdering officer. It’s hard for me to remember who said what when, since “officials” of so many jurisdictions change their story so often.
Good evening all….it’s been an exhausting week and weeks with all that has and is still happening in the world. I can’t imagine what it is like for PBO to deal with all these issues. I will miss him terribly when his term is over but I’ll be also happy that he and his family can relax a little.
Obama White House.gov
Good evening, TOD family!
Congrats LDS 🙂
Thanks amk …. perfect toon!!!
congrats LDS
something sweet because it is needed.
That is beautiful, nospin. Thank you!!
OMGosh, too cute for words.
The toddler girl looks so awkward, but big brother saved the day.
Thanks, nospin.
Aw!
Sad that people actually and justifiably feel that way.
I have missed so much. I do not know where to start.
Thank you ALL for being……just being.
I trust no other source.
Thanks, amk. Thread getting long. From last thread: ????????? County prosecutor off case?? Source??
Sorry, that tweet didn’t have a link. I am wondering any of us heard about it. I hope it’s true.
No adults in this room – no-one wants to be in charge of the mess they both created
They are thinking ahead to election day….and when only 12% of the blk populace vote in Ferguson…he does not worry about being accountable to those voters…
A politician’s schedule, Sunday-Tuesday:
In my Church, the old priests would say, “Et tu, Claire?”
She has always been transparent, but this time she gave up ALL of her cards. Of course, if the prosecutor’s removed, she’ll try to take credit.
In white America when anything goes wrong – only the President can fix it.
Is VP Joe Biden in town? Has he spoken at all? No-one seems to be mentioning him – guess only the black guy can sort things out.
I’m okay with VP not running to a camera. Good cop/bad cop. 2014, etc, etc…
I’m OK with it too Alycee – just pointing out that the President is the ONLY politician that the RWNJs say can fix anything.
Franky got it in one. 🙂
Inorite?
Look at the guy’s TL. Ugh!
I blocked him a while back.
ICYMI
Since the Aug. 9 shooting death of Michael Brown, the nation and the world have witnessed the unrest that has gripped Ferguson, Mo. At the core of these demonstrations is a demand for answers about the circumstances of this young man’s death and a broader concern about the state of our criminal justice system. At a time when so much may seem uncertain, the people of Ferguson can have confidence that the Justice Department intends to learn — in a fair and thorough manner — exactly what happened.
Today, I will be in Ferguson to be briefed on the federal civil rights investigation that I have closely monitored since I launched it more than one week ago. I will meet personally with community leaders, FBI investigators and federal prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to receive detailed briefings on the status of this case.
The full resources of the Department of Justice have been committed to the investigation into Michael Brown’s death. This inquiry will take time to complete, but we have already taken significant steps. Approximately 40 FBI agents and some of the Civil Rights Division’s most experienced prosecutors have been deployed to lead this process, with the assistance of the United States Attorney in St. Louis. Hundreds of people have already been interviewed in connection with this matter. On Monday, at my direction, a team of federal medical examiners conducted an independent autopsy…..continued
….Law enforcement has a role to play in reducing tensions, as well. As the brother of a retired law enforcement officer, I know firsthand that our men and women in uniform perform their duties in the face of tremendous threats and significant personal risk. They put their lives on the line every day, and they often have to make split-second decisions. At the same time, good law enforcement requires forging bonds of trust between the police and the public. This trust is all-important, but it is also fragile. It requires that force be used in appropriate ways. Enforcement priorities and arrest patterns must not lead to disparate treatment under the law, even if such treatment is unintended. And police forces should reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.
Over the years, we have made significant progress in ensuring that this is the case. But progress is not an endpoint; it is a measure of effort and of commitment. Constructive dialogue should continue — but it must also be converted into concrete action. And it is painfully clear, in cities and circumstances across our great nation, that more progress, more dialogue, and more action is needed. This is my pledge to the people of Ferguson: Our investigation into this matter will be full, it will be fair, and it will be independent. And beyond the investigation itself, we will work with the police, civil rights leaders, and members of the public to ensure that this tragedy can give rise to new understanding — and robust action — aimed at bridging persistent gaps between law enforcement officials and the communities we serve. Long after the events of Aug. 9 have receded from the headlines, the Justice Department will continue to stand with this community.
….some other items
As I write, the livestream from Gaza of news about death continues. If I give a casualty count, it may be outdated before I finish typing it. It won’t include those Palestinians—civilians and Hamas fighters—who may be buried in rubble in the Sajaiya neighborhood of Gaza City, which the Israeli army has invaded in search of rockets and of tunnels leading into Israel. Nor will it include recent deaths of Israeli soldiers; the military often delays such announcements for hours. Collapsing under the weight of the Gaza reports is whatever initial support Israel had in the West as its cities came under rocket fire. The same reports have fed criticism of Hamas in the Arab world.
The war isn’t a hurricane; it didn’t happen by itself. Leaders on both sides made choices. In Israel, despite an unusual number of protests so early in a war, most of the public seems to think the government is doing the right thing, perhaps too timidly. I doubt anyone can judge public opinion accurately amid the chaos and fear in Gaza, but credible estimations are that support for the Hamas government rises in proportion to Israeli attacks. Maybe just to keep my own sanity, I have to ask: How do leaders believe that such flawed decisions were the only reasonable choices? How can masses of people keep supporting those policies even as they prove disastrous? What’s wrong with our heads? By that I mean not just the heads of Israelis and Palestinians but of human beings, since I don’t have any cause to think that the sides in this conflict are being uniquely irrational….continued
…If all-too-human blindness to alternatives has led us into this tragedy, the proper response isn’t despair. It’s to look for better options, for diplomatic opportunities, that are being ignored right now. There’s a Hebrew saying: A clever man climbs out of a hole that a wise man wouldn’t fall in. We’ve missed the chance to be wise. It’s not too late to be clever. ***This was written July 23, 2014*** The viscous cycle begins again….
Snowden/GG ⇒ Putin devotees
Based on what I’m hearing, I am beginning to think that MO has the most cowardly poiticians of any stripe that I’ve seen. And I am including Claire McCaskill in that statement. I’ve selected a lot of juries over the years, and would challenge Bob McCullough for cause based in his family history (more the family of cops than his father), his history with the department, and what he has done in similar situations in the past. Based on challenges in the past, I’d guesstimate that I’d have better than a 70% chance the judge would sustain the challenge. If not, he would be my FIRST peremptory challenge in a case against ANY police officer. This simply is outrageous.
It gets worse and worse, doesn’t it? Thanks for filling in some of the blanks, once again.
Thank you for explaining this. I don’t watch these shows but was seeing people responding furiously to McCaskill.
This is just sickening.
For those living in Metropolitan areas where Uber is available: $30 bucks off
Alycee responded with this a couple of threads back:
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/08/19/3473323/uber-is-making-life-a-little-bit-easier-for-washington-dcs-white-people/
I don’t know about D.C., but I’ve used it in Chicago, California, and Charlotte……the service has gotten more expensive w/ popularity,,but you pay for convenience, and in my case AVOIDING DUI’s….
My parents used the service in India, but I agree they do seem to avoid taking fares in certain areas which is unfortunate.
The thinkprogress article includes a GIF that claims uber’s service area matches only areas that whites live in DC (although no legend accompanies the uber service area map).
I’ve only been to DC a couple of times, but unless things have changed, it’s apparent to an outsider that the entire east and northeast area of DC has no Metro light rail service. It made me wonder what the politics/funding of the rail system was at the time the system was built.
This is a good illustration of why the non-white communities are euphemistically referred to as “underserved.”
I looked into Uber’s policies and in most cases the driver has the power to decide where they want to take a fare, but your comment got me thinking, and I did some more digging…… and found someone’s personal take was exactly the opposite of what ThinkProgress is stating in their article specifically in DC. http://www.racialicious.com/2012/11/28/cab-drivers-uber-and-the-costs-of-racism/
“However, most analysis of Uber’s costs and benefits leave out one huge piece of the appeal: the premium car service removes the racism factor when you need a ride.
In 1999, actor Danny Glover made headlines by filing a taxi discrimination claim in New York City, noting that cabs failed to stop for him due to the color of his skin. Good Morning America experimented with having a black man and a white man hail cabs again in 2009 and found that the racial profiling still continued. In 2010, Fernando Mateo, head of the New York State Federation of Cab Drivers, encouraged racial profiling in the name of safety. Though it has been over a decade since Danny Glover made the issue a national conversation, the landscape hasn’t changed much.
As a black woman, I am generally seen as less of a threat than my black male peers. But that doesn’t mean my business is encouraged or wanted.I stopped using DC cabs back in 2003, when they were using zoning practices that ensured every time I stepped into a cab I wouldn’t get out for less than $25.00, even if I was just going ten minutes down the street. As I learned DC better, I figured out all the routes serviced by buses and trains and committed to walking the rest. The addition of a bike share program to DC has almost completely eliminated my need for a cab rides. A few years later, I repeated the process in New York and Boston, having learned the hard way that I could not count on getting a cab if I needed one, no matter how I was dressed or where I was going.
I had dismissed Uber outright, until a friend convinced me to take a second look. My friend is young and white and, when I asked her why she chose to use the expensive black car service as opposed to any other DC cab, she informed me that her neighborhood isn’t well-liked by cab drivers. As it turns out, while my friend could normally get a cab to stop for her, she suffered the same issues with cabs that black urbanities usually face. Though it is technically illegal for drivers to ask where you are going before allowing you in the cab (New York has clear rules about this; DC has similar rules that are not on any governmental site), it is a common practice. So, my friend noted with a shrug, she’d rather pay the extra five bucks for a fuss-free experience than hail cab after cab, hoping to find a driver to take her to her next destination….continued” ………she also expresses as a black woman her experience in NYC & S.F.
**she also includes in her post Washington Post columnist Clinton Yates support of Uber ***
“…And yet, I find myself wanting to continue to support Uber, despite their sky-high prices and shady practices. I couldn’t quite explain why, until I read Clinton Yates’s piece on The Root DC: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/therootdc/post/uber-when-cabs-whiz-by-its-a-pick-me-up/2012/09/28/06a41f0c-082f-11e2-858a-5311df86ab04_blog.html?hpid=z4
“As a black man living in the city, I pray that the District doesn’t run Uber — the service that lets people reserve luxury-sedan rides via their smartphones — out of town. Even in our “post-racial society,” one of the realities of being a brother is that hailing a cab is a nearly impossible task. It’s a familiar story: If I’m not wearing a shirt and tie, I’ll rarely try to get a cab. And if I’ve got on my usual get-up of mohawk, T-shirt and Taxi’s lined up by Union Station. (The Washington Post) Vans sneakers, people laugh openly if I stick out my hand and/or yell, “Taxi!” It’s like the expressions on their faces say: “Ha! You think you’re getting a cab looking like that? Negro — please.”
That’s why I’m dismayed by the proposed regulations that could potentially put Uber out of business. It would be a step backward for those of us who are willing to pay more money for a respectable transaction rather than take our chances on the street and be degraded in the process…..
….But one thing that hasn’t been brought up in public discussion is how Uber increases the quality of life for those of us who are regularly dissed by taxi drivers. If you think I’m overplaying the difficulty of hailing cabs, ask around. Every man of color knows the time-tested tricks for finding your way into a taxi. There’s the hotel lobby maneuver. There’s also the bait-and-switch trick with a person of a different race. I’ve even gotten rides from police officers when cabs refused to stop for me.
But for one man, that struggle has become somewhat of a teaching moment. Kyle Dargan, who moved from Georgetown to Fort Dupont in 2009, appreciates the effort when he does get a ride. “I can tell when [a cabdriver’s] anxious, but they’ll still go. And then I’m like, ‘Okay, because you took me, even though I saw you had some apprehension, I’ll give you a little extra tip. I just want to show you that everything’s cool. It’s not a war zone. You can get mugged in Dupont as easily as you get mugged on Ridge Road,” he said. Dargan, 31, a professor at American University, considers it a form of community outreach. “That’s the thing. No one says anything — you just deal with the fact you can’t get a cab . . . rather than saying, ‘Yo, why don’t you do something about this?’ ” he said. “That’s what I try to do when I’m talking to these cabdrivers. I say, ‘Hey, Southeast isn’t all crazy. You need to chill and not act so scared when someone asks for a ride across the river.’ ”….. Standing two blocks from the White House last month, I waited half an hour to get a cab. Ten empty ones passed me by. I know there are legal kinks to be worked out, but it would be unfortunate if the city managed to get rid of a useful company with a guiding principle based on the color of the money in your pocket and not the color of your skin.
I can’t freakin’ believe this BS!
She didn’t clarify that she LIED
And let me further say, if Claire McCaskill was prosecuting a similar case, she would do the same. Any attorney that would NOT challenge him for cause should be subject to a malpractice claim. And he is the one person responsible for how this case, if any, will be prosecuted? Utterly disgusted.
This just sickens me.
Thanks a traaaaaaaaaabillion Amk – took the Dannymesiter for a 20 minute swim that turned in to, oh, a two-ish hour marathon, much of it spent pleading with him to to get out of the flippin’ river.
The obedience thing is going well, as you can see.
You can’t let him have any fun whatsoever, can ya? TYRANT.
Listen you, I limped home drowned in river water (having just washed my hair), him having felt the need to share his swimming excitement by sharing his wateriness (ie jumped all over me, then did his shaky thing while slurping my face).
Once more I say: shoulda got a budgie.
good for him. wanna trade for my bite-his-toe-off monsters?
Labs love the water Chips so I am guessing it was a wonderful treat for him. 🙂
I was gonna recommend one of those inflatable kiddie pools. 🙂
Have you considered getting him a waterproof watch (and teaching him how to tell time, of course)?
And since I am on a rant, let me further say I am completely disgusted with the media on other grounds as well. WHY is no one other than Amnesty International NOT challenging these attacks on the press and the infringement of First Amendment rights. This whole attitude of throw the Constitution out the window when it is not convenient is in part what leads to incidents like the murder of Mike Brown. The damn media can’t even seem to stand up for their own rights. And I know everyone thinks that the good Commander Ron Johnson is better, he too is justifying indiscriminately attacking women and children with tear gas. The fact that he is a “nice guy” doesn’t cut it with me. I’d almost rather have the more overt actions than the same violations taking place under the aegis of this “nice guy” which makes it easier for people to ignore exactly what is happening here. Sorry for the rant, but tonight I have truly had it with this whole mess. Many of us have spent our entire lives fighting for these rights and to see the justification for these blatent violations is beyond words.
Dear Foxfire – You have absolutely no reason to apologize for articulating the TRUTH. You are NOT ranting; you are writing with authority about the extensive corruption undermining the ‘Promise of America.’
Thank you.
bbl
This entire situation has a surreal quality to it. (repeat from the last thread)
The Ferguson police do their best to eliminate people of color (or extract funds for the city via traffic citations) and city of Ferguson PR team ignore that people of color exist.
The MSM report as though the police state in Ferguson is a normal occurrence in the utopia of Ferguson.
The MSM report heresay (aka gossip) as “sources” (see previous thread on Jake Tapper) and parrot whatever is fed to them by the police as fact.
Orwellian, and the majority of white people in America tune out and have no idea the scale of the lies being spread by the MSM.
Update:
I was going to tweet another photo from the paradise known as FergusonCity.com but the website is down — I now get a 404 message. I wonder if a media person tipped off someone in Ferguson after reading the comments here at TOD?
I am still holding on to hope that our American family can look at the disparities, make the commitment to fix and all move forward together.
I am, too. Hope I live long enough.
Harsh, deadly reality that enriches the few irrespective of the profound suffering of the many – including disproportionate numbers of children …
WASHINGTON (AP) – Two U.S. officials say they believe American journalist James Foley was the victim executed by Islamic State militants as shown in a grisly video released Tuesday. Separately, Foley’s family confirmed his death in a statement posted on a webpage that was created to rally support for his release. In the statement, Foley’s mother, Diane Foley, said the journalist, quote, “gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people.” One of the U.S. officials said President Barack Obama was expected to make a statement about the killing on Wednesday. The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the video by name.
Chilling.
PBO’s statement will happen tomorrow.
Unfortunately, it looks like HF2 and LovePolitics2008 were right.
A BLONDE JOKE THAT YOU’VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE
After becoming very frustrated with the attitude of one of the shopkeepers, the young blonde declared, ‘Well, then, maybe I’ll just go out and catch my own alligator and get a pair of alligator shoes for free!’
The shopkeeper replied with a sly smile, ‘Well, little lady, why don’t you go give it a try?’
The blonde headed off to the swamp, determined to catch an alligator. Later in the day, the shopkeeper was driving home, and spotted the young woman standing waist deep in the murky water, shotgun in hand.
He saw a huge 9-foot gator swimming rapidly toward her. With lightning reflexes, the blond took aim, shot the creature and hauled it up onto the slippery bank.
Nearby were 7 more dead gators all lying belly up. The shopkeeper watched in amazement as the blond struggled with the gator. Then, rolling her eyes, she screamed in frustration…….
”Son-of-a-bitch!! THIS ONE’S BAREFOOT TOO!!!
🙂
Col. Davis is piling on. Good.
This is very interesting. My daughter read me some comments on a Facebook thread couple days ago and there was a right-winger (young woman) who kept going on and on about this exact thing. Proves it’s going around right-wing world and folks are being encouraged to put it out there. SICK and EVIL people!
Dan married one of a pair of identical twins. Less then a year later he was in court filing for divorce.
“Tell the court why you want a divorce,” the judge said.
“Well, Your Honor,” Dan started, “every once in a while my sister-in-law would come over for a visit, and because she
and my wife are identical twins, sometimes I’d end up making love to her by mistake.”
“Surely there must be some difference between the two women,” the judge said.
“Exactly, Your Honor. That’s why I want the divorce.”
///
and I am outta here.
GE all.
Anyone seen this?
I got it emailed to me and saw others on Twitter with it.
Is it authentic? If so, it should be everywhere.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/08/18/ferguson-pd-busted/
Watching MSNBC right now. I have seen among the protestors a couple of white young men who have their faces covered. WHO are these guys ?
The explanation I have heard is that those with faces covered, whether white or black, are protesters not interested in the “peaceful” part of protesting—–there to cause havoc, trying to prevent being identified when they do.
It’s amazing, too, that this makes it appear Tapper’s not wearing pants at the march. EEK.
LOL, JO’B.
I’m grateful I wasn’t drinking anything when I saw your comment, otherwise it would be all over my computer.
I shouldn’t have joked, but it was too “upsetting” not to mention! YUCK.
hahahahahahaha
LOL! As Ice Cube said: “Today was a good day…” (for CNN) 😀
Oh, I missed that one. And Anderson’s usually so “alert.” Arghhhh. 🙂
Fantastic interviews of young black people right now on MSNBC.
Yes!
Yes, saw that. Also the man from Live Free. Thought much of the time I was listening to President Obama because he was saying the same thing PO says over and over.
LovePolitics2008,
You and HF2 are both so astute, having the spidey-sense to connect the dots about James Foley.
I apologize for my response to you on the earlier thread.
Comments on a tweet I saw today seemed to indicate that the James Foley video was a hoax, and I was clinging to that hope.
My heart is heavy knowing the burden now placed on our dear President Obama and for the family and friends of a true foreign correspondent journalist.
/waving good night/
Night VC!
{{D-ette}} Trying to get the energy to nove.
So Claire McCaskill thinks this guy McCullogh can be impartial in this case. [Clearing my throat to form a giant spitball]
https://twitter.com/CHILDHOODRUINN/status/501787388872359936
Watching the live feed link, which JER gave us. Think the range of vision is from the media’s staging area. Here and there, individual police officers are standing by. Just saw at least two ministers with clerical collars talking with one of them. Of course, I can’t read a crowd, but just appears to be a free-speech kind of procession of people – at least in that location.
Interesting…
Funny how I happened to be drawn to these similar tweets within the span of two days.
Must be my subconcious telling me I need some quiet time. 🙂
I totally LOVE these. Tried to find it to share the exact wording, but I have a graphic somewhere that says something like:
You never mind being alone, if you like the person you’re with.
We all need an “alone” break at times, that’s for sure!
I liked this response. 🙂
Dudette….
you have such interesting followers
Things just got scarier in Ferguson – calling on the angels now.
🙂
Well, I thought you were just being ironic. Looks like now, things are getting tense outside Sam’s Meat Market.
Someone decided to throw stuff. Arrrgh!
Some arrests going down right now.
I was attempting a bit of irony there, but I also saw (on Twitter) a little while ago that some of the media are being arrested. And somebody threw a bottle or something.
Think I’ll log off …
Sleep well when you get there, Dudette, and all TODers still here!
G’night JOB. Rest well.
Excuse me if this has already been posted. Has statements from the five eyewitnesses.
Most definitely worth repeating!
I think these issues do exist here and there is unrest because there is significant push back taking place…not just in Ferguson but on other issues as well….Minimum Wage…Voter suppression…to name a few…
the major difference between America and those other places…is that tyranny had taken over…
that is not the case here…
.the constitution has not been suspended…
Barack Obama is the President of the United States…
The police and the military have fundamentally different missions. The police protect citizens. The military attacks the enemy. When you start giving police powers to the military, citizens start looking like the enemy.
-Commander William Adama
🙂
AMENNNNNNNNNN
Just know that a tiny fraction of the total human population, alive today, could not be MORE DELIGHTED at what is happening in Ukraine, Syria, Norther Iraq, Mali, Libya, Gaza, South Sudan, Erickson …… because their net worth expands in proportion to how many weapon systems, command and control infrastructure, logistical systems and expendables (e.g., ammunition, SAMS, mortars, tear gas canisters, grenades, mines, etc) are purchased from their inventory of death products.
They are the REAL ENEMY, they are the TERRORIST ENABLERS …
Only folk who can bring an end to their blood thirst avarice are US.
Start with #OWNthe114th
Yes We MUST
good night TOD
https://twitter.com/140elect/status/501979340708802561
Your eyes are feeling heavy. You’re getting sssleeeeeepppyyyy…. [head plops on pillow!] Boop!
See ya! Love ya!
https://twitter.com/NewDay/status/502039587771133952..
why is there a need for a grand jury if the Darren Wilson has not be arrested or charged?
GM PF58,
CBS news radio aired a report last week that quoted a Ferguson official as saying that Darren Wilson would not be arrested before the Grand Jury issued its findings.
I think this was at the press conference where Tom Jackson, FPD chief, identified Wilson as the murdering officer. It’s hard for me to remember who said what when, since “officials” of so many jurisdictions change their story so often.
thanks…
do you know if the Justice dept trumps the gov….
Good Morning TOD….
Good morning, TOD. Off to the Y and Post Office to mail hiker hubby a resupply box. bbl…….
Good evening all….it’s been an exhausting week and weeks with all that has and is still happening in the world. I can’t imagine what it is like for PBO to deal with all these issues. I will miss him terribly when his term is over but I’ll be also happy that he and his family can relax a little.
One of my favs (hope this link works)
Moooooooorning!
https://theobamadiary.com/2014/08/20/early-bird-chat-330/