Where are the Philly police
I recently returned to work for a non-profit in Center City Philadelphia. It’s great to be back in the city, it makes me feel more a part of things. Because of the cold, my walk has been limited to about seven blocks. What’s crazy is what I haven’t seen in this time.
It’s been a little more than 3 weeks and I’ve yet to see my first police officer aside from those whizzing by in their cars. Not one policeman or woman walking a beat. No directing of traffic, no standing on the corner making sure there’s no trouble.
It’s not like there isn’t a need – there is a total disregard for traffic laws by drivers, bikers, and pedestrians. There are intersections where blocking the box is the rule. And what happened to the blitz on renegade bicyclists? Seems like it lasted a day. And while they’re at it, there are too many pedestrians that could use a jaywalking ticket. And maybe a visible presence on the streets would prevent the bank robberies that happened downtown recently.
It seems to me that policing shouldn’t be limited to cars, subways, airports, and ghettos. It seems that the Philadelphia Police are only focused on anyone carrying a gun or selling drugs. That’s all well and good, but for the other 99% of situations that deserve their attention, it’s every man, woman, and child for themselves.
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WWII vet: “What do you think I fought for in Omaha Beach?” [Video]
Saw this over at Boing Boing and it’s simply a great video. I’m sure Glen Beck would find fault, but I sure don’t.
People need to realize that as long as one person has their rights taken away due to who they are, then all of our rights are challenged.
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Where’s the outrage for Roman Polanski?
A few months ago when the Philadelphia Eagles signed convicted dog killer/fighter and quarterback Michael Vick, it opened a firestorm of controversy. After Roman Polanksi was arrested in Switzerland, I wondered where was the same outrage. Among the arguments we heard about Michael Vick were as follows:
- Animals are defenseless – Polanski’s victim was a 13 year-old girl who he plied with alcohol and quaaludes
- Michael Vick didn’t serve enough time – Polanski hasn’t served any. Instead he’s been living high on the hog in France, making movies, winning Oscars, and making money
- Michael Vick doesn’t deserve a job like NFL quarterback – again, Polanski has been making major motion pictures for the past 31 years
- Michael Vick’s crimes were especially heinous – according to testimony and interviews from the victim, we know this “despite her protests, he performed oral sex, intercourse and sodomy on her”. She said no repeatedly and Polanski raped her over and over again
- Vick apologists will say that he grew up in an environment where dog fighting was accepted; that argument is appropriately denied. Anyone who dismisses Polanski’s crime as not real rape, or as Whoopi Goldberg stated “rape-rape” should be ashamed of themselves
“Come on, man, she’s 13. Thirteen! I’ve seen some hot 16-year-olds that look 18, 17[-year-olds] that look 18…Thirteen is 13. Nobody gets away with having sex with a 13-year-old.” Chris Rock
One wonders why Polanski has scores of defenders and Vick none. It’s something that always bothered me about the Vick outrage was that it was disproportionate with the crime in relation to reaction to other crimes. The reaction to Vick was part in response to his stature and visibility as an NFL quarterback, but I believe also a response to the person. Poor, not highly educated, black – none of these things work in his favor.
“In the United States, we want to capture Osama Bin Laden and murder him. We’re not gonna rape him. That would be barbaric!” Chris Rock
If anything deserves your outrage, it’s the Polanski crime and the support he has received since being arrested. Thank goodness for the common sense responses by Chris Rock, Jay Leno, and Kirstie Alley.
What do you think?
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Pennsylvania smacks down Valley Swim Club
So a state investigation has ruled that the Valley Swim Club in Montgomery County, PA did discriminate against 56 black and Hispanic children when they cancelled their agreement to swim at the club. The findings state that racial comments by members led to the canceling of the contract. In addition to having to return the contract fee, they were fined $50,000.
I notice that the report says of out of 334 members of the club, not one is black. They tried to hide this fact earlier in the summer saying they did have minority members. Maybe they were counting the landscapers (I’m not stereotyping, when I was there I did see black landscapers).
I have to say it couldn’t happen to nicer folks. I hope their club goes bankrupt and the members have to swim at a public pool.
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Assaulted by Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh
Today I couldn’t avoid the right-wing assholes. The Phillies happen to be on the same radio station as Limbaugh, so when I got in my car this morning who else but Limbaugh blaring his fascist drivel; quick switch to the iPod. Then when I returned home, I checked the mail and who’s on the front of Time but Glenn Beck.
Quick use of a Sharpie saved the day. Much improved, don’t you think?
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I’m just saying: the Death Penalty
Does it bother anyone else that Texas, the state with the most executions since 1976 with 437 of them, also leads the nation in freeing the wrongly convicted? My major problem with the death penalty has always been the finality of it in a system rife with corruption, inaccuracies, and subjectivity. For the 38 people that Texas has let go based on DNA evidence exonerating them, this is good news. And Texas seems to be doing a good job by making sure that these people are properly compensated.
But it makes me wonder how many of the 437 that were executed, would have been exonerated.
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