you know it...
Posted on 08/20/2014 4:27:29 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
The following statement was released by John Bachtell, chair of the Communist Party USA in the wake of the police shooting of unarmed 17-year-old Michael Brown and the subsequent police attacks on peaceful protesters and journalists.
The grief and heartbreak of Michael Brown’s parents and Ferguson’s largely African American community is unimaginable. We share that sorrow and grief.
We also join the universal demands to prosecute the officer who committed this horrendous killing.
Our nation should be deeply disturbed by this murder. Michael Brown’s story and those of Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Stephon Watts, John Crawford, Ezell Ford and countless other young African Americans murdered by racist police officers is all too familiar.
We should also be outraged and alarmed by the presence in Ferguson of police laden with weapons suited for a war zone confronting its citizens and denying the right to protest. It is a scene reminiscent of the U.S. occupation in Afghanistan or Iraq.
This is a moment for deep national reflection. It strikes at basic issues of humanity, equality and democracy. The cause of Michael’s death is not hard to see. It is the fruit of institutionalized racism and hate within the police department. Ferguson is 67 percent African American, yet only 3 of 50 officers are black.
In Ferguson and communities across the country, policing is routinely based on racial profiling and “stop and frisk” policies targeting young African American and Latino men.
Instead of guaranteeing public safety, police departments are occupying powers. Communities of color are dehumanized; residents are constantly under suspicion and viewed as animals. Police officers imbued with racism and hate, armed with guns and impunity to commit crimes against citizens makes for a deadly mix.
It is in the vital interests of all communities – black, brown and white – to have police departments that are not above the law, that serve and protect all residents, including African American, Latino and other people of color – not just white and wealthy residents.
The investigation by the U.S. Justice Department and FBI into Michael’s killing makes it possible to bring the light of day to Ferguson’s police department and attain justice.
But we must go much further and take steps to actually change police practice. It’s time to bring police departments under the authority of the communities they serve.
It’s time to establish civilian police accountability councils with public authority to investigate, subpoena and charge officers engaged in crimes and corruption.
It’s time to fully integrate police departments at every level, end the practices of racial profiling and stop and frisk, policies that emanated from the failed “war on drugs” and which have resulted in mass incarceration of mainly African American and Latino youth.
It’s time to repeal the section of the National Defense Authorization Act which arms local police departments with military style weapons, armored vehicles, helicopters and combat assault rifles.
Let us turn our grief into action. Let us honor the life of Michael Brown by changing that which led to his tragic death.
I agree. All commies need to be outed and exiled.
you know it...
I wonder what they will use for their Reichstag moment? If the Obungler, with his pen and his phone, signs an executive order for a major gun grab, it's on, and the rats know it, and I think they want it. Now, as to who the military and police will side with? I was in the military for 20 years, and I have no clue. The way the Obungler has purged the military, I would be wary, very wary. Even if most soldiers and Marines won't fire on civilians, I think some if them will, and it only takes a few of them with machine guns, to make for a long day.
Ferguson has a police force thats 94% white. And has now been called a bunch of murderers by the very people who need their support in any sort of race war driven revolution. Thats why they’re so hot on “diverse” police forces ... They figure that it’ll bring the cops over to their side.
Thing is that their disdain drives an enormous ignorance about cops. Who are incredibly provincial and (generally) set aside race in favor of “blue”
So I think in any revolution the revolutionaries are going to be quite surprised when black officers, valuing “blue” over race and knowing that being cops is what establishes them in the Middle Class don’t cross over as they’re expected to.
I do not think that FR.com is the place to be posting article from the Communist Party USA.
Lol!!!!
Commie suck ups call self defense “murder”, just like their “Freedom fighters” are really terrorists.
Yes, they want a gun grab. Good luck with that. The liars trying to grab the guns from the honest workers. The liars will lose in very few days because they have honest neighbors tat will not let them destroy our country.
Know the enemy.
While I tend to agree, it’s critical to learn the language of your enemy. Like Patton ‘knew’ Rommel’s mind.
These people have had a head start on people, while we were working and raising families. Now, they’re salivating.
It’s weird that the same people protesting the 1% are inciting people on the other end, too. Who’s the target?
BARF!
There's a difference?
Know the enemy. // learn the language of your enemy.
If we haven’t learned everything there is to know about them at this stage of the game we might as well turn our tickets in and surrender. We’ve been watching the UN, the NWO, Agenda 21 and the EPA for forty years. I have seen the Democrats go to the Progressive Party and 80 percent of the sorry assed Republican Party run to get in line beside them, afraid they may get left out of the bennies.
I am sick of the whole thing.
Me, too.
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