Chicago inquiry finds police tortured blacks

MSNBC.com ^ | July/19/2006 | THE AP

[screw boll]

News: My grand parents were tortured in the 40’s during the Holocaust. I mean, why now with this news? Why was their an inquiry for old stuff?

[zarf]

It matters when US citizens are tortured. Maybe civil lawsuits are in order.

[beltfed308]

My grand parents were tortured in the 40’s during the Holocaust.

As with any crime committed under the color of law it should always be "inquired" and prosecuted. Something about history repeating itself was mentioned by some scholar once.

[screw boll]

the report says, the "crimes are now too old to prosecute." Does this apply for civil stuff?

[wideawake]

Allegations that 148 were "tortured" - but actual evidence that 3 people may have been mistreated in one specific precinct.

Usual spin.

[Brad from Tennessee]

The Romans crucified Christ and Columbus enslaved the indigenous peoples of Hispaniola. This is ancient history.

[austinaero]

Wow, Chicago's budget must have a huge surplus of money to fund such an "inquiry."

[kjo]

It plays into the Dems fall campaign to keep blacks on the reservation. They must see that they are victims over and over. It's the only way to insure their votes.

[screw boll]

"Something about history repeating itself was mentioned by some scholar once."

Slapping Jews in police stations was the norm even before the WWI era. I hope you are not putting slapping in a stition side by side to the Holocaust.

Besides, I am not trying to campar or contrast. I am only wondering why the news now? If the AP needs old news, let them report on the 40's, why only the 70s?

Sarcastically speaking

[TNCMAXQ]

Oh gee I thought maybe they were talking about the pieces of excrement who nearly beat to death that poor kid the other day. No such luck.

Well, i do not condone this but let's hope some of the guys who got hurt really deserved it. Maybe it prevented them from preventing more crimes.

[screw boll]

"guys who got hurt really deserved it. Maybe it prevented them from preventing more crimes."

Maybe, but it is not up to a cop to decide. We have a court system for a reason.

[Continental Soldier]

The 70's and 80's? Why is this an issue now? Could it be because relevant witnesses are long gone and a claim for money can be made? This is looking more and more a case where the statutes of limitations should definitely apply!

[screw boll]

When Minority stuff are involved, Carmon sense goes out the window.

[BaBaStooey]

How long do Republicans let Dem-controlled cities like Chicago, Detroit, and New Orleans go down the crapper before they try to step in and fix it?

[wideawake]

Reading the article, a clearer picture merges.

The spin: In the 1970s and 1980s the Chicago Police Department was thoroughly racist organziation that routinely tortured black men for fun and it was ignored.

The reality: while many felons are claiming that they were mistreated by the police (imagine that! a felon claiming the police abused him), the only hard evidence leads back to one precinct and one culprit: Lieutenant Jon Burge.

The context: Burge apparently snapped when two of his fellow officers were killed and brutalized a suspect named Andrew Wilson.

The result: Burge was fired after an internal investigation.

In other words, big effin deal.

[screw boll]

"How long do Republicans let Dem-controlled cities like Chicago, Detroit, and New Orleans go down the crapper before they try to step in and fix it?"

Good point. local democrats destroy our great cities, and than the DNC people come and blame national Republicans for it.

[dfwgator]

But....but......I thought Northerners were more "enlightened" than those Southern bigots.

[mcvey]

It is not quite the same thing. We have agreed through our representatives to taxation and all that goes with it. The law has been obeyed and due process afforded. (Note to self: A Conservative is a Liberal who has been audited.)

The beating of people is outside the law except under very limited circumstances. None of which this fits.

When a government based on the people makes a mistake, it has a duty to inform its citizens and take the punishment they mete out if they decide to hold the government responsible.

Monarchs, who rule by the Grace of God, have no such obligations. Tyrants, who rule through violence, certainly have no such obligation,

But if we are serious about government being derived from the people then Chicago has an obligation to confess.

It may be "ancient" history, but if the workers in the city government broke the law, we cannot allow the city to be quiet about it or we have forfeited part of our claim to being masters of our government.

McVey