More Gates fallout. Police are and should be held to a higher standard. But I’m pretty much an absolutist when it comes to free speech. I don’t think you should be fired for what you do and say at home. (But on the other hand I wouldn’t want a nazi or klan leader to be…
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This one I wrote. Careful readers of this blog will have come across many of these points. Every police/public confrontation ends up in one of three ways: the suspect 1) leaves the scene, 2) defers to police authority, or 3) gets locked up. Mr. Gates couldn’t do the first option, he refused to do the…
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Is this what they really think about us? From one of my favorite comics, “Get Fuzzy,” by Darby Conley:Now go subscribe to your local paper that carries it. [And greetings from Villahermosa]
Mike O’Neil has a good article in the Huffington Post. What he hopes three well intentioned men will say in the White House. I would write more. And respond to comments. But I’m in Chiapas, Mexico, on the Pacific Coast with what must be the world’s worst internet connection. On the plus side, all is…
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The 911 call is here: Part of the 911 tape is here: Here is my take on the matter. Only the first three points are new. 1) The 911 call was excellent. A woman saw something suspicious and reported it. Race was not mentioned. In fact, the caller specifically said she could not determine race…
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For me at least. My wife writes travel books. And no, travel writing is not as glamorous as you’d think. She’s going to Mexico. I tag along and play the role of Pedro, El Chófer. She and her friend also have an outstanding cookbook coming out soon. Forking Fantasticquotes me as saying a mandoline is…
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I wrote a short piece about the racial profiling for the New York Times. Some other good opinions there, too. And thanks to 10-8 for pointing out the article by Syracuse Professor Boyce Watkins in The Grio.
Oakland votes to tax medical marijuana. It’s expected to raise about $300,000 a year and passed with 80 percentof the vote.
Should being an a-hole to police get you locked up? Seriously. Remember, being an a-hole isn’t technically a crime. But many people have talked their way into handcuffs. Police can always get you for something. I ask this because my wife seemed vaguely bothered by this concept. But it doesn’t bother me. John Van Maanen…
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Leave it to me to have to read another blog to find out about stuff that I’ve already written. See, there’s this book I wrote, Cop in the Hood. I hear it’s pretty good. It’s also, uh, for sale. Anyway, on pp. 117-118 I describe how officers can invite a person outside in order to…
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