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May 31 2020

Most Americans are white (for now), so when we say “most Americans,” we mostly mean white people. And most Americans don’t truly understand how bad other people have it. The proof of it is how many people just seem so shocked that protests would break out “spontaneously” all over the nation, and they can’t even wrap their minds around why people would turn a protest into a riot. But the message has been consistent and clear for decades.

It’s not helpful to say FTP and it’s not entirely accurate to say ACAB, but there is plenty of evidence that we live in a society that excuses abuse of power in law enforcement. That, ultimately, is what all of these protests and riots are about. When people who are peacefully protesting are met with excessive force, riots become inevitable. And if law enforcement treats a protestor like a rioter, then they immediately become one in the mind of the officer. Every action is a provocation to them.

Regardless of how cynical you feel about law enforcement, the fact is the vast majority of them are average Americans with typical views on the world. The problem is systemic. With the militarization of law enforcement comes the hoorah, brothers-in-arms mentality. While this is necessary for any group of professionals that serve on the frontlines of the community, one unfortunate side-effect is that it encourages unethical, illegal, and sometimes horrific behavior.

None of the examples below are excusable. If someone can make a good case, I’ll note it and change this list accordingly. I will also continue updating this article as new footage and new information comes out. I don’t want this to be a repository of anti-cop hate, but I feel like it’s necessary to take note of the numerous and wanton abuses of power.


“Wake Up!” by Brass Against

After living with these clips in my brain for more than a week, I suddenly became obsessed with the concept of the video below. It took me four days of editing along with a significant portion of my soul. It’s very hard to watch but I feel it’s necessary and important to share. Please share this video with anyone and everyone, especially those who believe there isn’t a policing problem in America.

Police Fire on People Standing on Their Own Porch

People standing on their front porch are shot by a militaristic group of law enforcement officers. One of them says “light ’em up!” and they come to a halt. One of them fires a round right into an innocent woman on private property with no provocation.

Elderly Man’s Head Split Open After Being Shoved

After you watch this disturbing video of an officer assaulting a harmless elderly man, go back and keep your eye on the officer that did it. His name is allegedly Aaron Torgalski.

Police Drive Vehicles into Protestors

The NYPD is opening a case to investigate this incident, and it’s one of the most shocking. The drivers of those vehicles committed multiple assaults by throttling their vehicles into the crowd. They’re lucky no one died. The driver of each vehicle should be prosecuted for assault at the very least.

Young Girl Pepper Sprayed by Officer

This girl wasn’t part of the protest, so don’t jump down her parent’s throat. Multiple witnesses saw the officer do this and took pictures of him. His badge number was hidden under black tape.

After Being Blinded by Pepper Spray, Officer Kicks Woman Over

The original post wording is inaccurate in that she is actually 21 and not 15, and the didn’t technically kick her in the face. But she was sitting still, temporarily blinded by pepper spray, and the officer needlessly kicks her over.

Officer Fires Tear Gas Cannister Directly in Man’s Face

Press Member Pepper Sprayed While Prone and Cooperating

A member of the press found himself in the middle of an oncoming group of officers. The first one he engages with is direct but polite, and the journalist complies without resistance. He gets down on the ground with his press credentials held up and waits. Then, for no reason whatsoever, another officer walks up and sprays him in the face with pepper spray.

Police Destroy and Steal Supplies Meant to Help Protestors

Officer Pulls Mask off Man with Hands in the Air, Pepper Sprays Him

LA Times Journalist Account of Reporters Being Tear Gassed

John Cusack Accosted While Recording

John Cusack (yes that John Cusack) was accosted by an officer while recording a burning vehicle. It’s possible that he could’ve been in a restricted area, but that’s not likely for a guy in a free country. I don’t believe the officer in this situation committed a crime, but he could’ve used words rather than force to make his point.

Australian News Crew Assaulted by Officers

Woman Grocery Shopping Shot in Face with Rubber Bullet

Completely Innocent Elderly Man Knocked to the Ground by Officer

An overly zealous officer in riot gear knocks over an elderly man for no reason. The other officers come to his aid and the offending officer pretends to be a helper.

This is the full video and the source.

Again, I don’t believe that ACAB is a useful phrase, so I’m pre-empting any objections you may have to the source of this video. But this incident jibes with more than one account I heard from people who were there. (I live in Dallas.) I wish this video was longer so we could get more context, but the police fired on a crowd with its hands up in broad daylight.

Compilation of Documented Police Brutality

This collection of videos is a pretty good list of examples like the ones above, but please keep their context in mind. None of these have been verified and are only here for reference.

Imgur Gallery of Excessive Force

Many of these clips are represented above, but some of them show details and reverse angles of these events.

Resources

We’re Keeping A Running List Of Hoaxes And Misleading Posts About The Nationwide Police Brutality Protests

https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/

December 16 2017

I’ve loved The Walking Dead since Glenn first called Rick a dumbass, and I unflinchingly purchase every episode because it is (and will always be) one of my favorites. A bad chapter doesn’t make a for a bad novel, so sub-par episodes never really bother me. After all, my favorite show of all time is Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and I’d be dead wrong to believe that every episode/season is anywhere near as good as the best episodes/seasons.

Kirkman’s Negan is a compelling character, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan is a magnificent actor. But I have genuinely hated the storyline since Negan joined the show, and not just because I’m supposed to hate him. The show just hasn’t been the same since. Honestly, I think it’s because the characters behave more like they were fictional beings than actual humans. They behave in the most deus ex machina way instead of behaving like normal people.

The whole appeal of TWD is that you get to see people dealing with unprecedented situations and imagining the way you’d act in that situation. Do you cover yourself in the intestines of dead people so you can escape? Can you kill your mother before she becomes a zombie? Do you shoot your beloved wife’s undead body even while her eyes stare in your direction? Should you really have to suppress your feelings for your best friend’s wife after the world has ended and he’s probably dead in a hospital somewhere? These are the questions that made this show so magnificent.

But a band of silent, complicit, and pathetic betas that submit to the whims of a sociopathic and inconsistently murderous jackass with a spikey bat? What kind of shit is that? The show is now basically saying that we’re all lemmings who need people like Negan and Rick to give our lives direction. Fuck that. I wouldn’t want to live in a world where so many people would allow our leaders to behave that way. I’d rather be one of the walking dead than the living dead.

This show used to be excellent. It used to be so full of heart, the characters were relatively reasonable, and it had just the right amount of hope. Now it’s just angsty, apoplectic bullshit. The show’s producers are so bogged down in recreating (and intentionally obfuscating) the source material that the story has become artificial and unrealistic. It lacks the element that has set this series apart from the very opening scene: humanity.

August 18 2017

Last night, Spot (my cat) kept me company while I was sick. I was having severe chills and curled up in the fetal position. She deliberately laid down on the pillow next to me, inches away from my face, and watched me until I fell asleep. An hour later, I woke up and laid there motionless, no longer overcome with chills. After a few moments, she got up and left the room. I’ve known that girl all 13 years of her life, so I know her pretty well. And I can tell you with total confidence that the only reason she stayed on that pillow that whole time was to comfort me.

January 21 2017

Today, I witnessed something historic and beautiful. Millions of people around the world came together in solidarity to speak out against a clear and present danger to free people everywhere. This isn’t about politics; it’s about basic human decency.

People may ask themselves what good it does to walk around in the streets holding signs, but don’t ignore the fact that it’s all anyone is talking about today. And that’s the point. We are engaging the rest of society in an uncomfortable but necessary conversation so they can’t ignore it like they usually do.

I do not want to see several more years of division. But I cannot stand by and watch our nation undo the progress it’s made these past several years. And I’ll do what little I can to ensure a better future for everyone, not just people like myself. Every time someone calls me a delicate little snowflake I want them to remember what the hell an avalanche is made of.

December 16 2016

I shared this video on YouTube exactly one decade ago today. I had no idea at the time what YouTube would become or what it would mean to me ten years later. It’s no longer listed publicly on my channel, but it’s still available to view right here.

December 15 2016

November 24 2016

Every time I think about Thanksgiving, I think about this scene. Every. Single. Time.

November 10 2016

I’d like to thank everyone who has quietly allowed me to verbally work through the insanity of the past 24 hours. I needed the catharsis far more than you needed to chide me for doing so. I’m not sure if it was intentional or due to Facebook’s peril-sensitive algorithms, but I appreciate it nonetheless.

I’m just as sick of these election posts as the next person (probably more so). But I feel like I’ve gotten through to a few people, and a few people have certainly gotten through to me. I’ve also made an ass of myself a few times, but I’m okay with not being perfect. I’m simply cursed/blessed with the inability to remain silent in the face of injustice even if it’s detrimental to myself, which I squarely blame on the Patrick in Eric P. Metze.

So, please forgive me for speaking my mind, and please feel free to speak yours. Though I have a significantly lower threshold for bullshit now, I’ve always striven (albeit imperfectly) to make my online foci into safe spaces that foster discussion. If they are your own thoughts and feelings, then we all need to hear them.

Okay, I’m done now. I doubt anyone one will read this wall of text, but I had to get it out of me. There is no greater agony, after all.

Peace.

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