It was almost 30 years ago that I met a most unusual man, Edward Lawson
When at times I naively consider how courageous I am in speaking truth to power I think about Ed, and how he as a black man has bravely confronted the emissaries of the occasionally arrogant white law enforcement community. Details are available on his website. (http://edwardlawson.com)
Ed has told me of his recent experiences with the Los Angeles Sheriffs department. As you read it please consider that Ed is a grown up and brilliant African American activist with dreadlocks, who is an expert in civil liberties and what the cops can and cannot do to someone.
In the early morning hours of Friday, May 18, 2007, Ed was arrested, roughed up, and imprisoned by Los a Angeles County Sheriff's deputy who was leading one of the Sheriff's department's, "high-octane, super secret-special gang task force" groups.
Ed's car was impounded, and he was hand cuffed, and bounced around in the metal, back seat of deputy sheriff's car, careening through a good deal of Los Angeles County.
He was then imprisoned in their primarily all-black jail, and he was finally released without his shoes, in the distant town of Carson, California.
What had started as just another ordinary day, for another Negro, (his word) in the "United States of America" had turned into a nightmare. What had happened to him was without a discernable reason, and without any explanation.
The next day, Ed shifted his word processor into high gear and wrote a letter to the honorable Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy D. Baca and asked Mr. Baca, if he would send him a copy of the deputy sheriff's arrest report and some other documents and records, relating to his arrest and incarceration.
Apparently the honorable Sheriff Leroy D. Baca ignored his request.
He wrote the honorable Sheriff Leroy D. Baca again. The honorable Sheriff Leroy D. Baca ignored him once again.
He has written to Sheriff Leroy D. Baca again and again and again and has yet to receive any of the documents or records requested.
What exactly had happened to Ed on the morning of May 18, 2007? The probable answer was revealed in a front page article written By Scott Glover and Matt Lait and published on October 4th 2007 in the Los Angeles Times: headlined : "Deputies compete in arrest contests" "Southeast L.A. competitions were meant to boost morale", official says.
Sheriff Baca calls this "a well-meaning but ill-conceived idea".
WELL MEANING?
By Scott Glover and Matt Lait
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers)
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/1353327911.html?dids=1353327911:1353327911&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+4%2C+2007&author=Scott+Glover%3BMatt+Lait&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=A.1&desc=The+State%3B+For+deputies%2C+arrests+can+be+a+contest%3B+Competitions+boost+morale%2C+an+official+says.+Baca+calls+them+wrong.
Apparently bored the Sheriff's deputies in some of the "people of color" (p.o.c.) areas of Los Angeles, decided to make up a little contest. The contest was simple. The Sheriff's deputy, who could arrest the most p.o.c. and impound the most p.o.c. autos, would win the contest.
This is apparently what happened to Ed and to his car.
Ed had innocently wandered into the middle of a bunch of "the boys" from Simi Valley, amusing themselves, with the local color and a little game. Ed was the wrong p.o.c. in the wrong place and unwittingly playing in an unconscionable and bizarre contest. The kind of contest that reduces urban areas into theme parks for suburb bored police.
Sadly, after a year of writing, waiting and being ignored, the Honorable Sheriff Leroy D. Baca and his people have not done the right thing. Ed has received zero documents, zero records, and Ed has received zero relevant response to his reasonable requests.
And for a bonus the results from the Los Angeles Times expose on the Sheriff's deputies "little contest" is: zero investigation, zero firings, zero arrests, and (drum roll please) zero prosecutions.
How could this be? You may remember Edward Lawson from all the Oprah, Donahue and Larry King appearances about his 1983, landmark United State Supreme Court, Civil Rights Case, Kolender v Lawson (that's current San Diego County Sheriff Bill Kolender). (KOLENDER v. LAWSON, 461 U.S. 352 (1983)
Argued November 8, 1982, decided May 2, 1983, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_C._Lawson.
Edward Lawson, representing himself, took, the "California Walkman, I.D. Case" all the way to the United States Supreme Court and won. On May 2, 2008, Lawson will celebrate the 25th anniversary of his victory in the United State Supreme Court. Now is a different time, a different place, a different Sheriff, but the same old story. Does Lawson really have anything to celebrate? Do we as a nation of order, under constitutional law, have anything to celebrate, in the era of the error of the well meaning?
Shortly after the ruling Ed appeared on CNN's Crossfire. Pat Buchanan said to him "Mr. Lawson, what did you expect as a black man with dreadlocks walking in a white neighborhood?" Lawson replied "I thought that I was walking in an American neighborhood!"
Ed told me over and over for many years something like the following: "I respect the right of anyone to be a racist and say whatever they wish about me however, they may not restrict my rights in any way because of my race."
It would be a good thing if we could all "just get along and sing kumbaya together" but it just aint gonna happen.
I now take the unauthorized liberty of quoting some of the lyrics of a Tom Lehrer song "National Brotherhood Week" that I whip out for special occasions like this. For all of you "much younger folks." Lena Horne was a popular Black singer and Clark a big time racist Southern Sheriff.
Many life lessons are to be learned from Lehrer, and these lyrics are just a couple of them.
Oh, the white folks hate the black folks
And the black folks hate the white folks
To hate all but the right folks
Is an old established rule
But during National Brotherhood Week
National Brotherhood Week
Lena Horne and Sheriff Clark
Are dancing cheek to cheek
It's fun to eulogize
The people you despise
As long as you don't let 'em in your school ...
Oh, the Protestants hate the Catholics
And the Catholics hate the Protestants
And the Hindus hate the Moslems
And everybody hates the Jews
Final question: Will Sheriff Baca and his deputies vote for Barak Obama?
Norman Horowitz
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Norman,
They certainly will not vote for Hillary. However, even the LA Sheriffs Deputies would be likely to vote for Obama.
It's just urban people.
Who cares about the urban areas, they're all the same. Just a bunch of Sodom's, to the new Christians, who know why New Orleans was hit by Katrina.
You know the Rovian rule #1:
Go after your enemies strength.
Their enemies strongholds are the "Urban Archipelago." War is land acquisition, while Democrats worry about who and what, and swatting at flies... Rove has the Conservatives looking at maps.
Soon urbanites will realize that the moderate, suburban Democrats don't do anything to protect urban areas... They are Reagan Democrats, who feel the same about urban America as the Conservatives do.
There has been a Movement of the movement conservatives to defund and dehumanize the masses in urban areas ever since Ronald Reagan's day. It's helpfully mirrored in "Pop Culture," like the movies about cops who "Have to" break a few rules to get some results... That's just the way we residents of the urban jungles are... "savages." The days of melting pots and "Citizens" are long gone.
Hopefully, Urban America will realize it, and unite...
But I doubt it. They'll still wory about all the racial barriers and language barriers, class barriers, etc., and fight with fight with each other over the table scraps... Just like their supposed to.
"You know the Rovian rule #1:"
I think you're behind the times...
That appears to be Clinton Rule #1 now...
Michale.....
What does voting for Obama and the Hillary quote have to do with this?
what happened to Mr. Lawson was horrendous and should be dealt with both legally and morally.
It defineltly need more media exposure. but I really am confused about the Obama voting statement.
thanks.
This is not to diminish what happens to black Americans every day in this country, but I am a young-ish white female, and I have been harassed numerous times by cops, when I was doing nothing wrong. I befriended a girl at work - a year or two older than me, but also white female who has had even worse experiences with cops. Neither of us are like gorgeous types, so we don't think we were being harassed because the cops were looking for dates, or anything like that, and my worst experiences have been with female cops. I don't know why we were treated like we were, except to say it must be institutional. Once they get that uniform and all the goodies that go along like a gun and a taser - they become powermad monsters, just looking for an opportunity to intimidate and abuse. Or maybe the profession just attracts these people who already have these traits. Either way, I don't see that anything will ever be done about it, so we will go about our suffering - never being helped by cops, but always cowering and trembling - while innocent - when they are around.
I remember once, working as an Air Force police officer (18th SPS/LE, Kadena AB) over on Okinawa... Being that the USAF had the best clubs on the island, usually every night was a busy nights for us cops..
There were slow nights, though. I remember one especially slow Midshift. Absolutely NOTHING was happening. So, I put out a call over the radio that the first person to catch a bust gets a case of beer...
I view the LA SOs "contest" in the same vein.. Probably not the smartest thing in the world (what can I say, I was young) but certainly not grounds for cries of RACISM and urgings of firings and prosecutions...
Prosecuting??? For what??? A bad PR move?? Hell, if we canned people for bad PR moves, we would have gotten rid of Hillary "Taking Sniper Fire!!!" Clinton and Bill "I did NOT have sex with that woman" Clinton a long LONG time ago...
Incidentially, when I got back to LEH (Law Enforcement Headquarters) that morning the desk sergeant (a grizzled veteran named Wally Baugh.. :D) came up to me and said, "You're under arrest for attempting to bribe a police officer. Now gimme my beer!!" :D
Seriously, this is much ado about nothing. No one has made a case or claim that ANY of the arrests were not proper.. The number of arrests made on "contest" days were about normal.
Let's not cry RACISM where none exists...
Michale.....
"Final question: Will Sheriff Baca and his deputies vote for Barak Obama?" Not on your life. How can any bigoted racist vote for a half white and half Black man? The intriguing part being they constantly and conveniently "forget" that Obama is HALF WHITE AN HALF BLACK!!! Norman, your report just states the inevitable and obvious in America. (I remember when Eartha Kitt left this country to move to Europe so that she could be treated as a person, rather than as a Black person.) This country does not yet know how to treat all its people as "people - human beings" because it has always been so horribly racist and bigoted What a sad, pitiful commentary of America! Sheriff Baca and his deputies are a disgrace to the laws of this country which they are supposed to uphold. I commend Ed Lawson for his courage in the face of such hatred. BTW, I am Latino, female, and 65 years old and Americans have treated me just as rotten a good deal of my life, so I do understand the unfairness of this country.
One question: Why do the black cops in LA put up with this good old boy bigotry?
Norman, Thanks for exposing this all to familiar senario of police prejudice, profiling and out right dispicable behavior. How about posting the appropriate email addresses or phone numbers so that those of us who would like to give the L.A. Sheriffs dept a piece of our minds may do so.
I wonder how many white folks would be ok with the behavior of the L.A. Sheriffs dept. if they were the targets of this kind of inexcusable b.s.
What does it mean when a nation, such as China with 1.4 Billion peolpe has about 1.5 million imprisoned and a nation such as the US with 3.1 Million people has 2.3 million people imprisoned? It can only mean one of two things:
1) The US is made up of mostly criminals.
2) We are the biggest Police State on earth.
My bet is that answer two is correct. Yet with the up and coming election we as a Nation will continue to elect those who will not represent the people. We will again elect those to power who serve the special interest groups, such as the Military Industrial Complex and the Amerikan Prison Complex. As far as incarcerations are concerned the failed war on drugs is one of the biggest culprits. Based on lies, misinformation and special interest pandering it has wasted close to half a trillion dollars since "I'm no crook" Nixon declared allout war on drugs. Just as the war in Iraq is a failure the war on crime is a failure at home. And to make matters worse, the war against crime is fought by racist pigs, without any regard to constitutional rights.
YIPPIE! I'm so proud to be an American....NOT!
Note: The US has 300 Million people. China the largest population, India is second, the the US is third with 300 million.
Even with this correction your conclusions may still be valid.
Soon all will know the joy of Obedience. The Policeman and the Prison guard are your friend. They help maintain an orderly productive society. In the New American Century all will Obey, and those who complain will be given the "Reverend Wright" treatment by our Obedient friends in the Free and Glorius American News Media. All HAIL FREEDOM!! Now get back to work! We are watching you, and your families, too.
"If it worked for the Nazi's it will work for us[the Republican Party]", according to Ed Rollins former head of the Republican National Committee when asked why does the Republican Party so resemble's the Nazi's. Rollins said this when replying to a question during an impromptu TV interview in the mid 1990's.We've been given fair warnings which are ignored because "it can't happen here".
And the Easterbunny poops colored eggs and the fat guy can slide down a narrow chimney!
Love your reply!
Thanks for you post. I added Mr Edward C. Lawson's site to my bookmarks.
http://edwardlawson.com/
Thank you for this information.
Why invent a case for racism where none exists??
I quote from the article that you mentioned..
"The object was to arrest as many people as possible within a specific 24-hour period."
"Other one-day competitions have included "Operation Vehicle Impound," a contest aimed at seizing as many cars as possible."
"And another challenged deputies to see how many gang members and other suspected criminals could be stopped and questioned."
There is ZERO mention of any "contest" that is based upon race..
I am, in NO WAY, mitigating the suffering or humiliation of Mr. Lawson.. The "contests" were ill-conceived and sophomoric...
But they were not racist...
Crying RACIST where no such case exists belittles and diminishes the instances were REAL racism is present..
Michale.....
Come on then Michale, prove it. How many white people were arrested the night in question?
Ignoring for the moment, you can't PROVE a negative, I actually tried to determine the racial makeup of those arrested on a "contest" day. Obviously, the records are hard to come by, being that so much time has passed.... However, I can make a couple logical deductions based on what WASN'T reported...
First of all, if ONLY blacks were arrested (or Hispanics or Orientals or Green Men From Mars), I am certain that the paper would have made note of that. The simple fact that NO mention of the racial make-up of those arrested lends credence to the idea that race was not a factor. It's a logical deduction.
Second, the fact that NONE of the arrests were challenged as invalid or improper based on the "contest". Again, if this was the case, it would been surely stated.
Finally, there was NO spike in arrests whatsoever. This supports the logical conclusion that the "contest" did not influence who was and was not arrested...
I repeat... There is ZERO information to support the conclusion that the "contests" were race-based..
Now, if you have information that indicates otherwise, I stand ready to review it and, if necessary, alter my conclusion..
Michale.....
what part of "people of color" did you you not understand? In the sane world that reeks of discrimination.
What part of "Only Mr Horowitz's Article Mentions 'People Of Color' " did you not understand???
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-glover_100407,1,1406045.story
There is the article that Mr Horowitz is referring to in it's entirety..
NO WHERE in that article are the words "Race", "People Of Color" , "Racist" or even "Black"...
So, I ask again.. Why try and turn something that is obviously NOT racist into something that is??
Race had nothing to do with the contests...
It's THAT simple...
Michale.....
Thank you Michale. Your slavish Obedience to Power has been noted again. If you continueto behave in such a sycophantic manner you will be promoted!
Michale is just a troll.
I invite you to read the article...
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-glover_100407,1,1406045.story
Please point to ANY indication of racism..
You can't because it simply doesn't exist..
Which is why you have to resort to childish personal attacks... Because you have no facts on your side..
Michale.....
Sorry Michale32086, but having lived in Southern Cal and having worked in LA for a good many years, LA cops are racist. There are plenty of examples in the past, both well publicized as well as not so public (relayed to me ny friends and acquaintances) to prove that point.
Rodney King, being beaten by pigs, later charged and convicted on fed civil rights charges.
Mark Furman, lied o the stand in the OJ trial, just to mention a couple. But then it ain't just LA. I have witnessed some racist pigs in Florida, around St Augustine and other areas as well.
Would Mark Furman be included. All L.A. cops aren't racist just those who move to Idaho, like Mark Furman the man who made it possible for O.J. Simpson to walk.
Sorry BusGreg..
Claiming "All Cops in LA are racist" is the same thing as claiming "All black men are criminals"....
It's a bigoted and prejudicial statement that has little or no foundation in reality..
Michale
Learn to read. I said: "LA cops are racist." not ALL La Cops as you imply. Furthermore they also quite often do the same shit to hispanics as well as whites. They are biggots and I stand by what I said.
I think he said that many cops in LA were racist. But thanks for putting words in his mouth Michale. Its OK, you have nothing to fear from the police. Your whiteness is as legendary as your "undecided voter" status.
America has to many cops who do not have enough to do.
HUH???
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Posted April 12, 2008 | 08:18 AM (EST)