Paging Americans: Where the hell are you?

At what point does police brutality against an African American minister inside the halls of Congress become news and inspire a call to action? Is it after 8 police officers take him down for standing in line waiting to see members of Congress? Is it after he is rushed to the hospital? Is it after he is charged with assaulting a police officer, which is a felony? At what point do Americans, especially African Americans, think this is an important news story and an important reason to drop everything to head to DC?

What about African Americans of visibility, where are you? P. Diddy is in the Hamptons. Senator Obama is on the campaign trail. Oprah Winfrey is doing her show. Even Mos Def, whom I respect for his defense of human rights, is MIA. Is there no one left to stand up for this man other than a former Soviet refugee, white, Jewish woman with a pen? I am here. Where the hell are you America?

Watch the video of Rev.Lennox Yearwood being assaulted, then ask yourself why you are not in DC standing with him?

If you are not here standing with one man, then you have given up your own liberty.

Comments

[SamEllison]

The Capitol Police seem to be targeting potential protesters at a public hearing. Cindy Sheehan was arrested at the same time?
It certainly can't be called an open public hearing if indeed it is not. Monday the youtube link stated that Rev Yearwood was wearing a "I love Iraqis" button. One must go incognito.

[ellisink]

This is more egregious behaviour from the police, and it merely adds to several incidents captured on video lately. What about the union member who was tackled by some hefty cops at a protest, who was held to the ground with her leg broken at the hip? What about the cops who tasered a guy several times when he couldn't get up? Wasn't that the reason to taser him in the first place?

There's a practice implementation of martial law, an exercise, going on this month. It doesn't look to me as though it's necessary.

[TerryOtt]

Where are we, you ask? I think some of us are waiting to find out more about this. What are the details of how this came about? Anyone?

[shag11]

He should have just gone with them, especially when he saw the numbers. Lots of cops are on steroids, and they are incapable of rationale behavior.

[TrustInKnowledge]

I have just finished watching the video on the Reverend Lennox Yearwood Incident. I never once heard a POLICE OFFICER say anything to the effect of "call DC fire".
I also never saw any Legitimate reason for the Good Reverend to be kept from entering the hearing room, also how can one be Resisting, if one is not under ARREST? What I had seen was the Rev. just trying get back in line since the GOOD OFFICERS that you call them, never once stated the reasons for him being SINGLED OUT or for the reasons on him being detained as such.
Oh and one more thing that was POLICE BRUTALITY that many cops to detain a person that was CLEARLY not resisting since he had done nothing wrong is Police Brutality. There was no Legitimate reasons for the police officers to JUMP him. Not to mention that the Rev, DID NOT ASSAULT anyone? which video were you watching again?

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

The "call DC fire" line is circa 4:06 remaining.

Methinks it was to spray coolant on all the hot air about to emanate from the witness table.

[TuffPosh]

Ted Hayes had a similar recent incident involving Maxine Waters. Where were you on that one, Larisa?

[archbishop]

I am sorry, but the good Reverend aggravated the situation by yelling and struggling. He failed to obey an order of a police officer and then resisted. As for him being left on the floor, that is standard police procedure when someone claims to be injured. I clearly heard the officer in charge say, "call DC fire" which is the medical help to determine if in fact he was injured, and if so, to safely remove him.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

But thre Rev was not charged with "resisting arrest." Perhaps because no arrest was made prior to the dogpile.

What "order of a police officer?" That he go to the end of the line?

Fine re "call DC fire." You can also hear one of the cops calling for a wheelchair at 4:06 remaining.

I guess they were just trying to get him an ADA seat.

[4br4h4m]

Larisa,

What's the back story here? There's no context and this is the first I'm hearing of this. I gather from comments above this happened at the Petraus hearings?

What's going on here? Links?

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

The video proves one of the cops is a LIAR:

Per the Washington Post, Rev. Yearwood is being charged with disorderly conduct, and ASSAULT ON AN OFFICER, after jumping in front of the line.

Say wha?

The video indicates he is the VICTIM of the assault BY the officers, and after protesting being kept to the SIDE of the line.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/10/AR2007091001068.html?hpid=topnews

See 6:00 remaining on the tape.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Thought fragments:

1) On what basis was the Reverend singled out from being allowed into the hearing?

2) If he was not being arrested, on what basis did the police have a right to prevent him from moving?

3) It is a natural and human reaction to shrug when feeling unwelcome hands on your shoulders from behind.

4) How is it that someone who appears to be complaining of an injured leg is left to sit in front of the hearing room door for FIVE-plus MINUTES?

5) I believe that is Cindy Sheehan visible from behind, being lead away at 3:09 remaining.

6) If the cops WERE following protocol, their chief should be on the spot. If the cops were NOT, can their asses.

7) Jack-boot muther-f*ckers! All six or seven should be removed from duty.

8) If this is the way we treat Americans, I can only imagine how we treat Iraqis.

Thank you, again, Larisa.

[WOLFWARRIOR]

Larisa Alexandrovna

I do not see any police brutality here - You shove a cop - trying too get around them - you get thrown down and cuffs put on you.

When asked too leave - you leave - you can always - complain about it later ....

If one wanted too be arrested to make a statement - he could of just had a sit in ...

......

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

The Reverend did not "shove a cop" whatsoever. See video at 6:00 remaining.

There is nothing more American than standing up for your rights, and expecting those rights will be respected, and in the halls of Congress no less.

Repeat after me:

The Reverend did not shove a cop.
The Reverend did not shove a cop.
The Reverend did not shove a cop.
The Reverend did not shove a cop.

Please leave this forum. You can complain later.

[brantl]

Reason is My religion is exactly right. This man did nothing other than to ask what he was being arrested for.

[CriminallySane]

I know nothing of the backstory on this.

That said, I'm sure you've noticed that most Americans tend to care about things based on either (a) familiarity, or (b) proximity. In other words, if it wasn't someone personally known to them, and it wasn't close enough to see with the unaided eye, it might as well have happened on Neptune.

[whit]

That's not just most Americans who "care about things base on ... familiarity or ... proximity." That's all human beings. Many of us will do heroic things to save the life of a stranger right in front of us. But there are many strangers' lives in peril far away too, and if we all made heroic sacrifices of our time and wealth we could save some number of them. Yet largely we don't. You can disapprove of that; but it would totally paralyze us if we all became consumed by a need to aid absolutely everyone in peril.

Here the man has film. He has a church behind him. He can easily get lawyers. It's not some senators who attacked him, but some thuggish cops. A significant proportion of cops anywhere, on any job, will be thuggish on occasion. If they didn't have the capacity to be dangerous, we wouldn't hire them as cops. If they were brilliant at knowing exactly when to be dangerous or not, they'd take better-paying jobs as lawyers.

[CriminallySane]

"That's not just most Americans who "care about things base on ... familiarity or ... proximity." That's all human beings."

It was Americans she was talking about.

In a nice little example of self-reference, I am only going to refer to Americans, because (a) I am one, thus somewhat familiar with them/us, and (b) I am here. Ergo, what happens elsewhere may be comparable, and yet I will concern myself with it to a lesser extent.

[purple3bh]

On the whole, I am glad that you wrote this post as I had not heard about this incident.

However, I think it is unfair of you to rail against Black folks for not responding to this outrageous occurrence in light of the fact that it JUST HAPPENED YESTERDAY, and given the impotence of the MSM to report ANY news of real importance, those of us in the know are for the most part left with word-of-mouth/blog/email as sources of info.

In light of it having just recently occurred, how do you know that the above mentioned "slackers" and/or others are not already prepearing to respond?

[RavagesOfTime]

I'm glad you pointed out the fact that Mos Def has about 28 other things on his plate, but I assume he'll hear about this, too.

I would love for someone new to emerge, instead of normal cast of characters.

[fact finder]

This is just another example of how we live in a total police state. When a man of God doing no wrong can be singled out and brutally attacked by the,no adequate word comes to mind, Then this country is in a world of S*** and we all need to say HEIL BUSH