Silent March
Tomorrow, on the day Sean Bell's daughter turns four years old, Rev. Al Sharpton and others will silently march down Fifth Avenue to protest police misconduct in minority communities and press City Hall to implement changes they say were supposed to be in place after the killing of Amadou Diallo.
Sharpton said everything from the 50 shots fired at Sean Bell to a double parking ticket given to Rev. Calvin Butts weeks earlier are "indicative of a problem that is a pattern in this city" with the police department.
Butts referred to some officers as "ignorant savages" who are "culturally ignorant" and "racially insensitive."
Noting that the officers involved in the Sean Bell killing were black, Hispanic and white, Sharpton said, "If they were all black, we would be marching tomorrow."
-- Azi PaybarahUPDATE: In response to the Butts comments, mayoral spokesman Stu Loeser said, "We don't dignifiy remarks like that with a response."
God forbid a cop tries to do his job (parking tickets to rev)...on the other case...cops do not make a lot of money and with their life in their hands everyday, sometimes do over-react. If there werent so many criminals that shoot at cops, then maybe things would be different. Also, the "thug life" shouldn't be so embraced by so many minority youths.
Anon, you are the culturally ignorant savage that Rev. Butts was making reference to.
What does the thug life have to with Sean Bell(celebrating his bachelor party) or the mismanaged and poorly trained NYPD?
Amen. Or the racist cops that come from everywhere, but NYC and don't have a real desire to serve. Just a fall back for them or family trade.
so the african american and latino cops were racist too? I think they just didnt want to be shot
If blacks stopped shooting police maybe there wouldnt be brutality (it is unfortunate that innocent men have to suffer because of the actions of a few)
is bill thompson an idiot? what is he doing standing up there w/ that?
Does anyone want to remind Calvin Butts who he supported for Mayor last year and who appoints the police commissioner???
Sharpton's right to protest and demonstrate is guaranteed and protected under the United States Constitution. Sharpton, unfortunately, has a terrible habit of rushing to judgment on incidents involving authorities or police officers without waiting for an official investigation to be completed. This is irresponsible behavior and in most instances it makes the "activist" appear to be more of a buffoon than a serious leader.
Claiming that a double parking [violation] ticket issued to Rev. Calvin Butts weeks earlier is "indicative of a problem that is a pattern in this city" with the [New York City] police department is foolish and ludicrous. It is unfortunate that Sharpton has linked this less-than-important ticket incident with a more serious one.
Rev. Butts has a guaranteed right to enter a "not guilty" plea in court and to defend himself against the alleged charges. It is there in court, not on the street, where, after the facts have been presented and judged, Rev. Butts will be found guilty or innocent.
I am unfamiliar with the circumstances for this "double" ticketing, so I am in no position, just as Rev. Sharpton is not, to comment on the complaint. I will say that most parking violations summonses are issued by the Parking Violations Bureau, a part of the police department - but not police officers. With Rev. Butts referring to these officers as "ignorant savages" who are "culturally ignorant" and "racially insensitive" over a parking ticket is conduct that is quite beyond the pale.
Rev. Al Shanton
Shanton, not only are you a phony, you to are a culturally ignorant savage.
The police regularly issue tickets (any idiot who owns a car in NYC would know that) and the police were involved in the ticketing not PVB agents.
I know Rev. Butts and he is a gentleman in every sense of the word and a respected member of the NYC community, not just the black community.
Butts lost his rabbi Gov Pataki who gave him millions for housing construction and a job as a college president.
He is without a paycheck needs to play the radical again
to anonymous 3:10 pm. since when does standing next to sharpton in a press conference on an issue that many are concerned about, the recent shooting of sean bell, trent benefield, and joseph guzman, constitute an endorsement of his agenda. you seem to be more concerned about who bill thompson stands next to than what he stands for. spoken like a true weinerite et al.
One of my favorite Rev. Butts tell it like it is moments was when he stood in front of the old Board of Ed. building at 110 Livingston street and referred to it as the Knessett, LOL !!!
all you gotta do is a read one blog post to realize there is no hope for america.. thanks bigjim
I'll ask the same questions again:
When was the last time anyone talked their way out of a ticket for parking in a bus stop?
Did berating the cop for not giving you enough time to buy something help?
Did getting irate and loud in front of a crowd of onlookers help?
A few days after a horrific police shooting, when "powder keg" described some neighborhoods, is it savage or gentlemanly to incite an incident because you think you are too damned important to have to find a parking space?
GOD BLESS REV. SHARPTON
THERE MUST BE ACCOUNTABILITY
FROM NOT ONLY THE POLICE DEPTS.FROM AROUND THE NATION BUT FROM ANY AND ALL PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO CHOOSE TO MISUSE
THE AUTHORITY THAT HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED TO THEM BY THE PEOPLE.GOD BLESS REV. SHARPTON FOR CONTINUING THE DREAM OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. FOR DR.KING WAS IN THE PROCESS OF A MARCH WHEN HE WAS SO HATEFULLY TAKEN AWAY FROM US.
my only concern is the percentage of shots that were on target. Perhaps the officers need more firearms training so they can conserve ammo
neversleep,shanton or whatever you call yourself your twisting up and fabrication of events is so poor you ought not to post on this topic anymore.
Dear Anonymous, December 15, 2006...50 shots for three men? So, that's 16.6 shots per person, UNARMED, sitting ducks?...........even with their lives in their hands and over-reacting....... go figure
every time a black man is arrested and convicted for robbing/mugging/raping etc a cop or a white person...why dont we march?
And why is there no United White College fund? Why is there no National Organization for the ADvancement of White People (can u imagine what would happen...)
Oh Big Jim! That old argument, huh? The reason that there is no United White College Fund is because higher education in this country in general is a United White College Fund-- I've witnessed this as a person of oolor at such a university who received no money from the UNCF-- they mostly give you money as a black person if you attend a historically black college or university.
There is no National Organization for the Advancement of White People because White people have historically been the majority of the United States. This is reflected in our government, in corporate America, in law enforcement pretty much everywhere. The "advancement" part of that title is indicative of the late start people of color have had in America. That's not to hate white people or to attack them it's just an effort to better ourselves.
Having said all that, I do feel that Al Sharpton is a bit of a clown-- I think he hypes up situations often more than they need to be. I wish that Black Americans had a leader to the caliber of leaders of the past-- Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Huey Newton. I wish we had people who were less reactionary and more proactive and introspective. The outrage here does have to do with race but even more so that the attack came from institutionalized power.
My question for you- why do you imply that black people committing crimes on white people is worth marching for-- I think anyone in a position of power who abuses that power or expects to be treated differently because of that power deserves to be marched on.
I hold my own people (black people) to that same question.
I was simply addressing the fact that Al Sharpton will march for anything. In this last event, there was no need for the black commmunity to go insane and boycot white owned stores. The NYPD does a great job and that is the reason NYC is as safe as it is, im not sure if you can, but I remember the 70's and 80's in the city. The NYPD may not be perfect and may make some mistakes (some really bad ones), but to discriminate against the whole NYPD and give them a color (blue, as Sharpton did) is ridiculous. The black community needs to understand that the NYPD isn't out to get them, but there to protect and serve.
Uh, Fidel-
This is the handle I always use (minus one 'e' at the NYTimes fora, when I bother with them.)
It's been my experience that calling cops "You guys" is not the best way to start an interaction. YMMV.
Besides, those were questions, not statements.
Butts admitted to both leaving his car in a bus stop and the appellation described above. Us mere mortals get BS tickets all the time, but don't have a homicide to exploit as a constructive defense.
Maybe you don't own a car and don't understand the dynamic.
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