Beltway Insider: Die-In Protests Spread; S.I. Cop Racist Background; November Job Report; Sandy Hook

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Category: Beltway Insider

Published on Sunday, 07 December 2014 18:39

Written by Janet Walker

President Obama has remained reluctant to criticize the process which left a white NYPD police officer exonerated in the videotaped murder of an unarmed black man detained for selling loose cigarettes as his Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch prepares the federal inquiry.

According to Gallup, President Obama's job approval, over the past week, decreased one percentage points to 43% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as President remained constant at 51%. 

America Erupts - Outrage For Eric

Without a moment to breathe a second grand jury in as many weeks failed to indict a white police officer in the death of an unarmed black man creating yet another round of protests as demonstrators took to the streets of New York.

Eric Garner, 43, a Staten Island father, was confronted last July on the street after a shop owner called the police as a fight Mr. Garner, who was known to sell loose cigarettes, was breaking up had the potential to escalate.

The last three minutes of the police confrontation, in which four NYPD cops formed a horseshoe around Mr. Garner, with the intent of creating fear in order to cause aggressive action, justifying then, excessive force or at minimum the show of force,  was videotaped by Ramsey Orta, a bystander.

As the police, Daniel Pantaleo and Justin Damico, bated Mr. Garner, he remained as calm as possible, without retaliating. Nothing in his mannerism suggested he was a threat. Mr. Garner's bulk, at 350lbs was seen as the sole factor necessitating four to six officer to "take down" the unarmed, undisruptive, non-aggressive male who for fear of police brutality refused to comply and "come with us."

The next minute of the tape show the officers jumping on Mr. Garner's back, riding him to the ground, forcing his face to the cement and pinning him there with his knee. Mr. Garner repeatedly stated "I can't breathe" at least seven times before he passed out.

The Initial findings ruled the death a homicide indicting Garner was killed by "the compression of his chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police," New York Medical Examiner spokesperson Julia Bolcer said.

The bullying tactics of the NYPD and clear violation of policy as chokehold have been outlawed and stop and frisk, even for walking residents, have been banned and the video clearly depicted the cop using excessive force and causing permanent injury and death apparently had no effect on the grand jury

Eric Garner and Daniel Pantelo

Neither of these men have backgrounds that would suggest the events or details are anything other than what the videotape shows.

Officer Pantelo, 29, the son of a New York Firefighter and nephew of a New York Police Department, joined the NYPD in 2006. Prior to the death of Eric Garner he had been involved in multiple racial incidents and the subject of two 2013 Civil Rights lawsuits in which he was accused of  false arrest,  abuse and forcing two black detainees to strip on the street for search.

Eric Garner, a lifelong Staten Island resident, would seem like the type of man who would be under constant surveillance.

Garner, a loving father with six children, had a rap sheet with nearly 30 minor arrests dating back to the 1980's. Although he was known as the neighborhood peace maker and he was currently out on bail for selling loose, untaxed, cigarettes, marijuana possession, driving without a license and false impersonation when his and Pantelo crossed paths.

President Obama Reacts

White House Press Secretary was repeatedly asked over multiple press conferences the President opinion, his reaction, to which he deflected refereeing all to the Department of Justice.

He did explain the President had seen the tape and made no official comment on its content.

"I think probably the most important thing is that when we're talking about these issues, these are issues that the President himself feels very personally. And in hearing the President talk about the case of Trayvon Martin or even some of these more recent examples, I think it's clear to most people that these are issues that the President feels in a very personal way based on his own previous experience as a private citizen, but also based on his notion of fairness and justice and other values that are central to the founding of this country. These are the kinds of values that have motivated the President since the earliest days of his career in public life," said Josh Earnest White House Press Secretary.

The Grand Jury Announcement

After five months, a grand jury convened and met nine weeks, and reviewed nearly 60 pieces of evidence and heard approximately the same number of witness of which the video, the clearest record of police brutality that left no question, no supposition, no doubt of the events was also entered in as evidence.

After which the grand jury released its findings and New York became a statistic as they refused to indict.

Corruption is common in New York City, Manhattan is not small town U.S.A., not Ferguson, Mo where verdicts such as this are in actuality common. The circumstances, except for the main participants are widely different and then there is the videotape. The grand jury in a sophisticated city, a city that prides itself as various capitals of the world collided with old world dogma and hate and chose to exonerate.

No person expected the scope of Ferguson protests that at last count sparked outrage in more than 90 cities. And resulted in nothing, except records of "those people" the black people or the disenfranchised, acting in rage retaliation using Michael Brown's death as a wick.

The Eric Garner grand jury decision was read immediately. No time delay, no national guard, no precautionary boarding of businesses or other signs that a night of violence was expected.

It was an eerie silence, the night air was divided by the stifling injustice meeting the tired and intolerant. Chants, low at first of "We Can't breathe" began to fill Grand Central station, pop up protests and citizens of Manhattan black, white, of all levels on the socio-economic scale reacted with same unbelief.

How? Whose eyes are they looking through, what did a jury of Staten Island peers see that the rest of the known world did not? What words were spoken to this group of people that negated the obvious evidence presented in the tape?

Media on every level voiced the same outrage as the citizen. We can't breathe, silent protestors carrying signs or staging die-in's blocked traffic, barred entry and possibly 200 people were arrested over a two day period.

Then the protests moved west, a more violent confrontation at Berkeley, resulting in Police using tear gas to disperse students taking up the "We Can't Breathe" movement.

The stifling injustice, the thick heavy brick oven heat of injustice hangs low, stifling, forcing occupants to exclaim "I can't breathe."  

Decade of racial injustice have finally surfaced and hopefully it will usher in change.

It is important to underscore that victims, survivors of rape and other violence, face the bitter pill of injustice every day. There is not a single incident that shines a spotlight into the darkened recesses of corrupt, uncaring, unmotivated and judgmental police, detective and prosecutorial teams. Rape victims face injustice every day, permanently, for the rest of their lives.

Royals Visit

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, more often referred to as Prince William and Kate Middleton, are making their first visit to White House on Monday, with a stop in New York City on Sunday.

The Royals, expectant with their second child, are hosting a high profile and high powered dinner which benefactors donated 32K to several favorite wildlife conservation charities to attend.

William and Kate are expected to be given the super celebrity treatment, as fans, photographers and curiosity seekers were seen camping outside the hotel in advance of the Super Royal arrival.

The Duke will also travel to Washington to meet President Obama for official state business, a sign to those royal accession watchers the Queen Elizabeth and her son, Prince Charles, are possibly grooming the first born grandson and his commoner wife, to begin the reign sooner as the two are beloved, more in touch with the realities of the monarch and the world.

While in Washington, Prince William will attend a World Bank Conference presenting a petition to stop trade in wildlife parts. President Obama will host him in the Oval Office. Prince William will also be separately hosted in the White House by Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden.

As America and the United Kingdom are the strongest of allies, having the Prince meet with the President of the United States unequivocally seals the Queens confidence in his skill as a statesman and future leader of the United Kingdom

Sandy Hook School Shooting

December 14, 2014 marks the second year anniversary of the Sandy Hook School Shootings, when a 20 year old disgruntled and mentally unstable Adam Lanza shot is way into a local elementary school and systematically murdered 20 children and six educators.

Initial reports, on that day, filtered east to West, where by 1:00pm PST, the all too familiar news of another school shooting began to inundate social media.

By mid-afternoon a solemn and deep despair covered American as the news of 10, 15, 20 children, five and six year olds, murdered in a town that hadn't seen one homicide in  ten years prior to that day, blanketed the airwaves.

Six educators were also murdered as parental instincts and genuine love for their "kids" bypassed any concern for their own lives and they shielded the tiny charges hoping, if it were possible.

By day's end, a collage of beautiful, vibrant, loving, and funny, children, the hope and promise, joy and sorrow, of every parent's tomorrow, would lie dead.

Sorrow hung heavy throughout the nation, and the world echoed the disbelief, parents, families, local leaders, in an all too common scene, the president addressing another town, embracing another wounded soul, promising as a parent, a leader, a concerned citizen, action.

The desire to end gun violence finally took on an identity. The children became our children; the sorrow ours; the call to action genuine and the hope real.

November Job Report

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the November Employment numbers sending a beacon of hope during this holiday season as 331,000 jobs were added to the economy although the 5.8% unemployment rate remained unchanged.

The news certainly boosted consumer confidence and, although the numbers are not reflected of the actual labor force, there is solid movement toward regaining ground lost during the economic recession of 2009.

The demographics within the report underemployed or marginalized workers, those under employed and working part-time, who would prefer to work full-time, at more than 6.9millin workers, Americans are going back to work and settling for less as the far reaching effects of long term unemployment are more damaging than short term tide me over which still produces income, albeit it less.

very bright light heading into the traditional holiday season it is however a seasonally adjustment and partially inflated as the numbers aren't "real" meaning not indicative of solid, non-fluctuating, employment.

Seasonal employment in retail, leisure, hospitality brought strong gains into November Jobs report and come January the see-saw will drop with equal speed and the majority of the seasonal employment numbers will be lost.

With major retailer stocking more than shelves with decisions to remain open 24 hours allows for three full shifts. Macy's alone indicated they would hire more than75,000 seasonal workers.

To see that large a number, simply from one retailer, laid off come January is the proverbial bubble bursting. There is the looming, albeit a Grinch prognostic, of an equal or greater holiday season adjustment which should be announced February 2015.

Jordanian Visit

His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan visited the White House this week as the two nations remained committed to the initiatives of stopping ISIS/ISIL, the immediacies of stopping ISIS/ISIL and Ebola as well as managing the Syrian refugee situation which has displaced millions and now account for almost 20% of Jordan's population.

The United States has pledged an additional 1B to assist the people of Jordan as they remain loyal to the global initiatives.

"Because Jordan is such an important partner, because they are carrying such an important burden, including accommodating those who've been displaced because of the Syrian civil war, I am very proud of the continued support that we've been able to provide Jordan, a small, resource-poor country, but one that consistently steps up and meets its responsibilities," the President said.

"Well, if you'll allow me, Mr. President, thank you very much on behalf of all of us in Jordan, and Congress for, as you mentioned, the very gracious support to Jordan, the budget support and revenue, which comes at a very difficult time, as you mentioned, of us hosting almost 1.5 million Syrian refugees. So from all of us, a very gracious thank you to you and your people for this very timely support for our country," said Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan.

For more information on President Barack Obama: www.whitehouse.gov

Sources: Whitehouse.org, Wikipedia.com,