but for video...

[Michchamp]

So, don't know if you political scholars have been following the events in Chicago. Suffice to say that if a judge hadn't ordered the CPD (and by extension the Emanuel administration, who had some hand in keeping it buried) to release the dashcam video of the Laquan McDonald shooting, there would be no accountability for the officer who shot him 16 times, esp. considering that the shooting was last fall, and charges were not filed until the judge ordered it released.

video is revealing the tip of the iceberg with respect to the nature of abuse of justice by police, and leading - ever so slightly - to more accountability for police forces that were previously subjected to little, if any, of it. and but for video in these cases, it's fairly obvious that nothing would've have been done.

anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot.

 

[byco42]

So, don't know if you political scholars have been following the events in Chicago. Suffice to say that if a judge hadn't ordered the CPD (and by extension the Emanuel administration, who had some hand in keeping it buried) to release the dashcam video of the Laquan McDonald shooting, there would be no accountability for the officer who shot him 16 times, esp. considering that the shooting was last fall, and charges were not filed until the judge ordered it released.

video is revealing the tip of the iceberg with respect to the nature of abuse of justice by police, and leading - ever so slightly - to more accountability for police forces that were previously subjected to little, if any, of it. and but for video in these cases, it's fairly obvious that nothing would've have been done.

anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot.

Some hand in keeping it buried? And Emanuel held his police chief up as a diversion/distraction. But Chicago is a war zone and who is holding the criminals accountable for creating that atmosphere? Maybe Emanuel is vacationing in Cuba to get some pointers from the Castros. Or to escape the heat.

 

[Gulo Blue]

I know some people see it as part of a 'with us or against us' partisan stance against police, but long term, body cams that show the public what police do and make the work transparent would lead to more public trust and better relationships. Just my opinion of course, but I think it would help.

My gut reaction to more cameras is to be worried about too much Big Brother, but watching the watchmen is an ok exception if it gets people to feel that police are on their side and the bad apples get weeded out.

 

[Gulo Blue]

We need Harbaugh to coach up the heads of police unions so they recognize the value in accountability.

 

[tinselwolverine]

Some hand in keeping it buried? And Emanuel held his police chief up as a diversion/distraction. But Chicago is a war zone and who is holding the criminals accountable for creating that atmosphere?

I guess officer Jason Van Dyke tried to do his bit. Laquan's career as a criminal on the streets of Chicago is over.

Maybe Emanuel is vacationing in Cuba to get some pointers from the Castros. Or to escape the heat.

He'll come to Hollywood and work with brother Ari.

 

[tomdalton22]

I guess officer Jason Van Dyke tried to do his bit. Laquan's career as a criminal on the streets of Chicago is over.



He'll come to Hollywood and work with brother Ari.

Looks like both he and the cop will be off the streets of Chicago.

1st degree murder charge...seems a little steep to me.

 

[tinselwolverine]

Looks like both he and the cop will be off the streets of Chicago.

1st degree murder charge...seems a little steep to me.

Who is the "he?" Laquan or Rahm?

Some are saying it's the beginning of the end for Emmanuel.

 

[Michchamp]

Looks like both he and the cop will be off the streets of Chicago.

1st degree murder charge...seems a little steep to me.

I don't think it was premeditated, but murder 2, or whatever the intentional, but not premeditated equivalent is in Illinois is certainly warranted. Did you watch the video? Granted, it's tough to watch. It was malicious, as evidenced by the fact he continued to pump round after round into the kid's lifeless body on the street.

 

[Michchamp]

Some hand in keeping it buried? And Emanuel held his police chief up as a diversion/distraction. But Chicago is a war zone and who is holding the criminals accountable for creating that atmosphere? Maybe Emanuel is vacationing in Cuba to get some pointers from the Castros. Or to escape the heat.

I don't think the criminals created the atmosphere; they're more a product of the circumstances.

What most Americans don't realize is that shootings and murders in Chicago are largely confined to the South and West sides of the city, and a few 0 other pockets on the NW & far north sides, all of which are largely African American or Hispanic. these are the same areas poorly-served by mass transit, without decent jobs in the neighborhoods, and have seen the majority of school closings Emanuel rammed through early in his first term. And they were poorly served by CPS even before that.

most of the murders are gang-related, and drug-related. The Chicago Reader published a number of long, well-written articles in the last two years about the "open air drug markets" of parts of the city. Everyone caught up in them went that route because it paid better than any other career path open to teenage kids in the ghetto. You take away education, and a path to a normal middle class, or even lower middle class life, and what do you leave these kids? the drug. that's it. there's nothing else for them in these neighborhoods.

these criminals aren't born, they're made.

and the police aren't the solution to the problem, really, in that regard. they're the ones sent to keep the losers in this allocation of civic resources on the other side of the fence. that's why politicians like Emanuel fall all over themselves to defend the cops, even in the face of overwhelming video evidence... he knows the cops are out there doing his administration's dirty work.

 

[Michchamp]

...
Some are saying it's the beginning of the end for Emmanuel.

YAY!

you may find this interesting:

The fact he was forced into a run-off last February was a bad sign for him. (I did not vote for him either time). It was the first time in CHicago history there had been a runoff, I think.

Chuy Garcia, who lost the runoff, is an ally of Toni Preckwinkle, the Cook Co. President. according to Chicago political lore, the County Board President is the 2nd most powerful person in town, after the mayor.

Most progressives, and a lot of African Americans were hoping Preckwinkle would run against Emanuel last year. She has a pretty good reputation of being as decent a politician as you could expect to find in Cook Co., and also competent at her job as well. She repeatedly refused to throw her hat in the ring, however, some considered Chuy Garcia's campaign to really be a stalking horse effort to wear him down.

Concurrently the largely unpopular Cook Co. State's Atty (Anita Alvarez), a Daley, and now Emanuel ally, is also facing a primary challenge next year from one attorney Foxx, a Preckwinkle ally. Notably, at some Cook Co. Democrat bigwigs meeting last year, the Establishment refused to commit to either candidate, which some interpreted as a bad sign for the incumbent, Alvarez.

since this video was released, Preckwinkle has called for both Alvarez and the CPD chief, McGarry, to resign. So far, only McGarry has. If she gets her person in the office of the prosecutor, she'd really be in a position to bring the hammer down on Emanuel next year.

so, yeah, things aren't looking good for that prick .

 

[tomdalton22]

I don't think the criminals created the atmosphere; they're more a product of the circumstances.

What most Americans don't realize is that shootings and murders in Chicago are largely confined to the South and West sides of the city, and a few 0 other pockets on the NW & far north sides, all of which are largely African American or Hispanic. these are the same areas poorly-served by mass transit, without decent jobs in the neighborhoods, and have seen the majority of school closings Emanuel rammed through early in his first term. And they were poorly served by CPS even before that.

most of the murders are gang-related, and drug-related. The Chicago Reader published a number of long, well-written articles in the last two years about the "open air drug markets" of parts of the city. Everyone caught up in them went that route because it paid better than any other career path open to teenage kids in the ghetto. You take away education, and a path to a normal middle class, or even lower middle class life, and what do you leave these kids? the drug. that's it. there's nothing else for them in these neighborhoods.

these criminals aren't born, they're made.

and the police aren't the solution to the problem, really, in that regard. they're the ones sent to keep the losers in this allocation of civic resources on the other side of the fence. that's why politicians like Emanuel fall all over themselves to defend the cops, even in the face of overwhelming video evidence... he knows the cops are out there doing his administration's dirty work.

I agree that these criminals aren't born, they're made. The people that are mostly responsible for them becoming criminals are their parents (or lack thereof)

 

[Gulo Blue]

it paid better than any other career path open to teenage kids in the ghetto.

According to Freakonomics, the pay is bad until you're up near the top. One guy making $100 k per year had 3 guys making $7/hr under him with about 50 guys under them making $3.30/hr. That was in the 90's.

 

[Michchamp]

According to Freakonomics, the pay is bad until you're up near the top. One guy making $100 k per year had 3 guys making $7/hr under him with about 50 guys under them making $3.30/hr. That was in the 90's.

hasn't a lot of their "research" been debunked? they were the guys who attributed the lower crime rate to more abortions, if i recall.

 

[Gulo Blue]

hasn't a lot of their "research" been debunked? they were the guys who attributed the lower crime rate to more abortions, if i recall.

They treat correlation like causation, but as far as I know, that's their big problem. Not making up numbers.

 

[Michchamp]

They treat correlation like causation, but as far as I know, that's their big problem. Not making up numbers.

those numbers are absurd. no one would actually work for that, let alone risk their lives. how did they come up with those?

the Chicago Reader published a long article on the heroin trade in the city; Their numbers were different: "A confidential source told authorities that workers could typically sell eight or nine jabs per shift, which added up to earnings of $240 to $270 for eight hours on the street. Pack runners were paid a $10 commission for each jab sold, and if business was good that week, they might receive a $1,500 to $2,000 bonus on Friday."

link to the article. it's understandable why kids -without any education or guidance - would turn to this. and we're already a couple decades into this... their fathers and grandfathers were faced with the same choices in the 80's and 90's.

 

[Gulo Blue]

those numbers are absurd. no one would actually work for that, let alone risk their lives. how did they come up with those?

the Chicago Reader published a long article on the heroin trade in the city; Their numbers were different: "A confidential source told authorities that workers could typically sell eight or nine jabs per shift, which added up to earnings of $240 to $270 for eight hours on the street. Pack runners were paid a $10 commission for each jab sold, and if business was good that week, they might receive a $1,500 to $2,000 bonus on Friday."

link to the article. it's understandable why kids -without any education or guidance - would turn to this. and we're already a couple decades into this... their fathers and grandfathers were faced with the same choices in the 80's and 90's.

How is 8 or 9 jabs at $10 per jab, $240-270?

Nevermind, I see it. Runners are a different group.

 

[Gulo Blue]

those numbers are absurd. no one would actually work for that, let alone risk their lives. how did they come up with those?

If "work" is just standing around or being on call all day they might...if they've got nothing else going on.

 

[sggatecl]

It blows my mind that in a day and age where we have local law enforcement buying tanks and other military weaponry that they haven't installed dash and body cams yet.

 

[Michchamp]

It blows my mind that in a day and age where we have local law enforcement buying tanks and other military weaponry that they haven't installed dash and body cams yet.

LOL. the freep ran an article today about local law enforcement grumbling over losing their tanks.

 

[sggatecl]

LOL. the freep ran an article today about local law enforcement grumbling over losing their tanks.

Also read that. Awesome priorities.