What? Why?

Charges brought against three members of the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense under the Bush administration have been dropped by the Obama Justice Department.

I remember watching the news channels on election day, and they had video of these .. yes, jackbooted thugs, dressed in black uniforms, one with a baton of the type the police carry. I was wondering if he was actually going to use it on the guy that was carrying the camera recording them. They did not seem pleased to be seen there.

news story continues...
The three black panthers, Minister King Samir Shabazz, Malik Zulu Shabazz and Jerry Jackson were charged in a civil complaint in the final days of the Bush administration with violating the voter rights act by using coercion, threats and intimidation. Shabazz allegedly held a nightstick or baton that prosecutors said he pointed at people and menacingly tapped it. Prosecutors also say he "supports racially motivated violence against non-blacks and Jews."

"allegedly"? I saw it with my own two eyes. Definitely had a baton. The old Black Panther Party has distanced themselves and rejected the New Black Panther Party as a bunch of racists and hatemongers. I remember watching a documentary on them, and the hate they were spewing was vile stuff. And I thought David Duke was bad. These guys are just as bad, or worse.

The "Justice" Department says this about their decision:

"The Justice Department was successful in obtaining an injunction that prohibits the defendant who brandished a weapon outside a Philadelphia polling place from doing so again. Claims were dismissed against the other defendants based on a careful assessment of the facts and the law. The department is committed to the vigorous prosecution of those who intimidate, threaten or coerce anyone exercising his or her sacred right to vote."

Actually, he is prohibited from brandishing his weapon within 100 feet of a polling place. Outside of that 100 feet, he can intimidate and threaten people all he wants, getting out of their cars.

Here's a video of the NBPP with the "alleged" baton

Had this happen to you ever?

Over at New Jovian Thunderbolt blog, he has a post up about the Brass Dance. Included is a video for your viewing pleasure. It's probably something that has happened to everyone at some time or another.

The Somalia pirate stand-off

I was reading through blogland, and came across this post about how the pirates managed to stave off the US Navy for 4.. FOUR! days. Because of jugear's unwillingness to use force on them. This is shameful.

What's next

What I want next for my yard is honeysuckle. In varying colors. I just recieved my Dave's Garden email, and one of the higlights was about honeysuckle". Turns out the one I want, the red and yellow one, is not scented, but I love the look of it, so I'll get one or two of those, and then some other. We have some yellow growing wild by a rosebush in the front of the house. Guess I'll stick a trellis out there, and get it OUT of my rosebush.

The University of Houston just called, about SAT/ACT scores of my youngest. They want to talk us about her going there when she graduates high school. She just finished (today) 10th grade. She's been getting quite a few envelopes from universities and colleges all over the country in the past few months.

huh.

A couple of things

I'm reading a list of flipflops, lies and other assorted scandals from teh One, hereafter known as "Jugears". I don't recall how I found it last night, I went surfing from blog to blog, I started off on Yidwithlid's blog and went rambling from there around. here is the start of it. I'm half-way through it. Alot of reading there. Looks like he's just gathered news over time, and added to it as the days go by.

While I was there, I found an entry about his "internet czar" making everyone's security standard - guess to whose standard? The government's standard. Knowing how well the government does stuff, that's a hoot. Here's the bill introduced. Also, it includes power to take down YOUR internet.

On another note, tonight is the last night of AWANA at church. Am I glad! No more K-2nd graders that don't listen and throw temper fits because they are disciplined, unlike at home with momma. They can't throw a fit and get their way, they get to not do the fun stuff.. and I stick with it. Some start off that way, but you hang in there, and they end up respecting you, and behaving for you better than for their moms.

Oh yeah. Another thing - No Refusal Weekends, in a county a bit over from us. They did it I think on Memorial Day weekend just past. I can see the point getting the idiots off the road, getting those drinking and driving off the roads, but where do you draw the line? I was coming home from church one Wednesday night, and my light had burned out on my plate in the back. I was TIRED from 9 screaming kids, and it was almost 10, and the rookie cop that stopped me (I assume he was a rookie, he was in the truck, and he had a car following him get out with him) got an attitude when I asked "what light? there's a light where?" My mind was fried. The older cop put his hand on his gun WTH?? and asked the rookie is she giving you any trouble. WHAT? This is an extremely rural area, and to me, its really late, and I'm tired as heck. Last thing I want to do is deal with someone with an attitude, I'd just as soon yell STFU at them and smack em. (being despite the dire need of it, I'm not allowed to spank the little angels at church). Turned out to be a 93c part.

I guess the cop figured because he was a young cop he would get attitude or what? He looked all of maybe 20 years old. Either that or I'm getting old.

By the way, they caught the kid that lit off the fireworks at school. When he returns next year, he's got ISS to start off his year with a bang. YAH!

mm nothing else on my mind.. until next time.

my sick sense of humor

I found this on my meanderings through blogland.. prepping for a colonoscopy. Hah! And MD Anderson says you should ideally have it done every ten years, starting at age 50.

Two more blogs added

I just added two more blogs to the blogroll. One I had found a while ago, started reading, then lost it - I don't recall how I came to find it, but I re-found it thanks to Texas Ghostrider's blog - Cigars Donuts and Coffee, its quite interesting to see what police get to deal with in their day to day work. It also looks like they have to take a lot of crap from people. I wouldn't be able to do that job. I'd get too mad.

This blog belongs to a guy that posted comments over on Crass Pollenation (another good blog!) and I wandered over on to his, and got hooked. It's Dr Grumpy in the House, and his musings.