Friday, December 19, 2014

America's Fatal Addiction to War and Torture

Abu Ghraib: Specialists Charles Graner 
punching restrained prisoners
Credit: U.S. military or Department of Defense
Copyright: Public Domain


The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were a time we could have shown the world the strength of America’s character. But the Senate Intelligence Committee’s Torture Report revealed just the opposite: America failed to live up to the principles it professes.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Defense Secretary Nominee Ashton Carter, the Right Choice for Our Continuous Wars

President Obama’s nomination of Ashton Carter for Secretary of Defense replacing Chuck Hagel is not good news for those of us who yearn for world peace and an end of war.

In light of 13 years of continuous war with no end in sight, the advent of a warmongering Republican controlled Congress, a Defense Secretary nominee described as “hawkish,” Carter’s confirmation is guaranteed.

Autopsies Confirm Michael Brown’s Killing a Homicide


The doubt concerning the guilt or innocence of Darren Wilson in the killing of Michael Brown now seems clear; a Department of Justice’s autopsy declares it a homicide.
“The findings of the Justice Department post-mortem released on Monday echoed those of two previous autopsies carried out by St. Louis County’s medical examiner and a private examiner hired by the Brown family. It found that Brown — who was shot in Ferguson, Missouri, on Aug. 9 — suffered “severe injuries of the skull, brain and right chest” and appeared to have been shot in the hand at close range. “The manner of death is homicide,” the Justice Department’s medical examiner ruled.”
Dorian Johnson, who was walking with Brown at the time Wilson’s patrol car pulled up to them, retells the events of that day. He says, “It was definitely being shot like a animal,” it’s almost like an execution.




Supporters of Wilson’s action like to point out that Brown robbed a convenience store as if that was good enough reason to kill him. Johnson reportedly confirmed that he and Brown did steal cigars from a convenience store that day. But theft should never be good enough reason for a police officer to kill someone.


Friday, December 5, 2014

There Are Real Reasons for Anger, Not Just in Ferguson or Staten Island

Aug 14, 2014
Screen shot of YouTube video
On Saturday, August 9, Michael Brown, an 18-year-old unarmed black man and his friend was walking down the middle of a street in Ferguson, Mo. A white police officer, Darren Wilson, told them to move to the sidewalk. A confrontation followed. Wilson struggled with Brown to get out of his patrol car. Brown attempted to take Wilson’s gun, the gun fired, Brown ran. Wilson fired several shots while in pursuit. Brown stopped, turned, and walked toward Wilson. Witness’s observations differed as to whether Brown was walking toward Wilson in a threatening manner or with his hands raised in surrender. Wilson “fired a series of shots” and killed him.