Courtesy of Raw Story:
Some in Congress have already expressed their solidarity with Garner and other victims of police brutality. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), the sponsor of legislation to curb police militarization, made a moving tribute to Garner, speaking about police militarization and including the phrase, “I can’t breathe” between each statement—the phrase Garner said as his life was choked away, and which has since become a rallying cry for protesters.
Here it is in its entirety:
“Black men and boys killed by police.
I can’t breathe.
Impunity for the killers—no justice, no peace.
I can’t breathe.
Militarized police met peaceful protesters on their knees.
I can’t breathe.
Weapons of war—a show of force on our streets.
I can’t breathe.
Disenfranchised youth driven to violence as speech.
I can’t breathe.
Cynical media makes this great TV.
I can’t breathe.
This cowardly Congress afraid of losing our seats.
I can’t breathe.
Half-hearted reform when there’s more that we need.
I can’t breathe.
Just thinking about the despair that it breeds.
I can’t breathe.
Black lives matter. Hear my pleas.
I can’t breathe."
Okay that gave me chills.
I can't breathe.
ReplyDeleteI want to know what the hell is going on. This has got to stop!
ReplyDeleteIt seems like ever since George Zimmerman got away with murdering Trayvon Martin, it has been open season on black males. Now dirty cops are getting away with murder even when a camera is on them committing the murder.
I want to know WTF is going on!
Rep. Hank Johnson said it all. For every American who "cannot breathe," the rest of us should feel ashamed. I do.
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
Every member of Congress should have been on their feet. Very powerful words.
ReplyDeleteI think I was watching Al Sharpton and he was re-playing the video over and over. He kept pointing out the "I can't breathe," plea. What no one has pointed out is, that in the last frames before the video cuts off, the officer is crushing Garner's head!! Take a look, he doesn't ease up he doubles down on the guy!! It's horrifying!
ReplyDeleteSomeone at work insisted to me that "The dude pushed a cop at least 4 times. You don't push a cop, man..."
DeleteI have not seen this in any version of the video anywhere. Am I victim of 'liberal editing?' Anyone else seen this version?
I haven't seen that version SunnyVee, but I heard the same thing, that there are parts shown and parts that are not shown, like the part when he assaults a police officer. I like to think I know what kind of agendas are being driven in this manner, but hey, that's media and i'm not sure how different we would feel about the incident if we all did see the earlier footage anyway.
DeleteI don't know.
Sniff. sniff... something in my eye here.
ReplyDeleteBUT not really. I am just so grateful for those who can
express my anguish and disbelief over civil rights in america today. Fucking 2014. Thanks for posting it, Gryphen.
Anyone know how I can find what protests are happening in the Chicago area? (thanks)
ps. Heard from a colleague recently, "whats wrong with these (protestors)?!!! Its not like it even happened in our own state !"
Watch: NYPD uses military-grade sonic weapon on Eric Garner protesters
ReplyDeleteLong range acoustic devices (LRADs) have been previously implemented by police at protests throughout the world.
Thursday night at about 1am, at the intersection of 57 East and Madison Avenue in Manhattan—a populated area about four blocks from Columbus Circle—the NYPD used a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) to disperse about 100 protesters who were on the streets.
Footage captured by YouTube user James C shows the weapon in use beginning at the 1:58 mark. Protesters scattered in response to the sound, and either a live officer over a PA system or an automated voice intermittently told protesters between sound blasts that they could not interfere with “vehicular traffic” without risking arrest. The LRAD is deployed multiple times throughout the 5:00 minute video clip.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/12/watch-nypd-uses-military-grade-sonic-weapon-on-eric-garner-protesters/
#BlackLivesMatter
ReplyDeletehttp://theobamadiary.com/2014/12/04/black-lives-must-matter/
http://theobamadiary.com/2014/12/04/blacklivesmatter-another-tweet-or-two/
And now we have "I Can't Breathe" for little white girls. A 15 year old girl with emotional issues and asthma tries to runaway. To keep her safe a female officer punches her in the face, throws her to the ground, compresses her neck, and cuffs her while she begs for air and her mother begs for mercy. The male officer said later, that the female used proper procedure and could have shot the girl dead if she'd wanted to. Maybe this will get the attention of those who turn a blind eye toward police brutality on minorities. Sooner or later these crows come home to roost. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5knaPf2hUns#t=46
ReplyDeleteI just read a Daily Kos piece about another unarmed black man killed by a white police office who felt "threatened." And now this. Do the police in this country really think that brute force is necessary all of the time? I wonder if the police even took the time to try talking to the girl before they accosted her.
DeleteBeaglemom
I passed a peaceful protest and thought all hell would break loose. There were helicopters, cops in riot gear, but was pleasantly surprised it was done peacefully and the cops knew they were being watched like hawks.
ReplyDeleteMy heart is still too heavy for the families and those who were murdered, I'm harboring a lot of hate and hurt that there was no justice, I can't imagine the depth of grief all people of color feel. What offended me about this clip was he deserved a standing ovation for speaking the truth. How could a roomful of human beings NOT be moved by his words?
There was a huge protest march in the Riverwalk mall in New Orleans last night. They literally walked from one end to the other yelling and waving signs. Then when they got to the food court, they all dropped to the ground and started screaming that they "couldn't breathe"...
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/nx98un9
Now, I'm all for raising awareness & peaceful protests, but they were doing all that screaming with kids lines up to see Santa 100 ft away...they were terrified.