Manns Medium

The arrogance of the Americas began a long time ago and they still continue today.  It’s the belief that those who are not Americans are less than intelligent or uncivilized.  If we look back in our history and study the attitudes and opinions of those then, we may come to realize that these same attitudes and opinions are prevalent today.  Looking at another and finding the differences instead of seeking the similarities often times leads us to excusing our distrust, dislike, disdain or simply ignorance of them.  We know neither their culture, nor their history or even care to learn of their experiences and this oversight, this refusal to see all as having the same rights to exist, live and pursue their dreams as we do ends up with us categorizing them instead of trying to understand them. The American Indians were thought to be savages because they choose to live in teepees instead of log cabins and worshipped the Great Spirit instead of a single God and did n...

When you attend school, people wish to say that there you can gain book smarts but when you education comes from the streets, people say you are gaining streets smarts.  Depending on who you talk to or at the time you talk to them, one would push one over the other and there has even been behavioral test conducted to see which actually came first, the chicken or the egg.  For some reason we think that life is so complicated that we must have a pre-programmable gene within all of us that causes us to act a particular way at a particular time.  Though I can respect these experts’ thoughts and ideas, I have to vehemently disagree with their assessment. This pre-conceived notion to do evil is not a part of our make-up but a direct result of our environment and the choices that we make.  If you make a statement that you believe in a particular thing and you fail to live up to that statement is not a result of anything other than you making a statement you that you fa...

When Leonardo da Vinci began painting the Mona Lisa back in 1503-1504, he probably had no earthy idea that he would be viewed as one of the best of many eras or that his painting would result in becoming "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world". Had he known, he would have probably made other choices than the ones he made once his finished project was done and was exposed to the public. This is the same exact road we continue to travel today.  No one knows the results of an experiment or an action when it first begins.  They know what results that they would like or what results that they were after but no one can say exactly what the end result will be.  Because of this, we often look back at the place where it began and then attempt to correct any incorrect turns or wrong directions we took but to no avail.  We then become frustrated and later many just plainly give up and give ...

Take a few minutes and scan over this story titled “Broken system lets problem officers jump from job to job” written by Nomaan Merchant and Matt Sedensky for the Associated Press and tell me if it does not sound familiar.  I liken this to the story about the Catholic priest who was reported to be molesting altar boys but was never held accountable by those in supervisory positions and shipped out to other churches where they could continue to rob children of their childhood. The story reports that “A yearlong Associated Press investigation into sex abuse by cops, jail guards, deputies and other state law enforcement officials uncovered a broken system for policing bad officers, with significant flaws in how agencies deal with those suspected of sexual misconduct and glaring warning signs that go unreported or get overlooked.  The AP examination found about 1,000 officers in six years who lost their licenses because of sex crimes that included rape, or sexual misconduct r...

I remember growing up watching shows like “Adam-12”, “Emergency” and “Chips” along with “Baretta”, “Dan August”, “Ironside” and “Perry Mason”, all of these shows lead me to believe that the world was simply black and white, good or bad, right or wrong.  It made wishing to choose good and because good often always won over bad, as a kid I wanted to be on the winning side.  I share this with you because I think, this may have been the same reason the subject of the below article choose to put forth the efforts necessary to earn wearing the uniform of the Providence Police Department.  It may also have been the reason his son, stood side by side with him when they refused to just stand by and watch a crime happen, when they choose to stop sitting on the sidelines and get into the game.  The major difference is my results of dreaming and achieving can never compare to what happened to him and his son. I speak about an article titled “ A Black Officer Finds Himself O...

Often we dream about what others will say about us when we are gone and what, if any, affect have we had on the world while we were here.  Many attempt to get their names in lights or on the tongues of many others who remain while there are some whose idea of making a difference is meddling in the affairs of others.  But what seems to be missed by so many who claim to be paying attention is the greatest lesson you can teach and the only real legacy you will leave is the education you have passed on to your children. An example of this is an article titled “ Beloit Police arrest two 12 year olds in Family Video robbery ” posted by Mark Mayhew for our local station WREX.  In it he reports that “ Beloit Police arrested two 12-year-old boys in a Sunday night robbery at the Family Video store on Henry Avenue.  The original report stated two black males displayed a handgun and left with cash.  Beloit Police were able to identify the boys and arrested the first on...

Some time ago, I penned an article titled “Police Brutality is not something you already have it is cultivated and taught” (you can find it here: http://copwatchnews.com/exclusive/police-brutality-is-not-something-you-already-have-it-is-cultivated-and-taught-2/ ).  In that article I included a portion of a story I read involving Officer Larry Bushart attempting to show how the failure of supervisors and managers of our police departments can result in good cops going bad and making bad decisions without first considering the ramifications that comes with the honor of wearing the badge.  I was contacted by Mr. Bushart with an explanation of his situation and even though we disagreed about whether his divorce and the circumstances around it were included in this article, I did come to realize that both his and my own personal experience was quite similar.  I then took up his call to pen this article and I share all this with you in hopes that you gleam from it that even th...

With the help of one action, the years of rhetoric about the need for the existence of a world-rounded hate group may have just been erased.  This article titled “See the Moving Photo of a Black Cop Helping a Man at KKK Rally” by Ryan Teague Beck for the Associated Press reports that “Police officer Leroy Smith helps a man wearing National Socialist Movement attire up the stairs during a rally on July 18, 2015, in Columbia, S.C.  The most memorable image of a Ku Klux Klan rally in South Carolina Saturday undercut the group’s mission.  When the North Carolina-based Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan rallied at the steps of the South Carolina statehouse to protest the removal of the Confederate flag, one older protester was affected by the heat.  A photographer captured what happened next: Police Officer Leroy Smith, who is black, helped the protester, who was wearing a National Socialist movement T-shirt, up the stairs and out of the heat.” We all are aware...

If the rumor of what seemed to be a death threat to Donald Trump by Joaquin Guzman aka El Chapo is true then the statement made by Mr. Trump of not worrying about himself and being more concerned about America was undermined by the information found in this article titled “ Donald Trump beefs up security after El Chapo death threat ” by Geoff Earle, Jamie Schram and Danika Fears for the New York Post.  Either Mr. Trump is the fearless man he claimed to be or he is about as weak of an individual as expected by so many.  Mr. Trump may have just let me mouth write a check, that his butt cannot cash which may be a good thing for some but it could ultimately be quite serve for all Hispanics. The article reports that “ As new photos revealed how billionaire cartel boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman made his great escape from prison, Donald Trump beefed up his security detail in response to a threat the fugitive drug lord purportedly tweeted.  “We have officials all over the pl...

While it can be greatly understood why the protests and outrage was so clear and correct in the Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner killings, I still find myself at a loss to explain why we are not as upset, angered and pissed at this recent killing of another unarmed man at the hands of police.  I would truly hate to think it is because he is white that we are not all up in arms right now but based on current events, that appears to be the only viable answer and it is a shame that a country which claims to be about all people would elect to ignore the same travesties being inflicted upon any people. According to the article titled “ Police Killed an Unarmed White Man in Iowa and His Community Didn’t Seem to Notice ” written by Nick W for The Huffington Post.com, it is reported that “A few minutes before Des Moines police killed Ryan Keith Bolinger Tuesday night, the 28-year-old white man was dancing in the street, according to an officer. Police didn't f...

So much has been made about the rioting and looting seen in Baltimore, Maryland Monday, April 27, 2015 and many had decent questions and concerns but to a person those questions and concerns still remain because nothing was done to address them because so much energy was spent trying to make sure that yesterday was not a repeat of Monday.  All those meetings and not one to address the true concerns of those living in that community.  All those resources and not any of it was lent toward fixing the problems those citizens endure each and every day.  All that news coverage and nothing solid to help those who live and love that community feel better about their community.  All that money and none of it to be used to locate more jobs in that area or secure local financing to where those from that community to borrow and grow these jobs with a services that they know is greatly needed in that area.  So much time, effort and money wasted on reacting to an issue inste...

What do you call it when those hired to protect and defend our rights are the ones who violate them?  Some called it Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, some called it justified and others called it torture.  Whichever name you use, the fact that it is no longer executed on foreign soil but right here in our back yard should put all of us to shame and compel us to make that change. In an article titled “ The disappeared: Chicago police detain Americans at abuse-laden 'black site' Exclusive: Secret interrogation facility reveals aspects of war on terror in US” compiled by Phil Batta for The Guardian; editing: Mae Ryan and Spencer Ackerman in Chicago, it is reported that “The Chicago police department operates an off-the-books interrogation compound, rendering Americans unable to be found by family or attorneys while locked inside what lawyers say is the domestic equivalent of a CIA black site.  The facility, a nondescript warehouse on Chicago’s west side known as Homa...

I have often asked the question of what does those who support wrong think is going to happen once the target of that wrong is done humiliating and degrading them.  Do they think that their task will be over and everyone will then move on to bigger and better things?  There is a story originated by CNN affiliate WFSB reporting “an anonymous letter bitterly insulting African-American officers was recently found in mailboxes at a Connecticut police station.”  It said that this letter specifically mentioned an Officer Higgins who did nothing to restraint the police brutality caught on tape and even joined in on the misconduct.  The fact that he was acquitted on those charges and this letter being found says to me that he may have spilled his guts about the other officers involved and therefore needed to be reminded of the power of their Police Union.  He joined them as many under the hood of a white sheet did but now he is a target so what does that say to the res...

I and so many others tried to warn millions that there were more to the recent rash of cops acting as judge, jury and executioner than met the eye.  We attempted to educate you that there was more than that thin blue line that gave some cops the arrogance to see themselves as above the law and beyond questioning.  Well for those who doubted us, take a look at this article titled “ Outraged and Indicted Officers Declare War on Patrick Lynch ” written by Will Bredderman for the New York Observer and now say that what you were not warned about has any truth to it. The article mentions “a slate of insurgent Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association trustees and delegates—three of them under indictment for their involvement in the 2011 Bronx ticket-fixing scandal—announced their intention to unseat incumbent President Patrick Lynch and his reigning ticket of union officers.  Led by hulking Brooklyn South trustee and Lynch rival Brian Fusco, who is not in any legal trouble, the “...

For all of you citizens who think that there are no “good” cops and for you cops that this that there are no “good” citizens, this story is for you and it is all the proof you may need to understand why I say evil will never win.  The article is titled “ Florida teen saves life of Fort Lauderdale police officer as he is being arrested ” written by David Edwards for The Raw Story.  It reports “A Florida teenager was honored on Tuesday for helping to save the life of a Fort Lauderdale police officer who was processing his arrest for a parole violation.  Video released by the Fort Lauderdale Police Department shows Officer Franklin Foulks processing Jamal Rutledge after he was arrested for criminal mischief and burglary probation violations, according to WTVJ.  When Foulks suddenly collapsed, Rutledge “immediately began to kick the security fence and yell to alert officers in the area,” a statement from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said.  Sgt. Todd Bunin ...

Multiple media agencies wishes people to believe that the only reason the rash of recent shootings were is because of color, now while there are several good points that may bear that out.  The reports of some shootings fly in the face of that narrative and have to make one begin to wonder if recent over-reacting police officers are no also blinded by race but something else which mixed with race is deadly to others. The article titled “ Native American Attends #NativeLivesMatter Police Brutality Rally, Next Day He’s Killed by Police ” by John Vibes for The Free Thought Project is one such article.  It reports that “This Saturday evening, 30-year-old Allen Locke was shot and killed by police, just one day after attending a protest against police brutality. Locke is a Native-American man who attended a #NativeLivesMatter rally that was being held locally, according to his family.  The police claim that Locke charged the officer who shot him with a knife, however, this...

So much has been made about those players on Wall Street and how they should be held accountable for wrecking the economy and I stand with that.  There has been as much about cops committing murder and being given a free pass now should find themselves in court and I stand with that.  Few are talking about the coward who executed two New York Police Officers and how that is a result of the protests, considering their point I can understand it but what if their point was made by something that happened in this story.  It is a story about a particular news media that not only does not report in a professional manner but manipulate things to suit their fancy.  The article is called “ Protester Confronts Fox Station That Deceptively Edited 'Kill A Cop' Chant ” by Brendan James and in it he reports that “A Baltimore Fox affiliate apologized Monday night for a report it ran over the weekend that deceptively edited  protesters  to look like they were chanting...

America is going through a new phase right now and it is the phase of protest.  While all peaceful protests should be welcomed for no other reason than through which reform actually comes, those protests which has an element of revenge needs to be deconstructed and the revenge element removed.  Like the gentleman who thought he was justified in killing two police officers while they were sitting in their car, these cowards need to be exposed.  I call him a coward because he took advantage of his situation then took his own life.  If the action that you take is thought to be so justified, then stand tall in defense of it but when you run away from the responsibility of that action, then you has just earned the label.  This goes for people like Edward Snowden and those cops who kill then hide behind their union and the justice system instead of being willing to truly clear their names by standing tall in a court of law. This seems not to be the case if what i...

Here is a question for all you who feel that police are getting the raw end of the deal lately with the non-indictments of shooting, killing and over-reach when dealing with subjects.  The recent flier put out by the Uniformed Police Union talks about their sacrifice and how government should stand with them instead of throwing them under the bus.  Which group sacrifices more?  Is it the cops who patrol our streets or our military?  If you say our military then ask yourself why there is such a disparity in how each is treated. In the military, we have something called honor and valor.  We have something called responsibility but lately this seems to be the only entity where those principals exist.  In the military if you violate the law, you will be held responsible and to account but in the civilian world this seems not to be the case for cops.  Below is a recent story which proves this point. “Philippine prosecutors on Monday filed murder ch...

Far be it for me to try and tell people how they should live and what decisions they should make but there comes a time in every life when those who know better should do better.  During these times, one may need to remind and review in order not to repeat history but learn from it.  It is becoming quite apparent that this is the time.  I direct this first to the African-American Community, then to this nation as a whole.  My purpose for first the African-American Community is because it is a community of which I am a part of and have a clearer understanding of what might have caused us to slip into this false sense of security and entitlement.  Addressing this with the nation that both my community and my nation cease the hoping that things will change, discard the avoidable desire to just stick their heads in the sand and realize that only through a continual working at it and learning from make many of us began to see that just wishing things for change or w...