Blame Canada!

Looks like I will be moving to Canada at some point. If Bush's America gains dominance over the culture, then I believe the blue and red states will be slipping into a greater conflict than civil rights era ever had.

Relevant Facts?

There are new reported facts about the Police scuffle death. The Post reports two big elements:
1. After the Fire Department called police to deal with Jones, they left.
2. Jones called the police officers "White boy, red neck."

The only point of the incident that looks like poor judgment is expressed in this passage from the article

After detecting a pulse but noticing that Jones was not breathing after officers rolled him over onto his back, a half dozen officers stood around the 41-year-old Northside man for about two minutes without administering CPR or other first aid.

This is not untypical for police, but this is where the fire department actions are more of an issue. Race should not be an issue, but a talk radio caller said the fire department paramedics on the scene were black. If this was true, how will it affect the debate? If this story lasts as a national issue into tomorrow papers, then we truly have a circus.

If you have seen any national news reporters around town, chime in and share who you saw.

UPDATE: A CNN report adds another fact that was new to me, a woman was reported to be with Mr. Jones at the point of the initial call to the paramedics.

Bitch Slapped!

Ok, a harsh headline, but Nate was figuratively bitch slapped by Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Norbert Nadel. Not only did Nate loose his case to try and gain entrance to the ceremonial council session, he was told by the judge that he could no longer file lawsuits in the county without paying the standard fee. According to the Post's story, Nate has qualified under a "pauper" classification where he does not have to pay $175 fee usually required to file a lawsuit. Nate, whose employment status is unknown, will now have to raise the fee for each new, what I would call frivolous, lawsuit. I would bet Nate will file a lawsuit against the Judge, but will he have to pay the fee?

I hate to give Nate attention, but in this case, it is just warranted. I am sure I will be attacked on his website later on for doing it. Oh, well.

If You Disrupt a Meeting, Will "They" Riot?

Well, another AP writer is giving Nate and his mini-cabal of racists/bigots attention. This time though it is reporting news that happened:

Monday night's regular meeting of the complaint panel was disrupted by four activists who demanded quick action.


"It's apparent that you don't know what you're supposed to be doing and what your authority is," said Nate Livingston Jr., a member of the Coalition for a Just Cincinnati, which promotes a boycott of the city.


"When they start fighting in the streets, you'll say, 'Why didn't you do it the right way? Why didn't you come to City Hall? Why didn't you trust us? Why didn't you talk to us?"


Police were called to escort Livingston and three others from the room when they continued to shout at the panel.

Ok, so what happened? Nate and Company were trying to copy Damon Lynch. Back in 2001 the riots were perpetuated by a group of people, led by Damon Lynch III, who raised a ruckus at a City Council Sub-Committee meeting the Monday after the Tim Thomas shooting. That night and the next two saw riots. It would appear Nate might have been trying to recreate the reaction that led to rioting. The problem here is that, well, no one but Nate follows Nate. Damon Lynch has a following, and packed council chambers 2 years ago. Here it was only Nate and 3 of the usual suspects.

I hope Terry Kinney of the AP understands that Nate represents no one but a handful of racists and bigots in the city. John Nolan of the AP should know this, but seems to want to help indirectly perpetuate hate groups.

I wonder if Damon Lynch has even been interviewed by the AP about this incident. I have seen sound bits from him on television news, so I can only assume he is willing to talk to the press. I strongly disagree with Damon Lynch, and I do think his actions or failure to act in certain instances helped lead to the 2001 riots, but his comments thus far on this incident have been reasoned, respectful, and to a degree fair. I would hope that he can spin the National Activists away from Cincinnati at this point. We don't need Jesse Jackson capitalizing on this event, although he has spoken about it already. I think Al Sharpton may stay out of Cincinnati for now. He seems to be trying to be more "statesmanlike" while running for President. I think he would have been on the next plane otherwise.

Roundup on the Police Suspect Death

Rob Bernard Comments.
More from CNN.
BET has more of the CJC position, needless to say one over the top.
A recycled AP report in the Independent.

Big Story

Michael at Rantophilia (perma links at blogspot down) asks

I don't know if he means to say this, but Brian Griffin over at CB certainly implies that Jones's death is not "a big story." I beg to differ. How is this not a big story?

This story is a big story here in Cincinnati, not a big NATIONAL story or rather it should not be one. This is a case of the nationalization of local news that happens every time there is video to go alone with a wire story, and that wire story is pumped up with inflammatory comments from an "activist."

This story is fine to make the wires and be carried as back page news in the LA Times or the Dallas Morning News, but not as the headline story on FOX News’s Website. I have not seen the cable broadcasts yet today, but I can only guess how many times they have shown the video. In comments someone indicated that Nate was on Hannity’s radio program. This is about an inch away from a circus. I hope the preliminary results from the coroner are true about the level of drugs in the man’s system. That might justify the police in eyes of everyone in town, minus some of the hardline “activists.”

Making National Headlines: A Lazy AP Writer Hits the Bottom of the Barrel

The death of Nathaniel Jones after a struggle with police is now the headline on FOX News while not as big a news story on CNN. In the AP article from CNN this tidbit is funny:

Black activists say the death Sunday of Nathaniel Jones, 41, was another example of brutality involving Cincinnati police. The fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by a white police officer in April 2001 prompted three nights of rioting in the city.

"How many of our people have to die before the city decides to do something about it?" said Nathaniel Livingston Jr. of the Coalition for a Just Cincinnati.

Once again we have a local AP reporter who is too lazy to go and get a quote from someone who actually speaks for someone beside himself. Nate gives an inflammatory comment that makes for good copy and Boom, here come the headlines. I would love it if AP reporters always signed their names. What I think is the same story in the LA Times lists John Nolan as the writer. He has personally caused this case to become a big story by giving attention to individuals and groups that are racist and bigoted, who care not about fact, but instead are out to gain attention for their black separatist cause. If you want to quote a black activist whom "most" people would agree to a degree represents the "black community", then why not quote Damon Lynch III? (At this point if "Someone" is on the ball he will be copying my post to his group's website and chiding me without end.)

More Coverage: ABC, ONN, LA Times.

UPDATE: The AP story has been cleaned up a bit with new information but it still includes a quote from Livingston. The main update includes preliminary autopsy information indicating Mr. Jones had an enlarged heart and his blood contained both cocaine and PCP (Angel Dust).

I am amazed this was the "top story" on the Yahoo Most Viewed story list.

Michael at Rantophilia also comments.