More Judiciary Fuckery

The verdict came in for the Sean Bell trial this morning. And not surprisingly, the three officers on trial for murdering Sean Bell were acquitted of all charges. The case was decided by bench trial (rather than by a jury) and despite the facts (50 shots fired at an unarmed man) the judge ruled in favor of the officers.

In 2006, Bell was shot over 50 times by the three plainclothes NYPD detectives the night before his wedding day. According to several accounts, the shooting resulted from an argument between one of the undercover officers and some of Bell's associates in a strip club that night. Witnesses stated that the officers never identified themselves as they approached Sean Bell's car that night with guns drawn. They then proceeded to light up Bell's car with 50 shots. 50 motherfucking shots - that means that the officers unloaded their clips and reloaded to an unarmed man.

The trial is emblematic of the long-standing antagonistic relationship between the police and communities of color. The shooting death of Sean Bell has inevitably been compared to the case of Amadou Diallo in 1999. Issues of racial profiling, police brutality and institutional violence need to be seriously addressed. The treatment of such cases only increases the tension between communities and the police, paving way for idiotic notions as the Stop Snitchin campaign. Such complete lack of accountability on the police departments is an outrage, it only serves to build tensions between many communities and the police in the area.

For anyone that wants to be heard or show support, a protest is planned for this afternoon at 5:30 in front of the Queens County DA's office at 125-01 Queens Blvd (between Hoover Ave and 82nd Ave). Come out and let them know what you think of this bullshit.

More Fuckery : PoliTricks & Wiretaps

Eliot Spitzer, hit hard by allegations of patronizing a high-end prostitution ring, formally resigned as Governor of New York. The controversial story broke on Monday that Spitzer spent up to $80,000 over the past few years on prostitutes.

Interestingly, Spitzer was caught on a wiretap making arrangements to meet the prostitute. Apparently, the feds originally tapped Spitzer's phone calls and text messages thinking that Spitzer was tied to a blackmail scheme or to organized crime.

On a somewhat related note, The Wire wrapped up its fifth and final season on Sunday night. For those of you that have been keeping up, the overarching theme of this season was the relationship between the streets and the media. Series creator David Simon said that he wanted to show the sensationalism that runs deep in journalism and how the news media does not write about any of the stuff that actually matters.

While we're focused on the scandalous, what are we not talking about ... the plight of sex workers in this country, the special interest groups that benefit from Spitzer's removal from office (the Dow jumped a record high yesterday), attorney general Michael Mukasey's role in this case, Rudy Guiliani's potential play for New York governor.

I'm not saying that Eliot Spitzer should not be subject to criticism, $2500 for some head is just fucking stupid. But seriously people, do you give a rat's ass that the governor was spending money to get his jollies off?



If you love The Wire (like I do) check these two David Simon interviews, but only if you've watched the fifth season, there are some spoilers:

What's Alan Watching

Salon Interview

More Censorship Fuckery

Sri Lankan artist M.I.A. sent a passionate ALL CAPS open letter to her fans in response to the version of her video for Paper Planes that is now playing on MTV, which censors out the sound of gunshots.

LOOK I KNOW THERE ARE HATERS OUT THERE, I DEAL WITH IT EVERYDAY THATS NO FUCKING BIG DEAL AND IVE DEALT WITH WORSE IN MY LIFE, A FEW PEOPLE TALKING SHIT DONT MATTER TO ME, BUT TWISTING TRUTH ISNT THE LESSON I WANNA LEARN IN MY TIME IN MUSIC, SO WHO EVER THAT IS DOING IT , I WANNA SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT

1, I ORIGINALLY WANTED TO SHOOT THE VIDEO IN A FACTORY ON THE BORDER OF
EQUADOR, BUT COULDNT. I WAS TOURING THE U.S, I COULDA BEEN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD RIGHT THEN BUT THERE I WAS IN AMERICA, IN NYC, IN BROOKLYN, IN BEDSTUY , I WAS TORN BETWEEN SCRAPIN SHOWS IN AMERICA AND MEETING AMERICAN FANS OR SHOOTING IN NYC ON MY ONLY DAY OFF I'D HAD IN 4 MONTHS AND GETTING ON WITH IT.

2, SO THAT WAS THAT! I NEVER MADE A VIDEO IN AMERICA AND HEY ITS STILL A PART OF WHAT I DO AND SAY, ITS WAS STILL VALID, SO I WAS READY TO ROLL WITH IT.

3, YOU ALL KNOW HOW THE SONG SOUNDS, THATS WHY WHEN U GO ON YOUTUBE 400, 000 PEOPLE WOULD RATHER LISTEN THE SONG AS IT IS AND STARE AT SOME PICTURE THEN TO ACTUALLY WATCH A VIDEO

4, WHEN LETTERMAN CENSORD ME IT WAS WAC OF COURSE!!!!!! , AND YES I FELT SOOOOOO BAD FOR WHAT THEY DID TO MY SOUND. I WAS ABEL TO SOUND CHECK FOR THAT SHOW AND THEY LET ME SOUND CHECK FINE, THEN ON THE ACTUAL TAPING MY SOUND WAS SOOO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT ID AGREED, AS SOON AS I OPENED MY MOUTH THE DIFFERENCE BLEW ME AWAY, I FELT I WAS GETTING BULLIED ON NATIONAL TELEVISON, AND I COULDNT EVEN REACH OUT TO MY LABELS OR MY MANAGEMENT TO HELP, SINCE THEY ARE NEW TO WHAT HAPPENS TO AN ARTIST LIKE ME IN MAINSTEAM AMERICAN CULTURE.


SO THEY TRIED TO SHUT ME DOWN AGAIN. I MADE THE PAPER PLANES VIDEO. I MADE IT HOW THEY WANTED. NO VIOLENCE. AMBIGUOUS. MTV - FRIENDLY. NOW TODAY, I CHECK YOUTUBE AND SEE THE LEAKED MTV PAPER PLANES VIDEO UP FOR THE FIRST TIME. I CLICKED ON IT AND OUT COMES THIS FUCKED UP MESS WITH DOUBLE-TRACKED BULLSHIT MESS

WHO THE THE FUCK IS DOING THIS TO ME?????

THE VIDEO WAS SABOTAGED FOR WHATEVER REASON AND IM DISAPPOINTED THAT MTV HAS HAD SUCH A MAJOR ROLE IN THIS. THE BLOGGERS WHO ARE LAZY ENOUGH TO FOLLOW THE MTV LINK AND POST UP AND COMMENT ON THE SOUND WHEN THAT HASNT BEEN COMPROMISED AND THE GUNSHOT ARENT REPLACED AND EDITED MAKES ME SAD. I DID FIGHT FOR THE SOUND , BECAUSE PUTTING MEANINGS IN YOUR VIDEOS, IN MY OPINION IS A DYING ART. I CAN FILM MY SELF ANYWHERE ANYTIME AND LET YOU KNOW THE TRUTH , BUT THE SONG IS WHAT I WANTED TO PRESERVE IN THIS CASE.

TO ALL MY FANS, LOOK, ITS LIKE THIS,
IM LEARNING THINGS ABOUT THIS WORLD WITH YOU, I WANT YOU TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO ME , I WANT YOU TO SEE HOW PEOPLE WILL SIT AND SPEND ALL SUNDAY TEARIN ME DOWN FOR SOMETHING I DIDNT EVEN MAKE OR PUT OUT, SO PEOPLE WELCOME TO MODERN DAY PROPAGANDA MESSAGE MANGLING.

IN 2007, AN OUTSIDER OPINION WILL BE CONFRONTED THIS WAY , AND THIS IS HOW THE BATTLE GOES, MY MESSAGES AND IDEAS AND MEANING WILL ALWAYS BE BROUGHT TO YOU WITH SLIGHTLY TAINTED CHANNELS. IF YOU SUPPORT ME BE SMART, AND KNOW THAT.

I LOVE YOU, U KEEP ME GOING.
XXXXXX
MAYA

HERE IS THE REAL AMERICAN VERSION WITH GUN SHOTS!



THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN "APPROVED CENSORD VERSION" OF PAPER PLANES!

Whatever you think of her politics and her music, you can't deny that the girl is raw as hell and is not afraid to speak her mind. In attempting to tailor her video to meet FCC standards, MTV has drawn more attention to a much more important issue.

The problem with such a blanket censorship policy is that no room is left for parody or any commentary to take place on real life issues. Whether or not MTV wants you to hear gunshots in your music, the truth is that violence is a real issue in our world. Just turn on the evening news. Nevermind the explosions-as-entertainment, Jerry Bruckheimer/50 Cent type of violence, we live in a worldwide war zone, divided by religion, politics and money. M.I.A. addresses these issues in a way that is confrontational and makes some uncomfortable. But like a true revolutionary, she raises awareness of the issues and may have sparked the conversation that leads to change.

Download: Nancy Sinatra - Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)

More Legal Fuckery

The U.S. Sentencing Commission decreased federal prison terms for crack cocaine offenses earlier this month. However sentencing for crack-cocaine offenses are still 100 times harsher than similar powder cocaine offenses -- an egregious disparity that remains a major issue among civil rights activists and politicians alike.

Under federal sentencing guidelines, a first-time offense of possession of just five grams of crack receives a felony sentence of at least five years in prison without parole. Where a first-time offense of 499 grams of powder cocaine, a misdemeanor, could qualify for probation with no time at all in jail.

The 100 to 1 sentencing guidelines, date back to the 1986 and 1988 Anti-Drug Abuse Acts where lawmakers established excessive mandatory jail sentences as a reaction to the crack epidemic of the 80's.

The sentencing disparity only masks racial discrimination that still occurs in our legal system everyday. In 2006, blacks constituted 82% of those sentenced under federal crack cocaine laws while whites constituted only 8.8% despite the fact that more than 66% of people who use crack cocaine are white.(1)

Sentencing guidelines have relaxed slightly, but not nearly enough to reflect justice. Take action by sending this letter to your congressperson or senator.

(1)US Sentencing Commission, Special Report to Congress: Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy. (Washington, DC: US Sentencing Commission, May 2007)

Download: 2pac - Changes

More FEMA Fuckery

In a move that that is sadly reminiscent of President Bush's "Mission Accomplished" fiasco and symptomatic of this entire administration, FEMA staged a fake press conference last week in which staffers posing as reporters and lobbed softball questions to John "Pat" Philbin, Director of Public Affairs, on the California wildfires.

The lesson that FEMA apparently learned from the harsh criticism of their inept response to Hurricane Katrina is to control public perception this time around by doing away with media altogether. This is merely the latest episode in a series of political circle-jerks in which it is painfully clear that the Bush administration does not give a rat's ass about transparency and accountability in the decision-making process.

What this administration does care about is that they are right, no matter what the evidence or pesky journalists may say. By giving the outward appearance of a free press but limiting discourse and demonizing opposing views, this administration is free to spread all their propoganda freely.

*update: Philbin lost a promotion and resigned. Bush not just yet, but sign a petition here.

Download: Dilated Peoples - Proper Propaganda