#JusticeForJason - Police, Power And Privilege [video commentary]

Police, Power And Privilege

#JusticeForJason

#ACAB

#InvestigateDentonPD

#FuckPoliceBrutality

#DentonTX

Recently, Jason Wayne Bishop (aka Pooh) was detained by the Denton City Police for public intoxication. He was beaten while in the DentonPD's custody. He had two swollen black eyes and had to have 17 stitches on his forehead (amongst other injuries). These are not injuries that could possibly be inflicted as a result of just being "taken down and restrained" but signs of force far beyond the use of force continuum. Moreover, the behavior of Denton's finest is also a manifestation and a symptom of a greater systemic and structural problem. It is part of a power structure that enforces privilege, social control, economic disparity and inequality. It is an overall system of injustice and behavior that is beyond sick.

Police Brutality in Denton, TX (Whooda Thunk It!?!?!) ACAB!

This is Jason chillin' in the squat with a tall can.

It was Denton, TX. In the early hours of the morning, July 18th, 2014 @ approximately 2:20am, a guy I know was tataken into custody for possession of alcohol and Public Intox. The arresting officer was Clint Webb Badge # 132. Now this officer seemed to be acting within the confines of his job and other than my ideological argument that the state enforced by all officers is the very power structure I would love to tear down as an anarchist, I have no beef with him. He did however witness at least some of what followed. Two city jail guards  described as black, stocky, approximately '5"9 started beating him ruthlessly.

This is Jason after what the pigs did to him.

Through out this whole thing Jason, the one beaten, was compliant. He did not fight back only tried to cover his vital areas as any reasonable person would do. I know Jason is know angel, he is my drunken ex fiancé who I am not to happy with as of late. But he doesn't have many people sticking up for him. And if this is what it takes to get his voice heard, well I got his back. There should be an investigation. This is clearly a case of bullies picking on one street person, but is part of a bigger problem. Lets set an example and fight for these pigs to be dealt with. For Jason, for Pooh Bear, for whatever you know him as...

ACAB!!!

ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS!!!

Edit: 17 stitches and a concussion.

Edit: "Fractured wrist,broken nose,contusions to face,17 stitches,concussion!" ~from his sister

Shame On Connecticut: A Sixteen Year Old Grrrl In A Male Correctional Facility

I have read from certain LGBT news sources lately, a lot of things about this Jane Doe. She is a sixteen year old transgrrrl in a male correctional facility in Connecticut. Now, I'm not sure how many of you realize the terrifying and traumatic problems that could arise when you throw a mere grrrl into a male facility that likely contains violent offenders possibly including rapists. This case is very blatantly heart breaking because she is only sixteen years old, but this reflects a bigger problem in this country. This problem is that this is not uncommon. Transpeople who haven't had the sexual reconstruction surgery are routinely misgendered by the legal system and thrown into male prisons. Most people with common sense would think that forcing a person into a place where there is an extreme risk of physical or sexual violence inflicted upon them based on the fact that they are a sexual minority is clearly cruel and unusual punishment. The fact is that they put a child in harms way, it sounds to me like child abuse. It has been 70+ days and they still haven't brought charges on her and they are still detaining her. I'm pretty sure that even if the first part wasn't unconstitutional, that shit is. Of course there is the factor of the prison industrial complex. Maybe it does come down to money. Maybe race plays a factor, after all, it isn't like we have enough latin@s in correctional facilities in this country, right??? I would encourage everyone to write to Governor Dan Malloy and politely yet really sternly request that he do something about it. Also write the Connecticut Department Of Children And Families to encourage them to do all they can to take this grrrl out of the male facility. Please be polite but express your outrage. Flood them with calls, emails, faxes and postal letters. Let your fire out folks and let it out well directed and well thought out. For updates you can follow Justice For Jane on twitter. They also have a Facebook page. So please get involved  and also sign the petition. I know I will. Unless this grrrl is released, the state of Connecticut can go fuck itself.

Poem: The Sign

I felt tears coming forth telling me that I'm trash

Bringing my emotion to hit the floor in a splash

I felt it at the hands of too many men

Trust broken, I crawl to a light at the very end

I have felt my heart smash upon my memories

But it forever burns to ashes in my dad's stories

"No dogs, no Mexicans" a sign

A window to a different place and another time

I hear mi abuelita tell me with pride about me

Words on who I am stories of this proud family

I almost forgot the stories of a sign

Stories that torched my heart and burnt my mind

The dignity in my blood flowing through time

The disgrace of this dark eyed face of mine

A shame that I bury myself in

A shame becomes betrayal, the biggest sin

But I am not just mi abuelita but I am me

I am more than my dad's daughter yet never free

Until I finally smash that sign

I won't be free until I burn the border I'm behind

But I will never be able to be my totality

While my definition is just my family

When modesty is on the sign

The fight is still about me, it is still mine

Because I'm not mi familia or mi raza

I'm not my pain nor am I my trauma

I sure ain't that sign

I am all my love and I am my mind

Still Waiting For Hobby Lobby To Do Penance

Recently, the supreme court decided that it is okay for corporations to deny female employees certain kinds of contraception for religious reasons. Initially, I was too in shock to respond with a blog entry. I was pissed. I'm still pissed. I mean I get it, corporations are people and therefore are entitled to religious freedom. By religious freedom they obviously mean freedom of your religion at the expense of other people's bodily autonomy.

Well, for the sake of sanity, lets break this down, shall we? Corporations aren't people, they don't have empathy, they don't have family members that they love unconditionally, they don't eat and they don't bleed. But giving corporations religious freedom? When was the last time a corporation went to mass? When was the last time a corporation took communion? When was the last time a corporation felt Catholic guilt? Is Hobby Lobby baptized? When was the last time Hobby Lobby did penance? Us womyn are waiting for Hobby Lobby to do penance or at least have contrition for setting a precedent that will fuck over womynkind. You see, the one religious thing corporations do would be sinning. For claiming the lord as a corporation, I'm pretty sure Jesus would go to their stores knock over shit and attack people with a whip. Kinda kinky, eh? Yeah, no...

Now as for religious freedom, religious freedom should never be an excuse for forcing one's religion on someone else. Does freedom of the press mean that a reporter can legally break in to your house, force you into submission and search you and your belongings if they are writing a story about you? No, apparently only the police can do that. Also, something concrete like someone's body is much more important to defend than something abstract like what imaginary friends a person believes in. Therefore, bodily autonomy should trump one's right to practice religion.

Fourth Of July Whitewash (Red, White And Bullshit)

Everyone is going bonkers over July 4th. I get it, I like fireworks too (when I am mentally prepared for them) and the festivities can be fun. But I have seen an insane amount of stuff glorifying the founding fathers for defeating tyranny and kicking the lobster backs out. Lets get one thing straight every one of the motherfuckers who signed the declaration of independence was a privileged white dude. Half of them were slave owners. But the government they created just continued the genocide that they had originally been doing in the name of the British crown. You see, when they talked about equality they weren't including womyn, native americans, black people or poor people. They wanted equality for American born, rich, white, land owning men. So when I hear people talking about bringing back '76 I have to ask, do you really want slavery? Do you really want to undo womyn's suffrage? There weren't even the minimal domestic violence laws that we have today, do we want that back too? I know these tea baggers like to glorify those days and considering their views on gays, womyn, people of color, etc it makes sense they would worship archaic documents written by backwards people during less progressive times. Do I love America? Yes. I love the Appalachian Mountains, I love the rest of the natural landscape, I love most of the people in America and I love the cultures of various localities of this country. I love American food. I do not, however, love the government here. It wasn't any better from the start. So stop whitewashing history, people. You know who you are.