Posted on 12/23/2011 6:10:13 AM PST by Kaslin
Either there has been a huge increase in discrimination by law enforcement during the Obama administration, or Obama is targeting law enforcement for politically motivated reasons. In the current era of heightened sensitivity to racism and police brutality, it makes no sense that abuses by law enforcement are increasing. The U.S. Department of Justice’s sudden flurry of investigations finding massive amounts of discrimination and abuses by police agencies around the country is coincidentally occurring at the same time the U.S. Department of Justice is undergoing a highly publicized Congressional investigation into Fast and Furious.
Law enforcement is a natural target for the left, which often seems to prefer criminals over the police. Alleging vague charges of racism or racial profiling is becoming one of the most prevalent ways the left dishonestly demonizes and discredits its opponents. Made-up charges of racism are difficult to defend against, because almost any difference in treatment between two people of different ethnic backgrounds can be blamed on racism with no way of proving otherwise. You cannot get inside someone’s head to prove that he had no racist thoughts; it is one person’s word against another’s.
This latest round of politically motivated investigations comes on the heels of the Obama administration suing Arizona, Utah, Alabama and South Carolina over their tough new laws against illegal immigration. Those lawsuits are mostly based on unfounded grounds of racial profiling; Arizona’s law specifically includes a provision prohibiting racial profiling. The constant barrage of lawsuits is costing taxpayers exorbitant amounts of money. They’re paying double; once to fund Obama’s lawsuits through their federal taxes and again to defend against the lawsuits and pay any penalties through their local taxes.
The flurry of attacks on law enforcement agencies began last week on December 15, when the DOJ announced vague racial profiling accusations against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The DOJ claims that the agency racially profiles more than any other police agency around the country. However, it refuses to release the “statistical study” on which the findings are supposedly based. It is widely thought that Arpaio was targeted in retaliation for enforcing laws against illegal immigration. Since Arizona has such a high percentage of Latinos, it is easy to make people think there could be discrimination. The DOJ stripped the agency of its ability to screen for illegal immigrants through the 287(g) program and is ordering Arpaio to make numerous changes, such as setting up policies against discrimination. This is redundant considering there are so many policies, rules, and laws prohibiting discrimination at every level of government.
The next day, on December 16, the DOJ released a report claiming there was evidence of “biased policing” by the Seattle Police Department, and that officers routinely and illegally use excessive force during arrests. The DOJ ordered the agency to implement onerous new regulations and procedures.
This week, on December 19, the DOJ issued a scathing report alleging numerous civil rights violations against Latinos by the East Haven Police Department in Connecticut. Six to 15 police officers may be arrested for civil rights violations.
On Tuesday, the DOJ ordered the town of Rome, Wisconsin to pay a police officer $351,891 because the police department allegedly discriminated against her because she was female. The DOJ filed a complaint in federal court alleging the town violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The DOJ is currently investigating the Miami Police Department over allegations of racial discrimination in the shootings of seven black men. The Meridian Police Department and Lauderdale County Juvenile Detention Center are under investigation by the DOJ for alleged discriminatory treatment of three black youths.
There are likely more investigations on the way. The DOJ is considering launching a civil rights investigation into the Albuquerque Police Department in New Mexico, which some believe is retaliation over Mayor Richard Berry requiring the police to check the citizenship of everyone arrested. The ACLU and other activist groups are demanding a federal investigation of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department over the shooting of a black army veteran. At least two dozen members of Congress are demanding that the DOJ investigate the New York Police Department over allegedly profiling Muslims.
This is not right. The federal government should not be suing local governments. It is trampling on the rights of states and localities to conduct their own business. The Constitution grants the federal government very limited powers; the Tenth Amendment states that all powers not specifically assigned to the federal government shall be left to the states. The federal government is micromanaging local law enforcement. If there really are problems with law enforcement, Congress or local legislatures should look into them, not the partisan Executive Branch.
The Obama administration knows that investigations and lawsuits will tie up the resources of smaller law enforcement agencies so they will be unable to accomplish much else. Sheriff Joe Arpaio will not have anymore resources left to enforce illegal immigration laws and other laws the left would prefer to see ignored.
The DOJ is in no place to be criticizing other law enforcement agencies. 60 members of Congress are calling for Attorney General Eric Holder’s resignation over Fast and Furious, and 75 have signed onto a House resolution vote of no confidence. But by turning the focus towards alleged wrongdoing from large police agencies like the Seattle Police Department and popular Sheriff Joe Arpaio, there will be less media coverage and public scrutiny of Fast and Furious.
Launching dubious investigations for political reasons must be curbed. The U.S. is going bankrupt. Obama is using money we don’t have to attack targets that will earn him favor with his far left supporters. As the first black president, Obama should be moving the country in a direction away from racism. Instead, he is stirring it up. Congress should expand its investigation of Fast and Furious to this transparent attempt by the Obama administration to deflect away from it.
Oh no not this administration........sarc
...his whole Presidency is a diversion.
What is obvious to anyone fortunate enough to have two brain cells to rub together (which eliminates most "progressives") is that everything Obama does is politically motivated. Everything.
I despise this man and wish for him the worse.
I recall wondering during the Clinton years if we could get a more corrupt administration. My question has been answered with a YES.
I weep for my country, and the few people that truly care about it.
...”As the first black president, Obama should be moving the country in a direction away from racism.”...
Um, no, Obama is not the “first black president”. He is half black, half white. He uses his “blackness” as a means to his ends, a cudgel if necessary, and his enablers in the previously esteemed MSM have given him cover and a pass on his blatant use of race for political purposes.
Target Practice Ping
FUBO!!!!
And the individual's attitude and actions are never to blame. I maintain that no police administered ass whooping ever began with the words "Yes, sir" or "No, sir".
By who??
When?
Where?
How?
Once again we have a train wreck between two juxtaposed Democratic Party constituencies.
The police are, of course, unionized. There appears here to be a deliberate war on police operations. Already burdened by egregious rules of engagement as relates to the police and the communities they protect, here comes the Obama DOJ to pour fuel on the fire.
Obama has made a numerical calculation. There are more blacks who will read of this and feel like he’s helping them than there are police rank-and-file. The union bosses will stand by and watch.
This should be creating a rift between the police union members and the union bosses.
If you want uncontrolled chaos and riots, you must tear down the institutions that have a chance at restoring order.
In Los Angeles, the police were beaten down by the liberals. When the riots started, the police stayed away adn allowed the criminals to have free reign.
The stage is being set, the players are assembling. The final act will be starting sometime before November.
Sheriff Joe BUMP!
The premiers is from the Weather Underground playbook and it means to orchestrate race riots.
Find an incident, a spark to ignite the flame, ratchet it up to a raging inferno.
The idea is to do a Mexican version of the LA race riots of 1992 which were sparked by police misconduct with R King.
With the RK beating in 1991, Bush 41 ordered the FBI to review all complaints filed against police with the FBI for the previous 5 years. There was roughly 15,000 complaints or roughly 3000/year. That number changes very little from year to year.
Of the 15,000 complaints filed against police with the FBI only 42, IIRC, were pursued in court.
One of the 42 cases pursued was against Gov Bill Clinton for ordering his Ark State Troopers to racial profile.
He was ordered by the court to stop. Apparently he didn't.
With the review of the complaints by the FBI, it was going to surface that BC was in violation of a court order.
The Clinton's and the dems went into full cover up by claiming police weren't being held accountable because of repub racism. The dems fanned the spark until it erupted int the race riots of 1992.
Following the riots the FBI claimed there was nothing in the 15,000 files. Bush then ordered the US Attorneys to review the complaint files.
Perot was in the 1992 election to make sure Bush didn't release the content of the files as doing so would have taken out Bill Clinton.
When Reno was nominated for AG she said she her first thing she would do as AG would be the release of the files.
Instead of releasing the files she fired all the USA’s.
Nobody bothered to pay attention because they were too busy paying attention to the Clinton's killing 80 people at Waco.
Not only did BC need to cover up what was in those files but so did the people BC surrounded himself with. That was Vince Foster's job.
When VF started spilling his gut he ended up dead.
This is what has kept Hillary out of the WH, having to cover up for BC’s racial profiling, and she has been on a vendetta ever since to blame repubs for racial profiling.
Issa: Holder protecting staff over 'Fast and Furious'
Fast and Furious: Grassley and Issa Won't Stop Until Truth Comes Out
Darrell Issa and Charles Grassley: DOJ compromised gun probe
Issa, Grassley Press for Answers from FBI, DEA in Fast and Furious Investigation
Issa to press Holder on ‘need to clean house’ at DOJ during hearing on Thursday
House Committee to Subpoena Holder in 'Fast and Furious' Probe
Unanswered Questions Haunt Family in 'Fast and Furious' Case
Grassley, Issa Press for Answers from FBI, DEA in Fast and Furious Investigation
Grassley Calls for Top Justice Official's Resignation Over Gunrunning Operations
Issa, Grassley: DOJ Obstructed Mexican Guns Probe
EXCLUSIVE: Grassley says F&F ‘bigger than when we first got into it’
Darrell Issa If there was ever a time to raise the alarm to alert the masses it is now
Who's Lying? Issa's Investigation Will Get To The Bottom Of Project Gunrunner
New Holder video surfaces on F&F ‘misunderstanding’ and Grassley reacts
Holder to get new subpoenas on ‘Fast and Furious’ program
And many more links
You would be wrong.
There are just bad cops on the street.
I had a run in with just such a cop. He was loaded to the gills on crack.
They finally threw him off the force 5 years later for raping a girl. Didn’t prosecute him, just threw him off the force.
These guys are all in. The fact that they are acting this way makes me think that either they are certain they will win in November or have no intention of relinquishing power, because if they do, many of them will be prosecuted.
Something is very, very wrong.
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