Posted on 12/11/2003 9:31:37 AM PST by NorCoGOP
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The comedian David Cross once remarked that our country must be in trouble because we have to read other countries' newspapers to find out what is going on in our own nation. Last Saturday, community activists convened at a small house on the west side of Ann Arbor, Mich., to witness video footage compiled by independent journalists of the police brutality at the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas conference in Miami last month. The footage, and the lack of media exposure of what actually happened, is living proof that our country's media is currently divorced from our Founding Fathers' vision of a scrutinizing press that would constantly keep the public informed about the imperfections of its leaders in order to keep democracy afloat.
Here are just a few crimes caught on video by journalists at the Independent Media Center that mainstream media completely ignored:
- A police barricade informed a crowd of protesters that if it did not disperse within two minutes, they would be arrested. The crowd, putting discretion before valor, complied by rotating 180 degrees, and walking away chanting, "we are dispersing." After a period blatantly under two minutes, the police tackled the protesters from behind and arrested them for failure to disperse.
- When police pinned down a nonviolent protester with a broken hand, his fellow protesters tried to inform the police that he was injured. Subsequently, the police used tasers to quell their message. The tasers shoot a cord with a pin that penetrates the victim's skin to employ the shock. The removal process is unbearably painful, and it is difficult to remove the pin without causing excessive bodily injury.
- A trihawked protester and self-described "Alcoholic against the FTAA" was pelted with 20 rubber bullets for flicking off a police barricade.
In addition, there are accusations of sexual harassment and assault by police against female and transgendered protesters. This footage will most likely be used as court evidence in upcoming lawsuits against the Miami police.
As someone who has witnessed the infamous clashes between Catholic civil rights activists and Ulster Unionist paramilitary huns in Northern Ireland, I must say that the collective behavior of Miami's riot cops was relatively egregious but undoubtedly beyond the legal framework.
In the interests of full disclosure, two University activists who were arrested while dispersing are close friends of mine, so my emotional investment in this matter leaves me with some bias, but that does not excuse the fact that their patriotic rights of dissent were trampled upon by employees of the state.
But what has most tragically been violated in this ordeal is our right to be informed about our government. Mainstream television and newspaper coverage from that week was shallow, and footage coming from the police perspective dwarfed any minuscule view that the police may have actually done something wrong. Because most Americans are divorced from the political process in America, it is their fundamental right to be informed about all aspects of their government, the good and the bad. It is essential to democracy that the media bring the problems of government to light. So when the media are biased in favor of the state, and information about abuses of power are hidden from the populace, our democracy is in trouble.
What else didn't you hear? While Bush and his business partners where salivating over the potential profits their FTAA policies would yield, countries like Brazil took a hard stance against them and refused to back down fearing what the FTAA would do to them and their way of life. Bush's dream did not come to life in Miami that week. But you didn't hear about this because the only North American daily newspaper that reported this that I could find was the Toronto Globe and Mail. David Cross' humorous remark is tragically sad and true.
The debate surrounding our mainstream media should not revolve around accusations of them being liberal or conservative. Our media's duty, in the interests of the democratic process, is to hold our elected officials, regardless of party affiliations, and their policies accountable by proliferating access to all information. Our media are failing, the parameters of the First Amendment are becoming more and more meaningless and without change, our democracy will revert into the system our Founding Fathers fought against.
Well.... they weren't really "journalists". They were independent film makers.
And after what they witnessed, how could they do anything but put out what really happened.
- A police barricade informed a crowd of protesters that if it did not disperse within two minutes, they would be arrested.
Those tricky cops and their talking barricades are at it again.
- When police pinned down a nonviolent protester with a broken hand, his fellow protesters tried to inform the police that he was injured.
Certainly not much of a protester if he can be pinned down by police with a broken hand, eh?
- A trihawked protester and self-described "Alcoholic against the FTAA" was pelted with 20 rubber bullets for flicking off a police barricade.
And certainly not much of a barricade if it can be flicked off like a booger.
Glad I don't got much edumacation.
smirk...!
I wish I could post pics..love one of President Bush as Dr Evil from the Austin Powers movies..pinkie up..laughing maniacilly..I mean if they are going to say he is the root of all evil..well then dammit he should act like one..
Has this anarchist-socialist been following the judical tyranny from the Supreme Court lately? Most recently the SCOTUS' upholding of McCain-Feingold's Campaign Finance limits on free speech? Funny how the First Ammendment says that there will be no laws abridging free speech (and political speech was the highest among those concerns, what could be more political than getting out a campaign message weeks before an election?).
The press has been quiet about CFR being unconstitutional (especially when they were lobbying for it) because it makes their power that much greater. Who can challenge them? Can't, CFR makes it illegal for some people to buy advertising to get their message out.
Persons who come prepared to riot at the WTO should also come prepared to have their asses kicked.
What!? We saw plenty of video from Miami and the demostration. I thought the Dade County LEO went easy on them. I don't remember anyone getting killed or even seriously injured.
5.56mm
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