| </span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by (fedfem,)
Left, Right, or middle, we should all be upset over this display. At least I think so. What do you think?<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>
Ah, I see my old hometown is still the same. Fed, I read this article on a political third party website.
Some background FYI:
Berkeley County is a suburban area, with Goose Creek having a modest population and little industry. School violence (fistfighting) is nothing unusual in this majority white area, with shootings being very rare. I only remember one such case of the latter.
Stratford is equipped with the latest in security technology. It is not a gimp public school. It is a wealthy-taxpayer-funded public school and has the best of the best, including metal detectors & police security checkpoints for drugs and weapons. Berkeley County schools have several programs promoting drug abstinence.
Berkeley is the buckle of the Charleston area Bible belt.
Stratford High School first made national headlines when some of the cheerleading squad went on a shoplifting-spree at Disney World. That was the day our proud little village got on the map.
At this point I'd like to interject some of my own opinions & experiences with Berkeley County police. With return call times of thirty minutes to two hours, this law enforcement division is undermanned. The county is large, folks. Most of it is forest and backroads. I have had my car searched by police near half a dozen times in 8 years. Hanahan police (also in Berkeley county) are known to terrorize city residents. I know people who have filed complaints against both these departments WAY before the War on Terror started. Police are willing to bust into someone's home after listening to one side of a story; if you want details PM me. It is my opinion that the only thing these cops down here are interested in is Drugs. While working a C-store in Berkeley, I had about 5 cases of theft. Police were willing to catch the check frauder, but shoplifters walked down the street with soda and beer uninhibited. One time, I knew the thief from high school, but police were still uncooperative despite video tape evidence and eyewitness testimony.
Justification for improper search and seizure? None. There can never be. This was excessive usage of force against unarmed civilians. Police state is the ONLY valid conclusion one can come to from looking at this.
I don't think Police is an appropriate term though, being that police actually fight crime. I would prefer Gestapo or Mafia to better reflect the lawless actions of these dishonorable men in uniform. It takes a coward to put a gun up to someone who doesn't have one.
Personally, I think it's okay for police to watch video tapes, prospect for drug dealers and then pursue them in a timely manner. This is only because drugs are illegal and I think all law should be enforced properly. I find this entire episode to be completely outrageous. It pisses me off because I know the fat ass pigs who did this.
NORML, you made an excellent point. The propaganda machine and our two-party business as usual politics are founded on fear. Perhaps in this realization lies the key to a solution? |