More fun with VA ABC!

Injustice pisses me off. You think we'd all be used to it by now, but somehow I feel more angry with each new episode.

You mean the woman who bought a case of water at Harris Teeter? Yes, that was horrible. I think you gave a good line on the root cause. This person was not showing any aggressive tendencies and this incident was solely precipitated by the overly aggressive nature of the officers. Of course I have to believe race plays some factor in this incident as well. Also plays heavily into the public reaction. Amazing how many times I heard people refer to this guy as a thug, as opposed to the much more sympathetic reaction the sorority girl got.

There was a proposal to eliminate the special ABC officers in the general Assembly this spring, but I think it failed in committee

So, smosey, not to get too political on this music board, but Here is my sort of sense of the dynamics:

It is very difficult to tell if racial animus played a part in any one incident. Of course there was a student/cop dynamic. However, how many underage students are there on the corner every weekend try to drink? Why did this guy end up the one getting slammed on the sidewalk? Such things often come down to subtle clues of attitude, respect, aggression, etc. that are impossible to determine, maybe even if we had body cameras on every incident, but certainly in the absence of complete tapes. So, in any one case, the cop says that it was purely procedure and had nothing to do w/ race, and generally is believed. While being white/respectable doesn't preclude such an interaction (as we see in the Harris-Teeter incident, it can even happen to pretty white sorority girls), the aggregate statistics determine that people are "policed" very different based on race. Black people are arrested four times more often than whites for marijuana possession although every indicator we have is that both races use at very similar rates.

So, I can believe race played some role in this, you can believe it doesn't In the end neither of us can prove that it did. But we all should be aware that race plays a significant role in the entire process.

Of course race is only one factor. Having long hair also puts you at risk for significantly different policing. I've experienced this even though I am, overall, a fairly respectable looking hippie.

Anyway, enough for me today...

Oh, to hell with it.

"They asked me not to get too 'political.' I don't know what that means. Taking a shit is a political act. Smoking it's an even bigger one!" - Wavy Gravy

This time of year, it's just us year-rounders. I think you should feel free to say whatever you want. Anyone of us who's going to get in a snit or unfriend anyone over politics should be shunned. Just try not to get too upset when some account-less n00b wonder chimes in with his/her two cents.


Anyways, we can shout them down.

this i like

Welcome to the club.