OT the PIT - reincarnation

Two things I know for sure after years of investigating things like this...there are two sides to every story and most times the truth is somewhere in the middle. Also, the media almost always gets it flat out wrong, or just covers it so poorly that conclusions drawn from the initial stories are way off base. 

Also...never get out of your car and approach another car after a road incident unless your car is not drivable...whether your pissed off or apologizing, just drive away safely. 

Celebrate diversity!

Twelve white male San Francisco police officers who were passed over for promotions are suing the city for race and sex discrimination, led by a lieutenant whose similar suit 16 years ago netted a $1.6 million settlement. A 13th plaintiff, now retired, says she was denied promotion because she is a white lesbian.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court, is the latest round of a conflict that dates back at least to 1973, when an organization representing black and female officers sued the San Francisco police force for discrimination in hiring and promotions. The city settled the case in 1979 by taking steps to increase diversity, including the “banding” of promotional test results so that all candidates who scored within a certain range were treated the same, allowing them to be judged on other factors such as experience and language skills.

Federal courts upheld banding in 1992 in the face of a lawsuit by the San Francisco Police Officers Association, which argued that the practice discriminated against whites.
The U.S. Justice Department reviewed the Police Department in 2016 and commended it for the increased diversity in its workforce — with nearly 49% nonwhites and 15% women, both above national averages — but said improvements were still needed, particularly in promotions.

But the 1979 settlement with minority and female officers expired in 1998, and Tuesday’s suit is the latest to claim that the department’s continuation of its test-scoring policies is both unfair and illegal.

“The city — to this day — has a long-standing practice and custom of discriminating against white males in SFPD promotions to the rank of sergeant, lieutenant and captain,” the officers’ attorney, M. Greg Mullanax, said in the lawsuit.
For example, he said, in the 2016 promotional exam for lieutenant, banding was used to promote all three black sergeants who applied, even though their scores were lower than those of 11 white candidates who were denied promotions. A similar procedure was used to promote four women, while passing over seven men with higher scores “so the Police Department could accomplish its gender-biased agenda,” the suit said.

The lead plaintiff, Lt. Ric Schiff, was denied a promotion to captain in favor of women and minority candidates with lower scores, the suit said. Schiff, 59, an officer since 1985, was the lead plaintiff in a 2003 lawsuit on behalf of 12 sergeants who accused the police force of discriminating in favor of black candidates for lieutenant by banding the top 97 test scores and bypassing white, Latino and Asian American officers with higher scores.

The city, without any acknowledgment of wrongdoing, settled the lawsuit for $1.6 million, giving $200,000 to Schiff, who was later promoted to lieutenant.

Mullanax said the Police Officers Association contacted Chief Bill Scott about the issue, and some of the officers who were denied promotions met with Scott to air their concerns, but none received any “substantive response.” The suit seeks court-ordered promotions for the plaintiffs and damages, including punitive damages against Scott and his predecessor, Greg Suhr.

John Coté, a spokesman for City Attorney Dennis Herrera, said the Police Department “uses lawful, merit-based civil service examinations in making promotions.” The system, he said in a statement, is “designed to provide qualified individuals with the chance for advancement while ensuring fair treatment without regard to race, gender, religion, age or other status.”

Have you looked at the population demographics of Gary, IN?

According to the US census bureau, Gary, IN is 14% white and as I keep hearing, when a certain group composes about 14% of the population that group is responsible for over 50% of the violent crime. Clearly the perpetrators are white and clearly this post is not sarcastic in any way, shape or form.

(Gary, IN is 82% black. The robbers and murderers are going to be black.)

TRO

Will Britain ban the standard sitcom/commercial stereotype that shows the Dad/male to be an idiot and the Mom/female to be smart?



London (AFP) - Ads featuring "harmful gender stereotypes" which are likely to cause offence will be banned in Britain from Friday under new rules that could have a major impact on the industry.

The ban by the Advertising Standards Authority would cover, for example, a woman failing to park a car, a man struggling to change a nappy or girls being less academic than boys.

The ban will not include some stereotypical scenarios that are judged not to cause as much offence in ads, such as a woman cleaning or a man doing DIY tasks.

"Harmful gender stereotypes in ads can contribute to inequality in society, with costs for all of us," ASA chief executive Guy Parker said in a statement.

"Put simply, we found that some portrayals in ads can, over time, play a part in limiting people's potential," he said.

"It's in the interests of women and men, our economy and society that advertisers steer clear of these outdated portrayals, and we're pleased with how the industry has already begun to respond," he added.

One of the ads identified as problematic by the ASA was a 2017 television advert for Aptamil baby milk formula, which showed a baby girl growing up to be a ballerina and baby boys becoming engineers and mountain climbers.

The ASA found that some parents "queried why these stereotypes were needed, feeling that they lacked diversity of gender roles and did not represent real life".

Another showed a man with his feet up while a woman took sole responsibility for cleaning up her family's mess.

I have actually done this several times.

I also made sure to set the meeting up at a very public location (strip mall, police station...) during daylight hours. I also walked into each transaction knowing I may walk away with no cash and no item. I would have another person with the car I was in and carry only the item or exact cash (if I’m the buyer) on my person.

I would take those same steps if I was going to an 81% white, 81% Hispanic or 81% Asian neighborhood too. It is also what I recommend to anyone buying or selling something like that off craigslist or offer up.

It is tragic we now consider all financial transactions as potential crimes.

To your second question of whether it is wise or not, I see it as a question of risk. I personally take the above steps to minimize my risk (if someone is willing to meet you at a police station to make the transaction, it seems significantly less risky). I wouldn’t expect a 16 year old (and I likely would not at 16) to have appreciated the risks of the transaction.

As an anecdote, I sold my previous car on Craigslist. I met the other person at a busy strip mall we both agreed upon. The other person wanted to drive it and I just gave them the keys and said I would wait. My car could easily have been stolen. This was in a predominantly Latino and black community. I sold my car to a wonderful black lady who also happened to be enlisted in the army.

As always, your mileage may vary.

TRO

Of course I was. I was more concerned if they got in an accident because of increased insurance costs. I also said I was going to call them in 15 minutes. If they didn’t pick up I was going to report the car stolen (didn’t say that last part but that was the plan).

TRO

TUCSON, Ariz. — A man’s Facebook post about a recent traffic stop is going viral.



Steven Hildreth Jr. says he was pulled over by the Tucson Police Department for a broken headlight. When the officer asked if he had any weapons, he told him he is a concealed carry permit holder and had a gun on his right hip.



Because his wallet was in his back-right pocket, the officer needed to disarm him to check his ID. Hildreth wrote about his experience with the officer and posted it to his Facebook page.



Hildreth’s Facebook post has been shared more than 135,000 times.



So, I’m driving to my office to turn in my weekly paperwork. A headlight is out. I see a Tucson Police Department squad vehicle turn around and follow me. I’m already preparing for the stop.



The lights go on and I pull over. The officer asks me how I’m doing, and then asks if I have any weapons.



“Yes, sir. I’m a concealed carry permit holder and my weapon is located on my right hip. My wallet is in my back-right pocket.”



The officer explains for his safety and mine, he needs to disarm me for the stop. I understand, and I unlock the vehicle. I explain that I’m running a 7TS ALS holster but from the angle, the second officer can’t unholster it. Lead officer asks me to step out, and I do so slowly. Officer relieves me of my Glock and compliments the X300U I’m running on it. He also sees my military ID and I tell him I’m with the National Guard.



Lead officer points out my registration card is out of date but he knows my registration is up to date. He goes back to run my license. I know he’s got me on at least two infractions. I’m thinking of how to pay them.



Officers return with my Glock in an evidence back, locked and cleared. “Because you were cool with us and didn’t give us grief, I’m just going to leave it at a verbal warning. Get that headlight fixed as soon as possible.”



I smile. “Thank you, sir.”



I’m a black man wearing a hoodie and strapped. According to certain social movements, I shouldn’t be alive right now because the police are allegedly out to kill minorities.



Maybe…just maybe…that notion is bunk.



Maybe if you treat police officers with respect, they will do the same to you.



Police officers are people, too. By far and large, most are good people and they’re not out to get you.



I’d like to thank those two officers and TPD in general for another professional contact.



We talk so much about the bad apples who shouldn’t be wearing a badge. I’d like to spread the word about an example of men who earned their badges and exemplify what that badge stands for.

I'm sure he's been labeled as Uncle Tom already. Don't you know, civility and respect for law enforcement is white privilege and racism?

CNN broke away from President Trump’s 2020 kick off speech shortly after the crowd began chanting “CNN Sucks!”

While discussing the impact of the 2016 election, Trump directed comments to the assembled reporters.

“2016 was not merely another four-year election,” he told the Orlando, Fla., crowd. “This was a defining moment in American history, ask them right there.”

As Trump pointed to the media, the crowd began booing and chanting, “CNN Sucks! CNN Sucks!”

Another Uncle Tom:

abcnews.go.com/Politics/feds-arrest-syrian-refugee-accused-plotting-terrorist-attack/story?id=63819722

News headlines today: June 19, 2019

The Department of Justice announced the arrest of a Syrian refugee on Wednesday in connection with an Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack on a Christian church in Pittsburgh.

Mustafa Mousab Alowemer, 21, was accused by federal prosecutors in court documents filed on Wednesday of planning to attack a church on the north side of Pittsburgh, the Legacy International Worship Center, "to support the cause of ISIS and to inspire other ISIS supporters in the United States."


According to the criminal complaint, Alowemer was born in Daraa, Syria and was admitted to the U.S. as a refugee in August 2016.



He allegedly provided "multiple instructional documents" on how to build improvised explosive devices, referred to as IEDs, to an undercover FBI agent who he believed was a fellow ISIS supporter, according to the DOJ.


The complaint also alleges that Alowemer further detailed his plans and support for ISIS and jihad in social media communications.



"Alowemer also distributed propaganda materials, offered to provide potential targets in the Pittsburgh area, requested a weapon with a silencer, and recorded a video of himself pledging an oath of allegiance to the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi," the DOJ said in a statement.

The DOJ also said Alowemer had drafted a "10-point handwritten plan" related to a plot to bomb the church, and printed out copies of satellite maps from Google which he provided to a source working for the FBI as well as an undercover FBI employee.



According to prosecutors, Alowemer also recently bought a number of items that could be used in making a bomb including —nails for shrapnel, batteries and consumer products that contained chemicals that could be used in bomb-making. He allegedly planned to carry out his attack in July 2019.



The arrest comes on the heels of a meeting hosted by the FBI at their headquarters in Washington, D.C. in which faith leaders and law enforcement discussed recent attacks on houses of worship.



Alowemer is expected to make his first court appearance Friday for a hearing on the conditions of his detention.

The so called community:

A 72-year-old Walmart greeter said he was only "doing his duty" when a customer allegedly punched him in the face during his shift on Friday night.

"He punched on my face with a closed right hand," Mohinder Singh Randhawa told KTRK. "I fell down on the ground."

The alleged assault, at the entrance of the store in Cypress, Tex., was one Randhawa says he never saw coming, apparently touched off when the greeter asked to see the customer's receipt.

Randhawa was reviewing the suspect's receipt on June 14, he said, “when I noticed that there was a case of Gatorade that had not been paid for.” Randhawa, who has been with the company for 15 years, told the station that occasionally a cashier simply misses an item while scanning.

"I told him if you want, you can scan and take it," Randhawa said, adding that he never implied that the suspect, Craig Valentine, 42, was attempting to steal the product.

In a security video, Valentine appears to become agitated, pushing Randhawa before punching him in the face.

The hit caused Randhawa to black out, and he doesn't remember much of the attack. He still can't bring himself to watch the security footage.

"My left upper lip was broken from here, blood started out, and inside also there was a cut about half an inch," Randhawa said of the injuries he sustained.

Randhawa, who said he was only performing the duties that the job entails, is now afraid to return as a greeter.

"I'm scared to work that position," he said, adding that in all his years at the company he had never experienced anything like this.

Another illegal alien rapist?

Washington authorities are hunting a convicted rapist who they believe attacked a wheelchair-bound woman just three days after getting out of jail -- where he'd been locked up for previously raping the same woman.

Francisco Carranza-Ramirez, 35, was released from jail last Thursday after serving less than a year for the rape of a White Center woman on two occasions.

A spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office told Fox News in an email that Carranza-Ramirez was charged with rape in the 3rd degree in October and pleaded guilty in February.

After nine months in jail (including time served as the case proceeded), Carranza-Ramirez was ordered by a judge to return to Mexico as part of a plea agreement. When contacted by Fox News, the prosecution did not confirm Carranza-Ramirez's citizenship status, but did note his criminal history did not specifically indicate he was in the U.S. illegally