Under attack

[Jeffersons Ghost]

Under Attack

A recent wave of teenage suicides reflects the continuing war of words - and violence - being waged on the LGBT community; neo-Nazi group have resurged, as The Creativity Movement; and 'Patriot' group' gatherings over the summer brought out discussion of confronting LGBT "enemies" in violent terms.

http://splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2010/winter

[Jeffersons Ghost]

1. a kick to fight discrimination and intolerance

[dhill926]

2. I'll second your kick......

[Jeffersons Ghost]

3. thanks this kind of an issue needs more visibility

[Mnemosyne]

4. Heartbreaking and sickening. knr n/t

[Jeffersons Ghost]

5. more neo-Nazi groups, just what we needed

:sarcasm:

[Mnemosyne]

9. Can you really ever have enough neo-Nazis?

:sarcasm:

[bobbolink]

23. Thank you. Very comforting for those who are being attacked.

:crazy: :puke: :crazy:

[bobbolink]

6. LGBTattacks, attacks on homeless people including youth, When Are We Going To Say ENOUGH to Bullies?

What is it going to take?

Must we organize vigillante squads?

[Jeffersons Ghost]

10. what we need to organize is large scale protests and boycotts...

Big business won't like large scale boycotts

[bobbolink]

14. Maybe, I don't see that happening. What we NEED is small groups of people like you, taking action

and PROTECTING people.

Let me give you an example....

In Grand Junction, Colorado, there was a tent city of homeless people. Like many (MOST?!) places in the U.S., the police didn't like homeless people.

They pepper-sprayed their sleeping bags and clothing and other belongings, they slashed tires of their bicycles, AND slashed tents.

Like most police around the nation, they enjoyed their actions, got a good laugh, and thought they were untouchable. Because usually they are.

However, there was a group of just plain citizens like you who had reached out to the homeless people. They heard what happened, when and took pictures, interviewed the victims, and documented, Documented, DOCUMENTED.

As a result, they got cops fired and others resigned! As far as I know, and as far as they know, they are the only group in the country to get cops fired. It has put other cops on notice.

This is something ALL DUers can do! Form groups, get to know the homeless people around you so that they trust you and would come to you about travesties of justice like this.

Then do what they did --- Document it, and fight the cops. This is the ONLY way this will change. I can't see boycotts having that effect.

Again, all of you can do this!

http://colorado.indymedia.org/taxonomy/term/2045
Submitted by TheRedPill on May 12, 2010 - 11:53pm

Three Grand Junction Police Officers were placed on administrative leave on Friday May 7th under allegations of damaging homeless peoples’ property. The officers are under criminal investigation by the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department and under internal investigation at the PD.


On Monday May 3rd, GJ Police Officers were in the area of a well-established homeless camp near the confluence of the Gunnison and Colorado Rivers. Some residents were denied access to the area by the police during their visit. No known residents were in their camps at the time. Residents later returned to slashed tents, scattered belongings and slashed bike tires. On Wednesday, Jacob Richards, long time Red Pill editor and contributor and Housing First! No More Deaths! activist, filed a complaint about the incident. By Friday, three officers were placed on leave. The story was picked up by all local media outlets, the Denver Post, and even hit the AP wire.

The fact that the GJPD are conducting an internal investigation and the Sheriff’s Department is investigating the matter criminally indicates that the powers-that-be may actually be taking this seriously.

Criminalization and harassment of the homeless is nothing new to Grand Junction. Police officers and the law itself target the homeless. The City attempted to virtually illegalize flying a sign in the city in the summer of 2009 as an emergency ordinance, but was shut down by the power of the people. In July of 2009, two undercover GJ police officers were ousted from the organization Housing First! No More Deaths!. Panhandling within a median began became illegal in the fall of 2009, and overnight Colorado West Park became a median without any formal process.

Then read about the march they are doing on Dec. 20.

Again, this is something ALL of you can do!

[bobbolink]

7. another kick because we need to be paying attention!

[Jeffersons Ghost]

11. thanks

[Bluebear]

8. Kick for those interested!

[bobbolink]

13. few thouh they are...

...:(

Thanks, Bluebear.... what is happening is so sad to me, and the lack of concern is tragic. :(

[OneGrassRoot]

12. K&R n/t

[tpsbmam]

15. ****SPLC End of the year matching gift******

Just wanted to highlight this since SPLC is one of the great U.S. organizations IMO. If you donate now, your gift is doubled. I can't afford to give them $25 but I can afford $12.50 (my max is usually about $10-$15/month to a candidate/cause of my choice). So for my $12.50, I just donated $25! Love it!

(Oh, and ed to say K&R! Thanks for the post.)

[bobbolink]

18. .

.

[postatomic]

16. This site is trying to keep up with the news

http://racistornotracist.tumblr.com/

But so many attacks are not reported or inaccurately recorded by the police. It angers me that our society still feeds on hate. We are so NOT civilized.

We want to drive the Homeless out of our communities because they are all just "crazy" people. The LGBT community has no support from our government. But let's give the uber-rich a tax cut. :eyes:

Hate is a disease that spreads quickly and it seems no one wants to stop it.

[jotsy]

17. Disregard breeds contempt.

Which in turn sow the buds and blooms of hate. The rest is toxic smoke and sharp edged mirrors. More sophisticated arsonists fanning the flames to work that social wedge issue so politicians and media have incidents to cite, note the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards. A tasteless and inhumane display and primitively sadistic for the squawking noggins to play it up in shameless detail. Never mind who fields the fall out or fatality, battle lines need to be visibly drawn. The religious wing of the right doesn't seem to care that they are viewed as nutties, they're itching to bring these kinds of issues to a boil on the front burner so their side will have the chance to impose wide sweeping totalitarian policy and exclude all but the pompous and pretty and promptly, if you please.

Countering this? Means reaching the crowd that feels disregarded. Adolescence is an energetic moment in the body of a life, they search for what makes them feel strong and special. Any cult can sway, our young need empowerment through a mantra of universal rights, rather than the kind of exceptionalism that gets sold as purpose or calling. (such as religion or patriotism)

Activities can be anything from a fundraising 3 on 3 basketball tournament to a local teen idol or a craft expo or...parks departments and community centers have facilities and most are open to some neighborhood based activities. Storm chamber of commerce luncheons with the media in tow to fund them!

I'm sure by now it is no secret that I am the gushiest of mush buckets, so it shouldn't surprise anybody when I say this:

We are here to nurture the young and care for the aged for as long as we are between the two.

We are smart enough, we are sensitive enough to remedy this. There is no satisfaction in selfishness or its shallow temporary rewards that outweigh the gratification of being part of creating possibility for all.

<http://www.change.org/hiring>

<http://www.dosomething.org/>

Lots of places and resources out there.

[bobbolink]

19. nevermind. Its no use.

.

[jotsy]

20. Whoa down there now, please.

I'm not the most articulate and my ideas on what works or what it's worth may not be in keeping with yours but the chances of us making a difference run deeper if we find the best of both and then the better of the bulk, nothing worthwhile is free or easy. The use of it is what ever the effort yields and you keep designing efforts til they yield what's needed.

Sorry to disappoint I guess.

[bobbolink]

21. Its not about you. Its about DU not being willing to hear or take action.

I have finally reached my give up point.

[jotsy]

22. As those links illustrate, there are other worlds than this.

More halls to call out in.

DU has got some who step up. I think a lot just want to know what it will take when the question is what are they willing to give. They think money, I mean time. An hour a week or a day a month doesn't seem a lot to ask, I guess it's in how you package the proposal. I don't engage convinced I can make a difference, just know it's on me to try, and try as necessary.