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In Shocking Video, Sandra Bland Told: "I Will Light You Up!"

#1

In Shocking Video, Sandra Bland Told: "I Will Light You Up!"

Jon Queally, staff writer

While many questions still remain about what exactly happened to Sandra Bland in a Texas jail cell before she was found dead under mysterious circumstances on July 13, those looking for answers about why she was initially placed under arrest three days earlier were offered a look at devastating dash-cam footage released by the Texas Department of Public Safety on Tuesday evening which showed the arresting officer, Texas State Trooper Brian Encinia, actively escalating a situatio

#4

This is why we don’t trust the government to have power. People are not inherently virtuous. Its quite the opposite. When we give power to the government it will be abused.

We really need to start moving towards a system in which any government employee can be fired easily, they have no pensions, and they have no unions. If we did this then suddenly you would see a completely different police force. If we don’t then expect to see more abuse of power. Its up to us to make sure there isn’t another Sandra Bland.

#6

Well, having watched and listened to the video, and listened to the tale he was telling his union attorney, I imagine it was, on the phone, only one phrase jumped into my mind. "Lying sack of shit!"

  • But perhaps that would be considered disrespectful of a member of our SA.
  • This nation wasn’t perfect when it still had a Constitution and Bill of Rights, but it was a hell of a lot better than living under the Fourth Reich, which seems to be our fate these days.
  • I hope someday soon, we’ll take our country back and the 0.001% can learn to live under bridges and eat from garbage cans and dumpsters,
  • Ah well, “…to dream the impossible dream…”
    ;-})
#7

Yet another sacrificial lamb for the preservation of global Zionofascism.

#8

It’s so unbearably sad, to empathize with her experience of being so pointlessly brutalized and murdered. And to multiply that empathy by millions who are similarly brutalized.

She refused his order to put out her cigarette.

This is KEY to grasping the culture and training of cops. The “superior” can say that he was not following departmental procedure, but whatever the SPECIFIC procedure he was not following, cops get GENERAL training to NEVER accept ANY “in-sub-ordination,” to ALWAYS react with escalation, to ENFORCE sub-ordination.

Refusal to (entirely pointlessly) put out your cigarette is treated at the same level as though you were threatening the officer with death.

The entire training and culture of cops in the USA needs to be exposed and overturned.

#9

You confuse and conflate the issues of widespread systemic racism with what far right wing corporate apologists call “federal over reach.” You would eliminate the civil government and public employee unions and privatize all public services and assets.

The government, except for those functions which have unfortunately been privatized, is a part of our commonwealth. It belongs to “We, the People.” By playing on generalized fears of government power, you serve private corporate interests who are willfully deconstructing civil government.

Some call you “libertarian.” I see the so-called “libertarian” as a functional cover for the modern Amerikkkan fascist. Let’s be honest. You pretend to care about Sandra Bland in order to make a political point. And your argument is disingenuous as you deal in deception. “thethe” is clearly not inherently virtuous. You mirror your own deceit and manipulative bullshit. Maybe you should crawl back under the rock you came from?

#10

They will not live. We can’t afford for them to regroup, or breed more. They’ve simply got to go.

#12

Given the realities of US cop culture, the only solution is to fire every single police officer in the country post haste. Following that, a hiring process needs to be instituted involving personality testing, background checks and community vetting to prevent a return of racists and abusive types. Recent veterans of war should be not be eligible nor those who show any signs of PTSD, racist or misogynist attitudes, or arrogance. Training should include sociology 101, cultural awareness, mental health education, de-escalation methods, and martial arts techniques like Akido for the non-violent subduing of individuals when necessary.

Following that, we need civilian community oversight and a 2 complaints and your out policy. Police need to fear for their jobs. Until they do, they will continue to act with impunity as an occupying force composed mostly of militaristic, racist arrogant and sexist pigs.

#13

Making sense of living in a system of plunder
DN interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates, journalist and author of Between the World and Me

#14

Put Brian Encinia on trial for first degree murder, in Texas. The penalty if found guilt is death.

Police forces often suggest in these instances that they need to re-evaluate training , blah , blah, blah…

We the people are trained by the fact there are repercussions for our behaviour. When any group (police, bankers, politicians, etc… ) discovers there are no repercussions… we all know how they behave. Sandra Bland paid the with her life.

Execute one officer in Texas for this conduct and the rest of the police will be “trained” in one hell of a hurry. Saving all of us millions of dollars in useless “retraining” courses.

#15

I’d say no special pensions (but the normal pension, same as anyone else), and no union. Plus they should have a Bachelor’s degree at least, heavy on psychology for theoretical underpinnings, anthro to sensitise to cross-cultural issues, and social work for practical grounding.

And if they show they can’t handle the job, they get a stipend while retraining, possibly while also imprisoned for what they did to show their unfitness.

#16

Doesn’t sound like it.

#17

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#18

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#19

While I was shocked and sickened by what happened to this young woman, and the cop was definitely out of line, she had a part in this too. The officer certainly should not have asked her why she was aggravated, but Sandra did not need to carry on like that. Granted I am a middle aged white woman and don’t have the cultural experiences of an African America but you don’t mouth off to the police! I have been pulled over more times than I care to admit, however, I am always respectful to the officer involved.

Again the officer lost control and made a bad situation a disaster (that whole bit about the cigarette was ludicrous) but she also upped the drama with her lack of cooperation and her screaming. In the beginning the officer was polite and respectful but that didn’t last. He should never have asked her why she was upset and Sandra should not have answered. People need to learn to take responsibility for their actions and to also pick their battles. This was not a battle situation but somehow it escalated to one.

It is so incredibly sad that an educated and intelligent woman’s life should have ended over a warning, A Warning! I doubt she committed suicide the day before posting bail and I pray the truth comes out and the people responsible are punished.

#20

Yes, according to other articles I’ve read, he’s on “administrative duty” until the investigation is completed.

#21

A jail video asserts it was a plastic trash-sized bag that was in her cell. According to that video, she used that to asphyxiate herself.

#22

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#23

Video shows how a manufactured traffic stop, manufactured confrontation, culture of abusive police demands, violence and contempt for citizens rights and dignity are on display for all to see and hear. Instant obedience is demanded and anything less will lead to police violence, and in this case a totally unnecessary death. The death of Sandra Bland is entirely of police making, she never should have been even stopped, much less baited, forced from her car, attacked, abused, arrested and jailed. She claimed/said that the cop was tailgating and she pulled over to let him by, and that was cause for “failing to signal” & BS stop - cop also misrepresented his actions and Sandra’s on video. This is a civil rights case! Enough!

#24

Hmmm, I wonder if the autopsy checked to see if she might have been raped or sodomized while in the “safe” custody of a Texas Bastille?
;-})