We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Sunday, May 20, 2012

NYPD Stop And Frisks: 15 Shocking Facts About A Controversial Program

Click here to access article by Christopher Mathias from Huffington Post.

Recall the recent incident in Florida where a neighborhood watch volunteer acted on the basis of racial profiling which resulted in the death of teenager Trayvon Martin?. Well, that seems to be standard practice by New York City police in certain sections of the city. Apparently they repealed the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution in New York which states:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Finally, after many years of this practice a class-action suit will be heard in a Federal District Court as reported here.
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