All posts by Nativegrl77

In memory… Freddie Gray

It looks like Baltimore police are trying to blame Freddie Gray for his own death.

Police and prosecutors are refusing to officially release information about the investigation into Freddie Gray’s death. But at the same time, someone just leaked a police document that quotes a prisoner who rode in the same van as Gray, saying that Gray “was intentionally trying to injure himself.”¹This anonymous leak almost certainly came from someone in the Baltimore police department.

It’s despicable. And it’s exactly the same type of victim-blaming we saw years ago when Baltimore police gave another Baltimore resident a “rough ride,” paralyzing him and eventually killing him in a hauntingly similar case.²

We’ve seen time and time again what happens when police are given the authority and political cover to police themselves. No transparency. No accountability. No prosecution. Unless Governor Hogan brings independent oversight to this case, we can expect the same familiar miscarriage of justice.^3,4

Will you join nearly 40,000 ColorOfChange member in urging Governor Hogan to appoint Attorney General Frosh to assist the case against Freddie Gray’s killers?

The prisoner quoted in this leak was separated from Gray by a metal barrier, so he couldn’t have seen Gray. According to the leaked document, he claims he heard Gray banging on the walls, and that he thinks Gray was trying to hurt himself. But if Gray was banging on the walls, it could be because he was desperately trying to get help.⁵We already know that he had been requesting medical attention, and those requests were ignored.

And Gray might not have been banging on the walls at all. According to other versions of the story, Gray was unresponsive by the time the second person was loaded into the van.⁶Whatever happened, what’s clear is that this leak is an attempt to shape the story in a way that absolves police of responsibility — at a time when law enforcement is refusing to release other information about the case.

Nearly 40,000 ColorOfChange members are urging Governor Hogan to send Attorney General Frosh to support the investigation and prosecution of Freddie Gray’s death. This leak makes it clear that the current investigation cannot be trusted. Baltimore police and State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby are heading down the same path of denied justice that has allowed Baltimore’s crisis of discriminatory police violence to flourish for years.

In 2014, 100% of people killed by Baltimore Police were Black. And almost none of those officers have ever been held accountable.⁷ Over the past 5 years, Baltimore police have paid millions to people injured and paralyzed by police “rough rides.”⁸ Freddie Gray was killed. And his family, Baltimore, and America have the right to an independent investigation that gets to the bottom of what happened and ensures the greatest measure of justice.

Take action to escalate pressure on Governor Hogan and build the widespread support we will need to win.

Thanks and peace,

— Rashad, Matt, Arisha, Lyla, Shani, and the rest of the ColorOfChange team

April 30th, 2015

References

1. “Prisoner in van said Freddie Gray was ‘trying to injure himself,’ document says,” Washington Post 4-29-2015
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4783?t=5&akid=4326.1174326.ll2mw6

2. “Freddie Gray not the first to come out of Baltimore police van with serious injuries,” The Baltimore Sun Post 04-23-2015
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4784?t=7&akid=4326.1174326.ll2mw6

3. “Police Kill Black Women All The Time, Too — We Just Don’t Hear About It,” Bustle 12-08-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4785?t=9&akid=4326.1174326.ll2mw6

4. “Why I Don’t Trust Baltimore Prosecutors with Freddie Gray Case,” Legal Speaks 4-22-2015
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4769?t=11&akid=4326.1174326.ll2mw6

5. “Prisoner Was Wrong: Freddie Gray Didn’t Kill Himself,” Daily Beast, 4-30-2015
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4789?t=13&akid=4326.1174326.ll2mw6

6. “Baltimore Cop’s Relative Claims Freddie Gray Was Injured Before He Got In Van,” Daily Beast, 4-30-2015
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4790?t=15&akid=4326.1174326.ll2mw6

7. BaltimoreUprising.org
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4788?t=17&akid=4326.1174326.ll2mw6

8. “Baltimore’s “rough rides”: the city has paid out millions to people injured in police vans,” Vox, 04-28-2015
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4786?t=19&akid=4326.1174326.ll2mw6

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

1974 – Ella T. Grasso was elected governor of Connecticut. She was the first woman in the U.S. to win a governorship without succeeding her husband.

03/05/2023 Nativegrl77

Written By: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
See Article History See the source image

In 1974 Grasso campaigned successfully for the Democratic nomination for governor and in November decisively defeated her Republican opponent.

With her inauguration in January 1975 she became the first woman to serve as governor of Connecticut and the first woman to hold a state governorship solely on her own merits (all previous women governors had been wives of former governors).

In September 1978 Grasso fought off a primary challenge by her lieutenant governor and was nominated for a second term. She was reelected by a large majority in November and began a second four-year term, but she resigned on New Year’s Eve in 1980 because of illness. She was described as a symbolic rather than doctrinaire feminist leader; she opposed legalized abortion, did not actively support affirmative action, and supported the proposed Equal Rights Amendment but did not campaign for it. She was a popular politician who, in 28 years as a public figure, never lost an election.

Resources: Britannica

A-Z Quotes

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11 yr old to police: rape is a crime

03/04/2023 Nativegrl77

Kaia* was eleven years old when she was assaulted and raped on the way to school. A teacher took her to the hospital, but the police demanded bribes for even taking down a statement.
So Kaia did something incredibly brave. She sued the police for failing to protect her. What’s even more incredible is what happened next.
In Kenya where Kaia lives, a woman or girl is raped every 30 minutes. Police there routinely turn a blind eye, further isolating terrified young survivors and reinforcing the notion that rape is ok.
Kaia and ten other young survivors challenged that. On the day of the case, ignoring threats to their safety and a blockade from court security, they marched from their shelter to the courthouse, chanting “Haki yangu” — Kiswahili for “I demand my rights.” And then the judge issued his ruling: The girls had won!
The amazing advocates and human rights lawyers that worked with Kaia are ready to bring similar lawsuits against police forces across Africa and beyond, but they need funding to do it. We won’t process pledges until we reach our goal, but if just 30,000 of us pledge a small amount now, we can repeat this game-changing victory in other countries, remind police that rape is a crime, and take a powerful step forward against the global war on wom

When Kaia’s story began, she looked set to become just another of the countless victims of child rape ignored by the police. But Kenyan child rights advocate Mercy Chidi and Canadian human rights lawyer Fiona Sampson joined forces to challenge this injustice in the courts.
The plan was hatched in Kenya by a group of colleagues from Canada, Kenya, Malawi and Ghana — it seemed like a long shot to sue the police force for failing to act, but they stuck with it and took risks… and made legal history. The work has just begun: like any win, it takes time, effort and money to make sure the ruling sticks, and to use it as a springboard to wipe out violence against women.
If we raise enough, here’s how we could turn a huge victory for Kenya into a win for countries across Africa and even the rest of the world:

help fund more cases like this, across Africa and around the world
use hard-hitting campaign strategies to make sure these groundbreaking judgments are enforced
push for massive, effective public education campaigns that strike at the root of sexual violence and help erase it for good
respond to more campaign opportunities like this case — with super smart strategies that turn the tide in the war on women.

As citizens, we often appeal to political leaders and other officials to get serious about protecting women’s rights. It’s important to keep doing that, but when they fail to hear their consciences, we need to appeal to their interests, and take them to court. That sends a powerful message: not only that there are new consequences for their crimes, but that the era of unchallenged misogyny in the culture of our societies is coming to end.
With hope,
Ricken, Maria Paz, Emma, Oli, Nick, Allison, Luca and the rest of the Avaaz team
* Kaia is a pseudonym, but her story is real. She is not pictured here.

PS – To pledge an amount other than the ones listed above, click here.
MORE INFORMATION:
In Kenya, a Victory for girls and rights (The New York Times) http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/05/opinion/global/in-kenya-a-victory-for-girls-and-rights.html Canadians force Kenyan police to answer for ‘inexcusably’ neglecting reports of sexual abuse against girls (National Post) http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05/31/kenyan-police-forced-to-answer-for-neglecting-reports-of-sexual-abuse/ Chance meeting led to justice for rape victims (Toronto Star) http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2013/06/13/chance_meeting_led_to_justice_for_rape_victims_porter.html African women the worst off – report (iOl News) http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/african-women-the-worst-off-report-1.1537277#.UcqVaOthpFR Africa: Violence Against Women Is Epidemic (AllAfrica) http://allafrica.com/stories/201307160410.html India’s Rape Crisis Undermines the Country (The Daily Beast) http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/06/07/india-s-rape-crisis-undermines-the-country.html Malawi country report (UNICEF) http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/malawi.html

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Winter Weather Advisory

02/28/2023 Nativegrl77

Event:	Winter Weather Advisory
Alert:	…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 PM PST TUESDAY… * WHAT…Snow showers expected. Total snow accumulations of a trace to 2 inches for most locations. Isolated areas may receive 2 to 3 inches where heavier or more persistent snow showers develop. * WHERE…The lowlands of western Washington. * WHEN…From 10 PM this evening to 10 PM PST Tuesday. * IMPACTS…Plan on slippery road conditions. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS…The heaviest snowfall may occur between 6 to 10 AM Tuesday which could affect the Tuesday morning commute.
Instructions:	Slow down and use caution while traveling. For the latest road conditions in Washington state, call 5 1 1.
Target Area:	Admiralty Inlet Area Bellevue and Vicinity Bremerton and Vicinity Central Coast East Puget Sound Lowlands Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca Everett and Vicinity Hood Canal Area Lower Chehalis Valley Area North Coast San Juan County Seattle and Vicinity Southwest Interior Tacoma Area Western Skagit County Western Strait of Juan De Fuca Western Whatcom County

NOAA-NWS-ALERTS-WA126637817608.WinterWeatherAdvisory.12663BE88BA0WA.SEWWSWSEW.6a9dd98eb340c1f4e1e4e268bf71bd8c from w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The Rick Scott Squeeze … repost! Remember when he was a gov. remember what he did and compare contrast this to gov desantis

02/28/2023 Nativegrl77

By CAP Action War Room

Rick Scott’s Policies Are Failing Floridians, And They’re Not Happy

Ahead of Florida’s first gubernatorial debate on Friday, Governor Rick Scott is on the hot seat.

From failing to expand Medicaid and opposing an increase to the minimum wage, to ignoring climate change as a central threat to his state, Scott has hurt the lives and livelihoods of millions of Floridians—many of whom are from communities of color. A new Center for American Progress Action Fund report details Scott’s failure to act on behalf of his state’s residents. Accompanying the report, a new survey shows how Floridians disagree with his harmful positions.

The CAP Action report highlights several ways that Gov. Scott is failing Floridians:

Gov. Scott has opposed raising the minimum wage, even though 55 percent of Floridians support raising it to $10.10 per hour and a whopping 79 percent don’t think they could support their family on the current minimum wage. His opposition to raising the wage to $10.10 means that 1.7 million Floridians—including 357,000 African Americans and 536,000 Hispanics—are being denied fair wages. While Scott says efforts to raise the minimum wage make him “cringe,” workers are losing out on $2.1 billion in wages and Florida forgoes $1.3 billion in economic growth. Additionally, raising the minimum wage would save the state money. By putting more money into the pockets of working Floridians, 195,000 people would no longer need food stamps, saving the state $295.1 million each year.
Gov. Scott also now refuses to expand access to health coverage for Floridians through Medicaid, despite the facts that Florida has the third-highest uninsured rate in the nation. Gov. Scott’s failure to act means 764,000 working Floridians fall into the Medicaid coverage gap, including 214,000 African Americans and 200,000 Hispanics. This failure is costing the state 63,000 jobs, $66 billion in additional federal funds, and $20 billion in Florida taxpayer money that is going to other states to fund their expanded Medicaid programs.
Gov. Scott refuses to address climate change. Initially a climate denier, Gov. Scott now says he is “not a scientist,” a new talking point for conservatives who are trying to skirt the issue. This is despite the fact that Florida is one of the most at-risk states from the damaging effects of climate change and Florida voters are less likely to support a candidate who denies that man-made climate change is real. His failure to act means most of South Florida will be completely washed away by the end of the century, according to current forecasts, and risks $9 billion in lost tourism by 2025 and $40 billion by 2050. Hispanics in particular will feel the effects of climate change, since about half of the state’s Hispanic population lives in South Florida counties.

Floridians are recognizing these failures. By a 12-point margin in the latest survey, voters are less likely to vote to for Scott because of his position opposing a minimum wage increase. Voters are less likely to support Scott by an 11-point margin based on his refusal to expand Medicaid to cover the state’s 1 million low- and moderate-income Floridians. And by a 16-point margin, Florida voters are less likely to vote for a candidate — like Scott — who denies that man-made climate change is real.

BOTTOM LINE: Florida Governor Rick Scott’s policies on the minimum wage, Medicaid expansion, and climate change are failing to create an economy that works for every Floridian, not just the wealthiest. Voters in the state disagree with these positions, and they are taking notice.

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