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

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Police Speak Out: Why They Harass and Violate Rights of The Innocent

Click here to access article from OccupyEducated.

What is seen here in New York City may be the future for all cities across the country as our capitalist run society continues to deteriorate due to diminishing resources and destruction of our environment. If you are Muslim, a minority member, an anarchist, poor, and live in certain areas of the city, you are already living in a police state. This article provides the living details from both those who are harassed and those who are hired by the One Percent to do the harassing (the police).
New York State law prohibits the use of quotas for arrests, summonses, and stops by the NYPD. But, active officers (speaking on condition of anonymity) explain that quotas are definitely being used, and officers are threatened with retaliation if they don't meet them.