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Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956
In January 2013, police raided the home of a Cleveland drug dealer, saying in a search warrant that an informant had recently bought crack cocaine there.
But the drug dealer had surveillance cameras that proved the officers were lying. He gave the tapes to his lawyer, who showed the FBI. The feds then worked to uncover a massive scandal of a rogue street-crimes unit that robbed and framed drug suspects who felt they had no choice but plead guilty to fraudulent charges.
Four years later, authorities are still unwinding the damage.
Three cops who worked for the city of East Cleveland are in prison. Cases against 22 alleged drug dealers have been dismissed. Authorities are searching for another 21 people who are eligible to have their convictions tossed. On top of those injustices, there is a slim chance that any of them will be fully reimbursed, because the disgraced officers and their former employer don't have the money.
Source: NBC News
(Score: 5, Insightful) by khallow on Tuesday March 28 2017, @03:02PM (12 children)
after all, the residents voted for, and are responsible for their local government
If I'm going to be "responsible" for a government to the point that my property will be seized for its illegal activities, then I want a lot more control over it than a lousy vote.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 28 2017, @07:41PM (11 children)
You do have more than just a vote. You could... attend the town, county or state meetings that are open to the public where said policies are discussed and decided upon before placed up for vote... You know, actually engage in politics on a personal level? Then you would have an opportunity to comment more than yay or nay... If you don't exercise that right, then you have no excuse come voting time.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Tuesday March 28 2017, @08:04PM (7 children)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 28 2017, @08:13PM (6 children)
You do have personal hire/fire power. So does everyone else in your locality. It's called a vote. Get off your lazy ass and actually participate in your local politics and vote for your local politicians rather than just voting for president. And if your state/county/township is backwards enough where you don't have the right to vote on their position, strive to make the political changes so that you do. Again it's your own fault if you do not. You will never get a personal veto power which is what you really want.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Tuesday March 28 2017, @10:31PM (5 children)
You do have personal hire/fire power. So does everyone else in your locality. It's called a vote.
And that's fine as long as my vote is the only one that counts and the results of my vote are immediately carried out without question. Keep in mind that I'm not talking about the usual tripe, my ass is supposedly on the line here with complete fiscal responsibility and possibly legal responsibility as well. Thus, I demand more power and control to reflect that supposed vastly enlarged responsibility.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 29 2017, @12:27AM (4 children)
The only thing enlarged might be your forehead if you think you are special enough to deserve the power our president does not even have. You might want to look up the definition of the word 'hyperbole' it might be relevant. Your ass is safe since this whole idea is bogus. Relax, and take your meds it might help.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday March 29 2017, @03:12AM (3 children)
The only thing enlarged might be your forehead if you think you are special enough to deserve the power our president does not even have.
Deserve? No. It's power commensurate to the responsibility. If you don't like me having that level of power, then don't try to give me that level of responsibility.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Wednesday March 29 2017, @11:32AM (2 children)
If someone claims I have the power to bring about X, yet someone has equal power to prevent or undo X, then I do not have the power to bring about X, and that person's claims are utterly void.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday March 30 2017, @12:56AM (1 child)
To use the inevitable car analogy, it's much easier to avoid wrapping your car around a tree, when it faithfully executes your intent (such as a jerk on the steering wheel moving you towards the center of the road and brakes that slow you down, should you be traveling at excessive speed) rather than having oh a 40% chance the vehicle does exactly the wrong thing instead.
And how can anyone justify holding you completely responsible for an accident, when they force you into this dodgy vehicle that you have so little control over and which will zoom off the road in a few hundred yards no matter how frantically you flail at the steering wheel and stamp on the brake pedal?
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Thursday March 30 2017, @09:09AM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 4, Informative) by art guerrilla on Wednesday March 29 2017, @12:01AM (2 children)
oh sweet geebus:
AS IF there is a true choice among the candidates, and NOT JUST Candidate A from one branch of the Korporate Money Party, and Candidate B from the other branch of the Korporate Money Party... WHAT THE FUCK 'good' does going to all the meetings, engaging in YOUR brand of the Korporate Money Party's organizing meetings, when there is ONLY going to be a 'choice' between tweedle-dee, and tweedle-dum made by the bankrolling puppet masters who despise the 99% ? ? ?
did you just get out of 7th grade civics class and ACTUALLY believe all that propaganda ? ? ?
*sheesh* i can not believe an adult over the age of 21 could spout such risible nonsense...
um, sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, snowflake, but there ain't no America no more, it is Empire all the way down, sparklepony...
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 29 2017, @12:15AM (1 child)
Those candidates from Korporate Money Party don't just pop out of thin air. They still have to start at the bottom of the political barrel that is being a local politician and work their way up. These people are already active in politics long before the reach seats in congress or the senate or the presidency. If you don't oppose them at the local level you can't expect to do so at the national. At least I LISTENED in 7th grade civics class and didn't just roll my eyes because it did not fit with my world view, eyed the cheerleader with the very low neckline sitting next to me or stared blankly out the window because I couldn't grasp what was being said. You my poor friend have fallen for the lie that is our political structure is broken. It's not, it's just getting rather ugly right now because some people can't deal with not getting they want.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 29 2017, @06:25AM
It's not, it's just getting rather ugly right now because some people can't deal with not getting they want.
The majority of the constituencies are getting what they want the most.
The majority of the voters care a lot more about stuff like abortion, gun rights than they do about other stuff and they vote accordingly.
The majority of the corporations behind the lobbyists don't really care that much about such stuff (they'll publicly go along with whatever the majority of the voters want). The corporations care more about lower taxes and regulations, and strengthening+increasing their monopolies. And that is why you see corporations funding both R and D candidates. As long as the candidates will support their goals and have a chance of winning they get the $$$$. The other candidates don't.
The winning candidates get power, position and $$$$$$.
Thus "everyone" gets what they want the most. Win-win right?
The problem is when "everyone" wants stuff that's not good for them in the long run. But who really knows what's good in the long run? And good for who/what?