O
Octopus Messiah
Guest
Dear America:
First, thank you for never arresting me for the felonious things I totally didn't do in the 90's. I'd like to think I made the most of that ten-year mandatory minimum sentence of freedom from a federal penitentiary. For totally not growing/trafficking what is now de-facto legal in California.
Second: this right here is some sorry ass bullshit.
You have become a police state.
This police state is, at best, biased against the rights of minorities and at worst, shoots unarmed black people in the head. Often.
Since the Reagan/Bush era, you have been setting up SWAT and paramilitary forces in little towns all across the country. We are told they are there to fight terrorism and protect against school shootings like Columbine (where SWAT teams, plural, were actually held back as the situation was deemed too dangerous for police).
While they wait for these statistically microscopic terrorist events in, say, Pork Chop, Iowa, these SWAT teams are used for small time drug busts in order to fund themselves through asset forfeiture (read: breaking into people's homes on no-knock warrants and taking all their stuff-- who's the looter now?) All under the jolly umbrella of the War on Drugs. War on Terror. War on Christmas-- the point is War. Against the very population you're sworn to protect.
As far as I can tell-- and lately I've been keeping you at ocean's distance-- you have spread a massive and institutionally racist standing army across the land like peanut butter..
This army's most dangerous weapon is not its ruthless tactics , intimidating uniforms or military hardware. This army's most dangerous weapon is its Us versus Them mentality. And by them, you know exactly who I mean, nudge-nudge, wink-wink.
This army arrests and imprisons disproportionately more blacks than whites for exactly the same crime-- crack/coke, tomato/to-mah-to.
Worse, this army-- and its courts most especially-- give lighter (or no!) penalties for helping bankrupt an entire economy than for looting the local liquor store. Unless they're drunken frat boys "blowing off steam." Kids, eh?
Did I mention the head shootings?
Your police kill more Americans on a daily basis than the Taliban could ever dream.
Finally, you have a political right wing, newly empowered, in both houses of government (congratulations almosteverybody% white male Republicans!) that rails against "Big Government coming to take our guns" while at the same time militarizing, funding and empowering the very people who would, if it came to it, actually come to take your guns.
I've been living in Europe for 13 years all told and have travelled quite a bit since I left your shores for good in 2003. And while I haven't been to *every* country, I feel obliged to state what has increasingly become your motto:
Look out for Number One, baby!
And I mean over your shoulder because right now it sure as hell ain't you.
Sincerely,
Unarmed White Guy. I'd put my hands up but hey, I'm probably good.
ps. please excuse the statement of the obvious-- living the UK with this accent can make a person tired of explaining. Oh, and here's an obligatory pic of the dog doing the Heisman (American Football! Yay!) because this is social media. Rant over.
First, thank you for never arresting me for the felonious things I totally didn't do in the 90's. I'd like to think I made the most of that ten-year mandatory minimum sentence of freedom from a federal penitentiary. For totally not growing/trafficking what is now de-facto legal in California.
Second: this right here is some sorry ass bullshit.
You have become a police state.
This police state is, at best, biased against the rights of minorities and at worst, shoots unarmed black people in the head. Often.
Since the Reagan/Bush era, you have been setting up SWAT and paramilitary forces in little towns all across the country. We are told they are there to fight terrorism and protect against school shootings like Columbine (where SWAT teams, plural, were actually held back as the situation was deemed too dangerous for police).
While they wait for these statistically microscopic terrorist events in, say, Pork Chop, Iowa, these SWAT teams are used for small time drug busts in order to fund themselves through asset forfeiture (read: breaking into people's homes on no-knock warrants and taking all their stuff-- who's the looter now?) All under the jolly umbrella of the War on Drugs. War on Terror. War on Christmas-- the point is War. Against the very population you're sworn to protect.
As far as I can tell-- and lately I've been keeping you at ocean's distance-- you have spread a massive and institutionally racist standing army across the land like peanut butter..
This army's most dangerous weapon is not its ruthless tactics , intimidating uniforms or military hardware. This army's most dangerous weapon is its Us versus Them mentality. And by them, you know exactly who I mean, nudge-nudge, wink-wink.
This army arrests and imprisons disproportionately more blacks than whites for exactly the same crime-- crack/coke, tomato/to-mah-to.
Worse, this army-- and its courts most especially-- give lighter (or no!) penalties for helping bankrupt an entire economy than for looting the local liquor store. Unless they're drunken frat boys "blowing off steam." Kids, eh?
Did I mention the head shootings?
Your police kill more Americans on a daily basis than the Taliban could ever dream.
Finally, you have a political right wing, newly empowered, in both houses of government (congratulations almosteverybody% white male Republicans!) that rails against "Big Government coming to take our guns" while at the same time militarizing, funding and empowering the very people who would, if it came to it, actually come to take your guns.
I've been living in Europe for 13 years all told and have travelled quite a bit since I left your shores for good in 2003. And while I haven't been to *every* country, I feel obliged to state what has increasingly become your motto:
Look out for Number One, baby!
And I mean over your shoulder because right now it sure as hell ain't you.
Sincerely,
Unarmed White Guy. I'd put my hands up but hey, I'm probably good.
ps. please excuse the statement of the obvious-- living the UK with this accent can make a person tired of explaining. Oh, and here's an obligatory pic of the dog doing the Heisman (American Football! Yay!) because this is social media. Rant over.
