First Freddie Gray Trial Begins: Stakes are high in Baltimore as the trial for one of six police officers indicted in the April death of Freddie Gray begins Monday with jury selection. Juliet Linderman of the AP reports that Officer William Porter, accused of failing to get medical help for Gray during a 45-minute trip in a police van, faces charges of assault, manslaughter, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office. The five other officers will be tried separately beginning in January, and trials are expected to last until the spring. Gray, a 25-year-old black man, was arrested in April, initially handcuffed and placed in the back of the police van, and later had his legs shackled while the van made several stops over the course of 45 minutes. He was discovered unresponsive and died one week later of a spinal injury, sparking rioting and unrest that continues to plague the city. An acquittal could result in further protests and unrest while a conviction could damage the city's police department. "The future of the city is at stake," says Police Commissioner Kevin Davis.
Less Debate, More Action Needed for Refugees: In a radio interview, border Congressman Henry Cueller (D-Laredo) said that rather than debate over the fate of Syrian refugees, the U.S. needs a plan of action for handling the coming flood of people from the Middle East, as they are already showing up at the southern border. WOAI reports that two groups of Syrians, mainly families, have already entered the U.S. by crossing over from Mexico and claiming political asylum, adding to an increased surge in asylum-seekers from Central America as well as a large number of Cubans flooding into the U.S. When refugees arrive at the southern border, standard procedure places them in detention centers, though many are released on bonds or ankle monitors after only a few months. Cueller suggests that the U.S. collaborate with Mexico to make it more difficult for refugees to gain access to the U.S., noting that they successfully stopped 174,000 people last year attempting to enter the U.S.
U of C Threat Linked to Laquan McDonald Shooting: An online threat causing the cancellation of classes and closure of the University of Chicago Hyde Park campus Monday has resulted in one person being taken into custody. Jodi S. Cohen and Lolly Bowean of the Chicago Tribune report that the arrested individual is a student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and posted a threat online outlining his plan to shoot and kill 16 white students and/or staff members in the campus quad, citing last year's fatal shooting of 17-year-old black teenager Laquan McDonald by white Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke. Van Dyke shot McDonald 16 times and was charged last week with first-degree murder.
Burglar Stuck in Chimney
Died when Fire is Lit: A burglar stuck
in the chimney of a California home died after the homeowner lit a fire in the
fireplace. Fox News reports that
19-year-old Cody Caldwell is believed to have climbed into the chimney Friday
night to burgle the Central California home, and was stuck for almost 24 hours
when the male homeowner returned home Saturday afternoon and lit a fire. The homeowner attempted to put out the fire
when he heard Caldwell screaming, and when firefighters arrived and dismantled
the chimney, it was too late. Caldwell died
of burns and smoke inhalation. His criminal
history was not immediately available.
In addition to repeated entries about immigrants and refugees, perhaps the following is also worth mentioning:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/11/robert_lewis_dear_is_one_of_many_religious_extremists_bred_in_north_carolina.html
I wish that writers who (quite correctly) deplore these calculated abortion clinic murders would speak up in favor of the death penalty for the people who commit them. Somehow, I never seem to see that.
It is true that there are murderous Bible-pounders. Some of us -- you and I, for example -- would prosecute them to the full extent of the law, no apologies, no excuses. But this fact does not negate the fact that there are murderous Koran-thumpers who deserve the same treatment. If I said that where I teach, however, there is a segment that will accuse me of being a "barbaric Islamophobe."
As for immigrants, they should do what my father's parents (Germans) did -- come in by following the rules, and then pay their own freight without expecting everyone else to pick up the tab for them. Being responsible under the law starts with being responsible for one's own life and decisions.
Of course entering the US illegally is a crime, while citizens traveling from state to state is not a crime. Because our immigration laws are not enforced, causing a daily stream of tragic results, we repeatedly report it. As Bill noted, when fanatics of any stripe kill people, we believe that they should be promptly prosecuted and executed, which is why we have repeated entries on the enforcement of the death penalty.
I have heard calls for Dear to be prosecuted under the Federal Access to Clinic Entrances Act, 18 U.S.C. ยง248. Unfortunately, the sponsors of that legislation intentionally omitted the death penalty for violations resulting in death (subd. (b), at the end).
I think he should be prosecuted on federal terrorism-related charges, which would carry the death penalty, because he is a domestic terrorist. I also think it will be the proverbial cold day in hell before that happens.