This piece by Radley Balko is the first I had heard of this case (thanks to the emailers), and I am appalled:
Let’s summarize: Cops mistakenly break down the door of a sleeping man, late at night, as part of drug raid. Turns out, the man wasn’t named in the warrant, and wasn’t a suspect. The man, frigthened for himself and his 18-month old daughter, fires at an intruder who jumps into his bedroom after the door’s been kicked in. Turns out that the man, who is black, has killed the white son of the town’s police chief. He’s later convicted and sentenced to death by a white jury. The man has no criminal record, and police rather tellingly changed their story about drugs (rather, traces of drugs) in his possession at the time of the raid.
As someone who fears/dislikes excessive government authority (although not enough to move to Montana and go off the grid), hates the war on drugs, loathes ‘no-knock’ raids an d all the other little ‘goodies’ that have come with the war on drugs (property seizures, etc.), and is opposed the death penalty, a case doesn’t get any worse than this. In fact, this is it- this is THE nightmare scenario, and I have a hard time thinking this is anything about anything other than race and the police covering their asses.
More here, and here is the technorati search for Cory Maye, who from what I can tell is an innocent man condemned to death for sleeping in his own bed.
rilkefan
TalkLeft discussed this. Law and order, man, gotta have your law and order.
Pb
For some reason this reminds me a bit of The Thin Blue Line–this is what happens when cops (and perhaps to a lesser extent judges or juries) care more about vengeance and making someone pay than justice and getting the right guy. It’s sick, and I’m sure it happens more often than we’d like to think.
Kimmitt
We have our differences, man, but this is why I read. Decency does not know a political label.
MI
I guess I’ve never really given it much thought, but what’s the point to all this kicking down the door business like it’s an insurgent safe house in Fallujah? Unless it’s like a hostage situation, it seems completely unnecessary. If they thought this guy had drugs or was part of a drug ring or whatever, sit outside his house in an unmarked car, wait for him to come out, take him down, check out his house, and that’s that.
I feel a bit silly questioning something that’s obviously a huge part of what police do, I’m the furthest thing from an expect, but from the sidelines this rambo stuff seems like overkill.
I feel horrible for this guy and his family.. it sucks that this kind of thing happens here.
ppGaz
It’s faster and cheaper than a stakeout. And in the War on Drugs, the people being warred on are disposable.
When the world is divided up between the Good People and the Bad Guys, these choices are easy. Bad guys in that house? Fuck ’em. Kick it.
MI
ppGaz, yeah, it’s depressing.
This is a perfect/horrible example of John’s line about the war on drugs being a war on your neighbors.
Andrei
If this story is true, it’s amazing that a man sleeping in his own bed, doing what every gun-toting NRA supporter promotes (owning a gun and using it on intruders in his own house) gets the death penalty as well.
Puts the law and order conservatives who support gun rights come hell or high water in a tricky position, doesn’t it?
The Disenfranchised Voter
I hope this story gains traction. It is outrageous.
This issue is supportable no matter what your political leanings (unless you’re authoritarian, that is) are. Stephen Gordon put it quite interestingly:
“Just a random thought: This may be one time where the NRA and the ACLU could work together in order to ensure a just outcome in the case.”
One can hope.
MI
Oh, wow, I don’t know how, but on the first read through I missed that he was sentenced to death. I just went from angry and depressed to sick.
There has to be more to this. Every year there are a few stories that make everyone’s head explode, but this is just waaaaay too much. How could this happen?
MI
..collected a tip..was selling drugs out of his home.. the task force donned paramilitary gear, and conducted a drug raid on Smith’s house.
I realize I’m late to the table being outraged by this kind of thing, but oh my god how absurd and inappropriate and out of bounds and freaking insane. I think I’m going full on Drum-esque depressive mode about this.
Any elected officials out there talking about this?
M. Scott Eiland
This looks like a good occasion for the governor’s pardon power, assuming the facts are as given. Even if one postulated that the police did knock and that Mr. Mayes’ actions were not reasonable, this never should have been a death penalty case. However, I decline to go beyond that to find any deep meaning in this case regarding capital punishment in general, except to suggest that state level review by the AG’s office to make sure that small town officials aren’t railroading defendants over personal grudges might not be a bad idea.
OCSteve
So why are all the celebs promoting Tookie and Mumia rather than a truly innocent man?
Gold Star for Robot Boy
Shoulda just tortured him. The man would’ve coughed up every drug dealer he knew in the Pearl River Basin.
srv
Imagine you’re a juror in that town. You choose to not convict. See how long you last.
war on drugs
Happens all the time, but usually involves a druggie sitting on his couch and not having the slightest clue what’s happening at the no-knock.
This is what you people vote for, why are you surprised?
srv
Trying again. More similar cases:
war on drugs
The Disenfranchised Voter
I rarily meet people who agree with the War on Drugs.
I sort of wonder where it gets it spport from. But I was thinking…is the WoD an issue in which the people who don’t support it are more vocal than the people who do?
physics geek
I too missed the part about the death penalty being applied, which means that I’m feeling nauseated right now instead of yesterday.
This police department needs an overhaul. Ditto the DA’s office. Being tough on crime doesn’t mean convicting a innocent man simply trying to defend himself and his daughter from unidentified intruders. Complete bullshit, as well as frightening.
“I’m from the government and I’m here to help you!”
Pull on the other one dear; it has bells on it.
NDC
Unbelievable. This is the kind of story that should be getting the kind of attention that “Tookie” whatshisname is getting. On one hand you have a black man who did what I would have done in his shoes and getting sent up the river and this is the first most of us hear about it, and on the other there’s a guy that undisputably killed several people in cold blood, and Hollywood and the NAACP is going to the mat to get his sentence commuted. What’s wrong with this picture?
Bob In Pacifica
Capital punishment is the ultimate premeditated murder.
Krista
This is absolutely sickening. And even if he had been sentenced to life in prison instead of death, it would still be sickening. And I don’t like it when people read race into everything, but I really do think that this would not have happened had the man been white. Did those cops not identify themselves as such when they broke down the door? WTF? It’s a sad, sad state of affairs. And what the hell is going to happen to that little girl if her daddy gets sent to death row? Do they think she’s got any kind of chance of having a good life, knowing that her dad was killed by the fucked-up system?
rachel
Disgusting. You’d think that in a country where the founders wrote protections against exactly this kind of thing into the Constitution that this kind of case would not happen. And yet here it is.
Maye’s family don’t sound too bright either. Why did they hire a know-nothing from California instead of getting in touch with the ACLU?
Far North
Nothing is more stunningly futile and counterproductive than America’s war on drugs (although the Iraq war is giving it a run for its money). The war on drugs is just another in the long line of symbols that the GOP is so in love with, never mind that it is ineffective and often counterproductive. The war on drugs gives the image that the United States is doing something.
Now, many Democrats too support the stupidly reasoned war on drugs but it is the Repbulicans that add high octane fuel to the cause (William F Buckley nothwithstanding). Remember, it was ratcheted up several notches by Ronald Reagan (remember zero tolerance and Bill Bennet?) and expanded by upon by Bush 41.
What is wrong with the leaders of our country that they can observe decades of futility in the war on drugs and continue to rise up in rightoues indignation whenever someone proposes a different approach to drugs in America.
While many Democrats are just as guilty of supporting this stupidity, the war on drugs futility will never, ever stop while the Republicans are in power. Never, ever.
The Disenfranchised Voter
I just finished writing a diary over at dKos about this. Please go an recommend the diary if you have an account.
We need to get this injustice as much attention as possible.
Diary Here
Thank you.
Anderson
This one’s in my own glorious state of Mississippi, and I’m going to be keeping an eye on it. Don’t know why an appeal hasn’t been filed — I checked our state appellate docket, and nada. Apparently the new lawyer really is screwing up.
Anyway, I have been passing along the Balko & Instapundit links to some Republican friends in state gov’t, to prime the pump as it were. Right now, if the facts are as described, we have some reason to hope that the sentence (at least) will be reversed on appeal.
CaseyL
When I think about the accumulation of incredibly bad policies and what passes for debate about them (the WoD, the WoT), and the incredibly bad implementation of policy (cops bursting in on sleeping persons without identifying themselves, and becoming enraged when they get shot at), and the general public reaction to all the above, I can’t help thinking:
For something that’s supposed to be the Crown of Creation, we are amazingly Dumb Fucks.
The WoD is Exhibit A. Hell, the WoD is Exhibits A-Q. I’m not sure there’s ever been a more stubbornly boneheaded policy, pursued with such idiot fervency, or such a wilfully blind eye to the counterproductive, superdestructive consequences.
Honest to God, could just legalizing everything possibly be worse than this 40-year legacy of murderous, compassionless draconianism?
Imagine if we had put the same resources into prevention and rehabilitation that we put into punishment. We’d have fewer addicts, fewer people in prison, fewer cartels, less law enforcement corruption… and maybe a 4th Amendment that was still worth something.
Hell, without the 40-year legacy of ripping the 4th Amendment to pieces and pissing on the pieces, we likely wouldn’t have been so inured to unreasonable search and seizure and the Patriot Act wouldn’t have sailed through Congress without a fight.
Jon H
phys writes; “This police department needs an overhaul.”
Starting with disbanding their swat team and selling the equipment to a city that really needs it. Cali, Colombia, maybe. Or Baghdad.
A lot of these cases are fed by a podunk police department trying to justify the money they’ve spent on SWAT teams and equipment and half-assed training.
Ancient Purple
This type of case make my stomach turn. Everyone is exactly right about the race issue. If he was white, there would be an investigation and a press release about “unfortunate circumstances” with nothing else happening.
I really wish we would stop the WoD. God knows how many people are in Florence, AZ (our state prison in Arizona) for smoking or selling pot.
I swear I am more concerned about the damage people driving while chatting on cell phones can do than people who smoke pot.
The worst marijuana users can do is take up knitting and eat 40 boxes of Twinkies in under an hour.
Krista
Bleah, I don’t care how stoned I am, I do not enjoy Twinkies. Now, a nice Swiss Chalet 1/4 chicken dinner, on the other hand…
AlanDownunder
Well said, JC. Retributory ‘justice’ at itd finest.
Also, gun ownership is a mixed blessing, no?
stickler
No, it won’t. The NRA was founded in 1871. By angry Southerners who were bitter about some unpleasantness that ended — sort of — in 1865.
The NRA is not going to leap to the defense of a black man who defended himself from the Mississippi police. Ever.
John S.
I would tend to agree. Then again, I have an awful predeliction for smoking the reefer and driving…goes back to my college days. I loved hitting the open roads of rural Florida and driving around jamming to some good tunes. Not that I would recommend it to everyone, but I attribute my knack for it to countless hours of driving in Gran Turismo.
Incidentally, I have a clean driving record and zero accidents.
rilkefan
Secret laws, for you libertarians out there. Well, guess I am a libertarian too in the “civil” sense..
Sine.Qua.Non
The Patriot Acts have helped the police and FBI have more power to invade our privacy without a warrant or just cause…
You still have time to tell your rep to take that power away from law enforcement.
This is just one of many other disgusting abuses of power. I hate this shit. Executions are primitive and these Gestapo tactics are hideous. To hell with the “war on drugs”…what a joke. Its simply a way for the government to freeze your assets and keep them………for that other war, which is about as successful.
DougJ
Listening to a member of the Patriot Act party complain about invasion of privacy is like listening to a Christian scientist complain about medical care.
DougJ
This is far more obscene.
Ancient Purple
DougJ,
I read that and was absolutely disgusted. Sending home troop’s bodies as run-of-the-mill cargo isn’t an oversight. It is tragic and I hope that someone will be fired over this.
Then, I remember that Bush is president and Rumsfeld is SoD, so I don’t expect anything to happen other than they will say that some need to sacrifice because its wartime.
Quite frankly, I hope Bush and Rumsfeld rot in Hell.
DEAN BERRY -- REAL AMERICAN
YOU NAZICOMMS ARE BECOMING MORE CONFUSED BY THE DAY. WHAT DID YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN WHEN YOU FLOODED AMERICA WITH DRUGS, THEN GAVE THE POLICE ABSOLUTE POWER? THANK YOU, JESUS CHRIST, FOR CREATING HELL FOR THESE EVIL ANIMALS. YOU ARE TRULY GOD.
KCinDC
Far North, we had more than 40 years of the Cuba embargo, but apparently we’re still hoping that it’ll finally work any day now. Changing bad policies is almost impossible when they’re symbolic of something a large segment of the American public is fanatical about.
Unfortunately, I see no evidence that Democrats are any more likely to end the war on drugs than Republicans. If anything, a Republican president might be more likely to get away with ending it, just as Nixon could get away with opening relations with China because of his strong anticommunist credentials.
And those of you complaining about Hollywood’s ignoring this case, we’re talking about Mississippi. Would intervention by the likes of Barbara Streisand and Ed Asner help or hurt Maye?
BoDiddly
I agree that this is outrageous–if the facts sit alone exactly as they’ve been presented here. There are a few gaps in the story, though.
First, a “SWAT” team in a small Mississippi town is generally nonexistant. The team that conducted this raid is more than likely a handful of local policemen, with members of a regional drug enforcement team along for backup. No small town has a fully-equipped SWAT team like some of you seem to imagine.
That said, the aforementioned officers, both local and regional, are typically armed when in the process of conducting such a raid. Why was the “lead man” unarmed? Further, much has been made of the theory that this man fired on policemen, because he believed them to be intruders. If it truly happened like that, why didn’t the police return fire? Why didn’t any of the officers shoot Maye? He had, by firing on the policemen, presented himself as a threat, and it’s presumed that at the time shots were fired, the policemen thought he was the subject of their warrant. They would have been totally justified in returning fire. Two possible explanations: either there wasn’t the expansive team of officers present as the story leads one to believe, or things were much more “in the open,” giving law enforcement more ability to nonlethally subdue the subject. Cops in the dark getting fired upon don’t typically (and shouldn’t) use restraint in returning fire.
Another missed point is that drug raids here are almost never directed at pot. True that pot smokers are less problematic than drunks in most circumstances. A subject on a heavy dose of crack or crystal, however, presents a different situation altogether, and much of the crime in small towns here are related to those two substances. I’d vote tomorrow to legalize marijuana, but the effects of crack and crystal meth make those two substances much less practical to legalize.
This may truly be a horrible miscarriage of justice. There are presently too many unknowns to discern whether Maye is the perceived innocent victim, however. Taking swipes at Mississippi by invoking stereotypes and caricatures of inherent racism is not helping the facts come out, however. If racism was the factor here that some of you seem to think, an all-out race war would have erupted by now. Truth is, the population is nearly 50/50, and we generally get along very well. It’s not utopian, but it’s not Reconstruction, either.
Quite bluntly, don’t jump to conclusions based upon two facts and fifteen presuppositions. Wait until the appeals process starts. The substance of those appeals will reveal whether the representation of the case running through the blogs is accurate. I assure you, the chances of this man being executed, even if the case against him is iron-clad, within the next 20 years is slim to none, and “slim” left town last week.
ppGaz
I don’t think that’s a reasonable summary of what you see here. The following article will round out some of the factual basis of the story, which only gets worse as I probe deeper into it. For example, the “small towns don’t have a SWAT team” argument goes away when we find that the team was a regional drug enforcement squad. Not a small town group.
We also find, if we read carefully, that the circumstances of the shooting are understandable when we see that the confrontation was not part of the original rush into the house; the people involved in confronting Mr. Maye thought they were entering a secured area.
If anyone is being loose with the facts, it is you, as near as I can tell.
More facts of the case
Barry
phys writes; “This police department needs an overhaul.”
Probably starting with a mass execution.
DougJ
Ancient Purple, John should do a post on that article. It really disturbs me. Not because it makes Rummy look bad, but because it just speaks of a lack of respect for our servicemen that really disgusts me.
ppGaz
Well, are you trolling us now, Doug?
Certainly the story you cite is an indication of the dissociation between the administration and the realities of the war they are waging. And disturbing.
But, worse than the Maye story, as told here?
Are you serious?
One disadvantage of being a spoofer and comedian is that people don’t always know when to take you seriously. IN this case, I have to assume that you are being a wiseass, because the other interpretation makes no sense.
norbizness
Apparently, Radley is having an ongoing discussion with the prosecutor, so check back to the original site for updates.
DougJ
Ppgaz, I guess it isn’t more obscene. I read that article and I felt physically ill (yes, trolls have feelings too). I wasn’t paying that much attention to this thread, but it seemed an appropriate place to bring this story up.
Aren’t you horrified that Mr. God Jesus America Troops America God Jesus Troops Yellow Ribbon God Jesus Troops Freedom God Troops Jesus Troops Jesus Jesus War On Terror Jesus God Bless The Troops Honor The Troops Jesus Noble Sacrifice Freedom Jesus Freedom Jesus Troops is sending the bodies of troops back in *the fucking luggage compartment of commerical flights?*
DougJ
I agree that the story here was worse.
ppGaz
Dismayed, yes. Surprised, no.
DougJ
It’s hard not to be reminded of Animal Farm with this administration.
ppGaz
LOL.
Of course, those feelings must be crushed under our heels.
Ancient Purple
I would like that as well, DJ. The lack of respect is what truly disturbs me.
I will also agree with ppG that you can’t compare the two stories, but I think both need to be covered and hit hard.
scs
ppgaz, sorry, but I think it’s time to crush some of your feelings and speak the truth. I’m tired of your holier-than-thou act when you are probably the biggest troll on here. Your bipolar, guy off his meds act, is getting real old, fast. Start coming up with some real contributions and not just circular logic and cheap insults.
ppGaz
Fuck you. That blast was uncalled for.
If you have some specific complaint, spell it out. Otherwise I’ll assume that this is payback for me blowing your cover as the fake innocent little person who is just trying to have a civil conversation. I don’t buy your phony act. And my act? It’s just me, love it or hate it. I really don’t give a shit one way or the other, especially in your case.
But to the point: Do you have an actual complaint? Spit it out.
scs
Umm, let’s reverse this. My phony act? I think you need more meds cause I think you are getting delusional. Wait, strike, “getting”.
ppGaz
My insults are always the most expensive kind. I spare no expense to insult you.
Circular logic? Example, please. Or else STFU.
ppGaz
I see. And I throw cheap insults?
What the hell are you even talking about?
scs
Every post you write. I have gone out of my way to try and act nice to you because I realize you are not in full control of your mind and your emotions for whatever reasons. So I suppose in a way I have been acting phony to you, if you can call being tolerant “phony”. But that is going to end because you have gotten a free pass too long.
ppGaz
I see.
Well, since your first appearance on this thread is to jump in here and announce that I am guilty of “circular logic,” why don’t you pick one of my posts and point out the circular logic?
Good grief, why on earth would you waste your time doing that? That’s what I mean by “phony.” Stop trying to pretend to be nice, and say what you think. That’s what I do. Life is much simpler that way.
Gold Star for Robot Boy
Whaaaaaah!
I have no dog in this fight, but yeesh.
scs
Great idea, ppgaz. I haven’t done it before to you because I didn’t want to waste my time and get in a pointless argument. You may think a ‘civil conversation’ is ‘phony’, because you can’t comprehend anyone interested in an exchange of ideas and not interested in insults. But you’re right, you have to do as the others do and just throw cheap insults if they do. From now I AM going to do that to you. And we’ll see how much YOU like it and how much YOU can handle it.
Aaron Pollock
Not quite. The NRA was founded by Northerners. Partly in response to a group of Southerners running around in white robes.
ppGaz
Good for you! Why don’t you start by finding some of that circular logic that you think defaces “every post” of mine?
Right here in this thread, plenty of my material to work with. Find me some circular logic.
DougJ
Cheer up, ppgaz. I’ve a great troll going on one of the right-wing sites right now. They’ve surpassed even my wildest expectations for stupidity. The only sad thing is that they’ll delete the thread when I get caught.
I won’t tell you which one — for fear that scs will go and rat me out. He’s just the sort of fink that would do it (unlike Stormy or Darrell).
The Disenfranchised Voter
Circular Logic I SAY!
just kidding.
And I’m confused…isn’t scs the ID chick or is that svs or something?
ppGaz
Mmm, no. I think your conversation is phony.
Big difference. And you’ve sort of confirmed it for me, by pointing out that you don’t say what you really think, in favor of something called going “out of (your) way and act nice.” Whatever in the world that is.
So you said what you think, which is that every post of mine is defective, due to “circular logic.”
So, back it up. Point out the circular logic, please, in a post of mine from this thread. Any one of them should do, right? Including this one.
scs
Maybe later I will. Right now I have other things to do. And as for Dougj, you think you are sooooo clever with your other personas, but they are actually pretty obvious. I suppose that is your substitute for making interesting arguments and a shortcut to get attention. The idea is getting old Dougj. I could care less about your attempt to get attention and would never waste one millisecond of my time to “rat” on you to other blogs.
ppGaz
Well, someone (Sojourner?) told me that scs was a young girl.
I was not convinced, but waited to see what developed. After a week or so of puerile and argumentative stuff dripping with this “sweet little me” wrapping, I decided to toss a firecracker into the pajama party. I called her-him-it a troll and said that the “sweet little me” routine was wearing thin.
Today’s unprovoked attack is payback, as near as I can figure out.
DougJ
Scs, I haven’t done another persona here in weeks. You just accuse other people of being me. (In fairness, ppgaz does, too)
scs
See that’s how you are. That’s why I have no more sympathy for the medical conditions you alluded to that I thought might be affecting your thinking. You’re not ill, you’re just a troll.
ppGaz
Oh dear. And here I thought “every post” of mine was just bulging with defects, according to you. Hmm.
Well, take some advice from you elder, young’un (if that’s what you are). If you are going to have an argument, then have it. Don’t wait a week to decide if you are pissed off and then attack from out of nowhere. It just makes you look silly.
And if you call somebody on “circular logic,” have an example of such circular logic at hand, so that you can show it and make your point. Otherwise, it just makes you look silly.
Nothing wrong with being silly, I do it all the time. But it works better when intentional :-)
The Disenfranchised Voter
Speak for yourself. You know, kinda like you do in all the ID debates.
I for one would love to read DougJ’s latest stuff. That type of shit never gets old when you enjoy laughing at idiots as much as I do.
ppGaz
Again, the bipolar reference? I never said I was bipolar. I said I have a bipolar family member. Which I do, and I promise you, if you haven’t been in that situation, you have no idea what you are talking about.
If you are going to play with the adults, child, you need to learn to pay attention. Okay?
If you think I’m a “troll” for defending an unarmed bipolar person gunned down by trigger happy and poorly trained air marshalls, then good for you.
Make that argument, and be prepared to back it up. Don’t hint at it and slink away. Stand up for what you think.
DougJ
Thank you, TDV.
It’s funny when people like scs think that other commenters are me. That’s the ultimate victory in trolling — getting in the heads of others to where they think you’re everywhere.
scs
No, I never saw you refer to a family member as bipolar. I came up with that diagnosis of you on my own, because of your wild mood swings and the uneven way you write on here. As for writing a thesis backing up my point, sorry don’t feel like it. I’ll just do what you all do, hit and run. After all, you aren’t interested in a real conversation, why should I be? I’ll be around later to hit you when you least expect it. You all take care.
ppGaz
Well, you’ve confirmed my blast of earlier in the week. You are completely dishonest. You have no “circular logic” to complain about at all, you just made it up, didn’t you?
I have no mood swings. My mood is always pretty much bad. I vary my writing style according to context and situation as I see fit. My writing is worth every penny you are paying for it.
Don’t lecture me on “real conversation.” You’re much too dishonest to have a real conversation with anyone. You have spent your entire time here pretending to be something you are not.
“Hit me” when I least expect it? Good grief, kid, you sound really ridiculous. Somebody calls you on your shit, and this is the result?
ppGaz
We are all you, and you know it. And by the way, that scs character you’re writing …. needs some work.
The Disenfranchised Voter
Hmm, I thought they had a term fo rhtta…paranoia perhaps? Heh.
Following in the footsteps of Bill Frist, who made a diagnosis of Terri Schiavo through video tape; scs has made the first diagnosis through blog comments.
She is truly a pioneer!
The Disenfranchised Voter
wow…fo rhtta? I meant to type *for that
Steve S
Not a surprise to see crime enforcement tactics going back to the way they were pre-1993 Clinton era.
sigh…
To fight crime you gotta be down on the streets. you can’t fight it like in Vietnam, where you fly in on your choppers, shoot up the place, and then leave. You’re more than likely to have the wrong target, and you’re even more likely to just leave a bunch of pissed off mother fuckers who fear and hate the police rather than respet them.
If these guys had been down on the streets, or done their research… they would have known this was a duplex and they would have known who lived there… and they would have warned the neighbors and got them out of there before executing their raid.
Fucking idiots. This helped nobody, and got Officer Jones shot.
ppGaz
Es la correcta!
And if there’s a homicide case to be made here, it’s to be made against the boneheads in charge of this raid.
ppGaz
Yeah, and Terri didn’t even have the mood swings I am famous for.
Pb
Based on my remote observations, ppGaz is definitely unipolar (and scs is still nutty). I, on the other hand, prefer to avoid the poles entirely, although it’s getting a mite chilly in these parts nonetheless!
ppGaz
Great sausage, though.
DougJ
Terri had terrible mood swings. Her mood swings were legendary among the nurses who cared for her. She sometimes popped the balloons they were always throwing in her face. Truthfully, though, who wouldn’t have? There’s only so much of that you can take, even when you are brain dead.
ppGaz
Splurt!
That’s LOL, plus beverage.
You are writing Jon Stewart material now ….
InsultComicDog
Does stuff like this happen in blue states? Just askin’.
CaseyL
Oh, for a hint, the merest hint of which one that might be! There are so few RW sites I go to anymore… even at TM I don’t bother posting, and can only take a few comments before I feel like I’m at a party where everyone else has dropped some Really Bad Acid. And that’s better than RS, which just plain gives me the creeps.
DougJ
Actually, CaseyL, it fizzled out: some regular poster there came up with something that was very similar to what I was peddling but was even more whacked out. They started accusing her of being a troll, so I decided I’d back off before they went after me.
If it gets good again, I’ll let you know. I’m just going by and posting stuff about “Dumbokrats” and “Hitlery” and the “librul MSM” for a couple weeks until I’ve established credibility.
KC
That whole thing is obscene. You wonder why and how the cops would do that. Then again, if we’re living an age in which the congress can also pass secret laws that attorneys and their clients can’t see, we’re in big trouble.
ppGaz
God, that’s funny.
Don’t forget the “moonbats.”
DougJ
I’m not so crazy about “moonbats”. It seems fair — the right calls the left “moonbats”, the left calls the right “wingnuts”. I like to use more extremist — and, frankly, idiotic — expressions.
Did you know they like call Clinton “Klinton”. I can’t figure that one out. Why the “K”? My favorite so far from them: Cindy Shi’itehan. How dumb is that?
TheNewGuy
If this case is as advertised, something went badly haywire… this man shouldn’t be in jail.
In my experience, no-knock entries are not that common, and you can’t execute warrants that way without justification. Knock-and-announce is the standard; no-knock requires additional documentation and/or proof of exigent circumstance before the judge will sign off.
Exigent circumstance must be supported by oath or affirmation… you can’t just say “uhhh… well… we just wanted to try out the new flash-bangs, your honor.” Also, if you screw over a judge by BS’ing the warrant, he’ll never sign another no-knock for you. In other words, it pays to have your ducks/informants/evidence in order. In all the jurisdictions I ever worked, judges really scrutinized no-knock requests.
Even the presence of weapons doesn’t always buy you a no-knock warrant; you usually have to demonstrate a higher risk for violence on the part of the arrestee (prior assaults on LEOs, armed robbery conviction, witnessed statements that the arrestee would “kill any cops that came here”… things like that). “Destruction of evidence” is also sometimes used, but that’s falling out of favor, as more tactical teams are beginning to question the wisdom of going dynamic on those raids. Why get in a hurry, maybe get an officer hurt/killed, just to keep a perp from flushing a bag of dope?
If you’re up against a bunch of seriously violent/armed felons (meth cooks, hard-core gang members, biker clubhouse), no-knock should be an option, particularly if sending an officer up to the door to knock-and-announce is sending him to his death. I realize that some here are probably against any no-knock warrants, just on principle… but I’ll be blunt: sometimes smart tactics require that flexibility.
DougJ
Another fun thing is to come up with unspeakably idiotic names, say that Rush came up with them, and then talk about how funny they are, e.g. “Rush was calling Richard Clarke “Whacko Clarko” yesterday on his show. I nearly busted a gut.”
Gold Star for Robot Boy
We should collect a list of posts/comments SO dumb, they must be trolls – because taking them seriously leads your mind into dark places where angels fear to tread.
My personal favorite was the nut who used Katherine Hepburn’s death to bash Palestinians.
Gold Star for Robot Boy
Check that – the R.I.P. Hepburn poster bashed Muslims.
Steve S
Don’t forget… DemocRATs… that’s always a clever one. Klinton is pretty common, as is KKKlinton, cause you know Clinton was a big racist b00b, right?
Also, don’t forget Billary. They think that one is really clever. Hitlery, though, is always good for a few karma points.
Oh and hey, while we’re on the subject. You should accuse Clinton of selling us out to the Canadians or something like that for his cocaine addiction. Wingnuts lap that shit up. :-)
Krista
Is it? Can it truly be a bad mood, when you obviously derive such amusement from being grumpy?
I didn’t get what the hell scs was getting at either. You made a facetious comment, and out of the blue she just attacked you, and had absolutely nothing to back up her accusations. Weird. It just seems almost like petty jealousy or something…she doesn’t like you or DougJ, and can’t stand the fact that a lot of us do.
ppGaz
It’s my Internet mood.
My real mood is basically mellow as long as I eat every three hours and nobody at work is yelling at me. Or unless some wingnut is questioning our patriotism, or unless it’s one of the Asses of Evil (Darrell, Mac, etc.
Oh, well, I blew her cover the other day. She was doing that wide-eyed thing, which is a cover, and being that sweet-but-argumentative persona, when I just said, I’m not buying it, I think you’re a troll. I think I struck a nerve.
Krista
I’m sweet but argumentative. Oh wait. Actually…now that I think about it, I’m neither. :)
DougJ
I think I may have found a good new target, similar to TM. Those typepad blogs seem like a goldmine.
scs
That’s it Krista, you got it. I am just SO DAMN jealous of ppgaz and DougJ! NOW my cover is blown!
DougJ
I don’t think scs dislikes me. She just doesn’t like Perry, Mike, and some of the others who she thinks are me.
scs
Uh yeah, ppgaz, that’s is what I’m mad at. Maybe it’s the troll part that got me, to repeat since I have been nothing but tolerant of you. And Krista, I am not that immature. I have no feelings for or against any of you such as ppgaz or Dougj, on here- I don’t take this as a highschool lunchroom. I am just here to discuss facts. PpGaz thinks that’s a “sweet but argumentative act” because his little brain can’t CONCEIVE of anyone just wanting to be here not to insult but to debate, so he thinks it’s fake. BUT, once someone unfairly attacks me, I will make an effort to call them on it and the sweetness is gone. That does not mean the prior ‘sweetness’ thing was an act, ppgaz, that means am I polite to people who don’t mess with me and play fair and not so nice to people who do. Get it? Honestly I am just getting tired of the immaturity on here. You all really deserve each other.
Krista
scs – Just speculating. Hell, I’ve been wrong about more important things than that. :) Your comments to ppGaz did seem totally out of left field, so I just thought I’d participate in the delightful sport of trying to figure out the motives of a total stranger.
DougJ
Simple, but genius. Sometimes the simplest lines are the ones you overlook. I’m using that in every argument I get into on the internet from now on.
scs
Well I def. think you are Perry. I kind of have a theory that Mike, Stickler, and Tim F are the same person, because they all tell me to go look things up all the time.
DougJ
I’m pretty sure that Mike and Tim F are the same person, too. Their posts are so similar, both stylistically and in terms of points of view.
scs
Ok now I can’t tell if you’re serious. Okay I take it back. I think Stickler, WB Reeves, and Tim F are the same. Or maybe Mike S and Stickler are the same. Or maybe DougJ is all of those. Who knows. If I really want to know, I’ll just ask JOhn and he’ll tell me.
Krista
Where does everybody find the time to have these multiple personas posting?
scs
By the way, I think Mac Buckets and John are the same too. You never see them in a room together.
Mary
Anyone want popcorn? I have popcorn. LOTS of popcorn.
Krista
I think Darrell and John are the same person. As soon as a political thread gets kind of quiet and amicable, Darrell shows up. His timing is impeccable, and of course, as soon as he shows up, the thread triples in size.
scs
I don’t know about that one. Maybe. Darrell seems to have a distinct personality to me. More no-nonsense than John’s. You’re right about the thread tripling though. Yeah I think you people better be nice to us non-lefties, because without us, you just have a bunch of boring agreement.
Krista
No, it would be no fun if it were an echo chamber. As far as being nice…no promises. :)
The Disenfranchised Voter
WHAT
THE
FUCK…
Do you mean to tell me mutliple people have multiple handles here…
Jesus christ. I feel paranoid now.
TRUST NO ONE!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
(runs out of room)
Oh and by the way John, if you read this I just got done watching Mr. and Mrs. Smith. You have something wrong with your brain–the movie was great.
Gotham Image
Lots of innocent people on death row, released after DNA – Despite the fact that people testified (mistakenly) against them.
It’s so sad.
Perry Como
!DougJ. I think the confusion occurs because we both may cut and paste “arguments” from LGF. I’ll demonstrate:
Was that written by:
a) DougJ
b) me
c) an longtime LGF poster
scs
Was that written by:
a) DougJ
b) me
c) an longtime LGF poster
There’s a bit of holy trinity there. All cut from the same cloth.
What’s LGF by the way?
BoDiddly
ppGaz–re: your response to my comment
What I said:
The Disenfranchised Voter
Heh. You gotta be kidding me.
You make a statement that all three choices are cut from the same cloth, yet you don’t have any idea about one of the choices given.
Priceless.
scs
I don’t have to know. SCS’s rule. If there is a possibility DougJ is responsible, then he is.
The Disenfranchised Voter
LGF= Little Green Footballs
Where the most insane Republicans meet daily. Well second most insane. Free Republic is pretty hard to beat. I’ve been there once, never been back since.
Pb
DougJ,
Regarding “Klinton”–it could be a Germanicization, like “Mein Kamf”. They also get extra points for getting three K’s in a row–example “Krazy Kos Kids”.
I’d also like to mention that “Hitlery” cracks me up–due to the amount of times I hear them outraged–OUTRAGED!–when someone else (“Turban Durbin” for example) allegedly makes a Nazi reference. Do they even notice the irony? Do they ever?
DougJ
I like Turban Durbin. I’m using that one.
Ancient Purple
I would like to point out that I think there is only one poster on this board.
We are Borg.
(BTW, should I worry that John hasn’t posted anything since Saturday afternoon? Should I light a candle, say a prayer, sacrifice a virgin? Or did I miss where he said he was going to take the day off? /fret)
DougJ
Those bastards from Tom Maguire are tailing me now. I may have to start using a different name again.
Ancient Purple
We got your back, Doug.
The Disenfranchised Voter
Hahaha. Hey Doug, do you have instant messenger by chance?
Steve S
We shall launch Operation Overload. You give us the words, and we shall create an army of DougJs.
:-)
Krista
Oh Christ, can you imagine? The havoc we could wreak…
John S.
Oh, the irony…
Source
A spokesman for Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari said, “I don’t understand what the big deal is. We’re running the same secret prison/torture model as the Americans. I guess we need our own ‘Condoleeza Rice’ to smooth things over.”
Bob In Pacifica
Did the Steelers game go into overtime?
Ozymandius
Ahh, the Great Troll Wars of the Early Internet. Many a nation was torn asunder. To this day the names of the people responsible have been lost to the mists of time…
Faux News
“There’s only so much of that you can take, even when you are brain dead”.
And blind.
But then again the above statements well describe the members of the “Red State” blog.
:-)
ppGaz
That’s …. just amazing. Well, since you won’t get it, I’ll spare you the blast you deserve for that.
No, I won’t. Fuck it. First of all, I hardly speak to you. What exactly are you “tolerating”? What is a person who appears to be a sophomore in high schoool “tolerating” in a blog where ill-tempered and cranky adults are having at each other in a verbal bar fight much of the time? You don’t belong here under those circumstances.
If you disagree with my points or views, then make your arguments and take your lumps like the rest of us. STop with the dishonest “tolerating” and “acting nice” and all that crap. Say what you think.
ppGaz
I’ll concede that point, there’s not much difference between my version and your version. However, the small town syndrome probably doesn’t apply in the way you meant it … but it could if the regionals, who presumably have more experience, didn’t adequately prepare the locals.
On the larger point, which is why the shooting went down the way it did, I stand on my version. I didn’t pull it out of my ass, it’s right from the materials I linked to.
The move on the condemned man was after the breakin, and not as part of it, as I described, unless the cited materials are wrong.
Sine.Qua.Non
SCS is obviously the troll here since the hermaphrodite(?) managed to completely change the subject. By the way SCS, leave ppGaz and DougJ alone. They only hand out a slap up side the head when its needed – to me as well. And I like DougJ’s many and varied personas.
DougJ
TDV and Steve S — I actually have a pretty large-scale prank planned. It involves the War On Christmas. I will need some help.
I don’t have IM, so I’m not sure how to organize this.
ppGaz
John has my email address, Doug. He has my permission to share it with you.
I’ll send you my rate card.
Ha ha. No, I will work for free if it brings agita to rightwingers over the “war on Xmas” issue.
DougJ
You can get mine from my TM posts. (I may be a troll but I always leave accurate email addresses)
CaseyL
Can John access our email addresses from our logs? Because I’d like to help out, too, with the War on XMas!!
Krista
Count me in. ppGaz has my email address that I use solely for Balloon Juice. I’m in the mood for some shit-disturbing.
Lines
If there is a War on Christmas I want to man the garland gun and I want Dougj to man the christmas light whips. That would just be fabulouss!
Ancient Purple
Add me to the list. Always willing to add to my resume as “instigator” or “accomplice.”
ppGaz
Okay, I sent mail to DougJ and Krista.
Krista
It’d be the sparkliest war ever. Christmas light whips are good for starters. If we need to haul out the heavy artillery we can use extension cords. That’s not torture, is it?
DougJ
Nope, Krista, just a holiday fraternity prank.
Lines
count me in on the spoofing. This just sounds too good.
noobi_eq at yahoo dot com
ppGaz
This is going to be the best Xmas ever!
Krista
ppG – too bad that O. is so busy right now — this would be right up his alley.
ppGaz
I think he is hooked up now. G_d help those Freepers!
I’ll get organized this evening and then …. let’s have some fun with the War on Xmas.
BTW I heard a tape of Bill O’Reilly doing one of his monologues on this subject …. the man is absolutely off his rocker. He, and John Gibson, both. Nutty as fruitcakes.
canuckistani
I don’t feel I’ve posted enough here to be included in the Assault on Christmas, but if the results could be publicly posted somewhere, I would be delighted to see them.
Ancient Purple
If you need support, contact me at ancientpurple at gmail dot com.
Always willing to help out.
And we can use the following for weapons:
Holiday Howitzer
Missletoes
Reindeer RPGs
Perry Como
Don’t forget the BFG (Big Festive Greeting) 9000.
srv
All great causes require a label, and since Overload isn’t religious enough, how about:
Operation Enduring Christmas
It has that ironic twist…
scs
Please, they went after me. Ppgaz, earlier and DougJ stuck his nose into business that didn’t belong. It seems that I am constantly changing the thread. All I have to do is throw out one comment and the whole thread responds to me. Don’t you all have anything else to talk about?
ppgaz, you’re right I have been purposely avoiding commenting on any of your comments to me because, except for some of your jokes which can be funny, I realized early on it was a waste of time. All you ever did was get all balistic and irrational and start throwing out “fuck yous” if you are challenged, so I studiously avoided you. You want me to say what I think to you, but I don’t have time (or feel like) responding to everybody on here, I just respond to the ones I think I might have a productive exchange with. So perhaps your latest insult flinging to me last week, unprovoked from me, was an attempt to get attention from me. If what you want is more exchange of insults fine, I’ll do it. If you want to discuss things with me, don’t bother, because I can tell you now, I’m not interested.
ppGaz
Nope, not true. But anyway, whatever. Everything you have said in the last two days, to me, has been BS. You started with the “circular logic” nonsense, which was obviously just made up. I don’t bother you, I hardly ever speak to you at all.
Your whole problem is that I called you a troll a few days ago and you just can’t get over it.
Tough shit. I was right, you are a troll. Unless you have something new, I’m done talking to you, little girl. Go away. Seriously, go pester somebody else.
scs
You’ve tried many times, but I didn’t take the bait and I’ve always ignored you, and I guess that pissed you off.
Please, I’m glad you’re done with me. That’s what I wanted from the beginning. I am not here to call people “trolls” like you seem to enjoy, I am here to debate. Since you have no skill in doing that rationally and calmly, there is no point for us to converse. I’m glad we have come to an agreement.
ppGaz
Uh no, little one. Grow up and pay attention. I’ve scolded you a few times for being ridiculous. What you make of it, is up to you. I could not care less. The last thing I want is a conversation with you. Which is why I don’t try to start one. In case you haven’t taken the introductory course, calling you a troll is not an attempt to strike up a conversation!
You seem to have a hard time with simple, direct things, like people meaning what they say, and in your case, saying what you mean.
Work on that for a few years and then come back. Because right now, you are just a mess.
scs
No, that is anger because I’ve ignored you. I’m sorry you were upset about it, but no need to throw insults.
Call me insane
This case just makes me completely sick to my stomach. If it wasn’t for the whole slavery thing, I think the United States would actually be a better place if the south had just won the Civil War. It’s like they are 50 years behind the rest of America. This is a complete case of vengeance over justice. A white cop dies because of a stupid mistake by the police and a poor innocent black man gets sentenced to death because he was protecting himself and his daughter from intruders who kick down the door. Not to mention, why the hell was that cop there in the first place? It wasn’t like he was a member of the SWAT team. You know, the guys who prepare and train so hard for those types of situations. Also, there isn’t anybody in this world that can tell me that he got a fair trial. A black man kills a white cop in the south, come on! So much for the sixth amendment huh?
ppGaz
Groan. You are worse than I thought.
Please IGNORE ME ALL THE TIME, starting now, and see how long I can go before I crack under the strain.
Be relentless. Ignore me for months. Show no mercy.
Just when you think I have had enough, IGNORE ME SOME MORE.
scs
Dude, that’s what I have been doing for months. But for this to work, you have to ignore me too. You can’t just call me a ‘troll’ in the middle of the segment that has nothing to do with you and say I have a “fake, sweet, non-argumentative” act, whatver that is, and then expect me to ignore you. You obviously crave attention from me to put that in there. So let’s stick to our deal, you ignore me (including no insults), I’ll ignore you. Deal?
ppGaz
I don’t have to do anything. You’re a damned troll, and I will say so whenever I feel like it.
I am never making any deal with you, you lying sack.
scs
Well then that’s hardly fair, to ask me to ignore you and then you can insult me for no reason anytime you like. How about this, I’ll stick to the deal anyway. I’ll just ignore you and you can feel free to insult me as much as you like. I hope you get much joy out of it.
ppGaz
Christmas has come early this year.
Call me insane
This is for ppGaz and scs. I really hope the both of you are like ten years old because that is the only reasonable explanation for you childish behavior. This blog was discussing how a person got trampled on by the police and now is life is on the line. It’s not like this guy was just sentenced to jail, he is on death row. And here are the two of you, going back and forth like little children. I have a tip for the two of you. Grow up and stop pretending like you are in high school children.
ppGaz
My posts on the topic are upthread, and I think they speak for themselves. Try reading the thread.
The exchange between me and scs has nothing to do with that, and is none of your business.
Perry Como
If you are still looking, hotair at hedonistlab dot com
Michael Ejercito
This has to be a hoax. Otherwise, those anti-death penalty appeasers would rally around Cory Maye instead of Mumia Abu-Jamal.
The Disenfranchised Voter
We went over the Cory Maye case quite a bit. Then we decided to chat. There are other thoughts on our mind, we don’t just have one track minds here.
You’d do a lot better than for yourself by not being a whiny bastard. You don’t wanna read their comments, then don’t. It’s pretty simple.
The Disenfranchised Voter
scratch the “than”…
Lawrence Krubner
I recall first reading the details of Cory Maye’s case and having a strong sense of “There but for the grace of God go I.” It seems to me that if someone busted into my house in the middle of the night, unidentified, then I too might take exteme measures to protect those I love.
Laura Denyes, myself, and some like minded people have been working on a petition asking or Cory Maye’s release. We’ve tried to word the petition in a manner that conservatives, libertarians and liberals would all feel comfortable signing it. We have it up now here:
http://www.whatisliberalism.com/index.php?pageId=87667
We hope to bring attention to the case of Cory Maye. At some point this spring, we intend to print this out and mail it to the Governor of Mississippi and to all the major newspapers.