Join the Impact

27 Responses

1. Nichole Said,

   The Alameda District Attorney’s Office is investigating this incident with the assistance of the California Attorney General’s Office. There are more detectives assigned to investigate this death than any other homicide in the area – and that includes the Chauncy Bailey murder. The family of the decedant has retained John Burris, who has the best record of winning civil awards against the city and state of any attorney in the bay area. Justice – in whatever form – will eventually be done. It just wont happen tomorrow. Setting cars on fire and scaring innocent business owners is no way to advocate for justice.

   There’s no need to get involved with this. It’s a hot mess with conflicted politics from the get-go. Just because various civil rights groups WANT this to be a hate crime doesn’t mean it is, and some folks are using Grant’s death as a means to advance their own political agendas. But there’s no evidence that Grant’s killing was a hate crime. There’s no evidence that Grant’s killing was racially motivated. Everything I saw on the video indicated that this was a tragic accident. There is a lot of politics at work in this case and all the protesters so far have behaved very badly.

   Let the people involved – the family of the deceased, John Burris, Tom Orloff (the Alameda DA) inspectors from the Attorney General’s Office, and the lawyer for the suspected BART police officer – do their respective jobs. When we rush to judgment without due process we look like an unruly mob instead of rational people advocating for civil rights.

   The good citizens of downtown Oakland have had enough of protests lately. They are still cleaning up after the last one. Give them a break. I work in downtown Oakland, and frankly, on January 14th, I don’t want to clean up after you.

   Posted on January 12th, 2009 at 11:38 pm

2. Ivy Said,

   I hope for the best in this case. Thanks for posting it Amy.

   Posted on January 12th, 2009 at 11:56 pm

3. Moses Said,

   And here in lies the rub. Both are civil rights matters.
   One is about survival, the other is about social acceptance. While ‘acceptance’ demands solidairty from ‘survival’, it’s seems too great a lift to reciprocate in the equal measure.
   And so you get protestations about how messy & politically frought it is, you responses as let the police do their jobs etc. We blame on the media.
   Yet a young man was deliberately killed. A young daughter will grow up without a father.

   I congratulate you for posting the article, but I must admit the tentativeness is hard to miss.

   Posted on January 13th, 2009 at 12:49 am

4. JT Said,

   What is glaad doing about this?

   Posted on January 13th, 2009 at 1:08 pm

5. justsayin Said,

   You know I completely feel for all of the parties involved in this case and absolutely understand how it can be construed as hate or a civil rights issue, notwithstanding that it’s all media-overblown speculation at this point, but this has nothing to do with proposition 8.

   Hitching our wagon onto this speculated issue is, I’m sorry to say, a complete and utter joke. What a way to dilute our energies and waste all they efforts we’ve already been successful just to get some cheap media attention because some think it’s a good PR move. Well it’s not. It is idiotic and cheapens both causes.

   It’s bad enough the state is screwing with our lives. And now the people that are supposed to be leading this fight are screwing with our lives by making idiotic decisions to sap our strength and will result in our concerns and rights being ignored.

   Knock it off. Get your shit together.

   Posted on January 13th, 2009 at 3:23 pm

6. Timmy D Said,

   A) What does this have to do with the Marriage Equality agenda?
   B) Stop perpetuating the notion that this is racially motivated and/or police brutality before any facts have been released. Everyone who was on scene described this as (probably) an accident. This is a terrible tragedy. Mehserle should be tried for manslaughter. But framing this as racially motivated (without a shred of evidence) harms the cause of justice and only further divides our community.

   Posted on January 13th, 2009 at 5:08 pm

7. jon Said,

   Thanks for posting, Willow!

   Color of Change has a petition up at http://colorofchange.org/oscar/ … please sign and forward.

   jon

   Posted on January 13th, 2009 at 6:29 pm

8. Ray Said,

   This is not the forum for this.

   Posted on January 13th, 2009 at 9:07 pm

9. Kerry Said,

   I have just spent a week in Oakland, We disembarked from AMTRACK to a welacome of burning cars and a mob breaking windows. One of the participants arrested for breaking windows at a Mc Donalds explained that while McDonalds had nothing to do with this incident SOMEONE had to pay. Give me a break !! After viewing video of this shooting a number of times ( the news played it over and over ) It was obvious to me that it was a terrible accident,. The officer made a mistake in the stress of the moment. It was no hate crime or civil rights incident. GET OVER IT.
   This case is a waste of time. If mr grant had not been fighting this he would not have had police contact. If mr Grant had cooperated with the police he would be alive. Mr Grant bought about these actions. Mr Grant has ruined the officers life.. The Grant family is suing for 25 Million dollars. Cry me a river.
   Folks lets get back to real issues

   Posted on January 13th, 2009 at 11:25 pm

10. Jorge Said,

    Personally I agree with Nicole.

    Usually it’s more ambiguous what happened, although it is very clear that the guy who was shot was not doing what he was supposed to do and was struggling with police when they were trying to search him–likely for a weapon. So there was ample justification for a gun to be drawn on him. I make no apologies for saying this: his mother should have told him–and if he was told he should have listened–when you are detained by the police, you listen to them and you do exactly what they say. They have a job to do and they are trained to expect life threatening situations. That is the message the black community should be telling their children, but instead they tell them to fear the police for fatal confrontations in which the pepetrator’s actions contributed to his death. But to be fired on? No, the video does not look good.

    What I will say is that it is very important to form coalitions with and show support for other oppressed communities. And the way that happens is in events like these. Most people do not like or respect the Al Sharptons who only show up at hospitals when the victim is their race and so on.

    So I want to know what the black community in question is asking, what meetings are they holding. Let them be the leaders on this one.

    Posted on January 14th, 2009 at 7:18 am

11. Cole Machado Said,

    x-Oakland transit officer charged with murder
    By TERRY COLLINS / Associated Press Writer
    Posted: 01/14/2009 12:10:34 PM PST

    OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A former Bay Area transit officer has been charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black man, officials said Wednesday.

    Johannes Mehserle, 27, was arrested Tuesday in Nevada and appeared briefly Wednesday in court, where he waived extradition to California. He was expected to return to California later Wednesday.

    ”At this point, what I feel the evidence indicates, is an unlawful killing done by an intentional act and from the evidence we have there’s nothing that would mitigate that to something lower than a murder,” Alameda Country District Attorney Tom Orloff said at a news conference announcing the charge.

    Mehserle’s attorney, Christopher Miller, planned a news conference later Wednesday at his office in Sacramento.

    Witnesses say Mehserle fired into the back of 22-year-old Oscar Grant while the man was lying facedown on a train platform at a station in Oakland. Grant and others had been pulled off a train after reports of fighting, as New Year’s Eve revelers were shuttling home after midnight.

    The shooting, captured on cell phone cameras and widely viewed on the Internet, has inflamed long-running tensions between law enforcement authorities and many African-American residents.

    Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets calling for the prosecution of Mehserle, with one rally last Wednesday spiraling into violence and resulting in more than 100 arrests and dozens of businesses damaged.

    Another demonstration was planned Wednesday afternoon.

    John Burris, the attorney for Grant’s family, said the news of the charge was “terrific.”

    ”It is consistent with the evidence I have seen. I think the family will be pleased, he said.

    Mehserle had refused to talk to BART investigators before resigning last week.

    ”I want to know why he did it,” said BART board member Carole Ward Allen. “We’ve heard from everybody else but him. While I can’t speak for the entire BART board, we want to make this process as transparent as possible.”

    State Attorney General Jerry Brown assigned a prosecutor to monitor the case, and the U.S. Department of Justice sent mediators to help avert additional violent demonstrations.

    Douglas County is 15 miles south of Carson City in northwestern Nevada and includes Lake Tahoe and Carson Valley.

    Posted on January 14th, 2009 at 5:30 pm

12. gigi Said,

    there’s a whole string of comments in response to this join the impact post at
    http://sfist.com/2009/01/13/bart_shooting_and_gays_on_jon_the_i.php

    honestly i am not sure what’s worse… the blatant racism in some of the responses on this page, or the blatant homophobia on the response posts referenced above.

    are people tuning in from tokyo? or tulsa, oklahoma? or toledo, ohio? one would think so since many of the posts on both sites rest on the perception of the LGBT community as one that is white and male, and the black community as one that is straight.

    queer people of color DO exist, loudly and proudly in the Bay Area.

    i was amazed by the lack of any mention or connection between the grant case and the brutal gang rape of the lesbian that took place in richmond last month. it is appalling to read racist remarks and a questioning of why this should be considered a racially motivated hate crime on this site, and it is equally appalling to read the response posts from some of the folks on sfist.com claiming that this site (Join the Impact) is totally irrelevant to the grant case, which disturbingly, has been reconfirmed by yet another person on this page.

    those of us who recognize that racism is just as alive and well as sexism and homophobia realize that this same hatred and fear of people of color, queers, and women underlies the brutal acts of violence which have just taken place against a lesbian woman and a black man in the bay area.

    people: wake up. the dominant culture wants to kill, rape and brutalize queers, women and people of color. what is so difficult to understand about this connection?
    http://www.hotlezbosinaction.com

    Posted on January 14th, 2009 at 11:58 pm

13. tomsawyersf Said,

    WTF? I signed on here for marriage equality. As serious as this incident is, it’s not even close to why I’m here. Can we focus please?

    Posted on January 15th, 2009 at 2:08 pm

14. jason Said,

    This is crazy! I feel bad for both sides. I am sorry that oscar lsot his life! Yes, he should not have died. But some of the aftermath is jsut plain crazy. Threatening the officer’s family with verbal threats, placing suspicious packages on his parents doorstep, vandalizing the City of Oakland. Why? First of all, The City of Oakland including the Oakland Police Department had nothing to do with this. Lets not forget, this happenend on BART property by the BART Police Department. What does it help to destroy other people’s property including business owners that had nothing to do with this and are ordinary citizens.

    And I was looking at the news and was listening to the lady of CAPS who was stating she was prosecution of all of the POLICE OFFICERS that were there that night. That is crazy. So all of the others that were involving with stopping Oscar should be charged with murder? Please!

    So what you are saying if you are out with a bunch of friends one night and one of your friends pulls out a gun and shoots someone and kills him, you should be charged with murder? Even though you had no idea what he was going to do?? Does everyone really think this officer should be charged with murder?? did he really have the specfic intent to kill Oscar. Lets think about this. He probably knows he is being taped. He obviously knows he is being watched. He obviously knows there are hundreds of people watching them. But yet, you really think he pulled out his gun in front of hundreds of people and killed him? Come on guys. Cant we see this was a mistake. Yes, I believe he will/should be responsible for his actions, but murder??? I think we really need to step back and think about this……

    Posted on January 15th, 2009 at 2:09 pm

15. Michael M Said,

    Wow. The guy was lying on his stomach (complying with the police). He was unarmed. There were many police officers in the area. The officer drew his gun and shot him in the back. The officer wasn’t arrested for two weeks, and nobody took a statement from him. They spent that time “investigating.” Investigating what? If there hadn’t been video cameras and pressure from rallies, he would never have been charged, as has been the case with other such incidents in the past.

    The response from the community has been primarily non-violent, although obviously the actions of a few got the most attention and created huge problems for the majority. Even so, it’s upsetting that many people are more concerned about broken windows and damaged property than the fact that a 22 year old man was just killed.

    Accident or not, who can deny that this is the kind of “accident” that keeps happening to young black people? There was no chance that Oscar posed a threat to anybody–even an action hero with a concealed weapon would have had a hard time shooting anyone from the position he was in with two police officers over him, and attempting to do so would have been suicidally insane (provided he didn’t know that he would be killed anyway). And it is absolutely false that the people who were there agree it was an accident. Try watching the whole video with the sound on.

    We should show solidarity toward everyone who is living with and fighting against prejudice. Do I really need to argue that point? Showing support and acknowledging the need for social justice in communities other than our own is not the same as conflating racism and homophobia. Willow has the right idea here in promoting awareness of the incident on this forum. The NCLR’s response was similar and also worth reading: http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=blog_katesBlog

    Posted on January 15th, 2009 at 2:23 pm

16. nichole Said,

    gigi,

    The lesbian who was raped in Richmond was getting out of her car and going home. She was minding her own business… just going home… when she was brutally attacked for no reason except she is a lesbian. She is an innocent victim.

    Oscar Grant was riding on BART drunk and with drugs in his pocket. He got into a gang fight, and when the police tried to detain him, he fought with them. True, he should not have been shot. That cop should not have pulled the trigger, but Oscar Grant is no innocent victim. He put himself in the situation he was in. At anytime, he could have just surrendered to the police. BUT… if he had surrendered to the police, he would have been arrested and the drugs in his pocket would have violated his parole and he’d have been sent back to prison for at least a year.

    Why do you think race has anything to do with it? Did the cop yell racial slurs when he shot Grant? There’s no evidence that he did. Do you know what the cop was thinking when he pulled the trigger? Do you have mental telepathy?

    There’s no evidence that this crime was racially motivated excecpt speculation on the part of people who WANT this to be a hate crime so they can use this case to further their own agendas.

    Sorry to disapoint you, but I am NOT Oscar Grant. I am not a drug-dealing, drunken felon who gets into fights on public transit. Oscar Grant bears as much responsiblity for his death as the cop who shot him. Maybe if he’d taken a little repsonsibility for his life choices he wouldn’t have been in that situation. But there it is… now two families are grieving. It’s a tragedy all the way around.

    Posted on January 15th, 2009 at 4:40 pm

17. Jorge Said,

    “it is appalling to read racist remarks and a questioning of why this should be considered a racially motivated hate crime on this site, and it is equally appalling to read the response posts from some of the folks on sfist.com claiming that this site (Join the Impact) is totally irrelevant to the grant case, which disturbingly, has been reconfirmed by yet another person on this page.”

    It’s appalling to read “questioning of why this should be considered a racially motivated hate crime?” Why? Do we suddenly give up our right to free speech and our prerogative to question authority, question the stories that are fed to us, just because this is a race story? As if! The GLBT community is not monolithic, and neither should anyone assume that just because something looks like a race case, that the facts are clear-cut. Let the people who are sympathetic prove it. This country is a racist country, but you know what, sometimes minorities are wrong. Sometimes it’s the minorities that are the racists. And sometimes there are such unbridgable differences between the way racial minorities and the majority perceive events that an open and honest airing of these differences will be met with cries of facism or racism–true dialogue and compromise are impossible.

    I strongly believe that when a minority community is wrong, or when it is not certain that that community is right, then that community should be challenged. Your hostility to people deviating from your point of view suggests to me a certain insecurity about whether the facts will turn out to your liking.

    Posted on January 15th, 2009 at 6:08 pm

18. Michael M Said,

    Nichole,

    I really hope you’ll reconsider your position on this issue. Can we sort this out? First, it would be helpful if you could say where you’re getting your information. I did see someone saying that Grant had been to prison, but I have been unable to find any confirmation that he was drunk or fighting with the police or in possession of drugs. Where did you hear this?

    Second, please remember that even if he had “drugs in his pocket,” that doesn’t make him a drug dealer. Was he carrying a pound of cocaine, an ounce of pot, or a bottle of advil? Similarly, going to prison doesn’t make him a felon, and as far as I can tell no information has been released about what he was in prison for.

    Third, the accusations that you are making seem to me to be beside the point.
    Did the police who pulled him off the train even know he had a record? Do we even know if he was involved in a fight? Isn’t this just the same kind of speculation that you claim to be against?

    Finally, even if all your worst assumptions are true, they don’t add up to a death sentence, certainly not one that’s carried out without due process of law on the floor of a BART station. This sounds roughly to me like saying that if the lesbian who was raped had a criminal record and was drunk and carrying marijuana in her pocket and fighting with people on BART, she would somehow have deserved it.

    Whether or not the cop is an openly racist person, the police in general do not shoot unarmed white people nearly as often as they shoot unarmed black people, and that is strong evidence of racism which does not require telepathy to demonstrate. Furthermore, I would argue that it is racist to assume the worst about Grant in the absence of sufficient evidence, and to apply a double standard in which some victims are less protected than others.

    Finally, for those who are still asking what this has to do with Marriage Equality, I don’t think our movement can succeed if we’re not working hard against all kinds of prejudice. After all, we’re not about to tell the United Farm Workers to stop supporting marriage equality and focus on their own issues.

    Posted on January 15th, 2009 at 7:03 pm

19. amy Said,

    tomsawyersf,

    JTI focuses on more than just marriage equality. Our mission statement says that we are fighting for equality for all. Currently, this situation is being considered a hate crime. When a hate crime occurs, it is important to shed light on it, in hopes that we can educate those in need and possibly prevent a future hate crime. This post was meant to draw attention to this issue, and let our community know how to show their support if they feel the need. If we can sit back in silence when a crime occurs against a man because of the color of his skin, why should we expect people outside of the LGBTQI community to speak up when one of our own is brutally beaten or murdered because of their sexual orientation?

    We do focus on marriage equality, but we also focus on the following:
    1. Passage of the Matthew Shepard Act to strengthen hate crimes legislation
    2. Repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (something that will soon be off our list thanks to the MANY orgs who have worked hard on this. JTI is brand new and is not responsible for this win, but some of our members have volunteered in previous orgs that are… thanks to all who have been working on this!)
    3. Work toward a gender identity inclusive federal ENDA law
    4. Repeal DOMA
    5. Work toward changing adoption laws so that LGBTQI couples can adopt (amending the Uniting American Families Act)
    6. Building bridges of understanding between our community and those that oppose us
    7. Outreach and education about LGBTQI equality
    8. Empowerment education within our own community
    9. Continuing the “conversation of equality” so that when laws do pass in our favor, those who we have touched will join us in celebration rather than creating their own version of Prop 8 to revoke our civil rights.

    Thanks for being a member in this movement! Everyone in this movement can chose their focus and how they act on that focus. We hope to be a platform for all involved to have a voice. If you want to solely focus on marriage equality, then more power to you. Many believe that if we gain civil-marriage rights, then all other rights will fall into place like a domino effect. I think that this is a valid argument. I also believe that there is a great deal for us to work on and accomplish. To do this, we must work together, rather than apart. We can all agree that equal rights are what we are fighting for, how we get there, or what the main focus may be, is up to you and what you are willing to put into this movement. I think that we can all appreciate whatever anyone can bring to the table… if we combine our efforts, we will prevail.

    Thanks!
    Amy

    Posted on January 15th, 2009 at 8:16 pm

20. Nichole Said,

    The Alameda County Coroner found the drugs in his pants when they did the autopsy. That was in the newspaper. Grant was released from San Quinton State Prison on September 23rd of this year – that was also in the press. Grant has prior convictions for drug dealing, carrying concealed firearms, and assault and battery. That was also in the press. The BART police were responding to multiple reports of a gang fight on the train. They identified Grant as one of the fighters and tried to detain him. Again… in the press. But I guess all this information was forgotten in the rush to make Grant a martyr and paint him as a loving father and pillar of the community.

    You can not hide the fact, that whatever his racial identity… Grant was an asshole.

    Yes, his death was a tragedy. That cop should not have drawn his gun, and he should not have pulled the trigger. But just because Johannes Mehserle is white doesn’t automatically make him a racist. There is nothing – NOTHING – in any of the released information that indicates he is except an “opinion” from a member of the NAACP.

    Just because Grant was black doesn’t make this a hate crime. Certainly, the District Attorney didn’t think so because the hate crime enhancement isn’t one of Mehserle’s charges. And before anyone starts bitching and moaning about “racism” from the DA, remember that Tom Orloff has always been supportive of hate crime legislation. His office prosecuted the killers of Gwen Araujo and argued stridently (if unsuccessfully) for the hate crime enhancement.

    This incident is what it is… a tragedy. But supporting this as a gay rights issue demeans the cause of gay rights.

    We must show America that good people are gay, and gay people are good people. Getting overly involved with anarchists and thugs hurts our public image. The thugs who tore up Oakland last night weren’t good people. I am going to stay the hell away from them, and they need to stay away from my workplace in downtown Oakland. If Join the Impact wants to jump on the Oscar Grant bandwagon and get some free publicity, then you’ll start seeing people -good people – jumping off.

    If you need a poster child for civil rights and anti-violence, why don’t you support the Chauncey Bailey Project? He was an amazing human being who was unjustly murdered. Where is the protest for him?

    Posted on January 15th, 2009 at 10:50 pm

21. Anne Said,

    Love It! I’m still wondering why Join the Impact hasn’t put Bishop Gene Robinson’s picture and long list of accomplishments on their home page! The invitation by Obama to have the first openly Gay priest to be ordained Bishop in the Episcopal Church speak an invocation at the inaugural concert is BIG NEWS! The LGBT community had so much to do with that!! Post Card Campaign, speaking out, becoming more visible! Hoooraay!! Post that Up in Bright Letters Please!!

    Posted on January 16th, 2009 at 1:30 am

22. tomsawyersf Said,

    Amy,

    I’m just not buying it. The shooting is awful and all, but I think this Oscar Grant thing is totally reaching to be an appropriate “outreach” for a gay equality cause. Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to just CALL the Mexican American Defense League or the NAACP and ask them for causes we could team up on that might have a shared value that is more readily visible (or believable)? If this is the way JTI is going, some random smorgasbord of real and perceived hotbutton injustice, then I’ve got other ways to spend my time. By the way, I hear a man was arrested for beating his wife and kids in San Mateo… should I get some pics for JTI? At least that’s a family-related issue.

    Posted on January 16th, 2009 at 3:18 am

23. TASHA Said,

    THE PEOPLE WHO THINK THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS YOUNG BOY GETTING KILLED NEED TO BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES. BECAUSE THIS MAN DID NOTHING HE WASEN’T SUPPOSE TO DO. I SEEN THE VIDEO. YOU ANSWER ME THIS, WHY DIDNT THE OFFICER USE HIS TAZER GUN IF HE DID NOT WANT TO SHOOT HIM? HE GOT UP, STEPPED BACK, TOOK HIS GUN OUT OF THE HOSTER AND DELIBERATELY SHOT GRANT. THERE WAS NOTHING THAT OFFICER DID THAT WAS ACCIDENTAL. AND JUSTICE SHOULD BE SERVED FOR GRANT AND HIS FAMILY. IT IS THE STATES JOB TO PROTECT AND SERVE. AND THAT OFFICER CLEARLY WASEN’T TRAINED FOR THAT.

    Posted on January 16th, 2009 at 11:55 am

24. amy Said,

    tomsawyersf,

    I’m sorry your not “buying it,” but I think you’re digging too deep for something that isn’t there. I don’t think that you understand the point of this post. Our readers want relevant news and we felt that this was relevant news. JTI did not organize anything around this, but we did post information of what has been organized for those that wanted to attend. If you don’t want to be a part of it, you don’t have to. No one is not telling you to. We are simply posting information and I believe it has begun some very important conversation. JTI is a platform for people to organize in their area on issues that are important to them. I personally feel that any hate crime, regardless of the person’s sexual orientation, is one that we need to bring people’s attention to. Too many people in this country think that the last big hate crime was Matthew Shepard. This is one of the reasons that so many people don’t think that members of the LGBTQ community are treated any differently than members of the heterosexual community. It is important to shed light on all forms of ignorance as we fight to dispel the ignorance that surrounds LGBTQ issues.

    Your comment about a man beating his wife and kids falls short of the point. We are talking about a hate crime which is defined as a crime, usually violent, motivated by prejudice or intolerance toward a member of a gender-identity, racial, religious, sexual-orientation, or social group. Violence happens daily, and is an extremely sad and horrific thing. When a person is singled out based on their race, sexual orientation, or other minority status, and is the victim of violence, this constitutes a hate crime.

    As we continue to define JTI (keep in mind it is only 2 months old) I hope that it will become a source for news relevant to our struggle to keep people educated and informed as we work together on what our next action will be. News regarding a hate crime is part of this “relevant news” that I am speaking of. As you’ve noticed, we are now at a point where we are asking our members to help us decide on what we want to accomplish and what our next set of events should be to make a larger impact. If the majority wants to focus on this, then we will. If they want to focus on something else, then we will do that. The Impact (http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com) is the place where this will be decided. This blog will continue to be a source for updates, news, and education. You say that if “this is the way JTI is going, some random smorgasbord of real and perceived hotbutton injustice, then I’ve got other ways to spend my time.” I’m sorry if you feel that posting a news story somehow dilutes JTI. This is simply not the case. If you want to help us move to the next level, please go to The Impact and join us in planning our next 3 months and focusing our goals.

    As far as Oscar Grant goes, we have not organized anything national or local around it, but I commend the groups that have.

    Posted on January 16th, 2009 at 8:03 pm

25. Jorge Said,

    Calling this post a matter of “relevant news” and saying that JTI did not organize anything around this seems to strain credulity. The title of this blog post is “Justice for Oliver Grant.” The post says “this seems like the right time to stand united.” “Stand in solidarity.” I suppose there’s some distinction between a bold statement for JTI members to stand in solidarity with the community that is outraged by Oscar Grant’s death, and similarly bold statements for JTI members to participate in campaigns/actions launched by other GLBT groups. But it is not very meaningful. And that’s a problem, for reasons others have already shared. There has been considerable selectivity about just what causes by GLBT groups are publicized on this site.

    I don’t see anything about that shooting as being racially motivated, but that view depends on fundamental assumptions about the relationship between law enforcement and black people that go far beyond what is on the tape. I hope you all realize that it is very difficult to disentangle seeing what is portrayed on the video as a racially motivated hate crime from holding a fundamental belief that the police are out to get black people. You cross that line of belief, as too many GLBTs have in my opinion in defining our opponents as vile enemies, and you lose a lot of credibility. You’ll come across as swinging at random, as dangerously unstable. That is what I believe tomsawyersf is getting at.

    Posted on January 17th, 2009 at 12:45 am

26. Ray Said,

    After reading all the above remarks it is clear we are not focused on the subjects I had assumed this website was created for. Time to move on I guess.

    Posted on January 18th, 2009 at 10:18 pm

27. tomsawyersf Said,

    Amy,

    I apologize for the incendiary tone of my last post. This isn’t my website and there’s no reason for me to take it personally.

    I’m likely to be at the sit-in in February for marriage licenses, and I’m certain I’ll be at the hearings in March. I’ll check back then and see if there’s anything we can connect with on that.

    Posted on January 21st, 2009 at 3:57 am

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