The Kelly Thomas Verdict Reflects the Importance of Appearances in Polite Society

Rad note � the text contained in this entry was lifted from and transferred here .. into its own, separate entry from another page in another entry .. because the topic seemed so different.

Big Sur, California near the Nepenthe restaurantSometimes I feel compelled to respond to things (current events) while I am in the middle of another entry.

[ I think it's a zeitgeisty thing .. which challenges my abilities as a writer.

And writing/art can be an effective form of therapy. Regulars will understand how I can get off on a tangent and run with it. ]

The exact spot from which the entry that you are now reading was lifted from is � right here. At the end of this entry (that you are now reading) I will provide a link that will return you to that exact spot ..

.. because that is how the entry was written, and this will help preserve the organic-ness of the entry.

I should probably warn you, tho, that, unlike the cliffside restaurant in Big Sur, what you will find here is not pretty. No nepenthe here. No, sir. Anyway, enough introductory ground-laying. Here you go...

The beauty of the beach at Corona del Mar, Newport Beach Appearance vs Substance

Now, for Orange county, the theme (which few honest souls would dispute) is this �

appearances are important.

Totally understandable, no? At least, from a certain perspective it is.

And Kelly Thomas was not pretty .. not pretty enough, it would seem.

People have been stunned by the verdict. When I read about the verdict, I could almost hear the Dog saying"Told ya."

I mean, sure the FBI is going to look into it. But the jury has already spoken .. and they said � We see no problem here. Heck, we dont even think these officers used excessive force.

Which begs the question � how much more .. how much harder would they have had to beat him .. in order to justify a charge of excessive force?

They literally beat him to death. On fucking camera .. with a live-audio feed. You could see and hear everything. No guesswork required. Not here.

Or does being homeless mean that there is no limit .. to the amount of beating that these officers can inflict on Kelly? I must say � it *does* seem that way from the video and the verdict.

You almost get the feeling that they wanted to pin a medal on these officers � "Good job, guys. Sorry to hear about that elbow, bro."

"They're killing me, dad."

Does it not seem like the jury had more compassion for the police ..

Kelly Thomas Getting the Shit Kicked out of him, July 5, 2011.. than for the skinny, 135-pound guy who they beat the living fuck out of?

Who they (literally) beat the very LIFE out of. Kelly said so himself

"They're killing me, dad." (He would certainly know.)

Try this experiment at home this weekend � have somebody lower a few hundred pounds worth a cement bags on your chest. Tell them to leave it there for 10 minutes.

Notice, particularly, how difficult breathing becomes. That fucker gets heavy in a hurry, dont it?

Now have them bash your face "all to hell" .. with whatever blunt instrument happens to be handy. While they are doing that, get another guy to keep taze'ing your ass (.. until the batteries run out).

This should give you a little better insight into Kelly's cries for help.

The modern prophet is supposed to console. But what do you say to a dad who hears his son cry out to him for help .. from the depths of despair. "Dad, they're killing me."

Grinding Your Ass into the Pavement

I do not want to minimize the disturbing savageness of this merciless beat-down .. but I must say that Kelly's cries *do* resonate.

The Sy$tem(atic) grinding-of-your-ass into the pavement of a society that values appearances over compassion .. until their is very little left. This is how the system operates.

Now you might be tempted to think this an anomaly, but it is not. This is the System in all its glory .. caught on videotape. With a live-audio feed. (Oops.)

<ignore this intentional body-text marker>

��� today's entry continues here below ���

"I can't breathe."

The way Kelly narrated his own beating. Wow. Amazing. So disturbing to watch.

Must say that I find it curious that crucifiction is a form of KILLING A PERSON in which (quote taken directly from Wikipedia) �

Christ the Redeemer | Rio de Janiero, BrazilThe typical cause of death was asphyxiation. The condemned would have difficulty inhaling ..

.. due to hyper-expansion of the chest muscles and lungs. The condemned would therefore have to draw himself up by his arms ..

.. leading to exhaustion, or have his feet supported by tying or by a wood block.

When no longer able to lift himself, the condemned would die within a few minutes.

In other words, asphyxiation means � "I can't breathe." And in *that* sense, the viewer gets the impression that Kelly was crucified (.. both figuratively and physically) .. cuz he was not pretty enough. He did not contribute to the area's ae$thetic.

Not enough, anyway. (Apparently.)

So maybe you can see why my sense here is that the Lord can somehow relate. (Yes, the Judge of the living and the dead.)

Because Kelly was also despised by the authorities, and forsaken by those in polite society, so that when the cops beat his face beyond all recognition ..

.. as he begged for mercy and cried out to his dad for help .. the people in polite society (astonishly enough) didnt seem to give much of a fuck.

If the Apostle Paul were here, I'm sure he would say � "Dude, he takes that stuff personally. You will see what I mean."

How do you like *them* pattern-matching apples?

Kelly Thomas Before | Kelly Thomas AfterThe verdict speaks more than just guilty or not guilty. It speaks in a res-ipsa-loquitur kind of way.

The thing speaks for itself. Similar to the way � "ye shall know them by their fruits."

In the same way that our 'fruit' speaks.

If I were that dad, Kelly's dad, the message from the jury's verdict would sound something like this ..

"We don't give a shit about your homeless, skitzo son. Why did you bother Tony to bring this case to trial? He is a busy man who has more important things to do. We see nothing wrong here. Did you see the officer's elbow? And now the city needs to buy a new taser. Cuz your son broke the old one with his face. Do you know how much those tasers cost? I can tell you that they're not cheap."

Or how about this (looking at the photo of Kelly laying there in the hospital) � The Jury to the cops � "No, you did not beat his face too hard. No, you did not use excessive force. Not hardly. Good job, guys. Sorry to hear about your elbow, bro."

I can hear a voice in my head saying � "Dude, it's worse than you think. Waaay worse."

I find it interesting that Kelly's dad was an Orange county sheriff, so I would expect them to IDENTIFY WITH Kelly's dad .. rather than with the police (.. who beat the living fuck out of his son).

I would be interested to HEAR what THEY have to say about the verdict .. either on camera or disguised. (They = Orange County sheriffs.)

The endangered Schaus swallowtail butterfly (male)Did you see those flying atomic KNEES that the officers delivered to skinny Kelly?

I think that even the UFC bans knee'ing a downed man like that.

I would also be interested to hear what UFC fighters think of the video.

Verdicts say more about the community than they do about the case. A guilty verdict would not have brought Kelly back from the dead.

A thousand guilty verdicts and he would still be dead .. so it's not like the verdict was important in the way that really counted. 

The Verdict Speaks Res Ipsa Loquitur

Which is why this verdict says more � about the community. And what I hear this community saying is � appearances are important here. More than you think. Much more.

"Dude, we want our communities to look nice. And if you have to bash in a few ugly faces in order to do that .. then that is what you must do."

Kelly Thomas Getting the Shit Kicked out of him, July 5, 2011If you look at the picture of Kelly's bashed-in face ..

.. and then you look at the verdict returned by the jury ..

. what other conclusion can you come to?

This is why, in a strange way, I feel encouraged that Kelly's dad was a Orange county sheriff. Cuz he can talk to people. He knows people .. in law enforcement.

This is a unique case in that everything can be seen by everyone. We have both video and audio.

Sure, the defense is gonna say that it wasnt the fault of their clients. You expect that. That's what they are supposed to do. That's what they are PAID to do.

But everybody can see for themselves what happened. And they can even hear Kelly narrate. And beg for his life. Arent you surprised that the jury did not even hang on the charge of � excessive force.

If they had hung on the murder rap, yeah, I could see that. I could understand that. I'm not saying that I agree .. only that I could understand that.

But this .. unanimous on even � no excessive force was used. I cannot even understand that. There is definitely a message there.

Before this case went to trial, I read a commentary that said (something like) � "You never know .. there might be an old lady on the jury who might be reluctant to convict a police officer of murder."

I forget the exact words that were used, but it was clear that the person commenting on the upcoming trial felt that a guilty verdict was not the slam-dunk that everybody was expecting .. everybody who had seen the video footage.

They suspected that one person might lead to a hung jury. But it was also clear that this commenter, never in a million years, expected the officers to be completely acquitted all all charges .. even the charge of "excessive force."

I mean, not even one juror voted to convict any of the officers of excessive force. Not one. Zero. Nada. Zilch. They did not even hang on the charge of excessive force.

Mind-blowing. A sad commentary. A tell-tale verdict about the society in which we live. Ye shall know them by their fruit. Res ipsa loquitur. The thing speaks for itself. The verdict speaks about society's values. So clearly.

The Voice of Your Brother's Blood Cries to Me

You dont need someone to tell you what you are (or arent) seeing with your own eyes and hearing with your own ears.

[ Do you? Because, if you do, I can assure you that there are plenty of people out there just waiting to tell you what you THINK. To tell you what you are SEEING ..

.. what you are HEARING. To tell you what you BELIEVE. To tell you how you FEEL .. about any- and every-thing. And you know I'm right.

Yes, it takes more effort to THINK for yourself. No one will dispute that. It's certainly easier to let somebody else do your thinking for you. Much easier.

The Blood of Kelly Thomas SpeaksBut scripture says that we all stand judgment for our actions.

You know what they say about a word to the wise.

Because these people will not be there when you are standing judgment. Feel me? ]

Kelly seemed (to me) to leap to his feet quickly .. far more nimbly than I could have.

And when they were done with him .. he was not moving. At all.

Now you can parallax the video all you like, but them is the facts. The sad facts.

What a savage, merciless beat-down. A sustained, savage merciless beat-down. Of a mentally-impaired homeless person. An innocent mentally-impaired man. By badged civil authorities.

What could possibly be more disturbing?

Somebody should put together a nice memorial video for him .. and post it online. So that this verdict is not the last word on the subject.

Scripture says that the blood of the slain cries out to God .. even after they are dead. I would not want anyone's blood crying out my name .. about something I did. Or something I contributed to. Or something I condoned.

And, to be honest, that video reminds me of a � snuff flick. Like that movie with Nicolas Cage. I forget the title. Yeah, I can search for it. But I won't. Because you cant tell me that you don't see the similarities.

For the dad, the closest way that I have of relating also came after a court decision .. which I titled � Broken, Defeated, Dazed and Confused.

When I think of society mistreating those who do not look 'pretty enough' .. I think of what Isaiah said. He actually uses the word � crushed here. Crushed .. yes, that is the word that comes to mind. Feel me?

Christ the Redeemer | Rio de Janiero, BrazilNo less than Peter himself references that very verse (from Isaiah) as figuratively prophetic.

You reckon he might know?

I am pretty sure that Matthew would concur.

One last thing I should note � No, the cops did NOT find anything stolen in Kelly's backpack. Doesnt that make him innocent (by definition)?

If he was innocent, then why is he dead? Scripture is clear on this point. Make a note.

Notice how they (the badged officers) RUN AFTER him (.. to � shed innocent blood).

Your Ass is Mine

Some time ago the SY$TEM sent me a message. A very clear message. And yes, I got the message. Loud-n-clear. Thank-you, very much.

But today I'm sending one back"Your ass is mine, bitch. It's just a matter of time, now. Because the hourglass looks nearly empty. Tickety fucking tock. The mouse ran up the clock. So stand the fuck by. And watch it rock. Dont say you werent warned."

Now you might think it crazy .. the idea of paying a team of highly-trained thugs to beat the living-fuck out of an innocent man .. would be excusable .. long as your own hands remained free of the red stain ..

300 | Your Ass is Mine.. but you'd think wrong.

Let me put it this way � there is a Justice beyond (� refer to the title of today's entry) ..

.. that which you find in any given locality or municipality, or state or nation. Especially where innocent blood is involved ..

.. because it speaks on [testifies] into eternity. And I would not want this Justice measuring my remaining days. Feel me?

I would not want anybody's blood calling out my name to God into eternity.

Scripture teaches that God has 'a thing' about the shedding of innocent blood. Word to the wise .. you know what they say. Don't say you werent warned.

If I told you that my exploration of poetic license was really a search for poetic justice .. then how would you say that I did?

To be honest .. today's entry feels � beyond .. what I am capable of. The writing. How can such a thing be? How can you write beyond your ability?

Speaking of things beyond .. try this as a thought-experiment (ala Einstein) � What is the difference between someone who is More Than Enough and someone who is Too Much? (Think about it.)

(What is the difference between denial and insanity? Boy, could I have fun with that. Maybe another time.)

No one is saying that appearances arent important. No, sir. I am merely suggesting that appearances shouldnt be more important than the shedding of innocent blood.

Have you ever had that strange feeling? .. like you somehow wandered between two big dudes having a fight? So it's not about you .. but it nonetheless may very well affect you.

Who was it that said � the unexamined life is not worth living? Cuz examination time is here. Step right up. Dont be shy.

For extra credit, compare Kelly's narrated video with � this one. Make a list of all the similarities you find.

I need to go for a run. This shit is so disturbing. The letter kills (yet again). The letter .. of the law.

The end. ?

Cain Slays Abel to Open Noah

[ Update - I saw the movie Noah on opening night. It contains the very scene that I use here to help create my imagery. The one where Cain slays Abel.

Cain Slays Abel | from Noah, the movieThey even show a silhouette of one man atop and straddling another ..

.. bashing his head (repeatedly) with a rock ..

.. or whatever blunt object happens to be handy.

I would like to tell you that, while crafting this entry, I saw this movie coming, and that I purposefully made use of the imagery it would bring.

But I did not. It just worked out that way. In other words, I was not prepared for it.

Because of the emotions involved with seeing Kelly get the life beat out of him as he cried out to his dad for help.

In other words, this scene became very personal. It brought back all the stuff that you find here, including the emotions.

The whole movie felt emotional. Much of it, anyway. Unexpectedly so.

Plus, the story contains lots of kid-stuff .. parenting, authority, rebellion, love, disappointment .. associated with families. That stuff all works on me. On a level where I seem to have little defense. A rollercoaster ride.

There were a few times when I didnt think I could take it .. but I only walked out once. Took a few deep breathes. Okay, let's do this thing.

But when you go see it, see for yourself if Kelly's battered face doesnt come to mind.

Before I went to see it, I glanced at a headline that said Russell Crowe was the only actor who could have pulled this off. To which I bristled.

But after seeing it, I can see what they mean. I would be proud to have that movie credit on my resum�. Rotten Tomatoes has already certified it 'Fresh'.

This is an artistic enterprise. Not a documentary. He (the writer-director) is telling you up front that he took use of creative license. As any rational person would expect him to do.

Cain Slays Abel | from Noah, the movieIf you want to make a documentary .. you are free to do that.

But I do not think that many people would want to go see it.

I will say that the casting here spoke to me .. more than it does with most movies. That surprised me, because casting is usually (for me) transparent.

To be honest, I did not know that this Seth dude, from whom Noah was descended (.. which would mean you and me by extension) ..

.. was reportedly the replacement for Abel .. who was slain by Cain. Think about it.

And does not it seem like God says, "If you mess with Cain, you will have vengeance heaped upon you seven-fold" .. as a way of protecting Cain. I never saw that before ..

.. until I read up on it.

Because I have noticed where Paul talks about how - from our limited perspective - it might seem like that God is unjust.

Does not Peter also seem to be questioning the fairness of divinely ordained outcomes? "What about this dude? Your favorite. What's in store for him?"

Hemingway talks about a man who was "clearly marked for death" .. in Moveable Feast. That is actually the name of the chapter. It's about a poet named Ernest Walsh.

I thought about that guy when I read about how God "appointed a sign" for Cain. Cuz the footnote for that verse actually says � set a mark on.

"You're protecting that asshole"

Seems to me that if your management skills are good enough to make life pleasant for your boss .. that he will give you lattitude to the degree that you are able to make things run smoothly.

Indian Point Nuclear plant, New York, Hudson River"Just keep doing what you're doing. If you fuck up, I will let you know."

My point is .. I used to have this boss who would sometimes bark at me,

saying � "You're *protecting* that asshole!"

There seems to be a strange phenomenon whereby, if you treat someone special, they abuse their position of favor and become a problem. Instead of appreciating your gesture in the way one might ordinarily expect.

I wished I had never helped this person, cuz my boss made me pay for it. (The result of which was � I became more aligned with the principles of meritocracy.)

After I read the story about Cain, and the mark that God put on him, that robust assertion from my old boss came to mind.

I was also struck by the way Aronofsky used a beating heart .. in lieu of an apple. On the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

I want to ask him why he did that. Very curious.

In other words, I would not have thought of that in a million years .. yet it somehow (strangely enough) works.

When I think of that .. I think of Walter Kirn's new book � Blood Will Out. But that's another story.

Interesting title, no? (Given out recent conversation.) � Blood Will Out.

The obvious question seems to be � Out what?

The Blood of Kelly Thomas SpeaksThis is my prediction. That one day every man gets to the place where money is not enough.

In this place, blood is required.

Blood and only blood. (Visa not accepted. Mastercard? What's that?)

Blood is expensive in certain domains. In some realms. Very expensive. Prohibitively expensive. Some might even say � precious.

Watch and see. I will be there saying"I tried to tell you, dawg. But you wouldnt listen. You only cared about the money. What good does that do you now?"

That be the � true-true.

Can't you hear the voice of Kelly's blood continuing to echo on? I do. And this is what it is saying ..

"Help, dad. I can't breathe. They're killing me, dad. I was just sitting here minding my own business. Please hurry, dad. Cuz I don't know how much longer I can hold out. I'm bleeding pretty badly. They ran after me and caught me. I tried to get away. But they were too fast. They're literally crushing the life out of me. I love you, dad. Say goodbye to mom for me."

Blood will out. (It seems to be a popular theme this year.)

The dictionary says that the similar phrase � murder will out means � a secret will eventually be exposed.

A similar phrase from Shakespeare � truth will out [ Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Scene 2, line 645 ] seems to mean a similar thing.

Blood will out. Murder will out. Truth will out.

Did you notice that Obama is going to speak at the UCI graduation ceremonies on June 14 at Angel stadium? (Orange county.) Interesting.

If I were somehow appointed judge of the living and the dead .. I would think that communities who close their ears to the cries for help and pleas for mercy ..

.. of the weak and the poor and the helpless .. and maybe even the not-quite-right .. should not expect to fair any better than Pharoah.

<end noah update> ]

The end of the update. ??

In order to return to the exact spot from which this entry was lifted � see here.

Update July 18, 2014 � Oh, this is sad. Very sad. Disturbing, even. Almost unbelievable .. if it werent captured on video.

'I can't breathe' says Eric Garner in New York City on July 17, 2014 Chokehold for Selling Cigarettes?

Speaking of poor citizens who cry out � "I can't breathe,"

.. while a bunch of police are piled on top of them ..

.. you gotta see this ..

.. about 43-year-old Eric Garner of New York City. R.I.P.

Do not his cries of "I can't breathe," remind you of the very same cries that came from Kelly Thomas?

When I first heard about this story, and how a group of five police officers were trying arrest this man (Eric Garner) for selling cigarettes ..

NYPD place chokehold on Eric Garner for selling cigarettes.. I thought � "For selling cigarettes? Fucking cigarettes? You gotta be kidding me."

If the police in New York City have nothing better than do than arrest a man for selling cigarettes ..

.. then I would question their priorities.

Does not this tragedy speak to my point about how � the SY$TEM is about the money?

The reason that the SY$TEM does not want people selling untaxed cigarettes .. is because � they want their cut.

In other words � they want their money. (And it appears that they are willing to KILL in order to get it.)

Can't you almost hear the guy choking Eric saying"Give me my money, bitch!"

After I read the article, I sat back .. sort of stunned, really .. to see if I could digest what I had just read.

'I can't breathe' says Eric Garner in New York City on July 17, 2014And it seemed like a voice was saying

� "Are you telling me? .. that a whole swat team of white officers ran up on a black dude for selling cigarettes? .. and then choked his ass to death when he protested that their claims were bullshit?" ..

.. even as he kept saying (trying to) � 'I can't breathe.' ?

Is that what you're telling me?"

How would you answer that question?

If you ask me, this looks like a lot of "make work" .. so that people are appearing to justify their jobs in this long-term sucky economy.

At least for us folks without a hedge fund.

Certainly understandable .. but surely you can find more pressing things than loose cigarettes. Everybody knows that you can.

NYPD place chokehold on Eric Garner for selling cigarettesBecause this reeks of injustice. It reeks so badly that the stench seems to travel far. Very far.

This is nothing to be proud of. I mean, it is like resorting to the nuclear option for farting in public.

You can't expect people to live (much less thrive) under such oppressive oppression.

Could *you* live under such conditions?

Eric: "Officer, if you are really serious about this cigarette bullshit .. and not just fucking with me .. like you normally do .. then you probably oughta just choke me out right now."

Even beyond the illegal chokehold on vivid video .. which, yes, is very bad. Very disturbing. But beyond even that .. is the problem of what they are there for .. and the fact that are so many of them.

This is it? This is where my tax dollars are going? This is what I am paying for? If I were a resident (of anywhere, not just NYC), I would not want my tax dollars to be paying for this.

Because my spidey-senses tell me that the lightning bolt of injustice must be near. Very near.

I mean, the city should be praising this kind, gentle, problem-solving man and his entrepreneurial spirit. [ Not choking him to death for selling cigarettes. ]

Speaking of the lightning-bolt-of-injustice (there it is) ..

lightning bolt strikes empire state bldg nycI would like to challenge the NYPD to focus their limited resources on going after REAL bad guys ..

.. those who do things that cause genuine societal harm ..

.. after those with the power and resources to actually defend themselves.

After those who are stealing our children's future. Fuck cigarettes. Save our children's future.

Anybody can gang up on the weak and defenseless. (That's what bullies do.)

Go after some real bad guys .. or do you prefer only those who pose no challenge?

Did you notice the statement written there on the memorial to Eric? � The NYPD never choked a banker.

What they're saying .. and what seems intuitively OBVIOUS to even the most casual of observers .. is that your priorities are out of whack. (Badly.) ???

Update � this is very good .. about the Staten Island DA, Daniel Donovan. (DD the DA.)

The coroner ruled his death a homicide.

"This stops today" Prophetic Flavor?

Update August 23 � A protest march / rally took place today in Staten Island for Eric Garner, who was choked to death by police on July 17th .. a little more than a month ago.

This Stops Today | August 23 Protest March for Eric GarnerDo you recall the phrase that Eric uttered ..

.. only minutes before he was lying dead on the sidewalk? � "This stops today." ..

.. which is close to � "This ends here."

When I heard Eric utter that sentence, I couldnt help but feel that it had a prohpetic flavor to it.

But now I see that others also picked up on it .. because the protesters were chanting � "It Stops Today."

I also noticed that Eric's widow was wearing a shirt that said � "This Stops Today".

It made me think of Martin Luther King's last speech, who was only 39 when he was assassinated. Close to Eric's age (43).

Maybe I am missing something obvious .. but, shouldnt police officers be out there supporting members of the community? .. instead of choking them to death?

"Hey, Eric. What's up? How's the kids? Lemme have one of those smokes. Here's a buck. Keep the change."

<end update aug 23 this stops today protest march>

CHP Repeatedly Punching a Homeless Grandma in the Face? WTF?

50-year-old homeless grandma Marlene Pinnock repeatedly punch in the face by CHP July 1, 2014 off the 10 Freeway in Los AngelesI wasnt even going to mention the savage beating of a 50-year-old homeless lady (Marlene Pinnock) by a CHP officer ..

.. because she didnt die.

The video is posted � here (and also � here).

Notice any patterns with Kelly and Eric?

I have never before in my life ever seen a man punch a woman in the face like that .. much less repeatedly.

And I won't even mentioned the fact that he is atop her, straddling her.

Raining down closed-fist punches like he belongs in the Octogon.

Update Sept 25,2014 � They gave her $1.5 mil and the officer resigned.

????

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