The Rare Current Events Observation

[mallorys_camera]

Much as I disagree with the Oscar Grant verdict, I find it utterly bizarre that Eric Holder is investigating it..

Is the a priori assumption henceforth that every murder case involving perp and victim of different races a civil rights violation? Or is this just one more example of how Obama's administration holds state sovereignty in contempt?

More and more I'm coming to disapprove of a strong, centralized federal government. All politics is local -- or should be.

Comments

[jdquintette.livejournal.com]

More and more I'm coming to disapprove of a strong, centralized federal government

After Katrina, it's a little hard to get on board with a program like that, if you live in New Orleans. Nothing worse than a feeling the feds are asleep at the switch when the doo doo hits the fan like that.

Living in the US creates a very interesting dynamic with this. I find I'm starting to resent "taxes" as much as the average Limbaugh-ite, something that was alien to my experience of Canada. But of course there I got actual services for my money, whereas here it often seems like I get charged twice, once by government, again by the "private sector." My rate of taxation is about the same as it was in Canada, but there are all these hidden costs and 'gotcha' fees (particularly in health care) that actually make it more expensive for me to live here. And good god, the predatory practises of business here are truly frightening. It's like dealing with the mob.

I guess what I'm getting at is, I'm starting to understand the American mistrust of and hostility to "big government," given that many people's experience of it is so negative. But it doesn't have to be that way, and in many places in the world, it isn't that way. At least not to the same degree.

[mallorys-camera.livejournal.com]

and in many places in the world, it isn't that way. At least not to the same degree

True, but if we're talking about the social democracies of Europe, we're usually talking about much smaller and traditionally more heterogeneous national entities. (That last is on the wane, of course, w/all the African immigration that's taken place in the last 10 years.) It's not accurate to compare the govt of France, say, to the state govt of California, but it is accurate to compare the home rule govt of Scotland to the state govt of California.

The central govt should have been doing more for New Orleans and LA after Katrina just as they should be doing more right now post-BP spillage. Emergency response ought to be a federal purview -- it's conceptually related to "defense" which is a federal purview.

Intervening in a murder case because they disagree with a jury verdict? (And I disagreed with it too, by the way.) That's an abuse of power.

[jdquintette.livejournal.com]

But I digress. I don't know very much about the original case. Is there any reason to suspect that the shooting is racially motivated? I would guess that there would have to be fairly compelling evidence of this for the justice department to intervene, since the Obama administration often (it seems to me, anyway) bends over backwards to avoid the appearance of "favoring" blacks as a constituency anyway. Not that this ever stops the right wing from portraying him as some kind of 'get-whitey' closet Huey Newton.

I just can't see them risking adding more fuel to that fire unless they had good reason. The article doesn't give any details. Do you know any?

[mallorys-camera.livejournal.com]

I was living in CA at the time the shooting. Mehserle's story was completely whack: he meant to reach for his taser but he reached for his gun instead? WTF? Apparently he called a black BART cop a bitch ass nigger a minute or so before he shot Grant -- deemed inadmissible as testimony to the court for some reason -- so I think it would be accurate to describe Mehserle as a racist.

[platofish.livejournal.com]

I've no idea why the Feds think this should be opened as a possible case....perhaps if he had been found innocent in a State case this would be understandable..... but....I dunno.

[mallorys-camera.livejournal.com]

Pretext they're using is that the victim's civil rights were violated. But it sure sounds like double jeopardy to me.

[a1icey.livejournal.com]

<3

[ch.livejournal.com]

re: the oscar grant verdict, either the cop is a fuck up or a miscreant, i don't know which, but i don't see why he should face another criminal trial in either case. we have a prohibition against double jeopardy for a reason.

[mallorys-camera.livejournal.com]

It's just bizarre. But then there' so much that's bizarre about Obama's administration. I guess you could say I am suffering from buyer's remorse! :-)