The mote in their eye

by: Carnacki

Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 09:40:26 AM EDT

Commenters at TalkingPointsMemo point out the obvious in a story about cops going wild:

Typical California law enforcement. The worst racist town in the Deep South has nothing on California's finest.

I guess its a good thing California is so progressive.

I've lived in California (except when I was married and spent the better part of three years during the 90's in France) since 1965. At the age of ten, I moved with my parents from Eugene, Oregon to West Covina just before the Watts Riots. We moved later to Yorba Linda. The Ramparts division of the LAPD was then and now a bunch of paramilitary thugs. Fullerton PD; paramilitary thugs. Riverside County Sherrif's; paramilitary thugs. San Diego PD and Sherrif's; paramilitary thugs.

I have no grand illusions about California's "liberal" leanings; not with the state being the birthplace of the Birchers; or even the current manifestation of the KKK as the Conservative Citizens Council in Hacienda Heights.

Funny how Metzger of the Nazis and the Minutemen milita thugs originated in San Diego County.

I disagree that what happened in Cardiff is not typical in California; my experience is that it is all too typical.

I currently live in the SF Bay Area and have acquaintences in law enforcement; racism and paramilitary thuggery exists on a daily basis, even here.

One thing I noticed, of all the places in the US, California is just jam packed full of racists, bigots etc that are totally in denial about their true nature. People hide their true archie bunker style thoughts everywhere but in Cali its like they go beyond that to try to portray some sort of ideal prejudice free types then sit there while guys with badges from Azusa shoot mexican kids and toss a pound of heroin in their lap. Bizarre.

As an African American who lived for 20 years in Los Angeles I have a different opinion. I left California because of the violent racism. I have friends who were murdered as teenagers by the LAPD and LA County Sheriffs Office. I have been threatened on numerous occasions by California law enforcement. I do not believe that if you polled African Americans in California that they'd agree with your assessment of a benign collective law enforcement community.

You must be totally unfamiliar with the history of the police in every major city in California in regards to racial relations to make such claims. How deluded can you be.

I guess it is progressive to ignore the experience of others in the broader community and label them small minded for not having the privilege to share your outlook on law enforcement and to label an entire region of the nation as backwater redneck states.

How many of your highschool classmates in the LAUSD were shot in the back and killed by local law enforcement? How many of your classmates beaten for no reason by the same group? I guarantee you your view of law enforcement is not share by everyone in the city of Los Angeles and not even in West Hollywood.

Is it progressive to be oblivious to the experiences of others in your community?

But apparently it's only acceptable to point out racism if it's in Appalachia.