Light/Breezes

Light/Breezes
SUNRISE AT DEATH VALLEY-Photo by Tom Cochrun
Showing posts with label Ferguson Missouri. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ferguson Missouri. Show all posts

Thursday, August 21, 2014

FERGUSON AND HISTORY-REVERSING SUNSET ON REASON-A DEATH FOR NEWS-A DRY REVERIE

JAMES FOLEY
1974-2014
Photo Courtesy of Jonathan Pedneault freejamesfoley.org
    Executed by an IS jihadist, American journalist James Foley is the most recent to die while pursuing news.
   Faces of journalists killed in the line of duty.  Below is the memorial wall at the Newseum in Washington D.C.
   Most give very little thought to the dangers encountered by those who work to keep us informed.  We are in their debt.
     WHEN WILL WE LEARN?
      In critiquing the performance of the police in Ferguson Missouri, Norm Stamper the former police chief in Seattle told the LA Times the first thing he thought when he saw the images was "When will we ever learn?", the lines from the Pete Seeger song made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary.
     He said he was thinking, "please learn from my mistakes." Stamper made a few when his force was vilified for the way they over reacted to the WTO protests in 1999. The incident spawned books and movies.
     Scenes like those in Ferguson are familiar to many of us. If you are old enough you remember police dogs and fire hoses being turned on civil rights protesters and the media by police and sheriffs in the south in the 1960's.  Most infamous perhaps was racist Bull Connor in Birmingham Alabama.
      The 1967 Kerner Commission report on the spate of riots and violence in American cities concluded that frustration at lack of economic opportunity was the powder keg.
      In that same era I covered protests, street violence and police thuggery.  In 1968 the Walker Report called the action of the Chicago Police Department a "police riot" during the Democratic National Convention.
      I've been tear gassed, and bullied by police, knocked out by flag pole in a scuffle between anti war and pro war demonstrators and I've seen protests from Washington to conflict zones in Central America, the Middle East and Africa. There was a time when it seemed police had learned, as Norm Stamper did, though in his case after the fact.
      Ferguson reminds us there is still a long way to go. There are a few simple things that can happen immediately-
       ---police need to remember that a peaceable assembly to protest is a guaranteed freedom.  And protesters need to remember the good lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King-peaceful protest or civil disobedience, which will precipitate likely arrest, but in a peaceful way.
       ---As Stamper said "don't tear gas non violent and non threatening protesters and for God's sake don't bring dogs out…it's a throw back to Bull Connor."
       ---Stamper and others who are experts in law enforcement and security also decry the militarization of local police departments.  They look like army units, ready for invasion. Maybe there's a place for that, but it's not in an emotionally tinged protest over questionable use of lethal force. Pointing loaded weapons, that look like instruments of war, at unarmed civilians is stupid and dangerous. It is a scene you'd expect from Syria, Russia or someplace other than the American heartland.
       I've accompanied police on armed drug raids, waited hours with SWAT officers in highly charged hostage sieges, and seen officers, including friends, gunned down in shoot outs. I've been there as folded flags that draped a coffin were presented to grieving wives and children.  It is dangerous work they do, but that is no excuse to trample liberties, rights or to abuse people who have committed no crime. Restraint is required on both sides of the line and the same goes for the media.  In our case, the media, we need to remember proportionality and perspective. The sun needs to rise on reason.
REVERIE IN DROUGHT




    In normal circumstances this wetland and pond would be alive with birds.



   See you down the trail.

Monday, August 18, 2014

BEFORE AND AFTER-FREE SPEECH AND THUGGERY-DATE NIGHT OPTIONS-FESTIVAL OLIVES

BEFORE AND AFTER

FREE SPEECH AND THUGGERY
    As regards Ferguson Missouri-
          --The right to assemble peacefully does not include looting and vandalism.
          --Targeting media is stupid and could be criminal.
          --Some say the media should ignore protests. When masses of people and armed, militarized police mix, someone needs to watch.
          --Media presence cannot help but influence or charge a situation, but what is the alternative?
          --A predominately African America community with a predominately white police department does not make sense.
          --Local police agencies have become increasingly armed and militarized.  Homeland Security and other federal funding for the weapons and arms industry is partially to blame.
         --Many, if not most, police agencies need better training and preparation of officers to deal with civil disturbance, protests, crowd control and general social skills.
         --Police work is not military work. The US has troubles on this point.
         --Demonstrators and protesters should remain civil, non violent and need to better control themselves.
        --Hoodlums, thugs, thieves and criminals always take advantage of social discord on this scale.
         --The level of violence in America is troubling, not understood and a search for understanding of root causes is long overdue.
DELIGHTFUL
     The HUNDRED FOOT JOURNEY is as delicious and entertaining as we expected.  Again Helen Mirren is masterful. There is a scene where she merely arches an eyebrow and nods her head and it is as though she could change the course of rivers. Manish Dayal as young chef Hassan is superb and shows enormous potential as does Charlotte Le Bon as Marguerite. It is impossible to see and hear this French ingenue and not think "precious." Vetran Om Puri as Pappa can do more with an expression or his voice than most. He's a delightful foil to Mirren.
      Lasse Hallstrom has created a beautiful entertainment and homage to food. You'll leave entertained, feeling good and hungry.
A GORGEOUS TIME PIECE
AS WOODY GET PHILOSOPHICAL
      While some make it a sport to trash Woody Allen films, the man is a brilliant director, writer and his ear for music is among the best. MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT is a case in point. So start with that, add the beauty of the south of France, set it in the late 20's with jazz and wardrobe from the era, add an intelligent, light and playful examination of God, faith and spiritual mediums, turned by Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Simon McBurney, and Eileen Atkins and you've got a great 97 minutes.  It's especially great if you like that era of jazz. 
      Firth's performance is worth the ticket alone as a pompous, rationalist who falls under the spell of a gorgeous Stone.  This is fun, pretty, superbly directed and told and is a perfect date night film.
WHEN OLIVES ARE A FESTIVAL
Paso Robles
   Paso Robles appellation wines are are known around the world.  Rapidly, the regions olive oil makers are becoming the favorite of chefs and home kitchen culinary artists. 
  Today's post presents scenes from this year's Olive Festival in the park in Paso Robles. 



















      It is getting as difficult to choose between great olive oils as it is great wines.  A lovely dilemma here in the American Provence'.

       See you down the trail.