Images from the funeral service for the four murdered Oakland police officers, Oakland Arena and Coliseum, March 27, 2009.
I was contemplating doing a quick entry this afternoon after the funerals today for the four murdered Oakland police officers, but I felt it best I not write what I was really feeling. I’m not in the mood for negative comments, so I’ve toned this down a whole lot.
Frankly, I am angry at every politician who spoke on the dais at the Oakland Arena earlier today. Each offered the usual “they were brave men, died doing what they loved to do, kept us safe.” NOT ONE politician stood up and said anything about doing anything to restore the rights of police to fully do their jobs. Even the president of the United States sent condolences, but failed to send a strongly worded message about how we—the majority of law-abiding citizens—are sick of our police being victims and how government officials at all levels simply need to be more supportive of law enforcement when creating any budget.
No one in the mainstream has even verbalized the need to restore rights back to the police. Michael Savage did, but I guess few consider Michael Savage mainstream ...
Oakland police are hamstrung. There is more concern about the rights of criminals and suspects than there are concerns for police safety. If the rumored facts of this case are true, those officers were doomed from the beginning of the traffic stop. The perp (Lovelle Mixon) jumped up through his ‘ride's sunroof and opened fire on the two motorcycle officers. Mixon then left the car, approached the cops, and put more bullets into them.
The officers weren’t allowed to have their guns drawn, at least until they saw a gun threatening them. They had stopped Mixon for expired tags, and were waiting for information about the vehicle.
The SWAT officers were doomed because we are told by media accounts that Mixon’s sister (now in jail on a drug warrant) claimed she was sleeping and didn’t know her brother was in her apartment. Running about in the apartment were her young children, so officers were tripping over kids as Mixon came out of a closet, AK-47 in hand and shooting at the officers.
There is a small but very vocal group of people in Oakland who relish utilizing the race card. At a “vigil” for Mixon on Wednesday night, one speaker claimed Mixon was a “victim” of genocide. (I say too late, the guy had a kid, a little boy who will no doubt take his daddy’s place in ‘da hood unless his mother does the right thing, get an education, and take that kid from ‘da hood. I doubt that will happen …)
Sgts. Dunakin, Romans, and Sakai and Officer Hege were victims of liberal politics that encourage a “I’m a victim of society” manner of thinking, and politicians, attorneys and judges who are more concerned with the rights of convicted felons and repeat offenders who are well-known to law enforcement.
Godspeed to the four officers, and strength to their families.
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6 comments:
Prayers for the families of these brave officers.
Please be patient. We will be collecting the comments posted under the temporary comment system for this article and re-posting them for you.
Des has commented:
Thank you. You hit the nail square on the head. The world is a better place without Mixon and a sadder place without the four officers who had their lives taken from them by a piece of human detritus and the maniacal liberals with their thoroughly warped sense of "rights".
Guest1 has commented:
Very sad indeed. I agree with everything you have said, thank you for speaking out.
Guest2 has commented:
My heart breaks for the families of these police officers. I agree with you. I am frightened for what is happening to our law and order. I thought I heard on the radio yesterday that in the "victims" neighborhood there was a party celebrating the deaths of these brave men. Is this true? Please say it is not. I checked both yesterday's and today's paper (East Coast) and not one word of coverage of the services for these men. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
september has commented:
The citizens of Oakland are the ones that voted in these liberal politicians that put in place the policies you identified. Sorry they have only themselves for this mess. No way would I live in Oakland.
caligirl9 has commented:
Guest (6:27), yes there was a vigil held in the perp's 'hood. But only 60 people showed up. Far from a majority of its citizens. Organizing the "vigil" was a group called Uhuru (the African People's Socialist Party).
My daughter found a group of photos taken by the same amateur photographer of the events of this past week—photos of the vigils for the officers, yesterday's funeral, and Wednesday's little gathering for the murdering thug. In every group of photos except Wednesday's, people were somber, openly crying, all races and colors together in sadness. The photos from Wednesday—smiling as if it were a celebration, no one but African Americans. Some people look for any excuse to blame "the man" for their ongoing problems.
Divisiveness such as this will never bring positive change to Oakland or any city in its situation. This is beyond race—it's a mindset and there are people of all colors who choose that "I'm a victim of society" mindset.
Thank you for your comment at T & T. We appreciate all of you adding to the dialogue.
Guest2 has commented:
Amen. Very well said.
caligirl9 has commented:
Des, I am a lot less objective on my blog (which you've probably read). Hence the time difference in posting.
September, unfortunately you are correct. I think that perhaps the events thus far this year will be enough for Oakland to want a law-and-order type in office (believe it or not, when Jerry Brown was mayor, the crime rate in Oakland went down!). I do believe there needs to be some sort of checks-and-balances in place to ensure that rogue cops who abuse their authority are properly supervised and re-trained or removed from their jobs. You don't have to be a conservative or Republican to be a law-and-order type. This isn't about political parties, it's about beliefs.
As for people who complain that the cops are "picking on them," perhaps they need to look at their behaviors that are bringing attention to themselves. Standing on the street corner wearing baggy clothes and driving a certain make of car (yes, there is car profiling, I'll write about it someday!) will bring attention to yourself. The answer: dress normally, and stop buying beater cars at police auctions!
Thanks for your comments at T & T!
Guest4 has commented:
Thank you. As a member of the community in which these brave men served, I believe my opinion probably most closely mirrors the one you toned down but this version is good too.
kim has commented:
It is tragic that these officers were murdered, but that does not mean that we need to live in an even more repressive police state than we now do... police work is dangerous (although less so than commercial fishing, for example), and those who choose to do that job are aware of that danger when they join the force. The truly conservative among us want less power given to government and law enforcement, not more.
Tez has commented:
I'm offended that the perp had a vigil. Please he killed four police officers, has been linked to numerous rapes, was a suspect in a murder, and probably a whole lot more that I am not aware of.
His family should be thankful that the lot of them aren't in jail for obstructing justice or being accessories to murder before and after the fact!
JMO, of course.
Guest5 has commented:
One more item of interest: The community is not apathetic about the disgraceful "march" in support of this monster. If you go to YELP, you'll see that there is a significant (and well deserved) community backlash underway against Uhuru.
As a life long liberal, I am confused as to why you place blame on liberal politics for the death of these fine officers. It is not a political issue. I agree with every word you have written. The dead criminal had guns. We need to deal with specific problems without resulting to the blame game, which is much like using the race card. I hope that the sister who sheltered her criminal brother is charged, and I hope her children are removed from her home permanently. We need to end the welfare abuse that results in children who live in poverty and crime.
I lived in Oakland years ago when it was kinda of a nice city, seeing this city go totally downhill with the thugs and gangsta attitude was very scary..They almost destroyed this city and are still trying.
I was surprised when I heard one of the family member of a fallen policeman ask that the Mayor "DID NOT" give a speech tells volume.
The Politicians in that town are a total Joke.
Bring in some tougher People and give more power to our Police Officer's..You couldn't pay me a million dollars to work in that town let alone be a Police Officer.
I am still in the Bay Area but not close to Oakland Thank Goodness.
Kim: I do agree with your remark that the truly conservative want less police action, not more. But I guess that is assuming that crime in a given community is a rarity, not an epidemic as in Oakland. I believe there were two shootings (related to each other as retaliation shootings I think) this week. It’s been an abnormally deadly week in Oakland. I guess that should be something to look forward to: being able to have less police action. I don’t relish the idea of living under a Nazi-like police state, but I guess that in certain areas of Oakland and cities like it, it might be a necessity.
Tez, I hope his family is prosecuted to the fullest that the law allows. I suspect nothing will happen though; DAs have to prioritize the cases they prosecute, and what’s the worst thing that could happen to Mixon’s “accomplice” family members? The worst thing would really be to cut off welfare benefits, assuming they are indeed on welfare.
Poochie, I struggled with a term to use as far as blaming a set of beliefs, because I don’t believe this is as simple as a “democrat versus republican” issue. I have democrat friends who are diehard law-and-order types, and republicans who do not believe that the death penalty is cruel and unusual. I simply chose the label of liberal because most people equate “liberalness” with lawlessness. Not an accurate description, but I was hamstrung with the lack of a proper team.
Anonymous, I read that it was two families who requested Dellums not speak; one of the requests came from one of the deceased officer’s emergency information file, a request from the officer himself.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Perhaps a temporary police state in those bad ‘hoods is called for?
Thank you to everyone who is adding to this important dialogue.
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