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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forumsde Blasio Fires Back: "They my friend are not the majority. Stop portraying them as the majority."
Bill de Blasio shows how Liberals should take control of Right Wing planted reportersWhat you managed to do is pull up the few who do not represent the majority, who are saying unacceptable things, who shouldn't be saying those things. And some who actually physically attack police officers which I said is absolutely unacceptable.
...yes there are some bad people who say inappropriate things. There are some people who say hateful things. They have no place in these protests. They are not what I am talking about. I am talking about the vast majority of New Yorkers and vast majority of Americans who believe in peaceful democratic process. I dont care where they are in the political spectrum. The vast majority of our citizens are good and decent people who do not say negative things, racist things nasty things to police, threatening things to police.
The few who want conflicts attempt that and unfortunately so many times you guys enable that. I don't see reports on the many decent good people. I don't see reports on the everyday cops who do the exemplary thing and hold the line and show restraint and discipline no matter what invective hurled at them."
The reporter then attempted to interrupt Mayor as if everything the mayor said went unsaid. The Mayor slammed back.
You know what, I am telling you all over again thats how you want to portray the world but we know a different reality," said Bill de Blasio. "There are some people who do that. It's wrong it's wrong they shouldn't do that. It's immoral It's wrong its nasty. Its negative. They should not do that. But they my friend are not the majority. Stop portraying them as the majority."
More good politicians must challenge the media when they are attempting to steer the narrative instead of reporting the events. Too many times they have become but the tool of one side of the discourse at the detriment of us all.
MORE:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/22/1353650/-Bill-de-Blasio-shows-how-Liberals-should-take-control-of-Right-Wing-planted-reporters
NoJusticeNoPeace
(5,018 posts)the mayor and Al Sharpton and liberals etc
Fire ALL of them
branford
(4,462 posts)The suggestion is authoritarian, and is impossible both as a legal and politically practical matter.
I don't even know where you could possibly imagine the mayor would derive the authority to fire a reporter?
However, you should remember your inclination the next time liberal public employees criticizes a Republican.
NoJusticeNoPeace
(5,018 posts)who turned their backs on him
the person who goes on tv attacking the mayor is not a reporter, he is a police official of some sort
reporter?
branford
(4,462 posts)They are generally free to criticize the mayor, blame Sharpton, etc.
There were a number of threads yesterday discussing the issue. Simply, as unionized public employees with a collective bargaining agreement, engaging in collective employment activities, and most doing so while off-duty. they are effectively immune from discipline, no less termination, by various constitutional, statutory and contractual provisions. For reference, these are the same laws and regulations and similar contracts that protect more liberal union members like teachers when they criticize public figures and engage in political activity (try to remember back to the Giuliani administration and his relationship with the teachers union).
RobertEarl
(13,685 posts)And when they do they expose themselves as not servants to the public but as one-sided idiots who are all about fear and hate. Let them speak and show themselves as bad examples.
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)their right to free speech or malingering on the job? Malingering and insubordination are policy offenses, something management can act on or overlook.
They are enabled to act this way - the protections are just a dodge the people responsible and their lap dogs hide behind. Cops can be fired, and it is silly to assert otherwise...
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/fired-cop-says-she-tried-to-stop-another-from-choking-suspect
Sure they have a right to free speech. When they are in that uniform, however, just like any McDonalds or Walmart employee, their employer decides how they will act.
And that's us.
branford
(4,462 posts)Last edited Tue Dec 23, 2014, 12:36 AM - Edit history (1)
They answer only to Commissioner Bratton and others in their police chain of command. DeBlasio can fire Bratton, subject of course, to Bratton's contract with the City, but he cannot arbitrarily disciple rank and file police officers. Moreover, unformed employees of Walmart and McDonalds are not comparable to police officers, who are government employees governed by a union and collective bargaining agreement.
The officers are also protected by more than the just First Amendment, including constitutional due process and related protections, the NLRA and state analogs, and their very strong collective bargaining agreement. There is also a body of law dealing with public employee speech, including criticisms of superiors, that is decidedly pro-worker, and the fact that an employee might be wearing a uniform is only part of any analysis, not automatically dispositive.
Even if discipline was somehow appropriate, and the City engaged in all required due process, which would take at least months, the only punishment that would likely be able to survive judicial scrutiny would be a warning or something similarly insignificant. However, if the police department sought to retaliate against any of the officers for their protected conduct or politics, such officer would easily win any grievance and costs the taxpayers money in compensation for civil liability. The same protections enjoyed by liberal public employees are similarly enjoyed by the police.
Cops can certainly be fired. However, just like other municipal employees, it is a very long and difficult process, often with uncertain chances of success, particularly in strong pro-union jurisdictions like NYC.
The case cited in your link is not comparable factually or legally to the deBlasio back-turning incident. In any event, I would not be surprised if the officer prevails now that her case has entered the real court system.
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)this was happening to white folk. But since it isn't, they have the luxury of excuses.
Are you actually contesting the legal and contractual protections afforded to the police officers that would prevent discipline?
I would also remind you that the clear majority of those "white citizens [who] pay most of the taxes" voted for deBlasio, one of the most liberal NYC mayors in recent history, and who actually campaigned on police reform. That does not, however, grant the mayor the right to violate the police officers' constitutional, statutory or contractual rights.
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)Boreal
(725 posts)"that's us". Ha! The female cop you mentioned was fired BY the police and you can bet the police union was on board because they protect each other and she was seen as a traitor to their brotherhood.
Cops kill with impunity and I don't see them getting fired, let alone prosecuted. Ultimately, the establishment (those in power) will always protect the cops because the cops protect THEM.
You remember that poor woman murdered by DC cops (with her baby in the car!)? Nearly the whole fucking congress applauded her murder within hours of that crime. You can find that on Youtube. It was Steney Hoyer leading the that obscene spectacle.
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)in those numbers the police departments would be shuttered and others hired. The reason they are still there is because white people feel relatively safe, as long as the police are concentrating most of their force on black folk.
It's institutionalized racism and cowardice, among the police and citizens who pay them to do their job.
Boreal
(725 posts)hundreds of people who are not black and the establishment doesn't give a flying fuck about them, either. Do you remember high profile activists or anyone in Washington holding press conferences about the murder of John Williams (Native American) by Seattle cops? How about the Hispanic man in Arizona who had a SWAT team break into his home and shoot him like 116 times? How about the homeless guy (white) camping in New Mexico? Or Kelly Thomas (white AND the son of a retired cop), beaten so badly you couldn't recognize him as human? Or the Hispanic man who called police because his wife got into an argument and the cops came and killed HIM? Or the Naval office (white) who was murdered by Las Vegas cops at Sam's Club? Or the little Hispanic boy murdered for carrying a toy gun in California? Nope because it didn't happen. We are ALL the enemy of a militarized police state that is there to protect the establishment and their property and the establishment thinks these cops are "heroes" who are "sacrificing" for our "safety". Yeah right. They protect these cops because they fear the people and the cops are what stand between them and the people. That was made clear when congress gave a standing ovation for DC police for murdering Miriam Carey (black) within hours of her death.
heaven05
(18,124 posts)Last edited Wed Dec 24, 2014, 10:03 AM - Edit history (1)
hundreds of people who are black in addition to those mentioned by you. Period. I agree with the point of your words. Not with the moral. The point you make is a rather recent phenomenon, I mean the rampant police brutality against whites. Blacks,(rosewood) native-Americans(wounded knee) and to a lesser degree Hispanics have borne the brunt of authoritarian amerikkkan brutality for HUNDREDS of YEARS. Whites have not. When enough white people get pissed off at the abrogation of their privilege by those militarized police forces, it will change for them. Not for minorities. How do I know? Historical precedent. Only when police officers like that brave woman who was fired from her policing job and beaten because she dared stand up for an handcuffed black prisoner being choked and abused by a psychopath hiding behind badge is my idea of a good cop. The psychopath who hit her and abused the handcuffed prisoner had a history of this type of behavior. When that "blue wall of silence" is finally breached by decent people who are cops, and the psychopaths are weeded out, only then will the violent, vicious police culture change and the 1%ers don't want that type of change, the unions will always turn a blind eye, DA's will never indict cops for brutality. Since that is fact WE ARE, as you say, going to continue to be the enemy to the militarized forces sowing terror on the streets of amerikkka.
Darb
(2,807 posts)Thanks for playing.
Those cops should be disciplined without doubt. Sure, they can turn their backs like fucking children, but should they, fuck no.
Police unions are a weak ass link in the labor union world, authoritarian douchebags for the most part.
Embarrassing for certain. As are your transparent mumbles.
branford
(4,462 posts)and in fact I commented about it repeatedly in a number of threads over the last couple of days, but I'm not so ideologically blind and uniformed that I believe that their conduct can, will or should warrant discipline, if for no other reason that the precedent would have far reaching negative implications for all unionized public employees.
The basis for my "transparent mumbles" is the fact that I'm a trial lawyer in New York who has practiced labor law, and even worked at the NLRB (Region 29 - Brooklyn). What about you?
heaven05
(18,124 posts)psychopaths and racists such as the police involved with Garner, Crawford, Brown and the host of unarmed citizens, men , women and children of color killed while unarmed does not warrant discipline because it would cause a breakdown in the privileged system enjoyed by many without melanin in their skin? Is that what you just said? All union employees would be at risk if police unions were disciplined for implicitly encouraging/turning a blind eye to brutal behavior by their members? Okay if you say so!!!! NOT!!!!
branford
(4,462 posts)The same legal and contractual protections provided to all public employees that allow them to engage in the political process also protects police officers, even when they make a liberal mayor's life hellish. Welcome to the big city! Your word salad complaining about the "privileged system" and "psychopaths" has absolutely nothing to do with long-standing, well-established and hard won labor protections nationally and in the state and city of New York.
There is no "police exception" to the constitution, federal and state labor law and regulations or collective bargaining, and most attempts to created such limitations would be unlawful and politically impossible, if not suicidal.
I don't know if you're just uninformed or being willfully ignorant. We have a common law legal system that operates on precedent or stare decisis. In the unimaginably unlikely scenario that there is an attempt to discipline the officers for turning their backs on the mayor, both for legal and political reasons, and in the even more ludicrous chance that a court upheld such discipline, it would inevitably weaken the protections afforded all public employees, the vast majority of whom support Democrats.
When discussing the police unions, it's astonishing how many on DU appear to receive their talking points from the Heritage Foundation.
heaven05
(18,124 posts)impressed with your garrulity. You say nothing that has merit EXCEPT, you need to defend the tragically flawed system you're trying to uphold. Nothing uninformed about racism, stupidity of Lynch, the disrespect shown to the mayor because of his son. You and your law are a noose around the neck of real justice. Nothing ignorant in me knowing bullshit when I read it.
branford
(4,462 posts)Are you implying that the protection afforded public employee unions members should just be ignored when it comes to police unions because . . . justice or racism? You can keep you anarchy.
If you want to complain about racial disparities in the justice system or the fact that PBA President Lynch is a moron, you'll receive no argument from me. However, I have no intention of weakening unions, the vast majority of whom are quite liberal, in order to achieve my goals, to the extent such limitations could even survive judicial scrutiny.
I also do not demand that public employees demonstrate "respect" or "loyalty" to any mayor. I supported the various NYC unions when they viciously fought and "disrespected" Mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg, and since I endeavor to not be a blatant hypocrite and respect the First Amendment, I understand that more conservative unions such as the police will act similarly toward Mayor deBlasio.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)someone to do it.
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)I'm happy to see so much fight in a few Democrats. They are on the side of truth and should stand tall.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)are brainwashed into believing that they can brow beat Dems who Rush told them, are wimps.
And we have people right here on this forum worrying more about what the right will think of us, than about ending the brutality of the police towards the people they are supposed to protect and serve.
THAT is why there is so littel respect for Dems in this country. The Right paints them as wimps, and some on the Left are afraid of what the Right might say or think of them.
He will be respected even by those who may hate him because he is a Dem, if he stands up to them.
They are like bratty children, who misbehave until they meet someone they finallly can't control and who they learn to respect.
LiberalElite
(14,691 posts)are always on DeBlasio's case. Have been from the beginning. They're always belittling him. Similar to what's done to Obama. Right wing on-line comments are: Socialist, leftist, communist, soft on crime, NYC is going back to the bad old days...
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)propaganda publication. They get the memos and publish them in glaring headlines, until the mission is accomplished, usually to stop anyone from questioning the status quo, then suddenly the story goes away.
Someone should organize a huge bonfire to throw these tabloid propaganda papers into the fire.
This is why I love boycotts as a tool for change. Starting a boycott of foreign Propaganda rags, hitting them where it hurts, money, and circulation, approaching their advertisers, and keeping it up until they finally go out of business, would go a long way to awakening people to the harm these rags do.
And the cops would have no protesters to bat over the head. It's more effective than street protests and doesn't give the cops any overtime to drag peaceful protesters to jail.
BOYCOTT MURDOCH'S LYING RAGS!
heaven05
(18,124 posts)always on point...
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)prosecute torturers because it will "backfire politically." What in the world has our party come to? When did we become so afraid of what Republicans and Rush have to say? What the hell??
You are absolutely right, many people have lost respect and confidence in Democrats. I know I have. Either they are cowards or complicit, and I suspect it's a whole lot of both. That is why I admire fighters like Warren, Sanders and now De Blasio. Someone has to stop the slide into absolute madness that the right wing and fundamentalists are dragging us into. It's time to stop negotiating and fight.
As you know I just came back from Europe and every person I met said with horror, "What is wrong with your country? Why are the police killing people? Why are people shooting each other all the time? Why are your leaders so crazy?" And as always, I never have an answer.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)comes to leaders leaving the field open to the bad guys. This happens periodically throughout history so I'm hoping that it won't last.
I can imagine what people in other parts of the world think of us. Last time I was in Europe, I remember hearing the same thing 'what is going on over there'? America is no longer viewed the way it used to be in Europe, the 'good guys'.
But then Europe has changed also, thanks to our influence. And Wall St's.
We so badly need courageous people right now to stand up to those who have managed to take control of this country.
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)None of those who had to fight against the power did it alone. We all have to get our hands dirty now.
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)You're gonna post something I disagree with.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)Archae
(46,337 posts)Even money he was from Faux "news."
daleanime
(17,796 posts)JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)lunasun
(21,646 posts)Cha
(297,347 posts)Follow
I really want people to remember that Bill de Blasio was blamed for police deaths by virtue of being a responsible parent to a black son.
5:13 PM - 20 Dec 2014 1,862 Retweets 1,369 favorites
http://theobamadiary.com/2014/12/22/a-tweet-or-two-195/
Well done, Mayor de Blasio!
Mahalo kpete
napkinz
(17,199 posts)that one sentence is soooo powerful
I can't K&R a reply, so just suggesting you post as an OP
Cha
(297,347 posts)napkinz
(17,199 posts)JustAnotherGen
(31,828 posts)markpkessinger
(8,401 posts)jalan48
(13,873 posts)He did a great job of dealing with the issue.
Overseas
(12,121 posts)JustAnotherGen
(31,828 posts)Now THAT is a NYC Mayor you can quote to me!
You tell em, Bill.
If the media were not slaves to 6 bloated, termite queen corporations (look one up on youtube - the termite queen is the spirit animal of our oligarchs. I wish Swamp Rat was here to make me an image of termite queens with Sheldon Adelsen's and the Koch Suckers' faces on thems ) they could do in depth reporting of people in the protests, their stories, what have you.
They could examine the statistics, the cases, the history of things. Instead, they show the 1% of idiots. It's just propaganda. And protesters didn't kill anyone; a lone fool did.
Good for the Mayor. And what a TOOL the reporter was.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)whathehell
(29,067 posts)kentuck
(111,104 posts)in my humble opinion.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)morningfog
(18,115 posts)Caved to the police state.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Thank you, kpete.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)de Blasio really chopped that little shit off at the knees.
markpkessinger
(8,401 posts). . . and contrary to what many wingnuts and other assorted authoritarians found in (ahem!) various places, Mayor De Blasio has absolutely nothing to apologize for!