July 30, 2016


News and Views


http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/29/487935700/u-s-appeals-court-strikes-down-north-carolinas-voter-id-law

U.S. Appeals Court Strikes Down North Carolina's Voter ID Law
CAMILA DOMONOSKE
July 29, 20162:04 PM ET

Photograph -- North Carolina State University students wait in line to vote in the primaries at Pullen Community Center in Raleigh, N.C., on March 15.
Sara D. Davis/Getty Images
POLITICS -- A Guide To The Big Photo ID, Early Voting And Other Voting Law Cases
ELECTIONS -- Election Officials Tackle Confusing Voter ID Laws In North Carolina


A federal appeals court has overturned North Carolina's sweeping voter ID law, ruling that the law was passed with "discriminatory intent" and was designed to impose barriers to block African-Americans from voting.

The ruling came from a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The state is "almost certain" to appeal to the full court or to the U.S. Supreme Court, NPR's Pam Fessler reports.

The law has been controversial ever since it was enacted in 2013 — "right after the Supreme Court struck down a provision of the Voting Rights Act that might have prevented the law from taking effect," as Pam has reported.

A poll worker checks the identification of a resident at a polling location during the Wisconsin presidential primary on April 5.

"The U.S. Justice Department, the state NAACP and other advocacy groups have been fighting the changes ever since," Pam says. "They say the law discriminates against minorities and is unconstitutional. Among other things, it requires voters to show a photo ID, unless they swear they faced a 'reasonable impediment' trying to get one."

A sign directs voters to a polling place during the Super Tuesday primary voting at a polling place in Arlington, Va.

But it did more than just require photo IDs. Michael Tomsic of member station WFAE explained last summer that the law rolled back a series of changes that advocates say expanded African-American voter participation:

"For decades in the state, black voter turnout lagged far behind white turnout. Then, in 2000, state lawmakers opened up an early voting period. In 2005, they said voters could cast ballots outside their assigned precinct. And in 2007, they enabled same-day registration.

"After those changes, attorney Allison Riggs says, black voter registration and turnout surged.

" 'They had their intended effect of evening the playing field in the state, and the Legislature yanked that away,' she says."

The 2013 law cuts early voting by a week, requires voters to vote in their assigned precinct and stops voters from registering and voting on the same day.

This April, a federal judge ruled that the law served a "legitimate state interest" and concluded there was not sufficient evidence of discriminatory intent.

That judge's opinion was hefty — 485 pages, packed with factual findings.

The 4th Circuit wasn't impressed.

"We appreciate and commend the [lower] court on its thoroughness," the panel wrote, but "the court seems to have missed the forest in carefully surveying the many trees."

The appeals court noted that the North Carolina Legislature "requested data on the use, by race, of a number of voting practices" — then, data in hand, "enacted legislation that restricted voting and registration in five different ways, all of which disproportionately affected African Americans."

The changes to the voting process "target African Americans with almost surgical precision," the circuit court wrote, and "impose cures for problems that did not exist."

The appeals court suggested that the motivation was fundamentally political — a Republican legislature attempting to secure its power by blocking votes from a population likely to vote for Democrats.

"Our conclusion does not mean, and we do not suggest, that any member of the General Assembly harbored racial hatred or animosity toward any minority group," the ruling reads. It adds:

"But the totality of the circumstances — North Carolina's history of voting discrimination; the surge in African American voting; the legislature's knowledge that African Americans voting translated into support for one party; and the swift elimination of the tools African Americans had used to vote and imposition of a new barrier at the first opportunity to do so — cumulatively and unmistakably reveal that the General Assembly used [the 2013 law] to entrench itself. It did so by targeting voters who, based on race, were unlikely to vote for the majority party. Even if done for partisan ends, that constituted racial discrimination."

As Tomsic wrote last year, what ultimately happens with this case might have implications for voting rights across the country.

Earlier this summer, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a voter ID law in Texas had a discriminatory effect — although the judges did not rule on the question of discriminatory intent, returning the case to a lower court for reconsideration of that point.



I am sorry that my home state and its’ compatriots keep trying to reinstitute the Confederacy, all because racial laws have been going against their wishes since 1964 or so. Fascinating that they all used to be Democrats until that time, and now miraculously they are almost all Republicans. So sad that since so-called “conservatives” began drifting away from the Democratic Party, the “upper management” of the Party of FDR have become considerably more “conservative” as well.

However, the courts have again come to the rescue of the PEOPLE. Thank goodness for the Appeals Courts and Supreme Court. If they will continue to flex their muscles as they have in this case and in that of Texas, we may approach our more truly just and fiscally honest traditions again. These decisions will very likely, hopefully, affect the way laws will be written from now on, encourage the contesting of such laws across the country – they aren’t just in place in the South and West – and so discredit the Rightist politicians and court systems locally and statewide that our country will be what I am again proud to say is mine!



http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/29/health/florida-health-officials-confirm-local-zika-transmission/

Florida health officials confirm local Zika transmission
By Debra Goldschmidt, CNN
Updated 6:16 PM ET, Fri July 29, 2016

Video -- On the phone, Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Should you be worrying about Zika in U.S.? 02:09
Related: Zika virus definitely causes birth defects, CDC says
CDC: Zika virus causes birth defects, microcephaly
Video -- Everything you need to know about Zika 01:42
Related: What you need to know about Zika
Zika virus: The latest you need to know


(CNN)Four individuals in Miami-Dade and Broward counties have been infected with the Zika virus by local mosquitoes, Florida health officials said Friday.

These are the first known cases of the virus being transmitted by mosquitoes in the continental United States.

"While no mosquitoes trapped tested positive for the Zika virus, the department believes these cases were likely transmitted through infected mosquitoes in this area," according to a statement from the Florida Department of Health.

"As we anticipated, Zika is here," Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Friday, adding that "all the evidence we have seen indicates that this is mosquito-borne transmission that occurred several weeks ago."

Frieden explained that confirming local mosquito-borne transmission of the virus is not as easy as confirming the virus in an individual by running a test. He also said that finding a Zika-carrying mosquito is like finding a needle in a haystack, and doing so is not necessary to confirm local mosquito transmission.

Officials believe the local transmission is confined to a small area north of downtown Miami within a single ZIP code. However, local, state and federal health officials are continuing their investigation, which includes going door-to-door to ask residents for urine samples and other information in an effort to determine how many people may be infected. Additional cases are anticipated.

It is possible that someone could have Zika without knowing, since 80% of those infected have no symptoms. When symptoms occur, they can include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes, and they can last from a few days to about a week.

There is no treatment or vaccine for Zika. None of these four unidentified patients, which include a woman and three men, has needed hospitalization.

To date, there have been 386 cases of Zika in the state of Florida, including 55 pregnant women. The counties with the highest number of cases are Miami-Dade with 99 and Broward with 55.

Blood donations tested

The main way people become infected with the virus is through the bite of an infected mosquito. The female Aedes aegypti and its sister, Aedes albopictus, are the primary vectors, but people can also become infected through other methods, including sexual transmission. Babies can become infected in utero, and there are confirmed cases of transmission from blood transfusion and laboratory exposure.

OneBlood, which handles blood collection in the affected area, began testing all donations for the Zika virus Friday, according to Susan Forbes, OneBlood's vice president of marketing and communications. Any donations that tests positive will be discarded, and the donor will be notified.

OneBlood is the sole blood provider in South Florida and handles most blood collection statewide. It also works in southern Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.

More than 60 countries and territories are reporting local transmission of the virus. U.S. health officials had warned that there would be local transmission of the virus from mosquitoes but don't expect it to be widespread, as has been seen in Puerto Rico and throughout the Americas. That's based on outbreaks of two similar mosquito-borne diseases, dengue fever and chikungunya.

The reason is largely because of living conditions, including mosquito-control efforts and regular use of air-conditioning.

Frieden said Florida has taken aggressive mosquito-control measures in the affected area, which should also limit further transmission. He said there is no cause for concern unless additional cases are identified after those measures had begun.

As of Thursday, the CDC reported 1,658 cases of the virus in the continental United States and Hawaii. None of those cases is a result of local mosquito transmission. Fifteen of those individuals were infected by sexual transmission, and there is one case of a laboratory-acquired infection. (The CDC's numbers do not always include the most current cases reported by states.)

Nearly every state is reporting cases of the virus. Only Idaho, South Dakota, Wyoming and Alaska have not reported it.

Risks for pregnant women

Pregnant women are at greatest risk because the virus can have devastating consequences for an unborn baby, including the birth defect microcephaly and other neurological deficits, as well as miscarriage and stillbirth among women who were infected while pregnant.

The exact risk that an infected woman will have an affected baby remains unknown, but some studies have shown that it is between 1% and 13%.

Frieden called this unprecedented, saying, "never before in history has there been a situation when a bite from a mosquito can result in such a devastating scenario."

Local transmission "is the news we've been dreading," said Dr. Edward McCabe, chief medical officer and senior vice president of the March of Dimes. "It's only a matter of time before babies are born with microcephaly, a severe brain defect, due to local transmission of Zika in the continental U.S. Our nation must accelerate education and prevention efforts to save babies from this terrible virus."

Frieden restated that it's important for pregnant women in any area where the Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito is found to protect herself against bites with the use of repellant and by wearing long pants and long-sleeve shirts.

At least 13 infants have been born with Zika-related birth defects in the continental U.S. and Hawaii, and there have been six sudden or voluntary Zika-related pregnancy losses reported. There are more than 400 pregnant women with the virus in the United States.

In February, the World Health Organization declared a "public health emergency of international concern" because of an alarming increase in cases of microcephaly linked to the virus.



I have been watching mesmerized as the number of FL cases has risen. It was only a matter of time before a hungry mosquito would bite a tasty Zika carrier and then move on to someone else. Long sleeves and trousers, plus mosquito repellant should be used by everyone. All sexually active citizens here need to use a condom and also another form of birth control, as condoms are too often unreliable. The condom is important for the same reason that it is with AIDS, however -- Maybe it will prevent transmission. What else can we do?

First, we desperately need a vaccine, and we need better ways of mosquito control. One TV news story mentioned citizens are already buying or making “Bat Boxes.” Bats, especially those small ones, eat mosquitoes, and they need nesting boxes. In the old days (when I was around twenty or younger) public health officials sprayed towns with DDT. That proved to be a dangerous poison which almost eliminated the Blue Bird populations in the US, but there are probably some other useful and less deadly chemicals. They also used to pour out an oil (I’m not sure which one) on top of the water, which prevented the little “wigglers” as mosquito larvae are called, from getting to the top of the water where they can get oxygen, causing them to die. We need to be doing all of those, plus the new efforts like changing the nature of mosquito DNA from healthy to lethal genes. Plus, the city workers who go from house to house to find and upturn any containers that can hold even an inch of water, could actually fine any householder who does not keep his yard, porch and house clear of standing water. Even weeds hide environments for mosquitoes.

We need to make this a WAR on mosquitoes, which should cause the Republicans to get on board with a program that is essentially one of human needs and not profits for the wealthy. They have been holding back on funding so far, even when our governor – a Republican – has begged for more money. I hope this works, and not just because I live in Jacksonville; but because we well may bring up a generation of babies born with a terrible mental and physical problem, through no fault of their own -- an unthinkable eventuality.

Of course, that might turn the tide on antiabortion legislation. Such laws allowing Zika as an exemption have been proposed already in a number of the South and Central American nations, which are Catholic. The Church has even been looking at the matter, but promising nothing. http://www.oneillinstituteblog.org/the-who-must-include-access-to-birth-control-and-abortion-in-its-temporary-recommendations-for-zika-associated-public-health-emergency-of-international-concern/ and http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/the-church-and-zika-inoculation-against-abortion-hysteria are related articles. What will the Pope say about this?



http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/bernie-sanders-plans/story?id=41002081

What Bernie Sanders Plans to Do Next
By MARYALICE PARKS
Jul 29, 2016, 4:23 PM ET

Photograph -- Sen. Bernie Sander addresses his electoral delegates gathered at the Convention Center during the Democratic National Co
Related: Tim Kaine Says Donald Trump Is a 'Threat' to Bernie Sanders' Supporters and Their Values
Left-Wing Supporters Boo as Bernie Sanders Says 'We Must Elect Hillary Clinton'
Hillary Clinton Makes History Accepting Democratic Nomination


Bernie Sanders’ hard-fought campaign lasted more than 14 months and took him to 45 states plus Puerto Rico and Rome. But on Wednesday morning, after declaring on the convention floor in Philadelphia that Hillary Clinton should be the Democratic Party nominee, Sanders said to a room full of delegates, “As of yesterday, I guess, officially, our campaign ended.”

The Vermont progressive who rose to political stardom this year, went on to reiterate his plans to start a new organization, tentatively named "Our Revolution," aimed at supporting progressive candidates around the country.

Several of his former campaign staffers have said they are committed to helping with the new political entity, including some of his all-star digital team. “What we are doing now is transitioning our movement in another direction…. To revitalize American democracy and to make certain all over this country we have younger people getting involved,” Sanders continued Wednesday.

After the Democratic National Convention wrapped, the senator flew with some of his top staff back to his hometown in Burlington, Vermont, Friday morning. Michael Briggs, a Sanders spokesman, says the senator's plan is to spend much of August working on a book, which is set to come out in November after the election.

One of Sanders' friends and colleagues, Larry Cohen, the former head of the Communications Workers of American union, joked with reporters this week that ideally the book would include fun anecdotes about their surprising insurgent campaign, but that knowing Sanders it would also likely lean heavily on policy.

In addition to book-writing and organization-building, the senator is itching to get back out on the campaign trail. His staff expects him to hold a few key rallies to gin up excitement for the Democratic presidential ticket, but he has said most of his travel will focus on Senate or congressional races too.

Speaking to reporters this week in Philadelphia, Sanders confirmed that he had no intention using his email list to fundraise for Clinton though he has formally endorsed her, but will be actively raising money for other progressives his team identifies.



“The Vermont progressive who rose to political stardom this year, went on to reiterate his plans to start a new organization, tentatively named "Our Revolution," aimed at supporting progressive candidates around the country. Several of his former campaign staffers have said they are committed to helping with the new political entity, including some of his all-star digital team. “What we are doing now is transitioning our movement in another direction…. To revitalize American democracy and to make certain all over this country we have younger people getting involved,” Sanders continued Wednesday.”

Bernie deserves to write for a few months and pursue his Progressive goals. I hope to be able to afford his book. He does write very well, and it may prove to be a guidebook for the future. Besides, he can use a rest.



http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/29/487934982/they-failed-6-more-michigan-employees-charged-in-flint-water-crisis

They 'Failed': 6 More Michigan Employees Charged In Flint Water Crisis
REBECCA HERSHER
July 29, 2016 3:52 PM ET

Photograph -- The Flint River in downtown Flint, Mich. The state's attorney general, Bill Schuette, announced felony and misdemeanor charges Friday against six state employees in connection with the lead-contamination of the city's drinking water, Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
Photograph -- The Flint Water Plant water tower in Flint, Mich.
THE TWO-WAY -- Independent Investigators: State Officials Mostly To Blame For Flint Water Crisis
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette is expected to announce criminal charges as part of an investigation into Flint's tainted water.
THE TWO-WAY -- 3 Face Criminal Charges Over Flint Water Crisis
The Flint Water Plant water tower in Flint, Mich.
THE TWO-WAY -- 'They Made It Worse': Michigan Sues 2 Companies Over Flint Crisis
THE TWO-WAY -- Lead-Laced Water In Flint: A Step-By-Step Look At The Makings Of A Crisis


Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has announced criminal charges against six more people — including the state's former water quality chief — in connection with lead-contaminated water in the city of Flint.

All six people are current or former state employees in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services or the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

People participate in a national mile-long march in February to highlight the push for clean water in Flint, Mich.

A total of nine people are facing charges, accused of causing or covering up the crisis. The state has also filed a civil suit against two companies that allegedly knew about the poisoned water and failed to act.

A full timeline of the Flint water crisis is here.

At a press conference today announcing the latest charges, Schuette said: "Many things went tragically wrong in Flint. Some people failed to act, others minimized harm done and arrogantly chose to ignore data, some intentionally altered figures and covered up significant health risks."

Schuette said the exact crimes varied but that they shared a common pattern and theme:

"Each of these individuals attempted to bury or cover up, to downplay or to hide information that contradicted their own narrative, their story. And their story was there's nothing wrong with Flint water, and it was perfectly safe to use.

"In essence, these individuals concealed the truth. They were criminally wrong to do so, and the victims are real people. [They are] families who have been lied to by government officials, and treated as if they don't count. Well, they do count."

The three people charged from the Department of Health and Human Services are the director of the child health unit, Nancy Peeler; her subordinate, Robert Scott; and a state epidemiologist, Corinne Miller. All three are charged with misconduct in office, conspiracy and willful neglect of duty for allegedly failing to release a report that showed unsafe lead levels in the blood of Flint children.

Flint Water Crisis

"This put the children of Flint in the crosshairs of drinking poison," Schuette said. Miller has since left the department. Peeler and Scott are still employed there.

The other three people charged today are Liane Shekter-Smith, who was in charge of the drinking water and municipal assistance office at the state Department of Environmental Quality, and two MDEQ subordinates, Adam Rosenthal and Patrick Cook.

Shekter-Smith faces the same charges as officials from the DHHS for allegedly misleading health officials by saying Flint's water treatment plant was in compliance with lead and copper rules for drinking water when it was not. She was fired from her position in February, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Cook and Rosenthal allegedly failed to ensure proper water testing, and Rosenthal allegedly went so far as to instruct those conducting water tests that he needed test results that did not show high levels of lead. Both are charged with misconduct in office, conspiracy, and willful neglect of duty. Rosenthal also faces a felony charge of tampering with evidence.

Both Rosenthal and Cook currently work in the drinking water unit of the Department of Environmental Quality.

An independent investigation of the Flint water crisis concluded in March that officials within the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality are mostly to blame, although other officials share some responsibility, and called the prolonged poisoning of the Flint water supply "a story of government failure, intransigence, unpreparedness, delay, inaction, and environmental injustice."

As The Two Way reported in April, the three people previously charged include Flint's water quality supervisor and two state officials at the Department of Environmental Quality. Michael Glasgow, the former water quality supervisor, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge under a plea deal — a felony charge was dismissed — and agreed to cooperate with the ongoing investigation, according to the Detroit Free Press. The other two officials still face multiple felony charges.

Schuette said today that his office has interviewed more than 200 people for the investigation. But he said, "We're not done. We're a long way from done. We're way far from done. We continue to work every day to find the truth for Flint."



Maybe the whole bunch of them should be fired, and replaced by well-trained technically competent people from around the country. I’ll bet there are hundreds of new college grads who can do the jobs, and they should be tested for mental disorders. I think a person who shows no conscience in how they do their work is not mentally competent, and should not be employed there. All of them who have committed these crimes should go to a real prison, and not to one of those “country club prisons for the Middle Class educated inmates, either.

I hope to see an update on the current quality of the water. What are the Flint dwellers using now? Is the city still giving them bottled water? The first mistake they made was to switch from a healthy supply to the river water purely to save money. The second mistake they made was to FAIL TO use a chemical (I can’t remember which one), also to save money, which would have prevented the river water from leaching the lead from the pipes, and therefore it wouldn’t have been so dangerous. I hope they can either change water sources again, or use the chemical treatment now, and produce some usable water. One of the worst things about this story was that not only was the water proven to be toxic, the citizens (Black, of course) were being CHARGED for the water. I do hope the citizens have a little justice before the whole thing is over.



POLICE RACIAL ISSUES TODAY -- TWO ARTICLES


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/st-louis-journalist-reportedly-fired-after-facebook-post-on-michael-browns-mom/

St. Louis journalist reportedly fired after Facebook post on Michael Brown's mom
By SHANIKA GUNARATNA CBS NEWS
July 29, 2016, 11:12 PM

Play – CBS News Video
Photograph -- Lesley McSpadden is comforted hours after the fatal police shooting of her son Michael Brown in the Canfield Green Apartments in Ferguson. (Huy Mach, St. Louis Post-Dispatch - August 9, 2014) HUY MACH, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Play VIDEO -- Ferguson Report Released


A St. Louis journalist has reportedly been fired after making offensive Facebook comments about the mother of Michael Brown, the teenager whose shooting death ignited weeks of emotional protests in Missouri and led, eventually, to the birth of the nationwide Black Lives Matter movement.

Bobby Hughes was an overnight photographer and journalist at KTVI, the Fox affiliate in St. Louis, according to reports.

He posted on Facebook after Michael Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, was announced as part of the Democratic National Convention line-up.

"She's going to talk about the new lead diet she's endorsed. Five servings and you can lose 200 lbs in two years easily," Hughes reportedly wrote on Facebook. CBS News could not independently verify the contents of the post, which has been removed from Facebook.

The Ethical Society of Police, which represents black officers in the St. Louis Police Department, first drew local reporters' attention to Hughes comment, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

A KTVI spokesperson confirmed Hughes' departure to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

"Bobby Hughes no longer works here; he's no longer an employee of KTVI," the spokesperson said, according to the newspaper.

Hughes later apologized for the post, calling it "incredibly insensitive," the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

The National Association of Black Journalist praised the station's decision to fire Hughes, and called his comments "reprehensible."

"An apology was not enough," Marlon A. Walker, NABJ's vice president of print, said in a statement. "Race relations in the St. Louis area already were tense before Michael Brown's death. To poke the bear while the wounds are still fresh from Aug. 9, 2014 was irresponsible. Our job as journalists dictate we do better."

Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old, was fatally shot by a white police officer on Aug. 9, 2014, in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri. Massive, sometimes violent, protests followed, and St. Louis County entered a state of emergency. Americans across the country watched the violent clashes unfold online and on live television.

The U.S. Justice Department and a St. Louis County grand jury eventually cleared the officer involved, Darren Wilson. A Justice Department investigation into Ferguson's justice system found evidence of a profit-driven court system and widespread racial bias by police.

McSpadden took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday alongside the women known as the "Mothers of the Movement." Together, the mothers spoke poignantly about losing their children -- whose deaths catalyzed the Black Lives Matter movement for police reform -- and becoming activists in their time of mourning. They endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.



“The Ethical Society of Police, which represents black officers in the St. Louis Police Department, first drew local reporters' attention to Hughes comment, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.” Does this mean that the local police union does NOT represent Black policemen? See their website: https://www.facebook.com/Ethical-Society-of-Police-436831003071448/. This website provides little information about the organization, but as I searched the Net again I found this excellent article by DailyKos. They never fail to dig for what really matters, and for the things that the Mainstream Media often will not publish.



http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/1/1348628/-St-Louis-has-two-police-associations-one-for-white-officers-and-one-for-black-officers

Police organizations in St. Louis have separate predominantly white and black organizations
By Shaun King
Monday Dec 01, 2014 · 4:36 PM EST

It all makes so much more sense now.

Although it doesn't say so in its name, the St. Louis Police Officers Association, which has staunchly defended Darren Wilson, defamed Mike Brown, and recently called for the suspension of St. Louis Rams football players who showed solidarity with Ferguson, is actually the (White) St. Louis Police Officers Association. African-American officers in St. Louis have their own separate organization that advocates for their needs.

Called the St. Louis Black Police Officers Association until 1975, African-American officers continue to organize separately from their white counterparts in what they now call the St. Louis Ethical Society of Police.

In a strange twist of irony, the head of the African-American police union in St. Louis is a black man named Darren Wilson. In a recent letter he stated:

Our motto is “We are the conscious [sic] of the St. Louis Police Department.” We did not come to this motto lightly. We believe that someone has to be willing to stand up and hold our Police Department to the oaths of service that we all have taken. [NOTE: this misspelling is not that of the organization, but of the newspaper.]

In fact, our motto is almost like another type of oath. It is a promise—a promise to you that we will be working every day to be the conscious of the St. Louis Police Department.

Considering that the spokesperson for the (white) St. Louis Police Officers Association, Jeff Roorda, was fired as a police officer himself for misconduct and falsifying reports, it makes sense that the black police union feels the need to make ethical policing its focus.

Below the fold is the summary of the history of black police union in St. Louis found on their website.

In 1855 the City of St. Louis formed its first Police Force. However, it was not until 1901 that the first African American Police Officer was appointed.

Even though these brave Black men were appointed to serve as Police Officers they were prohibited from wearing uniforms until 1921. They were also restricted to African-American communities and they were completely denied the authority to arrest White citizens regardless of the crimes they committed.

Despite the enormous racially driven challenges thrust upon the African-American Community by the City of St. Louis, Black men continued to seek out and serve as Law Enforcement Officers. They realized that they had to force themselves into this institution in order to provide some measure of protection for their community.

Unfortunately, the life experience of African-American police officers in St. Louis was not unique. African-American police officers all over the country were being subjected to the same types of racist whims and lawless actions by their fellow white officers. So, thirteen African-American police associations representing New York, Michigan, California, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania New Jersey, Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland and Colorado met in St. Louis and out of that meeting, a National Black Police Association was chartered in 1972.

The City of St. Louis was also busy organizing Black Police Officers. In 1968, fifteen African-American police officers started planting the seeds of a Black police officer organization in the city of St. Louis. At this time in our history, some people felt that African-American police officers would never be able to organize in the St. Louis police department. The opposition was so certain that this group of 15 would fail they gave them the name the “Doomed Fifteen.”

Four years later those who doubted the “Doomed Fifteen” were proven wrong. Mr. Norman Seay a noted civil rights leader and President of the Police Affairs committee for the St. Louis branch of the NAACP, became interested in organizing the Black officers. Through his leadership and direction, African-American police officers formally formed the St. Louis Black Police Association within the St. Louis Police Department.

In 1975, the St. Louis Black Police Association concluded that the name of the organization needed to be expanded to include all of the concerns of the St. Louis Black Police Association.

While Black officers were still required to take leadership on the issue of race and racism and proudly did so, the St. Louis Black Police Association understood that there were also other serious issues that required their constant attention and expertise. Black officers wanted their community to view their organization as the true guardians of all aspects of public safety. So, in 1975, the St. Louis Black Police Association decided to incorporate the word Ethics into their name. And in 1991, the organization finalized their commitment to ethics by incorporating as the “Ethical Society of Police.”

The Ethical Society of Police believes that as an African-American organization, the E.S.O.P. is obligated as well as uniquely qualified to monitor and rectify the racial and ethical challenges that confront the St. Louis Police Department.



“Our motto is “We are the conscious [sic] of the St. Louis Police Department.” We did not come to this motto lightly. We believe that someone has to be willing to stand up and hold our Police Department to the oaths of service that we all have taken.” …. Even though these brave Black men were appointed to serve as Police Officers they were prohibited from wearing uniforms until 1921. They were also restricted to African-American communities and they were completely denied the authority to arrest White citizens regardless of the crimes they committed. Despite the enormous racially driven challenges thrust upon the African-American Community by the City of St. Louis, Black men continued to seek out and serve as Law Enforcement Officers. They realized that they had to force themselves into this institution in order to provide some measure of protection for their community.”


This series of stories makes me feel queasy. In 2014, the first Ferguson articles said that the city government there is mainly Democratic, as are the population, but they probably aren’t my kind of Democrats. At any rate they have clearly failed in the field of equal justice for all. I looked at the Black union’s web page, and at the bottom of it were a large number of comments, almost all against the Black sympathizing comments. The city is still, in spite of being in what should be an uncomfortable glare of public attention, far from a fair and equitable situation. We Progressives need to keep marching forward, perhaps forever. There is no end to this road, I’m afraid.