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When Roger West first launched the progressive political blog "News From The Other Side" in May 2010, he could hardly have predicted the impact that his venture would have on the media and political debate. As the New Media emerged as a counterbalance to established media sources, Roger wrote his copious blogs about national politics, the tea party movement, mid-term elections, and the failings of the radical right to the vanguard of the New Media movement. Roger West's efforts as a leading blogger have tremendous reach. NFTOS has led the effort to bring accountability to mainstream media sources such as FOX NEWS, Breitbart's "Big Journalism. Roger's breadth of experience, engaging style, and cultivation of loyal readership - over 92 million visitors - give him unique insight into the past, present, and future of the New Media and political rhetoric that exists in our society today. What we are against: Radical Right Wing Agendas Incompetent Establishment Donald J. Trump Corporate Malfeasence We are for: Global and Econmoic Security Social and Economic Justice Media Accountability THE RESISTANCE

Friday, July 19, 2013

TWENTY FOUR PERCENT OF BLACKS EXPERIENCE POLICE UNFAIRNESS


Cross posted from thinkprogress

Almost one in four young black males have experienced recent unfair treatment by the police, according to a newly released Gallup Survey. Among black males between ages 18 and 35, 24 percent said they recalled an instance within the last 30 days in which they were treated unfairly during dealings with the police. For all African Americans, that number was 17 percent. Here’s Gallup’s breakdown by category:



Twenty-four percent of African Americans also reported unfair treatment at a store, while 16 percent reported mistreatment in a restaurant, bar, theater, or other entertainment place within the last 30 days.

Police targeting of young black men has drawn new attention with the acquittal of George Zimmerman, but it is not a new phenomenon. Reports of police mistreatment of African Americans reached their peak in 2004, when 25 percent of all blacks surveyed by Gallup reported police mistreatment within a one-month period. In 2011, the New York Police Department made more stops of young black men than the number of young black men in all of New York City. Personal experiences have prompted even some of the most prominent and powerful African Americans to advise their sons on avoiding mistreatment by police, including former Reading Rainbow host Levar Burton, and Attorney General Eric Holder. After a jury found Trayvon Martin shooter George Zimmerman not guilty, MSNBC Host Melissa Harris Perry said she was relieved when her ultrasound revealed that she was pregnant with a girl because of the adversity she feared a boy would face. “I will never forget the relief I felt — I’m a sexual assault survivor — and yet the relief I felt at my 20-week ultrasound when they told me it was a girl,” she said. “And last night I thought, I live in a country that makes me wish my sons away, makes me wish that they don’t exist because it’s not safe.”

What is most remarkable about the Gallup poll is that it captures only unfair treatment by police within a random 30-day time period — a duration during which most Americans probably have no interaction at all with police.




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