Mr. Shabazz has either lost his mind or just has the worst comedic act in Indiana, maybe in the entire Eastern Half of the US. The violence in Indianapolis has gotten to a ridiculous level but the response from Abdul Shabazz deserves even more ridicule.
Mr. Shabazz wrote in a blog that this town needs a couple good police beatings. Poor taste, poor judgment, and definitely a poor decision. The cost of life is not worth the entertainment value he has attempted to provide. Police beatings are a serious crime and they still do happen in Indianapolis, OFTEN!
I was at the event being held inside the Walker Theater when the shooting happened in a parking lot North of the building. A couple idiots did exchange in violent acts leading to someone being shot and others being injured but inside the Walker Theater, hundreds of young, positive people emerged themselves into a summer celebration of fun.
We can talk about the negatives that happened that night and almost every night in Indiana but is that fair to all the young people who live positive lives everyday. Young people who were in the Walker Theater displaying their talents for hundreds of family members, friends and fans. To ignore this is unjust.
Maybe Mr. Shabazz should focus on using his achievements as a radio talk show host and an attorney to provide some encouragement for inner city youth. While Mr. Shabazz plays behind the Mic, we will be out here in the community making a difference through actions. I have no problem leaving the speaking for the spectators.
Avachino D. Reeves
Dedicated to the advancement of the State of Indiana by re-affirming our state's constitutional principles that: all people are created equal; no religious test shall be imposed on our public officials and offices of trust; and no special privileges or immunities shall be granted to any class of citizens which are not granted on the same terms to all citizens. Advance Indiana, LLC. Copyright 2005-16. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Reader Response To Abdul's Call For Police Beatings
An outraged reader, Avachino Reeves, asked me to share his reaction to radio talk show host Abdul Hakim Shabazz' call for police beatings to combat violent crime in Indianapolis. Reeves is secretary of the Marion Co. Republican Party. Here's what he had to say:
Get a life. Do you not recognize satire? Imus says such things as he is expected and paid to. Do you understand shock jock, I don't know if he is racist or not. The comment was to say that is not the answer but that is what many people think. As long as they are not at the receiving end of the billy club or the newer version the taser.
ReplyDeleteSo we have the secretary of the Marion County Republican Party saying, "Police beatings are a serious crime and they still do happen in Indianapolis, OFTEN!"
ReplyDeleteI'm shocked that the Marion County GOP is acknowledging this. How do they and the Ballard administration plan to address these serious matters?
Dear Mr Reeves,
ReplyDeleteImagine your children had died from stray bullets that night, and write another letter with that theoretical situation in mind.
Imagine you lived on Hamilton Avenue and seven members of your immediate family were gunned down last night, and write another letter with that theoretical situation in mind.
Imagine you lived on Hovey Street and your mother, your wife and your two children were gunned down last night, and write another letter with that theoretical situation in mind.
Imagine your wife was gunned down at her job as a bank teller and your two unborn children died, and write another letter with that theoretical situation in mind.
Have your wife write another letter, while imagining you had been gunned down last night when you stopped at Starbuck's for a cup of coffee.
I would like to compare them to your first one.
The perpetrators of such acts are not mere 'idiots.' They are heartless, thoughtless, cold-blooded animals. They are barely human. They are certainly without conscience.
It's to be expected that people will reach a level of frustration that they convert that frustration to heated words.
But put the blame on the ones who pull a trigger with no more concern than if they were just flicking a BIC lighter.
I don't put Abdul's show in the category of "shock jock" at all, true conservative. There is an attempt there to be a more serious show with a bit of humor. However, there are limits on what is humorous in this context, particularly when you consider that police beatings have provoked race riots in some major cities. I believe it was a police action which led to the riot a little more than a decade ago up at 38th & College.
ReplyDeletebart lies, Again, police beatings have absolutely no deterant effect on a person who will fire a gun at another person without blinking an eye. It is incredulous that anyone would even want to have a serious discussion suggesting otherwise.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Advance Indiana.
ReplyDeleteI understand satire, and humor is something most police officers use to stay sane and mentally and emotionally combat the trauma they deal with on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteHowever, this "humor" was anything but funny, although to be fair and balanced, the use of the term "police beatings" by Reeves, in my opinion, is just as disgusting.
The use of force by a police officer to subdue and prevent physical escalation by a suspect is legal and appropriate to prevent further injury not only to a victim and a police officer, but also to the suspect themselves. The key legal question is: Is that force which is used A) justifiable, given the totality of the circumstances surrounding its use, and B) Is only that force necessary to be used... It is NOT pretty, physical violence, even legal is ugly and not pleasant to watch, but to use phrases such as "police beatings" which are more emotionally charged than logi or legal based, well...all that does is cloud the issue.
Hey, if the citizenry of any jurisdiction wishes to eliminate the use of force by the police, then they need to heavily lobby their elected legislators to have this happen. However, if the use of force is eliminated, then that citizenry will get the level of "safety" they deserve.
Continue to scrutinize every use of force by the police, absolutely. But the topic as a "humorous" sort, and emotional use of a derogative nature, is wrong. Shabazz and Reeves both need to retract or re-word their pieces.
-Streetcop who does not like to use force but can, will and has in the past to make the situation safer for all concerned.
sw lane, I don't follow what Reeves said as being controversial. He isn't the one who suggested police beatings as a solution.
ReplyDeleteBart lies...I grew up on 42nd and Post and all of those situations are ones that I have faced my entire life growing up in a high crime area. I have no sympathy for individuals who participate in criminals acts as the ones you have described from a far. I have attended those funerals. Those victims have been my neighbors, my friends, and my family members. I understand your words but know, my focus is not on ignoring the guilty but recognizing the positive individuals in our communities and their efforts.
ReplyDelete"It is incredulous that anyone would even want to have a serious discussion suggesting otherwise."
ReplyDeleteWhere did I say anything remotely resembling that allegation?
Abdul, take out your dictionary and fattest-tipped Sharpie and put a big, black line through the word 'hyperbole.' You aren't allowed to use it anymore.
George Orwell gave one of his characters in 1984 the line, "It's a beautiful thing, the destruction of words."
Newspeak is upon us, and you are doubleplusungood Abdul.
Also, the title "Police Beating" was originally used by Mr. Shabazz and was the only reason it was used in my response. No disrespect was meant in using those words.
ReplyDeleteMr. Gary I commend you for calling out the racist and ungodly speech of Mr. Shabazz. That was not humor whatsoever, it was unnecessary hate talk that adds fuel to the fire of hate, prejudice, and racism in our community. I also commend Mr. Reeves for speaking truth to power about the police beatings that continue to take place in our city. It's so sad that so many of the visitors to this blog, come to talk and never take time to become empowered and educated. Just for the record, I have seen Mr. Reeves out in the community working to make our city a better place. As for the many of you that hide behind blogger names, please pay it forward and help to change a life. Thank you again Mr. Gary and Mr. Reeves.
ReplyDeleteLet's put an end to police terrorism in our streets.
I would certainly like to know more about this Reeves person, and what gives him the credibility to make a statement like, "Police beatings are a serious crime and they still do happen in Indianapolis, OFTEN!"
ReplyDeleteIf he has evidence to support that statement, he most certainly should be talking to Internal Affairs immediately.
As he should be able to tell from the Indy Red Star Rag the last few days, police officers who commit crimes ARE being arrested for it.
I was with Mr. Reeves until he stated that police beatings are common. Unfortunately, most of the public is ignorant as to what a law enforcement officer can or can't do in specific situations.
ReplyDeleteEven more disturbing is the fact that convictions have been occurring in the 'court of public opinion.' A great example of this is the Adam Chappell incident from last year. Look at the DT manual, the same one that was reviewed and confirmed by city legal, and it says he was well within the scope of what he was entitled to do. However, he wasn't just disciplined internally, he was charged with a crime! What some may call 'police beatings' are really just examples of officers acting within the scope of their employment doing things that they are allowed to do under law.
Regardless of how you deal with it, there will always be Monday morning quarterbacks telling you that you are wrong and that you should have 'subdued him' instead of hitting him, hit him instead of using your baton, or used your baton instead of tased him, or tased him instead of using your baton, or asked him to put the gun down instead of shot him. Even more distressing is the fact that when respected and GOOD people in the community buy into this myth of 'police terror.' Wonder why it took so long for information to be forthcoming on the Huntington Bank incident?
I can't tell you how many times I've seen officers place their own lives in peril to avoid having to use deadly force. When you have unscrupulous leaders in the community (and I'm NOT talking about you Mr. Reeves, I've never met you but from what I hear you're good people) talking out of both sides of their mouth you create just as many problems as you solve, and treading water just isn't going to cut it.
Talking about 'police brutality' as part of the problem is like saying you need a new roof when your house is on fire.
Well Gary, I wasnt alone in my viewing the term "police beatings" as inflammatory and prejudicial.
ReplyDeletePolice Use of Force is the appropriate term..and again, each situation needs to be examined on the merit of the situation. If that force, and ONLY that force necessary to effect a lawful arrest is used, then there isnt a problem. Excessive use of force is punishable by Federal civil rights violation (1983 color of law) as well as local criminal and civil proceedings.
I'm sorry, but that inflammatory phrase "police beatings" is just as reprehensible to me as "immoral pervert" would be to a member of the GLBT community or the term "boy" used to describe a black male is to that community. In all these cases those phrases are prejudicial and wrongly used.