it's not always regardless of skin color. and this wasn't a situation where he needed to be detained.
obviously in the opinion of the officers.....who have much more authority and knowledge of the situation than you have...... thought it was in the best interest to detain him....
Take me piece by piece..... Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
obviously in the opinion of the officers.....who have much more authority and knowledge of the situation than you have...... thought it was in the best interest to detain him....
why? what is the logical reason for bringing him in? he agreed to pack up and leave quietly.
If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
is that what you gather from this conversation????
again like i stated before....
my jaw drops with another one of your replies......
Oh, I'm sorry...I thought that that fact that you wouldn't say why he should have been detained must mean you didn't see a reason. So speak up, what is the reason you think he should have been taken in? Was he wearing those darn baggy pants or something?
If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Oh, I'm sorry...I thought that that fact that you wouldn't say why he should have been detained must mean you didn't see a reason. So speak up, what is the reason you think he should have been taken in? Was he wearing those darn baggy pants or something?
i dont ever remember making any satements about his baggy pants....ever..
or anyone elses baggy pants for that matter...
i guess ill state for the umpteenth time why i think he was arrrested....
because HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!
again ill repeat HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!!!!
he was detained and given a summons because HE BROKE THE LAW...his rights as a citizen were not abused........it was not a racially motivated situation.....
he was arrested because HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!!!!!!!
Take me piece by piece..... Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
i dont ever remember making any satements about his baggy pants....ever..
or anyone elses baggy pants for that matter...
i guess ill state for the umpteenth time why i think he was arrrested....
because HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!
again ill repeat HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!!!!
he was detained and given a summons because HE BROKE THE LAW...his rights as a citizen were not abused........it was not a racially motivated situation.....
he was arrested because HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, he broke the law. Calm down now, you're getting a bit ridiculous with all the !!!!!'s.
People break laws and get fines or warnings all the time. They detain people when they have reason to do so. So again, why do you think he was brought in instead of warned and just fined?
If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
i guess ill state for the umpteenth time why i think he was arrrested....
because HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!
again ill repeat HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!!!!
he was detained and given a summons because HE BROKE THE LAW...his rights as a citizen were not abused........it was not a racially motivated situation.....
he was arrested because HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!!!!!!!
so, if you were caught speeding, didn't stop at a stop sign for 3 seconds or were jaywalking...you'd be perfectly fine w/ them putting you in handcuffs and taking you down to the station to give you a ticket?
standin above the crowd
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
i dont ever remember making any satements about his baggy pants....ever..
or anyone elses baggy pants for that matter...
i guess ill state for the umpteenth time why i think he was arrrested....
because HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!
again ill repeat HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!!!!
he was detained and given a summons because HE BROKE THE LAW...his rights as a citizen were not abused........it was not a racially motivated situation.....
he was arrested because HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!!!!!!!
So, should jaywalkers be taken in? Are they? What about speeders, litterers.... I think there is a certain amount of discretion used by officers and I'm not so sure if good judgement was applied. Another band (can't remember the name, but they covered a Michael Jackson song) crashed the Soul Train music awards one time and made a video. I wonder if they were arrested. Also I wonder if U2 got arrested when they played on the rooftop for their video.
so, if you were caught speeding, didn't stop at a stop sign for 3 seconds or were jaywalking...you'd be perfectly fine w/ them putting you in handcuffs and taking you down to the station to give you a ticket?
hehehehehe.......
im pretty sure if the law dictates that the arresting officers have the right to handcuff me and arrest me for speeding or jaywalking......then that is just what the officers would do.....
i am pretty sure the officers didnt break any laws when arresting the genius articulate poet mos def because i havent seen any charges of false arrest filed by mos def.....
Take me piece by piece..... Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
im pretty sure if the law dictates that the arresting officers have the right to handcuff me and arrest me for speeding or jaywalking......then that is just what the officers would do.....
i am pretty sure the officers didnt break any laws when arresting the genius articulate poet mos def because i havent seen any charges of false arrest filed by mos def.....
they do have the right...you are breaking the law, riiiiight?
still waiting on a single reason you have as to why he should've been taken in (other than breaking the law, which i doubt you would accept towards you in the examples i gave)
standin above the crowd
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
they do have the right...you are breaking the law, riiiiight?
still waiting on a single reason you have as to why he should've been taken in (other than breaking the law, which i doubt you would accept towards you in the examples i gave)
well .....i would assume acoording to the law...if a person is arreseted for operating a sound reproduction device without a permit in new york...then that person is to be handcuffed an detained.....
correct??
he should be taken in because that is legal procedure???
Take me piece by piece..... Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
well .....i would assume acoording to the law...if a person is arreseted for operating a sound reproduction device without a permit in new york...then that person is to be handcuffed an detained.....
correct??
he should be taken in because that is legal procedure???
you assume why? you really think there's a procedure somewhere that says operating a sound reproduction device requires being taken away in handcuffs or do you think it is at the officers discretion?
do you always just accept what you are fed or do you ever think to question things?
standin above the crowd
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
you assume why? you really[/] think there's a procedure somewhere that says operating a sound reproduction device requires being taken away in handcuffs or do you think it is at the officers discretion?
do you always just accept what you are fed or do you ever think to question things?
well again i assume this.....because if it had happened to me and the officers were out of line i sure the hell would be filing charges against the officers...
i havent read anywhere that charges have been filed against the officers so i am gonna assume they were following procedure...
the second question im pretty sure i dont need to answer....
Take me piece by piece..... Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
well again i assume this.....because if it had happened to me and the officers were out of line i sure the hell would be filing charges against the officers...
i havent read anywhere that charges have been filed against the officers so i am gonna assume they were following procedure...
the second question im pretty sure i dont need to answer....
Well, I would like to know why they felt the need to take him in, not just assume that this is how they always handle this kind of thing. Just assuming that the police will do the right thing doesn't work for me especially in the face of such abuses within the police dept. I'll ask you again....do YOU think he needed to be brought in for his crime and why?
If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Well, I would like to know why they felt the need to take him in, not just assume that this is how they always handle this kind of thing. Just assuming that the police will do the right thing doesn't work for me especially in the face of such abuses within the police dept. I'll ask you again....do YOU think he needed to be brought in for his crime and why?
abook...im not gonna answer this again....
lets just say i disagree with you....
you believe the sole reason he was arrested is because he was black...
and i disagree............
Take me piece by piece..... Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
i doubt tom green got premits for every single skit he did outside...i'm assuming you would support his arrest?
standin above the crowd
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
But apart from assuming this is protocol...why do you, yourself, think he needed to be brought in. I'm genuinely curious.
ok....so lets say SPEEDY is an officer....
and the articulate genius poet Mos Def has decided that he is going to illegally ride a flat bed truck and set up shop in front of radio city music hall on the night of the video awards and start performing..
as an officer do i think this may bring up some unwanted traffic problems?? i sure do....
as an officer do i think there may be some concern for the crowd that has just gathered saftey?? i sure do....
as an officer do i think this was a ridiculous stunt ??? i sure do
as an officer do i feel that maybe if i arrest the articulate genius poet mos def and take him down to the station while i fill out all the paperwork needed to have the FLAT BED impounded it may make him realize what an outrageous stunt this was??? i sure do.....
as an officer do i think that maybe if i throw the articulate genius poet mos def in the slammer for a few hours he may realize how he put peoples saftey in danger by committing this outrageous stunt more so than if i just gave him a slap on the wrist???? i sure do
as an officer do i have the legal right to handcuff and arrest the articulate genius poet mos def for what he did??? i sure do
Take me piece by piece..... Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
i am long late entering this discussion, but i have popped on now and again and read many replies, just haven't had the time to post.
that said, first of as a few people have mentioned it is quite a BIG assumption, and yes it's an assumption at this point, that mos def's arrest was racially motivated. there is NOTHING to prove that, or even hint at that...except for that fact that yes, mos def happens to be a black man.
so then, why the arrest? maybe b/c the police realize musical artists of such fame/caliber are rather wealthy, a simple fine would be a mere slap on the wrist. not much of a deterrent. if you are the NYPD and you want citizens to respect and follow the laws, you must utilize effective deterrents. a fine is not a big deterrent for someone extremely wealthy.
in fact, perhaps mos def did consider this beforehand and assumed, just pay a fine no biggie...rather than risk not getting a permit to do what he wanted to do. i have no idea, just a possibility. so then, the police are sending a message, b/c obviously the only possible deterrent for a wealthy artist is to infringe on his time..so that is what they did...infringed on his time and arrested him, b/c a fine wouldn't serve much purpose in such instances.
IF mos def, or ANY other artist was simply fined for performing without a permit...what kind of deterrent is it for future artists' for doing the same? a fine is NOTHING to someone quite wealthy, but being arrested and taking up time...perhaps not worth it. who knows.
bottomline, he broke the law....arrest IS a lawful act in such cases. in the case of an average citizen doing such, a large fine might be a big enough deterrent. for someone ultra-wealthy, not so much...so perhaps worth it to him to take the chance. arrest is another level of deterrent, so maybe future artist's would think twice beofre putting on a public performance on a NYC w/o a permit. THAT seems like a pretty legitimate, and completely non-racial reason for arrest.
in regards to assuming no one else is ever arrested for such, or would be arrested for such...or any 'doubts' that other artist's bother to get permits, i honestly have no idea. maybe they do, maybe they don't....and if they're caught, i would hope they would get the same.
fact is, any intelligent performer would KNOW one must get a permit to perform on a NYC street. i am SURE mos def knew this as well. the police asked his crew for a permit, they stalled....the police waited, i have no idea how long...mos def continued his performance, supposedly unawares. whatever happened to ear monitors? why couldn't one of the crew hold up a sign? fact is, the police waited, were respectful...and perhaps after an indeterminate amount of time, realized the deal. so yes, AFTER the artist got to do what he wanted....what good does a fine do? not much. in fact, this arrest probably garndered more attention for his performance all the more.
no matter what, if we truly want to see better race relations....ALL parties need to be respectful. so yes, the police should not indulge in racial profiling, and the public should not always automatically jump to conclusions that ANY arrests made of a person of color is doneso soley for racial motivations. it goes both ways to educate and change the status quo. in this instance, i personally think a mountain has been made of a molehill, and it truly IS based soley on deterring artists from performing on NYC streets without a permit. until it is proven otherwise, we just won't know...so it's all personal opinion. the police have made many, many mistakes in the past.....but shall we all continually hold that against them? or maybe we can at least sometimes just imagine, they are trying to do their jobs.
i am long late entering this discussion, but i have popped on now and again and read many replies, just haven't had the time to post.
that said, first of as a few people have mentioned it is quite a BIG assumption, and yes it's an assumption at this point, that mos def's arrest was racially motivated. there is NOTHING to prove that, or even hint at that...except for that fact that yes, mos def happens to be a black man.
so then, why the arrest? maybe b/c the police realize musical artists of such fame/caliber are rather wealthy, a simple fine would be a mere slap on the wrist. not much of a deterrent. if you are the NYPD and you want citizens to respect and follow the laws, you must utilize effective deterrents. a fine is not a big deterrent for someone extremely wealthy.
in fact, perhaps mos def did consider this beforehand and assumed, just pay a fine no biggie...rather than risk not getting a permit to do what he wanted to do. i have no idea, just a possibility. so then, the police are sending a message, b/c obviously the only possible deterrent for a wealthy artist is to infringe on his time..so that is what they did...infringed on his time and arrested him, b/c a fine wouldn't serve much purpose in such instances.
IF mos def, or ANY other artist was simply fined for performing without a permit...what kind of deterrent is it for future artists' for doing the same? a fine is NOTHING to someone quite wealthy, but being arrested and taking up time...perhaps not worth it. who knows.
bottomline, he broke the law....arrest IS a lawful act in such cases. in the case of an average citizen doing such, a large fine might be a big enough deterrent. for someone ultra-wealthy, not so much...so perhaps worth it to him to take the chance. arrest is another level of deterrent, so maybe future artist's would think twice beofre putting on a public performance on a NYC w/o a permit. THAT seems like a pretty legitimate, and completely non-racial reason for arrest.
in regards to assuming no one else is ever arrested for such, or would be arrested for such...or any 'doubts' that other artist's bother to get permits, i honestly have no idea. maybe they do, maybe they don't....and if they're caught, i would hope they would get the same.
fact is, any intelligent performer would KNOW one must get a permit to perform on a NYC street. i am SURE mos def knew this as well. the police asked his crew for a permit, they stalled....the police waited, i have no idea how long...mos def continued his performance, supposedly unawares. whatever happened to ear monitors? why couldn't one of the crew hold up a sign? fact is, the police waited, were respectful...and perhaps after an indeterminate amount of time, realized the deal. so yes, AFTER the artist got to do what he wanted....what good does a fine do? not much. in fact, this arrest probably garndered more attention for his performance all the more.
where the hell have you been???
ladies and gentleman...let me introduce someone with common sense......
Take me piece by piece..... Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
i am long late entering this discussion, but i have popped on now and again and read many replies, just haven't had the time to post.
that said, first of as a few people have mentioned it is quite a BIG assumption, and yes it's an assumption at this point, that mos def's arrest was racially motivated. there is NOTHING to prove that, or even hint at that...except for that fact that yes, mos def happens to be a black man.
so then, why the arrest? maybe b/c the police realize musical artists of such fame/caliber are rather wealthy, a simple fine would be a mere slap on the wrist. not much of a deterrent. if you are the NYPD and you want citizens to respect and follow the laws, you must utilize effective deterrents. a fine is not a big deterrent for someone extremely wealthy.
in fact, perhaps mos def did consider this beforehand and assumed, just pay a fine no biggie...rather than risk not getting a permit to do what he wanted to do. i have no idea, just a possibility. so then, the police are sending a message, b/c obviously the only possible deterrent for a wealthy artist is to infringe on his time..so that is what they did...infringed on his time and arrested him, b/c a fine wouldn't serve much purpose in such instances.
IF mos def, or ANY other artist was simply fined for performing without a permit...what kind of deterrent is it for future artists' for doing the same? a fine is NOTHING to someone quite wealthy, but being arrested and taking up time...perhaps not worth it. who knows.
bottomline, he broke the law....arrest IS a lawful act in such cases. in the case of an average citizen doing such, a large fine might be a big enough deterrent. for someone ultra-wealthy, not so much...so perhaps worth it to him to take the chance. arrest is another level of deterrent, so maybe future artist's would think twice beofre putting on a public performance on a NYC w/o a permit. THAT seems like a pretty legitimate, and completely non-racial reason for arrest.
in regards to assuming no one else is ever arrested for such, or would be arrested for such...or any 'doubts' that other artist's bother to get permits, i honestly have no idea. maybe they do, maybe they don't....and if they're caught, i would hope they would get the same.
fact is, any intelligent performer would KNOW one must get a permit to perform on a NYC street. i am SURE mos def knew this as well. the police asked his crew for a permit, they stalled....the police waited, i have no idea how long...mos def continued his performance, supposedly unawares. whatever happened to ear monitors? why couldn't one of the crew hold up a sign? fact is, the police waited, were respectful...and perhaps after an indeterminate amount of time, realized the deal. so yes, AFTER the artist got to do what he wanted....what good does a fine do? not much. in fact, this arrest probably garndered more attention for his performance all the more.
no matter what, if we truly want to see better race relations....ALL parties need to be respectful. so yes, the police should not indulge in racial profiling, and the public should not always automatically jump to conclusions that ANY arrests made of a person of color is doneso soley for racial motivations. it goes both ways to educate and change the status quo. in this instance, i personally think a mountain has been made of a molehill, and it truly IS based soley on deterring artists from performing on NYC streets without a permit. until it is proven otherwise, we just won't know...so it's all personal opinion. the police have made many, many mistakes in the past.....but shall we all continually hold that against them? or maybe we can at least sometimes just imagine, they are trying to do their jobs.
It is of my opinion, that an equally wealthy white performer would not have been carried down to the station and be made an example of. There is no way of proving one guilty of racism other than them actually admitting it to be their motivation and of course they aren't going to admit that. It is such rare type thing...performing w/o a permit. It's not like this is a huge problem that happens all the time and there was no need to actually handcuff and arrest him.
If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Listen homie, It’s dollar day in New Orleans,
It’s where there water everywhere and people dead in the street (eet eets),
And Mr. President he ‘bout that cash,
He got a policy for handlin’ the bruthas and trash,
And if you poor you black,
I laugh a laugh, they won’t give when you ask,
You betta off on crack, dead or in jail, or with a gun in Iraq (a aq),
And it’s as simple as that,
No opinion my man it’s mathematical fact,
Listen, a million poor since 2004,
And they got illions and killions to waste on the War,
And make you question what the taxes is for,
Or the cost to reinforce the broke levee wall,
Tell the boss he shouldn’t be the boss anymore (or or),
Ya’ll bae-li-means (???),
It is of my opinion, that an equally wealthy white performer would not have been carried down to the station and be made an example of. There is no way of proving one guilty of racism other than them actually admitting it to be their motivation and of course they aren't going to admit that. It is such rare type thing...performing w/o a permit. It's not like this is a huge problem that happens all the time and there was no need to actually handcuff and arrest him.
i would personally post Mr. Vedders bail for something like this
i am long late entering this discussion, but i have popped on now and again and read many replies, just haven't had the time to post.
that said, first of as a few people have mentioned it is quite a BIG assumption, and yes it's an assumption at this point, that mos def's arrest was racially motivated. there is NOTHING to prove that, or even hint at that...except for that fact that yes, mos def happens to be a black man.
so then, why the arrest? maybe b/c the police realize musical artists of such fame/caliber are rather wealthy, a simple fine would be a mere slap on the wrist. not much of a deterrent. if you are the NYPD and you want citizens to respect and follow the laws, you must utilize effective deterrents. a fine is not a big deterrent for someone extremely wealthy.
in fact, perhaps mos def did consider this beforehand and assumed, just pay a fine no biggie...rather than risk not getting a permit to do what he wanted to do. i have no idea, just a possibility. so then, the police are sending a message, b/c obviously the only possible deterrent for a wealthy artist is to infringe on his time..so that is what they did...infringed on his time and arrested him, b/c a fine wouldn't serve much purpose in such instances.
IF mos def, or ANY other artist was simply fined for performing without a permit...what kind of deterrent is it for future artists' for doing the same? a fine is NOTHING to someone quite wealthy, but being arrested and taking up time...perhaps not worth it. who knows.
bottomline, he broke the law....arrest IS a lawful act in such cases. in the case of an average citizen doing such, a large fine might be a big enough deterrent. for someone ultra-wealthy, not so much...so perhaps worth it to him to take the chance. arrest is another level of deterrent, so maybe future artist's would think twice beofre putting on a public performance on a NYC w/o a permit. THAT seems like a pretty legitimate, and completely non-racial reason for arrest.
in regards to assuming no one else is ever arrested for such, or would be arrested for such...or any 'doubts' that other artist's bother to get permits, i honestly have no idea. maybe they do, maybe they don't....and if they're caught, i would hope they would get the same.
fact is, any intelligent performer would KNOW one must get a permit to perform on a NYC street. i am SURE mos def knew this as well. the police asked his crew for a permit, they stalled....the police waited, i have no idea how long...mos def continued his performance, supposedly unawares. whatever happened to ear monitors? why couldn't one of the crew hold up a sign? fact is, the police waited, were respectful...and perhaps after an indeterminate amount of time, realized the deal. so yes, AFTER the artist got to do what he wanted....what good does a fine do? not much. in fact, this arrest probably garndered more attention for his performance all the more.
no matter what, if we truly want to see better race relations....ALL parties need to be respectful. so yes, the police should not indulge in racial profiling, and the public should not always automatically jump to conclusions that ANY arrests made of a person of color is doneso soley for racial motivations. it goes both ways to educate and change the status quo. in this instance, i personally think a mountain has been made of a molehill, and it truly IS based soley on deterring artists from performing on NYC streets without a permit. until it is proven otherwise, we just won't know...so it's all personal opinion. the police have made many, many mistakes in the past.....but shall we all continually hold that against them? or maybe we can at least sometimes just imagine, they are trying to do their jobs.
just a thought... if you applied for a permit to perform anything outside of Radio City Music Hall while the VMAs or any other award show was going on, do you think it would be approved?? I believe not. He knew that he would never get a permit and figured hell I'm just gonna go and make my point and accept the consequences. I don't care if he's black, white, orange, or purple, he would have been arrested for this.. no big deal. And I'm sure he knew this and was willing to accept it, plus with him getting arrested it just makes the whole thing a bigger story.
I've heard the song already, (Mos performed it in AC after Dave Chappelle's show) it's not bad. I applaud him for trying to keep the light on the people of N.O. and trying to raise some money for them.
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Comments
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
why? what is the logical reason for bringing him in? he agreed to pack up and leave quietly.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
im sure they can give you the exact reason why he was arrested.....
and while you are at it make sure you let the officers know that you think it was racially motivated.....
let me know how that turns out.......
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
Yeah, I'm sure they will be so happy to have me questioning their possibly racial motives.
I take it you don't see a logical reason he should have been detained, either then?
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
again like i stated before....
my jaw drops with another one of your replies......
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
It amazes me that you have so much insight at such a young age.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Oh, I'm sorry...I thought that that fact that you wouldn't say why he should have been detained must mean you didn't see a reason. So speak up, what is the reason you think he should have been taken in? Was he wearing those darn baggy pants or something?
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
i dont ever remember making any satements about his baggy pants....ever..
or anyone elses baggy pants for that matter...
i guess ill state for the umpteenth time why i think he was arrrested....
because HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!
again ill repeat HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!!!!
he was detained and given a summons because HE BROKE THE LAW...his rights as a citizen were not abused........it was not a racially motivated situation.....
he was arrested because HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!!!!!!!
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
Yes, he broke the law. Calm down now, you're getting a bit ridiculous with all the !!!!!'s.
People break laws and get fines or warnings all the time. They detain people when they have reason to do so. So again, why do you think he was brought in instead of warned and just fined?
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
so, if you were caught speeding, didn't stop at a stop sign for 3 seconds or were jaywalking...you'd be perfectly fine w/ them putting you in handcuffs and taking you down to the station to give you a ticket?
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
yes, but only if they know how to rap. case closed.
im pretty sure if the law dictates that the arresting officers have the right to handcuff me and arrest me for speeding or jaywalking......then that is just what the officers would do.....
i am pretty sure the officers didnt break any laws when arresting the genius articulate poet mos def because i havent seen any charges of false arrest filed by mos def.....
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
they do have the right...you are breaking the law, riiiiight?
still waiting on a single reason you have as to why he should've been taken in (other than breaking the law, which i doubt you would accept towards you in the examples i gave)
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
correct??
he should be taken in because that is legal procedure???
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
you assume why? you really think there's a procedure somewhere that says operating a sound reproduction device requires being taken away in handcuffs or do you think it is at the officers discretion?
do you always just accept what you are fed or do you ever think to question things?
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
i havent read anywhere that charges have been filed against the officers so i am gonna assume they were following procedure...
the second question im pretty sure i dont need to answer....
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
Well, I would like to know why they felt the need to take him in, not just assume that this is how they always handle this kind of thing. Just assuming that the police will do the right thing doesn't work for me especially in the face of such abuses within the police dept. I'll ask you again....do YOU think he needed to be brought in for his crime and why?
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
lets just say i disagree with you....
you believe the sole reason he was arrested is because he was black...
and i disagree............
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
But apart from assuming this is protocol...why do you, yourself, think he needed to be brought in. I'm genuinely curious.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
there's a reason why this type of crap is penalized in competitive debating
and the articulate genius poet Mos Def has decided that he is going to illegally ride a flat bed truck and set up shop in front of radio city music hall on the night of the video awards and start performing..
as an officer do i think this may bring up some unwanted traffic problems?? i sure do....
as an officer do i think there may be some concern for the crowd that has just gathered saftey?? i sure do....
as an officer do i think this was a ridiculous stunt ??? i sure do
as an officer do i feel that maybe if i arrest the articulate genius poet mos def and take him down to the station while i fill out all the paperwork needed to have the FLAT BED impounded it may make him realize what an outrageous stunt this was??? i sure do.....
as an officer do i think that maybe if i throw the articulate genius poet mos def in the slammer for a few hours he may realize how he put peoples saftey in danger by committing this outrageous stunt more so than if i just gave him a slap on the wrist???? i sure do
as an officer do i have the legal right to handcuff and arrest the articulate genius poet mos def for what he did??? i sure do
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
that said, first of as a few people have mentioned it is quite a BIG assumption, and yes it's an assumption at this point, that mos def's arrest was racially motivated. there is NOTHING to prove that, or even hint at that...except for that fact that yes, mos def happens to be a black man.
so then, why the arrest? maybe b/c the police realize musical artists of such fame/caliber are rather wealthy, a simple fine would be a mere slap on the wrist. not much of a deterrent. if you are the NYPD and you want citizens to respect and follow the laws, you must utilize effective deterrents. a fine is not a big deterrent for someone extremely wealthy.
in fact, perhaps mos def did consider this beforehand and assumed, just pay a fine no biggie...rather than risk not getting a permit to do what he wanted to do. i have no idea, just a possibility. so then, the police are sending a message, b/c obviously the only possible deterrent for a wealthy artist is to infringe on his time..so that is what they did...infringed on his time and arrested him, b/c a fine wouldn't serve much purpose in such instances.
IF mos def, or ANY other artist was simply fined for performing without a permit...what kind of deterrent is it for future artists' for doing the same? a fine is NOTHING to someone quite wealthy, but being arrested and taking up time...perhaps not worth it. who knows.
bottomline, he broke the law....arrest IS a lawful act in such cases. in the case of an average citizen doing such, a large fine might be a big enough deterrent. for someone ultra-wealthy, not so much...so perhaps worth it to him to take the chance. arrest is another level of deterrent, so maybe future artist's would think twice beofre putting on a public performance on a NYC w/o a permit. THAT seems like a pretty legitimate, and completely non-racial reason for arrest.
in regards to assuming no one else is ever arrested for such, or would be arrested for such...or any 'doubts' that other artist's bother to get permits, i honestly have no idea. maybe they do, maybe they don't....and if they're caught, i would hope they would get the same.
fact is, any intelligent performer would KNOW one must get a permit to perform on a NYC street. i am SURE mos def knew this as well. the police asked his crew for a permit, they stalled....the police waited, i have no idea how long...mos def continued his performance, supposedly unawares. whatever happened to ear monitors? why couldn't one of the crew hold up a sign? fact is, the police waited, were respectful...and perhaps after an indeterminate amount of time, realized the deal. so yes, AFTER the artist got to do what he wanted....what good does a fine do? not much. in fact, this arrest probably garndered more attention for his performance all the more.
no matter what, if we truly want to see better race relations....ALL parties need to be respectful. so yes, the police should not indulge in racial profiling, and the public should not always automatically jump to conclusions that ANY arrests made of a person of color is doneso soley for racial motivations. it goes both ways to educate and change the status quo. in this instance, i personally think a mountain has been made of a molehill, and it truly IS based soley on deterring artists from performing on NYC streets without a permit. until it is proven otherwise, we just won't know...so it's all personal opinion. the police have made many, many mistakes in the past.....but shall we all continually hold that against them? or maybe we can at least sometimes just imagine, they are trying to do their jobs.
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
ladies and gentleman...let me introduce someone with common sense......
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
It is of my opinion, that an equally wealthy white performer would not have been carried down to the station and be made an example of. There is no way of proving one guilty of racism other than them actually admitting it to be their motivation and of course they aren't going to admit that. It is such rare type thing...performing w/o a permit. It's not like this is a huge problem that happens all the time and there was no need to actually handcuff and arrest him.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
accurate, and being done blatantly
i would personally post Mr. Vedders bail for something like this
just a thought... if you applied for a permit to perform anything outside of Radio City Music Hall while the VMAs or any other award show was going on, do you think it would be approved?? I believe not. He knew that he would never get a permit and figured hell I'm just gonna go and make my point and accept the consequences. I don't care if he's black, white, orange, or purple, he would have been arrested for this.. no big deal. And I'm sure he knew this and was willing to accept it, plus with him getting arrested it just makes the whole thing a bigger story.
I've heard the song already, (Mos performed it in AC after Dave Chappelle's show) it's not bad. I applaud him for trying to keep the light on the people of N.O. and trying to raise some money for them.
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