Let the games begin: Go Sotomayor

Words cannot express the sheer joy that I am feeling with the pending nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. It will be a monumental day once she is confirmed. To think that a Latina, born and raised in the barrio has reached such a high position says a lot about her resolve. Instead of trying to throw stones at her and question her health concerns and twist her words, why not look at her record and make an informed decision. Even though I am not a big Fox news media watcher, I had an occasion to view their spin on her nomination. It appears the right wing are going to go after her with all the dirt they can bring up. I am confident that she will fair well. Yo soy boriqua paque tu lo sepa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfC99LrrM2Q

NJSP can't find enough black candidates.

I read an article in the Star Ledger about the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) and their inability to hire an adequate number of black candidates. Can the NJSP be blamed if black men and women chose other professions, which may be more lucrative? Is the NJSP doing enough? They profess to be aggressively recruiting in venues with a large minority population, e.g, colleges, and churches, but still cannot find qualified individuals. Is there something wrong with the test? How about the background investigation? Is it so stringent that it places too high a standard for youths coming from inner cities? Will their history of discrimination and exclusion continually be dredged up? What can they do to turn this situation around? The article goes on to espouse the wonderful job they have done to increase the number of latinos. I think they should be applauded for their efforts, however, the promotion rates for those same latinos are disproportionate to their actual numbers.  The NJSP will continue to face this quandary as long as 80% of the troopers graduating the NJSP academy are white males, especially in a state where the minority population is increasing. 

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/nj_state_police_diversity_effo.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiyNaayEmjs&feature=related

"Friendly fire" what is wrong with this term?

Is it just me or is this term an oxymoron? As I look at this picture I see a young man who tried to make a difference. He is old enough to be my son. What do you tell his wife, kids and parents? From everything I have read, there is no doubt this was an unfortunate accident. Nonetheless, when do these accidents stop? History may confirm that police officers of color are overwhelmingly killed by their white colleagues due to "friendly fire." Why is this happening? I do not want to speculate because I was not there, but the results are very disturbing. I would venture to say that the NYPD will do everything to minimize the racial issue, which will be so prominent in the internal investigation. Of course, the police unions will downplay it as well. What can we do? May you rest in peace Omar.

Am I missing something?????

Let me get this straight: six "white" troopers are alleged to have sexually assaulted a college student and they get suspended with pay. Conversely, a "black" trooper is alleged to have had sexual relations with a known prostitute and gets charged with sexual assault, official misconduct and criminal restraint and gets suspended immediately without pay.  Again, I am asking, "Am I missing something?" Please educate me on this one. 

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/nj_state_police_sergeant_charg.html

http://wcbstv.com/local/rider.gang.rape.2.608446.html

Will the real discrimination stand up and be recognized!!!

History tells us that certain groups have been treated differently over the years. Time has passed and legislation has been enacted to correct some of the past problems. Is it so far fetched to believe that in this day and age that white males can claim reverse discrimination? What is really going on? Have the standards been manipulated or is the average "Joe" starting to feel left out? Is there a real bias in testing that disparately impacts minorities or are some not able to make the cut? To say the least, this is a very contentious topic, but it must be tackled...get to it, if you dare.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090422/ap_on_go_su_co/us_scotus_firefighters_lawsuit

I wonder what happened to him

The career of a police officer is unpredictable. Each day will bring something new and unexpected. I found this out early on in my career. I was very fortunate to be at the right place at the right time. This attached video is not about me rather it is about a person who was in distress and I was there to be my "Brother's keeper." Let it play for about 22 seconds and then enjoy. PS, it appears that no one has picked up on the fact that this is your professor. I know I look young, it happened in 1989. FYI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o_3b9ldR2s&feature=channel_page

Go ahead and keep teasing me.

I cannot count the number of times I have expressed my feelings regarding the impact of bullying and teasing. Now we have to deal with the aftermath of a distraught individual who appears to be the victim of teasing. The perpetrator, Jiverly Wong, is alleged to have been teased about his poor English language skills and now several people are dead. The victims were attempting to become a part of the America dream, now their families have to make arrangements for their funerals. It is no longer innocent behavior to make fun of someone. The words you use can now cause you serious harm. Should he have taken his frustration out on those that caused him the pain?  Don't worry, even though he is gone there are many more to follow. Now will you tease me?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5OzzbVKHq4&feature=related