[StBernard] Racing or Race?

[Westley Annis]

"A Newark, N.J., city councilman was booked with disturbing the peace,
resisting an officer and littering Friday morning after a traffic stop in
St. Bernard Parish, authorities said."

Jer responds: Oh, boy... This is a classic case of playing the race card to
avoid prosecution, show disturbing disrespect for law enforcement and
exhibit blatant "reverse racism" disregard towards a white officer. We can
only assume that if the officer was of a different persuasion, he would have
been spurted, "Brother, slack me, eh?" or Homey, What up?

Coming from an official of a city government, one would also surmise that a
higher standard of respect and dignity be adhered to (not only respect for
law but to the law enforcement). In what book of these modern times does it
say blacks or whites should be privileged enough to avoid a ticket? We could
bet that if the "offended" officer would have told the Afro-American group
that he/they WERE stopped or arrested for "DWB" IT WOULD have sparked a
nationwide march to St. Bernard Parish (20,000-250,000 loyal hate-mongers).
Where is the outcry now that these out-'o-town Afro-American Racists have
insulted the Sheriff's Office, the parish of St. Bernard, the state of
Louisiana and us? It just does not happen because equity tried is equity
denied. Again, one-sided justice.

Remember the term coined, "liberty and justice for all"? Folks anyone caught
breaking the law needs proper consideration by the arresting officer and
adjudication from the facts.

Perhaps CNN will be getting word of how a "Jersey northerner of color" can
insult the south with a twist of a tongue. (and probably get away with it?).

DWB? Perhaps it should be interpreted to mean: Driving While Brain-dead!
Folks are getting sick about this type of behavior exhibited in their
communities and we demand an apology from the "characters" and the city of
Newark for sending this idiot to our mist in the guise of helping hurricane
victims (I doubt if these fellows were down to help some poor white lady
rebuild her home with this elaborate demonstration ;) Pitiful.

We hope the defendants can pay their due fines like anyone else. Being a
councilman of any U.S. city/town does not qualify one as executive privilege
to be above da law (even in St. Bernard parish, responsibility and
accountability is requested/required). Besides, da parish could use "a
liberal's money" <smile>...

--jer--

______________________________________

N.J. official booked in St. Bernard

Cops say he resisted, yelled after traffic stop Saturday, April 12, 2008

St. Bernard bureau

A Newark, N.J., city councilman was booked with disturbing the peace,
resisting an officer and littering Friday morning after a traffic stop in
St. Bernard Parish, authorities said. 

The St. Bernard Sheriff's Office said Oscar S. James II, 26, was arrested
after yelling at deputies who pulled over a minivan on Louisiana 46 in the
Violet area. James was a passenger in the van, which authorities said sped
past an unmarked police cruiser and switched lanes in front of the cruiser
without using a turn signal. 

After deputies pulled the van over, Capt. Ronnie Martin asked James, the
front-seat passenger, to step out of the vehicle and James began yelling at
the deputies, according to a narrative provided by the Sheriff's Office. 
 
When the driver of the van, Roman Martin Jr., 25, of Newark, asked the
deputies why the vehicle had been pulled over, James replied "We were
stopped for DWB," the narrative said. 

Maj. Chad Clark, who also was involved in the stop, said the deputies asked
what that meant and James said "driving while black." 

"I had never heard that one before," Clark said later Friday. Clark said
James, Roman Martin Jr. and the other people in the van were
African-American. 

James told deputies he did not have identification with him and refused to
give his name. As deputies moved to pat him down, he reached into his pants
pocket and tossed a handful of nails to the ground, the narrative said. 

"He was yelling at the top his lungs, 'Bring me to jail. Bring me to jail,'
" Clark said. 

While he was being booked at the Sheriff's Office, James identified himself
and told deputies he was a city councilman in Newark. He was released on
$850 bond, authorities said. 

Clark said the others inside the van later told deputies they were in the
Violet area helping repair homes for Habitat for Humanity. Martin was issued
a ticket for improper lane use and given a verbal warning for speeding. 

Efforts to contact James on Friday evening were not successful. 

A biography on the city of Newark's government Web site said James was sworn
into office in July 2006 and was the youngest elected official in the city's
history.