UNM is Dreaming of a White Male Administration…Just Like the Administrations They Used To Know

December 24, 2014 by 2 Comments

UNMREGENTS

***Current UNM Board of Regents and President Frank***

Yesterday, Governor Susana Martinez announced her picks for three new Regents at the University of New Mexico. As per usual, none of the Regent selections were people of color.

That makes a Board of Regents at UNM that is completely lacking in diversity and does not accurately represent the student body. (Oh yeah… Regent Koch resigned, but was reappointed to fill Regent James position. Let’s not forget that 482 out of 492 faculty member’s voted no confidence in Regent Koch in 2010)

This should not come as a surprise to anybody. Just a few months ago, UNM’s first InnovateABQ board was selected and…you guessed it…none of the members were people of color or women. They were a bunch of older white males.

The public was outraged and UNM was forced to “expand” the board from 6 members to 11 members. One of the old white guys on the original board was furious and actually resigned his position. (He claimed that an 11-person board would be ineffective)

Now, you need to understand the process of getting selected for the InnovateABQ Board to understand why white males were selected in the first place. The Board of Regents reviews applications and makes the selections. So is it any surprise that a non-diverse Board of Regents selected a non-diverse InnovateABQ Board?

The University’s old, white, male President Frank is so excited about the expansion of the Board (maybe it has something to do with the city threatening to withhold $2 million unless the Board is expanded). He stated, “This makes up for our lack of diversity the first time…” Wow…I guess we should be grateful that they considered diversity after they were forced to do so.

This is just the tip of the non-diverse iceberg. There has never been a Hispanic, Black, or Native American Student Regent (in 20 plus years) and there are very few people of color in faculty positions. This total lack of diversity is sickening when you realize that 56% of New Mexico’s population is people of color and over 50% of the student body is people of color.

The sad fact is that the old white guard continues to control the establishments of America. They are not going to give up control easily. Racism, sexism, exploitation of the poor, and brutality (by the police and military) will continue as a means to retain power.

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What does the U.S. want from Cuba? The Beast Never Does Anything Just To Be Kind.Declassified Warnings from the Past

December 17, 2014 by Leave a Comment

JFKCASTRO

WARNING: We must be very cautious concerning today’s announcement that the U.S. and Cuba now seek to “normalize relations“. Although I am excited about the news, I realize that the U.S. never does anything out of the kindness of its heart…the Beast wants something in return. Here are some strong (and funny) statements from Moscow and Havana recorded in a Declassified 1960 CIA Document. These statements are in response to JFK and Nixon’s policies concerning Cuba. I hope you enjoy them and remember their warnings when thinking about the “normalized relations“:

JFKIlliterate

JFKNIXONSTUPID

The U.S.  (and its corporate masters) want money and resources from Cubans.  I fear that everything the Revolution stood for is in danger of being dismantled.

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New Mexicans Unite Across the State to Protest Police Brutality & Racism on 12-13-14

December 14, 2014 by 2 Comments

Protest Uptown

***ABQ Uptown Mall***

The Movement has begun. Today, all across the country, tens of thousands of people marched against police brutality and racism. The time to dismantle the unjust system and create something better has arrived.

em121214eProtest Santa Fe

***UNM Medical students hold die-in***People unite in Santa Fe***

In New Mexico, over 60 UNM Medical students held a die-in on UNM North Campus today; 50-100 people gathered in Santa Fe and marched down Cerrillos road; and roughly 30 people “shut down” the ABQ Uptown Mall in Albuquerque.

The numbers of people answering the call for action in New Mexico may not be as overwhelming as some other places, but that does not matter. Any action is better than no action at all.

It is disheartening to hear people say hateful/ignorant comments. It is disheartening to know that the police will mobilize in force to protect consumers and property. It is disheartening to think that people love “flash mobs” in a mall when they sing and dance, but become angry when a group of people attempt to bring awareness of injustice to the public.

At the ABQ Uptown Mall, consumer’s yelled comments like:

“Get a life”

“You are breaking the law…this is private property”

“If Black lives mattered so much, why aren’t there any black people with you?”

“All lives matter…not just black ones”

“All of the shootings were justified”

“Get a job and get out of my way”

“Go protest at the police department, not here”

These comments are typical. They show how little the general public seems to care about racism or injustice. They believe that nothing is wrong with the system. It shows how much they buy into the belief that property rights are more important than human lives. They are more concerned about a few minutes of their commute rather than showing solidarity for a few minutes.

Come on People, get your heads out of your asses. Do I have to be black to believe that black lives matter? Am I only supposed to care about my own race? I know that all lives matter, but the reality is that our system is designed to prey on people of color. It is a fact, not just a fun talking point. Educate yourselves.

protest commute

 “Inconveniencing” consumers by blocking traffic for 5-10 minutes is not done to punish anybody. It is done to force people to take time out of their day to reflect on issues that are important. Does anybody remember the bus boycotts or a woman named Rosa Parks? I will bet people were pissed off at them for “inconveniencing” their commute as well.

protestuptown2

***APD is deployed against peaceful protestors to serve as a private Army for Corporate America***

 The action at the ABQ Uptown Mall was originally supposed to be a die-in at Coronado Mall. Unfortunately the police were tipped off and were surrounding the meeting area. They were ready to arrest anybody who disrupted the capitalistic monster from consuming. Public tax dollars were used to stop people from lying down on the floor for a little while. There were multiple APD officers and cars all around the Mall.

police-militarized1

 The simple fact that the police were there is screwed up and amplifies the distorted truth of our injustice system. The Mall is “private” property; the police are supposed to serve and protect the “public”. They were deployed to the Mall like a private Army for the elite. The “militarization” of the police continues and must be stopped. They should not be at the beckon call of those who have money.

The struggle must continue. The People must have the attention span to keep building this Movement. Although protests are important for creating social awareness, the Movement will be created through organizing, educating the public, and time. People need to know the truth and be educated on why this is important. It has gone on for way too long!

Today was a just the ripple of a social wave that is growing. It doesn’t matter how many People participated today, it matters how many People participate tomorrow and every day after that.

 

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Find out what our Presidents have said about police brutality

December 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment

President Quotes

Here is a list of obscure Presidential quotes concerning Police Brutality and the Injustice System (yes, I am a nerd and went through a ton of presidential papers to find these). I know that some of the quotes may be a little out of context and many of the politicians are not worthy of being attached to them, but I thought they were pretty interesting. I hope you enjoy them.

1. “The American people cannot close their eyes to abuses of human rights and injustice, whether they occur among friend or adversary or even on our own shores.” Ronald Reagan

2. “The paramount duty of maintaining public order and defending the interests of our own people may require the adoption of measures of restriction, but they should not tolerate the oppression of individuals of a special race.” Grover Cleveland

3. “It is always possible that occasional individuals may have overstepped the law and humanity in treatment of criminals and those charged with crime, and if so, they should be severely punished.” Herbert Hoover

4. “[W]e must always remember that you are officers of the law in a great democratic nation which owes its birth to the indignation of its citizens against the encroachment of police and governmental powers against their individual freedoms.” Harry S. Truman

5. “[T]he guilty as well as the innocent are entitled to due process of law. They are entitled to a fair trial. They are entitled to counsel. They are entitled to fair treatment from the police. The law enforcement officer has the same duty as the citizen-indeed, he has a higher duty–to abide by the letter and spirit of our Constitution and laws. You yourselves must be careful to obey the letter of the law. You yourselves must be intellectually honest in the enforcement of the law.” Harry S. Truman

6. “The friendless, the weak, the victims of prejudice and public excitement are entitled to the same quality of justice and fair play that the rich, the powerful, the well-connected, and the fellow with pull thinks he can get.” Harry S. Truman

7. “[T]he rule of law does more than ensure freedom from high-handed action by rulers. It ensures justice between man and man however humble the one and however powerful the other. A man with five dollars in the bank can call to account the corporation with five billion dollars in assets–and the two will be heard as equals before the law.” Dwight D. Eisenhower

8. “Every citizen, regardless of his race, creed, or color, is entitled to equal justice.” Lyndon B. Johnson

9. “Effective law enforcement and social justice must be pursued together, as the foundation of our efforts against crime.” Lyndon B. Johnson

10. “It is very seldom that any one is in prison for an ordinary crime unless early in life he entered a path that almost invariably led to the prison gate. Most of the inmates are the children of the poor. In many instances they are either orphans or half-orphans; their homes were the streets and byways of big cities, and their paths naturally and inevitably took them to their final fate.” Lyndon B. Johnson quoting Clarence Darrow

11. “Law enforcement officers should use only the minimum force necessary in dealing with disorders when they arise. A human life–the life of a student, soldier, or police officer–is a precious thing, and the taking of a life can be justified only as a necessary and last resort.” Richard Nixon

12. “[W]e cannot speak of human rights in other countries unless we are going to do our utmost to protect the rights of our own people here at home.” Jimmy Carter

13. “[N]early all inmates are drawn from the ranks of the powerless and the poor. A child of privilege frequently receives the benefit of the doubt; a child of poverty seldom does.” Jimmy Carter

14. “In many courts, plea bargaining serves the convenience of the judge and the lawyers, not the ends of justice, because the courts simply lack the time to give everyone a fair trial.” Jimmy Carter

15. “Powerful white-collar criminals cheat consumers of millions of dollars; public officials who abuse their high rank damage the integrity of our Nation in profound and longlasting ways. But too often, these bigshot crooks escape the full consequences of their acts. Justice must be blind to rank, power, and position.” Jimmy Carter

16. “What our administration and our party seek is the day when the tragic side of the black legacy in America can be laid to rest once and for all, and the long, perilous voyage toward freedom, dignity, and opportunity can be completed—a day when every child born in America will live free not only of political injustice but of fear, ignorance, prejudice, and dependency.” Ronald Reagan

17. “Law enforcement officials cannot place themselves above the law that they are sworn to defend.” George H.W. Bush

18. “What we’re going to do is look into violations of the law and prosecute any of the people that have violated the Federal law and speak out against police brutality — because what I saw made me sick. It was sickening to see the beating that was rendered, and there’s no way, in my view, to explain that away. It was outrageous.” George H.W. Bush

19. “Not all Americans are living the American dream by a long shot. Many can’t even imagine it. There are impoverished Americans, the poor and the homeless, the hungry and the hopeless, many unable to read and write. There are Americans gone astray, the kids dragged down by drugs, the shattered families, the teenage mothers struggling to cope. Then there are Americans uneasy, troubled and bewildered by the dizzying pace of change.” George H.W. Bush

20. “[W]e have a right to expect a police force that protects our citizens and behaves in a responsible manner… in the American conscience there is no room for bigotry and racism.” George H.W. Bush

21. “[W]e also generally agree that it is important for you to focus on the constructive steps the Administration has taken and will take to root out police brutality,and strengthen the bond between police officers and the communities they serve.” Bill Clinton

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Why do elites get away with crime? D.A. Brandenburg is NOT above the law!

December 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment

KariBrandenburg

Stop me if you heard this before… the police conduct an investigation that reveals information that they believe is solid enough to press charges. The suspect claims innocence, but the system ignores their pleas and eventually sends them to prison.

Doesn’t that sound like thousands of cases that happen every single day across the United States?

Now let’s throw in a twist. What if the suspect is the District Attorney? What if that D.A. claims innocence despite strong evidence of wrongdoing? Well… you probably know where I am going with this now.

 gotojail

THROW HER ASS IN JAIL

That’s right…I am talking about District Attorney Kari Brandenburg and the recent allegations of witness intimidation and bribery. The D.A. is claiming that she has “never at any time violated the law.” Yet the APD report states that “there was probable cause to believe Brandenburg had violated state laws against witness bribery and intimidation in connection with alleged thefts of thousands of dollars worth of property by her 26 year old son.”

Wait a minute… did they say probable cause? In a record statement from 2012, D.A. Brandenburg states that probable cause is the requirement to present a case to a Grand Jury for indictment. Therefore, according to D.A. Brandenburg, it appears that this case should be presented to a Grand Jury to decide whether or not the D.A. should be indicted.

That being said, the reality is that she will probably never be put into that position. Why? This country and its People are governed by 2 sets of laws. One is for the elite class (politicians, corporations, and other “important” or rich individuals). This set of laws is loose and works in their favor. They are immune from the “regular” set of laws. The “regular” set of laws applies to everybody else and gets worse depending upon economic status or the color of a person’s skin.

This is a major problem in our society. In With Liberty and Justice for Some by Glenn Greenwald, the problem is explained:

“When the law is wielded only against the powerless, it ceases to be a safeguard against injustice and becomes the primary tool of oppression.”

D.A. Brandenburg is in an elected office that is expected to be tough on criminals. She is amongst the elite and expects that the system grant her immunity. She believes that she is above the law. Let any of us have a criminal investigation that yields probable cause. Do you think that she would just take our word that we were innocent? HELL NO! She would throw the book at us.

There is evidence that she intimated witnesses and bribed them. Who fucking cares what her story is. She can claim innocence, but needs to do it in a court of law. Mr. Greenwald also states “Courtrooms, indictments, and prisons are there for ordinary Americans, not for the ruling classes…” I guess that the D.A. believes that she is part of the ruling class.

Judge Diane Wood, of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals said “there is no one in society governed by law who is above the law or immune from some form of legal constraint.” Somebody may want to let D.A. Brandenburg in on this tidbit if information.

Lady_Justice_Detail_1

 WHAT IF D.A. BRANDENBURG ACTUALLY GOES BEFORE A GRAND JURY?

So what if she does stand before a Grand Jury? Will the office that she runs indict her? Does anybody think that the Great Oz will pull back the curtains and stand before the citizens of Emerald City? If police officers are immune from the system, why the hell would a D.A. be subject to it?

We must remember that D.A. Brandenburg believes that the Grand Jury is flawless and indicts the correct criminals. She even believes that police officers are indicted at a fair rate. In the recorded statement from 2012, she proudly proclaims that her office has data that over the last 40 years, 1 out of every 500 police officers involved in a shooting have been indicted and NONE of them were acquitted (and she brags that police have a broad range to use deadly force).

I am not quite sure where she gets this data. Most police departments do not release this type of information (and are not required to provide this information to any government agency). A New York Daily News Report used outside agencies to determine that on-duty NYPD officers have killed 179 people since 1999 (27% were unarmed; 86% were Black or Hispanic). Only 3 of these cases led to an indictment of a police officer and only one of those led to a conviction (the officer was sentenced to 5 years of probation and 500 hours of community service).

Considering recent incidents involving the failure of the Grand Jury and over whelming statistical evidence that the elite are immune from the system, maybe D.A. Brandenburg should rethink her faith in the system?

In reality, she knows that the system is corrupt and that she will never be indicted for her crimes. She IS the system. This is an excerpt from an article written by a group of Public Defenders:

“There is no system of checks and balances when a D.A. is tasked with prosecuting a colleague.”

It is just a fact that the D.A.’s Office is not going to indict the D.A. They are colleagues. D.A. Brandenburg knows that and can proudly proclaim her belief in that system. She, and many of her colleagues are immune from the “regular” set of laws that are for ordinary Americans, especially those with darker skin.

CONCLUSION

The Public Defenders go on to explain “Nearly every public defender will tell you that cases with much less evidence are indicted in a matter of minutes. The typical indictment will [only] require the testimony of one or two witnesses…”

D.A. Brandenburg’s case has an investigative report that supports probable cause and there are witnesses available. How can that not be enough?

One of D.A. Brandenburg’s goals is to “increase the [D.A.] office’s effectiveness in prosecuting those who violate our laws…” Maybe she should put an asterisk next to it that says “this only applies to poor people and people of color. The rest of us get to do whatever the fuck we feel like.”

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The Daily Loco is 1 year old today!

December 8, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Martinez guns

(***I had originally intended to post this for an article concerning campaign contributions during the elections. I thought that it was funny and wanted to make sure it made it on here at some point***)

Burque’s Daily Loco has officially turned 1 year old today. I would like to thank all of my readers for coming back and reading my work. I really enjoy putting the info together and sharing some of my weirdness (in the form of pictures, cartoons and animation). I believe that informing the public of what is really going on is a powerful weapon. I will continue to post and hope that you keep coming back. Thank you for everything!

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