Should DWI Checkpoints Be Allowed in New Mexico?

July 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment

The New Mexico Court of Appeals recently ruled that police sobriety (DWI) checkpoints are constitutional as long as the police “try” to publicize it. They keyword here is “try.”

In 2013, the New Mexico State Police sent a notice of their DWI checkpoint to a nonworking email address at a small radio station. Obviously the “notice” was never publicized.

According to the Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque police DWI Sgt. Kyle Curtis said in a statement, “What the media does with the press release and or the media release is out of our hands.”

That statement is just ridiculous. The New Mexico State Police (and other Departments) know what they are doing. The Court of Appeals ruling will allow Departments to “try” and publicize notice in the most obscure ways possible.

I am not condoning Driving While Intoxicated in New Mexico. I cannot and will not condone drunk driving. DWI has destroyed far too many lives. If you must drink, have a designated driver or call an Uber to pick you up.

On the other hand, I cannot and will not condone illegal search and seizure. The Police are public servants and should be required to make a reasonable attempt to uphold the constitution. There should be a reasonableness test required when attempting to “publicize” the sobriety checkpoints. That seems like a fair requirement for Police Departments.

In the end, it may not matter one-way or the other because the Court ruled, “a lack of advance publicity, without more, is simply not sufficient to find that a DWI checkpoint constitutes an illegal seizure.”

I guess we will have to wait and see if the New Mexico Supreme Court decides to hear the case. What do you think about this case or DWI checkpoints in general?

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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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Why is My Little Girl Afraid of the APD?

August 15, 2014 by Leave a Comment

vigil

Dear Readers,

My heart is torn to pieces. Tonight I attended the candlelight vigil held in solidarity for the brave people standing up against police brutality & racism in Ferguson, Missouri. I had planned on writing a post about the event to make sure that it was accurately recorded for the future.

BUT…

I experienced something very painful and heartbreaking. After listening to Jonathan Mitchell’s father discuss the pain of losing his child, I looked at my daughter with wonder. I could not imagine losing her.

cops

After he spoke, my daughter ran down from the steps and sprinted towards me with a look of complete terror in her eyes. My wife and I were stunned and did not know what was happening.

She ran in between my wife and I and looked up at us with tears in her eyes. We asked her what was wrong. She said:

“The police are here and they have ambulances with them! Are they going to hurt us?”

I didn’t know what to say. I attempted to reassure her that we would be fine and that we had a right to be there. I said that she should never be intimidated by the police or anybody else. I told her that I would not take her somewhere dangerous.

She seemed to calm down and went back to playing and participating in some of the chants.

undercover cop

As we left the vigil, we noticed somebody standing outside of a car parked near ours on the corner of Roma & 5th. He was a dark haired gentleman with a goatee. He had a badge on his belt and was taking pictures of the vigil from afar.

My daughter noticed him and asked why the police wanted to take pictures of everybody. What do I say to that? It is just so difficult to give her answers that make sense.

While the police in Ferguson attack innocent people, the APD attempts to intimidate us. How do you tell your little girl that she should feel safe? Isn’t that what a daddy is supposed to say?

candlelight wall

I cannot live in a world where we must fear those who are hired to protect & serve us. My daughter and everybody else deserves to live without fear. I stand in solidarity with Ferguson.

As the speakers at tonights vigil said, we cannot allow the momentum to fizzle away. We need to be loud and strong. Our children need a better future. That is our right! Stand up and fight back!

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4 Reasons NOT to Vote for Susana Martinez

August 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Gov Martinez

It is time to wake up New Mexico! Why does one of the most corrupt governors in the entire country have a chance in hell to be re-elected? This is a politician who switched her party affiliation in the mid 1990’s because a few millionaires convinced her to be the poster-child of the “new” Hispanic-friendly republican party. She is a puppet for the GOP and must be stopped before she completely destroys the Land of Enchantment. Here are 4 reasons to fear her re-election:

1. She believes that anybody who has an accent is a “retard”

Secret recordings of a conversation between Governor Martinez and one of her aides referred to former Speaker Ben Lujan as “a retard” when he speaks English.

Now, she argues that she did not make the “retard” comment, but she did not say anything about it. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said:

“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty of the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people.”

A true leader would have said something and defended those who speak with an accent and forbid the use of the word “retard” in her administration. Her grandparents were immigrants from Mexico who had an accent. She didn’t even stand up for them.

2. Her war against behavioral health providers is dangerous and corrupt

Governor Martinez’s administration hired a firm to perform a medicaid audit on 15 non-profit behavioral health providers. Based on a faulty report and statistical extrapolation, her administration permanently shut down the 15 providers and hired a company from Arizona to take over.

Now… During the July 2014 LHHS Behavioral Sub-Committee meeting, State Auditor Hector Balderas said that the actions of the Administration would be similar to taking over a University based on alleged fraud, firing everybody before they could respond, and hiring an out-of-state university to take over.

The behavioral health scenario could be an entire series of articles. But the reality is that the Arizona companies that took over are not prepared to work with the community. A rash of mentally ill homeless individuals have had encounters with the APD since the take-over happened. Governor Martinez is to blame for this because the patients are not getting adequate care.

hunger

3. Governor Martinez has declared war on the poor

Staying true to her “new” party beliefs, Governor Martinez has shown contempt for anybody below the middle-class. Her administration has recently declared that individuals on food stamps between the ages of 16-59 will be required to work at least 20 hours per week to be eligible for food stamps.

That is ridiculous. New Mexico is 48th in job growth in the country and has the highest food insecurity rate in the country. People will starve while they are looking for a job that does not exist.

4. Governor Martinez could care less if Veterans suffer

Although her Administration has made a few small steps towards recognizing some of the benefits of medical marijuana, she vowed in 2010 to repeal New Mexico’s medical marijuana law.

Medical marijuana is used to help patients deal with severe pain and trauma. The benefits are well documented and cannot be denied. The administration recently attempted to tighten the rules without public comment, but the people fought back.

If she gets re-elected, she will continue to make medical marijuana a part of her war on the less fortunate. Full legalization will not happen under her watch.

Fight Back!

These are just a few of the reasons why she cannot win re-election. Gary King must win! She hates undocumented immigrants, opposes same-sex marriage, carries a gun, and is a Koch Brother puppet. She bathes in Big Oil and is showered in money from out-of-state interests.

Governor Martinez switched parties because she was promised piles of money and support from the conservative right. She answers to the almighty dollar and will stop at nothing to accumulate it. She loves being in power and could care less about the people of New Mexico. She must be stopped!

 

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URGENT: Stop the APD/NRA Shooting Competition September 13-18

August 8, 2014 by 2 Comments

lawbanner

What do you get when you mix the Albuquerque Police Department, the NRA, and a city with the highest per capita police shooting rate in the country? You get the 2014 National Police Shooting Championship held in Albuquerque, New Mexico (September 13-18,2014). That’s right folks…New Mexico will host police officers from around the country and allow them to show off their shooting skills.

What a great idea! Let’s highlight police shooting in Albuquerque. On top of that, how about letting some of our famous shooters compete in the event. There is a rumor that APD Officer Sean Wallace will be representing our great city in this national competition.

Who’s Officer Sean Wallace? He is the shooter responsible for 3 shootings since 2010. One of those shootings included the killing of 22 year old Alan Gomez. Mr. Gomez was sentenced to death by Officer Wallace because he held a spoon in his hand. The killing of an unarmed man cost the City of Albuquerque $500,000.

The event boasts (link to document):

“Well once again its time for the National Police Shooting Championships and we invite you to join us for days of shooting challenges, lots of fun and a chance to meet fantastic law enforcement professionals from all over the United States and international shooting team members.”

Is Officer Wallace one of these “fantastic” law enforcement professionals that they speak of? Is practicing shooting supposed to be fun for cops? Sure, I get it… shooting is a sport and these professionals want to show off their skills. But is that really appropriate? Why doesn’t the law enforcement field highlight professionals who end conflicts without having to shoot somebody? How about an award for that? Well, I doubt the NRA, Smith & Wesson, or Beretta (competition sponsors) would really want that. They want bullets to fly and people to die. That’s how they make BIG money.

NPSC Photo

Since my idea of honoring nonviolent police officers will probably never happen, what should we do? Well, let’s begin by boycotting the hotels that are hosting the event. The host hotel is:

Fairfield Inn University, 1760 Menaul Blvd N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87102, (505) 889-4000

The event will also hold classes at:

Crowne Plaza Albuquerque, 1901 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102, (505) 884-2500

The actual competitions will be held at:

Shooting Range Park, 16001 Shooting Range Access NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120, (505)836-8785, tpohl@cabq.gov

Oh yeah, please do not worry about the safety of hotel guests. Although they are around trigger happy cops who like to play with guns, the competition has strict rules to protect the innocent people in the hotels. The host hotel info sheet says:

“An accidental discharge at the hotel or parking area or anywhere at the NPSC Range Facilities MAY result in the disqualification of a competitor…”

I am glad that they “MAY” be disqualified for an accidental discharge in the hotel. That should make everybody feel safe that there “MAY” be some consequence for firing a gun near innocent people.

All joking aside, we must do something to show the APD, NRA, and elected officials that this type of event is unacceptable in Albuquerque, in New Mexico, and in the United States. The “shoot first” militarized mentality of our law enforcement professionals needs to change. They are here to serve and protect… not shoot and murder.

Call, write, email, protest, and make your voice heard around the world. This is a disgusting competition that highlights everything that is wrong in law enforcement.

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Remember the 1980 New Mexico State Penitentiary Riots

August 6, 2014 by Leave a Comment

I am a major believer in the quote, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I am posting a documentary about the 1980 New Mexico State Penitentiary Riots. Take some time to watch it if you can.

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Why Does UNM Love Drunk Drivers and Money?

August 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment

c01_jd_26jul_saavedra-120x120

Does the screwed up moral compass of UNM bother anybody else? UNM President Bob Frank was “saddened” when the UNM lobbyist, Marc Saavedra, who has endangered the lives of multiple people by getting behind the wheel of a car drunk, was arrested and charged with his 3rd DWI. On flip side, he believes that a faculty member, Prof. David Correia, who stands up for the rights of people facing abuse by the Albuquerque Police Department, is not in line with the high standards expected of UNM faculty.

What is wrong with this world? President Frank was so upset by Prof. Correia’s actions that he said the university will “monitor” the situation. Maybe he should have monitored the high paid lobbyist ($156,000 per year) who promised to seek help and quit drinking after his 2nd arrest in 2006. Maybe he should have monitored that same lobbyist after he ran away after he refused to pay $28 for a taxi ride for him and a lady friend.

So why would President Frank speak so highly about Marc Saavedra and be “truly sorry” to see him resign? Probably because he was effective at bringing in big money from the state legislature. UNM Regent Jamie Koch said that Saavedra would be “hard to replace” because he knew more about state finance and how the legislature works than anybody. I guess “high standards” are not expected of UNM lobbyists if they know how to get money for the university.

This situation highlights the degraded mission of higher education. A professor who walks the walk is frowned upon for being “radical” and not worthy of praise. That is because he does not bring in the money that Saavedra does. Prof. Correia gets news coverage that corporations and state legislators are afraid to associate with. Although he was doing something honorable and respectable, it threatened the money supply of the beast. On the other hand, drunk driving and stiffing a taxi driver out of $28 is acceptable as long as Saavedra keeps the money flowing.

In the end, Marc Saavedra resigned from his position while Prof. Correia received tenure. The outcomes were both exactly the way they should have been, but the fact remains that UNM has some really screwed up morals and is guided by greed.

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NM AG Gary King Protects Animals But Ignores Humans

April 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Horse Meat

Yesterday, New Mexico Attorney General Gary King gave a speech about horse slaughter at the University of New Mexico School of Law. Although horse slaughter was his main focus, he addressed another interesting issue that rarely gets attention. He spent time discussing his Animal Protection Task Force (APTF). The APTF is a wonderful idea to help animals, but I wondered why there isn’t a task force to help the under-represented and homeless population (humans) called the Human Protection Task Force.

The APTF is a group of volunteers who gather together to think of policies that will address certain issues pertaining to animals. AG King said that, contrary to popular belief, the APTF does not actively seek out animal cruelty. He stated that he “does not sit in his Machiavellian tower in Santa Fe and reach out to stomp on the civil rights of people with his APTF.” He acknowledged that the APTF has very little authority. They cannot go to local authorities and demand that they make a “bust”. The only authority that the APTF has is through smart drafting and policy making.

AG Gary King went on to say that he has “generated quite a bit of controversy as AG because he has attempted to enforce laws that have never been enforced.” He mentioned the horse doping laws that he has enforced.The AG also acknowledged that they are working on a proposal to make animal cruelty part of the Domestic Violence Act.

The APTF does an admirable job. It is fantastic that they give a voice to the voiceless. But what about the humans who cannot speak for themselves? What about creating a Human Protection Task Force (HPTF)? The HPTF could develop policies that would prevent human cruelty and neglect. The Task Force would seek to punish those who are charged with protecting, serving and caring for the people who neglect or abuse people. It would seek out people who are starving, sick, or homeless and develop policies to correct the problem.

The HPTF would  also look for instances in which people are abused or killed by the people in charge. The Task Force would hold those individuals accountable and demand a change. The HPTF would enforce laws and regulations that are currently in place, but ignored.(Like AG King claims to do for animals)

AG Gary King could prove that he is controversial and knows how to use the bully pulpit. He could demand that organizations like the APD comply with IPRA request for lapel camera videos. He could make sure that Police Chief’s do not ignore policy and use their position to secure a job after retirement. He could investigate why Taser Corp, which develops a cruel product that is used to abuse humans, received the largest contract ever from the City of Albuquerque and APD Chief Schultz.

There would be a lot of wonderful applications for a Human Protection Task Force. We could make abusing humans as appalling as abusing puppies. Every living creature, including humans, needs a voice. AG Gary King could be that voice for the People if he would just use his bully pulpit properly as he claims to do.

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