By: Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez
Upon arrival recently from Mexico City, after inspecting my passport, a U.S. immigration official at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport instructed me to “Please go to door number 2.”

When the same thing first happened to me at DFW several years ago, I replied: “Did I win a prize?”

This time, it was on the same day that Bollywood Superstar, Shah Rukh Khan was detained at Newark’s Liberty International Airport. Officially, Kahn was “not detained” for 66 minutes. His papers were simply checked and luggage misplaced.

Using that criteria, I have been further screened, but “not detained” more than a dozen times since 9-11 of 2001.

Both times that I was “not detained” at DFW – the wait at the secondary inspection lasted a half hour. The officials were not rude, though I almost missed my flights home.

Might these be incidents of racial profiling?

Admittedly, I am a brown man – who knows first hand the meaning of driving while brown (My encounters with law enforcement as a youngster and a young adult number in the many dozens). People of color have always known this reality. Red-Brown people in particular also have known the meaning of this when encountering immigration authorities not just at ports of entry, but also at internal checkpoints. I’ve long dubbed the work of the migra as “Indian Removal” – because that’s precisely who they profile – not people who look “Hispanic,” but rather, people who are red-brown. However, since 9-11 – the entire nation has gone wild[er], thus the fear-inspired: Department of Homeland Security. It is this same fear that prevents president Obama from defanging Arizona’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio – the face of racial profiling. That same fear permits programs such as Operation Streamline – a Federal Kangaroo Court in Tucson in which 70-80 Mexican or Central American people are tried, convicted and sentenced in court daily – all in one hour. Either they are instantly deported or sent to a private detention center.

Yet, what is happening at airports nowadays continues to be equally ominous. In my case, someone with my name is on a watch list. After the first time this happened, I was told that the person they are looking for is from South America – and about 20 years younger. After they ascertained that I was not him, they released me.

On at least several other occasions at DFW, without sending me to secondary, U.S. officials have raised the issue of me being on their lists. Once it was a rude encounter, treating me as though I should be thankful that I am permitted to fly U.S. skies.

What’s disconcerting is that despite U.S. officials knowing full well that I am not the person they are looking for – I remain on their watch list – or treated as such. This time, the official told me: “You’ve gone through this before, haven’t you?”

“Yes. This happened to me here at DFW several years ago.”

If they know this, not explained is why they continue with their intrusive behavior. Outdated computers? At the same time, what do South American countries have to do with America’s “War on Terror” and how did someone with a name like Rodriguez get on that list? The myth continues to be perpetrated – by the likes of CNN’s Lou Dobbs — that peoples from the south have something to do with this so-called war.

The vast majority of Arabs, South Asians and Muslims don’t have anything to do with this war either, but that seems to matter little for media types and government officials who apparently believe that all these mostly red-brown peoples “fit the profile.”

By the way, if you would like to know what’s behind door number 2, you guessed it: people of color.

It is clear that we now have a big brother apparatus unable and unwilling to purge its massive lists of innocent individuals.

Truthfully, it’s the whole notion of a Homeland – conjured up by the Bush-Cheney administration, which has permitted these violating intrusions to be viewed as routine. It is this environment, since 9-11, where and when I have found myself constantly “not detained” at airports nationwide. One time, I unnecessarily missed a flight. Other times – even before 9-11 – I was detained at the Hollywood-Burbank airport (while picking up a passenger), while another time my car was dismantled at an internal checkpoint in New Mexico.

With President Obama in office, this was supposed to change. Instead, we continue to move towards a Lou Dobbs vision of the world or the Arpaio-ization of the nation – a nation free of red-brown peoples.

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Reference: Indian Removal Act — The Removal Act paved the way for the reluctant–and often forcible–emigration of tens of thousands of American Indians to the West, away from the rabidly racist south.
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•    Rodriguez can be reached at: XColumn@gmail.com or PO BOX 85476 – Tucson, AZ 85754

•    NEW AMERICA MEDIA COLUMNS — http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/

•    ARCHIVED COLUMN OF THE AMERICAS — http://web.mac.com/columnoftheamericas/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html
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   [ Bob Herbert ]
Writes BOB HERBERT: You can yell at a cop in America. This is not Iran. And if some people don’t like what you’re saying, too bad. You can even be wrong in what you are saying. There is no law against that.

It is not an offense for which you are supposed to be arrested.

It was the police officer, Sergeant Crowley, who did something wrong in this instance. He arrested a man who had already demonstrated to the officer’s satisfaction that he was in his own home and had been minding his own business, bothering no one.

Sergeant Crowley arrested Professor Gates and had him paraded off to jail for no good reason, and that brings us to the most important lesson to be drawn from this case.

Black people are constantly being stopped, searched, harassed, publicly humiliated, assaulted, arrested and sometimes killed by police officers in this country for no good reason. The overwhelming majority of those stopped are black or Latino, and the overwhelming majority are innocent of any wrongdoing.

A true “teachable moment” would focus a spotlight on such outrages and the urgent need to stop them [ READ MORE ]

References:

1. Cold Beer and Cold Comfort for Rights: The president missed an opportunity to teach an important lesson to Americans. “Unwarranted arrests are the bane of people and communities without clout. Obama and Gates know it. Beer and smiles all around won’t make that fact go away. Neither will the continued abuse of “disorderly conduct” laws.” “But this I know: Henry ‘Skip’ Gates is well positioned to take a public stance against the police practice of arresting people for exercising their constitutional rights. It happened in his case. It happens far too often in this country, especially to the poor, the politically unpopular and people too financially weak to stand up for themselves. And it is a practice that cries out for correction.” — Colbert I. King, Washington Post. [ READ MORE ]

2. Washington Post Joins the Mainstream Media in Embracing the Hate, Ripping on Obama and Clinton — Media bigs seem to have reached the conclusion that hatred sells, so they’re embracing their inner sexists and inner racists. [ READ MORE ]

‘Beer Summit’ The Right Move?

Beer-plomacy?

The Post – ‘Beer Summit Report’

What Will Come Out of The ‘Beer Summit’?

The Power of Brew-Plomacy

Comedian Bill Maher Discusses Palin, Healthcare and Gates’ Arrest

Reference: Small Beer, Big Hangover: America has not transcended race. America is not postracial — Whites are expected to be a minority by 2042, and beer won’t cool the fury of those Americans who can’t accept the changing racial profile.

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Lawrence O’Donnell, Jr. wrote a lovely opinion piece for Time.com. here are excerpts:

There is no crime described in Crowley’s official version of the way Gates behaved. Crowley says explicitly that he arrested Gates for yelling. Nothing else, not a single threatening movement, just yelling. On the steps of his own home. Yelling is not a crime. Yelling does not meet the definition of disorderly conduct in Massachusetts. Not a single shouted word or action that Crowley has attributed to Gates amounts to disorderly conduct. That is why the charges had to be dropped.

In classically phony police talk, Crowley refers to “[Gates'] continued tumultuous behavior.” When cops write that way, you know they have nothing. What is tumultuous behavior? Here’s what it isn’t: he brandished a knife in a threatening manner, he punched and kicked, he clenched his fist in a threatening manner, he threw a wrench or, in the Gates house, maybe a book. If the subject does any of those things, cops always write it out with precision. When they’ve got nothing, they use phrases that mean nothing. Phrases like tumultuous behavior.

[ READ FULL ARTICLE HERE]

Bill Maher Discusses Palin, Gates, Capitalism and America

…and here are the incident report, written in “High School English” — Most cops are academic midgets anyway.

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Lawrence O’Donnell hit the nail on head!

As I mentioned in a previous post, this was a case a STUPID cop (I wonder what the heck this moron was teaching in his anti-racial profiling class) flexing his muscles — to teach an UPPITY and HIGHLY EDUCATED NIGGER A LESSON!

Mr. O’Donnell, Jr. is an MSNBC Political Analyst and the author of Deadly Force: The Wrongful Death of James Bouden Jr.: A True Story of How a Badge Can Become a License to Kill.

Debate Videos

Racism is Still Alive, and it Hurts!

Rush Limbaugh’s Take on The Cop Fiasco:

“We learned last night that he did, President Obama did listen to Reverend Wright all those years,” Limbaugh said in a Fox News interview, referring to Obama’s controversial former pastor. “He’s angry at this country, he’s not proud of it.”

“Let’s face it, President Obama is black and I think he’s got a chip on his shoulder,” Limbaugh continued.

Rush Limbaugh: I get high ratings from “being positive,” “inspiring and motivational.“

What an asshole! This sickening BLOB of PUSS really does think he is positive! LOL! [ READ MORE HERE ]

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   [ Tough Cop - James Crowley ] [ Enlarge ]
Yesterday after I wrote about the arrest and humiliation of black Harvard scholar, Henry Louis Gates Jr., a hefty chunk of my Twitter followers dis-appeared into thin air …poof! Given that my twitter account is less than two months old, I remain with just but a handful of followers.

Well, good riddance, and I wonder why you didn’t leave earlier, for most of my postings are No BULL! In fact some Rush Limbaugh enthusiasts have called me a racist by way of viciously worded emails — classic cases of the “pot calling the kettle black.”

Republicans Ahoy!

When asked by a reporter to respond to president Obama’s comments, the first words out of Sgt. James Crowley’s mouth was: “I didn’t vote for him.”

If he didn’t vote for Obama, and he is proud of it “Joe The Plumber” style, then I am compelled to assume that this thug is a Republican.

With no shame the cop James added: “I support the president of the United States 110-percent.” Typical Republican hypocrisy!

“I didn’t vote for him” is a coded message to his fellow TEA-BAGGERS: I just humiliated a “frail nigger,” and I’d like all of you to know that I am one of you!,….and I need your support.

Judging by the rapidity with which my twitter followers deserted me, Sgt. James Crowley must be getting a flood of sympathy internet wide. Hey, the man just “disciplined” an “uppity nigger.”

I have a hunch this policeman knew who the professor is, and like all rogue white cops, decided to put a “nigger” in his rightful place — in JAIL!

President Obama’s comments shattered a “white delusion” following his election last year — that there is NO MORE RACISM in America …….LOL! Conversely, I think Obama’s election awakened the ugliest racism in this country since the 1960’s. Ask Lou Dobbs.

The President himself has experienced racism, and he outlined this very clearly in his book: “The Audacity of Hope,” therefore his reaction should not surprise anyone. Every single black man WILL react similarly or worse — including ReTHUGliTOMS like Justice Clarence Thomas, RNC mascot Michael Steele and even confused bum, Alan Keyes.

The black man in America, and for that matter in all the lands colonized and/or stolen by Europeans, has suffered savage humiliation for hundreds of years. We are like dogs that have been beaten and whipped for years. Our manhood has been trampled on, we have been shot and killed randomly, we have been savagely NOOSED and dragged behind “Confederate” pickup trucks, an unarmed Amadu Diallo was shot 41 times on false suspicion of being a serial rapist, Abna Louima had a plunger rammed into his rectum by white New York policemen, our women have been raped and sodomized by white men for hundreds of years, we have been lynched mercilessly in America, South Africa, Australia,……we are scared, we feel terrorized, it is in our DNA, and therefore any “threatening moves” by any white man will elicit a sharp “defensive” reaction, hence the professors yelling and insults.

It disgusts me that bloggers are running around the Internet “screaming niceties” about this cop: “He was the police officer who tried to save the life of former Boston Celtics player Reggie Lewis, a black man!” ….”he has taught a class on racial profiling for five years at the Lowell Police Academy.”

Hogwash!

This “punkified” logic is as deluded as the thought that with the election of Barack Obama as president, RACISM ended!. Some of the worst bigots and racists in this country preach and teach JESUS!

I say, Obama’s election has exploded racism, and there is plenty of evidence in this blog.

Start with Sarah Palin, then graduate to hard core Limbaugh …..and keep reading, …..America is stinking with racism from top to bottom!

YES WE KLAN!

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   Columnist – John Sammon
Here are nine things you can do if you’re black to avoid frivolous arrest in your own home by white police officers. Of course, the recent arrest of a Massachusetts black scholar by officers who thought he was trying to break into his own house is instructive.

The police maintain he deserved it because he (the scholar) got angry and was disrespectful.

Now, given this country’s past history of slavery and lynching, and no blacks allowed at this lunch counter until just fifty years ago, and no black golfer until Tiger Woods.

Who you gonna believe? Naturally, the white police officer.

Besides, the police always have their own secret internal investigatory body that unless the officer murders you in cold blood before 100 witnesses, always makes the finding that the officer is always in the right.

Anyway, if you’re black, and police officers invade your home to arrest you for something you didn’t do, and you prove to them on the spot that you didn’t do it. Here’s what you do.

1.   Act meek. Very meek. You can practice acting meek by standing in front of a mirror and rehearsing. Remember, even though the officer in your face heads up a “racial profiling” course at the department doesn’t mean he doesn’t still consider you a nigger. Say things to him like “Yow-ser boss. Yow-ser. I’z a comin’ Boss. I’z a comin!”

2.   Shuffle when you walk like the late actor Stepinfetchit. You need to display that even though you’re a college PHD, you’re still a lazy, shiftless no-account darkie.

3.   In fact, you need to come across as either a happy, carefree coon, or sad, one of these soulful, Uncle Remus types who sing spiritual ballads. Sing to the officer, “old man river, that old man river.” You might even get down on one knee and sing like in a minstrel show.

4.   Another good one is, “nobody knows, da’ trouble I seen, nobody knows my sorrow.” Remember, many whites in this country who maintain they are not racist, they don’t burn crosses on your lawn, but they still believe most blacks are mostly inferior criminally-prone sports figures and performers.

5.   The above is called subtle racism. It replaced the older overt racism of the noose and the burning cross. In other words, I like blacks fine, I’m not racist, I just don’t want one to move next door to me, or to marry my daughter.

6.   Eat watermelon. Ask the officer if he would let you have some watermelon before carting you off to jail because he thinks you acted angry like an uppity nigger. This may get you released from jail from the groundless charges against you an hour earlier than your normal six hour stay.

7.   Look wide-eyed, and scared. All the black comic token performers of the old movies shook with fear and had wide eyes. Any questioning of the officer about his rights to do what he is doing to you, or challenges to his authority by questioning, or anger, or confidence, can be construed as disrespect, from an uppity nigger.

8.   Never, never, never never, whether you’re black or white, tell the officer that you’re a tax paying citizen who makes his (officer’s) salary possible. Even though this statement is true, nothing infuriates police more. First of all, they hear this whining statement constantly from indignant civilians. Secondly, it pisses him off that you’re hinting that in some way he’s accountable to you. He isn’t. What’s more, he risks his life to protect you from harm. He’ll tell you that.

9.   Praise John Wayne. Tell the officer he looks like John Wayne. Few officers are ultra-liberals.

10.   If the above fails, get a good lawyer from the ACLU and sue the department.

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