San Diego Free Press

Grassroots News & Progressive Views

We Already Know How to Reduce Police Racism and Violence

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Recent research has shown cities what works. For starters, hire more female police officers.

Kate Stringer / Yes! Magazine

After being pulled over for a busted taillight on July 6, Philando Castile informed a Minnesota police officer at his window that he owned a gun and had a license to carry it. As he reached for his license and registration, his girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter then watched as the police officer fired four shots into Castile’s body. He died in the driver’s seat.

Castile was one of 137 Black people in the United States killed by a police officer this year [as of July 8, 2016]. Another Black man, Alton Sterling, was killed by police in Louisiana the night before. On Thursday, seemingly in response, five police officers were killed and six were wounded when snipers interrupted a peaceful protest in Dallas on July 7. Amid the violence there have been forceful calls to city leaders to address police racism and brutality.   [Read more…]

Unity Day for Democrats – Will It Fly? (And How Far?)

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The primary elections wrapped up a month ago. The Democratic Party convention in Philadelphia is a couple of weeks in the future. But for all practical purposes, today is the day when the contest for the party’s nomination will draw to a close.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ joint rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire marks the start of the next phase of the political process for Democrats.

After campaigning with Sen. Elizabeth Warren and President Obama in recent days, this unity rally with Bernie Sanders completes Clinton’s version of the political holy trinity of the left.

This unity hasn’t come easily. Representatives of the Sanders and Clinton campaigns have been communicating daily. Above all, nobody supporting the insurgent democratic socialist wanted there to be any appearance of surrender.   [Read more…]

Policing Isn’t Working for Cops Either

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By Kazu Haga / Waging Nonviolence

“It’s okay mommy…. It’s okay, I’m right here with you…”

Those were the words of four-year-old Dae’Anna, consoling her mother Lavish Reynolds after she witnessed the police shoot and kill her boyfriend Philando Castile.

Those words are now scarred into the psyche of America, much like words that came before it: “Hands up, don’t shoot.” “I can’t breath.” “It’s not real.”   [Read more…]

Barrios Against STAdiums! to Protest Chargers Pro-Stadium Speakers

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On Friday, July 15 from 11:30am to 1pm the San Diego Chargers will be bringing their pro-East Village stadium campaign to Barrio Logan for the Family Health Center’s Spirit of the Barrio luncheon. B.A.STA!, Barrios Against STAdiums!, will be outside the event holding a silent protest with signs and banners opposing the Chargers efforts to build a stadium one block from Barrio Logan. A press conference will also take place.   [Read more…]

Protests Reveal American Angst About Racism

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Protests triggered by videos of fatal encounters of young Black men with police continued across the nation through the weekend. Memorials for the Dallas Police officers slain while protecting marchers were also scheduled nationwide.

The more grown up among us acknowledge that it was possible to reject violence against people for the color of their skin and the color of their uniforms. At the same time, it remains more important than ever to exercise first amendment rights in furtherance of ending the brutality of America’s legacy of racism.

Street demonstrations protesting police violence were held in New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Memphis, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Mineapolis, Salt Lake City, Denver, Phoenix, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and, yes, San Diego. In fact, you can search Google News for just about any large city with “BLM [city name] protest” and chances are you’ll find a story.   [Read more…]

2016 Summer Chronicles 4: Bush League Nation

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The Major League Baseball All-Star Game is in San Diego and despite the glaring lack of Padres on the team, many local and visiting fans will be taking in the pricey spectacle in all its corporate glory (confession: I will be there). With a huge Fan Fest, the Home Run Derby and the main event itself, San Diego will be baseball central for the week, at least on paper.

But if you really want to get to the heart of the game, I suggest you go bush league.

Forget the fancy packaging and head down to the minor leagues, the lower the better—and get as far away from the large cities as you can. It’s there on the California League circuit or in a forgotten small town in the Midwest or somewhere else in Lost America that you just might learn to love the game again.   [Read more…]

Anti-Parks Caucus Seeks to Remove Protections for Public Lands

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How Republicans Celebrate the National Park Service’s 100th Anniversary

By Susan Grigsby / Daily Kos

In 2015, the two million annual visitors to California’s Joshua Tree National Park spent almost $97 million in the surrounding communities. Those same visitors created 1,341 job,s which had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $128 million, according to an April 21, 2016 statement from the National Park Service. And still, knowing how much his constituents rely on the existence of a National Park within his congressional district, Republican Rep. Paul Cook has done everything within his power to hinder any growth of the Park Service, which will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in August.

Paul Cook is one of 20 Republican representatives and senators, known as the Anti-Parks Caucus, who actively work to sell off public lands to private parties for exploitation. The American Legislative Council (ALEC) has led the charge in western states, and broken ground for action on a federal level. Most of the members of the anti-parks caucus are members of the tea party, have been challenged by a tea party candidate, or are in uncompetitive districts where they have little to fear from their failure to represent their constituents.   [Read more…]

Looking Back at the Week: July 3-9

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By Brent E. Beltrán

This week’s edition of Looking Back at the Week features articles, commentaries, columns, and other work by San Diego Free Press regulars, irregulars, columnists, at-large contributors, and sourced writers on: the killer of homeless people, police killings in Louisiana & Minnesota, police deaths in Dallas – a horrible, horrible week – helping homeless during the All-Star game, Carlsbad, putting lipstick on the convadium pig, taking a trip to Baja, Surfrider’s half ton trash cleanup, failing deported veterans and lots of other inspiring (and, like this week, sometimes depressing), grassroots news & progressive views from San Diego’s friendly, neighborhood, all volunteer, slightly funky, community news site.   [Read more…]

Baseball, Pride, and Protests in America’s Finest Tourist Plantation

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Weekly Progressive Calendar: Upcoming in San Diego

It’s a busy time of year in San Diego. There’s All-Star Baseball, there’s homeless being bullied because of baseball, there’s a protest over the plans build a football stadium in the East Village there’s Pride Week and plenty more.

Get your event listed:  I try to list the next 10 days or so of mostly non-commercial events I think our readers might find of interest. I source my material from social media listings and press releases. In cases where there are competing but similar events or campaigns of the progressive persuasion, I do my best to list everything.
  [Read more…]

Grading on a Curve: Carlsbad’s Intersection Circumspection

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Carlsbad’s elected officials took the city’s vision of “a small town feel and beach community character” and twisted it into a developer-friendly General Plan. Fortunately, their questionable integrity and patronizing “we know best” attitude are not reflected in the leadership and staff of Carlsbad’s talented, courteous and responsive city employees.

The 2009 public opinion survey that led to the development of the city’s Community Vision produced statistically sound results. But Mayor Hall and his council colleagues used them to justify land use changes allowing shopping centers and multi-use commercial/residential housing near the beach and lagoon.   [Read more…]

Geo-Poetic Spaces: Development

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A sign is posted
mountains vanish into clouds
billowing houses
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A Horrible Day for Police (and Everyone) In Dallas

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“We are not going to let a coward who would ambush police officers change our democracy”

Five Dallas law enforcement officers were killed, and seven officers along with two civilians were wounded Thursday evening by a lone gunman, now identified as Micah X Johnson.

The assailant opened fire on police in downtown at the conclusion of an otherwise peaceful protest organized in response to videos released in recent days depicting Black men being killed by law enforcement.

Ironies abound amid the tragedy in Dallas, starting with the police department’s shift towards community-oriented policing, resulting in excessive force complaints against the Dallas Police Department dropping by 64% between 2009 and 2014.   [Read more…]

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