Monthly Archives: December 2011

Many people were shocked over the extreme response of the Chapel Hill police to a group of peaceful protestors who were camped out in an abandoned building.   This is especially surprising because this small and sleepy college town has a lot of experience with huge crowds of wild and crazy young people.  I live in the “twin town” of Carrboro which is one of the most hip and relaxed places around.   This incident is a very bad reflection of the democratic process and fairness for which our community has been known.  This could have been much worse if one of the nervous young cops had shot someone.  This shows how it really is time to reign in the police state before it takes hold!!   As Jeff Bridges maintained in The Big Lebowski “This aggression must not stand, man!”  Why are they carrying such deadly weapons?

I was surprised and saddened after hearing about this incident on Countdown with Keith Olberman (now on Current TV.)  Chapel Hill is the last place where police would ever confront the kind of aggressive violence they were dressed up and ready for.  They are able to deal with huge crowds of drunk revelers on Halloween and whenever UNC-Chapel Hill wins a national championship.  Clearly someone up the chain of command (ultimately the mayor) screwed up badly when they estimated the extent of threat that this rag-tag group of protestors represented.  The absentee landlord is the real social deviant who should be taken to task for blighting Franklin Street for a decade.  Fortunately, former US Senate candidate Jim Neal delivered a detailed list of questions that Chapel Hill authorities need to have answered by an independent commission.  Click below to learn all the details.

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