JUST WANTED TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU...


"A MAN WHO WONT DIE FOR SOMETHING IS NOT FIT TO LIVE."
MLK.

"WE MUST ACCEPT FINITE DISAPOINTMENTS, BUT WE MUST NEVER LOOSE INFINITE HOPE."
MLK.

"AN INDIVIDUAL HAS NOT STARTED LIVING UNTIL HE CAN RISE ABOVE THE NARROW CONFINES OF HIS INDIVIDUALISTIC CONCERNS TO THE BROADER CONCERNS OF ALL HUMANITY."
MLK


"EVERY MAN MUST DECIDE WHETHER HE WILL WALK IN THE LIGHT OF CREATIVE ALTRUISM OR THE DARKNESS OF DESTRUCTIVE SELFISHNESS.  THIS IS THE JUDGMENT.  LIFE'S MOST PERSISTENT AND URGENT QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR OTHERS?"
MLK.


HOPE THIS INSPIRES YOU IN SOME WAY... BLESSINGS AND LOVE...

ATIBA AND FAMILY....

HERE'S THE FOOTAGE.....

(CNN) -- Hundreds of citizens and community leaders packed into the Bay Area Rapid Transit board room and two overflow rooms Thursday, demanding the group take responsibility for a subway officer's shooting that left a young man dead.

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The BART board of directors meeting started with a moment of silence for Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old father who was killed on New Year's Day in a crowded train station, but it quickly turned into a parade of angry speeches by elected officials, activists and outraged citizens.

For nearly six hours, according to local media, about 60 people addressed the board.

The public asked the BART directors, and they agreed, to set up a committee to review procedures. They also discussed the possibility of creating a civilian review board.

Inside the room, people clutched Grant's photo. Some held signs against police brutality. A couple of times citizens chanted loudly and pumped their fists in the air.

Grant's mother, Wanda Johnson, dressed in a shirt with her son's face and the words "RIP Oscar," held a news conference Thursday afternoon at the family attorney's office to plead with the public to stop the rioting breaking out in response to the shooting, according to CNN affiliate KTVU-TV.

"I am begging the citizens not to use violent tactics, not to be angry," an emotional Johnson said at the news conference. "I know it's a very frustrating time, but Oscar would not want to see all the violence that's going on. He would not want to see the fires, he would not want to see this."

"You're hurting people who have nothing to do with the situation. You're vandalizing their property, hurting their cars and breaking their windows. Please just stop it, please."

Johnson wiped tears from her eyes as her son's friends also pleaded for calm.

.. ..

At the news conference, the Grant family attorney, John Burris, said he understood the frustration that African-Americans, especially those who are young, were feeling. Noting the case of Sean Bell, Burris asked the community to not take away from the tragedy by creating more violence.

"That's not what Oscar stood for, that's not the life he led, so don't mar the image of Oscar. He was trying to be a peacemaker on that tape," Burris said referring to a recorded video of Grant's shooting.

Footage from KTVU showed demonstrators rampaging through the streets of Oakland, California, on Wednesday protesting Grant's death.

The Oakland Police Department made 105 arrests, including a mass arrest of about 80 people at 11 p.m., said Officer Jeff Thomason. The charges include inciting a riot, vandalism, assault on a police officer and unlawful assembly, he said.

One officer was injured, but not seriously, Thomason said.

Some protesters lay on their stomachs, saying they were showing solidarity with Grant, who was shot in the back as he was face-down on the floor at a train station. Watch angry protesters in Oakland »

Several witnesses caught the incident on camera, and there have been numerous demonstrations this week. The protests turned violent Wednesday night after Grant's funeral and following an announcement by authorities that Officer Johannes Mehserle, who is implicated in the shooting, had turned in his resignation.

Videos from witnesses show Mehserle shoot Grant in the back as another BART officer kneels on Grant. A BART spokesman has said there is more to the story than what can be seen on the grainy images. Watch the events preceding the shooting »

Oakland police tried to keep protesters at bay Wednesday night as they smashed car windshields and storefront windows. KTVU footage shows one protester jumping up and down on a police car hood, while another demonstrator pushes a flaming Dumpster up against it.

"We live a life of fear, and we want them to be afraid tonight," an unnamed female protester said. iReport.com: BART protests turn violent

The protests began peacefully about 3:30 p.m. with about 500 people gathering at the Fruitvale station, where the shooting occurred last week, Thomason said.

Soon, a group of about 150 protesters surrounded a police officer. Fearing for his safety, Thomason said, "the decision was made to use chemical agents to protect that police officer."

The crowd calmed down, but then a contingent of protesters turned violent again, smashing windows and setting cars on fire, he said. Police tried to disperse the crowd and warned five times that anyone who didn't leave would be arrested.

At about 8:30 p.m., police started making arrests. One person was arrested after carrying a firearm; another faces charges of possessing suspected crack cocaine, Thomason said.

The crowd finally dispersed about 11 p.m. after police hemmed in a crowd of rowdy protesters at the downtown intersection of 20th Street and Broadway. There, police cuffed 80 protesters, Thomason said.

"If people want to peacefully protest, we're all for that," he said. "If it's peaceful, we're all for it. We're not going to stand in the way of people saying what they want to say."

This was not the case Wednesday night, Thomason said, warning that police would be out in force again Thursday night to make sure any protests remain orderly.

David Chai, chief of staff for Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, said Dellums was "out and about" in the streets Wednesday, urging protesters to exercise their frustration productively. Dellums also announced that the Oakland Police Department was conducting its own investigation into the matter.

"The mayor's involvement was essentially to try to calm everybody down," Chai said. "He obviously expressed some frustration with the process."

He said Oakland residents also were "rightfully" frustrated that the investigation has gone on for a week with little development.

Thomason said Oakland police will either work alongside BART in its investigation or take the probe over, but no decisions have been made.

BART spokesman Linton Johnson said Wednesday that Mehserle's attorney has advised his client not to speak to authorities. BART released a statement Wednesday saying the officer's attorney and a union representative had handed in his resignation letter.

Attorney Christopher Miller released a statement confirming his client's resignation, effective Wednesday.

"Officer Mehserle's resignation should allow BART to get back to the business of managing regional transportation and allow the Alameda County district attorney to take primary responsibility for reviewing this matter," the statement said.

Johnson told CNN on Wednesday that Mehserle had received death threats.

District Attorney Tom Orloff told CNN on Wednesday the incident is a "pretty clear" homicide, and his office will focus primarily on Mehserle's mental state before the shooting.

Burris is pushing Orloff to press criminal charges against Mehserle. Burris has also filed a $25 million claim with BART, alleging wrongful death. Read the claim (PDF)

"Without so much as flinching, the Officer Mehserle stood over Grant and mercilessly fired his weapon, mortally wounding Mr. Grant with a single gunshot wound to the back," the claim alleges.

BART has until late February to respond.

Burris said that the young men had been celebrating the new year at a popular waterfront tourist spot, The Embarcadero. They were heading home when police pulled them from the train car about 2 a.m.

Witness videos show Grant and two other men sitting against a wall in the Fruitvale station after being pulled off the train. BART reported that they had received a report of an altercation on the train.

Police are seen putting Grant face-down on the ground. Grant appears to struggle. One of the officers kneels on Grant as another officer stands, tugs at his gun, unholsters it and fires a shot into Grant's back.

There have been unconfirmed reports that Mehserle may have mistook his gun for a Taser, but Burris is not swayed.

"My view is, this is criminal conduct, period," he said.

.. ..

BART Police Chief Gary Gee released a statement this week expressing condolences for Grant's family and saying the authority is cooperating with Orloff's office.

A statement Wednesday said BART "will continue to seek and examine all available evidence and will continue its full cooperation with the ongoing independent investigation by the district attorney."

IMAGINE
By Malica Martin

Imagine growing up in a world where you are constantly reminded that another group of people were inferior to those you belonged to. Not because they are more educated, not because they have some greater God given talent, not even because they have better looks, but because their skin had a different pigment than your own. For centuries, your ancestors endured unthinkable torture in order to ensure a better existence for you. For years, you join in on the battle for freedom. How powerful would your people become now that you've broken down these walls of shame? How great would it be to see how your march for freedom allows your lineage to wake up without the same racial attacks and fears you endured? On the other hand, what if the majority of those to come did nothing with your fight? What if they claimed to care but showed no appreciation? You had greats like Dr. Martin Luther King to follow; just imagine the amazing individuals that would come about in the future generation now that you have broken the barriers for them. What if these amazing individuals you have helped to create never gain the respect and protection of their peers the way you protected your heroes? They never get the chance to blossom due to the fact that your children and your children's children would rather dwell in the negatives of the past instead of the positives. They would rather follow in the footsteps of those who spread negative, uneducated messages. Would it be their faults that they have fallen deeper into the slave mentality than the slaves themselves? Who will finally take the burden of creating a more united world off of your shoulders? Who would give you a glimpse of hope before you pass through the thresholds of the earth into the heavens?
Imagine. I was born in Brooklyn New York and raised in the battered streets of Duhaney Park in Kingston Jamaica. My grandmothers committed themselves to creating a brighter future for those they called their own. My grandparents found a way to make it out of "the streets" and take the neighborhood with them to their idea of paradise. Some call it the "land of freedom," my ancestors just called it "foreign." After years of blood, sweat and tears, my grandparents brought my parents to foreign which began a new cycle of battles. Imagine, my grandmother cleaned houses, cooked, and washed peoples clothes for pennies. Her employees showed her their appreciation by telling her that she could eat their scraps in the back after the company ate and left. This would bother most, but not my grandparents because to them, each penny they struggled to make was a major addition to the copper staircase that would lead their children to greater heights. However, with greater heights came greater challenges. When my parents came to the states, they had to work hard for simple privileges that most individuals today do not appreciate. They had to shed blood to go to the school of their choice, marched to eat in any restaurants or use any bathroom they pleased, and fought to not be told where to sit when they traveled on the community's public transportation. Even though they were men and women they were called boys and girls. No matter how successful they were in any aspect of their lives it was never good enough to society.
Imagine. The struggles of my forefathers allowed me to wake up in a world where I do not have to live my life being afraid that if I hold my head too high someone will be right there to knock it back down. A world where my parents have a little bit of weight taken off of their back every time they witness the benefits of their struggles through the accomplishments of their hardworking children. However, for every weight taken off their shoulders, another two weights are placed back on every time a news story is released about another Sean Bell, another Abner Louima, another Oscar Grant story brushed under the carpet, another of the many faceless victims' names added to the list as dusk meets dawn. Imagine the pain they feel when they look around and realize that their mission to create a united world is not over and the worst part is, the next generation has not found the motivation to come together and take on the responsibility to continue the fight for total freedom.
Imagine your culture being abused and tormented for so long, that when they finally have the opportunities their forefathers went to war for, they revert to the ignorant mentality, stereotypical roles and ideas that were being fought against in the first place. They are so focused on the struggles they were not even alive to be a part of, that before they know it their whole life passes by and their only accomplishment is blaming everyone but themselves. They want to live lavishly in the rewards of the battles of their grandmothers and grandfathers but they will call each other the same name that the evil in the world used to hold us back for centuries. It is ok to them though, because they believe we have the upper hand now. Imagine being engulfed in this ignorance, looking around and wondering why through all the death, the bloodshed, and the tears, they still do not get it.
Imagine growing up learning to live a lifestyle that you would eventually be condemned for having. In an environment where the major people you have to look up to as role models were individuals who called women that could be your mother or your sister, out of their name. Role models who were so hypnotized by the power of their fame and greed that they choose to follow the norm of their counterparts and spread shameful messages of hate and violence instead of uplifting their youth and showing them that being positive overpowers all negative. Role models who do not have an issue with spreading a negative message but will never take responsibility when their actions cause a negative reaction. Where do you turn? Who do you look to for help? How would you know that there are opportunities out there that could pull you out of a harmful lifestyle? How would you be able to recognize that although your father, brother, sister, and mother went down a certain path that same path may not necessarily be in your future? IMAGINE a world where your ancestors fought and died for you to have the freedom to speak even when you are not spoken to and when you look around at your peers you realize that the only way most of those you know have repaid them is by disgracing their battle for freedom.
Now imagine one man, one individual disproving every negative thought that society, including some in his own culture, held for centuries. One man who is able to bring back the fire that once glared in the eyes of those in search of hope back into the eyes of the current generation. A man who was able to shatter the idea that I could never be anything I wanted to be because of my color. One individual who let the world know that he would not be the man he is without the powerful women who stood behind him along the way. A man who made it acceptable to spread a positive message while gaining the respect of millions around the world with three words. "Yes we can!" Barack Obama, my new president, gave my forefathers a reason to finally rest their eyes and exhale. A reason to release all the anger and hostility they held inside because his accomplishment became their victory. If even for a second, he created euphoria where the weight of oppression was lifted off of an entire community. When he took a stand and became president the crash of shackles unlocking, breaking, and beating against the floor was heard around the world. Even those who were full of hate and were against the very idea of him possibly becoming president could not help but to shed tears the moment they heard, "Please welcome our new first family." Barack Obama gave me a reason to forgive. A reason to release the underlying hate I held in my heart every time I envisioned my ancestors being persecuted, hung, and murdered because they wanted to better themselves. He made all the moments where we did not get our just due, because we were who we were, less painful. President Obama created a rebirth. Like a cold glass of water on a hot summer day, Obama saturated this parched and desiccated culture I call my own with faith, optimism, and glory. The moment he became president the air became clear. There was an uncontrollable feeling of vindication, enthusiasm, and jubilation. The streets were filled with the spirits of the old days singing spirituals, dancing and celebrating the way only they could. IMAGINE, because of one man I no longer have to imagine. I thank President and First Lady Obama for risking their lives so that I could have a glimpse of hope for the future of my family, my son, and the generations to come. I pray that we as a whole can push through our own ignorance and the unawareness of others in order to continue the fight for change and to have the opportunity to say "YES WE DID" instead of "YES WE CAN."

"IF YOU'RE NOT OUTRAGED YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION!!!!!!!!!"




Oscar Grant was 22 and out partying with his friends on new years day. He was shot in the back while face down on the ground and another one had his knee on his neck.. the footage shows it all....
What a way to start the new year.... 25 million dollar lawsuit helps but it is just the beginning help... We have a black president, but real change still needs to happen....



A friend of Grant's who was with him on the crowed Oakland train station platform at the time of the shooting said that Grant pleaded with the officers not to harm him.
"Oscar yelled, 'You shot me!! I got a four year old daughter," said Fernando Anicete. "Oscar was telling us to calm down and we did. We weren't looking for any trouble...



QUESTION I'VE BEEN ASKING MYSELF IS WHY ISN'T THIS ALL OVER THE NEWS. THE NEWS SEEM SO PREOCCUPIED WITH A SUPPOSEDLY CORRUPT GOVT. OFFICIAL AND WHO WILL TAKE OBAMAS SEAT IN THE SENATE. OR REPORTING ON THE NEW 1/2 MILLION DOLLAR CHINA SET THAT LAURA BUSH BOUGHT FOR THE WHITE HOUSE.. WHAT KIND OF SHIT IS THIS.... MANY PEOPLE OF COLOR LIVE IN FEAR OF COPS. ITS NOT FAIR AT ALL. IT'S REALLY HARD TO ARTICULATE WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY BECAUSE I'M SO HURT AND AT THE SAME TIME EMPOWERED. I THINK ABOUT VISITING MY FRIENDS OR MY FATHER IN BROOKLYN AND DRIVING AROUND. THEY BEGGED ME TO STAY UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT FOR FEAR OF BEING PULLED OVER. NOT THAT THEY WERE INVOLVED IN ANY ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES. THEY JUST FELT THAT THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THEY COULD END UP SHOT OR WORSE... DEAD FOR DRIVING WHILE BEING BLACK... I RECALL MY FATHER TELLING ME THAT WHENEVER HE GETS PULLED OVER FOR THE SIMPLEST OF THINGS HE PUTS HIS HANDS ON THE DASHBOARD RIGHT AWAY TO AVOID AN "OSCAR GRANT" SITUATION FROM HAPPENING...

I FIGURED I WOULD POST THIS BLOG FOR ALL THE PEOPLE THAT VISIT MY MYSPACE PAGE... YOU SHOULD ALL COPY IT AND POST IT ON YOUR PAGES SO THAT THE WORD WILL SPREAD.. WE HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SPREADING THE NEWS THAT IS IMPORTANT... THIS IS WRONG AND WE SHOULD ALL BE HORRIFIED.. ALL I KEEP THINKING IS THAT "IT COULD HAVE BEEN ME!!!!!" OR ANY OF MY GOOD FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS.... LETS DO SOMETHING!!!!

HERE'S A NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDY THAT WAS POSTED TO FIND OUT ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO!!!!!!!

evanshamar@gmail.com 510 750 2767


RAW FOOTAGE AND CROWD RESPONSE




NEWS REPORT...




THE FAMILY....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNX6-og7pBo

WANT TO SAY WHATS UP TO MY CAYMAN FAMILY... MARSHA, D'ANGELO, JANA, SHAWNA, DEVONTE, CARLYLE AND ALICE... THE ENTIRE EBANKS CLAN.... D'ANGELO I'M SORRY I MISSED UR B-DAY LIKKLE MAN.. HOPE YOU HAD FUN AND GOT EVERYTHING YOU WANTED AND NEEDED. I TRIED CALLING YOU GUYS BUT I HAD THE WRONG/AN OLD NUMBER. I HAVE THE RIGHT ONE NOW. KEEP DOING GOOD IN SCHOOL... NEXT TIME YOU GUYS COME WE HAVE TO ALL SPEND MORE TIME... LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL... ATIBA.....

D'ANGELO I'M GOING TO HAVE SOME NEW MUSIC FOR YOU SOON... SEEN.... BLESS



MERRY X-MAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR...

READ BELOW.. HERE IS THE LINK TO SEE VIDEO ETC...

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Terror_attacks_in_Mumbai_101_dead_firing_on/articleshow/3761410.cms




Terror attacks in Mumbai; six foreigners among 101 dead
27 Nov 2008, 0900 hrs IST, TIMES NEWS NETWORK & AGENCIES

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: At least 101 people have been killed in attacks by gunmen in Mumbai, police said on Thursday. ( Watch
Terror attacks in Mumbai

"At least six foreigners have been killed and the death figure has gone up to 101 now," Ramesh Tayde, a senior police officer told from Mumbai's control room.

In one of the most violent terror attacks on Indian soil, Mumbai came under an unprecedented night attack as terrorists used heavy machine guns, including AK-47s, and grenades to strike at the city's most high-profile targets -- the hyper-busy CST (formerly VT) rail terminus; the landmark Taj Hotel at the Gateway and the luxury Oberoi Trident at Nariman Point; the domestic airport at Santa Cruz; the Cama and GT hospitals near CST; the Metro Adlabs multiplex and Mazgaon Dockyard -- killing at least 101 and sending hundreds of injured to hospital, according to latest reports. ( Watch )

The attacks have taken a tragic toll on the city's top police brass: The high-profile chief of the anti-terror squad Hemant Karkare was killed; Mumbai's additional commissioner of police (east) Ashok Kamte was gunned down outside the Metro; and celebrated encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar was also killed. ( Watch )

The attacks appeared to be aimed at getting international attention as the terrorists took upto 40 British nationals and other foreigners hostage. The chairman of Hindustan Unilever Harish Manwani and CEO of the company Nitin Paranjpe were among the guests trapped at the Oberoi. All the internal board members of the multinational giant were reported to be holed up in the Oberoi hotel.

Two terrorists were reported holed up inside the Oberoi Hotel. Fresh firing has been reported at Oberoi and Army has entered the hotel to flush out the terrorists.

An unknown outfit, Deccan Mujahideen, has sent an email to news organizations claiming that it carried out the Mumbai attacks. ( Watch )

The Army and Navy in Mumbai were put on alert. 65 Army commandos and 200 NSG commandos were being rushed to Mumbai, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said.

The Navy commandos too have been asked to assist the police. Special secretary M L Kumawat is in constant touch with the state police.

Some media reports attributed the attack to Lashkar-e-Taiba. There were also unconfirmed reports that some of the terrorists came in by sea. A boat laden with explosives was recovered later at night off the Gateway of India.

Well after midnight, sources said two of the terrorists were shot and wounded at Girgaum in south Mumbai. The two were driving in a commandeered silver-coloured Skoda car. Earlier, these men had sprayed bullets from a police Bolero, outside the Metro Adlabs multiplex.

The attacks occurred at the busiest places. Besides hotels and hospitals, terrorists struck at railway stations, Crawford Market, Wadi Bunder and on the Western Express Highway near the airport. Several of these places are within a one-km radius of the commissioner of police's office.

"This is definitely a terrorist strike. Seven places have been attacked with automatic weapons and grenades. Terrorists are still holed up in three locations Taj and Oberoi hotels and GT Hospital. Encounters are on at all three places," said Maharashtra DGP A N Roy.

St George's Hospital and G T Hospital were said to have received 75 bodies and more than 250 injured people, additional municipal commissioner R A Rajeev said. Bombay Hospital got two bodies and 30 injured people were admitted there; Cooper Hospital, Vile Parle, got three dismembered bodies.

Three of the deaths occurred inside the Taj and one G T Hospital attendant died in a shootout inside the hospital. There were reports of people cowering under tables and chairs at both the Taj as well as G T Hospital.

Metro Junction resident Manoj Goel said: "My brother, Manish, died in the firing at Colaba's Hamaal Galli." Cops fired back at the men -- probably from one of the Lashkar groups, dressed in black and with backpacks and SRPF, Crime Branch, ATS and teams of military commandos were summoned to the spot. Train services at CST were suspended and all roads leading to and from south Mumbai were blockaded.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh cut short his Kerala visit and was returning to Mumbai. He described the situation in Mumbai as "very serious". ( Watch )

Deshmukh promised "stringent action" against the assailants but the mood across Mumbai was not so optimistic.

There were reports of firing around several landmark buildings in the Colaba-Nariman Point area, including the Taj hotel, Oberoi and other tourist attractions and pubs like Leopold's. The top floor of Oberoi was said to be on fire amid reports of blasts in the area and blood-smeared bodies were being brought out of the Taj lobby.

Terrorists were said to be holed up at the Taj as well as G T Hospital and cops scampered to cordon off these places. A white flag was seen fluttering from an Oberoi Hotel window around 11.20 pm, where a blast was said to have occurred.

The blast on the Western Express Highway -- near Centaur Hotel outside the airport -- occurred in a taxi, deputy commissioner of police Nissar Tamboli said.

The firing and bombing started close to the Gateway of India. The gunbattle then moved on towards CST and raged on for over an hour from 10 pm, sending commuters running out of the station.

The assailants also fired into the crowd at CST and people on the trains and then ran out of the station themselves and into neighbouring buildings, including Cama Hospital, after being challenged by cops.

SRPF personnel then entered the iconic BMC building -- just opposite CST -- to take aim at the assailants, BMC commissioner Jairaj Phatak said. "We fear some of the assailants are still inside the station and we want to catch them if they come out,'' a police official said.

Vikhroli police station senior inspector Habib Ansari was on his way to work from his Colaba home when he saw two armed men, with sophisticated weaponry, trying to run into bylanes near the Gateway of India."I rushed back to Colaba and all policemen, including GRP and RPF personnel, were called up," he added.

I FOUND THIS VID ON WWW.RATRIOT.COM

TAKE THE TIME TO WATCH...

AND WE COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW BAD THINGS ARE...






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