7/16 in Auburn: Hearing for Mitchell Crooks

It's really important that we show support for drunken hit-and-run drivers!!

No doubt you'll be doing the same for that cop in Brooklyn who ran over that family?

PK

"Crooks "has done something of a national service and needs to be supported," Sharpton said during a news conference at Los Angeles International Airport. "

http://www.uniontrib.com/news/state/20020714-1213-ca-policevideo.html

Fallout From Police Beating in Inglewood
Re "Racial Animus in Case Denied," July 12: The arrest of Mitchell Crooks shows what happens when people come forward to show police brutality. The timing of his arrest smacks of what one would expect in a police state. I suspect that if he had not videotaped a police officer slamming a handcuffed minor against a car and later punching that same minor, Crooks would still be walking the streets.

https://www.latimes.com/tools/more.jsp?section=%2Fnews%2Fopinion%2Fletters

It seems that so very few people can make a distinction between an individual act and an individual's character. Is anyone so naive to think that "good" people have never done anything wrong or that "bad" people have never done anything of worth?

If you want to praise this particular act, fine, but don't make heroes out of flawed people -- it only exposes your agenda as being less then truthful.

CROOKS: TROUBLED, HOMELESS NADER FAN
The LAT Times pieces together details of videotaper Mitchell Crooks’ wayward life today. Among the tidbits: Crooks moved to LA three years ago to make his fortune as a rave deejay, but ended up occasionally homeless and desperate. He was winding up a two-month road trip with 42-year-old pal Dan Hanna, and the two had spent the last few weeks flopping at various cheap hotels in the Southland. After taping the Donovan Jackson head-slam, Crooks sold copies of the video to TV stations for $150 a pop. He’s also a political nut: The Times describes him as a "a Green Party supporter who adores Ralph Nader and hates President Bush"; Hanna said Crooks wouldn’t give CBS a copy because the network "blew" the 2000 presidential election by calling it too early, and told ABC representatives they couldn’t have the tape unless they reinstated Bill Maher’s "Politically Incorrect." His mother Patricia Crooks, who raised Mitchell alone, said his terror of police came from when he had some of his hair yanked out by a guard in juvenile hall. "He's done some bad things in his life," she said. "I knew they were going to catch up with him. [But] he was more concerned about justice. I know that about my son." Lawyer Dean Masserman described Crooks as a "soft-spoken, gentle, socially conscious, frayed-nerved young man."
http://www.laexaminer.com/

Link To LA Times Story (requires registration):
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-crooks13jul13005046.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dcalifornia

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA -- Just six days after Mitchell Crooks videotaped the violent arrest of a teenager by police, the aspiring disc jockey was headed to jail. Crooks was flown Friday to Placer County in northern California, where he has to serve a 7-month sentence on an outstanding warrant, said county sheriff's Capt. Rick Armstrong. [story]
Here's the L.A. Times version It doesn't mention the photographer's immediate jailing until the middle of the story.
If asked for 'member name' use: [unknownnews] password: [unknown]

Whenever someone brings up "character" you know they have lost the ability to make a real arguement. if a few unfortunate acts as a youth spoils someones ability to amount to anything, you are condemning the entire population. I hate Bush, but I hate him because of his policies not because of his drunk driving charge, his problems with alcoholism and connections to coke dealers as a youth.

Crooks' willingness to film the beating even though this meant a risk to his own freedom makes him more rather than less of a hero. Press focus on him may make it so he gets better treatment than if he never filmed the incident, but since WE are the press, I see no reason not to protest in defense of him.

Exactly my point Nessie--

Why are we making a hero out of person with a criminal past? If he continues to lead a postive life, then perhaps will be a hero, but if he has more drunk driving and drug charges then you have just made a mockery of your standards.

As I said before, praising the particular action by an individual is very different then praising the sum total of an individual. If it only takes one minor, selfless action to become a hero, then I'd dare say most of humanity are heroes, including police officers. Do you believe the police heroes?

Then I guess we have different standards for heroism. To me, anyone is capable of a heroic deed, but very few people rise to the lofty standards of being a true hero. BTW, I maintain the same distinction between good deeds and truly good people.

suck my dick you cristian nut.