Blog archive
October 2024
ARBORIST WALK: NOT FOR TREE HUGGERS ONLY!
10/29/2024
Bill Wishner: Visual Hunter
10/29/2024
Can a Village Group Fix Our Healthcare System?
10/29/2024
Community Board Directors Strengthen Village Board
10/29/2024
Connecting with Village Connections: The A, B, C, & D’s of Medicare @ 65+
10/29/2024
Grief is a Journey: Two Paths Taken
10/29/2024
Message from the President
10/29/2024
Promoting Informed & Involved Voters
10/29/2024
What Will Be Your Legacy?
10/29/2024
1619, Approaching the Election...
10/27/2024
Beyond and Within the Village - A Star is Born
10/17/2024
Happiness by Priscilla Leonard
10/11/2024
Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden
10/11/2024
Unpainted Door by Louise Gluck
10/11/2024
In the Evening by Billy Collins
10/10/2024
Wild Geese by Mary Oliver
10/10/2024
Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024
Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024
Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024
September 2024
Connecting with Village Connections
09/30/2024
Betty Kilby, A Family History
09/27/2024
Reflection on Life
09/20/2024
Expanding the Possibilities
09/19/2024
Need a Ride? No Problem!
09/17/2024
Security When Aging (Especially If You Are Single)
09/17/2024
The Bridge Begins at Thanksgiving
09/17/2024
The Power of Collective Service: Putting the Village First
09/17/2024
Tino Melchor - A Mentor for Young Teens in the Making
09/17/2024
Village Party Bus Delivers FUN
09/17/2024
We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know: That’s Why We Have Educational Programs
09/17/2024
On Rereading Tolle by Ed Rinderle
09/10/2024
Autumn Leaves
09/09/2024
August 2024
1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024
1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024
First Anniversary
08/19/2024
Alexandra Leaving by Leonard Cohen
08/16/2024
Muse des Beaux Arts by W. H. Auden
08/16/2024
The God Abandons Antony by Constantinos P. Cavafy
08/16/2024
Ch – Ch – Ch –Changes
08/15/2024
Cultural Activities Team offers an ‘embarrassment of riches’
08/15/2024
Engaging in Pasadena Village
08/15/2024
Future Housing Options
08/15/2024
Message from the President
08/15/2024
There Are Authors Among Us
08/15/2024
Villagers Welcome New Members at the Tournament Park Picnic
08/15/2024
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas
08/14/2024
A narrow Fellow in the Grass by Emily Dickinson
08/13/2024
Haikus
08/13/2024
One Art by Elizabeth Bishop
08/13/2024
Poem 20 by Pablo Neruda
08/13/2024
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
08/13/2024
Trees by Joyce Kilmer
08/13/2024
July 2024
Alma Stokes, The Struggle in Pasadena
07/25/2024
A Poetry Gathering: Liberating Experiences Available
07/19/2024
Civil Rights Movement Series
07/19/2024
Happy Hours in Pasadena: A Villager’s Perspective
07/19/2024
Pasadena Village and the National Dialogue on Villages and Healthy Aging Research
07/19/2024
President's Message
07/19/2024
The Kern River Rafting Caper
07/19/2024
The Village Artists Group creates creative camaraderie
07/19/2024
An Example of Inherent Racism
07/14/2024
Current, Upcoming Events
07/04/2024
June 2024
No Real Recourse For Discrimination
06/30/2024
A Personal Statement of Strength and Well-Being
06/25/2024
Juneteenth Reflections
06/24/2024
Reflections on 2023-2025
06/21/2024
Reactions and Reflections Re: Juneteenth
06/19/2024
As Our Organization Grows, Villagers Recall Personal Highlights
06/17/2024
From the Outgoing President
06/17/2024
Letter from the Incoming President: Beginning Our ‘Lagniappe’ Year
06/17/2024
The Editorial Team Looks Back: Creating the Voice of the Village
06/17/2024
This Year's Resource Fair was the Most Successful Ever
06/17/2024
Telling the Whole Story
06/12/2024
Nashville
06/10/2024
May 2024
Emergency Preparedness: Are You Ready?
05/28/2024
Farewell from the 2023/24 Social Work Interns
05/28/2024
Gina on the Horizon
05/28/2024
Mark Your Calendars for the Healthy Aging Research California Virtual Summit
05/28/2024
Meet Our New Development Associate
05/28/2024
Putting the Strategic Plan into Practice
05/28/2024
Washington Park: Pasadena’s Rediscovered Gem
05/28/2024
Introducing Civil Rights Discussions
05/22/2024
Rumor of Humor #2416
05/14/2024
Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024
Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024
Rumor of Humor #2418
05/14/2024
Springtime Visitors
05/07/2024
Freezing for a Good Cause – Credit, That Is
05/02/2024
No Discussion Meeting on May 3rd
05/02/2024
An Apparently Normal Person Author Presentation and Book-signing
05/01/2024
Flintridge Center: Pasadena Village’s Neighbor That Changes Lives
05/01/2024
Pasadena Celebrates Older Americans Month 2024
05/01/2024
The 2024 Pasadena Village Volunteer Appreciation Lunch
05/01/2024
Woman of the Year: Katy Townsend
05/01/2024
April 2024
Rumor of Humor #2410
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2411
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2412
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2413
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2414
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2415
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2416
04/28/2024
Stimulated by "Caste"
04/22/2024
Tulsa reparations, Religion and Politics
04/09/2024
March 2024
Trumps War with Black Women
03/31/2024
Addressing The Needs of Older Adults Through Pasadena Village
03/25/2024
Coming Soon: More Resources for Older Americans, Online and in Person
03/25/2024
Community Building Locally and Nationally
03/25/2024
Preparing for the Future with Ready or Not
03/25/2024
Volunteering is at The Heart of the Village
03/25/2024
Women's Liberation: Then and Now
03/25/2024
Writing Memoirs Together
03/25/2024
Current Views on Current Events
03/20/2024
Unchained
03/18/2024
Rumr of Humor issue # 2409
03/10/2024
Blacks Portrayed by European Artists
03/03/2024
Rumor of Humor #2408
03/03/2024
February 2024
Caring for Ourselves and Each Other
02/27/2024
Doug Colliflower Honored
02/27/2024
Great Decisions Connects Us to the Worldwide Community
02/27/2024
Letter from the President
02/27/2024
Pasadena Village's Impact
02/27/2024
The Power of Touch
02/27/2024
Villages as a New Approach to Aging
02/27/2024
Addressing Gang Violence in Pasadena-Altadena
02/21/2024
Rumor of Humor Issue 2407
02/19/2024
Thank You For Caring.
02/12/2024
Rumor of Humor 2405
02/11/2024
Curve Balls
02/10/2024
Sylvan Lane
02/10/2024
Rumor of Humor 2404
02/09/2024
Larry Duplechan, Blacks in Film
02/03/2024
January 2024
Pasadena Village Joins Community Partners in Vaccination Campaign
01/29/2024
Rumor of Humor #2403
01/28/2024
Pasadena Village Joins Two Healthy Aging Resource Projects
01/25/2024
Decluttering: Do It Now
01/24/2024
Village Volunteers Contribute to the Huntington Magic
01/24/2024
Villagers Creating Community
01/24/2024
Villagers Reflect on Black History Month
01/24/2024
Walk With Ease, 2024
01/24/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2402
01/21/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2401
01/15/2024
Re- Entry Programs, a Personal Experience
01/08/2024
Racial contrast in treatment of pro-Trump mob
By Blog MasterPosted: 01/10/2021
Police ‘double standard’ - Racial contrast seen in treatment of pro-Trump mob
The image of a young Black man, curled up on a Dallas sidewalk with blood gushing from his left eye after being struck by a police officer’s rubber bullet during a protest for racial justice, was seared into the national psyche last spring.
Days earlier, protesters outraged over the police killing in Minneapolis of another Black man, George Floyd, in late May, sprinted through the streets of a leafy neighborhood as police in tactical gear sprayed the crowd with tear gas.
But this week, as a mostly white mob of extremists loyal to President Trump smashed their way into the U.S. Capitol, at times shoving police officers to the ground, ransacking congressional offices for several hours and posing for photos with stolen items, police took a decidedly more hands-off approach.
On Thursday, as Americans began to dissect the muted police response to such an attack on the seat of government, the violence emerged as a central focus in the long-standing national discourse about race and policing.
“This disgusting contrast in policing is far too familiar to the Black community,” said Derrick Johnson, president of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People.
As the rioters stormed the Capitol on Wednesday, the NAACP offered a simple message on Twitter: “They have killed us for less.”
The mayhem resulted in the deaths of at least five people — a woman who was shot by the Capitol Police, as well as a Capitol Police officer and three others who died as a result of what authorities called medical emergencies — and led to more than 50 arrests by late Thursday. Dozens of officers were injured during the attack, said Steven Sund, chief of the Capitol Police.
Law enforcement had “responded valiantly,” Sund said in an initial statement, which did not address a flood of pointed questions about whether officers had yielded too easily to the mob comprising mostly white people. Many of the extremists were wearing red “Make America Great Again” hats and some were waving Confederate, Trump and Gadsden flags.
“These mass riots were not 1st Amendment activities. They were criminal riotous behavior,” said Sund, who added that a “thorough” review of the police actions would follow.
Late Thursday, Sund announced his resignation, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) called for earlier in the day. He will depart Jan. 16.
The attack had occurred as Congress was in the process of certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in the November election.
During a TV appearance Thursday, Jeh Johnson, a former Homeland Security secretary, said the police response deserved close scrutiny. “There was a failure here,” he said, “and hard questions need to be asked about what happened.” Johnson, who is Black, said that on a day filled with shocking scenes, among the most disturbing sights were the scaffold and hangman’s noose erected outside the Capitol, as well as the image of the Confederate flag being gleefully waved by insurgents as they swaggered through the halls. “Frankly, I was horrified to see these images,” Johnson said. “This is not America — this is Trumpism boiled over.”
Michelle Obama highlighted the double standard of policing seen at the Capitol compared with how police officers responded at largely peaceful Black Lives Matter protests. In some cases, officers who had not been provoked by Black Lives Matter protesters nevertheless beat them with batons and shields and fired rubber bullets at close range. At times, officers faced vandals and rioters. “For those who call others unpatriotic for simply taking a knee in silent protest, for those who wonder why we need to be reminded that Black lives matter at all, yesterday made it painfully clear that certain Americans are, in fact, allowed to denigrate the flag and symbols of our nation,” the former first lady wrote on Twitter. “They’ve just got to look the right way. What do all these folks have to say now?”
Delores Jones-Brown, a visiting professor at Howard University and a professor emeritus at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the violence in the nation’s capital “demonstrated that law enforcement can exercise restraint.” “It marks how racist a society we are and how law enforcement actually is more readily willing to facilitate behavior of white protesters,” Jones-Brown said. “There was a clear acquiescence to these rioters’ unlawful behavior. The lack of preparation says something about how law enforcement thought these individuals should be treated as opposed to those who participated in Black Lives Matter.”
Some analysts said issues with preparation included an inadequate level of staffing by law enforcement, especially considering that a large number of Trump backers were expected to be in the city Wednesday. Capitol Police were overwhelmed, they said.
“The law enforcement in the nation’s capital is attuned to big events and demonstrations. They collaborate every four years to create a safe environment for the new president,” said Lynda Williams, president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. “There was a lack of preparation and attention to this riot yesterday,” said Williams, a criminal justice professor who retired in 2017 after three decades in the Secret Service. “It was one of the biggest mobs I have seen in my career as a federal agent.”
After Floyd’s killing by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, protests have blanketed the nation. Chants of “Hands up, don’t shoot!” and “No justice, no peace!” have been shouted as protesters marched past police in riot gear. In many instances, police lashed out against protesters, raising concerns about use of force.
Alicia Smith, a neighborhood organizer in South Minneapolis, said she watched television stunned at how the white rioters entered the U.S. Capitol with little resistance from police.
“There is a clear double standard in this country — in how Black and brown people are treated when it comes to policing,” said Smith, who is Black. “And it’s not just in policing; it’s in housing, it’s in healthcare, it’s in all parts of life.” As she watched the images, Smith said, she thought about how, in the 1950s and 1960s, peaceful protesters during the civil rights movement were sprayed with water hoses and attacked by police dogs. “All I know is that if those people who stormed into the Capitol were Black, it would be a totally different outcome — mass arrests, police brutality would have been on full display,” she said.
In Kenosha, Wis., riots and protests left buildings destroyed in August after police shot a 29-year-old Black man, Jacob Blake, in the back seven times. Federal law enforcement and National Guard troops were dispatched across the city for days as the city went under curfew.
This week, hundreds of troops were again called into Kenosha in anticipation of protests before the announcement that the officer who shot Blake would face no charges. There was no violence as people marched in the streets. “They overprepared police for the Black community in Kenosha and they underprepared for white outrage in D.C.,” said Alvin Owens, who runs Regimen Barber Collective near uptown Kenosha and was pepper-sprayed during summer protests. “The National Guard should have been in D.C. instead.”
“If white America didn’t understand their privilege, they saw it yesterday,” he said.
“White supremacy was on full display. The world saw it.”
Lee and Kaleem reported from Los Angeles and King from Washington.