More southern awesome.
You can drive into this dusty fleck of a town near the Texas-Louisiana border if you’re African-American, but you might not be able to drive out of it—at least not with your car, your cash, your jewelry or other valuables.
That’s because the police here allegedly have found a way to strip motorists, many of them black, of their property without ever charging them with a crime. Instead they offer out-of-towners a grim choice: voluntarily sign over your belongings to the town, or face felony charges of money laundering or other serious crimes.
More than 140 people reluctantly accepted that deal from June 2006 to June 2008, according to court records. Among them were a black grandmother from Akron, who surrendered $4,000 in cash after Tenaha police pulled her over, and an interracial couple from Houston, who gave up more than $6,000 after police threatened to seize their children and put them into foster care, the court documents show. Neither the grandmother nor the couple were charged with any crime.
In the county where this is occuring, Shelby, the Republican vote actually increased in 2008 – from 67% for Bush to 72% for McCain. Interesting.
Rancid Bag Of Shit is what Rancid Bag Of Shit Dose.
3 hours till it’s defended.
In the county where this is occuring, Shelby, the Republican vote actually increased in 2008 – from 67% for Bush to 72% for McCain. Interesting.
Really. Huh. Who’da thunk it?
Stay classy, Republicans.
These people give racist assholes a bad name. Although the racial element appears secondary to the greed factor.
The state of Texas needs to do something about this, pronto. And if the state doesn’t, then — THEN — the federal government should step in.
Those gambling trips to Shreveport? That’s interstate commerce, and it’s a hell of a lot more solid an argument than a lot of other examples. Besides, there’s precedent with the Freedom Riders and interstate bus travel.
J.
It’ll all be okay once Chuck Norris secures their secession from the union.
Nice to see that the Sundown Town can evolve with the times.
3 hours till it’s defended.
Prediction: Limbaugh uses this to attack Eric Holder because, who knows, the Feds may view this as a civil rights violation. Bonus prediction: he calls Holder “bro.”
And they wrote it all down! Amateurs!
If we didn’t have the asset seizure policy Antoine Mitchell would have gotten away with murder!
Did I make it in under the three hour mark?
Seriously though, this makes the hassle I have to go through to get Sudafed look like a walk-in-the-park.
It would sure be nice if the Republican party’s newly-rediscovered small government, support individual rights would extend to curtailing some of the massive law enforcement over-reach the War on Drugs has brought us. I much prefer my racist ass-hats to be left doing nothing but bemoaning the loss of the good ol’ days, not stealing law-abiding peoples’ money and property under color of law.
Who the hell gets their sister a bong though?
Here’s a nice solution… take some federal bailout money and build a highway bypass around Tenaha. Let them fester in their own little fetid pool…
J.
“Seriously though, this makes the hassle I have to go through to get Sudafed look like a walk-in-the-park.”
I’m going to make a take a wild shot-in-the-dark and guess that you’re white.
Showing my age, but there’s an entire Rockford Files episode devoted to just this sort of small town law and order scam.
Republicans.
And when I tell you I’m not, that will change what I said how?
SFC B is nothing more than a run-of-the-mill homophobe.
If you’ve ever been pulled over simply for being black, you’d know that this type of stuff has a sinister legacy. Comparing it to showing ID for sudafed demonstrates your ignorance on the subject.
this makes the hassle I have to go through to get Sudafed look like a walk-in-the-park.
Maybe if you weren’t cooking meth, it wouldn’t be a problem for ya.
Shouldn’t we be praising the mayor for sticking to his low-tax principles? Don’t you know that taxes are a form of theft?
Showing my age, and not to make light of the situation. But Tenaha does have a less sinister place in folklore:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/glennaa/2970726843/
I read shit like this and I think the only solution is to nuke it from orbit.
(That’s another pop-culture reference, for those who don’t watch 2 to 3 movies a day like I do.)
This might be a wicked repost, and if it is I apologize. Looked like IE ate my previous comment.
WTF! Third time is the Charm? I swear, it looks fine in the preview!
“If you
Epic Fail.
I read shit like this and I think the only solution is to nuke it from orbit.
Superb quote, from a superb movie.
(That’s another pop-culture reference, for those who don’t watch 2 to 3 movies a day like I do.)
Explains why you have time to post all those comments, and have such contempt for those of us with jobs who do productive stuff 40+ hours a week.
J.
Explains why you have time to post all those comments
The pot called, and he wants his kettle back.
I read shit like this and I think the only solution is to nuke it from orbit.
Why stop at Tenaha? The whole damn state is infested with nasty critters. Without TX, the IQ average of the country rises.
But first, I’d introduce a certain former TX governer to a face-hugger…
Oliver, I’ve freely admitted many times I have no life. But I do have a job that keeps me from watching 2-3 movies a day.
J.
Maybe he has a job that necessitates him watching several movies a day. Like owning a video store or working in production.
Will the sixth time be the charm?
It doesn’t have a sinister legacy. It has a sinister right now. Tenaha, TX is simply the most recent to be caught with such a blatant case. Seattle police used Washington’s seizure law to steal and harasses law-abiding citizens. Same in Oregon. In another thread I mentioned the Massachusetts State Police’s history of race-based stops and citiations. It’s going on right now, and it’s not limited to Bubbaland.
Personally though, when law enforcement officers are stealing from innocent people with the permission of the courts I don’t care if the people being stolen from are black, yellow, brown, white, red, olive. I don’t care if they’re men, women, or hermaphrodites. I don’t care if they like sex with women, men, neither, both, or small woodland critters. This is criminal, the individuals involved in this conspiracy to rob people of their property and deny them their civil rights should be facing time in Federal Pound-You-in-the-Ass Prison. Of course, that’s just my opinion.
These stupid cockfags were able to do all this though because we the people have given government the permission to take property from innocent people. And we allow this so that grown men and women do not put certain substances into their bodies in the privacy of their own home. 3/4ths of DC would have had their hair spontaneously combust if prosecuting the War on Terror involved some of the civil rights abuses we’ve happily allowed for decades in the name of the War on Drugs. I’m curious though, would some of the commenters here be as outraged about this abuse if cops had the commonsense to pull this crap on more white people? Jaim, Ed, Parthanon, are y’all pissed that these cops were stealing from innocent people, or that they were stealing from innocent black people without stealing from enough innocent white people. Cause Lord knows the crux of most of the outrage here seems to be at the racial component, not the massive abuse of power component. Just my opinion though.
Oh my God! I know! When I’m not able to stock up through straw-buyers I need to drive to like 17 different stores to get enough to cook meth in my house. The gas money is cutting into my profits. Although, really, I’m glad that the state is simply tracking the buying habits of innocent allergy sufferers and not doing anything which would actually prevent me from being able to meth in my kitchen. /sarcasm
Welcome back Muffin. Did your mom give you a hug and tell you how special you are? If you’re going to try and insult me, please, try something better than “run-of-the-mill”. While I’m not a homophobe I do appreciate you basing that on something I actually wrote, and not making up something like CSS when he called me a racist. For the record though, my only phobia is ophidiophobia.
Of course, now that I think about it… snakes are long and round… kinda like a penis. And I’m afraid of snakes… maybe I’m really afraid of snakes because I’m afraid of penises. And maybe I’m afraid of penises because I’m really afraid of Teh Gayness. Maybe I’m really afraid of Teh Gayness because I secretly love Teh Gayness but my Texas-upbringing taught me to hate Teh Gayness! Oh my! You were right Muffin! I am a homophobe! But thanks to you forcing me to confront it I’m not afraid of Teh Gayness anymore! This is so freeing! I can now listen to Gwen Stefani on my iPod without renaming the titles to Slipknot songs! JOY!
Funny stuff, SFC.
For someone so very not homophobic you sure do bully people with the word “cockfag” a lot.
http://detailedrecruiter.blogspot.com/2008/08/well-that-wasnt-expected.html
http://www.oliverwillis.com/2009/03/03/barack-obama-main-street-president/#comment-139927
Your unfunny tirade there doesn’t point to you being a homophobe either… hm…
You’re a bully as you continue to demonstrate and I feel sorry for the people that have to deal with you in person on a daily basis.
Well, now we know a little more about SFC B than we’d like to. Over-share.
But I don’t fear Teh Gayness anymore! Didn’t you see my moment of clarity above where I learned the real reason for my lashing out? I’ve got Harajuku Girl blaring on the speakers right now!
Personally, I think that “cockfag” has as much to do with someone being gay as calling someone a “m-fer” has to do with them actually having sex with someone who has given birth (for the record, I am also a m-fer, although not for a while). I’d imagine that someone who watches movies as often as CSS does would know that I’m stealing the word from “Team America”, and its source had nothing to do with the sexual orientation of the person who it was being used in reference to. Even though I am now a homophile (Thanks to you Muffin), I will still use “cockfag”.
Awww… c’mon… you can do better than that! I believe in you! You’re special!
Does your dad know he raised such a whiny punk?
Sharing is caring Jaim.
Hmm. An ex-military guy (lots of group showers I imagine) who uses the word “cockfag” constantly.
Spend much time in the Minneapolis airport?
SFC B, whenever you use the word ‘cockfag’ or call me ‘Muffin’ no one is thinking that you’re edgy or whatever you imagine it is. Everyone just recognizes you for the troll you are. The moment someone points you out for the jerk you are you attempt to bully them down.
Does your dad know he raised such a whiny punk?
Again, seriously? You continually just throw out personal shit like this because? You’re a troll.
Ex?
It’s been about a decade since I stayed in barracks with shared showers. Every place I’ve been to since has at least had shower stalls if not private baths. I had more group showers in college than in the military. Make of that what you will.
Been there once on a trip to Ft. McCoy. Nice bathrooms, although the creepy old guy in there tapping his foot was kind of annoying. Figured it was an upper-midwesterner thing.
Me: “(That’s another pop-culture reference, for those who don’t watch 2 to 3 movies a day like I do.)”
J.G.Thayer: “Explains why you have time to post all those comments, and have such contempt for those of us with jobs who do productive stuff 40+ hours a week.”
… It is my fucking job, moron. I’m a box office analyst / movie critic. I have mentioned that in the past.
But thanks for the comment. I always appreciate the laugh.
On a serious note… I’m working right now. I’m doing weekend box office predictions. Or I would be if RTs wasn’t acting up.
I telecommute to work. I have flex time. My morning commute is from my bed to to the bathroom and back to my computer desk. I don’t even have to get dressed in the morning. (In fact, I’m not wearing pants as I type this!)
MY JOB FUCKING ROCKS!
It is my fucking job
I win!
Gratz!
Troll harder.
Me: “(That’s another pop-culture reference, for those who don’t watch 2 to 3 movies a day like I do.)”
J.G.Thayer: “Explains why you have time to post all those comments, and have such contempt for those of us with jobs who do productive stuff 40+ hours a week.”
Me: “… It is my fucking job, moron.”
Michael Over Here: “I win!”
SFC B says: “Gratz!”
So I guess you are the tree on the left and J.G.Thayer is the tree on the right. Or is it the other way around?
Seriously. You are making fun of someone for winning, so what does that make you two losers?
CSS, I completely understand why you wouldn’t want to subject your professional life to the group of trolls around here, which is a shame cause I’d really be interested in reading some of your film criticism.