In today’s America, even driving can be unpredictable and dangerous when you’re African American. And black people are stopped twice as often by police as whites. That’s why Oregon lawyer Marianne Hyland created the “Driving While Black” app:
“Black people talk about the phenomenon of driving while black and our yearning for resources to help navigate those encounters with the police so that they stay safe,” she said. … The app will include a contact function, so drivers can alert people when they’re pulled over; it will have a record function, to record the stop; a complaint function that includes a commendation to give police feedback; and a function to help parents educate their kids. In today’s racial environment, police say they welcome anything that helps.
Because in a time when police can go free even when they’re filmed committing wrongdoing, it’s important to document everything.
Team Blackness discussed the FDA’s recommendation to not let gay men give blood, the CIA torture report, and updates on Elon’s dealings with his absentee father.
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shortstop
And it’s never a bad time to point out that it’s legal to video cops during stops in all 50 states, as long as you don’t obstruct what they’re doing. There are quite a few cops who capitalize on the confusion on this point by ordering people to stop filming.
Emma
Jesus Christ. That our society still allows police behavior so egregious that it requires African Americans to use an app to protect themselves from the police is… I don’t have the words. Evil I think is still closest.
ruemara
I believe Illinois just made it illegal to film cops. And, I’d like a hologram app so I look like Mark Zuckerberg.
Punchy
Likely related, Fat Tony doesn’t believe the Constitution bars torture. Apparently his “Originalism” skips over the 8th Amendy.
At this point, I have to believe he’s simply in Full Troll Libs mode, because there’s really no way he believes this, is there?
Belafon
@Punchy: It’s becoming more and more apparent to me that he doesn’t believe the constitution, or any laws of man or a few laws of nature, apply to rich white men.
Jack the Second
Fun fact: the blood donation form defines ‘sexual contact’ as oral, anal, or vaginal sex.
Another Holocene Human
The recording is really helpful for the victims of police violence and testilying. Even if the cop faces no consequences.
Also, you can sue the dept later.
Mike J
@ruemara:
No, they didn’t. If you’re not dealing with a cop, two party consent is needed to record. It’s still legal to record police. The ACLU says:
Mike J
@Punchy:
The article doesn’t put forth his reasoning, but I’ve heard it before. Pretty lame. His excuse is that the 8th prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Punishment is what comes after you’ve been convicted. Torture comes beforehand to get information. Since torture isn’t “punishment”, it’s not unconstitutional.
He doesn’t ignore the 8th, but he does completely twist the entire meaning of the constitution.
scav
@Mike J: So it’s OK if he beats his wive and kids so long he’s not punishing them? Got it.
The Other Chuck
@Mike J: I’d really like to not-punish Fat Tony.
KG
@Mike J: it’ll be interesting to see how he applies the supremacy clause and the UN Convention on Torture that was signed by the same president who appointed him to the Supreme Court.
On a related note, saw my first two “this is why i don’t care if we tortured terrorists” posts on the facebook. the first had someone jumping out of the twin towers on 9/11. the second had a veteran hugging a man missing limbs in a wheelchair (who I assume was also a vet based on his haircut).
on the second one, I wanted to post a comment that the guy missing limbs probably wouldn’t have missing limbs if we didn’t invade Iraq based on false intelligence acquired via torture. the first one, just infuriates me because its from the type of right winger that believes America is the bestest ever and we’re the good guys and they completely miss the point that if we’re operating at the level of the terrorists, then the terrorists won.
Mike J
@KG:
That would make torture illegal, not unconstitutional. Many, many things are illegal while not being prohibited by the constitution.
Doug r
@Jack the Second: So no CIA veterans then
Captain C
I never thought the Green Book would make a comeback, even in the form of an App.
shelley
@Jack the Second:
Another fun fact. Seems any kind of medical institution now has an Ebola questionaire. The other day, I had to stop by Kessler inst. to pick up a leg brace I’d been fitted for. And yes, had to check off that, no, I hadn’t been to any Ebola infected areas or had contact with someone who had.
gvg
t may not do any good in some places to record it….but in other places it will. Plus if there is enough film over and over it will get through to more whites who will a little at a time change how they view things and start tipping just a few more elections, a few more juries…..it will help while not being a magical miracle right now.
Its also important to give people something to do so they don’t despair now. I think it also might be pragmatic to document where it is flat out too dangerous for out of town blacks to go. I hate the giving in but dead or maimed is pretty bad.
I have been most upset with juries in recent news.
Kyle
So now we’re emulating lawless places like Russia where everyone has a dashboard cam to protect themselves against criminal or negligent actions of other drivers or pedestrians…except here it’s to protect yourself against cops.