Predominately White Walnut Creek Will Hold A Rally For Johannes Mehserle!

As a former employee of a Walnut Creek business,I have encountered people who have a less than favorable view towards blacks, to put it mildly. So,it comes as no surprise to me that a rally for Johannes Mehserle would be held in that city. Some residents of Contra Costa County don't think that this rally is a good idea. Their reasoning was quite different than mine.

The main fear that was expressed about this rally is that it might not remain "peaceful" if Oscar Grant supporters show up. I think this rally is absolutely despicable. For one,I'm not buying that this was just an "accident." And for another,how is this rally helping the victim's family?Do the organizers of this pro-Mehserle rally feel sorry for Oscar Grant? No!

It's all about showing support for cops. And that's fine if the cop in this case were an innocent man who committed no wrongdoing. But,we all know that Johannes Mehserle is not an innocent man.He killed an unarmed black man who had his hands behind his back! Mehserle did not need a taser or a gun to subdue Oscar Grant. This is just as bad as showing support for a cop killer.

Here's more from The Oakland Tribune:

"On the rally's Facebook page, 95 guests say they will attend. Some who sought justice for Grant said they plan to show as well, to hear what Mehserle supporters have to say.

When news of the rally broke Tuesday, comments on community blogs and ContraCostaTimes.com exploded. Posters, nearly all of them anonymous, expressed feelings ranging from support to rage. Many said a show of support for Mehserle was long overdue; some said they wanted to speak up for Mehserle sooner but were too scared.

Others vented their distrust of police, one calling the rally "in support of police brutality." Other commentators said the media, including this newspaper, is blowing the rally out of proportion to make it a circus.

Groups around Oakland, including one that met Thursday evening in West Oakland, are looking at ways to move forward, including disarming BART police and pushing for the indictment of former BART officers Tony Pirone and Marysol Domenici, as well as ending what they see as police brutality.

One man attending Thursday's gathering said participants planned to organize committees to address those concerns.

Walnut Creek police have reached out to the Coalition for Justice for Oscar Grant, some of whose members plan to attend Monday's rally.

Gary Pokorny, Walnut Creek's city manager, said the demonstration will be kept within the courthouse parking lot. But he recommended that drivers avoid Ygnacio Valley Road on Monday afternoon, and consider alternative routes such as Treat Boulevard.

Bryden's suggestion for those attending: Show respect.

"First of all, they need to respect other people's opinions regardless if they agree with them or not," he said. "We don't want any violent acts."

But some Walnut Creek residents are worried. Kerry Martinez said her feelings about the BART shooting case are secondary to her concern about public safety and traffic.

"An event of this magnitude can't go down with this little information," she said. "And what about the people who don't know this is happening ... and things go terrible?"

Bryden said Walnut Creek police are planning for the worst, but he does not expect anywhere near the level of the sometimes violent protest and looting that occurred in Oakland.

Some say Walnut Creek's well-heeled majority white demographic create a friendly environment for a pro-Mehserle protest.

Mayor Sue Rainey said she is not worried about how Walnut Creek is perceived. The city has encouraged more diversity. She doesn't know why Walnut Creek was chosen over other cities.

"We have had a lot of rallies held here on different topics," she said. "People should be respectful and peaceful. We didn't organize it. But they have a right to have a rally."(END OF EXCERPT) Read the article in its entirety here.

Christina Milian: The Dream Sure Didn't Last Long!

When you hook up with a guy named The Dream,it seems destined to turn into a nightmare. And after the racy pictures of The Dream & his personal assistant hit the internet,that is exactly what The Dream must feel like to poor Christina. I mean,she just had his baby for goodness sake! Couldn't he have been a little more discreet about their breakup than this? He is such a classless act!

Here's more on the split from PopEater.com:

"Christina Milian and The-Dream are headed for a divorce and have confirmed their split after racy photos surfaced of The-Dream and his assistant Melissa Santiago frolicking in the Caribbean. "Terius 'The-Dream' Nash is saddened to announce that his marriage to Christina Milian was unsuccessful. The couple reached this decision in late 2009, but decided to keep the news private in efforts to protect their baby daughter Violet. They ask for consideration and respect for their family moving forward," his rep tells Us Weekly.

In the new racy photos, The-Dream is not wearing his wedding band and is straddled by Santiago. In another, he's grabbing her butt.

The-Dream proposed to Milian in July 2009, and they eloped last September in Las Vegas. They welcomed daughter Violet Madison Nash five months ago."(END OF EXCERPT)Read more here.

The Johannes Mehserle Verdict Was A Travesty Of Justice!

The jurors in the Johannes Mehserle case reached their verdict of involuntary manslaughter in less than eight hours! Both I & Oscar Grant's uncle found that to be an amazing feat. As I have expressed before,my belief is that he should have at least been found guilty of voluntary manslaughter.

But,as the Oscar Grant family has said,they don't blame the jurors. They blame the system. And so do I. What a slap in this face is to every black person in America.This is a travesty of justice,as Rev. Keith Mohammed from the Nation of Islam so eloquently stated today! So much for a post-racial society.

The euphoria of the first black president being elected in America has faded. Now,we are faced with the cold reality that the government does not work for the average,poor citizen. Especially if your skin happens to be black.

Having a black president has not raised the black community in the eyes of America. It has only garnered black folks like Barack Obama more respect than they already had. This is a society that is solely based on both class & race. Woe to those who belong to both the wrong class & race.

Here's more from KTVU News:

"A white former transit officer was convicted of involuntary manslaughter Thursday in the shooting death of an unarmed black man on an Oakland train platform in a 2009 encounter that set off days of rioting in the city. Prosecutors had wanted Johannes Mehserle convicted of murdering 22-year-old Oscar Grant, who was shot as he lay face-down.

Grant's mother, Wanda Johnson, stared at jurors and appeared upset then later denounced the verdict outside the courthouse. "My son was murdered! He was murdered! He was murdered," she said.

Earlier in court, Mehserle was placed in handcuffs and taken away after the verdict, which included a finding that the defendant personally used a handgun. He turned to his family and mouthed, "I love you, guys."

His parents wept when the verdict was read. One woman juror wiped tears with a tissue when the panel was polled on its decision. On the east side of San Francisco Bay, police in riot gear were deployed on the streets of Oakland. A crowd near Oakland City Hall moaned and cursed when they heard the verdict. A dozen people gathered in a semicircle to pray.

"It's not real, it's not real. Where's the justice? He was killed in cold blood," said Amber Royal, 23, of Oakland. Grant family attorney John Burris said the family was "extremely disappointed" with the verdict.

"This verdict is not a true representation of what happened to Oscar Grant and what happened to him that night. This was not a voluntary manslaughter case," Burris said.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement urging Californians to remain calm and not resort to violence. Schwarzenegger said he had informed Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums the state was well prepared to assist in maintaining order. The jury had a choice between murder and lesser charges of voluntary and involuntary manslaughter. The jury found that Mehserle didn't mean to kill Grant, but that his behavior was still so negligent that it was criminal. Involuntary manslaughter carries a sentence of two to four years.

The next hearing was set for Aug. 6. The jury included eight women and four men. None listed their race as black. Seven said they were white, three were Latino, and one was Asian-Pacific. One declined to state their race. They left the courthouse under tight security. "As we have come to notice, and we as a family has been slapped in the face by a system that has denied us a right to true justice," said Cephus Johnson, Grant's uncle. "We truly do not blame the jury, but we blame the system."(END OF EXCERPT) Read more here.