Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums
The situation with NFL running back Ryan Moats and Dallas Police Office Robert Powell puzzles me. For background, Moats used his flashing lights as he waited for no traffic then went through a red light as he rushed his wife to see her mother before she died at the hospital. Powell’s and Moats’ decision-making can not be judged by my untrained mind. To me, Moats displayed logic during an emotional time and Powell followed general police procedures to secure the passengers in the vehicle. But, I don’t know; I can’t call it.
You know my fellows on the corner are saying that another rich superstar (Black or White) might not have the restraint of Moats and another officer (Black or White) might have cuffed young Mrs. Moats as she ignored the officer and went to her dying mother. Ryan Moats, your mother-in-law can rest-in-peace knowing that you cared about her while she was on this earth and knowing that her daughter is in good hands. If Officer Powell is fired for following procedures, the procedures need to be clearer.
The situation between the police and the community in Oakland also puzzles me and again I don’t know the answer. When I was a congressional staffer, I had much respect for then-Congressman Ron Dellums, Oakland’s current mayor. When congress had comity instead of comedy, fewer member of congress thought he or she knew everything. In committee and on the floor, members would often say, “I respectfully defer to the better judgment and knowledge of my dear colleague who is an expert on this issue.”
With the tense police situations in Dallas and Oakland, I respectfully defer to those with better judgment and knowledge on these matters. I will say that Mayor Dellums will be fair and honest as he works to address the crisis. Can you believe the comity of former Texas congressman Tom DeLay (yes, that Tom DeLay) when Dellums retired from congress and his position as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee?
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay described Dellums as “…one of the most giving, open and stalwart, a real stalwart man when he was Chairman”
We are losing one of its finest Members, a Member that I have great respect for, because he always did his homework, was so articulate and eloquent on this floor. He always got my attention when he stood up and took the microphone. He would stop every Member in their tracks to hear what he had to say, and there are very few Members that have served in this body that can claim the respect that both sides of the aisle had for the gentleman from California. And the incredible reputation that the gentleman from California has brought to this House; he has elevated this House. He has elevated the distinction of this House by serving here, and this House will greatly miss him when he leaves.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Dellums
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comity
Comity: a friendly social atmosphere; a loose widespread community based on common social institutions.
UPDATE: I just read about a neo soul artist called Wayna being arrested at the airport in Houston for having a collapsible billy club in her carryon bag. She uses the baton as a stage prop her song “Billy Club.” The artist is a University of Maryland grad who worked in the Clinton White House as a writer. The Billy Club song is over Run DMC’s “King of Rock” with rock guitars… nice. Neo soul makes the old school proud and hopeful about the future of hip hop.
Bottomline: don’t mess with Texas—Florida or Georgia for that matter. The president and the Attorney General are Black but in the middle of the night when those blue lights are in your rearview mirror think, “I fought the law and the law won;” be cool and collect information and evidence in case you need to sue—litigation and settlements are American way.
Project Logic Ga 
Sidenote: the brothers on the Hill in the 80s admired Dellums’ intelligence and style, and his strikingly beautiful wife Roscoe. I step on the elevator in the Rayburn Building one day and Chairman Dellums was there with Roscoe. Evidently, she had just returned from Africa and was wearing some natural blend of African oils and fragrances.
That blend touches the “Africa” in his African-American. What are we going to do with faux Negroes like me with Blue passports who have been all over the world but never stepped foot on African soil. I could have taken a ferry from southern Spain to north Africa (Jerry and the Peace Corp alums say that is not really Africa) but I knew the minute someone said something anti-American to me, it would be on. I know, Africa is my next trip.
Anyway, Chairman Dellums, who had to be 6’6”, looked down at me and smiled as if to say, “one day, young brother, you might have a stunning wife also.”
The situation that occurred in Plano, Texas was tragic indeed. The police officer was a 25-year old with THREE years on the police force. There lies the problem. It’s apparent he either wasn’t raised by parents who exhibited compassion or he was such a ‘hard head’ that he didn’t pick up on that human quality. There was no reason for him to display the attitude and demeanor that he did. Yes, police officers are sworn to protect and serve. And I appreciate that. But this police officer abused his power of the badge and his weapon. What a shame. Especially since there are SO many good cops. Even his Police Chief was ’embarrassed’ after viewing the video of the incident. (I bet he wanted to go in a back room somewhere and kick his butt). Immaturity played a key role in this deputies’ behaviour. Unlike Moats. He displayed a level of restraint that would have been hard for any man. Especially under those circumstances. Obviously he was brought up by parents who taught him manners. How to respect the law. And that he did. I think Moats behaviour and how he handled this potentially volatile incident should be used as a model for our young men (and some older men). A video could be developed to show how to act in a situation like this. Maybe the gang violence, black on black crime, and crime, in general, would decrease, as a result.
HBA: I respectfully disagree with you. Some of the public outpour comes from Moats being a football star and/or a nice guy. If that was the average guy, the situation might be different. I have no problem with Moats during the evidence and support him on the field as a new national role model.
My concern is with (get ready) the daughter and the lady who went into the hospital over the officer’s orders and commands. HBA, you have close friends in law enforcement in the Augusta area—hearing them on your radio show which streams weekdays via the net. One of your friends gets behind a guy running lights one night and the car pulls up the trauma center at the Medical College of Georgia.
Your friend tells the people in the car to stay in the car and gets ignored. He then tells two women to stop and not enter the hospital and gets ignored again. Large men get out of the car and your friend calls for backup.
The worst-case scenario:
The two women go into the hospital and dispose of evidence from a violent crime or they flush heroin in the toilet. The two women, knowing the quality of drugs in the car, call nearby gang members to ambush the officer before backup arrives.
Powell is wrong for a having a flip mouth before an office must control the situation.
I must admit that I have never heard of the artist Wayna. But I’ll have to say that as I looked at that video, I thought she was going to hit the guitarist in the head with the billy club. I see the point in the prop. I got it. But be careful with that thing, Wayna. As far as carrying it around in the airport, I can see why airport security would be concerned based on the video alone not to mention other airport rules and regulations. I’m sure Wayna meant well. As we use to say back in my army reservist days, “That’s a weapon.” Peace out. Niko
Niko: Are you sure you don’t want to talk about how you young Hill staffers would swoon over Dellums back in the day.