Toward the end of 2014 I decided to sit down and revisit the Jimmy Cliff film The Harder They Come (click here). It was an odd choice for a December movie, I know, but it was sitting on the shelf and I wanted to watch it again. First released in 1972, it wouldn't be until late 1978 that I would first see this classic Jamaican film.
I went at the request of a couple of friends of mine. I am forever indebted, of course. Both of them loved the Clash, and by 1978 the Clash were pulling hard on the reggae and rockabilly roots in their sound. The Jimmy Cliff movie had a certain appeal because of that connection. We caught it at an art movie house showing with a another Jamaican film called Rockers (click here).
I absolutely fell in love with the movies, both of them, and the accompanying soundtracks. Unlike some of the more popular reggae that was accessible at the time- particularly that of Bob Marley- these soundtracks were dirtier and had a rougher appeal to my teenage head. I found that Toots and the Maytals, and Peter Tosh, and thee Upsetter Lee Scratch Perry had way more to offer than the more docile and passive Marley.
Rockers was cute. It was essentially a Robin Hood parable and it worked as one. But the grittiness of The Harder They Come was something much more compelling and engaging on a number of levels. Comparing the two films would be like comparing Errol Flynn in Robin Hood to Martin Sheen in Badlands.
In the movie, Cliff plays Ivanhoe Martin, a 'rude boy' loosely based on the life of real life criminal Ivanhoe Rhyging Martin (click here). Rhyging was something of a folk hero and legendary Jamaican outlaw. In the movie Cliff's Ivan apes and imitates the outlaws he sees in films. The Italian spaghetti film Django (click here) plays in the theater, and at one point Ivan and his friends watch as Django beats insurmountable odds in a shootout. The link between screen fantasy and real-life delusion is firmly established as the character finds himself increasingly unable to find legitimate work. He drifts toward criminal activity, and ultimately finds fame as an outlaw.
The mere fact that a movie based on Rhyging some thirty years after his exploits would become one of the single most popular and successful films from the Caribbean speaks volumes. In a parallel way, the heroic outlaw model of Rhyging being laid down in celluloid was similar to what was happening in the United States with popular crime and gangster films such as Bonnie and Clyde (1967), In Cold Blood (1967), Bloody Mama (1970), The Getaway (1972), and The Godfather (1972). The hero/outlaw in film was hardly a new or novel thing.
A Left Turn
It got me to thinking though. How many of us were goofy nerdy kids that stayed that way well into our twenties? I know that my friends and I used to wear fedoras and trench coats and pretend we were the Untouchables. Silly as it may seem, we did this well into our twenties. I doubt that we were unique in our immaturity.
I have stated for years that eighteen year olds aren't necessarily adults in any eyes except that of the law. That said, many twenty somethings I have know in life were hardly capable of being self-supporting citizens of the world.
Apparently, I am not alone in that belief.
Late Setting Adolescence
Back in September, 2013, the BBC ran a series of articles regarding a new model of adolescence. Of course, this could simply be a ploy for funding. However, I do see a certain wisdom in this way of thinking. There aren't absolutes when it comes to emotional maturity.
That is exactly what is being suggested by neuroscience experts in the United Kingdom (click here). Experts suggest not only does adolescence occur later in childhood, but that it can last until the mid-twenties.
"The idea that suddenly at 18 you're an adult just doesn't quite ring true," says child psychologist Laverne Antrobus, who works at London's Tavistock Clinic.
"Neuroscience has made these massive advances where we now don't think that things just stop at a certain age, that actually there's evidence of brain development well into early twenties and that actually the time at which things stop is much later than we first thought," says Antrobus.
There are three stages of adolescence - early adolescence from 12-14 years, middle adolescence from 15-17 years and late adolescence from 18 years and over.
Neuroscience has shown that a young person's cognitive development continues into this later stage and that their emotional maturity, self-image and judgement will be affected until the prefrontal cortex of the brain has fully developed.Keeping this in mind, then, let's consider how our society views young people, and the maturity that young adults are navigating and negotiating. Current thinking in the area of neuroscience- which studies the brain and its functions- is that young adults are still organizing and reorganizing input data. They are not as adult as they may think they are.
According to clinical psychologist Sarah Helps, in the sidebar of said article:
We used to think that the brain was fully developed by very early teenagerhood and we now realise that the brain doesn't stop developing until mid-20s or even early 30s. There's a lot more information and evidence to suggest that actually brain development in various forms goes on throughout the life span.
Over the course of adolescence the way in which information is processed is dramatically changing, and what new scanning techniques have shown has enabled us to demonstrate what the neurological changes are.
This is particularly important in terms of social reasoning, planning, problem solving and understanding. So the brain is reorganising itself, which then means that different thinking strategies are used as your brain becomes more like an adult brain.
Now. Where am I going with this, asks you?
I want you to consider what training should look like for police officers who receive 6 figure salaries. (That is more than I make with a MA in Education and 25+ years in the field, btw.)
Should higher ranked and higher paid police officers be knowledgeable in psychology? Should they have more than basic background knowledge in mental health? Or is that asking too much of them?
Now. Take a moment to consider Darrien Hunt- the black Samurai in Utah. He was 22 years old.
Was his behavior consistent with what neuroscientists project as 'adolescent-like' behavior. A young black man, dressed up like a cartoon character, who was shot to death while walking down the street with a toy sword that he had borrowed from his younger brother.
A younger brother who is autistic. A younger brother who- like his mother and siblings- was interrogated by the police in the hours following the shooting death of his brother.
Again, I ask: was Darrien Hunt on the autism spectrum? Or was he simply a nerdy, misunderstood kid that had raised the ire and eyebrows of the mostly white community where he lived, and especially raised the ire of a high ranking Saratoga Springs Police officer?
Is Matt Shauerhamer, the Highest Paid Killer in Utah?
Matt Shauerhamer was one of two police officers that shot Darrien Hunt to death in Saratoga Springs, Utah. He is paid over $100,000 a year. That's a lot of cash. He is a ranking Corporal in that police department. That puts him closer to the top of the game than to the bottom.
In other words, he is paid a great deal of money. That is probably based on his knowledge and on his experience. Keep this in mind as I ask the questions- and make the statements- that are to follow.
1. Did Matthew Shauerhamer have a previous history, or even a run-in with Darrien Hunt? Did he know Darrien Hunt, or know of Darrien Hunt prior to the incident that ended Darrien's life?
2. Why wasn't Matthew Shauerhamer's body cam operating the day he shot Darrien Hunt?
3. After Darrien Hunt was shot three times- including being shot in the arm and the shoulder- how was it possible that he was still in possession of the toy katana?
4. Why were Darrien Hunt's pants down past his knees when he died on that Utah sidewalk? Was it because he was running and couldn't hold them up? How is it possible that he couldn't hold up his pants, but could somehow hold a tow sword and swing it after being shot three times?
5. What threat did Darrien Hunt pose necessitating shooting him in the back as he fled for his life?
I will discuss this at a later time. Let it suffice that I know the answers to most of the questions already.
Station Break
Oopsie. In a "sorry honey I didn't know it was loaded" moment, a Chief of Police in Peachtree, Georgia accidentally shot his wife (click here).
Peachtree City Police responded to the home of Chief William McCollom at approximately 4:17 a.m. ET, Lt. Mark Brown said in a news conference. McCollom called 911 saying he accidentally shot his wife, Margaret McCollom, with his service weapon, according to Sherry Lang, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman. The victim was airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center after officers arrived, according to Brown.
McCollom reportedly told a 911 dispatcher he had shot his wife twice. However, investigators found the woman to have been shot only once, Lang stated. Investigators would not say where the victim was struck. McCollom has been placed on administrative leave.
Looks like the chief will not only be out of work for a while, I am willing to bet he's going to be sleeping on the couch for a while. Happy New Year!
He Sure as Hell Ain't Hemingway
Corporal Matthew Schauerhamer fancied himself as a writer in the time period before he became a back-shooting cowboy. Words speak louder that thunder, and this was the thunder emulating from our favorite Rash Suffering Body Cam Rejector. Keep in mind, taxpayers pay this guy six figures. Under the nesting Advertising Drug Culture, Shauerhamer begins by alluding to the possibility that he might be a cowboy (click here).
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| Parenting advice from Utah's top shelf dad. |
If I told you I owned Wrangler jeans, cowboy boots, spurs and a cowboy hat, you would probably assume I was a cowboy. It would stand to reason that I probably own horses and cows. It would stand to reason that I probably spend time listening to country music, riding trails, throwing hay, and driving T-posts into the ground. While anyone is capable of going to the nearest Cal Ranch and purchasing Western attire, the most common owner of Western apparel is a cowboy.
From his cowboy introduction, Corporal Matty then gives us parents some advice on clothing and the stoners who where it. It is almost laughable save for the fact that somewhere in Utah somebody actually buys into this tripe. That is equally hilarious and frightening.
Every culture has specific styles, trends and unique trademarks that are generally associated with it – and that includes the drug culture. If parents are able to familiarize themselves with the specific trends of drug culture, they will be more likely to recognize if their child is descending into the culture and subcultures that drug users associate with. It will be easier for parents to distinguish whether their child is using or associating with people who use drugs.At this juncture, the Utah Hemingwhy then gets technical on us, letting us all in on some insider information that only a world weary sheriff or a Hollywood insider would be able to figure out.
Some brands such as Seedless are in-your-face and do little to disguise the fact they are drug related. Their shirts flaunt marijuana leaves, bud, stoned looking cartoon characters, and a “green lifestyle.” The green lifestyle being promoted isn’t about building solar farms in the desert or reducing a carbon footprint. It is associated with marijuana and its use.At this juncture our Dope is for Dopes instructor alerts us to the evils of Bob Marley, a devout rastafarian who promoted peace and love through his music.
Bob Marley and his music are sublime to some people. Just because you have an entire archive on your iPod that is specifically dedicated to Bob Marley, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a drug user. Having George Strait’s greatest hits on your iPod doesn’t mean you’re a cowboy.
However, if your child is listening to Bob Marley’s “Kaya,” is wearing a Bob Marley shirt with Bob Marley on it smoking a joint, has a Bob Marley poster in his room, and is wearing a Rasta hat (red, yellow and green), it is highly likely your child is highly high. If they have Rasta colored anything, it is a good bet your child uses or hangs out with drug users. Oh, and by the way – if your child hangs out with drug users, your child’s probability of being a drug user goes up exponentially.So. according to the highest paid killer in Utah, if your kid wears red, yellow and green, it is probable that he is "A Rasta." Not only does this smack of pre-code Reefer Madness paranoia, it also suggests that the following counties are guilty of Rasta-ism: Benin, Bolivia, Burkina-Faso, Camaroon, republic of Congo, Grenada, Guinea, Lithuania, Mali, and Senegal (click here).
Thanks for the heads up. Pardon the pun, man.
“SRH” stands for “Supporting Radical Habits” according to its founder and was generally adopted by action sport junkies like skaters, BMX riders, snowboarders and surfers. The SRH brand was established by Kevin Zinger, a rapper for Kottonmouth Kings. Anyone who has ever listened to Kottonmouth Kings’ horrible music knows they generally have one message and that one message is about drug use. SRH’s more acknowledged meaning is “Stoners Reeking Havoc.” SRH gear generally has a large spade on it. The spade associated with this clothing brand is so mainstreamed now that simply wearing it makes you a walking billboard proclaiming to the police, “I use drugs! Arrest me now!”I have a friend who wears a Motorhead Ace of Spades t-shirt. I always thought the message was "FTW" and "Bad Ass" and "Biker." I am glad this has been cleared up.
Now I know that the real message is, "I'm a stoner! Put me in jail!"
The music genre known as “Electronica” or in my opinion “that really awful music they play at raves,” has a vibrant drug culture associated with it. People attending dance parties and raves are frequently hospitalized because of copious mixtures of psychedelic amphetamines (ecstasy or MDMA), and other stimulants. MDMA users talk about some girl named “Molly” and wonder where she has gone. Molly is just another name for the active ingredient in Ecstasy. Its users may wear “Molly” apparel, a shirt with the molecular makeup for MDMA, “I party naked” apparel, or something as seemingly innocent as a “music is my religion” shirt.I didn't realize that my favorite electronica band, Kraftwerk, were in reality a gateway drug to MDMA. It's a good thing that a Utah Police officer has got my back.
I just hope he and his posse don't fill it full of bullets.
Different music subcultures are so closely related to drug use that advertising the music is like advertising the drugs themselves. Artists such as Wiz Khalifa is the modern-day poster boy for weed. Lil Wayne is infamous for codeine abuse also known as “Sizzurp or purple drank.” The Insane Clown Posse with its “Juggalo and Jugalette” parishioners are associated with basically any drug ever used, ever. They have such predominant, mainstreamed drug abuse tones and references in their music that it is impossible to ignore their overt advertisement of drug lifestyles.Everyone knows that the Insane Clown Posse aren't to be trusted. They drink Faygo sodapop. No one in their right mind drinks that crap. Besides that...... they are clowns for crying out loud. Duh.
There are many different types of advertising used in the drug culture. Some of them are overt. Some of them are obscured and secretive. It is impossible to cover them all in just one article. Drug users often don’t care who knows they are drug users. They sometimes flaunt their drug use. Others want to be more discreet in their advertisement so the layman doesn’t realize they are supporting drug use.
Just because someone likes a certain kind of music or wears certain colors doesn’t necessarily mean they are drug users. When I put on my cowboy hat, jeans, spurs, and boots, however, I am generally going to ride my horse and that means anyone else with a horse is more than welcome to come with me (that’s an analogy).Wait. What's an analogy again? I forgot.
No Doubt About it, Once a Lawyer is Called... Poof!
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| A September, 2014 post |
This is the stupidest thing I have ever seen, but since it is a national obsession right now, I guess they will get away with it. Darrien was not killed because he had a sword, because he was black, because his pants were sagging; he was shot and killed because he did not respond to a legitimate and reasonable direction from a law enforcement officer. As the original 911 caller, I have had to listen to all of this crap being slung at the police, and I feel like it is also against me because I made the call that sent the police. I sent the police with the words that it was "probably nothing," and that I was probably being paranoid, I just wanted to make sure that people were safe.
The police didn't go expecting to walk into a violent situation, but most likely a misunderstanding. It was Darrien who decided that the situation was going to escalate by not listening to the police, caring about the nervousness of the people around him, and to ultimately make some kind of aggressive posture that made the police feel the need to draw their weapons.
Was I wrong to want the police to check out a suspicious man carrying a sword; to avoid the possibility that maybe he wanted to hurt people? I have family and friends all over the area there, and if he had gone into store and hurt someone, I would not sleep another night of my life peacefully knowing i could have said or done something.
And Carrying a sword, as so many have pointed out, is not illegal. I am a knife and gun enthusiast, but you would never catch me open carrying a weapon like that; not because I can't, but because it makes people nervous, and I want to be respectful of others. I don't walk into a store with a machete, a spear, an AK-47, a sword, a tomahawk, or anything else of the like slung to my back. Legally I am allowed to, but in this day and age with so many workplace, school and public instances of violence, why stir the pot. I have a legally obtained CCW, so I can still protect myself, but I am not trying to make other people feel uncomfortable or scared. And by carrying a sword, real or fake, sharp or dull, in a public place was irresponsible, stupid, ill-advised, and ultimately fatal.
And any of the bleeding heart liberals who say or think that they would not have stayed as far away from this dude as possible if they saw him in the same store, carrying a sword, around their children or loved ones, are lying to you and themselves. I hate that his mother and father think that they can sue the police for doing their job.
The police shot Darrien doing their job because the Hunts did not do their job; and having worked in a juvenile lock down facility, I can say that with some experience and authority. His mother, as soon as he was shot, started making excuses for him carrying a sword into town. That maybe he was taking it to a potential job interview at Panda Express to impress someone? What kind of logic is that!? How does that make sense to anyone. And how could she think that was a good reason to leave the house with a sword!?
If my son tried that, I would definitely stop him so that he did not hurt anyone, get himself hurt, or give an incorrect impression. Your son is dead because you did not teach him appropriate boundaries, and to respect not only the police, but the every-day folks who would be nervous around a sword carrying nutcase. Lets put the blame where it belongs. What if he had stabbed or killed one of the police officers that confronted him? Do those men not have the right to go home to their families safe at night? Should they have waited another 5 seconds before firing their weapons, just in case the kid swinging the sword at them "really didn't mean to hurt anyone."
The minute that Darrien skinned his sword (removed it from the sheath), he announced to the world his intentions, and we have no right to judge the officers who reacted to Darriens actions. They met force with force, and Darrien brought a sword to a gunfight; how did he think that was going to go? And once again, it was Darrien who decided that a pretty standard stop and talk encounter with the cops turned into a homicide.
Once anyone makes that many bad choices, it is way past too late to go back and say he didn't mean it, or that he was treated the way he was because of his skin color; he was treated as a man carrying a sword in a public place. He was stopped by the police to find out if he was okay, and to see if he had any ill intentions (a.k.a protecting the public) and then he turned the whole thing on it's ear. No one else; Darrien did that.
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| The Source |
This is more than just a faux-pas, by the way. Besides the fact that he accepts the possibility that his phone call may have set this in motion, he goes on to blame the parents (victimizing the victims), and to repeatedly point out that Darrien made a number of poor choices.
Apparently Steven Spencer didn't feel that he himself was making a whopper of a mistake by leaving a digital record like this one. Ooopsie.
It is also interesting that this alleged potential witness referred to the action of the police as a homicide. That word is defined as the deliberate and unlawful killing of one person by another; murder.
After being blasted by a number of supporters of the Hunt family, Steven Spencer left another post.
It is sad and unfortunate for Darrien, his family, and for anyone who knew and loved him that he died. I regret that. I regret when anyone looses their life before their time. And I do know very well what that feels like. But I also cannot make excuses for Darrien. He made some bad choices that led to his death. He did not choose to die, but he chose to carry a sword in public (not illegal) and to draw that sword (ILLEGAL) on an officer. That choice is on him, and him alone.Postdrip
Apparently that was the last of Steven Spencer's hollow bleatings. When I returned to access the post, everything he had posted was removed. In fact, the entire page was gone. That is to say that this has already been removed from Facebook.
That doesn't mean that it is lost, however.
So. Is he the real deal, or was that a plant? I am not one to suppose. But it was an interesting bit of information, and it illustrates just how screwed up people are. There are a great deal of sketchy people on this planet.
And because I ask questions, I am lucky enough to have them sniffing around.
The Road to Hell is Paved with the Best of Intentions
Choices being what they are- Mr. Spencer pointed out- are on the decision maker, and the decision maker alone. 911 phone calls have frequently gone horribly wrong, and examples of this can be found almost daily, I fear.
That said, without the intervention of the police, and the well wishers who dialed 911, there would be a few young men still wandering around on our planet.
Kelly Thomas. Darrien Hunt. John Crawford. Kendrec McDade. All of them died at the hands of police after a 911 call alerted law enforcement. And rightly or wrongly- some of those callers were held accountable for those calls.
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| The Voice of Hate. |
Now that the family of Darrien Hunt has filed a lawsuit, many of the ill advised are stepping out from under their bridges. That is clearly the case with the genius 911 phone caller. But others have also stepped out to throw barbs. Believe me when I tell you, there are worse ones I have saved.
One thing has been consistent though. There is enough hate directed at this family to send this entire planet to Hell. And maybe that's where these people belong.
Darrien Hunt's Family Files a Lawsuit
Finally acting on a lawsuit when all other avenues have failed, the family of Darrien Hunt- the cosplaying black Samurai who was shot in the back multiple times by arastafarian hating (click here)uber-thug with a badge- have filed against the Saratoga Springs Police Department. KSL (click here) reported that the parents of Darrien Hunt will file a wrongful death lawsuit on Friday.
The parents of Darrien Hunt claim in a wrongful death lawsuit that Saratoga Springs police illegally shot and killed their son.
Susan Hunt and Curtis Hunt claim Cpl. Matt Schauerhamer and officer Nicholas Judson violated their son's right to openly carry a sword and improperly used deadly force when he declined to give it up after they confronted him...
Furthermore, Darrien Hunt's parents say police tried to cover up their actions with conflicting accounts of Hunt swinging the sword before they opened fire on him, according to draft of the lawsuit Sykes and attorney Karra Porter plan to file Friday in U.S. District Court. Porter represents Hunt's father.
Interestingly, the myriad of civil rights violations are not what seem to be driving the lawsuits- but an interesting 2nd Amendment twist is clearly noted. The open carry aspect is what is most curious in this particular case.
Unlike other black men murdered and executed by the police in America in recent months, Darrien Hunt was openly carrying a toy sword (katana) and as an adult in Utah, was fully within his rights to do so.
His mother's claim that this was an execution based on color cannot- and should not- be overlooked. Darrien Hunt's "crime" was being a black man- and assuming that he was entitled to the same protections as the white men who shot him to death.
Deseret News (click here) also ran a similar story:
Lawyers for both of Hunt's parents disagreed with the findings, saying Hunt posed no threat to the officers and people in the area and that the shooting was unjustified.
Judson told Utah County investigators that Hunt drew the sword up over his head and swung at Schauerhamer. Yet Schauerhamer told investigators Hunt jumped toward Judson with the sword, according the lawsuit.
"They couldn't get their own stories straight. We don't believe he swung the sword, but if he did, he's now fleeing and he's not a danger to anybody. There was no reason to use deadly force, even if their story is correct," Sykes said.
The lawsuit contends that the first two shots would not have been fatal. Hunt tripped or fell to the ground because of his loose-fitting pants during the chase, allowing Schauerhamer to catch up to him.
"It was unreasonable for him to basically finish Darrien off as he was falling," Sykes said. Hunt was killed by one or more of the final three shots, according to the suit.
Neither of the officers told Hunt that he was under arrest or that they intended to take him into custody, the lawsuit states.
"At no time did either Schauerhamer or Judson tell Darrien that they would stop shooting if he stopped running," the suit says.
If the family are careful not to settle and rule out other avenues, it will be the first of many lessons the Utah County Attorney Buhrman (click here)will learn for future reference when he justifies and excuses trash: don't cover up abhorrent behavior of killers, nor support and excuse rogue cops.
REDRUM
Yesterday I posted a blip on Facebook and discussed the recent news in this case. I wrote
for whatever reason (maybe he wasn't black enough ..... or white enough) this story has not raised the eyebrows, nor ruffled the feathers of a number of autism rights advocates nor the outrage of people of color who have taken to the streets for other murdered young men. i for one welcome this lawsuit, but don't believe it is as far reaching as it should be.As is often the case, when I put something out there in the world, there are a myriad of others who share a much more precise and focused point of view. Yesterday was no different. The idea that human beings, like many animals, attack members of the species who do not fit comfortably in the pack rings true in the world view of many of the people who run in my circles.
The kid was shot because he was a weirdo. Weirdos are even discriminated against by their own kind. Being a weirdo is often a high reward high risk situation. I'd like to think in an alternate universe he went all Bruce Lee on those dipshit cops and skewered them both with his toy sword.Another friend of mine hit a home run with her response. It was the kind of statement that kicked this whole thing into gear this morning, and inspired me to take a break from my vacation to stop being selfish and get to work.
Honestly, I think it's prejudice against the Nerdish-American community. People (at least the kind of people who are obsessed with looking cool, i.e. uptight idiots) are so afraid to be seen associating with anything geeky like cosplay. I'm into some pretty geeky stuff, so I know.You sure did. And my head is ringing. And I am wondering the same thing. What hope do the dorks and nerds and quirky outsiders have when they fall prey to the hawks of this world?
