March 8, 2015

"There was outrage in a 4-hour rally as hundreds of marchers chanted 'The whole damn system is guilty as hell'... "

"... as they moved from Downtown to 1125 Williamson St., where Robinson of Madison was shot by a white officer."
“If you want me to be poised and patient and polite, you’re not getting that today,” said [Kaleem Caire, former head of the Urban League of Greater Madison and founder of One City Early Learning Center], his voice rising with passion. “When you walk out of here today I don’t want to have unity, I want to have action. I want to have purpose. I’m tired of holding hands. Hold these babies’ hands.”

Caire said his anger grew in recent days as he heard about the gang-related shooting last Saturday outside West Towne Mall and then about another man firing shots at police officers Friday on the Southwest Side.

“When these boys shot up that mall, I wanted to round them up and give them an old-fashioned butt whuppin’,” he said. “I am dead serious. You can’t come into this city and do this mess. But we don’t tell our kids this. Our own people don’t do enough for our kids. We sit back and let tragedy strike.”

55 comments:

traditionalguy said...

So how's the voting rights act working out for the black community in Madison.

Birches said...

It's sounds like the family doesn't want to be involved as agitprop. Good for them.

m stone said...

A lot of platitudes and generalities thrown about in the article quotes.

The second para says it all. And that's the reporter speaking.

Caire sounded the most specific and sensible.

Sal said...

“This is Madison’s defining moment and we’re here for a reason. What we have to do from this point forward is something different than we’ve done heretofore.”

My suggestion is to start putting armed robbers in prison where they belong.

David said...

It's hard to believe that the first 4 commenters read the article.

The man was saying that the black community failed the children by not enforcing standards. This is what a whole bunch of Althouse commenters, me included, have been asking for over and over. So now someone says it and you trash him? WTF?

The chant is another matter. Blaming "the whole system" is so unspecific that it makes no person or institution accountable. There is accountability beyond the black community as well, plenty of it, but the greatest power to effect change lies in the black community itself.

David said...

rereading i see i failed to read the first four comments carefully enough. So I was guilty of the crime I complained of. I retroactively limit my comment to the first commenter, traditional guy, with apologies to theothers.

Lyle said...

Truth!!!

Krumhorn said...

I read every word of the article, and I can't say that I wasn't better off before I sat down to read it.

There's a lot of ventilating and chest-thumping, but all anyone knows right now is that an unarmed black kid was shot by a police officer responding to a call of a "disturbance" in an apartment.

All this 'black lives matter' drivel is irrelevant. My default position is, black, white or Asian, police lives matter until I learn compelling facts that suggest that the 'community' has a righteous beef about racial injustice at the hands of the cops. So far, whether in Ferguson, Staten Island or Madison, no such evidence is remotely compelling.

- Krumhorn

I'm Full of Soup said...

There was a Tony Robinson who convicted of an armed home invasion last fall right? If it is the same person who was killed on Friday, why is that not being reported by the MSM?

Otto said...

Where is Robinson's father? His mother's name is Irwin, so are they divorced? Who was the kid living with? Does he have a police record? Is there going to be an autopsy? Any witnesses? Go to work Ann.

chickelit said...

“That community said, ‘Enough,’” said M Adams, a leader of the Young, Gifted and Black Coalition. “They went into the streets and they forced justice where there would be none. That is what we need to do here.”

That's the most emptiest rhetoric of the article. Ferguson did nothing of the sort -- even Eric Holder concurred. This is agitprop designed to stir the streets.

William said...

Bill Cosby was a serial rapist (or had the great bad luck of dating dozens of publicity hungry liars). One of his latest victims came forward and said that she didn't protest sooner because she, a black woman, didn't want to besmirch the reputation of a black man.......Something similar seems to be going on with the Martin, Brown, and now Robinson cases. These were troubled kids from chaotic families. There doesn't seem to be a single black person who can publicly say that this and indicate that this was part of the dynamic of their early death......My guess is that Martin, Brown, and Robinson slapped around various members of their black peer group before their untimely end. There's not much chance that such a person would come forward and complain about his ill treatment, or, for that matter, the media would report his complaints.......By my count, Trayvon Martin had three mothers and a mostly absentee father. What are the chances that any public figure would suggest that they lacked parenting skills?

Anonymous said...

“This is not a moment, this is not a day, this is a movement,” said Brandi Grayson, another coalition leader.

She warned people not to be distracted by what she said will be attempts by police and others to divide the community.


Ultimately this won't end well for the community if the voices of reason are considered to be the divisive ones.

steve uhr said...

Has Sharpton arrived yet?

steve uhr said...

Seems like a bad idea to release the name of the officer so soon after the shooting given the anger in the community. The presumption at this point should be that he did nothing wrong but in Madison in cases like this you are guilty and must prove your innocence.

I hope his family is in a safe hiding place.

Abdul Abulbul Amir said...

Compare the lack of "black lives matter" for Jamiel Shae.

Stephen Taylor said...

There's a great article at the Daily Mail with lots of background on the victim. He wasn't a choirboy. Already on probation for an earlier armed robbery. Paternity suit. Bragging about drug use on Twitter.

The Daily Mail. Doing the reporting the American media just won't do, mainly because they aren't supporting a narrative.

paminwi said...

Robinson’s mother, Andrea Irwin talked Saturday morning to WKOW and said, “My son has never been a violent person."

He was convicted of ARMED home invasion. That is a violent crime.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/armed-robbery/tony-robinson-shooting-890562

chickelit said...

The whole damn system is guilty as hell

Nobody's right if everybody's wrong


FWIW

Rusty said...

ppzrently black lives don't matter much to other black people.

Michael K said...

"we can’t allow anything to happen that would be embarrassing to this family and this young man’s legacy."

Like truth. The British newspapers are essential for learning what is going on in this country.

Gahrie said...

Between abortion and gang murders, the biggest threat to Black lives is other Black people.

MaxedOutMama said...

David - that was my understanding of it as well.

Whatever happened to get Tony Robinson to the situation in which he blew up and attacked a police officer appears to be the problem. It is not a simple solution, but just blaming the police won't change anything and probably will cause other arrests.

There is of course individual responsibility, and the shooting has to be investigated. But what led up to it suggests that the central problem is not the police, and it seemed to me that the one speaker was implying that.

Michael K said...

"was sentenced to six months in jail but a judge stayed the execution of the custodial term. He began serving a three-year probation period in December."

There's the cause of death. Had the judge made him serve his term, he would be alive and maybe a little smarter.

Curious George said...

"Robinson’s mother, Andrea Irwin, said that, “My son has never been a violent person. And to die in such a violent, violent way, it baffles me.”"

Uh, Andrea:

"the teen--whose handle included the name “Tony Montana” tweeted “Real nigga from the start till the casket shut.”

Still baffled?

Drago said...

Michael K: "Had the judge made him serve his term, he would be alive and maybe a little smarter."

Unfortunately, that is assuming far too much.

MaxedOutMama said...

Michael K @ 2:43 - I noticed that line too, but I think in context it meant that there shouldn't be violent protest or disorder.

I also noticed the sad irony here:
The reality that Madison had more in common with Ferguson, Missouri, than most residents would have imagined was not lost on the leaders of the march earlier Saturday

“That community said, ‘Enough,’” said M Adams, a leader of the Young, Gifted and Black Coalition. “They went into the streets and they forced justice where there would be none. That is what we need to do here.”


Because of course the shooting was ruled justified, so it doesn't seem that anything was accomplished, other than violence, destruction of local businesses, and more arrests of young black people.


lemondog said...

"black lives matter"

Yes, but which ones.

Philadelphia officer shot dead while buying a gift for his son

alan markus said...

Where is Robinson's father? His mother's name is Irwin, so are they divorced? Who was the kid living with?

Not going to "dox" the family here, but according to the court records, his address at time of arrest was his mother's (townhouse). And it is not the location where he was killed (his apartment). Media reports that he was a graduate of Sun Prairie High School. Sun Prairie is a suburb about 12 miles east of Madison. According to court records, there is a "Tony Robinson" about 20 years older living in Sun Prairie a lengthy record but mostly traffic and misdemeanors.

Tank said...

Andrew Branca has an informative and entertaining post on this over at Legal Insurrection.

n.n said...

Assimilation and integration. The diversity advocates, community organizers, and minority leaders are not doing anyone any favors other than themselves. Also, accountability from afar does not work. The reform begins at home with mom and dad.

H said...

If you really want to stop police shootings take guns away from the police. It's very simple and very effective.

I suggested this in an earlier thread and some replied that crime would go up if police were disarmed. Perhaps so, but it's a small price to pay.

If you are primarily concerned about stopping crime, stop complaining about the quite rare inappropriate police shootings. If you are primarily concerned about police shootings, disarm the police.

alan markus said...

Tank said: Andrew Branca has an informative and entertaining post on this over at Legal Insurrection.

alan markus said...

I have seen a few local reports that in 2007 the officer fatally shot someone armed with a pellet gun - "suicide by cop" scenario.

Officer who shot teen involved in deadly 2007 shooting

chickelit said...

H said...I suggested this in an earlier thread and some replied that crime would go up if police were disarmed. Perhaps so, but it's a small price to pay.

Are you Piers Morgan? If so, please take a short walk.

The better retort to your notion was that the police would quit and I wouldn't blame them. Perhaps thugs should rule in your fantasy world, but not in mine.

Michael K said...

You know, what is interesting in that Philadelphia story is that 50 shots were fired and the cop did not hit either perp. The Michael Brown protestors might consider how close he had to be to be hit. Most cops are not that good shots.

Diogenes of Sinope said...

They need to hurry up with their outrage before the facts catch up.

H said...

Chicklit: I agree that some police would quit if they couldn't carry guns; but those are the police that we would like to quit, right? And no doubt the Madison police force would attract other applicants who would appreciate the chance to fight crime non-violently.

The worst thing that could happen is that the experiment fails horribly, and then we could re-arm the police. But I think there is a real opportunity for Madison to show the rest of the country how (whether) a dis-armed police force could work.

bleh said...

Why do people get so upset about violent criminals being killed by police?

The uproar over that kid getting shot in the Ohio park I can understand. I can even understand the uproar over Eric Garner.

But Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and now this Tony Robinson character. I don't get why the protesters and the media obsess over these thugs and try to make them into something they aren't. The fact that I don't remember the Ohio kid's name tells you that it received relatively little attention compared to the violent thugs.

Laslo Spatula said...

My Emotional Support Negro has already explained all of this to me.

I am Laslo.

chickelit said...

H wrote: The worst thing that could happen is that the experiment fails horribly, and then we could re-arm the police.

No, the worst thing is that some unarmed officer follows a Tony Robinson into a potential crimes scene and is beaten senseless or killed for it, with no means of self-defense. Put a face on that too, H.

Guildofcannonballs said...

You name a white dude Tony Robbins and he germs paid millions of dollars a year to talk about reaching your potential and shit.

You name a black kid Tony Robinson and he gets shot to death before reaching legal drinking age.

Drago said...

NotquiteunBuckley: "You name a white dude Tony Robbins and he germs paid millions of dollars a year to talk about reaching your potential and shit."

You left out white Tony Robbins being a failure, fat and living in squalor before changing his life and succeeding.

So much easier to pretend it was all handed to him.

averagejoe said...

Police chief Koval has certainly not done the citizens of Madison any favors with his response to this shooting. The first public statement he made was to show support for protesters, welcome them to Madison, and assure them that they would have no problems with any police getting in the way of whatever they wanted to do. His next public statement was to name the officer involved, and to add that he also shot someone 7 years ago. I assume he thinks his words are going to appease the angry and pacify the situation. I predict that they have the exact opposite effect, and will lead to more violence and mayhem. Officer Kenny meanwhile is under the bus before the investigation has even started.

Michael K said...

"But I think there is a real opportunity for Madison to show the rest of the country how (whether) a dis-armed police force could work."

OK with me. I don't live anywhere near there. Just warn the residents and watch property values collapse.

chickelit said...

But I think there is a real opportunity for Madison to show the rest of the country how (whether) a dis-armed police force could work.

If it worked, we could even try a US Disarmed Forces. That could save us a lot of money.

Christopher said...

Michael K,

The cop was being shot at by two people in a Gamestop which means that the only objects providing cover were some flimsy wire stands and the counter(neither of which would hide him or stop rounds), so he'd be moving and not still.

Couple that with the fact that the fight lasted only 30-40 seconds and I think it's safe to assume he wasn't so much aiming as firing in their general direction.

Although I am curious, has anybody reported on how many shots each person fired? They carry glocks, although I'm not sure if they're still using 9mm or if they've moved to .45.

Wilbur said...

"Go to work Ann."

I love it when you get assigned homework.

Amy said...

I found it pretty surprising that you can be caught in the middle of an armed robbery/home invasion, be over 18, and plead guilty and get nothing worse than probation.

Does anyone else find that a light sentence for that type of crime?

Birches said...

rereading i see i failed to read the first four comments carefully enough. So I was guilty of the crime I complained of. I retroactively limit my comment to the first commenter, traditional guy, with apologies to theothers.

Apology accepted.

I actually thought most of the quoted people were fairly even handed and restrained in the article. Of course, the exception is the Young, Black and Gifted people who are using this as a publicity stunt--facts be damned.

The uproar over that kid getting shot in the Ohio park I can understand. I can even understand the uproar over Eric Garner.

But Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and now this Tony Robinson character. I don't get why the protesters and the media obsess over these thugs and try to make them into something they aren't. The fact that I don't remember the Ohio kid's name tells you that it received relatively little attention compared to the violent thugs.


I agree.

Wilbur said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Wilbur said...

"Does anyone else find that a light sentence for that type of crime?"

On its face, it certainly appears lenient. Factors to consider are the defendant's priors and the circumstances of the offense.

I know none of these.

wildswan said...

I like the protest leaders comment: "we've come to this stale dry place". That's real. It isn't these deaths that are stale and dry, they are sad. But everyone who tries to say something and everything being proposed is stale. Even "Burn this bitch down." OK, burned this bitch down in Ferguson. But still a young man from a good family went out walking in the street in Madison, knocking people around, probably on drugs, the police were called by citizens, the young man attacked the responding police officer and got shot dead. I mean no one learned anything. Nothing changed.

It just seems so sad and hopeless.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

Those protesters are the shittiest people on earth. Robinson was a violent felon, a convicted robber at age 19, and he got what he deserved.

richard mcenroe said...

"These were troubled kids from chaotic families."

These were criminals that preyed on the community around them, black, white, brown and yellow.