Republican Politician Suggests Detroit Become An Indian Reservation For Black People

L. Brooks Patterson said he’d turn Detroit into an ‘Indian Reservation’ for black people, then ‘herd them in’ and ‘build a fence.’ And he’s not apologizing. Did we mention that he’s a Republican? 

“I made a prediction a long time ago and it’s come to pass. I said what we’re gonna do is turn Detroit into an Indian reservation, where we herd all the Indians into the city, build a fence around it and then throw in the blankets and the corn.” — Oakland County (MI) Executive Director L. Brooks Patterson.

This quote came from L. Brooks Patterson, a Republican official in Oakland County, MI. Patterson has been the county’s Executive Director for 21 years. He might have said these lines back in the days when he was fighting against desegration of schools. He also said them more recently, during an interview with the New Yorker. The article came out on Martin Luther King Day, 2014.

Patterson gave the statement in response to a question about what steps Detroit might take to fix its finances.

Even as Patterson struggles against throngs of criticism and negative publicity, he doesn’t deny that these were his words. He told the Detroit Free Press that his quote was taken out of context. However, Paige Williams, who interviewed Patterson for the New Yorker, says the comment came in answer to a question regarding what steps Detroit might take to fix its financial problems.

“People know me and they know I sometimes use words to make a point,” Patterson told the Detroit Free Press earlier this week.

“When I said Detroit is going to become an Indian reservation, my point was, if you don’t get black people on their feet, the successful ones will move out and the ones that remain will be dependent. We’re getting very close to that now.”

Where does the fence come in?

So in context, he was saying that the black people in Detroit are like those other minorities, the Native Americans? But then what does herding them up have to do with getting them on feet? What benign meaning is there is ‘building a fence around them?’ Not to mention throwing in ‘blankets and corn’.

Photo of a 1971 meeting with anti-bussing activists
Irene McCabe, young Attorney L. Brooks Patterson
(now a Republican official for Oakland County, MI),
and Rep. Thomas Downey (D-VA). 

When you know where Patterson’s words are coming from, you understand that the meaning was not benign. He is the lawyer who represented the anti-segregationists in Oakland County, decades ago. He fought school busing all the way to the Supreme Court, where he eventually won the case. After that he lobbied for a ‘no busing amendment’ to the United States Constitution.

Here is a photo of Irene McCabe and attorney L. Brooks Patterson meet in Washington with Rep. Thomas Downey, D-Va., in October, 1971. McCabe and Patterson were lobbying for an anti-busing amendment to the Constitution.

Patterson’s entire career has been focused on building fences to keep ‘those people out.’

Patterson believes in fences. He’s been working at keeping ‘those people out’ of his own community for a very long time. I think maybe he’s gotten so old and set in his ways that he just forgot he was talking to an outsider, someone who might find his views shocking and more than a little distasteful.

The legacy of L. Brooks Patterson in Oakland County is that he protected the citizens of the once affluent area of from having to mingle with ‘other races.” In a way he built a fence at the border of Oakland County and the city of Detroit. In return for the fence, Oakland County voters elected him to the office of County Prosecutor. He has held one or another political office there, ever since.

Apologize for what?

Community activists and civil rights leaders gathered in Detroit, on January 21. The Reverend Charles E. Williams III called for a sincere apology from Patterson. Patterson told the Detroit Free Press “I’m not apologizing because I didn’t do anything wrong.”

A Brilliant Kid One-Upped A Design Adults Have Been Using For Decades

If you live in an area that's prone to flooding, you're familiar with the concept of sandbags: those heavy, awkward things people use to create a protective barrier around their homes. But sixth-grader Peyton here has a new idea ... and it might just be better than the original.

Man Checks Into Hospital For Colonoscopy, Wakes Up Wearing Lacy Lady Panties

Andrew Walls says he was definitely not wearing pink lacy panties when he went in for his colonoscopy at the Delaware Surgery Center in Dover in October 2012.

“When the plaintiff recovered from the effects of the anesthesia administered by defendants,” the lawsuit, which was filed in New Castle County Superior Court, reads, “he awoke to realize that while he was unconscious pink women’s underwear had been placed on his body.”

32-year-old Walls was an employee of the hospital at the time. Sometime between when he was put under anesthesia and when he awoke, his co-workers allegedly slipped a pair of lady’s underpants onto his body.

Walls insists that “at no time did [he] voluntarily, knowingly, or intentionally place the pink women’s underwear upon himself.”

“Defendants’ extreme and outrageous conduct went beyond all possible bounds of decency,” the lawsuit states.

In addition to experiencing tremendous “shame, embarrassment and personal humiliation” due to “the inappropriate undergarment,” Walls claims “severe emotional distress” caused him to lose his job at the hospital.

Walls blames the “extreme and outrageous conduct” of the hospital staff for his woes, saying they failed “to maintain proper policies and procedures for the care of patients with respect to not engaging in extreme and outrageous conduct which caused the plaintiff severe emotional distress.”

He is now seeking punitive damages for negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Christian broadcaster: Ebola could cleanse US of atheists, gay people, and sluts

A Christian radio host who enthusiastically looks for signs the world will end welcomed the Ebola virus as a cleansing force.

“This Ebola epidemic could become a global pandemic and that’s another name for plague,” said broadcaster Rick Wiles on his “Trunews” program.

“It may be the great attitude adjustment that I believe is coming,” Wiles continued. “Ebola could solve America’s problems with atheism, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, pornography, and abortion.”

Wiles was enthusiastic Tuesday about the arrival of Ebola, but Right Wing Watch reported that he warned the previous day that President Barack Obama may intentionally spread the deadly virus through a mandatory and mysterious vaccine.

That would somehow then allow Obama to declare martial law and force Americans into FEMA camps, the religious right broadcaster theorized.

“If Ebola becomes a global plague, you better make sure the blood of Jesus is upon you, you better make sure you have been marked by the angels so that you are protected by God,” Wiles warned. “If not, you may be a candidate to meet the Grim Reaper.”

Listen to Wiles’ comments posted online by Right Wing Watch:

GOP Donor: Elect a Republican Sheriff in Case Obama Seizes Dictatorial Power

As DeKalb County, Alabama, prepares to elect its next sheriff, one local Republican has taken it on herself to ask voters a tough question: In the likely scenario that President Obama suspends the 2016 elections and seizes dictatorial power, can the local citizens count on a Democratic sheriff to oppose him?

Betty Mason, a Republican donor who is married to a longtime leader of Alabama's Republican Party, posed the question in a letter she mailed last week to voters in DeKalb County, which covers a rural community in the northeast corner of the state.

"Obama is determined to be a dictator with the executive orders he signs," she wrote. "He has left the US Constitution in shreds. If Obama decides to run again (against US law) or declares a National Emergency to suspend elections in 2016, what will our Democrat sheriff do? I am concerned he will go along with this lawless president."

The county's current sheriff is Jimmy Harris, a Democrat, who is running for reelection. Mason encouraged voters to support his challenger, Republican Rex Leath, who is the assistant police chief of Collinsville. "Leath has pledged to defend our citizens even against a lawless President," she declared.

Mother Jones asked Leath if he shares Mason's concerns about the president's autocratic aspirations. "Oh, I sure do," he says. "I would hope every American in the country would…I don't really know what he is capable of doing at this point. If martial law is declared by the president, he can't be removed from office."

Here's a copy of the letter, which was tweeted by a local resident:

Benham twins: We’re like ISIS victims because our TV show was cancelled

We have gotten used to Religious Right activists compare themselves to Jews living under Nazi Germany, but David and Jason Benham took a new approach at the Values Voter Summit Friday night and compared themselves to victims of the terrorist group ISIS.

The Benham twins, of course, were referring to how they lost their planned HGTV reality show after we reported on their anti-gay, anti-choice and anti-Muslim political activism.

In their speech to the summit, the Benham twins argued that just as ISIS beheads their victim with a sword, progressive groups like Right Wing Watch “silence” conservatives by quoting them verbatim.

Jason Benham kicked it off by likening himself and his brother to Jesus Christ — a theme throughout their speech — and later David said that Christians in America are facing persecution just like Christians in the Mideast who are coming under attack from violent groups such as ISIS.

“There is a radical agenda that has come in our nation,” David explained, “the weapon of choice for the agenda in the Middle East is a sword, but the weapon of choice for the agenda in America is silence. They demand silence.”

Watch:

Cop's Tip For Not Getting Raped By A Cop: 'Don't Get Pulled Over'

In response to the arrests of three law enforcement officials in Oklahoma for sexually assaulting women while on the job, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper told women they can avoid getting raped by a cop if they simply follow traffic laws.

Raw Story first pointed out on Tuesday that Capt. George Brown, a state trooper, shared a few tips for women in an interview with local NBC News affiliate KJRH. Brown told the KJRH anchor that women can keep their car doors locked and speak through a cracked window if a trooper approaches them. If the trooper asks a woman to get out of the car, Brown said, she can ask "in a polite way" why he wants her to do that.

But the "best tip that he can give," the anchor said on air of his interview with Brown, "is to follow the law in the first place so you don’t get pulled over."

In the past month, a Tulsa County Deputy, an OHP trooper and an Oklahoma City police officer have all been charged with repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting women while on the job.

Brown said Oklahoma law enforcement officials are working to retain the public's trust. "There are entirely more good officers than there are the few bad apples that exist out there, and we want people to know that," Brown told KJRH. "We have a lot of good troopers, a lot of good officers out there doing a lot of good things daily, and we want to continue that and have the public continue their trust in us."

WOW!!! What an inspiration!

Post by DJ Pollyfonika.

Michigan County Takes Away Home From Injured Mother Because She Missed A Single Tax Payment

The government of Kalamazoo County, Michigan is about to hear one hell of an uproar in defense of a mother they’ve literally stolen a house from.

Deborah Calley paid $146,000 in cash for her dream home in 2010. She didn’t take out a mortgage or borrow money. She paid for it upfront, which means she owns it. There is no dispute over it.

But now the county has foreclosed on her home and is selling it via auction. Why? Because she missed a single tax payment in 2011 because the notices were addressed and mailed to banks Calley is unaffiliated with. She’s the homeowner and the county failed to get the notices to her. And that’s not all.

Calley says that when she paid her taxes in 2012, nobody mentioned anything about the missing tax payment from a year earlier.

“When I paid the taxes in 2012 right there in Richland, no one said, ‘Oh, well you still owe money for 2011,’” Calley told WITI. “So, I didn’t really have a clue. I thought I was right on time.”

Harlem Hate Pastor: New York State Will Recognize Marriages To Children

Would you?

Watch the videos after the jump!

A 19-Year-Old Knows How To Remove 154 Million Pounds Of Garbage From The Ocean In Just 10 Years

The idea alone is incredible. The fact that he's innovative at such a young age is inspiring. I learned the shortcomings of the current ways of removing garbage and the way this idea improves upon it. Pretty neat stuff.

This Guy Played Piano For Some Elephants... But He Never Expected Them To Do This!

They wanted to see what these elephants would do when they heard some live music. Well, they did not disappoint!

The elephants in this video are part of a group of elephants who live at Elephant Stay, a rescue habit for elephants in Thailand. They have been saved from a life of performing.

Woman Caught on Video Stealing Toy from Child’s Grave

Police in Ontario, Ohio, are searching for a woman who was captured on a hidden police camera stealing a stuffed animal from the grave of a 14-month-old boy.

Hayden “Tank” Cole Sheridan passed away in 2007. The family first reached out to authorities in 2012 to report items being taken from their son’s grave, including toys and solar night lights.

In response, the police set up a hidden camera. Unfortunately, the images were always unclear, and they were unable make a positive identification.

On Saturday, April 19, 2014, the parents placed a large stuffed duck for their son to have for Easter. Less than 5 hours later, a woman appears at the grave site and seems to stare directly at the camera as she picks up the stuffed duck and walks away.

Now, the Ontario Police are asking people on Facebook for help identifying the woman.

The family wants the person who did this to be held accountable however they recognize that this person is probably not responsible for all of thefts from “Tanks” gravesite. Most of all, the family just wants some assurance that they can leave a night-light and a stuffed animal at their son’s grave without someone stealing it. If you recognize this person, please contact the Ontario Police Department at or send us a private message.

It is easy to focus on police who behave badly. This, on the other hand, is a prime example of the police working for the people. Not only did they investigate a reported crime, they placed a hidden camera by the grave and are now asking for help to find the culprit.

Watch the woman steal the stuffed animal from the baby’s grave below. If you have any information, you are urged to contact the Ontario Police at (419) 529-2115 or through their Facebook page.

Bonobo Roasts Creationists (and Something Else) in Under Two Minutes

Only, humans aren’t the only species that use tools, so tool use doesn’t make us special. Dolphins use sponges to root for food. Mongooses have discovered the concept of an anvil, which they use to crack hard beetle shells. Corvids are especially innovative; crows have been filmed dropping hard nuts at crosswalks so that cars can run over the nuts and crack the shells, swooping in to pick up the bounty only when it’s all clear.

The point about corvids is especially salient, since the crows are actually using our tools for their own purposes. And we can now add to the list of species that use our tools for their own benefits our closest extant relative: bonobos.

In the short clip below, Kanzi the bonobo gathers tinder, pulls out a match, and, well… roasts the creationist claim that humans are special, right along with a few marshmallows. Kanzi also stands out because he’s also learned how to communicate with his handlers using touch pads, and is said to have remarkably empathy for the humans closest to him. Just keep in mind: today they’re roasting marshmallows and playing with touch pads; tomorrow they’re staging a Planet of the Apes-like uprising.

Sadly, bonobos are listed as an endangered species, mostly due to commercial pouching and the destruction of their native habitat. You can learn more about bonobos, and make a contribution or sponsor a bonobo, at the Bonobo Conservation Initiative.

Homosexuality Is An Annoying Thing Someone Invented, So This Group Of Americans Is Un-Inventing It

I found this great video from the hilarious and amazingly named web series Injunuity. For more on the "two-spirit" term, here's a great article from The Guardian and some great Wikipedia moments.

Republican makes TV ad for marriage equality

Former Senator Alan Simpson, a Republican from Wyoming, stars in a new ad from Freedom to Marry urging voters and lawmakers to "live and let live" and allow gays and lesbians to marry.

Says Simpson in the spot:

“I’m a Republican. The party’s basic core is, government out of your life and the right to be left alone. Whether you’re gay or lesbian or straight, if you love someone and you want to marry them, marry them. I've had a wonderful married life. Why shouldn't someone else have the joy of marriage? Live and let live."

The ad, backed with a six-figure buy, will be aired nationally on Fox, MSNBC and CNN and locally in Wyoming, Oklahoma and Colorado, according to Politico.

Drone Captures Awesome Footage Of Erupting Volcano

Ever wanted to hover above a volcano while it erupts? Probably not...until now. YouTube user Shaun O'Callaghan uploaded footage taken by a DJI Phantom quad-copter drone as it floated above the Yasur volcano on the island of Vanuatu, and the results are stunning.

This electric car is specifically designed for people in wheelchairs

In 2001, Austin lawyer Stacy Zoern totaled her van. It had been customized to accommodate her wheelchair, and it could’ve cost up to $80,000 to replace. So she stopped driving altogether. While doing some googling a decade later, Zoern discovered the Kenguru (Hungarian for “kangaroo” and pronounced the same), an EV concept specifically designed for people who use wheelchairs. Its creator, Istvan Kissaroslaki, had all but given up on it, as the recession meant a big loan fell through. Zoern convinced him to move to Texas, and together they found 30 investors and raised the $4 million needed to get the car on the road. And in 12 to 18 months, drivers with disabilities will be able to snag a Kenguru!

The EV’s sticker price is about $25,000, but thanks to mobility and clean energy tax incentives, buyers may not have to pay nearly that much. The cars, which are even smaller than a Smart Car, are made in America, feature LED lights, and can go up to 25 miles per hour (they’re designed for local use, with an estimated range of 60 miles). Batteries power two 2-kW motors in the back, and the Kenguru takes about eight hours to charge.

This is a big deal. The Kenguru site explains why:

Imagine you can’t jump into a car quickly when it is raining, are unable to ride a bike, and most public transportation is not accessible to you. Transportation is a huge obstacle for people who use wheelchairs. It is often time consuming, physically difficult, expensive, or just unavailable. This results in a disconnect from the community, an inability to work, and a lower quality of life.

Do you take transportation for granted? Can you imagine having to depend on someone every time you wanted to leave your house?

Although obviously not all 3.3 million Americans using wheelchairs will be able to afford a Kenguru, it sure beats an $80,000 van. Here’s to making transportation more accessible!

Way cool video!

Post by Bardakas.