Motley Moose – Archive

Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

First Person: Comprehensive First Hand Account-Crimes Bush and Company At Gitmo and Iraq

Testimony of Spc. Brandon Neely

Specialist Brandon Neely

On December 4, 2008, Specialist Brandon Neely approached CSHRA with testimony he wished to contribute to the Guantánamo Testimonials Project. He believed that insufficient attention had been paid to “the hell that went on at Camp X-Ray.” He would be in a position to know, as he arrived in Guantánamo while the cages of Camp X-Ray were still being welded, and escorted the second detainee to hit the prison grounds. In this interview, Specialist Neely provides testimony of the arrival of the detainees in full sensory-deprivation garb, sexual abuse by medical personnel, torture by other medical personnel, brutal beatings out of frustration, fear, and retribution, the first hunger strike and its causes, torturous shackling, positional torture, interference with religious practices and beliefs, verbal abuse, restriction of recreation, the behavior of mentally ill detainees, possible isolation regime of the first six children in GTMO, utter lack of preparation for guarding individuals detained during the War on Terror, and his conversations with prisoners David Hicks and Rhuhel Ahmed.

I  have seen and done many horrible things,

either at Guantánamo or in Iraq, and I know

what it is like to try and move on with your  

life. It’s hard.                                                  

–Spc. Brandon Neely

Cross Post: FreeFlightNewMedia.typepad.com

Recommendation: Be The Media-Changes Everything

I am going out on a limb with my personal credibility here.

I began my work  in media in 1972 as a television camera operator for WCTV. Since then I have never seen a text, guide or college class that provides the information that anyone can use to control their media message so completely. Actually, unless you were a very wealthy person, until now it was impossible.

BE The MEDIA CHANGES EVERYTHING!  

Pirate Task Force Commander First Black Female Rear Admiral Michelle's Missing Press

Help me with my OUTRAGE!!!

Rear Adm. Michelle Howard took command of the Navy’s counterpiracy task force with incredible timing: Within three days of her April 5 turnover with outgoing Rear Adm. Terry McKnight, Somali pirates attacked the U.S.-flagged cargo ship Maersk Alabama and took its captain hostage.

Howard said she expected to be handed a full plate.

The Navy Times Headline:

Task force commander has busy first week

California Gang Sweep Nets Skinheads Who Tried To Have Babies On Hitler B-Day

You cannot make this stuff up!

With all the uproar over the recent report on potential domestic terrorist, the reports sorta gets lost in the media black hole at the State and National level. The HATE WATCH Map will scare the bejesuz out of you!

Sweep targets Skinhead Gang In SocCal

A sweep of skinhead lairs throughout the Inland Empire on Monday twice took sheriff’s deputies to maternity wards where pregnant women were trying to bear babies on Adolf Hitler’s birthday.

Notice, other than FOX BS report, the absence of National Media?

Hatewatch Headlines

[LA] Klan Leader’s Son Deemed Incompetent To Stand Trial

The Times-Picayune / April 22, 2009

[CA] Sweep Targets Inland Empire Skinheads

San Bernardino County Sun / April 20, 2009

This one is posted in full and filed in the WTF Department!



Making Babies for the Führer

Posted in skinheads by David Holthouse on April 22, 2009

Here’s a new one, even by Hatewatch’s jaded standards: According to newspaper and television news accounts of this week’s Southern California law enforcement dragnet of the Inland Empire Skinheads, two female gang members were placed under arrest in hospital maternity wards. They were having labor induced to ensure their babies were born on April 20 – the 120th birthday of Adolf Hitler.

Nice parenting. Right from the get go.

Less shocking is the news of yet another major bust of a violent racist skinhead gang in the Inland Empire region, which the Intelligence Report first identified as a hotbed of white-power gangs activity in fall of 2005. As we reported then:

The Inland Empire used to be a sparsely populated, rural area of ranches, vineyards and farms, where whites were the clear and dominant majority.

All that has changed.

Driven from Los Angeles and San Diego by soaring housing prices, middle- and working-class black, Hispanic and Asian families have migrated to the Inland Empire in massive numbers, drawn by a surplus of comparatively affordable, big homes in sprawling, suburban-style developments. … Whites are now a minority in the Inland Empire.

These seismic changes in the region’s racial make-up have corresponded with a steady rise in hate crimes, including a particularly vicious spike in racially motivated violence and harassment…

According to law enforcement authorities, the Inland Empire Skinheads are responsible for murders, drug trafficking, witness intimidation, home invasion robberies and random, racially motivated assaults committed by prospective members. First documented by Riverside, Calif., police in 2002, investigators now estimate the gang has 30 members and roughly 70 associates, including many high school students.

“The most disheartening and alarming thing is that their only purpose is racial violence,” San Bernardino County Sheriff Rod Hoops said at a press conference.

Authorities said that the gang, whose leader was among those arrested Monday, maintains close ties with the Hammerskin Nation, a powerful nationwide coalition of skinhead groups. Seven members of the skinhead gang were taken into custody, including Raymond Williams, 34, a tattoo artist. More arrests are expected. Williams, who’s reportedly on the National Terrorist Watch List, was arrested at the hospital where his wife was giving birth.

Gang paraphernalia seized during simultaneous raids in two counties included brass knuckles, shotguns, swastika banners, copies of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and T-shirts displaying the gang’s emblem: two crossed battle axes and the number “95,” which stands for Inland Empire (“I” being the ninth letter of the alphabet, “E” the fifth).

The two mothers were taken into custody after giving birth and booked into Central Detention Center in San Bernardino along with their fellow gang members.

The fate of their newborns was not made public.

More headlines and some questions follow.

ANGIE ZAPATA TRANSGENDER MURDER TRIAL: Verdict: Guilty On All Counts

In one of the fastest closing arguments and deliberations/verdict, Allen Andrada was convicted of all counts today in the murder of Transgender Angie Zapata. Conviction includes First Degree murder, BIAS (Hate) CRIME conviction and two lesser charges of theft of car and use of debit/credit card (identity theft). Andrada was sentenced to LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE.

Sorry for short post but this hit very quickly today. Your thoughts now that this is over?

Suddenly over 500 hits on NEWS.GOOGLE.COM with search term Angie Zapata Allen Andrade Trial

More when I have time to think about this a bit, at freeflightnewmedia.typepad.com and cross-posted here.

Finally, The Main Stream Media Coverage Of Transgender Murder Hate Trial Hits It's Stride

A couple of weeks ago you were hard pressed to find any significant coverage of the murder trial of Angie Zapata, who was murdered last year in Colorado. As the trial began, according to GOOGLE stats, about 75 entities were covering and has quickly dropped back down to single digits, with an occasional blip to double digit coverage.

Rather than a recap, here are highlights that will bring all interested parties up-to-date. I anticipate the PROSECUTION will rest today and the DEFENSE will begin.

One of the most damning prosecution positions is that Allen Andrade knew Angie Zapata was transgendered at least thirty-six hours prior to the actual murder.

After a bunch of editing the system will not let me post below the break this morning. A good rundown of what I was trying to post can be found at NEWS.GOOGLE with key words “ANGIE ZAPATA”

Day Two Update: Angie Zapata Transgender Hate-Crime Murder Trial

Yesterday proceedings began in the trial of Allen Andrade for the beating death of Angie Zapata, an eighteen year old transgender female in Greeley, Colorado. Jury selection began and proceeded into today, April 15, 2009. It is anticipated that mini-opening statements will be conducted this afternoon.

Background

Angie Zapata was brutally murdered in Greeley, Colorado in July 2008. Angie was a transgender woman and she was murdered because of anti-transgender bias.

On April 14, 2009, her alleged killer went on trial in Greeley, Colorado. The trial marks the first time that Colorado’s gender identity-inclusive hate crimes statute-and in fact any state’s hate crimes law-has been applied in the investigation and prosecution of an anti-transgender murder case.

Last evening, a vigil was held after the first day of the trial concluded. Video of some of the fifty or so in attendance is here:



Next update as situation warrants, but no less that daily.

Cross-Post: www.freeflightnewmedia.typepad.com

Nuclear Waste, Death, Sickness and Desperation = PIRATES???

Quite simply when people are put in a situation where they are not only starving but are sick because of the dumping of TOXIC NUCLEAR WASTE, you get people doing what they can to survive while other countries have no disregard for their life, much less welfare. In the case of Somalia PIRATES–which I am not defending in any way–only one can imagine what you would do if you were forced to live in desperate conditions and your neighbors dumped nuclear waste started killing you and you fellow citizens.

Excerpt below from UNITED NATIONS REPORT:

Somalia is one of the many Least Developed Countries that reportedly received countless shipments of illegal nuclear and toxic waste dumped along the coastline. Starting from the early 1980s and continuing into the civil war, the hazardous waste dumped along Somalia’s coast comprised uranium radioactive waste, lead, cadmium, mercury, industrial, hospital, chemical, leather treatment and other toxic waste. Most of the waste was simply dumped on the beaches in containers and disposable leaking barrels which ranged from small to big tanks without regard to the health of the local population and any environmentally devastating impacts.

Advisory: US First Anti-Transgender Murder Trial Coverage Set To Begin

Next Tuesday, April 14th, Angie Zapata’s alleged murderer goes on trial in Colorado. For the first time ever, an anti-transgender murder will be prosecuted as a hate crime in the United States.  With the Matthew Shepard Act (or formally “The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009”) introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last week and the bill expected to be introduced in the Senate within the next couple of weeks, this trial is a timely reminder of the need for federal hate crimes legislation.

Free Flight New Media will provide daily updates for this landmark trial at FREE FLIGHT NEW MEDIA starting April 13th through the duration of this trial. Cross Posts To Motley Moose.

Background:

Angie Zapata was brutally murdered in Greeley, Colorado in July 2008. Angie was a transgender woman and she was murdered because of anti-transgender bias.

Important Mortgage Foreclosure Assistance Available From Department of Veteran Affairs

The Department of Veteran’s Affairs has special assistance for veterans who are in trouble with their mortgage that has gotten little coverage. If you are a veteran who needs assistance it is important that you contact your lender with knowledge that the Department of Veteran’s affairs may have the best deal available to you from the options you may be given.  

For a veteran or service member who may have obtained a conventional or sub-prime loan, VA has a network of eight Regional Loan Centers and two special servicing centers that can offer advice and guidance. Borrowers may visit VA’s Loan Guaranty website at www.homeloans.va.gov or call toll free (877) 827-3702 to speak with a VA Loan Technician.    



Congress Passed Special Foreclosure Prevention Provisions for

Veterans who need to reduce their mortgage payments

Crossposted from Free Flight New Media