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excerpts from the ny times:
LONDON, July 23 - Scotland Yard admitted Saturday that a man police officers gunned down at point-blank range in front of horrified subway passengers on Friday had nothing to do with the investigation into the bombing attacks here.
The man was identified by police as Jean Charles de Menezes, a 27-year-old Brazilian, described by officers as an electrician on his way to work. "He was not connected to incidents in central London on 21st July, 2005, in which four explosive devices were partly detonated," a police statement said.
A cousin of the dead man, interviewed on Brazil's leading television network, identified him as João Alves Menezes and said he was an electrician who had been working in England for more than three years. The cousin, Alex Pereira Alves, identified Mr. Menezes' body in London, the network said.
"How could they have done such a thing as to kill him from behind?" Mr. Alves told the Globo Television Network. "How could they have confused and killed a light-skinned person who had no resemblance at all to an Asian?"
Another cousin, Aleide Menezes, said in an interview with Brazil's national radio network that Mr. Menezes understood English well and would have understood the officer's instructions. Other relatives, in television and newspaper interviews, said the family was Roman Catholic and that Mr. Menezes had nothing to do with Islam.
and so it begins...
i can't believe this...
the fact that a man was killed for no reason
and on top of it...the fact that just because he's light skinned, roman catholic, brazilian...immediately EXEMPTS him from being terrorist
...and that it's a "confusion" because he didn't fit the stereotype!
would it have been ok if he DID fit the stereotype?
if he was a hindu indian for example
brown skin, indian features...
"oh...i could see how they could have made that mistake"
an egyptian doctor...
"oh...i could see how they could have made that mistake"
an afghani woman...
"oh...i could see how they could have made that mistake"
but a LIGHT-SKINNED ROMAN CATHOLIC BRAZILIAN?
"how could they have MADE that mistake?"
damn it. why the hell is racial profiling so damn effective?
July 24 2005, 09:10:42 UTC 6 years ago
you're good
you know, you really are quite excellent at putting 2 and 2 together... i would've never came to that conclusion... but yeah, i agree that is whack! racial profiling does work, but i still don't think it would've made any sense if someone who did fit the profile was killed for NO reason. It just would've been easier to accept, i think...August 2 2005, 11:11:50 UTC 6 years ago
Re: you're good
yeah i guess it just irked me to a certain extent. i mean after all, if it WAS a hindu indian...it really would have been easier to accept...brown skin, black hair. :( i guess it just struck a nerve.July 24 2005, 13:23:55 UTC 6 years ago
i think...
racial stereotyping will exist no matter what you try to do...many people don't even mean to do it, others are just too broad minded to accept something other than what they're accustomed to...but you have to have sympathy for those who will never understand true equality...that there never was, is, or will be any true equality in this world for as long as humans are here...we can't get rid of it, and i agree its terrible, the color of your skin, and your ancestry should not determine how other people see you...because they don't see you, they see something else...something that most likely is not even close to who you are...
so i can see what you mean that what's happening is terrible, but for some reason, in this fucked up human race of ours, its natural to a lot of people, and even all of the movies and propaganda in Hollywood can't convince people to start having some common sense in the way of treating others fairly...
we are a blind world in my opinion, we never look beyond ourselves, and when we do, we look in desperation, or in anger...we fear for ourselves, and it makes us human; we fear for others, and it makes us humanitarians; we fear for our world and it makes us environmentalists; and every side has its weak points and its strong points, but as i was saying before, nothing will ever reach its full potential because we, in fact, are completely held up by the realization that we are no more than human beings, and no human being will ever be perfectly able to do what is truly and undoubtedly fair and just...
...we are a flawed existance...
that is what i think
August 2 2005, 11:12:58 UTC 6 years ago
Re: i think...
many people don't even mean to do it, others are just too broad minded to accept something other than what they're accustomed toi think you mean "narrow minded?"
you, my friend, are a true cynic
Anonymous
July 24 2005, 20:00:11 UTC 6 years ago
its aditi
yeah... that makes me mad that they just randomly shot the guy. couldn't they just stop him or shoot him once to injure but not kill him and then catch him? that was really bad on their part. but... i agree with you about the racial profiling too... it's really dumb. terrorists come in all colors shapes and sizes. people need to start learning that.August 2 2005, 11:17:26 UTC 6 years ago
Re: its aditi
i'm not sure if you're going to get this but i'll reply anyway.in order to avoid setting off any suicide bombs, which are usually strapped to the chest, the man was shot repeatedly in the head. the logic makes sense, but it's ridiculously brutal. However, the shoot to kill policy needs some serious thinking over before there is any implementation...Israel doesn't exactly have 0% error.
July 25 2005, 00:19:36 UTC 6 years ago
at UA..
i learned about racial profiling and how to be a peer facilitator for discussions concerning racism.July 27 2005, 17:25:01 UTC 6 years ago
yes, "it has begun"....
ok, it's summer. formal education has not yet commenced and i do not feel like starting it right now. also, i'm currently overworked and underpayed so there is no impetus in my mind to fully divulge this subject at length. but i will make some quick points.first, racial profiling in a post 9-11 world is a categorical imperative. (or a "necessary evil" for all of you who are not John Stuart Mill fans) however, that is not the issue here. a miscarriage of justice is.
second, i am broad minded. i like to look beyond myself. it's "narrow minded." but again, not the issue...
third, i understand your point. and with such fair use of parallel structure it makes it a good one. however, those are conjectures based upon circumstantial evidence.
fourth, going off aggregate news reports and not just the NY times, this guy went off running when he saw the 5-0 and he "somewhat resembled" a suspect according to the officers.
the problem is not what could have been. or who it might have been. you're right, though. there has been an injustice. it's that an innocent man was shot not that an indian or an egyptian or an afghani wasn't shot.
(oh and btw, the british police are actually known for "jumping the gun" - no pun intended - and for shady tactics)
July 27 2005, 23:48:20 UTC 6 years ago
Re: yes, "it has begun"....
btw, i'm glad you're excited for college... it just doesn't seem like i've found the same anticipation that we share in othersAugust 2 2005, 11:09:13 UTC 6 years ago
Re: yes, "it has begun"....
funny. i don't understand how you can't be looking forward to something as big as college. then again, maybe it's because we know exactly what we're doing (to some extent ;)) and that we're ready to take the good with the bad. lol...remind me to tell about "the bad" and how "all's well that ends well" sometime.August 17 2005, 17:05:10 UTC 6 years ago
Re: yes, "it has begun"....
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europ^^it's not even nytimes.
oh and chk your school email. and reply dammit. you know i hate having to harass YOU of all people.