Quiver Full of Good in the World

[47of74]

A judge here in Iowa was not down with Iowa City police considering "walking while black" to be a criminal offense so the charges were dropped against him.

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Christopher Kelly, of Chicago, was walking to his aunt’s house from the Hy-Vee on Waterfront Drive when police received a call for a Black man who possibly had a gun. Officer Travis Neeld and the SCAT division waited and located Kelly. In newly-obtained body camera footage, Neeld could be seen waving Kelly to cross the street. That was when he stopped Kelly for jaywalking.

Neeld asked Kelly for his name, to which Kelly gave a false name and didn’t provide identification. Kelly reached for his wallet in his back pocket, which was when the first sense of distress came as Neeld undid the buttons on his service weapon and asked Kelly not to reach for anything unless he told him what he was reaching for.

Neeld continued to lecture Kelly about jaywalking and impeding traffic. That was when several other officers arrived and told Kelly to put his hands on his head. Kelly, confused, resisted the officers and was tackled to the ground. Neeld then tased Kelly several times while officers held him down.

Police did find an illegal gun on Kelly as well as marijuana, but federal Judge Stephanie Rose threw that evidence out and blasted the police actions, calling it a case of “walking while Black.” At one point, she said Neeld was not credible, and police needed more than a hunch to stop someone.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

This is so sweet:

Spoiler

 

 

[AmazonGrace]

 

[fraurosena]

 

[47of74]

The crying Nazi is going to the big house. 

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Christopher Cantwell, 40, the New Hampshire white supremacist better known as the “Crying Nazi,” was sentenced on Wednesday to three years and five months in a federal prison for extorting a rival and threatening the man’s wife in an attempt to get the real name of another individual. He reportedly cried during the hearing.

“Threats to commit violence have no place in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray. “Using the internet to convey threats and extortionate messages can have a serious harmful impact on victims and violates federal law. I commend the FBI and our other law enforcement partners who did an excellent job in investigating this case. They successfully completed a difficult multi-state investigation ensuring that Mr. Cantwell was held responsible for his actions.”

Cantwell was found guilty back in Sept. 2020 for the way he acted amid his feud with the so-called “Bowl Patrol,” an online white nationalist group named after the haircut of racist mass murderer Dylann Roof. In the words of Cantwell’s victim Benjamin Lambert, many members of the group began to think Cantwell was in it for the money and that he did not believe what he was saying.

Cantwell contacted Lambert, demanding to learn the identity of the group leader, then known pseudonymously as Vic Mackey. He threatened to, in his words, “fuck” Lambert’s wife in front of the couple’s three kids.

Should’ve been much longer.  Hope crybaby enjoys prison. 

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

A restaurant in Plano, Texas served free meals to their community, to help people who hadn't eaten a hot meal for days. (From 19 February.)

Without power, this Texas restaurant gave out 500+ free meals to those in need.

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The owners of a Texas restaurant weren't going to let a power outage stop them from helping a community in crisis during a crippling winter storm this week.

More than 500 people came to Bella Italia Ristorante in Plano on Wednesday and were able to get their first hot meal in days after blackouts had left them stranded at home in frigid temperatures.

Owners Ari and Blinera Isufaj and five staff members were able to whip up hundreds of free meals of spaghetti and lasagna for anyone in need because their ovens and stoves use gas instead of electricity.

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He estimated there were about 200 cars in their parking lot over the course of Wednesday when the restaurant served 508 free meals from 10:30 a.m. until about 3 p.m. A day earlier, they had delivered 80 meals to a warming center at nearby Sent Church.

Ari Isufaj (co-owner of the restaurant with his wife) has been on the receiving end of community help in his past.

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Ari Isufaj, 35, knows all about having to rely on the kindness of strangers. He is a war refugee from Kosovo who came to Texas with his uncle as a 14-year-old in 1999. Wednesday, the day the restaurant handed out the hundreds of meals, also happened to be Kosovo's independence day.

"When I first came here, it wasn't easy," he said. "People I did not know, who I had never met, helped me buy a backpack and bought me clothes to play soccer, and I never forgot that."

I was glad to hear a story like this coming out of the mess in Texas. I bet there are more stories of Texans helping each other, unlike a certain weasel who decided it was a great time to jet to Mexico for a vacay.

[WiseGirl]

I wasn't really sure where to put this but felt it may be be a helpful respurce for those looking to help and educate themselves on ways to support Aisian Americans. This article also has a list of books to read much like book lists for BLM.  *If this should be moved elsewhere I hope those more computer literate than me can do so. 

https://people.com/human-interest/asian-american-violence-on-the-rise-aapi-organizations-to-donate-to/

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

@WiseGirl posted this story in AYTFJ, but I asked her if I could put it here, too.

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I'm a sucker for a happy ending and this story just put a smile in my face. Stray gets a new furever home due to the love of a stuffed unicorn.

https://people.com/pets/dog-stealing-unicorn-toy-from-dollar-general-store-rescued-north-carolina/

From the story:

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A Dog Who Kept Sneaking into a Dollar General for a Unicorn Toy Gets His Plush and a New Start

The animal control officer who moved Sisu from the Dollar General store to the shelter bought the stray dog his unicorn toy before bringing the canine in.

Such a cutie!

Spoiler

It was definitely worthwhile to click on the article to see all the cute pictures and read the full story. Thank you, @WiseGirl!

Edited March 29, 2021 by WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?
word choice

[47of74]

Awaiting the reach wing freak out over this 

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Known as the Indians since 1915, Cleveland's Major League Baseball team will be called Guardians.

The ballclub announced the name change Friday — effective at the end of the 2021 season — with a video on Twitter narrated by actor Tom Hanks. The decision ends months of internal discussions triggered by a national reckoning by institutions and teams to permanently drop logos and names considered racist.

The choice of Guardians will undoubtedly be criticized by many of the club's die-hard fans.

I’m ready for the complaining by reich wingers already. 
 

Edited July 23, 2021 by 47of74

[47of74]

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi is a fellow graduate of Mitchell Hamline.  He announced something good he's going to do now.

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Traffic stops for expired tags and broken tail lights will no longer be prosecuted in Ramsey County, Minnesota, as part of an initiative announced this week to honor Philando Castile, who was killed during a traffic stop in 2016.

These type of stops -- known as non-public safety stops -- have a history of leading to fatal interactions with police, especially in Black communities, according to Ramsey County Attorney John Choi.

"I'm not going to continue to perpetuate these unjust practices, these police practices, that have really harsh results to our community," Choi told CNN Thursday. "We really need to start thinking about the actual negative impact this has with police and community relationships and the outright racial disparity is telling by looking at the numbers."

The new policy comes five years after former St. Anthony Police Department officer Jeronimo Yanez fatally shot Castile seven times during a traffic stop. The incident was recorded live on Facebook by Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, as her 4-year-old daughter sat in the backseat.

Course I imagine all the Kluxers and Branch Trumpvidians in and out of uniform will be whining about this.  

Still, feels damn good to see a fellow graduate doing right by people.  

[47of74]

A white supremacist who attacked a California synagogue is going to prison for life. 

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A 22-year-old former nursing student was denied a chance to address a courtroom before a judge sentenced him Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for bursting into a Southern California synagogue on the last day of Passover in 2019 with a semiautomatic rifle, killing one worshipper and wounding three others.

An agreement with prosecutors that spared John T. Earnest the death penalty left little suspense about the outcome, but the hearing gave 13 victims and families a chance to address the killer. Many gave heart-wrenching accounts of how their lives were upended and how determined they were to persevere despite such devastating loss.

Earnest’s attorney, John O’Connell, said his client wanted to make a statement but San Diego Superior Court Judge Peter Deddeh refused, saying he did not want to create “a political forum” for white supremacist views.

“I’m not going to let him use this as a platform to add to his celebrity,” the judge said, pointing to comments that Earnest made to police when he was arrested, hand gestures to the audience during a previous hearing and his probation report.

 

[47of74]

A police officer who let his inner kluxer out at a wedding reception resigned. 

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The Knoxville Police Department said an officer at the center of an internal affairs investigation has resigned. 

KPD said Wednesday it has nearly finished its investigation into the former officer, who was accused of making racist remarks off-duty after a wedding reception.

The investigation stemmed from an incident that happened on June 26, 2021 after a wedding reception in downtown Knoxville.

According to the KPD incident report, former officer Tanner Holt was outside talking to several other people in a parking lot when a man punched Holt in the face.

 

Edited October 11, 2021 by 47of74

[47of74]

Something good happened in Iowa

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An Iowa District Court Judge ruled that the language of the Iowa Administrative Code pertaining to the exclusion of coverage for sex reassignment surgery violates the Iowa Civil Rights Act as well as the Iowa Constitution.

Judge William Kelly of the fifth Judicial District of Iowa, decreed that Rule 441-78.1(4) of the Iowa Administrative Code, which states that surgery whose primary goal is to improve physical appearance for psychological purposes, but which does not correct or materially improve the bodily functions, as a violation to the Iowa Civil Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the Iowa Constitution.

 

[47of74]

[47of74]

Iowa students walked out the GQP transgender law. 

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Students at Cedar Rapids Washington High School walked out of class Wednesday morning to protest the state’s new law banning transgender athletes.

The students protesting told us the law discriminates against transgender students and isolates them.

 

[47of74]

Good

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A Trump-loving vandal who destroyed a rainbow street mural in Florida has been ordered to write a 25-page essay about the 2016 Pulse shooting, but that’s apparently not the worst punishment he faced. His father explained to the court all the reasons he’s disappointed in his son, making him cry.

Last July, Alexander Jerich, 20, of Delray Beach did a “burnout” on top of a rainbowintersection, leaving 15 feet of dark black skid marks on it and causing thousands of dollars of damage. The vandalism was part of Jerich’s celebration of Donald Trump’s birthday, and he flew a Trump flag from his truck when he did it.

This past Thursday, Jerich had his sentencing hearing after pleading guilty to criminal mischief and reckless driving this past March. Palm Beach County Judge Scott Suskauer was not impressed with Jerich’s behavior.

Then Jerich’s father talked to the court about his son’s failures at school, how he has no friends, and how disappointed he is by his son’s behavior. According to the Palm Beach Post, Jerich hung his head and cried in court while his father talked.

 

[JermajestyDuggar]

5 minutes ago, 47of74 said:

Good

 

That’s sad. So many hateful destructive people are sad and have shitty lives. I’ve noticed this from some very vocal trumpers. So many have lost a job, have no money, just got divorced, or have really bad health issues. And they have no one to take their anger out on. So they pick on those that so many others pick on. This kid sounds like he has a crap life and he’s spiraling. I hope this is the wake up call he needs to turn things around. 

[47of74]

Some good news today regarding the first African-American US Army Colonel

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Charles Young, the first Black US Army colonel whose groundbreaking military career was hampered a century ago by the racism of the era, was posthumously promoted on Friday to brigadier general.

Young's promotion retroactively makes him the first Black American recognized with that rank, the Army said.

The honorary designation, following years of efforts to posthumously promote him, was the focus of an official promotion ceremony at the United States Military Academy at West Point on Friday.

After Young was passed over for promotion before his death in 1922, a Black service member wouldn't join the general officers rank in the Army until Benjamin Davis Sr. was promoted to brigadier general in 1940.

 

[47of74]

Some good news out of Australia 

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A man told police he killed American mathematician Scott Johnson in 1988 by pushing the 27-year-old off a Sydney cliff in what prosecutors describe as a gay hate crime, a court heard on Monday.

Scott White, 51, appeared in the New South Wales state Supreme Court for a sentencing hearing after he pleaded guilty in January to the murder of the Los Angeles-born Canberra resident, whose death at the base of a North Head cliff was initially dismissed by police as suicide.

White will be sentenced by Justice Helen Wilson on Tuesday. He faces a potential sentence of life in prison.

"I pushed a bloke. He went over the edge," White said in recorded police interview in 2020 that was played in court.

 

[47of74]

Then this happened yesterday in Dubuque

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Dubuque city council members have appointed Amy Scheller as the city’s first female fire chief.

Scheller currently serves as the deputy fire chief in Naperville, Illinois, and has 30 years of firefighter and paramedic experience. During her time in the department, she has supervised and managed all areas of the fire department operations and administrative divisions. However, she told TV9 she is ready for a new experience.

“It was a pretty extensive process and I loved every bit of it,” Scheller said regarding the interview process for the Dubuque fire chief position. “I had an opportunity to meet the community, meet members of the organization, meet members of the city and it was kind of a two-way conversation. We wanted to get to know each other to see if this would be a good fit and every time I talked to the next group it just became clearer and clearer to me.”

Scheller said community involvement will be one of her priorities when she officially takes over on June 6.

The city had to shell out a bunch of dough to a female firefighter because of all the sexual harassment that was going on at the fire department and the previous chief decided to retire.  (Reading in between the lines he decided to jump before he got pushed out for allowing the problem to fester as long as it did).  This at least indicates the city is at least looking at actually changing the fire department for the better.

[47of74]

The Star Trek family has the backs of the Star Wars family.

It is really great to see Star Trek standing up to racist and sexist douche cannons no matter who they target.

Spoiler

Even though I still maintain that a Constitution class could still wipe the floor with a Star Destroyer.

Of course said racist and sexist douche cannons are whining about Gina now but that was an entirely different situation.

 

[47of74]

Linn County, Iowa is considering a ordinance to ban conversion thearpy in unincorporated areas.

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Many Linn County residents spoke in favor of a ban on conversion therapy at Wednesday’s Board of Supervisor’s meeting.

The board held a second reading on an ordinance that would ban conversion therapy in unincorporated areas of Linn County. According to the agenda item, conversion therapy includes any efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity with minors.

The meeting opened with public comments where many Linn County citizens from Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, Ely, and Marion spoke in favor of the ordinance, and asked that the board pass it.

Supervisor Stacey Walker says he is not aware of any organization currently using conversion therapy in Linn County. He says this item is to serve as a preventative measure.

Cedar Rapids is in Linn County so that's one of the more heavily populated areas in Iowa.  I think the reason for this is to tell any Branch Trumpvidians in the county to go peddle their horseshit somewhere else.  Can't imagine CovidKimmy or Hinson are too happy about this - which of course is good.

[47of74]

Just read this from the Episcopal Church about Bishop Guerry - someone who was decades ahead of his time and paid for his beliefs on racial equality with his life.

[47of74]

Linn County, Iowa has banned conversion therapy

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The Linn County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance banning conversion therapy in a 2-1 vote.

The ordinance bans any effort to change a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity and applies in unincorporated areas of Linn County.

“Banning the practice of conversion therapy is a moral imperative for all policymakers who take seriously their job of protecting the health and welfare of the people,” Linn County Supervisor Stacey Walker said in a news release. “This ordinance will save lives, which means supporting it is one of the most important things we can do for our community.”

Before the passage of the ordinance, Walker told TV9 he didn’t know of any organization using conversion therapy, but he said the ordinance would serve as a preventative measure.

Awaiting the wailing and gashing of teeth from CovidKimmy, Chuckles, Joni, and other useless GQP idiots over this.

 

[47of74]

If only more baseball players were like this

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The pitcher for the Texas East Little League team hung his head, clearly upset after his last pitch hit the 12-year-old Oklahoma batter in the head, knocking off his helmet and leaving him lying in the dirt at home plate.

But Isaiah Jarvis, who at first had gripped his head, soon recovered. He was OK, and the crowd at the Little League Southwest Region championship in Waco, Texas, applauded as he stood up and took first base.

Back on the mound, though, Kaiden Shelton was still shaken. That's when something amazing happened: Isaiah stepped off the bag, walked to the mound and wrapped his arms around the pitcher, letting him know he was all right.

"I wanted to go over there and spread God's love and make sure that he's OK, and make sure that he knows that I'm OK and that I'll be OK," Isaiah told CNN Wednesday morning, appearing on "New Day" alongside Kaiden.

Of course Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports had to be a horse's ass about this on Twitter and whine about Jarvis doing this.  He got his ass called out by a whole bunch of people on Twitter, along with one Keith Olbermann.

Edited August 10, 2022 by 47of74