In early February, Chicago Ald. Madeline Haithcock proposed to name one city block in honor of Fred Hampton, the Black Panther leader who died on the block in an infamous 1969 police raid. She was acting on a request from Fred Hampton Jr., who was born just three weeks after his mother survived the pre-dawn assault on the Panther apartment.… return to article
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Reader Comments (10)Page 1 of 1 pagesExcellent work Mr. Muwakkil.
Chicago Police had issues with recognition of the Haymarket riot a couple years ago and the labor riots at the steel mills in South Chicago. I guess we’re to believe they’re beyond reproach even though they have to torture suspects into “confessing”, rely heavily on paid informants instead of doing real investigative work, solve less than half of the murders committed in the city, include known (by them and everyone else) drug dealers and addicts, drunks, slum lords, gang bangers, thieves, racist and rapist among their ranks. They’re also about the most ignorant, unprofessional, physically unfit police in the nation. I think the “Fred Hampton Way” sign should go up. F*%k the Police
Posted by theloneous on Mar 30, 2006 at 1:37 PM Being from Philadelphia, I cannot help but recall the case of Mumia as a point of comparison. The FOP in Philadelphia has gone to great lengths to silence Mumia. Mumia is branded a cop killer and so he has not been given due process by the law. The same also applies to Leonard Peltier.
Police feel they are above the law, despite the fact that it is their job defend the law. Police abuses are endless. Yet it seems that Hampton has strong community to support him, so maybe they will honor “Fred Hampton Way” in the end.
Posted by Epistrophy on Mar 30, 2006 at 7:05 PM Correction, many think they ARE the law, no distinction. If there is a difference, they don’t want to know what it is. Legislatures are bending over backwards to give law enforcement anything they want, in an anti-crime, anti-terror, pro- crackdown fervor and won’t wake up for years to what they are doing to their own rights, their kids rights, the rights of ALL.
Posted by marge on Apr 2, 2006 at 4:31 PM While the attack on Fred Hampton was definitely overkill and a tragedy on many levels, it doesn’t change the fact that Hampton had repeatedly encouraged “killing pigs” as “justice” and that two uniformed police officers had been killed by Panthers just 2 weeks before Hampton’s killing.
While Hamptom himself may never have personally killed anyone, he advocated it and his “followers” certainly did committ murder. Some of Hitler’s and Mussolini’s policies benefitted their people along the lines of the Panthers’ “breakfast programs, medical clinics, food depositories and other things, “ and neither of them personally murdered anyone, yet you won’t find a Mussolini Way or Hitler Highway anywhere in Italy or Germany!!
Hampton deserves nothing but a peaceful, eternal rest!
Posted by davetimp on Apr 3, 2006 at 4:43 PM Hitler and Mussolini are flawed comparisons. There is no meaningful parallel between a group formed to resist (and combat) police brutality and racism, and fascist dictators who had their enemies slaughtered, tortured, and imprisoned to remain in power. There may be violence, and the encouragement of violence, in both, but the context is dramatically different.
Posted by Harrower on Apr 4, 2006 at 10:39 AM It is time we compensate all US current and former slaves! They have suffered enough.
We should provide them with a stipend of 5 times the minimum wage for life, free health care and free housing. Mental health care should - of course - be included.
Furthermore we need to ensure that the institution of slavery is ended in the US once and for all.
Oh, this is 2006? My bad!
Posted by wolf on Apr 5, 2006 at 8:05 AM Oh yeah, that bit of sarcasm was completely relevant.
Typical Honorary Street Name != Over-zealous reparations. There’s not even really a parallel at all.
Posted by Harrower on Apr 6, 2006 at 11:02 AM Firstly, let me state that the focus here is skewed. Having lived in many places, I can correctly state that police brutality in major cities is biased by race, however the chunk of police corruption is designated towards criminals and associates of said criminals. In smaller cities, generally ones that hold prisons or factories and contain a large amount of illegal aliens whose housing options are limited to a downtown area, have a much more dispicable type of police brutality. In these areas not only are police more racially biased in their selection of people to mess with, but very minor offenders as well as people who have commited no crime often get beaten into the ground for any amount of disrespect towards police.
Posted by Circa Tractus on May 14, 2006 at 2:56 AM Firstly, let me state, as someone who has lived in a diverse mix of places, that big city police brutality is nothing like smaller city police brutality. In area’s that generally function as miniature cities, even moreso in small cities that contain prisons, police brutality victims are racistly and classistly selected. Minor offenders of these types of areas get humiliated and beaten to a point where medical attention is needed, and Internal Affairs pays even less mind than with bigger cities because they are too busy.
Secondly, that was the most ignorant joke I have heard in two years “Harrower”. To present the norm of African American opinion in an ignorant fashion is a state of denial within itself. I have heard my fair share of intelligent and fact based arguement for the subject. The only reason I have been able to argue without being RACIST (oh, I’m sorry did I pull a card?) is because the U.S. simply is not prepared to back a financial giant like that. We certainly dont need the national circulation of money to be 5 times our actual worth.
Posted by Circa Tractus on May 14, 2006 at 3:07 AM This is a idea long overdue...bottom line the police murdered / assassinated Fred Hampton...( much like Pat Robertson advocated for Hugo Chavez recently )...gun battles between the Black Panthers vs. Police were always kick off by the cops...Huey Newton / Bobby Seale never & I repeat never advocated violence of any kind they championed self defence. Malcolm X said it most directly “ Black Nationalism is a direct response too the oppression of white supremacy when white supremacy seizes to exist Black Nationalism will also end “. Malcolm X made this statement in the face of underinformed critics toward the facts concerning the brutality suffered by afrikan people in the U.S. and the diaspora.....
Posted by Redhorse on May 21, 2006 at 7:55 AM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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