None Of This

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  Here are a few for you.  Maybe you've seen it all before, but don't forget, we are documenting for the future.  We want this on record for posterity, don't we?

So, here we see Martin Gugino, 75, being pushed by Officers Aaron Torglaski and Robert McCabe of the Buffalo Police Department, as they were clearing away protesters after curfew.  As can be seen, Gugino fell backward, sustaining a head injury that caused him to bleed from his ear.  Both officers have been suspended without pay and charged with felony assault.

It was said in the officers' defense, that Gugino was out after curfew, disobeying the law.  Why, yes, he was.  Indeed, Gugino did not believe the law applied to protesters.  "Protests are exempt from curfews because Congress (and mayors) may make no laws that abridge the right of the people peaceably to assemble and complain to the government,” he tweeted early the day of the protest.  Yes, he did approach the officers and was attempting to speak to them.  I'm not sure how any of that earned the officers the right to shove an elderly person, perhaps causing permanent injury.  Yet, the officers may not be convicted or even indicted for the Shove Seen 'Round The World.  Lovely.

Some folks look at the above video and think that somehow Gugino was trying to jam signals on the electronic equipment of the officers.  It looked to me like he was gesturing at the steps with his phone, in lieu of his hand, since had both hands full.  Some, not to mention Donald Trump, suggest Gugino fell harder than was pushed.  Perhaps these folks haven't spent time around elderly people.  The balance is not quite what it used to be.  But then, Trump found that out over the weekend, didn't he?

As I mentioned, the pictures tell the story, so here are a few more without Your Crusading Blogger belaboring it with too many words.

Here are the police, warming up the crowds before a Presidential photo op?:

Here is another oldster being escorted by Salt Lake City police:

And an Atlanta cop showing a lady his shiny bike:

Here are a few places where so much more of this charming behavior is being documented, lest we forget or be overwhelmed:

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/06/george-floyd-public-spreadsheet-police-violence-videos.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/2020PoliceBrutality/comments/h8wdyq/cops_harassing_people_for_no_reason/

And just for the hell of it, the police also let the press into the fun, starting with Omar Jiminez from CNN and his crew:

Besides Omar and his crew, here is a story, replete with videos, of the close encounters several reporters had the pleasure of having with police lately.  Here is another, and yet another.

We all give our money, our time, our hopes, and our dreams to this country.  Is this the America we're investing in?