Benjamin Netanyahu 'Wanted' in Spain

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 'Bibi' Netanyahu could be wanted in Spain due to a call for arrest by a Spanish judge using a legal loophole to indict Netanyahu and six other high officials affiliated with the 2010 Mavi Marmara raid, also known as the Flotilla scandal, or the Gaza Flotilla Raid. 

They may be put to court for war crimes, in which 9 activists were killed by the Israeli Military during the events taking place on May 31st, 2010. If they enter Spain, they will face indictment.

Israel (& other) Officials Wanted in Spain:

• Benjamin 'Bibi' Netanyahu
• Moshe Ya'alon
• Dan Meridor
• Eli Yishai
• Avigdor Lieberman
• Ehud Barak
• Benny Begin

Gaza Flotilla Raid

The Gaza Freedom Flotilla was an attempt to break through the Egyptian-Israeli air, land, and see blockade of the Gaza Strip (which began in 2007). Managed by the Free Gaza Movement, and the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla was carrying humanitarian aid and construction supplies directly to Gaza. Normally, Israeli officials inspect the goods.

The Gaza Freedom Flotilla believed to have worked in accordance with international law, and rejected any threatening tactics by the Egyptians and the Israeli's. The Israeli's very much knew the plans stated by the Flotilla long before the incident, and they have had run-ins in the past.

Israel, prior to this moment, was unsure of the motives of the Gaza Flotilla. They suspected the organization of funding terrorists. Israel planned a preemptive attack while denouncing the Flotilla as a faction of Hamas in Gaza. The Flotilla insisted on transporting the goods into Gaza, as Israel called to turn the goods elsewhere and that Israeli official would transport it to Gaza the rest of the way. Naturally, as many empty promises beforehand, the Flotilla rejected this notion that they could entrust Israel with the humanitarian aid.

On May 31st, 2010, Israeli forces bombarded several ships associated with the Flotilla (who was transporting over 600 activists, and goods and supplies) with speedboats and helicopter support where 9 activists were killed.

National origins of ships include...

• Two American Ships, Free Gaza Movement
• Two Greek Ships, 'European Campaign To End The Siege On Gaza'
• A ship from Comoros, IHH
• Turkey, IHH
• Kiribati, IHH
• Cambodia, Free Gaza Movement

Passengers

There were over 600 passengers from 37 national origins (many originating from Europe, USA, and Middle East). Many members include former US ambassadors, and Parliamentary officials. 

Activists Killed

• Ibrahim Bilgen
• Cetin Topcuoglu
• Furkan Dogan
• Cengiz Akyuz
• Ali Heyder Bengi
• Cevdet Kiliclar
• Cengiz Songur
• Fahri Yaldiz
• Necdet YilDirim

Police Killed and Victimless Crimes

Violent police actions and police brutality incidents have been now made more publicly accessible than ever before and this is changing and evolving traditional media. Many officers have been put on trial, however there have been many cases in which officers only received administrative leave, or they were allowed to stay within the force without facing a serious conviction in court, some weren't even charged. People have publicly spoken about their animosity against the law enforcement officers and the special treatment they get within the legal system, while some call for officers to be shot and killed for their injustices (which a handful of people share this sentiment in various communities). These cases are very conditional, and emotionally charged just like most public hysteria promoted by the mainstream media. There is a valid question, is the hatred for police justified? That is a really interesting question, but are any of the laws in place justified?

Cops Being Killed

It's very tragic to be working in a job where the public has had strong distrust not only for the badge and what it's supposed to represent, but for the state governments and the federal government itself. It has gone as far as getting many of these 'innocent' officers killed in the line of duty. Some of these cases may be related to drugs; A failed drug war that has only increased incarceration rates while destroying poor inner city families. As an example of the drug war, the youth resort to joining gangs and violent cliques that only seek self-benefit at the harmful cost of everyone else and the men in blue patrol the streets for low level criminal transactions, in which majority of the time those transactions are nonviolent. Is the death of another officer worth it, or another unarmed citizen?

Ghettos and Crime

In this environment in the ghettos and outskirts of wealthy cities, you have slums riddled with drugs and violent crime. It seems the inner city is constantly abused by the police force. It's a recurring cycle of drugs, welfare and abuse, regardless if these families are sincerely working and making an honest living without violence. Poor men who work get caught with marijuana, or a different illicit drug, have their lives instantly go down the drain with a felony charge. Returning to the workforce will be an endeavor, an endeavor for many financially struggling families, especially those looking for work and having a felony on their record. Education and future income is heavily affected by the family's current income; some of these families even go homeless within our very borders, an untold story. Would you not think that this would increase tension between the cops and the low income earners?

Many believe in this notion that if 'its law then you must follow it'. I assume the entire police force believes in this virtue and pin the entire populace to believe into this unrealistic love for a document limiting our rights. Sure, it is arguable that laws are here to ensure a 'stable society' and the officers are here to ensure the protection of us through a perception of law, but why have inefficient laws? I believe we have all the rights in the world for civil nonviolent disobedience. Honestly, in some form or another you all commit into civil disobedience even as officers. As citizens we should reject unjust laws, and I believe the police force should speak out about the inefficiency of these laws.

Like the men and women being killed in the high profile police brutality cases and the following uprisings and protests; How do cops feel when their own brothers and sisters are killed in the line of duty for the most pettiest of actions? This animosity is directed at the wrong people, surely (criminals and police, vice versa), but many times people should realize, and if they don't then they should be responsible. Many officers, of course many citizens, view their acts as nothing wrong. Yes, it is admirable that they hold their position as an officer with honor, however upholding the Constitution and being an example of standing men of freedom should be a preferred first impression to the global community, rather than being viewed as brutal paramilitary soldiers in blue. Of course, other countries are worse with civil rights violations, that is blatantly true, but America stands for freedom and our police and laws should represent this, and respect freedom.

Victimless Crimes and Law

The violent cases that we see are just a result of terrible drug policy and economic policy. Prohibition has caused many problems in multiple industries. The smallest infractions of jaywalking, and speeding is rather pointless. As an alternative we should have crimes based on only if the final result was violent, or deadly. Many preventive crimes fill up the victimless crime behemoth policy which terribly affects the efficiency of this nation, and quite frankly angers the populace.

Sin taxes, the 'police brutality' case of Eric Garner itself was interesting, and in the end it lead to the death of a sick man. I believe that crimes should only be violent. Being harmful is one thing, that is debatable like secondhand smoke, but violent crime should be the priority. Speeding tickets should be removed, and if there is a person who 'speeds' and crashes then they should be held directly responsible. The act of speeding shouldn't be illegal, but the act of being aware of recommended speeds and crashing going above the speed recommendation, then, rightfully so, you are responsible. This is just one idea of many others that people can brainstorm together on to ensure public safety alternatives without enforcing a policy that serves as revenue generation.

I view the infraction laws we have today as predatory, it is blatant extortion of the masses. Without any violent actions taken place, people are being charged, and even convicted. Responsibility is key in a free society and as many countries today work on improving rights and their own freedom for individuals, America in my own opinion should be at the forefront of global freedom, but it seems times have changed.

As people continue to be charged with victimless crimes then there will likely be more protests. Currently, the relationship with the public and the police could be much better, but not many police officers have spoken out on the issue which is quite sad. I can only worry for both the citizens and the officers involved, as there may be violence, as there have been in the past. Each person in each individual case could likely be a victim of the law itself, and it may even end lethal. Politicians should be held accountable. 

Civil Disobedience and Political Activism

Today, technology has propelled society in many ways. Cars, the Internet, the Super Bowl; All here to entertain you, and serve you whenever you need. One thing that stays stagnant that generally seems to lag behind the pack is the government and its various agency that we are coerced to fund.

Cameras today are recording everything from weddings, to you walking by a busy street. A surveillance nation surely, but this surveillance is also a stand for freedom. The police today should embrace the use of cameras as there have been some cases that have held the citizens accountable for when they lie. The citizens and the police, as a sign of virtue should allow third parties free access to these resources if they so choose. I have seen the cop block community, and many police reactions have seemed to be unwelcoming.

The men in blue should not only respect the cameramen and -women, but, as I stated, be a bastion of freedom for the citizens. Nonviolence on both sides is the key. This isn't betraying the law but rather taking a stand for the American people with respectable men and women on the force backing up what's right; Trained professionals calling foul on the laws in place.

YouTube, and Twitter have been known for becoming a home for alternative media. The public shares these atrocities that occur with all their friends, and some become viral. The arab spring, the occupy movement, black lives matter and other protests have risen from social media. These grassroots media campaigns in America (and globally) have helped change a rigid traditional mindset. I believe we should get with the times and reform our criminal justice system before more lives are lost to faulty laws.

Are They Good Cops or Bad Cops?

The question is very eery, and could bring emotional reactions depending on the kind of answers you get. Naturally, you can view a 'good officer' as a man or woman who is great at their job. Doing their paperwork, picking up shifts, being an all around stand up officer of the law. This is the honorable side of working on the force, the part that makes men and women proud of their job even knowing the harmful things that may come. Logically, however, the reality of the situation isn't so wonderful. It's a sham! Many people are unaware of this, and this isn't just about the police but about the public entirely.

The cops are not good. Simply put, these laws are terrible and the police protecting and enforcing these laws really increases the tension, and we've seen in other countries that show us that freedom is optimal, and a preferred social policy. Portugal's drug laws are an amazing example. Many citizens get harassed, and the police harass individuals on the daily for petty crimes -- On actions that harmed no one. It's a shame to blame the police for this, it truly is. When the police don't speak, then who do we turn to? 

Politicians have placed the citizens and the police that protect us in a very interesting and violent situation. No American wants to harm another American nor take their rights away. That's not who we are, we are the progression of freedom not a malevolent empire of regulations. The police and the citizens should not be fighting but instead create viable alternatives to solving petty crimes. Violent crimes should be our priority in the criminal justice system, and we should promote freedom and responsibility!

I think the founding fathers of the United States of America would be really upset about the predatory limits to our freedom. Our freedoms are not something to profit off of.

Opinion On The Black Lives Matter Movement

We've seen the reports, another minority dead in the streets killed by none other than the same people that are supposedly here to protect us (which legally is not the case anyways). People are angry, while some officers have been killed, yet people are most angry in cities that are already stricken with poverty, and violence. This is what many of these citizens have to go through, maybe not at the hands of an officer but within friends, family even, and acquaintances; As they are stuck in a cycle of poverty, due to unnecessary regulations that restrict people from protecting themselves and/or their property, people resort to survivalist tactics, especially in locations where you cannot necessarily trust one another.

The movement has grown out of this exact reasoning, sure we can blame the cops for their atrocities (which we should), but the cops are just a catalyst to the laws they enforce. Sure a cop doesn't need to act violently in a super majority of cases, but in reality most initial confrontations and the act of receiving a ticket itself is an unjustified violent act of extortion and thievery. A coercive act to have us sign a contract which criminalizes us, and if we refuse to sign said contract, physical violent acts will be graciously given to us by the law enforcement officer(s) and imprisonment. Which then we'll likely be coerced, extorted, maybe even officially kidnapped by the end of a trial... I'm talking in reference to being arrested for nonviolent acts, and victimless crimes.

We have to ask the question are these laws justified? Are the final deadly results of a mild traffic violation justified? I think the Black Lives Matter movement brings up a valid question. Although primarily the name Black Lives Matter would think to refer only to black lives. Of course, this is a common misconception. Black Lives Matter is a grassroots movement done by the black communities (likely coming from residual feelings from the civil rights movement), which has support from many other movements.

Just as the Oath Keepers movement, people think it's just a group of all white, typical gun toting, racist rednecks when in reality these are people fighting for the Constitution with members of multiple races, and I myself tip my hat to them as a Latino.

My Opinion On The Black Lives Matter Movement

Truth be told, my opinion on the Black Lives Matter movement as a whole is very mixed. Although, I personally support the general cause in stopping police brutality, however I realize it isn't just police brutality. It is the laws that are in place which creates these confrontations between officers and people. Where now, apparently, officers feel a need to be armed just like military servicemen and politicians attempt to disarm the public (not just white people).

There are mixed feelings in the group, there are convoluted interests ranging from people looking to disarm the public and looking to arm the public. Peace vs violent interactions. Personally, I think violent interactions are quite effective but it is all about timing and support. Peace overall is a good sign, but many protesters in the Black Lives Matter movement fail to allow this peaceful protest, in that, they allow themselves to be pushed around by not only provocateurs , looters, thugs, but also by the police, and politicians. They don't stand their ground, they don't arm themselves and state they have a valid voice where the opposition is armed to the teeth and have resources to grow their armoury far more quickly than ours.

This in reality is a power struggle between the public and the government, and not many Black Lives Matter members notice this. Some think its just isolated to them, and do some very embarrassing things just to get attention.

Of course, I will not shame the entire movement for these tools, but overall, I think the Black Lives Matter movement needs to evolve, they need to arm themselves and stop looters, while they stop this government. If the police are armed then naturally we should defend our voices as well, not keep this double standard alive.

I like the message, there are some ridiculous people in the group which turns me off about it, like any other. They just need to gather around and really talk about what it means to "peacefully" protest, and how to gain the attention of dissenters to stay on track in the cause. They need to find out how to make a very clear message and ensure the government fears this message, so they truly can make a change for the better, while respecting the right for them to say this message without violence.

The negatives of the movement come from political advocacy, minus the issues with gun control, many protesters have called for more welfare while asking for 'protection' from corporations. The cycle of more regulation, and controls... Personally, it astonishes me that after many scandals and unintended consequences of "good intentions" many in the Black Lives Community support furthering the involvement of the government in other peoples lives. Expanding the failed drug war, gun control, driving away businesses with economically vain policies, it seems to me more of a cycle of insanity.

Every individual in the Black Lives Matter movement has their own opinion, I don't mean to generalize but simple perception entices the masses while funding the media.

If you liked my thoughts on this be sure to find me on YouTube!

Baltimore Riots Rest as Six Officers Are Charged With Assault | Freedie Gray Incident

After a violent protest in Baltimore that has caused destruction within the community and the deployment of around 2,000 National Guardsmen, things seem to be dying down. The protesters of Baltimore have returned to a peaceful protest over the unjust killing of, 25-year old, Freddie Gray. There has not been many details on the case except for suspecting that Freddie Gray has caused some part of his injuries within police custody, but of course this does not explain the video captured where he was incapable of moving his legs prior to being put inside a police vehicle.

Baltimore's Mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has called an end to the curfew for Baltimore's residents (which was called for the violent uprising by provocateurs). The Mayor has stated that charges for the incident within the Freddie Gray case will be targeted at 6 police officers who were involved. They are:

Officer Casear R. Goodon Jr., 45

Lt. Brian W. Rice, 41

Sgt. Alicia D. White, 30

Officer William G. Porter, 25

Officer Garrett E. Miller, 26

Officer Edward M. Nero, 29

The charges brought against these officers may lead to decades in prison, charges range from involuntary manslaughter (Goodon Jr., Rice, White, Porter), to second degree assault for all personnel involved.

Depending on how things go within the coming trial, we will likely see more evidence in the case and possibly more footage on the situation. It will be unlikely that these officers will be convicted as generally the police are favored by state legislators, and the court system, but this is an assumption. All eyes and ears are open for this case, let's hope that this becomes a lesson for any officer that deems violence is more preferred than calm reason.

Why Has Police Brutality Grown?

In my view, I don't believe police brutality has 'grown', if anything it has always been with us and has been a part of many societies since the dawn of law enforcers (as a whole). If anything there may be less 'police brutality' today than there ever was before, but it doesn't seem that way because of the level of technology that we have in this instant in time. Stand-alone cameras and camera phones have been closing the gap between the information given by the officers about a situation and their aggressor (or victim). Today we can see on social media sites such as YouTube and Vimeo the atrocities of police brutality, or general harassment.

We are bombarded by news media outlets on this "new" trending topic that is generally referred to as 'police misconduct'. Why is that, but a form of sensationalist reporting all for profit (which there is no problem with that). Though the reality is such violence done so by law enforcers has always been occurring; Whether it is because of race, religion, creed, etc. It has always been around (from the crusades to genocides). To state that there is more police brutality today, or that it is growing, is rather silly. It may be, perhaps, the perspective in which one sees it, although taking historical examples into account, we're in a much better place today than not. This is just speculative for crimes per capita, and let's take into account the brutality in police brutality.

Cameras are just one of many steps to thwart police brutality, although, to me, cameras are just a feel-good feeling to think that things will become 'so much better'. I'm not stating that with the cameras things have not improved, of course not. Although with the rise in police using cameras themselves on their person, I suspect a further rise of cover-ups and withholding valuable information about certain cases. Private cameras have been doing a wonderful job in bringing about the awareness of these violent acts, but that's just it. Awareness. Protests have come about because of this awareness, yet with little legislative effort done so by our "representatives" in office. And from those protests, many have come with police brutality.

How Can We Stop or Lessen Police Brutality?

Police brutality has been on a trend down because of the exposure of the overreaches of force. Today we can expose these atrocities while at the same time ensuring that the police respect the people because of our level of unification when we actually drop the chips and football and come together. However, the main point of lessening police brutality is to not just hack at the branches. Of course not, we must remove it from its source, which are the laws in place which creates a "need" for an aggressor where otherwise there would be no conflict if no such law existed. We have to be clear in stating that the laws in place are nothing but a form of profit for the police departments, and municipalities.

Police brutality is the direct result of the law itself.