---------------------Really dudes, you need o butch it up a notch!
More police raids on gay establishments…when is this going to end?
8 Arrested in raid at Atlanta gay bar
There are places in this country where open hostility still exists against LGBT people. We saw one in Fort Worth last month and there has been some police officers fired over the incident. Now we see this one in Atlanta. When is this going to end? How can we expect Law Authorities to protect the LGBT community against hate crimes when
they are the ones conducting them?
There was a late night raid on the Atlanta Eagle where the police came in and mistreated customers, forced many to the ground, frisked them and ended up arresting eight of the employees who were charged with providing adult entertainment without a city permit.
Of all the phony charges, and the transparency of their actions, these allegations of improper behavior on the part of the police are being investigated. For sure they will be exonerated as these b
ullies often are unless there is a widespread, country wide outrage on the part of the LGBT community as was the case with the Fort Worth raid.
Once more the old song and dance of how the police "received several complaints with descriptive information about alleged criminal conduct at the Atlanta Eagle Club located at 306 Ponce De Leon."
The statement acknowledged "allegations of improper behavior by police officers conducting the investigation" but said no official complaints have been filed.
Although no drugs were found, and none of those arrested were charged with any kind of narcotic violations. Among those arrested was Eagle co-owner Robert Kelley and six of the eight remained behind bars until late Friday afternoon. A judge set bail for them after two Atlanta City Council candidates, Miguel Gallegos and Shelitha Robertson, intervened.
Danni Lynn Harris, Atlanta Police’s liaison to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community, said the raid was a result of a tip sent to Mayor Shirley Franklin’s office alleging "illicit sex" at The Eagle.
The officer said several complaints have been made by people saying they received verbal abuse with "anti-gay overtones."
A series of rallies opposing the raid have already been organized, including one Friday night and another planned for Saturday at 5 p.m.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 11, 2009
The Atlanta Eagle Club Arrests
“The Atlanta Police Department conducts routine inspections of city businesses with valid alcohol permits. The City received several complaints with descriptive information about alleged criminal conduct at the Atlanta Eagle Club located at 306 Ponce De Leon.
In an effort to ensure compliance with the law, the Police Department investigated the complaints and during the investigation police observed criminal behavior taking place at the Club on September 10, 2009. While the Police were conducting a compliance check it lead to the arrests of eight employees. The Department views all complaints of criminal conduct as serious and will utilize resources to investigate and deter criminal activity in order to create a safe environment.
While there have been allegations of improper behavior by police officers conducting the investigation, there have not been any official complaints filed with the Atlanta Police Department. ”
Sgt. Lisa Keyes, Atlanta Police Department, Public Affairs Unit
Some comments I read on blogs:
There seems to be a presumption on the part of many police departments that if something illegal may be going on in a gay bar, the proper response is to enter with a show of force and hold PATRONS accountable. Just like they did in Ft. Worth. Well, ENOUGH.ALREADY! It is NOT ACCEPTABLE TO BE TREATED LIKE THE GERMANS DID UNDER HITLER WITH GESTAPO REPRESSION. If we don’t demand civil treatment, this will be a signal to cities and police department across the COUNTRY that they are justified to use similar tactics and to humiliate and use homophobic slurs while they are conducting their raids. I realize that some of these law enforcement officers get their kicks from insulting and beating up gays. ATLANTA must be where we draw the line and say ENOUGH.
As a resident of Atlanta, I’m ashamed of this cities continued harassment of the gay community. This is just another incident of overt hostility towards the gay community. The complaint of sexual activities and drugs were obviously unfounded as not a single person was arrested for this. The biggest violation was that some amateur dancers where in violation of not having an entertainment license. Agreeably they should have the license, but in a city that has nearly one homicide a day, burglaries, home invasions and so on, surely the police dept. has better things to do than send 15 officers to shut down a couple of dangerous dancers. The city has become a joke. The only light here is that the now Mayor will soon be out and hopefully things will change. It’s hard to believe that something like this can happen in 2009.
This comes from a wannabe President and one who believes the world is 6,000 years old
Huckabee: No Palestinian State in Israel
Former Arkansas Governor and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said during a trip to Israel that the land "belongs to the Jewish people alone."
He acknowledged that the Palestinians deserve a state of their own, but insisted: "It just can't be in Israel."
Huckabee, a Baptist minister and Fox News personality, was accompanied on his trip by Helen Freedman, executive director of Americans for a Safe Israel.
He told reporters that two sovereign nations cannot control the same piece of territory, and said: "Many people with many different faiths believe in a strong Israel. They believe in Israel based on issues of security as well as promises made in the Bible. This land belongs to the Jewish people alone."
Asked about the so-called Israeli "occupation" of Palestine, Huckabee said he would characterize the Israeli government's efforts as "accommodation, not occupation," the Jewish Voice and Opinion reported.
He referred to the Barack Obama administration's criticism of the Israeli government over construction of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem, and his backing away from campaign promises of support for a unified Jerusalem.
"The current administration has taken a different track from the one followed by the Bush and Clinton administrations, and Obama's position now is different from what it was during the campaign," Huckabee observed.
He also said: "Jews should have the right to live wherever they choose in their homeland. If the Arabs didn't want to lose land, they shouldn't have started wars."
PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.usnews.com/dbimages/master/1583/FE_DA_070904huckabee.jpg
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