Cleveland, OH; Terrible American City, or The Worst American City?

http://www.channel3000.com/news/14965868/detail.html

Other cities that got lots of snow plan ahead for the thaw. In Cleveland and the surronding area a standard winter storm (24 degrees, 4 inches of snow) knocked out power, and the roads are still not plowed a full day after the snow has stopped. In some places through the city, eastbound Interstate 90 has un-useable lanes because of snow. The inner-city streets are even worse. The sidewalks are completely buried so people just walk in the street. With infrastructure problems like Cleveland has, I am not suprised that people die here in the winter. I have been in Atlanta when they have gotten this much snow and it didn't disrupt life this much.

Tazer News Today

First, from the blog's hometown Madison, comes the revelation that it doesn't pay to be some random guy in the mall the day after Christmas. I'm not sure if this is a case of prank calling gone to one of its most extreme and sadistic extremes, or a case of someone who was overly paranoid. I'm not sure how I would react if the police, seemingly for no reason, showed up in force and tried to get me to go out to the parking lot. He's being charged with resisting police, but it would seem that he should get a medal for resisting the worst form of senseless police brutality.

Second, here is a transcript of Amy Goodwin from Democracy Now interviewing people involved in the fracas in New Orleans. In this case, it would seem that there are two narratives surrounding the police's use of force in this case. If, as some believe, the police were keeping more members of the opposition from getting into City Council's chamber, the use of force represents a gross violation of the principles of a free, democratic society. If, on the other hand, the police were justified after keeping protesters from tearing down the gates around City Hall, then, you're also violating the principles of democracy, at least in a purely philosophical way, in that the force keeps citizens from entering what should be common municipal space. In any event, it would be interesting to see how many times Tasers were deployed during the course of that protest. See the video goodness below for some background and color the way only CNN can provide. "How do you know you were tazed?" That's some great reporting, Rick Sanchez.

"We Tased him to maintain compliance," [Ogden Police Lt. Scott] Conley said.

Sure, the guy who breaks into a school in the middle of the night because he's really drunk and still got a bottle of vodka to burn through probably needs to go to jail to sleep it off if nothing else. But, it takes a special kind of bravery to sic dogs on a drunk guy who you have out numbered, and then tase him when he doesn't immediately jump to your beck and call.