A plea deal has been reached. Ellis plead guilty to disturbing the peace and resisting the peace. She was given 4 days in jail that she can serve over the weekends, anger management classes, and 1-year supervised probation.
Tim Wise-The Pathology of White Privilege Part 3/6
Showing posts with label Heather Ellis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heather Ellis. Show all posts
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
The verdict in the Heather Ellis trial rests with the jury.
Friday, November 20
Here is the November 20 update of the Heather Ellis trial.
Following are some comments I collected from a blog,
I hope for her sake that the jury can get beyond the opinions of most of these people.
joseph November 19, 2009 7:06AM CST
I am tired of the racial issue being played out each time the law is broken. This woman was pushing white people around stepping in front of them and fighting. Send her to jail...lets see how tough she is there.
USA-GreatestCountryonEarth November 19, 2009 5:13AM CST
I agree; it's sad that whites are always blamed for everything.
luvmysoftail November 19, 2009 4:46AM CST
Most blacks are pre-programmed to use the race card whenever there is a white in charge. It gets people to focus on race instead of the real issue. When was the last time a black was accused of committing a crime becasue of race? Never, that I know of. Based on my personal experiences, the behavior Ellis is accused of is not unheard of.
spamsucks2004 November 19, 2009 7:11AM CST
Looks like Ellis is guilty of having a loud, ignorant mouth. Of course it doesn't help that she immediately pulls out the 'race card' as most of her kind do. She looks like a person with an attitude in her photo. I don't feel she deserves 15 years for her stupidity but I fell she at least a half year in jail then placed on parole for several years. if she gets away with this, there will be others...
knjse November 19, 2009 7:32AM CST
I can see it now...however this ends, Ellis will apply to Med School. If she gets denied for whatever reason, the race card comes out again, and she was denied because of this incident, because she's black, etc. ad nauseum. Displaying behavior like this (having your cousin hold a place in line when he has no standing because he had no items) makes me realize I wouldn't want her making major medical decisions for me anyway, black or white.
zimm413 November 19, 2009 7:57AM CST
So typical. Being a minority myself you do not see other minorities acting like a bunch of fools. Even if her cousin was jumped in line why are you going to physically assault someone. This is how they are taught.
justracn November 19, 2009 8:02AM CST
Let's see.... butt up in line, get called on it, get into altercation, police get called, decide to start swinging at police and screaming rasiss....hmmmmm.....guilty as charged. If this were a white woman she would have already taken her punishment and been done with it instead of playing da ol race card and trying to win the lottery!
fair is fair November 19, 2009 8:13AM CST
First and foremost, the national media should stay out of this mess. This is just another small town issue that should have been worked out as such. Secondly, the "supremacists", both black and white, should shut the hell up, and mind their own business. They are all there just to stir the pot. They are all haters, every last one, and it disgusts me that everytime some wanna be nazi shows up, they bring the Confederate flag with them. That is the flag of MY forefathers, and was/is a source of pride and heritage, not one of hatered. All the while the blacks are always victimizing themselves to the community, when they are the main cause of their own plight. This should never have gotten to this point.
Tony LaGenius November 19, 2009 8:21AM CST
Black person doesn't obey police requests, hits and kicks police, and can't understand why they get arrested. Must be raceism. First time this has ever happened.
MattyMo November 19, 2009 8:20AM CST
Old Guy 1- Did you ever think that decent folks just want to live in nice quiet neighborhoods where you can take a walk at night and not worry about some hood rat robbing you or worse? These hood rats have brought a lot of this on themselves by THEIR actions. Get a job and earn what you have. Quit stealing and waiting for Government handouts. This is only a racial thing because you made it one.
Whatthe? November 19, 2009 8:23AM CST
It's weird. I'm 60 years old and I've been in hundreds and hundreds of stores and restaurants over the years, and I've never once seen or heard a black person treated rudely or disrespected. I guess I've just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. But in a country of 300 million, if there is just one incident in one town somewhere, the media will play it up and make it sound as if it is commonplace.
French November 19, 2009 8:25AM CST
This would be a non-story had it not been for her race. Why do people think they can get away with bad behavior just because the are a minority.
obammithemarxist November 19, 2009 9:17AM CST
She acted stupidly, Come on Obama, she needs your support. Please, forget everything else your doing, oops...besides nothing and provide your support.
Deaus November 19, 2009 9:19AM CST
First, she assaulted the police officers, thats a big no-no. I don't doubt that the cops were likely barney fife knockoffs -most small town cops possess little education and little mediation skills-but that doesn't excuse her assaulting them. However, I am blown away by the fact that so many many white people are still aghast when they hear of a black person claiming discrimination. I mean, just reading the comments here is proof enough that racism and bigotry is ALIVE and well in middle america...And please, for the love of God, stop with the whole "slavery ended 150yrs ago" diatribes. If you don't think that the social and economic effects of racial discrimination are still FULLY impacting our society, then you are naieve at best. I don't doubt one bit that the boot'hell' citizens and police acted like ignorant clowns, but you NEVER hit a cop. Period.
Gardenia November 19, 2009 7:59AM CST
Amazingly, many posters can ascertain Ms. Ellis' (1) poor attitude, (2) sense of entitlement based on her race, and (3) guilt simply from her photo. The popular phrase/stance seems to be to accuse anyone Black who makes a complaint of "playing the race card". Perhaps, Ms. Ellis has some hard facts on her side that will exonerate her; if so, I trust that she will prevail in the trial and can get on with her career and her life.
Tim Wise on white priviledge part 2
Here is the November 20 update of the Heather Ellis trial.
Following are some comments I collected from a blog,
I hope for her sake that the jury can get beyond the opinions of most of these people.
joseph November 19, 2009 7:06AM CST
I am tired of the racial issue being played out each time the law is broken. This woman was pushing white people around stepping in front of them and fighting. Send her to jail...lets see how tough she is there.
USA-GreatestCountryonEarth November 19, 2009 5:13AM CST
I agree; it's sad that whites are always blamed for everything.
luvmysoftail November 19, 2009 4:46AM CST
Most blacks are pre-programmed to use the race card whenever there is a white in charge. It gets people to focus on race instead of the real issue. When was the last time a black was accused of committing a crime becasue of race? Never, that I know of. Based on my personal experiences, the behavior Ellis is accused of is not unheard of.
spamsucks2004 November 19, 2009 7:11AM CST
Looks like Ellis is guilty of having a loud, ignorant mouth. Of course it doesn't help that she immediately pulls out the 'race card' as most of her kind do. She looks like a person with an attitude in her photo. I don't feel she deserves 15 years for her stupidity but I fell she at least a half year in jail then placed on parole for several years. if she gets away with this, there will be others...
knjse November 19, 2009 7:32AM CST
I can see it now...however this ends, Ellis will apply to Med School. If she gets denied for whatever reason, the race card comes out again, and she was denied because of this incident, because she's black, etc. ad nauseum. Displaying behavior like this (having your cousin hold a place in line when he has no standing because he had no items) makes me realize I wouldn't want her making major medical decisions for me anyway, black or white.
zimm413 November 19, 2009 7:57AM CST
So typical. Being a minority myself you do not see other minorities acting like a bunch of fools. Even if her cousin was jumped in line why are you going to physically assault someone. This is how they are taught.
justracn November 19, 2009 8:02AM CST
Let's see.... butt up in line, get called on it, get into altercation, police get called, decide to start swinging at police and screaming rasiss....hmmmmm.....guilty as charged. If this were a white woman she would have already taken her punishment and been done with it instead of playing da ol race card and trying to win the lottery!
fair is fair November 19, 2009 8:13AM CST
First and foremost, the national media should stay out of this mess. This is just another small town issue that should have been worked out as such. Secondly, the "supremacists", both black and white, should shut the hell up, and mind their own business. They are all there just to stir the pot. They are all haters, every last one, and it disgusts me that everytime some wanna be nazi shows up, they bring the Confederate flag with them. That is the flag of MY forefathers, and was/is a source of pride and heritage, not one of hatered. All the while the blacks are always victimizing themselves to the community, when they are the main cause of their own plight. This should never have gotten to this point.
Tony LaGenius November 19, 2009 8:21AM CST
Black person doesn't obey police requests, hits and kicks police, and can't understand why they get arrested. Must be raceism. First time this has ever happened.
MattyMo November 19, 2009 8:20AM CST
Old Guy 1- Did you ever think that decent folks just want to live in nice quiet neighborhoods where you can take a walk at night and not worry about some hood rat robbing you or worse? These hood rats have brought a lot of this on themselves by THEIR actions. Get a job and earn what you have. Quit stealing and waiting for Government handouts. This is only a racial thing because you made it one.
Whatthe? November 19, 2009 8:23AM CST
It's weird. I'm 60 years old and I've been in hundreds and hundreds of stores and restaurants over the years, and I've never once seen or heard a black person treated rudely or disrespected. I guess I've just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. But in a country of 300 million, if there is just one incident in one town somewhere, the media will play it up and make it sound as if it is commonplace.
French November 19, 2009 8:25AM CST
This would be a non-story had it not been for her race. Why do people think they can get away with bad behavior just because the are a minority.
obammithemarxist November 19, 2009 9:17AM CST
She acted stupidly, Come on Obama, she needs your support. Please, forget everything else your doing, oops...besides nothing and provide your support.
Deaus November 19, 2009 9:19AM CST
First, she assaulted the police officers, thats a big no-no. I don't doubt that the cops were likely barney fife knockoffs -most small town cops possess little education and little mediation skills-but that doesn't excuse her assaulting them. However, I am blown away by the fact that so many many white people are still aghast when they hear of a black person claiming discrimination. I mean, just reading the comments here is proof enough that racism and bigotry is ALIVE and well in middle america...And please, for the love of God, stop with the whole "slavery ended 150yrs ago" diatribes. If you don't think that the social and economic effects of racial discrimination are still FULLY impacting our society, then you are naieve at best. I don't doubt one bit that the boot'hell' citizens and police acted like ignorant clowns, but you NEVER hit a cop. Period.
Gardenia November 19, 2009 7:59AM CST
Amazingly, many posters can ascertain Ms. Ellis' (1) poor attitude, (2) sense of entitlement based on her race, and (3) guilt simply from her photo. The popular phrase/stance seems to be to accuse anyone Black who makes a complaint of "playing the race card". Perhaps, Ms. Ellis has some hard facts on her side that will exonerate her; if so, I trust that she will prevail in the trial and can get on with her career and her life.
Tim Wise on white priviledge part 2
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Heather Ellis Update for Nov 19
The Heather Ellis Trial entered day 2, with surveillance video being shown to jurors by both attorneys. Each has said the video will show the jurors their side of the story.
Prosecutor Morley Swingle says the video proves his point that Ellis “went ballistic” and went on a “profane tirade.” The video shows Ellis pushing another customers merchandise into the floor.
Defense attorney Scott Rosenbloom says the video simply shows Ellis joining in line with her cousin, and no where does it show Ellis assaulting police. Another video shows Ellis being escorted from Wal-Mart by police.
Wal-Mart employees also were called to the stand this afternoon, and a police officer also took the stand.
This evening Dr. Boyce Watkins said "When I held the rally for Heather Ellis last week, the woman facing up to 15-years in prison after allegedly cutting line at a Wal-Mart, I was hoping that one day the rest of the world could see what I saw nearly two weeks ago. In spite of the prosecutor's contention that the video tape would prove his case beyond a reasonable doubt, the truth is that the video is highly inconclusive.
I find it incredibly interesting that police say that Heather refused to leave the store, when in fact, she was leaving and the officers were following her out the door. Also, given that the alleged assault can't be proven and in the words of the prosecutor "There was no serious injury," why in the world is she facing 15-years in prison?
We await the verdict tomorrow. If justice is not served, then I plan to get on an airplane tomorrow. This kind of justice should not be acceptable to any of us."
See more news and video at this link
Meanwhile I've noticed lots of folks talking about the race card, after all, they say the girl was belligerent .
We all know if she was white she would have been indignant, priviledge card.
Tim Wise speaks on white priviledge
Shinin' the Lite on White Privilege
by Sharon Martinas
� Sharon Martinas, 1998.
Defining the Problem
Why Can't We Just Get It Together?
In 1996, progressive activists in California waged a massive, multi-racial and militant struggle to save affirmative action. Though we raised the consciousness of millions of people, voters and non-voters, we lost at the ballot box. Fifty-six percent of California's electorate voted "Yes" on Proposition 209, thus wiping out affirmative action in the public sector: in education, employment and contracting.
What happened? There were many analyses among activists, all of which held important kernels of truth:
* The electoral arena in California is a stacked deck when the Right uses racist initiatives. Though 47% of the population is people of color, 83% of the voters are white.
* The left was out spent by the right, and the Clinton campaign failed to keep its commitment to provide millions of dollars to wage an effective media campaign against the initiative.
* The wording of the initiative, billed as a "civil rights" policy, deliberately confused many well-meaning voters who would be expected to support equality in government programs.
* To wage a comprehensive grassroots organizing electoral campaign, in a state the size of California, activists should have started in 1995 and coordinated their efforts much more effectively.
These are important points. But something is missing. The organizers in communities of color reached their electoral objectives: hundreds of thousands of new voters went to the polls, and the NO on 209 votes looked like this:
Asian Americans 61%, African Americans 74%, and Latinos 76%! But the groups organizing among white feminists did not reach their goals. To defeat 209, 55% of white women needed to vote NO. Instead, 57% of white women voted YES!
What happened? Most feminists know that white women have been the major beneficiaries of affirmative action in all its spheres. So why did we white women vote overwhelmingly against our own interest as well as against social justice for people of color?
To begin to analyze this problem, I believe we have to understand the history and role of white privilege in this country.
"White" is . . . "White" isn't
What does "white" mean to you, as it refers to people? Here are some questions to think about:
* Is "white" a skin color?
* What does your dictionary and thesaurus say about "white" as referring to people?
* Are "white" people a race?
* Is "white" an ethnicity (like Norwegian, Irish, Jewish, Russian)?
* Are white people who live in the USA "Americans?"
* Is there such a thing as "the white community" in the U.S.?
* If you are a person of color, what do you call people whose ancestors came from Europe?
* If your ancestors came from Europe, what do you call yourself?
White is -- White Privilege
Webster's New World (sic) Dictionary defines privilege as "a right, advantage, favor, or immunity specially granted to one; esp., a right held by a certain individual, group, or class, and withheld from certain others or all others.' (Emphasis added. Third College Edition of Webster's, 1988)
The CWS Workshop defines white privilege this way:
"U.S. institutions and culture give preferential treatment to people whose ancestors came from Europe over peoples whose ancestors are from the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Arab world; and exempt European Americans -- white people -- from the forms of racial and national oppression inflicted upon peoples from the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Arab world.
This web of institutional and cultural preferential treatment is called white privilege. In a white supremacy system, white privilege and racial oppression are two sides of the same coin."
Non-ruling class white people are both oppressed and privileged. They are oppressed most significantly on the basis of class, gender and sexuality, and also on the basis of religion, culture, ethnicity, age, physical abilities and politics. At the same time, they are privileged in relation to peoples of color.
Historical Origins of White Privilege
In the early 1600's, 50 wealthy Englishmen bought stock in the Virginia Company of London. Their stock options included large parcels of (indigenous) land in the new colony of Virginia, as well as the right to govern the colony.
These English gentlemen did not intend to work their lands in Virginia. To get workers, they contracted with English merchants who delivered impoverished English teenagers and kidnapped African people. By the second decade of colonization, working servants, both English and African, outnumbered "gentlemen" by perhaps 100 to 1.
Living and working conditions for African and English laborers were horrendous. Workers were regularly whipped, nearly starved to death, denied days of rest, and were refused permission to marry. English servants, who were supposedly protected under English poor laws, had limited times of servitude, but owners disregarded the laws. Those servants who were freed as required, usually died within a few years.
Under these conditions, African and English servants struggled to survive and resist their common oppression. They traded together, they made love together, and they made war together against their masters. Most servants were armed, since the wealthy used their servants to protect the frontiers against "hostile Indians."
Virginia records document ten servant revolts in the mid-1600's, culminating in the famous Bacon's Rebellion of 1676. African and English servants, free workers and farmers, demanded land and pay for their labor. They burned down Jamestown, the colony's capital. Colonial rulers had to call in the British army to subdue the rebellion.
Colonial land-owning legislators responded with a series of Slave Codes, enacted from 1680 through 1705. These codes legalized chattel slavery (the child of an enslaved woman would be enslaved for a lifetime) and severely restricted the rights of free Africans. The codes equated the terms "slave" and "Negro," thus institutionalizing the world's first system of racialized slavery.
The codes also set out the "rights" of and restrictions for "servants." At first, "servants" referred ambiguously to both Africans and English. But as "slave" became synonymous with "Negro," (the Spanish word for "Black,") "servant" came to mean "white," the term which replaced "English," "Christian" or "wench" to refer to poor or indentured Europeans.
(read more)
Prosecutor Morley Swingle says the video proves his point that Ellis “went ballistic” and went on a “profane tirade.” The video shows Ellis pushing another customers merchandise into the floor.
Defense attorney Scott Rosenbloom says the video simply shows Ellis joining in line with her cousin, and no where does it show Ellis assaulting police. Another video shows Ellis being escorted from Wal-Mart by police.
Wal-Mart employees also were called to the stand this afternoon, and a police officer also took the stand.
This evening Dr. Boyce Watkins said "When I held the rally for Heather Ellis last week, the woman facing up to 15-years in prison after allegedly cutting line at a Wal-Mart, I was hoping that one day the rest of the world could see what I saw nearly two weeks ago. In spite of the prosecutor's contention that the video tape would prove his case beyond a reasonable doubt, the truth is that the video is highly inconclusive.
I find it incredibly interesting that police say that Heather refused to leave the store, when in fact, she was leaving and the officers were following her out the door. Also, given that the alleged assault can't be proven and in the words of the prosecutor "There was no serious injury," why in the world is she facing 15-years in prison?
We await the verdict tomorrow. If justice is not served, then I plan to get on an airplane tomorrow. This kind of justice should not be acceptable to any of us."
See more news and video at this link
Meanwhile I've noticed lots of folks talking about the race card, after all, they say the girl was belligerent .
We all know if she was white she would have been indignant, priviledge card.
Tim Wise speaks on white priviledge
Shinin' the Lite on White Privilege
by Sharon Martinas
� Sharon Martinas, 1998.
Defining the Problem
Why Can't We Just Get It Together?
In 1996, progressive activists in California waged a massive, multi-racial and militant struggle to save affirmative action. Though we raised the consciousness of millions of people, voters and non-voters, we lost at the ballot box. Fifty-six percent of California's electorate voted "Yes" on Proposition 209, thus wiping out affirmative action in the public sector: in education, employment and contracting.
What happened? There were many analyses among activists, all of which held important kernels of truth:
* The electoral arena in California is a stacked deck when the Right uses racist initiatives. Though 47% of the population is people of color, 83% of the voters are white.
* The left was out spent by the right, and the Clinton campaign failed to keep its commitment to provide millions of dollars to wage an effective media campaign against the initiative.
* The wording of the initiative, billed as a "civil rights" policy, deliberately confused many well-meaning voters who would be expected to support equality in government programs.
* To wage a comprehensive grassroots organizing electoral campaign, in a state the size of California, activists should have started in 1995 and coordinated their efforts much more effectively.
These are important points. But something is missing. The organizers in communities of color reached their electoral objectives: hundreds of thousands of new voters went to the polls, and the NO on 209 votes looked like this:
Asian Americans 61%, African Americans 74%, and Latinos 76%! But the groups organizing among white feminists did not reach their goals. To defeat 209, 55% of white women needed to vote NO. Instead, 57% of white women voted YES!
What happened? Most feminists know that white women have been the major beneficiaries of affirmative action in all its spheres. So why did we white women vote overwhelmingly against our own interest as well as against social justice for people of color?
To begin to analyze this problem, I believe we have to understand the history and role of white privilege in this country.
"White" is . . . "White" isn't
What does "white" mean to you, as it refers to people? Here are some questions to think about:
* Is "white" a skin color?
* What does your dictionary and thesaurus say about "white" as referring to people?
* Are "white" people a race?
* Is "white" an ethnicity (like Norwegian, Irish, Jewish, Russian)?
* Are white people who live in the USA "Americans?"
* Is there such a thing as "the white community" in the U.S.?
* If you are a person of color, what do you call people whose ancestors came from Europe?
* If your ancestors came from Europe, what do you call yourself?
White is -- White Privilege
Webster's New World (sic) Dictionary defines privilege as "a right, advantage, favor, or immunity specially granted to one; esp., a right held by a certain individual, group, or class, and withheld from certain others or all others.' (Emphasis added. Third College Edition of Webster's, 1988)
The CWS Workshop defines white privilege this way:
"U.S. institutions and culture give preferential treatment to people whose ancestors came from Europe over peoples whose ancestors are from the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Arab world; and exempt European Americans -- white people -- from the forms of racial and national oppression inflicted upon peoples from the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Arab world.
This web of institutional and cultural preferential treatment is called white privilege. In a white supremacy system, white privilege and racial oppression are two sides of the same coin."
Non-ruling class white people are both oppressed and privileged. They are oppressed most significantly on the basis of class, gender and sexuality, and also on the basis of religion, culture, ethnicity, age, physical abilities and politics. At the same time, they are privileged in relation to peoples of color.
Historical Origins of White Privilege
In the early 1600's, 50 wealthy Englishmen bought stock in the Virginia Company of London. Their stock options included large parcels of (indigenous) land in the new colony of Virginia, as well as the right to govern the colony.
These English gentlemen did not intend to work their lands in Virginia. To get workers, they contracted with English merchants who delivered impoverished English teenagers and kidnapped African people. By the second decade of colonization, working servants, both English and African, outnumbered "gentlemen" by perhaps 100 to 1.
Living and working conditions for African and English laborers were horrendous. Workers were regularly whipped, nearly starved to death, denied days of rest, and were refused permission to marry. English servants, who were supposedly protected under English poor laws, had limited times of servitude, but owners disregarded the laws. Those servants who were freed as required, usually died within a few years.
Under these conditions, African and English servants struggled to survive and resist their common oppression. They traded together, they made love together, and they made war together against their masters. Most servants were armed, since the wealthy used their servants to protect the frontiers against "hostile Indians."
Virginia records document ten servant revolts in the mid-1600's, culminating in the famous Bacon's Rebellion of 1676. African and English servants, free workers and farmers, demanded land and pay for their labor. They burned down Jamestown, the colony's capital. Colonial rulers had to call in the British army to subdue the rebellion.
Colonial land-owning legislators responded with a series of Slave Codes, enacted from 1680 through 1705. These codes legalized chattel slavery (the child of an enslaved woman would be enslaved for a lifetime) and severely restricted the rights of free Africans. The codes equated the terms "slave" and "Negro," thus institutionalizing the world's first system of racialized slavery.
The codes also set out the "rights" of and restrictions for "servants." At first, "servants" referred ambiguously to both Africans and English. But as "slave" became synonymous with "Negro," (the Spanish word for "Black,") "servant" came to mean "white," the term which replaced "English," "Christian" or "wench" to refer to poor or indentured Europeans.
(read more)
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Today is Heather Ellis' Day in Court
Stay tuned I'll get something about the day in court ASAP
Here's a newsclip from yesterday's demo.
Here's a newsclip from yesterday's demo.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Kennett MO The Heather Ellis March
There are all kinds of comments on this turn of events. I get a little tired of the white folks complaining about the playing of the race card. When that shit just doesn't happen to them. Let's hear them talk about the priviledge card.
It's possible the ms Ellis reacted badly to being not served in Wal-Mart but who calls the police on someone over an issue of standing in line in a retail store? Is there actually a law that says one must stand in line or the police get involved? What policeman is going to charge someone with no history with a felony because they are in disagreement with a store clerk? Let's get real and stop with this petty you do crime you do the time b/s. The fact is changing position in line is not a crime in the first place. The police have no business being in volved in a dispute of this nature and if Wal-Mart can see the need to involve the police in this way then I say we go for it and find some other retail outlets that appreciate our business.
From The Daily Dunklin Democrat
read more
It's possible the ms Ellis reacted badly to being not served in Wal-Mart but who calls the police on someone over an issue of standing in line in a retail store? Is there actually a law that says one must stand in line or the police get involved? What policeman is going to charge someone with no history with a felony because they are in disagreement with a store clerk? Let's get real and stop with this petty you do crime you do the time b/s. The fact is changing position in line is not a crime in the first place. The police have no business being in volved in a dispute of this nature and if Wal-Mart can see the need to involve the police in this way then I say we go for it and find some other retail outlets that appreciate our business.
From The Daily Dunklin Democrat
Protestors for Heather Ellis chanted, "No justice. No peace," during an organized rally in Kennett on Monday, claiming that the allegations against the African-American woman accused of assault on police are false.
Approximately 100 protesters gathered at the Kennett Walmart at around 11 a.m., including members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Also attending was event organizer and founder of the Syracuse, N.Y.-based Your Black World Coalition, Dr. Boyce Watkins.
The march led from Walmart, down First Street to the steps of the Dunklin County Courthouse. Along the way, approximatley 30-40 counter-protestors held up confederate flags with skulls and crossbones and swastikas.
At the courthouse, various individuals took turns speaking on behalf of Ellis, claiming the incident is one of "civil rights abuse."
One of the speakers was Ellis' father, the Rev. Nathaniel Ellis.
"We are summoned here today from all over America," Ellis said, "because Dr. King, Jr., was right when he said, 'An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' Your presence here today has proved that love is thicker than hate.
"As we march forward, the question may be asked, 'What are we here for?' These proverbial questions are asked because seldom is Bootheel justice challenged with a force of this magnitude. We have converged upon Kennett, Missouri by the thousands because the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness of a young, black, vibrant, intelligent, and well-educated young lady's rights have been strictly violated.
"This young lady happens to be my first born daughter. The daughter of a Church of God in Christ pastor who pastors in this town and an adjoining town, who happens to be an educator. We are here to voice our outrage and to publicly say that Heather Ellis is innocent of all bogus charges and I demand that all charges be dropped and her record be expelled."
read more
Monday, November 16, 2009
KKK at Heather Ellis March?
New development in the Heather Ellis case.
KKK Shows at Kennett March for Heather Ellis
Updated: Monday, 16 Nov 2009, 1:01 PM CST
Published : Monday, 16 Nov 2009, 12:00 PM CST
Les
Smith
KENNETT, Missouri - Members of the Klu Klux Klan have joined the crowd of onlookers in Kennett, Missouri at a march in support of Heather Ellis.
The march was organized in part by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and until moments before the march, the permit had been revoked only to be reinstated later Monday morning.
The 1.5 mile march began at the Wal-Mart parking lot where Heather Ellis is accused of assaulting officers after a verbal altercation with a store cashier when Ellis cut line in January 2007. The march will end in front of the courthouse.
According to FOX13's Les Smith, the march has proceeded peacefully. Approximately 20 supposed members of the KKK are among those lining the streets, holding signs with KKK slogans and swastikas.
One arrest of an alleged skinhead was made prior to the march.
read more
KKK Shows at Kennett March for Heather Ellis
Updated: Monday, 16 Nov 2009, 1:01 PM CST
Published : Monday, 16 Nov 2009, 12:00 PM CST
Les
Smith
KENNETT, Missouri - Members of the Klu Klux Klan have joined the crowd of onlookers in Kennett, Missouri at a march in support of Heather Ellis.
The march was organized in part by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and until moments before the march, the permit had been revoked only to be reinstated later Monday morning.
The 1.5 mile march began at the Wal-Mart parking lot where Heather Ellis is accused of assaulting officers after a verbal altercation with a store cashier when Ellis cut line in January 2007. The march will end in front of the courthouse.
According to FOX13's Les Smith, the march has proceeded peacefully. Approximately 20 supposed members of the KKK are among those lining the streets, holding signs with KKK slogans and swastikas.
One arrest of an alleged skinhead was made prior to the march.
read more
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Update on The Heather Ellis Case
Judge denies Ellis' request for Sokoloff's recusal, prosecutor later voluntarily steps down and files for appointment of new attorney
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 ~ Updated 1:25 PM
A motion filed in a Dunklin County courtroom brings a new twist to the case against Heather Ellis, a case that has garnered national media attention.
Ellis, an African-American woman from Kennett, is charged in connection with an incident at the Kennett Walmart in 2007 during which she was arrested and charged with two counts of the Class C felony assault on a law enforcement officer, one count of the Class B misdemeanor peace disturbance and one count of the Class A misdemeanor resisting arrest. Ellis was charged as a result of a scuffle that broke out in a checkout line at the store, following Ellis being accused by associates employed by Walmart of cutting in line.
The motion in question, filed by Ellis' attorney on November 2, involves Ellis' legal representation requesting Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Sokoloff to recuse himself from the case.
Sokoloff is accused by Ellis' camp of "...making extrajudicial comments that have a substantial likelihood of heightening public condemnation of the accused."
According to the three-page document, Sokoloff replied to a story written on the case by Michael I. Niman of Progressive Populist.
The article, entitled "Felony charge for cutting in line while black in Missouri," tells Ellis' side of the story in which she claims to have been racially targeted by both Walmart employees and Kennett police officers. The story also accuses a police officer of intimidating her family with a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) business card.
Sokoloff wrote a two-page letter in response to the article in which he accused Niman of having done no background research and spoke of his "disregard for objective facts and its reliance on biased and purposefully misleading statements and outright lies."
He also suggested that Niman speak with any of Ellis' three fired attorneys who withdrew following "threats from her family."
Sokoloff goes on to state that one officer allegedly received a split lip from a "punch thrown by the 'innocent' Ms. Ellis."
In his defense, Sokoloff said in a written statement, that "over the last several months, the defendant and her supporters have made a concerted attempt, through the traditional media and the internet, to portray me as an overly aggressive and racially biased prosecutor."
"They have distorted the facts and my record to try to divert the public's attention from her (Heather Ellis') conduct," Sokoloff alleged.
The prosecuting attorney also explained that the statements he made regarding the case were contained in a private email to the author of an article about the case that was not public, not intended for publication.
On November 5, after a hearing on Ellis' request for Sokoloff's recusal, the judge presiding over the matter, Joe Satterfield, denied the request stating there was no legal basis for it.
According to Sokoloff, the court found that the statement(s) he made, were properly made under the Missouri Supreme Court Rules relating to pre-trial publicity as it was made to correct misinformation disseminated by Ellis or others on her behalf.
"Now that the judge has found there was no impropriety on my part, I have considered the matter at some length," Sokoloff said following Satterfield's decision. "I have determined that to remove any possible basis for a claim of bias, either at trial or in any future appeal, and to refocus attention on the actual issues and facts of the case, I will voluntarily recuse myself."
The Dunklin County Prosecutor said he has already filed notice of this voluntary motion through the courts, which records support, and that a request was also made to appoint a special prosecutor to try the case in his absence.
"It is my understanding that the court has appointed an experienced and competent prosecutor to carry the matter forward to trial or other resolution," Sokoloff added.
Court records indicate the attorney filling Sokoloff's shoes in the case will be Morley Swingle, the elected prosecutor of Cape Girardeau County.
"It is my hope and expectation that the case will go forward as scheduled, so that the matter can be fully and finally resolved," Sokoloff said.
Although Judge Satterfield did make a decision to deny Ellis' request to recuse Sokoloff from the case, another motion filed by the defendant remains undecided upon by the judge, according to court records. That motion is a response to the state's motion in limine, a motion to withhold or allow evidence, which was filed last month.
Among the requests made by the state are that the following not be allowed as evidence: the general reputation of the victim (law enforcement officers alleging assault), dishonesty of witnesses, evidence of other complaints or accusations against victims relating to previous arrests, any evidence of matters claimed to have arisen at the police station after the arrest, evidence of the purpose of Ellis' trip to Walmart, character evidence of defendant except by general reputation in the community, testimony on the impact of the incident on the defendant and asks to strike the testimony of three witnesses who have reportedly been uncooperative.
The order also requests that Ellis refrain from "wearing or displaying any religious symbols or religion-specific clothing or any testimony relating to the defendant's faith, religious beliefs or training."
Ellis took issue with a number of the requests.
In response to the state's request regarding religious attire, it states that Ellis "objects to any attempts by the state to restrict the religious attire of members of the public who may attend the trial. Those members have a constitutional right to freedom of religion and expression that should not be restricted by the state. A member of the public attending the trial should be at liberty to wear appropriate religious garments if they choose."
The paragraph goes on to state that Ellis should be permitted to address religion and religious training during voir dire, jury selection, to ensure a fair jury is selected.
Satterfield will have to make a public ruling on those specific motions before it is determined whose arguments will stand.
The Ellis trial is currently scheduled to be heard by a jury in a Dunklin County courtroom before Judge Joe Satterfield at 9 a.m., on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009. The Daily Dunkin Democrat will attend and report any developments in the case.
Daily Statesman Staff Writer Corey Noles and Daily Dunklin Democrat Managing Editor Deanna Coronado contributed to this report.
http://www.dddnews.com/story/1585926.html
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 ~ Updated 1:25 PM
A motion filed in a Dunklin County courtroom brings a new twist to the case against Heather Ellis, a case that has garnered national media attention.
Ellis, an African-American woman from Kennett, is charged in connection with an incident at the Kennett Walmart in 2007 during which she was arrested and charged with two counts of the Class C felony assault on a law enforcement officer, one count of the Class B misdemeanor peace disturbance and one count of the Class A misdemeanor resisting arrest. Ellis was charged as a result of a scuffle that broke out in a checkout line at the store, following Ellis being accused by associates employed by Walmart of cutting in line.
The motion in question, filed by Ellis' attorney on November 2, involves Ellis' legal representation requesting Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Sokoloff to recuse himself from the case.
Sokoloff is accused by Ellis' camp of "...making extrajudicial comments that have a substantial likelihood of heightening public condemnation of the accused."
According to the three-page document, Sokoloff replied to a story written on the case by Michael I. Niman of Progressive Populist.
The article, entitled "Felony charge for cutting in line while black in Missouri," tells Ellis' side of the story in which she claims to have been racially targeted by both Walmart employees and Kennett police officers. The story also accuses a police officer of intimidating her family with a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) business card.
Sokoloff wrote a two-page letter in response to the article in which he accused Niman of having done no background research and spoke of his "disregard for objective facts and its reliance on biased and purposefully misleading statements and outright lies."
He also suggested that Niman speak with any of Ellis' three fired attorneys who withdrew following "threats from her family."
Sokoloff goes on to state that one officer allegedly received a split lip from a "punch thrown by the 'innocent' Ms. Ellis."
In his defense, Sokoloff said in a written statement, that "over the last several months, the defendant and her supporters have made a concerted attempt, through the traditional media and the internet, to portray me as an overly aggressive and racially biased prosecutor."
"They have distorted the facts and my record to try to divert the public's attention from her (Heather Ellis') conduct," Sokoloff alleged.
The prosecuting attorney also explained that the statements he made regarding the case were contained in a private email to the author of an article about the case that was not public, not intended for publication.
On November 5, after a hearing on Ellis' request for Sokoloff's recusal, the judge presiding over the matter, Joe Satterfield, denied the request stating there was no legal basis for it.
According to Sokoloff, the court found that the statement(s) he made, were properly made under the Missouri Supreme Court Rules relating to pre-trial publicity as it was made to correct misinformation disseminated by Ellis or others on her behalf.
"Now that the judge has found there was no impropriety on my part, I have considered the matter at some length," Sokoloff said following Satterfield's decision. "I have determined that to remove any possible basis for a claim of bias, either at trial or in any future appeal, and to refocus attention on the actual issues and facts of the case, I will voluntarily recuse myself."
The Dunklin County Prosecutor said he has already filed notice of this voluntary motion through the courts, which records support, and that a request was also made to appoint a special prosecutor to try the case in his absence.
"It is my understanding that the court has appointed an experienced and competent prosecutor to carry the matter forward to trial or other resolution," Sokoloff added.
Court records indicate the attorney filling Sokoloff's shoes in the case will be Morley Swingle, the elected prosecutor of Cape Girardeau County.
"It is my hope and expectation that the case will go forward as scheduled, so that the matter can be fully and finally resolved," Sokoloff said.
Although Judge Satterfield did make a decision to deny Ellis' request to recuse Sokoloff from the case, another motion filed by the defendant remains undecided upon by the judge, according to court records. That motion is a response to the state's motion in limine, a motion to withhold or allow evidence, which was filed last month.
Among the requests made by the state are that the following not be allowed as evidence: the general reputation of the victim (law enforcement officers alleging assault), dishonesty of witnesses, evidence of other complaints or accusations against victims relating to previous arrests, any evidence of matters claimed to have arisen at the police station after the arrest, evidence of the purpose of Ellis' trip to Walmart, character evidence of defendant except by general reputation in the community, testimony on the impact of the incident on the defendant and asks to strike the testimony of three witnesses who have reportedly been uncooperative.
The order also requests that Ellis refrain from "wearing or displaying any religious symbols or religion-specific clothing or any testimony relating to the defendant's faith, religious beliefs or training."
Ellis took issue with a number of the requests.
In response to the state's request regarding religious attire, it states that Ellis "objects to any attempts by the state to restrict the religious attire of members of the public who may attend the trial. Those members have a constitutional right to freedom of religion and expression that should not be restricted by the state. A member of the public attending the trial should be at liberty to wear appropriate religious garments if they choose."
The paragraph goes on to state that Ellis should be permitted to address religion and religious training during voir dire, jury selection, to ensure a fair jury is selected.
Satterfield will have to make a public ruling on those specific motions before it is determined whose arguments will stand.
The Ellis trial is currently scheduled to be heard by a jury in a Dunklin County courtroom before Judge Joe Satterfield at 9 a.m., on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009. The Daily Dunkin Democrat will attend and report any developments in the case.
Daily Statesman Staff Writer Corey Noles and Daily Dunklin Democrat Managing Editor Deanna Coronado contributed to this report.
http://www.dddnews.com/story/1585926.html
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Journey for Justice & The Heather Ellis Case
The Heather Ellis case is creating quite a stir online as I believe it should.
Why is a young woman, a med student, with no record of problems with the police, facing a possible 15 years behind bars for a minor altercation at at Wal-Mart checkout counter. I feel like Wal-Mart has some heavy duty
explaining to do and should be taking every step to ensure us that they will not stand by and let this one pass. If not we need to seriously consider the possibility that they don't appreciate our patronage.
The business of the police handing the family KKK cards is something that deserves our full attention as well.
The record should be set straight with these people.
In the meantime support is mounting for ms. Ellis.
You can sign a petition here.
Give Heather some Facebook support here.
Find out more about the planned rallies here.
Why is a young woman, a med student, with no record of problems with the police, facing a possible 15 years behind bars for a minor altercation at at Wal-Mart checkout counter. I feel like Wal-Mart has some heavy duty
explaining to do and should be taking every step to ensure us that they will not stand by and let this one pass. If not we need to seriously consider the possibility that they don't appreciate our patronage.
The business of the police handing the family KKK cards is something that deserves our full attention as well.
The record should be set straight with these people.
In the meantime support is mounting for ms. Ellis.
Dr. Boyce Watkins, founder of the Your Black World Coalition, is planning a rally/march 11 a.m. Nov. 16 in Kennett, starting at the Walmart where Heather was arrested, and is encouraging people from all over to participate in support. Rev. Bonner said he is hoping for a turn out to rival the march in support of the Jena 6. They are also hoping the event will raise funds to help Heather's family the expenses related to this lengthy ordeal.
You can sign a petition here.
Give Heather some Facebook support here.
Find out more about the planned rallies here.
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