Category Archives: race

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) blog, blog, diversity, news, politics, race

Emil Guillermo: South Carolina incident shows how video is changing justice. You want justice? Carry your smart phone, have plenty of memory and batteries. Videotape all evil. Your iPhone makes the best iWitness.

Seeing is definitely believing.

The NY Times has obtained this video of a South Carolina cop shooting an unarmed African American, Walter Scott.

It’s yet another reminder how video enabled phones are a necessity when you see injustice, or racism.

Without it, it’s your word against the bad guys, the stalemated justice we’re used to getting.

:21 seconds in and you see what murder passing as justice looks like.

Just within the last few weeks we saw what the absence of video has meant in fighting discrimination in the Ellen Pao case.

We saw what the video meant in exposing NYPD’s Patrick Cherry’s racist tirade.

And now this.

Make sure you carry your smart phone if you want justice in America.

Scott was stopped for a broken tail-light in North Charleston, South Carolina on Saturday.

The video forced authorities to act quickly.  That’s how strong the video is.

You have to wonder, how did we have justice before video?

I’ve been stopped for a tail light before. I’ve often felt the fear of being non-white in a gun crazy white community.

North Charleston is an example of what happens more often than we think. But only because we have a  video.

Nothing like having instant replay on life itself.

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Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) blog, blog, diversity, Filipino, news, politics, race

Emil Guillermo: UPDATE—How to sue for discrimination? Ellen Pao was a smart former VC, but not as smart as the lowly Uber driver who now has a video. This tongue lashing reminded me of every bad boss I ever had. ##UPDATE## comment on cop Patrick Cherry’s apology.

SEE UPDATE at end of post:

When Ellen Pao lost her discrimination  case against the venture capital giant Kleiner Perkins, it was pretty predictable. Her case was  all low-tech, “He said, she said.”

Analysts said she didn’t have a smoking gun.

Or a smoking video.

I thought about that as I watched that video of the South Asian man, an Uber driver, getting a tongue lashing from NYPD’s Patrick Cherry.

patrickcherrytonguelashing

He reminded me of every bad white male boss I ever had.

Come to think of it, throw in all my bad bosses of any color.  Gender even. It happens.

After all, a bully is a bully.

If you haven’t seen the video, see my essay and the video in full, here.

UPDATE 4/3/15 12:03 PDT

Cherry has been stripped of his badge and gun and reassigned and has now apologized, according to an exclusive WNBC-TV report.

Not so fast.  Even Jesus took some time to resurrect.

I want to be a good, forgiving Christian…especially on Good Friday.

But this is something worth dwelling on.

If you don’t know what hate and racism look like in this “post-racial” era, take a  look at that video again.

That’s intolerance, that’s hate, and it definitely exists. No doubt about it.

Just ask Cherry. His apology is here.

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blog, diversity, Filipino, humor, news, politics, race

Emil Guillermo: Religious Freedom Restoration Act? Why it’s to protect things like people crucifying themselves like they do in the Philippines. Right, Gov. Mike Pence? To prove it, he should stage a special Good Friday at the state capitol.

In the Philippines, they crucify people on Holy Week.

Really.

enajecrucifixion

In fact, the guy who has done it 28 years running would like to retire. But this year, the town council can’t find a suitable replacement.

So he’s sticking to his nails. Because he’s a believer.

Now that’s an example of religious freedom!

And, if Gov. Mike Pence were serious about that Religious Freedom Restoration Act of his –as being for real and not just some legislation handcrafted at the local Hobby Lobby to keep liberal folk from dictating stuff like gay marriage and abortion into their conservative lives–then I’d say the Philippines, America’s First Colony, may have inspired  a simple solution.

On Good Friday, Pence should stage a public crucifixion at the Indiana State House.

You know, an Indy Golgotha kind of thing.

And Pence can be the penitent.

Really show off his faith in his bad law. Go hog wild. Maybe even have a big concert or a DJ giving it a whole rave kind of flavor.

Invite gays, all the minorities in Indiana,  make it a real party.

Then maybe we can take Pence  at his word, that the law is no license to discriminate but rather a license to practice religion, however extreme.

And he’s the example.

And think of the business. You know, those crucifixions in the Philippines draw thousands.  More than an Easter Egg hunt.

If he did that on Friday, I’d be ready for the Final Four by the weekend.

But I got to see Pence willing to, as they say, get his nails done.

Until then, I’m not buying anything Pence is saying about that bad law.

And after today, he doesn’t even have the “April Fool” excuse.

Don’t know if he’s really got a better option–beyond ripping up the law and forgetting it ever happened.

He’s already shown he’s willing to commit political suicide in the name of  conservative anti-gay religious zealots.

Let’s give him a chance to redeem himself on a the cross.

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Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) blog, blog, diversity, news, politics, race

Emil Guillermo: Going back to Indiana? NOT. The pendulum continues to swing on civil rights in America.

The late Michael Jackson sang that song about Indiana. An oldie but goodie.

Going back to Indiana?

The answer now is an unqualified,  “HELL NO!”

Jackson  was from Gary, which is practically Chicago, and a real indication of how segregated the state remains today. More black and urban to the north, more white and ag to the south.

Now Gov. Mike Pence has signed a controversial new law that some say is a revival of Jim Crow.

It’s called “The Freedom of Religion Restoration Act,” and critics say it provides the cover for legal discrimination against more than just religion.

Those who defend the law readily say it’s a way to show concern with same-sex marriage. Those against the law say it creates the opening to discriminate against others. Don’t think it won’t happen.

Now what about the other 19 states with these so-called “religious freedom” laws pending?

FullSizeRender(5)

This MSNBC map shows the full list of 20 states that have ventured into this arena of legal discrimination:  Indiana,Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma,Texas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

All the states I won’t be visiting anytime soon.

Now you see how important a tiny little thing like a commemoration of Selma was.

Just as we lurch forward, there are forces that would have our  progress recalled.

And now, we really are going backwards.

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