Cultural Baggage

061020

Transcript

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DEAN BECKER: Hi folks. I am Dean Becker. This is cultural baggage on Pacifica Radio and the Drug Truth Network a bit later. We'll hear from Debby Goldsberry owner of Magnolia Wellness cannabis dispensary, which was robbed during the police riots. But first it seems the nation is waking up to a need for change to our law enforcement mentality and implementation of these deaths of these black people in the the last few weeks and months have brought great Focus to bear on that need for Change and here to talk to us about some of the possibilities is the executive director of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership of former major Neill Franklin.

NEILL FRANKLIN: Hello Neil Hey Brother Dean, Thanks for having me on the show today

DEAN BECKER: Neil we had you on just a couple of weeks back, but I don't feel like overdoing it. I noticed that for the last couple of nights in a row. You've been on CNN tonight with Don Lemon talking about this very subject. It's it's coming in focus is it not?

NEILL FRANKLIN: it really is we have an opportunity here not just bring it into Focus but to keep it in focus at a we end up with some real solutions on the other side of this thing this Dean like I said last night on Don Lennon’s show you know, we're actually getting ready. We're really getting a good look underneath of the mask of policing in America and we're getting this look of the violence the state sanctioned violence at the hands of our police.

We're getting a look at that because of the invention of video when I say, yeah, I know videos been around a while what I mean is that everyone has it within the palm of their hands now of Days, and you know here we are experiencing protest because of the racial inequity in this country at the hands of the police, you know, and of course it all came to a head with the death of and let me just say the murder of mr. George Floyd and Minneapolis, but it's not just about the death of mr. Floyd. It's Tamir rice in Ohio. It's Sandra Bland. It's it's Freddie Gray in Baltimore and you know the list Is very very very long, but it's about all of that and even even since that and we're now having these protests and police know that they are under a very watchful eye doing these peaceful protests.

We're still seeing the violence at the hands of the police and ask what the show was about last night on CNN.

DEAN BECKER: Yeah, and and with a focal point or one of the points being the was it said The five year old gentleman who tried to talk to the police during a protest and they shoved him backwards and caused him to fall and bust his head open. Right?

NEILL FRANKLIN: Absolutely. So the two officers responsible for and let me say before this. First of all, they tried to send a story back to headquarters that demand just tripped and fell and that was quickly corrected because of the video. Yeah, you know II let's talk just quickly about, about the use of force continuum in policing, you know escalation when you can use excessive force, you know, when it when it is proper when it is legal. And in this case where you just had a 75 year old gentleman engaged in conversation, even if he even if it was somewhat argumentative to push him was not within the policy of a use of force continuum.

The Next Step would have been it just grabbed him by the arm gently turn them around and to Usher him in a Correction, you wanted him to go but a shove like that, which we're seeing not just in Buffalo. We're seeing it in New York City. We're seeing in other cities across the country where these officers are literally pushing people very hard so that in my mind and I think in the minds of many of it constitutes an assault when you have someone who's not aggressive who may not be following your command to move in the direction you want them to go but a show of that Force causing someone to fall to the ground.

And and hit their head in a manner which we saw that is an assault. So in addition to those two officers being fired or not fired they haven't been fired yet, but suspended without pay they need to be charged criminally and then you can fire them.

DEAN BECKER: Well and Neil and this brings to mind then that in protest, I guess you would call it 57 other members of that police task force associated with those two members that were Laid off. So to speak have now said we're quitting the task force. We no longer want to be part of this your response to that. Please Neilll

NEILL FRANKLIN: and so I'm glad you brought that point up here a couple key points here. Number one. They're trying to say that it is under the pressure of the Union this came from the the voice of the mayor in Buffalo that the union had pressured into to do that, huh? Where's your courage? Where's your courage? Who are you committed to are you committed to the union or you committed to the people of Buffalo, you know, and if you're in so to me this demonstrates to me that you are not committed to the people Buffalo as such as such just don't quit the task force turn-in your badge turn in your badge because what you are saying to us what you are saying to all the people who watch that horrific video- what you're saying is that you agree with how those officers handled that 75 year old man and the chief of Chattanooga Tennessee. He said to his people when George Floyd was murdered.

NEILL FRANKLIN: He said to his police officers if you have a problem, if you have a few if Or well they said if you don't see a problem with what happened to George Floyd, then you need to turn in your badge. It's the same situation here those 57 need to resign and from the force immediately turned in your badges because they are not committed to the people Buffalo well

DEAN BECKER: and it brings to mind one other thought and I believe I perceive this and that is that they felt that they were just doing their job that they were just following the orders those two that pushed a man down that they were just following the orders that were given to them when this process began and that to me they just Echoes what he always heard the Nazis say that we were Just following orders your response Neill?

NEILL FRANKLIN: So one of the one of the first things that we teach any new police officer any Academy, if you are ever given an order number one if its policy or number two, it violates law and of course if it violates law, it violates policy, if you're ever given an order to do either of those then you have the absolute right and authority to disobey that order and then bring it to the attention of someone in a higher authority.

So we are trained not to follow orders that are against policy that are inappropriate that are immoral that are illegal. So that does not wash and I guarantee you no one gave the order to shove that man in the manner in which they did. The order was probably okay. Let's move these people along which I still have issues with. But anyway, that's what the order was now the

Manner in which you move people along has to be in line with your policy. And again that policy would be the use of force continuum and they did not follow that

DEAN BECKER: Neil last night on Don Lemon show. I noticed you made mention of several High Echelon police Chiefs and others who have stood forth who are speaking of that need for change and I was proud to hear you mention my police chief here in Houston Art Asovedos, there are there are those who were still quibbling and quarreling and him about that Harding Street bust but he certainly standing boldly in regards to this. Racial Injustice. Is he not?

NEILL FRANKLIN: Yeah. Well, here's the thing whether we're talking about a police chief whether we're talking about a prosecutor whether we're talking about a Company CEO. No one in a place of leadership is going to be 100% whenever you know, you got to look at the totality of somebody's work and effort and Yeah, that was that was definitely a black eye a problem area for him. But you look at his his work in in totality and he's good dude.

DEAN BECKER: Yeah well and it's hard to I don't know that the drug war is a quasi religion. It's out there. It's it's pretending that it has moral Authority. But the truth of it is it's it's starting to lose its luster is it not?

NEILL FRANKLIN: Yeah it is and that's you know, I know we've got enough momentum going now in the war on drugs with the marijuana ending the prohibition of marijuana with all the harm reduction efforts were making and now with this overall look that we're going to have within our policing profession, I think and we're bringing the War on Drugs along with all of that.

It's not you know, some people unfortunately like Jim Garrett things we've abandoned, you know our fight against ending drug prohibition, but we haven't we just strategically we're doing it in a different way. I mean, if we if we move to bust up the entire Criminal Justice System, you know, what the War on Drugs is coming right along with it.

DEAN BECKER: Alright friends. Once again, we're speaking with major Neill Franklin Now retired. He's now executive director of Law Enforcement Action Partnership, it's a group of I don't know how many thousand I maybe you'll feel this in here in a minute, but it's a group of current and former law enforcement officials prosecutor some legislators people who have had an active participation in our nation's law enforcement activities. I guess if you will and Neill how we had just last week of former police chief of Seattle Norm Stamper was our guest to talk about many of these same issues.

But we have I don't know the expertise the experience the knowledge is gained from all of these years centuries combined if you will of those that end leap and there is a new recommendation now put forward by leap to transform policing. Let's talk about that. Please Neill.

NEILL FRANKLIN: yeah, so we know we need a completely new policing model in this country. The current one doesn't work for a number of reasons won't get into that but

talking about Solutions and moving forward and what we have proposed, you know, it addresses a couple of things number one. What can we do immediately to start making change meaningful change, you know, one of those recommendations is to ensure that every Police Department across this country has a policy of a duty to intervene. So where we can hold police officers responsible when they fail to intervene when they fail to prevent a police officer from doing something that is excessive go Something that's against the law or against policy. They will have a duty to intervene. That's something that can be done. But with the stroke of a pen by every police chief and Sheriff across the country the other without getting into too much detail because they're quite a few of what we're proposing the categories of basically things that deal with accountability and transparency and and again gives the public the ability to look deep within our Police Department's look deep into the Personnel files and when I say personnel file,

I was I'm talking about citizens complaints and you know police officers. I'm talking about citizens complaints. I'm talking about excessive force. I'm talking about corruption. I'm talking about lying on official reports. I'm not talking about looking into their personal information but citizens have the right to know what kind of baggage police officers has and those things that I mentioned who are working in their neighborhoods. I mean, that's just common sense since being since we These recommendations out on our website and so folks go to law enforcement action dot-org and you'll see it. It's the first scrolling item on our website click on that and look at these since we put those recommendations out. Our membership is growing like crazy.

We're having a greatest increase in law enforcement membership now over the past week than we've seen in any week prior and we're certain as more law enforcement folks learn about what we're recommending as solutions that number will continue to grow of the real of the experts who are the ambassadors for the organization who go out and speak and work on policy changes and get into the nooks and crannies crannies of change we have about 300 of those folks right now, and we're very very if I might say, picky and who we allow to be

ambassadors for the organization but we have we have tens of thousands of members people who signed on in support who are from the law enforcement community and that's police judges prosecutors Corrections parole and probation and more.

DEAN BECKER: there are signatories to the release of this latest recommendations, and and I'm proud to say that I am a signatory as well you guys point out that I was a security officer in the US Air Force and and this when I saw that I had been listed it reminded me just in the past day or two, we recognize the 52nd anniversary of the murder of Robert F Kennedy and it reminded me that the night that he was killed. I was guarding a B-52 full of hydrogen bombs and it just seemed to be another slap in the face of dignity and respect and honor and possibility. Your thoughts there Neill?

NEILL FRANKLIN: Yeah. Well Brother Dean I'm old, but apparently I'm not as old as you I do remember that but I was I was I think about 6 years old. Yeah that time and I just remember it is remember my mother sobbing, you know, uncontrollably when she got the news

DEAN BECKER: Well it but it just brings to mind that we have these people with good ideas and bringing potential foward and and all too often. They're cut down lives are taken from us through the unnecessarily right?

absolutely people who are great men and women going things for the benefit of humanity. And unfortunately, we have the few out there that just do not want to see Humanity for everyone. They don't they don't want to see you know, In this is there their own individual, you know, the baggage that they carry that in many cases actually is handed down through the family their views on certain people certain cultures certain races and you know, it's this is not going to be easy. We've always had this issue of class between race and culture ever since man has been on this rock.

I would like to think that we've made great Improvement, you know over the thousands of years we've been here, but obviously we still have a long way to go a lot of work to do and it just doesn't take one group of folks. It doesn't take one culture One race one religion. It's going to take all of us to make this happen, but hopefully, you know now in this country, we're going to because of what's happening. Now, we can't let up on the pressure. We can't let up on the protest and understand protesters the one thing rioters or something completely different.

NEILL FRANKLIN: We are protesters. We are exercising the First Amendment of the Constitution and it's a reason it's the first because it's the most important for us to be able to voice our opinions to speak our opinions.

And when we feel the need to and we cant have police in this country compromising people exercising their First Amendment, right?

DEAN BECKER: Well, there it is in a nutshell and and that's what Trump seems to want to do

NEILL FRANKLIN: is what he's done.

DEAN BECKER: I was I seldom watch news these days. I just it sickens me. I avoid it but this past Monday for some reason I turned on the TV and I was watching.

And CNN and all the people gathered in Lafayette Park and I was really proud and the way they were behaving and acting and then here comes the military police and then Secret Service and I don't know the park rangers of Glory to everybody showed up in their riot gear and they were talking about Trump's going to come out and he'll probably say something to mollify things and and whatever but he may just try to push things as well. It's hard to know.

Oh and sure as hell they they had a police Riot. They push those people out of the park. They gassed him and clubbed him and shove them and every which way and many people talk about that might be the beginning of the end of America your thought their Neill Franklin.

NEILL FRANKLIN: Well, I don't know about the end of America not yet, but obviously greatly troubled however when you which I just now Reflect on something you said it was in fact a police Riot the police in DC during that time at the request of the Department of Justice who works for the president acting under the guidance of the president. They were the rioters the police law enforcement. The government was the rioter and we're seeing this in other parts of the country to you know, and I think it has a lot to do with the example that the president set in

DC with that photo op, you know now we're starting to see similar similarities with other police departments and other cities across the country as they interact with peaceful protesters.

They the police the government are the rioters.

DEAN BECKER: Yeah to all too often. I don't know. I tried to remain hopeful. I tried to remain positive and and to Present the truth and the courage to share that knowledge folks like you Neil. I don't know what to say other than we own the moral High Ground. We just need to find a better means to make use of that position. Don't we?

NEILL FRANKLIN: Yeah. Yeah we do. And again, the only way we're going to be able to do that is not as individuals.

We're going to have to do a collectively. It's going to take some organizing which we're starting to see and it's going to take a consistent long-term effort. So I hope people are ready for a very very long ride a ride that has to be done in unison and in collaboration with a lot of people in a lot of groups of people, so that's what it's going to take. So folks were asking a lot but if when we are Successful. We will also be rewarded with a lot.

DEAN BECKER: All right friends. Once again been speaking with major Neill Franklin Now retired executive director of the law enforcement Action Partnership. Please go to their website law enforcement Action Partnership dot org, and select their tab there to share the advancing Justice and Public Safety Solutions Neill Franklin. Thank you, sir.

NEILL FRANKLIN: Thank you. Thank you Dean. My pleasure.

DEAN BECKER:It's time to play name that drug by its side effects decreased sex drive, excessive milk, whether nursing or not loss of Menses, hallucination aggression depression hepatic impairment renal impairment chronic obstructive pulmonary disease sleep apnea rebound, insomnia withdrawal new feelings of depression time's up from Takeda Pharmaceuticals. They say it doesn't have the side effects of Lunesta the answer Rosem- for a good night. Sleep.

DEAN BECKER: Well folks I was just when I was out in Oakland to visit the Magnolia dispensary cannabis dispensary was not unable to purchase at that time, but I did get a chance to see the facility how marvelous it was how well-stocked it was and how I don't know just open and real it was for the patients and the people that need cannabis and here to talk about what happened to Magnolia during this time of pandemic and in this time of protesting if you will is the owner of Magnolia Wellness, Debbie Goldsberry, hello Debbie.

DEBBIE: Hi Dean. Hello pretty rough over here. Not just in Oakland. I guess all over the place.

DEAN BECKER: Yeah, but let's talk about while the police were distracted while they were focused elsewhere. What happened?

DEBBIE GOLDSBERRY: Well, here's what happened Oakland fell into a civil unrest starting Friday about a week ago that night we weren't aware but five dispensaries out of the ten were attacked by armed robbers. So it was the work of organized crime people who probably had been waiting for a moment just like this. So we didn't know what happened. I'm assuming our peers were pretty overwhelmed dealing with their own situation and didn't put out sort of a warning to the others the remaining five and and Nor did the police department or the city Administration that manages the Cannabis department. So when the robbers came to our place that night we were caught blindsided. So so not only were we first we were not warned when the police had 24 hours to give us a heads-up and the regulations do allow us to board up the shop and move the Cannabis to a safe spot. We would have done that. But when the armed robbers did come the police were overwhelmed and unable to respond. So when when Robberies took place at four of the remaining dispensaries on Saturday night. There was no police response in time to stop any of the robberies and all of the dispensaries were just sacked.

Unfortunately over the next 24 hours the city fell into unfortunate state of looting and anger and cannabis businesses all across the town were looted and robbed. And again, the police did not respond to help at all.

DEBBIE GOLDSBERRY: so it was only once the city put in a You know, they put in a curfew on Sunday night that our Monday night that unrest started to calm down and we were even able we weren't even able to get into the building to boarded up until then.

DEAN BECKER: No as I understand it the meaning they didn't just take the Cannabis. They pretty much wrecked the place as well. Is that correct?

DEBBIE GOLDSBERRY: Yeah. They took the Cannabis the equipment the security systems, but we have some very beautiful Museum displays that are left and all of the creative art form Local Oakland artistic Community was left on the walls of the real Target was the Cannabis and you know, unfortunately in Oakland we have a very limited limiting permit system. So very expensive to get a cannabis business. It's very hard to get open and people who have been buying and selling cannabis and growing and Manufacturing cannabis for probably their entire careers have been locked out of the Cannabis industry. So we felt a sense of anger about the limitations of the Cannabis program, about how It's so impossible for people to get involved especially people of color. In fact, most of the permits are given two white men from outside Industries.

Sad to say and citizens left outer. I would say righteously angry about it. We're hoping that it changes a few things. Let's open up the can of cannabis industry. So people who want permits can get license and that cannabis doesn't become a beacon for institutional racism and white supremacy. If the police are going to take a huge part of our tax revenue that comes from Cannabis. Why are they doing Nothing to support us? We don't think that the Cannabis Revenue should go to the police anymore.

How about we put it into Oakland's black communities give the money to people of color and we create Equitable systems all across Auckland instead of giving it to the police department. So pretty upset up here in Oakland and we're not going to stop till we make systemic changes.

DEAN BECKER: All right then and there Debbie, I would think that last paragraph is kind of a summation of what you will be presenting to the Auckland city council here soon, right?

DEBBIE GOLDSBERRY: That's right. We're speaking tomorrow morning Tuesday morning at open Council during public comments. And then we have a hearing before the Oakland cannabis Commission on Thursday. We're really going to take testimony and find out what happened including the police failings.

DEAN BECKER: All right, Debby Goldsberry. Thank you so much. And I as I said, And I I really respect what you guys have done there at Magnolia and I guess for the whole cannabis industry

to Aims for first class and you you are certain you certainly have done that. I really appreciate it.

DEBBIE GOLDSBERRY: Thanks for the kind words. And thanks for the chance to tell our story.

DEAN BECKER: We're going to close out Today's Show with a drug truth Network editorial the demonstrations the police riots the whole friggin shooting match that oozes from our criminal justice system and now even Worldwide is based racially motivated via new Jim Crow or else poor versus Rich dominated perspectives as in the Philippines. The drug war. The belief in drug prohibition is a quasi religion with a handful of preachers some few actual Believers and yet even fewer willing to challenge the logic in public for fear of being called in essence a heretic someone to fear who might even be desirous of children dying in gutters.

The corruption is in fact sky-high. The logic of ending The Madness of drug war is preferred constantly and yet the trillions of dollars involved with the basic 50/50 split between the criminals and enforcement will perhaps last forever unless some magical day the people dare to stand together and speak the obvious prohibition is stupid and evil, where is the benefit? How is it moral? Till then?

Cops will armor themselves and stand proclaiming they are a bulwark all part of their SWAT Brotherhood to pretend forever to protect whites from the black neighborhoods. They Proclaim are so full of drugs the fear the death and the danger is all our creation crafted carefully proudly. What have we wrought, the first Eternal War wrapping it up here, please visit our website drugtruth.net.

And again, I remind you because of prohibition. You don't know what's in that bag. Please be careful.