Governor Kristi Noem tweeted the Pierre parade in honor of her anarcho-captialism back in April, but she was too busy Trump-tweeting about law and order in Sioux Falls to acknowledge the peaceful protest that took place on the Capitol steps yesterday amidst a drastically militarized city:
South Dakota’s capital city is effectively an armed encampment as of Monday night. Dozens of armed local, county and state police are deployed throughout the City of Pierre concentrating on keeping the peace amid peaceful protest and constant rumors of potential unrest.
Members of the 235th Military Police SDNG are deployed alongside civilian authorities, individually armed and deployed in military vehicles. The greatest concentration surrounds the state capitol building and the adjacent Governor’s residence where armed State Troopers are visibly deployed throughout the grounds.
Heavily armed State Troopers surrounded the Capitol with counter rifleman teams deployed on the roof.
A peaceful protest began around 5 p.m. Central time Monday and continued as the sun began to set. The initial crowd swelled to roughly 60 before largely breaking up hours later. A smaller group of two dozen continued their protest at nightfall [Carter Woodiel, “All Went Well at Peaceful Protest at Capitol in Pierre,” KELO Radio, 2020.06.01].
Alas, there were quite possibly more agents of the state and Pierre civilians carrying lethal force and hoping for a chance to use it than there were citizens speaking up against systemic racism and injustice.
And melania is tweeting lets all be friends when Putin’s puppet is stirring up white nationalist violence. Deniability/distraction-the trump mantra. So Kristi Noem dons her tatical camo ball cap with velcro patches with pithy dog whistles like “live free or die” or whatever, threatening protestors on TV.
I openly condemn and boycott every proprietor in downtown rapid city who displayed reported ball bats and guns during last night’s ANTI VIOLENCE DEMONSTRATION. You have a supremely financed police force to protect your property.
It’s Evita Noem!!!
She’s crazy, isn’t she? When are the fiscal conservatives going to figure out the bitch is spending money because she is a narcissist.
She does nothing and Sioux Falls becomes a COVID hotspot, kicking off a national emergency in food security. Then she overreacts to that whopping crowd of 60 peaceful folks in order to protect her taxpayer-funded TV studio.
Competent Police Chiefs across the nation, including Rapid City’s mayor, must lead competently, despite misdirection from uninformed political leaders. On Point, NPR, now.
My beef is with the South Dakota press.
Noem had a press conference yesterday after she was on a video conference, along with the other Governors, with Trump. But none of the reporters asked her about the meeting. Don’t know what she would have said but the question should have been asked.
If Noem has a news conference today I hope one of the reporters ask her if she would ask Trump to illegally send in the military?
They should also ask on her feelings on what Trump did yesterday. Did she approve of the police using force to move peaceful protesters a block away so Trump could get a photo-op.
An Iraq war veteran, says that to him, “Seeing police across America escalate violence against protesters made me think of my service in Iraq. In retrospect, I both did and didn’t expect that we’d be treating Americans, and especially black Americans, like they were under occupation. The difference is that in the military, we had rules of engagement and training, even if they didn’t always succeed, to stop us from making an awful situation worse. The cops don’t seem to have that.”
I asked my own son, an Iraq War combat veteran with the Strikker Brigades in Mosul and Baghdad, his thoughts. He agreed with the assessment. He said that the combat assault he heard about in Washington, D.C. is right out of the military playbook on assaulting civilians with helicopters to disperse them. Add that and shots of flash bangs and you get the chaos you need. trump has declared war on America and it ain’t gonna end well for any of us under occupation with an epidemic, economic freefall and the dead that keep piling up from an uncaring government. https://www.thedailybeast.com/im-an-iraq-veteran-the-cops-are-treating-citizens-like-theyre-under-occupation?via=newsletter&source=DDMorning
Governor Rambo, with her camo hat and jeans, looks ready to follow the Trump playbook. What on Earth were the snipers on the roof going to do, shoot if someone broke a window? Why not? Kristi could make herself famous with her very own Kent State! If you want to see this thing explode, just keep squeezing.
What I noticed was a Governor and Mayor without any face protection. Think about what message you are sending to the citizens Governor and Mayor.
Many times it is not what you say, but how you say it and your actions. Better leadership is needed all around, or this is going to get out of control.
Owen, you expect a lot from the South Dakota press.
Scott, right: overreaction to a passing public safety blip, poor leadership on demonstrating continued attention to a legitimate public health threat that will be with us all year.
Presidential Pawn which traffics in AR15s in downtown RC was interviewed by Laurie Walsh who did not ask them if they openly displayed guns or ball bats to protect/intimidate during last night’s BLM demonstration. SD PUBLIC RADIO, now.
Loren, I’m deeply disturbed by the stationing of snipers on the Capitol roof. Indeed, what were their orders? What action below were they told would justify opening fire from above?
How does a sniper say “Stop or I’ll shoot?” from that far away? How much warning are citizens entitled to before law enforcement deploys deadly force?
Queen NOem is just as much of a bedwetter and King Covid. You might have snipers on the roof, but Covid can sneak up on your sorry arse and get ya. Hard to machine gun ol’ covid19, that virus is tough, ask the 150,000 American Killed in Action from NOem and trump’s inaction.
Doesn’t congress have to declare war before war is declared on United States citizens?
You’re probably right Cory, but asking how her video meeting with Trump would be a natural question to ask.
NOem has wanted a fence around the grounds for as long as she has been there. There should be one, with the tines bending inward for as long as she is there. Snipers on the roof? Indeed, each one of those “protect and serve” boneheads up there should go home ashamed of targeting unarmed citizens. Shame on the lot, they deserve no respect with this stank on themselves.
It must be fun playing Governor. She gets to maneuver real men, not the plastic green Army guys I used to play with. Can I come over and play?
“P—hosssshhhh!!!”
“Watch out!!! Incoming!!!!”
“Go up to the roof and set down some fire. Keep those peaceful protestors at bay!!!”
“Yes, sir, er ma’am, Gov’na!!!”
What sort of 6-year-old is running your state. Really, snipers?
I can’t imagine those snipers did anything but drink beer and eat bratwurst and snicker at the paranoia exhibited by the narcissist in the Governor’s office.
Meanwhile B1bs scream low overhead in RC and stocks are surging??
Stocks are surging because taxpayers are funding the fraud. 40 million out of work, business closing, what a scam…that’s what we’re paying for. The market is not real.
In Minnesota the Guard was welcomed by protesters because they were humane and decent, as opposed to the cops. The Guard never forgot they were seeing their neighbors, their fellow citizens. Protesters and guards talked, walked together, listened, learned.
In Minnesota, the libbies looted the Sh!t out of the place. If there was a God, he would smite that area off the face of the earth with a bridge collapse and a series of lighting bolts.
God has spoken Nascar supports the protesters
Jimmie Johnson
✔
@JimmieJohnson
It hurts to see our country being torn apart by racism & hate. I can’t pretend to understand what black men & women have experienced but I can speak out & condemn racial inequality. I hope love for all mankind can prevail & make changes to build a better future for our children”
Still nothing from Rounds and Thune, the two sacks of doo doo that continue to support the lawlessness of trump.
Minneapolis schools cancel contract with Minneapolis police department.
“Minneapolis public schools are terminating their contract with the city’s police department following the death of George Floyd.
The city’s public school board unanimously approved a resolution on Tuesday night that will end the district’s contract with the Minneapolis police department to use officers to provide school security. The Minneapolis superintendent said he would begin work on an alternative plan to keep the district’s more than 35,000 students safe in the coming school year.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/01/minneapolis-public-school-end-police-contract
When you’re in the wrong, you have no place to be with school children that fear you for what you stand for. Racism is ugly.
That’s big that a NASCAR guy spoke up in recognition of the plague of racism. NASCAR is about as lily white as any sport in the USA. Hockey even has some Black skaters.
Other places in Minnesota that had arrangements with the MPD cut their contracts too. There were 3-4 in addition to the Gophers, but I don’t remember which ones.
Grud. The libbies? Right wing groups have been stirring the pot and causing trouble setting up the looting and rioting
National Guard General refers to helicopters as “rotary aviation assets,” Any wonder the Pentagon is expert at wasting billions of dollars?
Governor needs to be testing rather than sqandering Covid19 monies on snipers on the roof (Should be Fiddler’s on the Roof). The failed NOem administration did testing at assisted living and nursing homes and surprise surprise, it was a failure. Over 2 weeks of testing and they are half done with some positive tests. Don’t know where, but positive. Many folks didn’t take the tests that are residents and workers. This is called public health, by gwaaad, you get the test or go into isolation. Dumbest damn bunch of people we elect here over and over again.
So now that is done, no more testing I guess. The public will not know where those infected are because…silence is golden.
Meanwhile, in Vietnam, yep, that Vietnam has kicked that virus arse just like it kicked America’s behind. Now, they are having much success with a vaccine that will be for the people because it was developed by the people’s money. In the West (US) that is blasphemy. You must make billions off death or don’t develop the cure. Might have to move back there, wonder if my old base camp, LZ Ross, can be renovated.
Jerry america won every battle we fought there I served as a Vitnam era veteran with respect to you.We are out of there.If Nixon would have not had watergate we may have won there.As you may well know we are still in the area that you served.Like the fake Govts we set up are working.
Moses, if not for Nixon, we might have been out of Viet Nam before 1969….
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/02/us/politics/nixon-tried-to-spoil-johnsons-vietnam-peace-talks-in-68-notes-show.html
Debbo: ” In Minnesota the Guard was welcomed by protesters because they were humane and decent, as opposed to the cops. The Guard never forgot they were seeing their neighbors, their fellow citizens. Protesters and guards talked, walked together, listened, learned.”
This is what smart policing is. We had a couple of rough nights with vandalism, mostly not by rally goers, marchers or protestors. One of the window smashers was a racist Trump supporter. Other vandalism was done by anarchists. Cops decided to engage with the protestors, protect their First Amendment rights by allowing them a safe space to vent and grieve, reduce their immediate presence to near zero, but remain in reserve, ignore enforcement of the curfew and simply keep watch by video. Two nights of relative calm with some late night vandalism not attributable to the protestors.
Protestors are also seeing the system begin to work for reform, with our Governor coming through with a plan for reform of policing. Republicans may stand in the way, but then it will be on them when another incident touches off rioting. I hope the system works fast, or it could be a long, hot summer.
Moses6, We have not won a battle since World War II. Each scrimmage for a hill that was fought in Vietnam was quickly given back and we left. We may come back again in a month or two to do the same thing, but we never really won a damn thing. We had plowed the same areas over and over again, but still took casualties without accomplishing anything but our mission, which was to draw fire. That ain’t winning brother, that’s a dumb act of attrition.
I watched the ROK (Republic of Korea) Marines make a landing just south of Da Nang where the Hoi An River meets the South China Sea. When those boys hit the beach, they were off and all you could hear was explosions and all you could see was smoke for the next couple of days. At night, you could see fireballs. Then they left and the American Marines took it over and we left as well. The American Marines moved into LZ Baldy and we moved further south. No one won a damn thing, just more war.
We kinda “won” Granada and we kinda “won” Panama. My youngest, also a combat grunt, will tell that they held Mosul when he was there and then they left. They held Baghdad and then they left. He was wounded there and he will tell you, we didn’t win a damn thing. Nothing was secure and you always were getting hit by IED’s, that ain’t winning battles. In Afghanistan, the same story. We are leaving both by accomplishing nothing, just the sifting of sand.
We need to stand down the military by three quarters from where we are now. The Air Force by the same, the Navy the same, because of the Coast Guard. We are bloated and we need the money for domestic spending on healthcare and infrastructure. The sooner the better. No future in where we are going.
There now is a conflict in Libya that is being fought with drones, so there ya go. The drones from Turkey are pretty good and the ones from China, pretty good, the American ones are not on station there, but are also pretty good. The Turkish ones have pounded the hell out of Russian systems to the point that the Russians got smart and left. Afghanistan taught the Russians well, we should pay attention.
Noem “confirmed” a state patrol airplane low (4-5k’) circled downtown RC from 8-9:30 as i was out walking. Surveillance of some kind. Noem wants a fight. She told her “dad died” tale.
RCPD called out the local gun nuts trying to insert themselves. Allender and his administration seem to be leading with great care and wisdom. A “new” day in RC.
Indian Law Professor Pomershein mopped the floor with Kristi after her comments and questions on meek SD pub radio questioning this a.m., and Jason, on BLM, Riot busters, checkpoints and “respect the treaties” issues!! Compromise! Leadership please. Can rednecks really grow up?(:
Humble respect jerry, your son, and Moses. Without real wisdom and such deep experience we are lost. #252 (shhh)
In addition to the potential for tragedy, the stupid message it sends, and the waste of money (assuming it’s HiPos on overtime), the other really stupid part of having snipers on the roof is, for crying out loud, it’s South Dafrickinkota, not LA or the Cities or New York. The sheer number of liberals is lower, the last thing that 99% of us wants to do is make our side look stupid and evil with violence, we generally respect our neighbors and their property, and there aren’t enough young, dumb, drunk people just out to create a mess and break things in Pierre as there were (supposedly) in Sioux Falls the other night. Many of us hate the ground Kristi Noem walks on, but I doubt if more than 1 or 2 genuinely insane South Dakotans want physical harm to happen to the Guv. So, she’s really vain and stupid enough to think that people consider her important enough and hated enough that there’s going to be some violent attack on the Capitol Building? You’re not that important, Kristi, and we want you retired, not threatened or harmed, you nitwit. Maybe an investigation into your family’s misuse over the years of farm welfare. What a maroon.
When will the US drones be used against civilians on US soil? Feels like we are getting close to that point. All of the awful things our military has done to humans overseas is now bearing down on our civilian population that refuses to consent to fascism. Noem, Trump, Pence are neofascists. We need a strong Left to defeat them.
Biden, Klobuchar and Harris are not capable of defeating neofascism. Biden, Klobuchar and Harris codified and enforced the Crime Bills that created this problem. So sad to see no one in power capable of countering this police state. And it is a deadly situation for our most vulnerable populations.
US drones will never be used against civilians on US soil. Stop that nonsense. In fact, the military threw chubby under the bus today regarding troop usage and are send those fellows to their home bases. Stop bedwetting, and grab your teddybear, it’ll be okay.
Demonstrators and protesters can feel heard today.
Minnesota AG Keith Ellison has raised charges on George Lloyd’s murderer to 2nd degree murder. In addition, AG Ellison has charged the other 3 cops involved with “one count each of aiding and abetting a second-degree murder (a felony punishable by up to 40 years in prison) and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter (a felony with maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine).”
Bob Kroll, the white scumacyst head of the cop union, vows to oppose every decent thing the government, citizens and good cops want to change.
This info comes from Citypages, no paywall.
is.gd/n7pNVt
NPR has more details on the story.
is.gd/PhAYf1
Like Ellison was saying, it is hard to convict cops of anything and if the get convicted, I have no doubt drumpf and Barr will step in, claim HRC had emails and these poor innocents were railroaded by Mueller, the FBI and FISA. And, if they promise to campaign for him he will pardon them.
I believe there’s danger in overcharging because a jury will be reluctant to go with anything but the least of the charges. I also wonder where they’re going to go for change of venue, can’t imagine where it might be that this death and the reactions to it have not been a big thing. I don’t envy the lawyers who have to make jury selections. They’re going to be fighting for months before anything even starts.
jerry, to believe drones will NEVER be used against US citizens in the US is a short-sighted belief. When our police murder citizens and a substantial base shows up to support those murderers, imagining a time when our military might come to believe the same is necessary isn’t so hard, especially considering the rampant mis- and disinformation, growing mental health crisis, decaying environment, and changes in global power balances. I sincerely urge you to watch National Bird: https://thoughtmaybe.com/national-bird/
Jerry:
Obama droned a US citizen living abroad. Think about that for just a few seconds.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/harveysilverglate/2011/10/06/obama-crosses-the-rubicon-the-killing-of-anwar-al-awlaki/#5628bb3c796f
If i have mentioned this earlier, i beg your pardon for the repeat. AG Barr has turned the DEA loose to surveil protests and arrest anyone they believe has committed a federal offense. I think that is a violation of federal law, but, am not for sure.
Jason, that news is older than you are.
Minneapolis cops also sued for assaulting journalists. https://gizmodo.com/minneapolis-cops-sued-for-shooting-beating-and-gassin-1843887290?fbclid=IwAR07dWk1L7_2e-wNtYTk7eSrUaXRLfssbsRwDckghXwfG8MEMea-Twu79Kw
Caleb, I’m speaking of military drones not civilian controlled drones. Obama killed an American in Yemen. Let me see….yep, Yemen is not in America…not even close.
Jason, you might want to at least read what you post. From that post, I have mined this. Pretty clear that this dude is much like traitor general Michael Flynn. Obama hellfired ol’ Anwar and just plain fired trumps co conspirator with Russia, Michael Flynn. Traitors all.
“On September 30th, 2011, a barrage of hellfire missiles in northern Yemen destroyed the caravan carrying Anwar al-Awlaki, a United States citizen and allegedly a leading propagandist for Al Qaeda. Al-Awlaki has repeatedly denounced the United States, decried American actions, preached Jihad, and otherwise encouraged the killing of Americans. He was a likely traitor to the United States who quite vocally supported, both in word and, seemingly, action, America’s worst enemy. There can be little doubt that he earned the title of enemy and the status of being targeted.”
You play with fire and you get burned…by hellfire. Thanks Obama for doing your job of protecting us, the US.
Rapid City Mayor discusses agitators to peaceful protesters. The agitators gather at the trump shop on the westside of Rapid City. To me, it looks like they’re paid to agitate by driving those gas heaps around town.
“Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender said Wednesday he understands the need for protests in downtown for Black Lives Matter and for the death of George Floyd, but denounces any violence or acts to incite those who are peacefully assembling.
“All along for the last three days of protests, we have hoped for and received a good deal of cooperation from these groups, but we notice an escalating pattern of behavior, made worse only by the overt attempts to agitate this group from the outside,” Allender said.
The mayor specifically addressed a group of counter-protesters who are inciting harsh reactions from the peaceful groups by driving near the protests with Confederate flags and other symbols.
“They are driving around in old pickup trucks and have adorned their trucks and themselves in a way that is offensive or threatening the protest group,” Allender said. “They are doing it just to make them angry, and it’s working. So, we see a spike in the negative behavior when this group is in the area.”” Rapid City Journal 6.3.2020
jerry, I also referred to military drones, and I also knew Al-Awlaki died outside the US. Sorry if I wasn’t clear, but I was proposing a scenario in which the public, including military members, becomes conditioned to believe their fellow citizens are traitors for things we don’t currently think come close to being treacherous.
That fear has developed in me for years, but recently I read a related article aligning with thoughts creating that fear. Please read: https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2018/08/20/silence-is-health-how-totalitarianism-arrives/
Caleb, I respect your fear, but clearly we just disagree.
I sort of agree with Caleb. I know it sounds high school debate-ish, but this president is going down in the polls and is becoming ever more desperate to cling to power. I don’t think it would happen without a plausible scenario, but we can see how it might happen because part of the scenario is already in place.
Trump has already maneuvered the military into something they might not do with a normal President. Two cases in point: 1. Somehow the military was used to clear the DC demonstrators so Trump could have his church photo-op. How did that happen? 2. A military helicopter (someone said it was a Lakota) was used to buzz a DC crowd as they did in Iraq. How did that happen?
Trump has corrupted every department of the federal government, and the Pentagon and military are not immune. Given the above actions, we are not that far away from the military opening fire on American citizens. All it would take would be for a false flag operation that would go something like this. Trump gets some open carry fanatic to infiltrate a protest and start firing at the military personnel Trump has already stationed to control the demonstrators. The military unloads. Hundreds dead. Massive protest demonstrations results. Trump declares martial law, and orders all demonstrations to cease. That doesn’t happen. In order to control the country and keep power, Trump would order a drone attack of a couple of demonstrations. With the country near collapse, the military complies.
Rest easy tonight and do not be fearful of our military. Do your part to rid the country of racism. Start right here in South Dakota. There is absolutely no reason at all to not have an office, a cabinet office in our state that deals with race relations. In the meantime, here are the letters from the military leadership. trump will not destroy us or replace us, we are not going to allow that to happen. In voting, instead of looking at what party they are from, we need to look at what they will do to make South Dakota better for all of us that live here. https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/6/3/1950293/-James-Mattis-In-Union-There-Is-Strength?utm_campaign=recent
Don, I believe it was the Park Police that cleared out that park so Paranoid Pig could have his photo op.
jerry, of course we disagree given the disagreement evident in our discussion. I take no issue with that. Please don’t dismiss what I said as you have, though. Looking beyond Trump by decades prompted my statements. The COVID19 pandemic alone shows how swiftly views can change, so please stop believing you or anyone else knows what might happen at any moment.
I heard Obama gave a comforting speech to the privileged class yesterday. Weird. Didn’t Obama militarize the police and leave a loaded gun for Trump?
https://www.blackagendareport.com/obama_reinforces_militarized_police
The next time a neoliberal Democrat criticizes Trump remember this. Biden, Klobuchar, Harris are neoliberal corporate Democrats who represent the property class. They are the authors and enforcers of policies that provoked these uprisings all over our country.
3 million more unemployed. 60 million at risk of going hungry, real hungry. Schools are broke, city and county governments, in the crapper. A real leader would be giving hope to the citizens on the catastrophe we are seeing and have been seeing for some time.
“It has been well documented that fiscal austerity was a catastrophe for the recovery from the Great Recession. New estimates show that without sufficient aid to state and local governments, the COVID-19 shock could lead to a revenue shortfall of nearly $1 trillion by 2021 for state and local governments. In lieu of substantial federal investments, budget cuts are certain. But I, for one, did not expect to see the losses as soon as April. As of the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), state and local government employment fell by 981,000, with the vast majority of losses found in local government. And the majority of those local government losses are in the education sector, with a loss of 468,800 jobs in local public school employment alone.”https://www.epi.org/blog/public-education-job-losses-in-april-are-already-greater-than-in-all-of-the-great-recession/
School districts are in deep trouble and that means our educators are as well. Peaceful demonstrations should be the norm until all is fixed. Eventually, this even comes down to paid police and firemen…
Here is a protester the entire world can be proud of, except for women hating right wingers and the Taliban…..
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/06/19/malala-yousafzai-ex-taliban-victim-completes-her-oxford-degree/3226101001/
What a brave and smart person. She’s a great role model for your daughters and sons.