#JusticeForEthan has a petition. If you read my blog, you have probably either signed it or chosen not to do so, so that’s not news. What’s amazing is that it is only 1200 from 300,000. Once, just getting to 1200 would have been an accomplishment, as petitions withered and died.
Some of this is because (I believe) of the Change.org algorithm – once petitions reach a critical mass, the site is likely to show it to people who sign similar petitions about disability or police violence or whatever else the tagging system shows.
But think about that – almost 300,000 individual people choosing to fill out a form. It’s a huge number, and while it pales in comparison to kitten videos (did you see the new Brookfield Zoo baby snow tiger! I want one!) for popularity, it’s exciting to see the petition hit critical mass. Martin O’Malley, the Governor of Maryland, wants to run for president. Public pressure will have an impact, and the petition is just calling for an outside investigation and better training, not demanding that the investigation determines any particular result.
Walkersvillemom, a blogger deeply invested in this case, put up a post yesterday that brought home the depth of support that is finally emerging for this case. She read through the many different comments that people put up to show their support and categorized them by geography, rationale, relationship, etc.
If you’ve already signed the petition, go read her post. If you haven’t signed the petition, read her post and see if any of those reasons for signing resonate.
i saw your article on CNN and wanted to bring to your attention this:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/fatal_li_cop_tase_Zmt4xThD4BPnrX9celD2LK
a similar incident and i can tell you that what has been reported about the incident is categorically false. the police have never acknowledged that the man was severely autistic, and none of the reports in the media have mentioned this. they simply say he was "disturbed" making it easy for them to say the police acted appropriately.
i would like to see more attention on this but im not sure where to take it or how to get it noticed.
it should also be noted that the deceased man was black and the cops were white and that resident staff were pleading with the officers not to use force.
if you were to look into this the police's versions of events would unravel quickly.
but no one is. no one even seems to know it happened, while an innocent man is dead and 3 murderers are free to terrorize other innocents.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I tried to write about this big pattern here – http://www.thenation.com/article/175561/when-cops-criminalize-disabled#axzz2b60aOeRm – but it didn't get great readership. It's hard to build attention. I'll keep trying!
thank you very much.
i firmly believe that Dainell's civil rights were violated, if not out right ignored. then after the fact the police created a convenient story about a disturbed and violent man. if anyone reporting on this bothered to do any research they would have learned to even be at that facility you have to be severely autistic.
im not one to rush and say we are becoming a police state, but the lack of restraint the police show these days, especially with the disabled and infirm is appalling. and it goes on because they never have to answer for it.
the police would rather not compromise the public trust rather than hold anyone accountable for a mistake or worse.
people like Dainell Simmons, Ethan Saylor, and John Wrana need a voice to speak for them and people to actually care about protecting them.
We just posted about it here. We have a pretty good sized readership and Facebook following. I hope they get their new investigation. http://noahsdad.com/justiceforethan-ethan-saylor/
Thanks. I figure we all have to push this story, now that it's caught, to whatever audiences we can reach.