American Exceptionalism.

The GOP is very fond of using the mantra of "American Exceptionalism" (a term created not by their god in the 18th century, but by Marxists talking about the special problems of bringing Socialism to America in the 20th) and the Democrats have been afraid to call the concept bullshit for the same reason they are cowed on any other issue where they might be accused of insufficient god-and-countryism.
"American Exceptionalism" doesn't mean that we are allowed to do things that other countries aren't. It doesn't mean that torture is wrong for everyone but us. It doesn't mean we should ask Egytian authorities to show restraint against protesters while Americans concerned with economic inequality are beaten and sprayed with chemical agents.
You can read Barack Obama's full statement and video to the Egyptian leadership from January 28, 2011 here at WhiteHouse.gov, but here's the gist of the statement in relation to America's current events:

"As the situation continues to unfold, our first concern is preventing injury or loss of life. So I want to be very clear in calling upon the Egyptian authorities to refrain from any violence against peaceful protestors. The people of Egypt have rights that are universal. That includes the right to peaceful assembly and association, the right to free speech, and the ability to determine their own destiny. These are human rights. And the United States will stand up for them everywhere. [...] Around the world governments have an obligation to respond to their citizens. That's true here in the United States; that's true in Asia; it is true in Europe; it is true in Africa; and it’s certainly true in the Arab world, where a new generation of citizens has the right to be heard. When I was in Cairo, shortly after I was elected President, I said that all governments must maintain power through consent, not coercion. That is the single standard by which the people of Egypt will achieve the future they deserve. Surely there will be difficult days to come. But the United States will continue to stand up for the rights of the Egyptian people and work with their government in pursuit of a future that is more just, more free, and more hopeful."

The President needs to bring this concern home and address this issue of police brutality and the Occupy Wall Street movement now! You can help bring this issue to his attention by signing this petition: Tell Obama to Condemn Police Actions Around the Country.

PLEASE SIGN THIS.

Brutal police -- and those politicians or college administrators giving them carte blanche -- need to be prosecuted.

Restraint.

I personally don't know how these Occupy Oakland participants are able to NOT retaliate against this police violence by finding and throwing the heaviest thing they can find.

They need to be praised for their restraint last night, but if there is an escalation, we all need to remember who it was that started the violence.
Scott Olsen, the 24-year-old Iraq War veteran injured (and whose rescuers were attacked) by police in the above video is in the hospital in critical condition. He was never shot or injured in two years in Iraq -- he needed to come home for that. Send Scott your best thoughts, and support #OccupyOakland, because they are not giving up.

From Coast to Coast -- #OWS and #OccupyOakland

Back on September 24 when it was unclear whether Occupy Wall Street would last for another day, let alone another month, one man, more than any other, was responsible for growing the movement overnight, Anthony "Pepper-Spray" Bologna:
Tonight on the West Coast, it's the Oakland Police Department that is doing everything it can to make sure that the Occupy movement grows and lasts for years with this tear-gas barrage and other abuses:

Any violence or property damage taking place later tonight is the fault of the police, not the protestors, no matter what the corporate media may tell you in the morning.
As a veteran of a few anti-Vietnam War protests in D.C., Philadelphia, and New York in the early 1970s, I still can't believe the instant communication of these events available on Twitter and YouTube, but where are our famous "24-hour news cycle" outlets while the tear gassing is going on out West? They have canned shows to rerun (though CNN is showing Michael Moore talking intelligently about Occupy with Piers Morgan from earlier tonight) which will attract the same number of sponsors. It's well after midnight here in the East and I have to work tomorrow, but I'll be thinking of #OccupyOakland, where it's still early. Stay safe out there.

Where was the fire?

Governor Jon Corzine's piece-of-shit full-size SUV was traveling at 91 mph on a 65-mph highway before his crash last Thursday according to the Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police today. It also seems to have been scaring other hard-to-control trucks out of their lanes with its hectic approach. At least this "accident" didn't claim any innocent victims.

Is anyone else pissed about this? I voted for Jon Corzine and I probably will again, but I also drive on the Garden State Parkway in a Volkswagen, and I have a son with a fresh driver's license. What am I supposed to say to him about speeding when the New Jersey State Police not only do NOTHING to stop an average speed of 75-85 mph on a crowded 65-mph highway, but they treat this busy highway as their own personal racetrack. It's bad enough when they do it in their cruisers, but these top-heavy oversized trucks are potential murder weapons when driven at that speed.

I have this naive belief that nobody is important enough to speed unless they're responding to an emergency. The Governor of New Jersey is not a fireman, and he was not on his way to the scene of a crime. I know that most people in his position probably do it routinely, but I think they need to explain why (though the obvious answer, I'm afraid, is "because I can").

New drivers are also told that they are responsible for making sure that their passengers are belted. Why didn't this State Trooper/Chauffeur insist that his front seat passenger wear his seatbelt?

Jon Corzine needs to answer a lot of questions about this "accident" when he heals enough to resume his duties.
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UPDATE on 4/18/07: This morning's New York Times article on this news says:

"...the trooper driving the vehicle, Robert J. Rasinski, had told investigators that he did not know how fast he was traveling as he led Mr. Corzine’s two-car caravan, emergency lights flashing, from an Atlantic City speech to a meeting at the governor’s mansion in Princeton."

Funny, but "I don't know how fast I was driving" is never an acceptable answer for a civilian to give a trooper.

The article is also very good on describing how the official SUV caused the crash, and also how it was breaking the rules of engagement for non-emergency government vehicles.