jessie jackson is a black racist who cant let go of the fact that we allow police to use deadly force when necessary. the police risk their lives every day and for what when they make a just decision to be criticized for their actions. I would like to see Jessie Jackson do something for the community as a whole not just for blacks. He wouldn’t be doing a damn thing if the man shot was white.

The core of Jesse's argument in his full statement (if you watch it) is that the grand jury was made up of all white people. That is not a good argument. He did not focus on Portland PD procedure, or how and why Aaron was shot, or how the legal system works. The grand jury, to their credit - didn't make this a black versus white issue.

I'm glad Jesse came to town! What is going on here regarding these police killings of distraught or mentally ill Portlanders is wrong and there needs to be changes. I do not fault the grand jury..what could they do with a law that says that if an officer "feels" threatened, he can kill an unarmed man, in the back....even while yards away with a rifle. I do not think communities of color should call the police when dealing with a distraught relative...too dangerous.

From Carter's message for Palestine 'til today, folks simply can't accept that if you want peace you have to work for justice. We should all be grateful for those willing to take the high road. To wit...

william, you're sure it's racism? I don't know any black out to get your ilk, but I know plenty of liberals that would dearly love to plug your ass! Oh, right. For you racism has to do with who you choose to support. Nice try at changing the subject, but it's about who the police choose to attack.

Jesse Jackson only exacerbates the race issue by coming to Oregon, and then accusing the police officer of being an "executioner."

Oregonian story on the shooting chain of events.

Well, two of you have already proven my point.

Find out why, go to: http://www.edforpdx.com/cms/?q=node/82

There is a LOT of racism here in Oregon.

Ed Garren

What bothers me is the lack of an apology to the family. Look, cops have to use deadly force. They make mistakes. Those mistakes aren't always criminal. Sometimes they're just wrong about what's going on. A good apology to the family would go a long way in resolving the bad feelings surrounding this incident. The argument against it is always liability, but the guy was unarmed - they're going to have to pay. Why not be gracefully apologetic and admit fault? It's not criminal to make a mistake, and government owes the people honesty and humanity.

While an apology would be nice, it doesn't fit their modus operandi: trot PPA president Scott Westerman on-camera to bluster that you don't dare question Portland police when they use force. We're the police is why!

mlw, Agree 100%, and the same principle could apply in health care errors. But our legal system penalizes admission of normal human sympathy and responsibility. This is why Saltzman cannot substantially discuss the Chassie case, while critics and opponents can. Likely we will be in the same situation soon with the Campbell and Green incidents.

Politics is a highly nonlinear system, where situations can be amplified very quickly, and unpredictably.

"Jackson, a veteran at focusing the spotlight and making local politicians squirm in that light, said he wants to make the Campbell shooting a national issue. He called on the U.S. Department of Justice and Congress’ House Judiciary Committee to investigate."

Without reference to this particular incident, let's take time to consider a basic truth. Among the police there are the best and the worst of people, and all too often the worst abuse their power and are protected by the embedded code of protecting fellow officers. I recall reading an article a few years ago about police officers who quit because they could no longer go along with their enforced silence and complicity.

This is not only a local problem. It is not only a national problem. It is a global problem. But the cleanup, if there is to be one, must begin locally.

Does anyone know if the cop shooter is a left wing extremist like Amy Bishop (Alabama shooter who recently killed 3)? I believe the left is getting very frustrated with loosing their majority and seeing it slip even further away (Bayh). I won't be surprised if we begin seeing more killings from the left wing extremists.

Doug,

Dude, stop hoarding the drugs. Seriously, how do figure that Bishop is left-wing? Political stances had nothing to do with that shooting or the one here in Portland.

I haven't heard Jackson's speech, but did listen up to the news last night when I heard it being reported that he used the word 'executioner to describe the police officer that shot Aaron Campbell. That word seems to describe exactly what police officers effectively become when presented with someone dealing with the issues that Campbell clearly was. Police training gives officers very simple criteria for determining whether or not to gun a person down.

'Says he's got a gun but does not put one down in response to police instructions?' Gun him down. 'Makes a movement suggesting he might have a gun somewhere in his clothing or body, but does not put one down in response to police instructions? Gun him down.

Seem to me that police training and incident procedure needs some upgrading that would incorporate a more sophisticated means of determining whether or not it's necessary to shoot a person, especially if other more effective and less lethal ways to disable a potential threat are possible.

I think the officers who shot this man (and other PPB officer's questionable actions) should be investigated. But race had nothing to do with this shooting until Jackson showed up. And calling it "terrorism"? C'mon Jesse.

" Seriously, how do figure that Bishop is left-wing? " - Fembot

The Boston Hearld article said:

A family source said Bishop, a mother of four children - the youngest a third-grade boy - was a far-left political extremist who was “obsessed” with President Obama to the point of being off-putting.

I heard his TV interview last night, and he made a statement to be fact that was very disturbing. I would like to know if anyone could direct me as how to verify this claim. Rev. Jackson stated that Mr. Campbell was shot from a distance by a rifle, and that the police left the man "untouched" for 30mins.

Can anyone verify this? I would love to read the grand jury report, did this detail come up?

I marched with Rev. Jesse Jackson in the summer of 1984 in support of the Culinary Union strike in Las Vegas. It was a very contentious strike, not without a measure of violence from both sides. It went on for almost 2yrs until Baron Hilton signed an agreement that spurred a stampede of hotels to "ME TOO" contracts that ended the strike.

I am familiar with Rev Jackson's departure from civility, and like anyone, he is a product of his times. He was never the less the man at the tip of the spear of the civil rights movement, a function that demanded no small measure of courage.

I think that men are not symbols, they are not so simplistic. Men use symbols, they are not symbols themselves, a nuiannce that illudes many when they wish to tear down the man to win the argument.

We have all media about Aaron Campbell to date archived at http://www.mentalhealthportland.org/?p=4295

I've read the majority of the grand jury report. True. He was shot from 20+ yards away and then left for about 30 minutes. Some officers testified they thought he might have a gun. A handgun was later found in a white sock in an upstairs closet.

Not a pretty picture any way you look at it.

A family source said Bishop, a mother of four children

Great. Now you're quoting the asshole that inseminated, then divorced her!

Can you name a gang that you DO like? Kinda in the natrue of gangs to be a social blight. Address why your cops are simply another gang waving their colors, or live with it! You want greater affinity with the community and less blind loyalty to a "brother officer". Get rid of the military metaphor. #1 military dictum of all time: Don't break ranks. The Romans conquered the known world using it. Use a military metaphor, get people that won't break rank.

You're imagining a military attitude that no longer exists in the all volunteer military, projecting altruistic behavior that the common soldiery have demonstrated once, over a very limited period of time, and you're expecting it from the least educated "professionals" in our society. Can you imagine that the unsatisfactory results could have something to do with the structure of the organization?

Sorry to interrupt the fun. I'll let you all get back to your gang on gang name calling.

Would Jesse fight for justice for whites? Yes, and he has many times, as noted above. But what many whites, like myself, forget, is that people of color are a minority in the US and so they face a set of problems historically unique to themselves, problems that have to be brought before the majority again and again.

Now a troll's gonna say that the Civil War ended long ago, we have affirmative action, etc., etc. But trolls should remember that there's never been an affirmative action program to equal the one for white males. Jesse gives a voice to peace and justice that benefit everybody, minorities and majority.

I don't take a questionaire on the streets when time comes to stand together about a unifying issue.

If a white man came to stand with the marchers during the civil rights movement, I don't think they were questioning their political leanings before they counted them among their number. They just counted!

If Rev. Jackson does not symbolize all that you would like, but would stand with you when you agree, would that mean you stand with Rev. Jackson on everything, or visa versa??

Democracy is at it's core a government of people whom would agree on some things as fervant as they would disagree, not orderly, not neat, but the only governance that has preserved freedoms of those whom would agree with you equally as those whom would disagree.

The devil is in the details.

I can't understand why the police would hold up these kinds of officers that paint the whole bureau with this kind of incompetance.

"Now a troll's gonna say that the Civil War ended long ago,..."

That's when slavery ended (sort of) and segregation and lynchings began.

Jesse Jackson is a human being and like the rest of us has his shortcomings, but unlike most of us he has remarkable achievements to his credit. In addition to the Bosnia event mentioned above there was his negotiation of a release of a Navy (?) pilot from Saddam Hussein's Iraq. If you have a problem understanding why African-Americans are sensitive to assaults on their brothers and sisters by police and racists you might find the book Slavery By Another Name enlightening.

"Earlier today, the Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke in Portland - and addressed the police shooting death of Aaron Campbell, an unarmed and suicidal man."

The above statement may be true though presumed armed, suicidal, not following police instructions and reaching into his waistband might also be an accurate statement. The police bureau thought so anyway and a grand jury concurred. I don't know what happened- wasn't there. It's tragic for the family who lost a loved one as well as for the police officers involved in the scenario. Are we really saying the entire system in one of the more progressive cities in America is completely tainted by racism and the majority of our peace officers on the beat are blood thirsty sociopaths? It sure does appear that way every time a policeman uses force around here. He or she is instantly damned in the court of public opinion, the race card is played and screw the facts surrounding the case. No doubt there are some issues but why so quick to throw the cops under the bus? I know my share of police officers and most come off as genuinely distraught & stressed out after having to use a degree of force. No way in hell I'd take the job and doubt most of us here would be able to walk in those shoes for very long. Just a thought.

It's easy to call for "better guidelines". The problem is that you can't realistically expect police officers to go through a 20 point checklist when they're trying to make the decision whether or not to shoot. Why not? Well, let me tell you, the bad guys aren't going through a checklist like that. Also, as a practical matter, the police have the same right to self defense as the rest of us. Putting too many restrictions on it is neither fair nor legally sustainable.

That being said, you can do more training with firearms to address different situations. They have video game type ranges for discriminating between threats. New rules aren't necessarily the answer, but perhaps more time in training is.

Why do we even allow police to use "lethal force"? I suppose I can imagine a few circumstances where it might be necessary, but it seems nearly all people they shoot and kill could just as easily be let go and society would be none the worse. Maybe much the better as we wouldn't have to deal with the repercussions of these killings. Really, if Aaron Campbell and Kendra James were simply allowed to go their own way, what would have been the harm? Instead, they are dead.

And for what?

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a national civil rights figure, called the shooting death of an unarmed man an execution and slammed the lack of diversity in the city's police bureau at a rally in northeast Portland http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/advanced-acai-review-does-advanced-acai-really-work-1778693.html

mlw, I expect that officers already go through a checklist. Not one on paper, if that's what you're suggesting, but rather, a mental checklist to determine whether what's before them meets the criteria for lethal force. Some revision in that checklist seems to be what's needed.

Members of the police department and the public may have to decide whether the importance of preserving the lives of people with the kind of problems Campbell had is worth assuming a little more risk for themselves than current police training and procedure provides for. I think it probably is.

I wouldn't want to see members of the public or of the PD start getting shot up because of excessive restrictions placed upon what the police can do in situations that require spontaneous decisions. Isn't there some area between the extremes where Portland do something about police response procedure that will start to reduce the rather alarming record of fatal shootings and beatings the Portland PD has built up over people that often are far less than hard core criminals representing a major threat to the public?

I'm thinking if a man was in his door front corridor, like the Sandy Terrace, and officers are behind cover, armed, and have a clear enough line of fire to hit him six times with bean bags from the same officer, he could hardly be a threat to them.

Think, six bean bags, and Mr. Campbell neglect to retaliate? If a distraught man were to be struck by a bean bag, and had a hand gun, would he not have drawn it by then? Six bean bags? A rifle shot from behind a car from 20 yards, or 20 feet, either?

I find the premise that training has anything to do with what happened to Mr. Campbell to be incredible.

I believe the PPB has cultivated a culture of leadership that has de-humanized some elements of the city that they percieve as the enemy.

You don't have to be a young man of color, though they are certainly at the top of this list, to be one of the de-humanized elements for the PPB. We may not like reading or hearing this, but with the recurrance of these kinds of incidents it has become difficult to accept any other premise.

First of all let me state that after reading the released information it seems very clear that a terrible mistake was made by the Portland Police Bureau. The complete lack of communication alone is troubling. I do not see where race ever entered into the situation. Had Aaron Campbell been white he still would have ended up at this tragic end. I believe the ranting of Jesse Jackson regarding the racism of our community and the Portland Police is unfounded and merely a way for him to draw attention to himself now that President Obama has supplanted him as the Black Communities key persona. His statement contained comments about how the Portland Police Bureau does not have a makeup that is equitably representative of the Black and Hispanic communities of Portland. The actual numbers from the PPB are, as of 9/1/2009 : Asian 55 (5.68%); Black 33 (3.41%); Hispanic 25 (2.58%); Native American 5 (.52%); White 851 (87.82%), so you make the call. According to Mr. Jackson’s speech the PPB should have a member of each race in every police car in order to fairly interact with someone of the same race. So we should have police vans with at least 6 people, representing each race, in order to have equity. That may be the most fundamentally racist thing I have ever heard, and the funny thing is: no one called him on it. According to Mr. Jackson a white person cannot fairly represent other races as a police officer, fireman, or a politician. It seems alright for people of color to represent white people though. They obviously are immune to having any bias themselves<sarcasm>.

Personally I think we should look at the ‘content of each person’s character’ rather than determining who they represent by the color of their skin. How about holding those involved accountable? How about basing it on facts? It appears that there was a horrible break down in operations for the PPB that night. How about we come together as a community, Black and White, to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I think that would be a far better memorial to Aaron Campbell than labeling our community racist.

“To get justice for Aaron is a long-distance struggle,” Jackson told the crowd in the packed Maranatha Church of God in Northeast Portland.”We cry out for justice and we cry out for peace. But there can be no peace until you take the glass out of the wound, and so justice must be thorough.”

Very well said! Rev. Jesse Jackson nailed it. We should seek justice for Aaron Campbell.

Tanglewood Real Estate

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