N.W.A.'s relationship with Ian Tomlinson

August 6^th – Strange how events interconnect over time and space to provide backup and a salient reminder of just what living under the cosh of the status quo really means. Once again (no apologies) more questions than answers and hopefully a challenge to the intellect.

OK, whatever we think about the letter and the meaning, I think you would all agree that the UK and the USA are both democracies; right? Agreed? Well, I can’t hear you disagreeing so I’ll continue. I know we can take issue with much in that statement, but as a global political statement it’s factual. Where I would possibly part company with you is at what point that statement becomes shaded, chiaroscuro; just where the line is crossed between living in a democracy and under totalitarianism, where and when the doorway to free speech moves from being left ajar to being locked and bolted.

There’s an awful lot of sneaky stuff done under the cloak of the defence of the state logo that politicians and their instruments of enforcement (police – military) often work under. National Security Issues is another favourite and it has to be said that, although we can trot out the;

‘If you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to be afraid of’’

line of argument we all know, in our heart-of-hearts, that, as I’ve noted before, you only have to have one mad axe-man in a room of sane people for things to go very swiftly awry. For all the people who entered politics in order to do good (few and far between, I’m afraid) where it goes tits, unfortunately, is the number of egocentric arses in positions of power; people in power who only want to feather their own nest at the expense of all others, have no scruples when it comes to honesty, decency, fairness or tolerance and consider only what will advance them and their career…and believe me, there’s more of these type of folk about than you think… Just take a little time out of your day and glance through the law changes in citizenship and legal powers that have been shoved past us in the UK (while we were sleeping) after the 9/11 and 7/7 incidents; if you’re not shocked off’f your chair then you bloody well ought to be.

Let’s first look at the UK government’s reaction to an event around public disorder and protest: let’s take the recent judgement over the death of Ian Tomlinson and see if you can dismember the use of language, underline the obfustication, highlight the scapegoats and spot the hand of the state in this; I précis…

April 1^st 2009 (so that’s four years ago) – post-G20 protest demo – Mr. Tomlinson on his way home and not involved in any way – Turned back by coppers –tries a different route – hit by Police Officer Harwood (who had a record of violence) and falls to the floor – eventually gets up and walks on only to collapse 15 minutes later – dies – Home Office employed pathologist, F. Patel, declares Mr. Tomlinson died of natural causes; a heart attack – amateur video footage (thank goodness for mobiles) shows the truth of the attack – second revue by Met undertaken – police admit Mr. Harwood came into contact with Mr. Tomlinson but denies trying to mislead – second post mortem discloses that probable cause of death was abdominal bleeding caused by a blow – third post mortem confirms the  findings of this second post mortem and not death by heart attack – IPCC announces enquiry – Mr. Patel suspended – intolerable delay by police into the death of Mr. Tomlinson cited by relatives – CPS says no charges will ensue – DPP Kier Starmer (government lawyer) says PC Harwood will not face charges because experts could not agree on the cause of death – PC Harwood faces charges of gross misconduct – Dr. Patel is suspended for three months after the GMC finds him guilty of misconduct and deficient professional performance in relation to the autopsies of three children – CPS (Kier Starmer) says the GMC findings will have no bearing on the case and they will not prosecute PC Harwood – Inquest jury says Mr. Tomlinson was unlawfully killed by PC Harwood who used excessive and unreasonable force in striking him – The DPP now sees a realistic prospect of convicting PC Harwood on a manslaughter charge – PC Harwood trial at Southwark Crown Court found Mr. Tomlinson died as the result of a gratuitous act of aggression – PC Harwood accepted it was wrong to have hit and pushed Mr. Tomlinson and found not guilty of manslaughter – Dr. Patel struck-off because he had an unwarranted confidence in his abilities had a deep-seated attitudinal problem and also lacked insight – PC Harwood dismissed from force –  four years later (5^th August 2013) the Met apologises unreservedly for the use of excessive and unlawful force in the case of Mr. Tomlinson.

Still got faith in the democratic process? Good, that’s the positive attitude you have to have in order to survive the governing classes; remember the old Latin saying;

‘non illigitimum carborundum’.

Right, connect the dots.

On this day in 1989, the notorious gangsta rap band, N.W.A. (Niggaz Wit Attitudes) who had consistently courted controversy surrounding their explicit lyrics of violence, drug-taking and the place of women in society, were booked to perform in Detroit. It was known that their sell-out set would contain a performance of their latest single, Fuck tha Police (FTP) which had already caused an uproar, not with their fans or, indeed, with youth in general, but with the conservative right and the governing elite. So, with the band’s strong social opinion, no doubt gleaned from their upbringing, surroundings and treatment by the state, we have a legal concert undertaken by a legal group that conforms to all the relevant H&S rulings and is in a designated performance area with all the relevant licences in place, up to date and operating. The set kicks off and is about 15 minutes in…then, before NWA can perform their FTP single, Detroit’s police move in from pre-arranged places, stop the gig, close the show and escort NWA back to their hotel. No charges were filed. When asked what this was about, senior officers tell the press;

“Nothing was wrong, we just wanted to show these kids that you can’t say ‘fuck the police’ in Detroit.”

So, who got it wrong; UK or USA?  Either? Neither? Both? Whatever you come up with to make sense of the various reactions of the ruling classes as to what is, after all, either legitimate public opinion or reaction to an injustice, two things are certain:

1) They are the ones in power and they’ll let you know that at every possible opportunity.

and

2) You can’t take your eyes off the slithey fuckers…not for one nano-second…