Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Day Off

I love not having to work on a weekday. There's so much TV to catch up on. Naps to enjoy. Food to eat. Entries to write and piss people off.

First, you may recall that I wanted to see what the American Civil Liberties Union was going to do about the 82 year old lady who was tasered by the cops during a wellness check. To get the ball rolling, I called the Illinois office in Chicago and left my name and number and the subject. The recorded voice promised to get back to me within a week or ten days.

Must be slow in the civil liberties biz, since an elderly sounding person named Ruth called me back in 24 hours. Ruth is a volunteer who works at their intake desk.  Before calling I had perused the ACLU site. Nowhere did I see anything about abuse of fourth amendment rights and wellness checks listed anywhere. NOTE TO REMO: Shut up.

Apparently that's because no one's ever complained about the problem before. People just assume cops have permission to enter a senior's house any time without a warrant, as long as they're over sixty. Especially if someone [anyone] thinks they've fallen and can't get up.

Guess the ACLU folks don't read the papers or watch the news because no one there had heard about the old lady and the taser story that spent two or three days on the airwaves just a stone's throw away. This did not diminish their shock over what went on. But they seemed completely unfamiliar with the idea that this probably happens several times a month in every community. 

So I have two choices here: go down there in person and speak very slowly to explain the situation.  Or write them a letter first that they can read very slowly and then go down there and explain it in person. I think I'll write a letter first. While I figure out something nice to wear.

So many windmills to tilt, so little time.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Try AARP also! My folks are now retired & let me tell you if they walked in on them they may not like what they see! My mom keeps asking me if the articles are right & they are not suppose to be having sex so often at their age! HA! Knowing them they would probably arrest them for it! Heck the baby boomers are coming into this age range so they can fight this. I'll sign any petition you want! I'll have signs to picket for you! Why don't you make a sign to put on your door like the old sock or hanger on the college dorm door...Do not enter unless you want you really like being humiliated on tv that you invaded the privacy of a citicizen who has paid your salary for many years! Or unless you want me to return the favor for you next! HA! Hey, do what Peterson's brother said, Keep it on the front page!

Anonymous said...

Standing by...

Anonymous said...

Something nice to wear, huh?  How about a nice pair of ass kicking boots...it seems I recall you might own a pair (or two) ;)


Have a great weekend!
Chris
http://inanethoughtsandinsaneramblings.blogspot.com