Capitalism Kills: The local implications of Kelly Thomas' Murder By Cop

Kelly Thomas, Homeless local citizen of Fullerton California, was brutally murdered by what can only be described as rogue police officers, who have been (unbelievably) acquitted.

Police Brutality against America's people of color and poor is a 'known' but the thing that really ENRAGES ME is the reason the officers were there at all.

A local business called the police and lied, saying the victim had been tampering with cars. The lie was an attempt to get the victim to move away from their property undoubtedly because they felt he was dissuading customers… A ‘nuisance’. This is a common practice where I live, and maybe where YOU live too, and it’s pretty obvious our local police willingly accept these lies from “fine upstanding members of the business community”, assume their truth, and never question the veracity of the complainant’s words.

(A 1m:53s 1.6 mb mp3 of the call to Fullerton’s police from the Slidebar Kitchen is available here courtesy of NBCNews.)

Truth be told, If you or I or any private individual called the police about someone car tampering the officers would CERTAINLY inspect the veracity of your statement before proceeding. Anyone whose ever had occasion to call the police knows this.

Kelly Thomas was set up to be confronted, and murdered by rogue police officers, without questions, in the interest of profits for a business. The murder was an aberration we’d pray. But the LIE is NOT. The practice is common, accepted, and unquestioned.

“The Business of Business IS Business”, and businesses are increasingly finding themselves at odds with the people of the communities they operate in. Likewise, law enforcement is also part and parcel of the 'business plan' allowing them to operate "As Usual" even as the community's citizens find themselves 'increasingly' sliding into poverty and homelessness.

A tragic example of how Capitalism consorts with institutionally legitimized gunmen and, intentionally or not, kills for it’s profits.

Cross-posted from Anarchic Tendencies.