For over two years, Bernell Butler had tirelessly fought for justice in the shooting death of his younger cousin, Tyisha Miller by four Riverside Police Department officers in December 1998. Today, he sits in a courtroom, currently on trial for his freedom, being prosecuted by the same agency which failed to file murder charges against those who killed Miller.

Butler is currently being prosecuted over two alleged incidents, one of which was never reported to any law enforcement agency. In September, 1999, his wife, Ramona Butler filed a report with the Riverside Sheriffs Department alleging that five months earlier, he had choked her, slammed her body against the car and threatened to kill her with a gun. Deputy Peterson videotaped her interview on the complaint without her knowlege. He testified under oath, that he had told her, but when cross examined, admitted he could not describe the video camera set up for that conference room. Two other deputies admitted under oath that they had written inflammatory statements in the reports as direct quotes of Ramona Butler, but when these alleged statements were not found anywhere on the audiotapes, finally admitted that they were never said. Ramona Butler recanted her story twice, both times which she was required to testify under oath, upon penalty of perjury. "I was afraid to lose my husband," she said tearfully, when asked why she had concocted her story.

The second alleged incident involves an alteracation that occured between Butler and another minister at a Steering Committee meeting. "I feared for my life," the Reverend Paul Munford said, as he testified that Butler had during an argument slammed him into a wall, choked him then threatened him with a chair, while 15 other people sat and watched. Not so, other witnesses said. Butler had never touched Munford. In fact, several of them testified that Munford was upset at Butler for taking on a leadership position on the committee, and had only gone public with his story after being kicked off the committee by the other members, who testified that they had grown tired of his incessent arguing. The alleged incident was never reported to the police department, but after an article was printed in a local paper, the District Attorney launched an investigation into that incident, and eventually added misdemeanor assault charges which were joined by Webster into the same criminal preceding as the earlier felony charges, despite the objections of defense attorney Mark Blankenship.

The prosecutor, Brian Sussman, who heads the domestic violence division tried to rehabilitate his witnesses, without much success, even with the assistance of presiding Judge Edward D. Webster to whom he looked for assistance during most of the prosecutatory portion of the trial. Webster, who is presiding over his last criminal case before heading to family court has engaged in ranting tirades, alternating with concilatory silences. He has threatened two witnesses with contempt of court, and placed Pastor Ron Gibson in handcuffs for one half hour after Gibson said he refused to participate in the railroading of Butler as revenge for getting the four officers who killed Miller fired. Gibson was released a short time later, after Webster calmed down, but not before admitting that he did not volunteer to do this trial, and wished he was in family court.

Since the shooting death of Tyisha Miller, the District Attorney's office had engaged in selective prosecution against activists who protested this injustice and members of her family.

The trial has attracted a large daily audience consisting mostly of more than a dozen prosecutors who spend the afternoons sitting and snickering in the courtroom at tax payer expense.

Thank you for the story, sister. Also in today's news there is another story about four white police officer's charged with brutally murdering an unarmed black man in New York.

As in the case with the mob of white officers who lynched Rodney King, the trial of the murderers has been moved from a city rife with blacks to a city devoid of them.

Why?

Must it be spelled out?

For the last time, we are living in a post Roman (remember that our model of democracy is based upon this empire which entertained its citizens with the most greusome acts of sport-murder known), post Nazi FASCIST society, still terminally infected with the spirit of slavery, segregation and white supremacy (Its not in the history you read in school, rather, in the history that isn't written in those books).

For Mr. Daly and millions of others who, in their infinite comfort and compliance, rationalize anything the system does as an excuse not to risk action, there is no shame in this. To suggest otherwise would contradict their fascist programming. And this is why Americans and white westerners have had little or no concience in sanctioning or abetting this global, self destructive process. This is not to say that the problem is inherant within white people. It is not. The problem is that the system has for many hundreds of years incorporated the very sensible Roman tactic of "Divide and Conquer" under the ruse of racism.

We will continue to see murder after murder, execution after execution, imprisonment after imprisonment, protest after protest, war after war, but it will all be to no avail: This machine cannot be re-programmed. It cannot be reformed. It cannot even be slowed down. This machine has one imperative: Profit. And make no mistake, the profit this machine reaps off the backs and blood of all the world is justification enough for the unspeakable tools of racism, fear, oppression and violence which technocratic capitalism systematically employs.

There are two options open to those who seek justice:

Death. By continuing to equate non-violence with passive Masochism, this movement insures the success of a system which, by its own design and admission, has had no problem violently uprooting entire movements and crushing them with all scientific means available. And the success of the system equals the death of our planet. Don't worry, though. The rich will maintain a nucleus of human life in the cold, germ, weed and insect free environment of lifeless outer space.

Revolution. If humanity down below cannot stop the machine we will certainly die. Therefore the only solution is to completely destroy and dismantle technocratic capitalism before we proceed any further past the "Failsafe" point of environmental damage we - as a civilization - passed sometime in the '80s during the first reign of the Reaganites.

Amadou.

Tyisha.

Malcom.

Martin.

You.

Think about it.

I can't tell you all how thrilled I am to be mentioned in a comment BEFORE I have weighed in. People are reading what I say and remembering it. That pleases me.

Of course, I am not exactly thrilled to be described as someone who perpetuates "fascist programming". . .

(Then again, it is in the nature of genius to be misunderstood in one's own time -- so I GUESS I should be happy to be so utterly misunderstood!)

Lookit, in case anyone has missed it, I firmly believe that THE BIGGEST THREAT TO LIBERTY IS GOVERNMENT POWER.

In the 20th century, the bloodiest in human history, more people died at the hands of their OWN GOVERNMENTS than in all the wars combined.

POLITICIANS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ARE INHERENTLY CORRUPT AND UNTRUSTWORTHY.

The only way to protect individuals from the brutality of corrupt politicians and their functionaries is to LIMIT GOVERNMENT POWER.

My problem with the Left is that many on the Left believe as follows:

"If we can get the RIGHT people in power, good people, people who share our values, then government force will only be used for good things."

Sorry, I ain't buying that. Politicians are corrupt and untrustworthy regardless of their party affiliation. Its the nature of the beast.

Only a conservative view point -- which holds that government power should be used to protect individual rights and ALMOST NOTHING ELSE -- has any hope of restoring justice to this country.

(Roads and infrastructure are the "almost" in the paragraph above -- government can build roads.)

And I am not talking about some bs Christian Coalition, David Duke, gay bashing type Conservatism -- those charlatans who use Conservative rhetoric to mask their own selfish power grabs must be exposed and discredited.

Now, if you think that is fascistic -- we need to talk more!

Thank you again though. This made a wierd day even wierder for me!!!

Of course what conservative/fascist idiots like Paul Daly always consistantly overlook is the fact that the government is nothing but the pawn and puppet of the greedy, money grubbing, planet destroying and patently white supremacist criminal syndicate known as Wall Street. Capitalism forms the foundation of fascism, as it funnels the worlds wealth (and therefore power) into the hands of a few. Patently UN democratic. Patently fascist.

Thank you Mary Shelton for exposing to the world the fascist workings of the puppet regime as it engages in its racist war against Bernell Butler and the Tyisha Miller family. Of course, you know who I am since I have on occasion (usually on Monday mornings), sat in the same courtroom witnessing the same debacle that you discribe. Blatant, bald faced conflict of interest and capitulation with the D.A. on the part of Judge Webster as he consistently sided with the D.A. Biased? Definatly! Is there a conspiracy to frame Bernell Butler going on here? The evidence we've been witnessing says VERY likely. I'm still hoping we can get an International observer to sit in and witness this kangeroo court in action, and bring it to the attention of the world community. But it looks like the fascist puppet regime is losing this battle. Let's hope we win the war-humanity's future hangs in the balance!

"Conservative/fascist idiot"? KKK reference?

Well, any way. I don't think there's much point in responding to these ad hominem attacks. Lets stick to the ideas. Why not?

It is suggested that the government is the pawn of capitalists.

Lets say you are correct:

Would not limiting government power limit government ability to be Wall Street's strong-arm?

Yes. Certainly.

However, it occurs to me that what FFF wants is to take the brutal elements of government and turn it against the enemies of the Left -- the wicked Capitalists.

FFF essentially wants to set up a regime at least as brutal as the current one, but with a different group of victims of government oppression.

Count me out, thanks.

Later.

Nothing like Vanity wrapped in erroneous suppositions.

Armed with too much pre-mature self respect and too little fact, you have invaded a website dedicated to change with nothing more to offer than your inflamed, north amerikan superiority complex.

Yet you have the audacity to shell out your opinions as if they were fact.

Your comment on "restoring justice to this country" simultaneously exposes your delusions and ignorance: The arrival of your culture signaled the absolute end of any justice in any community on this continent, Anahuac. There has been no point in the history of this "Country" when the most grievous of human rights were'nt being systematically committed against millions daily.

Although it gratifies you to act as a sort of "devil's advocate" intellectual provocateur, generally the way it works is that your ideas have to based in some kind of REALITY before you can debate.

Because you have lived your life on the Matrix-like tit of Amerika's media and ascended through her educational/indoctrinational system does not make you intelligent, Mr. Daley, and certainly does not qualify you to edit, judge or legitimize the views of any of the minds on this site.

I appreciate your attempt to "elevate" the dialogue as much as I appreciate a splinter reminding me that i'm working with wood. The only benefit you provide this community is the opportunity to hone and sharpen our minds against the obstacles you and the 200 million just like you present.

As for counting you out of the revolution? None of us would ever count you in to begin with. So don't you or your valiant working class do us any favors.

"The only benefit you provide this community is the opportunity to hone and sharpen our minds against the obstacles you and th 200 million like you represent."

You're welcome.

Now, why do you have to insult me so much?

Hi, nice to hear from you. Court has been eventful. Also, a new development involving an incident w/ a deputy district attorney, involving criminal conflict. hope to see you soon!

Interesting how the 'Rev' Bernell Butler's supporters believe he was "persecuted" because of his Christian beliefs.

Mr Butler was found guilty of battering his wife because 'she' called the police, because 'he' held a gun to her head, and numerous other violent acts against her. Because of his felonious behavior.



Before some of his supporters condone his activity, maybe you should read the criminal report that his wife Ramona filed. I myself viewed the report. It is 9 pages of pure hell that he put that woman trough. Riverside Sheriff's report #ER99268049