Saturday, April 11, 2009

Does crack come with the cut?


I don't know what they were looking for, maybe it was a bad haircut. Hey, it was Cali, so they might have figured that there were still jheri curls being hooked up in these particular establishments. If that was the case I can't say that I blame them for raiding the joints. Wearing a jheri curl in this day and age ought to be a federal offense.

But seriously, why were law enforcement agencies out in Cali raiding black owned barber shops?I wonder if there weren't any person of color in these law enforcement agencies to help their colleagues understand just how important barber shops are to us black folks. On a real tip, they might as well have raided a church. That is how serious we are about our barbershops.

"Barbershops are of particular importance in the black community; they are part French salon, part Spanish cafe and part community living room for men. Targeting them without a clearly articulated cause is a surefire way to exacerbate tension in a community that already struggles with a sense of being disrespected by law enforcement."


Tell em LA Times, there are certain lines that you just don't cross. A brotha is in his barber's chair trying to get his dome right and here comes the po po. There is something fundamentally un-American about that shit. It's just not right. Is nothing sacred in the black community anymore? Oh come on field, they might have been doing drugs in there. What if they were selling drugs from the barbershop, would that have been right? Well no, but why the sweeps of numerous barber shops? Do you mean to tell me that instead of corners and abandoned houses, drug dealers are setting up their operation in barbershops all over Cali? Wow! What ever happened to just getting a shave and a nice fade?


57 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's odd, no doubt ahout it. I wish you'd post on no knock police raids. Those are just chilling. Nasty government, bad. bad. bad. szpork

cinco said...

They have to be caught where they can be found...

A similar raid occurred in Springfield, MA this week also. There's been an increase of drug dealing and violence @ several targeted areas. Now imo if you don't make a problem there won't be a problem- have a license; don't deal drugs from your shop; don't distribute bootleg dvds and don't ignore ordinances for noise and loitering. Then perhaps the police will only come when called.

Anonymous said...

Uh oh...Guess I am going to have to grow a big time fro. Mod Squad here I come.

Kellybelle said...

There was a barber shop in East Cleveland were large quantities drugs were alleged to be and money was alleged to be being laundered.

Maybe the police are on to something.

Bob said...

In the old days, barber shops were where men played the numbers, & the better connected barbers had sports books. Cops rarely bothered those places cause they were paid not to.

Anonymous said...

FIELD: You need to get down here to Charlotte right away. A brotha went through the McD's drivethrough, asked for extra ketchup and DIDNT GET ANY! You can bet your black ass if it was a lilly white customer in a benz that cracka would have got a bag full of Heinz!
Kid at the window was no doubt some pimple-faced klansman-in-training. DAMN! what kind of country have we?? Did Dr. King die to have some racist punk tellin a brotha to eat his fries dry???
Come on now field, get on this. Call AL, call Jesse, lets break out the faux-african tribal finery and march like it was Selma.
IM FEELIN IT FIELD!

brotha d'twan

Anonymous said...

Anon12:32am, you are a hoot. What kind of car was the brother driving? Did you know that MickeyD's won't hire klansmen because they steal all the heinz?

Anonymous said...

Small point but lay off the Cali-Jheri curl quips. I'm quite sure places like Memphis had and still has more jheri curls than Cali ever did.

Besides that, love the post!

Christopher said...

Black-owned barbershops in the Moreno Valley?

For those folks living in the northeast and the south, the Moreno Valley is in Riverside County, CA, one of the eight counties referred to as "the Southland," or "the Inland Empire," or even more euphemistically as "LA."

Back when I was a young 'un, Riverside County was known for two things: smog (the Pacific Ocean blows the air pollution east each day and it collects over Riverside County at night and looks like fire and smoke suspended in the atmosphere, and open space. But after house prices in LA and Orange Counties reached science fiction levels, developers began buying up land in Riverside and building sprawling cookie-cutter subdivisions on the nearly 200 miles of Riverside county. Today, there are more than 2,500,000 people squeezed into Riverside County.

The Moreno Valley is one of the largest of these suburbs with a population of 250,000. Last time I passed through the area, the only business I saw was chain business like Starbucks, Lowe's and a Wal-Mart the size of an airport terminal. The largest ethnic group in the Moreno Valley is Hispanic, so if the cops busted a drug operation in an African-American barbershop in the Moreno Valley, it must be the only one for a hundred miles.

field negro said...

"Kid at the window was no doubt some pimple-faced klansman-in-training. DAMN! what kind of country have we?? Did Dr. King die to have some racist punk tellin a brotha to eat his fries dry???"

I am hereby calling for a boycott of Micky D's right now! NO EXTRA KETCHUP TO EAT MY BURGER? WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE IN NC?

"h oh...Guess I am going to have to grow a big time fro. Mod Squad here I come."

You might consider dreads. You still have to get that fro clipped. :)

Chris, nice to hear from you my man. Some folks were starting to wonder if you were OK. And you are right about Riverside County,but you left out the meth labs.:)

Kellybelle,cinco and Bob, I know some bad things can go on in barbershops from time to time, but the story said that there were NUUMEROUS RAIDS as if all the barbershops were under suspicion, that just kind of makes me go hmmmmm.

Anon.5:34AM, let's see what Rippa has to say about the jheri curls. He is from Memphis.

Anonymous said...

what's up Chris? you get married yet.

szpork

whitey loves you. said...

Once again this is a perfect example of how black culture has made it impossible to tell good black folks from bad black folks.

The only thing to do is be suspicious of all black folk.

Black folks need to do the white thing and embrace white america.

Than we can truly be one america.

Constructive Feedback said...

[quote]I wonder if there weren't any person of color in these law enforcement agencies to help their colleagues understand just how important barber shops are to us black folks. [/quote]

No Filled Negro this is not a good example of the importance of Black representation in law enforcement.

I want to know where were the BARBERSHOP owners/customers who know the IMPORTANCE OF BARBERSHOPS to the Black community and who have the desire to maintain the INTEGRITY OF THEM. In their understanding of the deleterious effects of drugs upon the Black community they REFUSE to allow their shop to participate in the continued enslavement of Black minds and the theft of Black potential by these intoxicating elements. THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD BE ARGUING FILLED NEGRO!!!!!

If these Black officers did what you suggest then they'd be doing their own version of Lil Wayne's "Ms Officer" where the female cop was driven to VIOLATE HER OATH OF OFFICE and have her "female instincts" take over so that she could be sexually stimulated by Lil Wayne per his lyrics. Her state as a female trumped her civic duties as a sworn officer of the law. Lil Wayne successfully caused her to compromise herself - just like the classical serpent.

It is quite ironic, Filled Negro that in your duties as a Defense Attorney for CRIMINAL Defendants you likely showcase POLICE MISCONDUCT as the key means by which you allow CRIMINAL defendants to return to our community and continue their reign of terror. In this case you are asking the Black police officers to perform a violation of their duties and integrity.

(Granny would never tell you this about yourself Filled Negro)

In your case you'd ask these Black cops to "represent (your perverted version) of Black consciousness", turning the heat off of the people who are selling poison to our people and purchasing bling from the proceeds to show off their enterprise.

And you wonder why I choose not to live next to people who THINK as you do.

Cleveland Activist Art Bell Arrested At A Barbershop Drug Sting:
http://withintheblackcommunity.blogspot.com/2008/12/clevelands-art-mccoy-arrested-in-drug.html

Constructive Feedback said...

[quote]FIELD: You need to get down here to Charlotte right away.[/quote]

brotha d'twan: The Hidden Valley Gang would produce a whole lot of defense attorney work for my dear friend Filled Negro. But I wouldn't trust this documentary evidence from the show "Gangland". You know Rupert Murdoch and News Corp must have given the History Channel some of this doctored footage. That damned Fox News Channel!!! Shut it down and all of our problems would go away.

Hidden Valley Gang of Charlotte NC
http://www.viddler.com/explore/ConstructiveFee/videos/154/

Anonymous said...

Happy Easter everyone. I don't do church but I been listening to Son House for a while now. Close enough I guess. szpork

Jody said...

Uncon said:

I want to know where were the BARBERSHOP owners/customers who know the IMPORTANCE OF BARBERSHOPS to the Black community and who have the desire to maintain the INTEGRITY OF THEM. In their understanding of the deleterious effects of drugs upon the Black community they REFUSE to allow their shop to participate in the continued enslavement of Black minds and the theft of Black potential by these intoxicating elements. THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD BE ARGUING FILLED NEGRO!!!!!

Ummm... can you read? There was no where in the article a statement that any drugs were found at these shops, which is why these raids are being questioned.

If there are drugs being sold from anywhere... that is where the raids should be. But in THIS case, it seems that was not happening. And, the people involved in THIS case were rightly upset.

Hathor said...

Bob,
I don't know if cops were paid to ignore writing number. I think for the most part it was just ignored. When I was small, the numbers man was like the milk man. He had a daily route.

SouthernGirl2 said...

Field,


Happy Easter to You and Mrs. Field!

Anonymous said...

Amazing. Drugs (hard ones) are figuratively KILLING the black community and those who peddle drugs are killing it literally. Cops do nothing and the are racist in their willingness to let the poison flow. If they do something they are racist in their zeal to imprison black men. Everybodys gotta whine about something huh?

Mahatma Ghandi said "The true slave clings to his chains and they must be struck from him" Taking responsibility for the chaos and dysfunction in our society will free us from the chains.

Lets not be naive about our "tabernacles" of hair trimming. A shop where only black men go and everyone else is looked at with suspicion is the PERFECT place to deal. No po-po survelliance to worry about, everybody knows everybody, its inside with a legitimate reason to be there. But here come the race pimps.."OH NO a black man would NEVER soil the sanctity of the barbershop"
Now thats just plain stupid.
Im starting to think there is a level of comfort being at the bottom and wnining at those above you.

RiPPa said...

Its an assault on the Black man Field.

For example...

Johnny Depp made millions being a pirate, and now brothers in Somalia can't get their big break.

ASSAULT ON THE BLACK MAN.

IceCube cut off his Jheri Curl, toned it down on the "Fuck The Police", and started doing family films. He made the movie Barbershop, and now they're raiding the last semblance of Black fraternity we have left (outside of child support court that is).

Why?

ASSAULT ON THE BLACK MAN.

They're afraid that since Cube did the Barbershop movies, that brothers are going to get it together and start acting right...

just like IceCube.

Yup, can't have that in the community. Nope, if we did, there would be no more Negroes to shoot and kill. Oh well, that plus Negroes need to stop selling those bootleg copies of the Obama inauguration.

Thanks IceCube

field negro said...

Thanks Jody. What was that quote by Arthur Ward? "Before you speak,listen.Before you write,think.."

I think the the Unconstructive one suffers from the typical republican disease called blindersthinkamus. Geez!

"Amazing. Drugs (hard ones) are figuratively KILLING the black community and those who peddle drugs are killing it literally. Cops do nothing and the are racist in their willingness to let the poison flow. If they do something they are racist in their zeal to imprison black men. Everybodys gotta whine about something huh? "

Yes anon.,even you. 0:

Thanks Justice58, Happy Easter to you too. No church for me, but I do love bun & cheese and chocolate bunnies.

And speaking of "chocolate bunnies", did I ever tell you that I love your pics? :)

Jody said...

RIPPa... you are hilarious! checked out your blog and you are one funny, smart, and funny dude. Thanks for the chuckle.

Constructive Feedback said...

[quote]Ummm... can you read? There was no where in the article a statement that any drugs were found at these shops, which is why these raids are being questioned.[/quote]

Hi Jody. How are you?

1) I was RESPONDING TO the words of Filled Negro.

2) He was asking about the "officers of color" who might intervene to prevent the raids - NOT BECAUSE THERE WERE NO DRUGS.....but BECAUSE of the IMPORTANCE OF THE BARBERSHOP To The Black community.

I could stop right there and would have successfully rebutted your argument. But please allow me to continue.

3) I then posted an article in which a "Fight The Power" radio host in Cleveland was arrested for distributing drugs out of a barbershop.


Thus, Jody, I am struggling to understand WHY you were motivated to tell me that there were no drugs found during these raids when I WAS FOCUSING UPON the sanctity of the Barbershop and how certain people desire the police to look the other way OR certain people have indeed violated this center of debate by selling drugs.

Have a good day Jody.

Anonymous said...

RiPPA,
You look just like "BeetleJuice" from the old Howard Stern show...and I know Y'all don't look alike. Well I take that back..you could be Gary Colemans idiot twin... Great Blog tho,

Frank

field negro said...

"I want to know where were the BARBERSHOP owners/customers who know the IMPORTANCE OF BARBERSHOPS to the Black community and who have the desire to maintain the INTEGRITY OF THEM. In their understanding of the deleterious effects of drugs upon the Black community they REFUSE to allow their shop to participate in the continued enslavement of Black minds and the theft of Black potential by these intoxicating elements. THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD BE ARGUING FILLED NEGRO!!!!!"

Again Unconstructive one, there is a little thing called logic which we try to use in these instances. So here is the deal: The story was about barbershops which were raided and NOTHING was found. The barbershop owners felt that they were unfairly targeted. Yet you choose to use a straw man example of an instance where a barbershop --in another city no less- was raided and where drugs were found in order to justify these particular raids. That's kind of like saying let's go out and raid ice cream trucks because there was an instance of an ice cream man selling drugs in the past.

Question: In your day to day life, are you in in a position where you are actually charged with making decisions? I think you told us once that you work for a Fortune 500 Co. Could you tell me which one so that I can check if it's in my portfolio? I might need to sell that bad boy. :)

Anonymous said...

YA CF, most of those "fight the power" people just want "the power" to go away while they shear their blissfully ignorant flock. Notice how all those "community leaders" with the shiny suits and bullhorn voices always have bling? Notice how Al & Jesse all have mansions and off-shore accounts? Hell, Kwame, King Coleman, Marion Barry, etc... all had "fight the power"-like slogans. Sho-nuff blacks take the bait like a hungry bass. Take a look at detroit city council, a monument to black gullability. We all seem to sacrifice quality of life for a perceived thumb in whiteys eye.
We will put up with the barbaric level of killing in our neighborhoods because curing the problem will require all of societys help (if we could do it alone, we already would have)..how them 10,000 foot soldiers in Killy comin Field??
Few of us will speak of the 72% illigitimacy rate, few also about our 50% dropout rate. To do so would be "pickin on the po black man"
Shame on us. We can do better, or can we? Think again if you dont think it can get worse. It can and it will.

Anonymous said...

Field; just because a search was made and no drugs recovered is the next step ALWAYS a racist conspiracy?
Your life must be very difficult.

field negro said...

"Field; just because a search was made and no drugs recovered is the next step ALWAYS a racist conspiracy?
Your life must be very difficult."

Actually, my life is very good. I am watching Phil and Tiger go at it at the Masters now, and I just enjoyed a very good Easter Day meal.

After the Masters I will take my brand new clubs to the driving range and spend an hour working on my long game.

In between all of that I get to respond to dolts on the www like you.

Now doesn't that sound like a good life? ;)

Constructive Feedback said...

[quote]The story was about barbershops which were raided and NOTHING was found. The barbershop owners felt that they were unfairly targeted. Yet you choose to use a straw man example of an instance where a barbershop --in another city no less- was raided and where drugs were found in order to justify these particular raids. That's kind of like saying let's go out and raid ice cream trucks because there was an instance of an ice cream man selling drugs in the past.

[/quote]

So, again, Filled Negro - I should just Ignore your request for LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS OF COLOR to tell the White officers about the importance of the barbershop in the Black community that was CONTAINED IN YOUR POST and ONLY focus on that which was found in the LINKS that you posted?

(I bet that if Jody did not give you this talking point - you would not have even used it.)

[quote]Question: In your day to day life, are you in in a position where you are actually charged with making decisions? I think you told us once that you work for a Fortune 500 Co. Could you tell me which one so that I can check if it's in my portfolio? I might need to sell that bad boy. :)[/quote]

Filled Negro - I am actually surprised that you even have a portfolio. Isn't that a CAPITALISTIC vehicle? You said you were a SOCIALIST. Why don't you put the names of some other people upon YOUR account so that they can share in your prosperity?

It is quite ironic that my presence inside of a given corporation would cause you to sell your shares YET the growing presence of the political machine that you favor that is taking over an increasing number of our schools and our political institutions doesn't cause you to hide your money under your mattress and to purchase a gun.

What about the present situation in Philadelphia inspires you about the future?

RiPPa said...

"RIPPa... you are hilarious! checked out your blog and you are one funny, smart, and funny dude. Thanks for the chuckle."

Thanks Jodie. I try and stay sharp and do what I do for the kids.

RiPPa said...

"RiPPA,
You look just like "BeetleJuice" from the old Howard Stern show...and I know Y'all don't look alike. Well I take that back..you could be Gary Colemans idiot twin... Great Blog tho,"


Don't you have a hospital floor to mop Frank? C'mon man, how much longer are you going to try and fool us with this medical school crap? Just because you're able to wield a bucket and the occasional squidgy doesn't mean you're qualified to perform brain surgery.

Anonymous said...

Field, that sounds like a good life indeed. Working on the long game tends to minimize the frustration that golf seems to inspire....care to answer my question?

Anonymous said...

""Thanks Jodie. I try and stay sharp and do what I do for the kids.""

Good, try doin it with a bag over your head.

RiPPa said...

"Good, try doin it with a bag over your head."

I already do. Actually, me and your mom takes turns, and hence the reason she doesn't know who your father is. Pretty much ever guy who has had sex with her do it blindfolded on purpose. Didn't she ever tell you that?

La♥audiobooks said...

uuummmm, I want to say just what Kellybelle said. Ok now, backing out slowly.

Woozie said...

The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and a Chicago law firm filed a suit in federal district court Wednesday that says officers targeted five black-owned barbershops in April 2008, accompanying inspectors from the state Board of Barbering and Cosmetology on the pretense that the searches were just routine health-code inspections.

This made me laugh out loud.

Anonymous said...

Is THAT the best you can do Rippa? Usually those not blessed with physical beauty make up for it with mental acumen. But as we see, not always.
Truth be told, I didnt expect much and you delivered beautifully.
Keep on pluggin son, were all very proud of you. BWA HA HA HA!

WHITEY LOVES YOU said...

Obama's half brother accused of UK sex assault and was refused a visa to enter the UK.

Why isn't the media reporting this story??

If Obama was white and a Republican the media would be all over this story.

GrannyStandingforTruth said...

Whitey:

If the media wasn't all over it, you wouldn't have found out about it. However, what does that have to do with President Obama's ability to lead this country? You guys are sickening. A BLACK man is leading this country and doing a better job than those before him and he doesn't even have all of his staff in place. Yet, all you guys can think about is trying to find some type of way to bring him down. The GOP party needs some serious psychologically help.

Anonymous said...

Oh dear sweet misguided granny, the media was "all over" sarah palins kid (still is actually) and it had nothing to do with her ability to lead. The media was all over Mitt Romneys mormonism..ditto. The media were all over Dick Cheneys gay daughter (figuratively) nothing to do with his ability to lead (many other things did though).
Obamas randy brother is indeed fair game. Its what the media do. Who ever accused them of being fair or competent?

SouthernGirl2 said...

Obama's half brother accused of UK sex assault and was refused a visa to enter the UK.

Why isn't the media reporting this story??


What the hell does that have to do with the President? I know you're not saying the President should be held accountable for what his brother does? Have you lost your ever-loving mind?!

You can't find s.h.i.t. to bring the President down...and it's eating away at you. Tough!



Too bad. So sad.

GrannyStandingforTruth said...

Anonymous 8:33:

Misguided? LOL! You wish, huh?

Let me give you my opinion of the media. The media reminds me of two, lonely, bitter women that have nothing better to do but to go around gossiping and spreading rumors. They just don't make journalist like they used to back when the news was really news. Nah, nowadays they just churn out gossipmongers and dung stirrers. Nowadays, the media acts like their in a contest with the National Enquirer or one of those other little fairy tale newspapers you find in the grocery store stands.

It doesn't even take any journalistic talent or skill nowadays to write what they try to pass off as news. It is beyond me why they still even require a college degree for it. For the so-call news that they choose to report, it doesn't take an 3rd grade education. Even kids could do that. Anyone could start their own newspaper company with the standards they hold for journalist these days. All they'd have to do is go out and find a few gossipy, bitter, lonely, venomous, women and men who love badmouthing people and presto, and they'd have the number one selling newspaper company in the USA.

The dangerous part is that the news is suppose to be reporting real news that is informative so that USA citizens can make informed decisions. Instead, they report the most sleaziest gossip that is worthy of a hen party. You do know what a hen party is right? No wonder newspapers are going out of business. Next the news media will be going out of business as well and it will be no one's fault but their own.

News is not suppose to be in the business of finding the latest gossip, it is suppose to be in the business of reporting news. But for some reason they just don't get that part. The only part they get is profits and to them gossip sells. How low they have stooped and sullied the words news and journalist. I mean it has almost come to the point that it will be an embarrassment to even own the job title journalist.

I pray that one day they'll wake up and start reporting real news because what their passing off as news is a joke.

Whitey loves you said...

Its not about bringing Obama down.Its about the double standards the media has.The U.S. media will dig though trash to find dirt on Republicans and yet they won't report this story.

GrannyStandingforTruth said...

Whitey:

If the media dug through trash to find dirt on the Republicans, they sure did miss all the stuff the last eight years that caused this nation to almost go down the tubes. We wouldn't be in the situation we're in now, if the media had dug and reported real news. Instead, you couldn hear a pin drop and they acted like they were scare to even report the news or ask questions when Bush and Cheney ruled.

GrannyStandingforTruth said...

BTW Whitey:

The story about Obama's brother has nothing to do with how he leads this country or him. He hadn't seen his brother in over 20 years. Because his brother sexually assaulted someone that makes President Obama guilty too? That is a ridiculous analogy. Come on now.

Jody said...

Whitey, why should they report on that story? Its not like this guy 1. lives in the US. 2. Has ever lived with Obama. 3. They did not even meet until 1987. 4. It would be like reporting on a second cousin removed on another continent.

If this guy had been in the US, or had a relationship with Obama, they would have reported it. The only reason it was reported in the UK media is because the guy was trying to get in and was refused. Seems that Obama does not really have much of a relationship with his biological father's side of the family.... thus not really a connection except by blood.... ergo... not really news here...

If you really think the media doesn't like juicy, gossipy stories about democrats, I suggest you go look up the Clinton years, or check how they loved covering Jimmy Carter's brother.....

SouthernGirl2 said...

Preach Granny!

TrueBlue said...

I'd like to know more about this one. I think it's too much time and trouble to raid every black barbershop in town just for the hell of it and/or 'cause the police department is a bunch of racists.

Other crap, yeah. But the barbershops? That's pretty damn blatant if it's pure racism. I'm going to be really surprised if there wasn't some pretty good reason for those raids.

Anonymous said...

Hey FN just wondering if the standard for Probable Cause in the states you were referening was the same as the rest of the country? You being an attorney and all would know that. I was just thinking a Judge has to sign the warrant before the popo can bust off in anywhere as we all know!

And if a Judge signed off on it then wouldn't they be the bad guy's here?

Just Curious

cinco said...

Why the Hell are there always anons on these blogs? Isn't a screen name secret enough? Grow a damn pair!

Sharon from WI said...

Johnny Depp made millions being a pirate, and now brothers in Somalia can't get their big break.

ASSAULT ON THE BLACK MAN.


You're kidding, right?

Anonymous said...

Sharon from WI,

Good question. If you want a "frank" answer, you should ask Frank.

RiPPa said...

Johnny Depp made millions being a pirate, and now brothers in Somalia can't get their big break.

ASSAULT ON THE BLACK MAN.

You're kidding, right?


What do you think?

Anonymous said...

"What do you think?" Wow. Another "frank" question for Frank. He's going to be busy for the rest of the week.

Marcy Webb said...

Do you mean to tell me that the LAPD hasn't anything better to do?

Mack Lyons said...

"Obama's half brother accused of UK sex assault and was refused a visa to enter the UK."

Replace "Obama's half brother" with "A Kenyan" and the story quickly becomes non-news.

Anonymous said...

this web site is where black racists be!