Burbank Cop: Shot to the Head or to the Chest??

Seems like an easy enough question to answer - unless you are hiding something that is.

Here is one of many questions that need to asked and answered regarding the tragic death of Burbank Police Sgt Neil Gunn on Thursday, October 29, 2009.

The media is giving conflicting reports.

The Burbank Leader's first account of the supposed suicide of Neil Gunn on October 29, 2009 at 1:38pm says this: "Witnesses said the man was heavy-set and had a gunshot wound to the chest, but police would not confirm their accounts." (Source note: This article no longer exists on the Burbank Leader website but I had saved it on my blog here along with the updates http://sonomanewstoday.blogspot.com/2009/10/burbank-police-sergeant-in-fbi-probe.html. The Burbank Leader updates, by the way, say nothing of a head shot nor of a chest shot.)

However, the October 30, 2009 LA Examiner says this:
"The Burbank Leader is reporting that Sergeant Neil Thomas Gunn Sr., a 22-year veteran of the Burbank Police Department, shot and killed himself on a residential street corner Thursday morning. Police responded to the corner of North Sunset Canyon Drive and East Harvard Road at approximately 11:40 a.m., where Gunn was pronounced dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head."
(source: http://www.examiner.com/x-15017-Burbank-Community-Examiner~y2009m10d30-Burbank-Police-sergeant-commits-suicide-on-street-corner)

So, which was it... the CHEST or the HEAD???

This is important as a person committing suicide, especially a cop, would not shoot himself in the chest as his hand may jerk and he may miss the vital organs. However, a shot to the head most certainly would do the horrid job.

A FEW MORE QUESTIONS:

What was the weapon?

Where is the weapon now?

Who were the witnesses? Names please.

Who called 911 and what was said? Recording please.

Why no mention of the possibilty of foul play by either the police or media?

Gunn was a known whistleblower and he had been threatened. (source: http://semichorus.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/city-attorney-barlow-is-celebrating-dunns-suicide/)

More questions need to be asked AND ANSWERED!

Please see original post with complete Burbank Leader articles from October 29, 2009: http://sonomanewstoday.blogspot.com/2009/10/burbank-police-sergeant-in-fbi-probe.html

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AFTERNOON POST

City mourns death of officer


Candles forming the number 7943 were placed at the foot of the city of Burbank Police & Fire Department building statues on Third Street in Burbank, on Friday. Burbank police sergeant Neil Thomas Gunn shot himself at Sunset Canyon and Harvard in Burbank one day earlier. (Raul Roa/Leader)

Colleagues of Sgt. Neil Thomas Gunn grieve over veteran officer, who committed suicide Thursday in public place.

By Christopher Cadelago
Published: Last Updated Friday, October 30, 2009 10:02 PM PDT
source: http://www.burbankleader.com/articles/2009/10/31/news/blr-shooting103109.prt

DOWNTOWN — Flags outside police headquarters flapped at half-staff as candles were arranged to indicate the badge number of a sergeant who killed himself Thursday on a residential street corner.

It was the first public display of grief over the suicide of Burbank police Sgt. Neil Thomas Gunn, who died Thursday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the corner of North Sunset Canyon Drive and East Harvard Road.

Colleagues and passersby stopped in front of the police station Friday to remember the 22-year veteran of the force whose list of commendations included Ministerial Officer of the Year in 1992 and two Professional Esteem awards. Some wept, while others stood paralyzed by the silence and magnitude of the moment.

Gunn had deep roots in what officials affectionately refer to as the “City Family.”

He was also one of 12 officers named in federal grand jury subpoenas as part of an FBI investigation into possible civil rights violations and excessive use of force.

FBI officials would not specify when the probe began, how long it would last, or expand on why the officers were named. Several of the officers listed in the probe — Bill Taylor, Omar Rodriguez and Steve Karagiosian — have also filed lawsuits against the Police Department alleging racial discrimination, harassment and on-the-job retaliation.

The Glendale Police Department, which is handling the investigation, has so far found no evidence of foul play or that anyone assisted in the suicide, Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Glendale police will backfill Burbank shifts when members of the department are unavailable to work, he said.

Residents of the hillside enclave, located below the Castaway and DeBell Golf Club, spent Thursday morning outside their homes calming neighbors who feared they were in danger as detectives confirmed Gunn had shot himself.

Erminio Iacobellis, who lives in the 1000 block of East San Jose Avenue, said he never imagined a high-profile slaying within earshot of his home.

“This doesn’t happen in the city,” Iacobellis said, staring across the police barrier. “Nothing like this happens here.”

Police were called to the intersection about 11:40 a.m. after witnesses reported seeing Gunn turn the gun on himself, Sgt. Thor Merich said. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Police Chief Tim Stehr and high-ranking members of the department evaluated the crime scene before Los Angeles County coroners arrived.

Officers sectioned off several blocks of Sunset Canyon Drive and surrounding streets, shielding views of the body from the public as detectives investigated.

“This incident is a devastating tragedy,” Lt. John Dilibert said in a statement issued by the department. “The members of the Police Department and all our city employees share in the grief with his family during this difficult time.”

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BURBANK LEADER EDITORIAL

Reporting with tact

Published: Last Updated Friday, October 30, 2009 10:02 PM PDT
source: http://www.burbankleader.com/articles/2009/10/31/opinion/editorials/blr-1editorial103109.txt

A woman throws herself off the top floor of a high-rise hotel. A man overdoses in his bedroom. A police officer shoots and kills himself on a public sidewalk.

For newspapers, assigning news value to suicide has always been a precarious dance. We don’t want to romanticize the act, but at the same time, we don’t want to be seen as ignoring “the news.”

“News” is many things to different people, but most newspapers have implemented a set of internal guidelines to help dictate which suicides get covered, and which do not.

As with most policies, especially when communicating them to a diverse public, it’s best to be blunt, so we’ll spare you the hyperbole.

Generally, we do not report on suicides taking place in a private residence, unless the person is a public official or figure, or has recently been in the news. Public suicides are typically reported, but even then, there’s a complicated set of guidelines that come into play.

On Thursday, a Burbank Police officer named in an FBI probe into the department shot and killed himself on a residential street corner. It continues to be covered extensively due to the nature of the act and his status in the federal investigation.

But when a woman jumped to her death from a top floor of the Burbank Holiday Inn this summer, it was reported as a news brief, without her name. The death occurred in the public eye, but the woman herself was not a public figure.

And in other cases, there are periodic suicides that occur in private that we choose not to report because it would either be gratuitous, or cause more harm.

The act of suicide, no matter the setting or method, represents one of the most tragic points of human desperation. Reporting them is never an easy task, nevermind the pain and suffering that only get compounded when affected loved ones see it played out in print.

But we wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we didn’t roll up our sleeves and report that tragedy when it represents a significant impact to the general public, either to a news event, public safety or otherwise.

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OTHER WEBSITES

"Meanwhile, a lot of unanswered questions about Gunn’s death. The press release from the city of Burbank/Burbank PD called the gunshot wound on Gunn’s body self-inflicted. Some, including a resident I spoke to who lives near the scene of the tragedy, doubt the suicide conclusion."
A Writer's Grove
http://www.awritersgroove.com/?p=1802#comment-5951


"Many in Burbank are asking why would an officer who works in Burbank select a residential neighborhood to end his life. Uncomfortable as it all may be many questions must be asked inorder to bring some meaning and hope to the recent events in Burbank. We need to know and understand what brought us to this dark day in Burbank History."
What's Up in Burbank
http://whatsupinburbank.wordpress.com/a-sad-day-in-burbanks-history/


"Yesterday we called out the local newspaper about their highly misleading and twice-repeated implication that there might have been a suspicious and evasive personal motive in Sgt. Gunn’s suicide. The Leader all but spelled out the relationship between Gunn and the fact that he was named as one of many BPD employees whose records were subpoenaed by the FBI as part of their ongoing civil rights investigation."
Burbank, California
http://semichorus.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/national-media-is-picking-up-on-leaders-misleading-fbigunn-innuendo/


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INTERESTING LINK

Here is Bill Taylor's lawsuit which was the last one filed so far; it gives some history of the problems in the Burbank Police Department:
http://whatsupinburbank.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/taylor-lawsuit1.pdf


Burbank Police Captain Bill Taylor
"Moral Compass"

9/22/09 Burbank Leader Article: Police Captain Sues City

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EMAILS

Received a couple of interesting emails tonight:

"It almost seems that everyone is involved!!!! Although the Mayor and City Council are usually only told what the City Staff wants them to know or believe. The Police Commission is trying to get to the bottom of things but when they ask questions, they are told that the questions were not on the Agenda and therefore cannot be discussed. The Police Commission has requested more power from the City Council. Otherwise, they are, and have always been, a group of people that have gotten direction from the Police Chief and Juli Scott, Chief Asst. City Attorney. In the past they were really kind of a joke. Now they are trying to gain more power; which I think is a good thing."

"Although a lot of people are breathing a sigh of relief that Glendale PD is investigating the suicide, the fact remains that the "City Attorney" of Glendale, is none other than Scott Howard; who happens to be the husband of Juli Scott, Chief Asst. City Attorney for the City of Burbank!!! Juli Scott has been the main advisor to the Burbank Police Dept. for the past 20 years. She is the person I feel should be taking the blame for the position the BPD is in today. Now, if the City Attorney is assigned the duty of overseeing and direction of Police Dept matters, than how is this not a conflict?? Just wondering........ Does this sound strange to you???"

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La notte di Halloween e la festa cristiana dei santi: opposizione o continuità?

Il nome Halloween è indiscutibilmente termine di origine cristiana; è parola composta da hallow, ‘santificare’, ed eve, abbreviazione di evening, ‘sera’. Halloween, insomma, deriva da All Hallow's Eve e vuol dire semplicemente ‘Sera della festa dei Santi’, ‘Vigilia della festa dei santi’.
La chiesa cattolica fa memoria, infatti, l’1 novembre di tutti i santi e la sera del 31 ottobre è appunto la vigilia della festa.
Ma l’1 novembre era il giorno della festa celtica di Samhain ed alcune delle tradizioni dell’odierna Halloween vi rimandano.
Cosa è avvenuto? Perché questa coincidenza? Halloween è una festa pagana o cristiana? Siamo dinanzi ad una espropriazione cristiana o ad un camuffamento sincretista di riti magici? Cosa è bene fare in campo educativo? Incoraggiare o opporsi alla celebrazione di Halloween?

La festa celtica di Samhain “era un momento di contemplazione gioiosa, in cui si faceva memoria della propria storia, della propria gente, dei propri cari, in cui si celebrava la speranza di non soccombere alle sventure, alle malattie, alla morte stessa, che non era l'ultima parola, se era vero che i propri cari, almeno una volta l'anno, potevano essere in qualche modo presenti. Nella magica notte di Samhain non erano le oscure forze del caos che riportavano nel mondo i morti, ma il ricordo e l'amore dei vivi che li celebravano gioiosamente” .

“Il significato di Samhain per gli antichi Celti era dunque quello di un vero e proprio ‘passaggio’, il sostituirsi di un tempo e di un ordine all'altro.
Le feste dedicate ai defunti e agli antenati, quindi alla fecondità garantita da chi ha già affrontato il ciclo naturale della morte e della rinascita, sono comuni a molti sistemi etnoreligiosi. E, nelle ‘feste dei morti’, è abbastanza comune che essi rechino anche dei doni ai vivi: il morto appartiene all'immaginario dell'eterno ciclo naturale del nascere e dello spegnersi, del letargo e del rifiorire della natura. La grande festa autunno-invernale di Samhain era dunque anche dedicata ai morti e principalmente agli antenati” .

Il passaggio da questa antica tradizione a quella rinnovata di Halloween avvenne nell’VIII secolo, ad opera dei vescovi e dei monaci del regno dei Franchi ed, in particolare, per iniziativa di Alcuino di York:

“Se il culto dei singoli martiri e santi risale ai primissimi secoli, a partire dalla fine del IV secolo si sentì in Oriente l'esigenza di celebrare tutti i santi, conosciuti o ignoti, in un'unica festa: la Chiesa siriaca durante il tempo pasquale, la bizantina la domenica successiva alla Pentecoste... Ogni chiesa locale manteneva tuttavia il proprio calendario e venerava i propri santi. Nelle aree d'Europa di più forte tradizione celtica il ricordo di Samhain era ancora vivido e così si decise di coniugare il culto dei santi all'antica ricorrenza.
Così l'episcopato franco istituì nell'VIII secolo la festa di Ognissanti: il principale promotore di tale iniziativa fu Alcuino di York, monaco sassone di formazione irlandese, che era uno dei più autorevoli consiglieri di Carlo Magno. Egli, che ben conosceva le forme di religiosità precristiana delle isole britanniche, sapeva quanto fosse stata importante per le popolazioni dell'area celtica la festa di Samhain, e quanto fosse necessario cristianizzarla, sottolineando l'aspetto della santità e della comunione dei santi, legame tra le generazioni di cristiani, dei presenti e di coloro che ci hanno preceduti.
Questa felicissima intuizione teologica ebbe seguito: pochi anni dopo, l'imperatore Ludovico il Pio, su richiesta di papa Gregorio IV, ispirato a sua volta da consiglieri come il vescovo di Fiesole e il missionario irlandese Donagh (conosciuto in seguito come san Donato di Fiesole), estese tale festa a tutto il regno franco. Fu circa alla metà del IX secolo dopo Cristo che la ricorrenza di Ognissanti venne ufficialmente istituzionalizzata, collocata alla data del 1° novembre e quindi estesa a tutta la Chiesa, per opera del Papa Gregorio IV.
Ci vollero tuttavia ancora diversi secoli, perché la festività di Ognissanti fosse obbligatoria in tutta la Chiesa Universale, il che avvenne grazie al pontefice Sisto IV nel 1475” .

“La stretta associazione con la commemorazione dei defunti, celebrata il giorno successivo, fu istituita solo nel 998 dopo Cristo, trovando slancio nell'ambiente monastico benedettino.
Fu infatti Odilone di Cluny a dare l'avvio a quella che sarà una nuova e longeva tradizione delle società occidentali. In quell’anno egli diede disposizione affinché i cenobi dipendenti dall'abbazia celebrassero il rito dei defunti a partire dal vespro del 1° novembre. Il giorno seguente era invece disposto che fosse commemorato con un'eucaristia offerta al Signore, pro requie omnium defunctorum. Un'usanza che ben presto si diffuse in tutta l'Europa cristiana, per giungere a Roma più tardi” .

Era così compiuta la piena valorizzazione dell’antica tradizione celtica nella fede cristiana. Le due celebrazioni cristiane dei Santi e dei Defunti annunciavano ora che non era stato un errore credere che i morti potessero visitarci. Il Cristo era venuto a rinnovare questa fiducia su di una base molto più salda, dando agli uomini un dono che superava ogni loro desiderio, la comunione reale e continua della chiesa della terra e di quella del cielo.




È utile a questo punto soffermarsi a cogliere le conseguenze educative di questa ricostruzione storica: il binomio Samhain-Halloween può sempre di nuovo essere raccontato in primo luogo perché i bambini non abbiano paura dei santi e dei morti, ma imparino a confidare nell’assistenza di coloro che sono già in cielo, in secondo luogo perchè sappiano che esiste un modo per amare chi non è più su questa terra e che esso consiste nel pregare per loro, in terzo luogo perché i piccoli possano riflettere sui desideri profondi del cuore umano che non si rassegna a vedere scomparire nel nulla i propri cari e sulla bellezza del vangelo che mostra che questi desideri non restano inappagati, ma vengono realizzati dalla misericordia di Dio, in quarto luogo perchè possano comprendere la ricchezza della storia della chiesa e l’atteggiamento del discernimento che sempre la deve caratterizzare.

One Dead Singh

Who is he? Who is this Singh? I have spent countless hours staring at this photograph asking myself questions. Whose son is he? Whose husband, whose dad, whose brother, whose uncle, cousin, friend? Is someone waiting anxiously at home for him, waiting for a footfall that will never come?

Where is he from? Does he live in Delhi or is he just visiting? Where was he born? What is his pind? When was he born? How old is he?

What is his occupation? Is he an engineer, a doctor, a professor? Or is he a taxi driver or a trucker?

What are his politics? Is he an Akali or a member of Congress? Is he a Khalistani or a Bharata Mata lover? Or is he political at all? Is he just trying to live his life and not really concerned about the niceties of the larger world.

Why is he keshdhari? Is it just habit, following family custom? Or is it deeply meaningful to him? Does he pray each day, do naam jap, love Vaheguru? Or are those just incidentals that have fallen by the wayside of his life? Where is his turban? How does he feel as it is ripped from his head and his kesh is exposed?

How does he feel as he realises the mob is coming for him, chasing him down the street or dragging him from his home or his car or from the bus? What goes on in his brain as the petrol is poured on him and set alight? What is he thinking as his body burns? Or is he beyond thought? Is he aware of the laughing jeering mob around him, enjoying watching his final agonising moments of life on this earth?

What is his last awareness as he dies alone, surrounded by merciless thugs?

Questions without answers. Whoever he is, he deserves to be remembered. I doubt he had even a death certificate, so I have made him one.

(Click to enlarge)

There is something so very final about the certificate. And, of course, I realise that all I have written is wrong and must be rewritten to reflect the truth of 25 years later...

Who was he? Who was this Singh? I have spent countless hours staring at this photograph asking myself questions. Whose son was he? Whose husband, whose dad, whose brother, whose uncle, cousin, friend? Was someone waiting anxiously at home for him, waiting for a footfall that never came?

Where was he from? Did he live in Delhi or was he just visiting? Where was he born? What was his pind? When was he born? How old was he?

What was his occupation? Was he an engineer, a doctor, a professor? Or was he a taxi driver or a trucker?

What were his politics? Was he an Akali or a member of Congress? Was he a Khalistani or a Bharata Mata lover? Or was he political at all? Was he just trying to live his life and not really concerned about the niceties of the larger world.

Why was he keshdhari? Was it just habit, following family custom? Or was it deeply meaningful to him? Did he pray each day, do naam jap, love Vaheguru? Or were those just incidentals that had fallen by the wayside of his life? Where was his turban? How did he feel as it was ripped from his head and his kesh was exposed?

How did he feel as he realised the mob was coming for him, chasing him down the street or dragging him from his home or his car or from the bus? What went on in his brain as the petrol was poured on him and set alight? What was he thinking as his body burned? Or was he beyond thought? Was he aware of the laughing jeering mob around him, enjoying watching his final agonising moments of life on this earth?

What was his last awareness as he died alone, surrounded by merciless thugs?

He was our brother and he was one single human being, one Sikh among the thousands murdered during the madness of those days in 1984.

He is our brother and he deserves justice.

One final, unanswered question: When?

SHUT DOWN PUNJAB 03 NOVEMBER 2009

SHUT DOWN PUNJAB - 03 NOVEMBER 2009

EVERYTHING EXCEPT EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES MUST BE SHUT DOWN IN HONOUR OF OUR 1984 SHAHEEDS.

neat video of excepter last week in nyc

31 OCTOBER 05 - NOVEMBER 1984.

This video has some pretty graphic pictures. Most I had seen before. A few are new to me. Many thanks to Harjot.com.

Tatton Goes to Trial

All Sonoma News Today Posts and Comments on Tatton


Greg Tatton

Thu 10/29 6 PM

Tatton ordered to stand trial

By David Bolling
INDEX-TRIBUNE EDITOR
source

Former Sonoma Valley soccer coach Greg Tatton, 43, has been charged with 20 counts of sexual misconduct with a teenage girl and was ordered to stand trial by Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Arthur Wick.

The ruling came Wednesday at the end of a preliminary hearing that was delayed for more than a week during key testimony by a detective with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department. Tatton's San Francisco attorney, Ethan Balogh, dubbed by one magazine as a "Northern California Super Lawyer," had challenged the testimony of Det. Jake Vivian, charging the detective lied in order to obtain key evidence contained in the victim's cell phone records.

Balogh's firm promotes on its Web site the success of partner Benjamin Coleman in winning appeals of criminal convictions, convincing judges to dismiss charges and obtaining complete reversals on appeal. Wick, however, ruled against Balogh's motion to strike Vivian's testimony and dismiss the case, finding instead there was enough evidence to hold Tatton over for trial. The prosecution's case presented evidence alleging that the girls' soccer coach had sex with one of his players on numerous occasions, sometimes two and three times a week, when she was 15- and 16-years-old and he was 40 and 41.

Tatton coached an elite traveling team that played games from San Diego to far Northern California. Some of the alleged sexual acts occurred during road trips, others allegedly occurred in the Sonoma Valley, sometimes in Tatton's vehicle.

He was earlier charged with 18 counts of having sex with the girl, seven counts of lewd conduct and six counts of oral copulation, but several of the charges were dropped. Tatton has entered pleas of not guilty to all charges and remains free on $150,000 bail. He is a mortgage broker now living in Southern California. Tatton has been banned for life by the California Youth Soccer Association but was once a highly successful and charismatic coach who led several girls' teams to championship seasons.

But his relationship with the victim ultimately aroused the suspicion of her parents who sought a restraining order against him and described to the court his influence on their daughter as "inappropriate" and "harmful." Police were eventually notified through a mandatory report by a psychologist from whom the victim had sought counseling.

Two parents who asked to remain anonymous and who both had daughters on Tatton's teams described his behavior as "manipulative," "calculating," "charming," and "glib." One parent said Tatton enjoyed "pushing the envelope" of risky behavior and said he drove his team members up and down the state for more than two years without a valid driver's license.

In 2007, Tatton was arrested for falsifying the registration sticker on his SUV after he allegedly photocopied a sticker and glued it to his license plate. The vehicle had allegedly gone unregistered for at least two years.

Three misdemeanor charges were dropped or dismissed after he completed a diversion program.

Tatton is scheduled to appear back in court Nov. 9 for arraignment, during which he will be read the charges against him and enter a plea.

India: Getting a Baptism by Fire

Time Magazine coverage of the Delhi Pogrom 19 November 1984

"Indira is India, India is Indira." That once ubiquitous slogan seemed even truer in death than in life. No less shocking than the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by two Sikh bodyguards was the brutality that erupted across India in its wake. Frenzied mobs of young Hindu thugs, thirsting for revenge, burned Sikh-owned stores to the ground, dragged Sikhs out of their homes, cars and trains, then clubbed them to death or set them aflame before raging off in search of other victims. The death toll approached 2,000, and in Delhi, where more than 550 died, four days of madness and murder also left some 20,000 Sikhs crowded into refugee camps. Suddenly a nation that had thought of Indira as its mother seemed rudderless and orphaned. "Over the years, Madame kept us in check," said a senior Indian journalist. "Once she is gone, we go berserk."

That orgy of death and disorder pointed up as nothing else the daunting task faced by India's new Prime Minister, Indira's son Rajiv, 40, who determinedly assumed a burden for which scarcely three years of political apprenticeship had little prepared him. After ceremoniously igniting his mother's funeral pyre, Rajiv met with a score of foreign dignitaries who had attended the funeral, including U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz.

"Gandhi came through with a sort of quiet strength that I find reassuring," said Shultz after their meeting. The new leader also met with Pakistan's President Mohammed Zia ul-Haq, whose presence—the first by a Pakistani head of state at the funeral of an Indian Prime Minister—seemed a promising gesture of geod will. That same day, at his first Cabinet meeting, Gandhi disclosed that he would serve as his own Foreign Minister.

After that initial bow to foreign affairs, Rajiv concentrated on restoring order and confidence to Indian life. He lost no time in establishing a commission of inquiry, headed by a Supreme Court justice, to investigate the slaying of his mother. He visited the ravaged, riot-torn areas of his capital in a tour that the pro-Gandhi National Herald declared "had an efficacious and reassuring impact on the morale of the people." Then, in answer to chilling claims that the police had simply shrugged their shoulders or looked away while the bloodbath continued, the new Prime Minister fired the Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi, P.G. Gavai, and replaced him with Home Secretary M.M.K. Wali.

Early this week, some semblance of normal life was beginning, ever so tentatively, to return to the capital. Banks opened, residents ventured into the streets again, and vendors reappeared in market areas. But the tranquillity seemed tenuous. While combat troops patrolled the city in olive armed personnel carriers and Jeeps mounted with machine guns, tan-uniformed policemen wielding bamboo sticks stood guard at every street corner. That, however, was no guarantee of law-and-order. Two TIME photographers were attacked by Hindu toughs who smashed the glasses of one and tore two cameras from the neck of the other.

If the authorities were conspicuous by their presence, so were the Sikhs by their absence. Largely gone from the streets were the familiar bearded, turbaned men who have traditionally driven cabs and manned stores all around the capital. Half their cabs had been burned; perhaps 70% of their shops had been devastated. Some of the Sikhs fled to their homeland of Punjab; some still cowered inside the houses of Hindu neighbors. Others, whose homes were destroyed or had to be abandoned, huddled together within makeshift refugee camps.

There they could do nothing except repeat horror stories of the chaos and carnage that had swept through more than 80 cities. In a camp set up in the Gandhi Memorial Higher School in Delhi, one Sikh survivor after another described how friends and loved ones had been murdered. "My three sons were burned alive," quietly began Amrik Singh, a sad-eyed man whose gray beard had been forcibly shaved to a silver stubble by a mob wielding knives. "They came to my house. They dragged my sons out. They put petrol on them and set them on fire." Near by, Purani Kaur, 60, leaned against a wall in the dusty school courtyard, her eyelids almost swollen shut. "They came to my house with swords and bricks," she said as friends reached out to steady her. "All my five sons and my son-in-law were killed." In a dark corner of a corridor, Amrit Kaur sat with her head swathed in a blood-soaked bandage. "My husband was burned alive. My children were beaten senseless. Then my house was set on fire. My children could not come out, and they were burned inside." With that she broke down and began to weep.

Off to one side of the courtyard women squatted beside a fire, making bread. "There is no food, no water here supplied by the government," complained Satpal Singh, a government stenographer. "Now the people who killed us are free." A 90-year-old man showed the wound across his forehead where gangs of rampaging toughs had ripped off his turban and almost scalped him while cutting the hair that Sikhs must by religion keep unshorn.

"The government, the police did nothing to protect us," he said. "They turned their backs while Sikhs were slaughtered."

Amid the shame and shock, however, there were a few reassuring stories. Some Hindus, at great risk to themselves, organized units for defending Sikh dwellings; some gave sanctuary to their Sikh friends; others offered medical aid to the wounded. Moved by such gestures, 13 prominent Sikh writers and intellectuals issued a statement to "put on record our gratitude to our Hindu brethren." Rajiv also pledged that the government would pay fixed amounts for every Sikh wounded or killed and for every home damaged ordestroyed.

While trying to heal his nation's wounds, the new Prime Minister had asserted his power skillfully. But he had also, in his first week in office, acquired the problem of wide-scale Sikh homelessness to add to the burning fuse of Sikh restlessness. After all the tributes paid to Indira Gandhi, the finest, he knew, would be a resolution to the Sikh problem that had ended his mother's life, and that, if unresolved, could end many more. —By Pico Iyer. Reported by Dean Brelis and James Willwerth/New Delhi

Accident at Lovall Valley Road and Wood Valley Road Tonight

Just before 9pm tonight, heard lots of sirens in Sonoma, so checked out the CHP Traffic website and found this:

2471 8:55PM Traffic Collision - Property Damage LOVALL VALLEY RD AT WOOD VALLEY RD

Incident: 2471 Type: Traffic Collision - Property Damage Location: LOVALL VALLEY RD AT WOOD VALLEY RD ThomasBrothers: 448 5B info as of: 10/29/2009 8:58:11 PM
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
8:56PM VEH PART BLKG AND INTO A DITCH
RESPONDING OFFICERS STATUS
9:00PM CHP Unit Assigned
9:10PM CHP Unit Enroute

Here is a map:

View Larger Map

We pray for all those involved in this accident.

1984 MEMORIAL

Many of us had relatives and friends killed in the Delhi Pogrom whom we would like to memorialise.

Bhenji Sukhmandir Kaur Khalsa, author of the website, About.com: Sikhism, has set up a place where this can be done. You are welcome to go to In Memory - The 1984 Delhi Massacre Memorial. You are welcome to write about your loved ones or just leave their names.

We remember. We will never forget.

Burbank Police Sergeant in FBI Probe Killed

Sgt. Neil Gunn Sr.
Photo Credit: Courtesy the Gunn family/LA Times

November 10, 2009 UPDATE
Gunn Family Fundraiser Tonight Nov 10

November 9, 2009 PM UPDATE
Special Meeting for the Vote of No Confidence Nov 12, 2009

November 9, 2009 AM UPDATE
Looking Back at the Burbank Law Suits

November 8, 2009 UPDATE
Amazing Grace for the Gunn Family and for Burbank

November 7, 2009 UPDATE
Burbank Leader Editorial: Police chief should resign

November 6, 2009 UPDATE
Keep Them in Your Prayers

November 5, 2009 UPDATE
Now is the Time for Healing

November 4, 2009 UPDATE
Police Chief Asked to Go on Leave at Council Meeting

November 3, 2009 PM UPDATE
"The department turned its back on him." Mrs. Gunn

November 3, 2009 AM UPDATE
The Gunn Family Speaks

November 2, 2009 UPDATE
Autopsy for Neil Gunn? Suicide Note? Witnesses?

November 1, 2009 UPDATE
City of Burbank Family or Dangerous Nepotism?

October 31, 2009 UPDATE
Burbank Cop: Shot to the Head or to the Chest?

ORGINIAL POST October 29, 2009
The headline says Neil Gunn shot himself in my hometown in southern California, but I have come to be suspicious of any high profile suicide.

10/30/09 It is the next day and now I'm thinking, who commits suicide on a public street, esp a police officer? PLUS, the first first report says, "Witnesses said the man was heavy-set and had a gunshot wound to the chest, but police would not confirm their accounts." Who are the witnesses? And sorry to be so graphic here, but a shot to the chest may miss the heart, thus the reason most shoot into the head. This whole thing stinketh!

Scroll down for updates.


A member of the Burbank Police Department puts up barriers Thursday morning, shielding members of the public from viewing the body of Sgt. Thomas Gunn, Sr. (Raul Roa/News-Press)

Sergeant shoots self on residential street

Thomas Neil Gunn Sr. was listed in recent FBI probe

By Christopher Cadelago
Published: Last Updated Thursday, October 29, 2009 5:39 PM PDT
source

HILLSIDE — A Burbank Police sergeant who was listed in an FBI probe into police misconduct shot himself to death Thursday morning on the corner of a residential street, authorities said.

Burbank Police Sgt. Neil Thomas Gunn Sr., 50, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the corner of North Sunset Canyon Drive and East Harvard Road, Sgt. Thor Merich said.

Police were called to the intersection at about 11:40 a.m. after witnesses reported seeing Gunn turn the gun on himself, Merich said. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Officers sectioned off several blocks of Sunset Canyon Drive and surrounding streets, shielding views of the body from the public as detectives investigated the scene. The U.S. attorney’s office on Sept. 14 issued a grand jury subpoena for personnel records involving 12 members of the Burbank Police Department. The subpoena sought records on “use of force, defensive tactics, Tasers, pepper spray, or the rules and ramifications pertaining to the use of excessive force or a violation of civil/constitutional rights.”

FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller earlier this month confirmed that the agency was looking into possible civil rights violations by officers, the results of which would be forwarded to the Department of Justice. She would not specify when the probe began, how long it would last, or expand on why the officers were named in the probe. Several of the officers listed in the probe — Bill Taylor, Omar Rodriguez and Steve Karagiosian — have also filed lawsuits against the Police Department alleging racial discrimination, harassment and on-the-job retaliation.

Residents of the hillside enclave spent the morning outside of their homes calming their neighbors those who feared they were in danger as detectives confirmed Gunn had shot himself.

Erminio Iacobellis, who lives in the 1000 block of East San Jose Avenue, said he never imagined a high-profile slaying within earshot of his home.

“This doesn’t happen in the city,” Iacobellis said, staring across the police barrier. “Nothing like this happens here.”

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And here is a portion of previous article from Oct 2, 2009 that mentions Neil Gunn:

"...FBI agents are also seeking Police Department records of internal affairs investigations as a result of use-of-force complaints filed as far back as 2003. The 12 officers listed in the subpoena are Omar Rodriguez, Jose Cruz Duran, Neil Thomas Gunn Sr., Christian Dereck Canales, Jon Murphy Jr., Mike George Reyes, Steve Sarkis Karagiosian, Armen Dermenjian, William Hampton “Bill” Taylor, Nick Wayne Nichols, Tommy Perez and Edgar Manuel Penaranda..."
http://www.burbankleader.com/articles/2009/10/03/publicsafety/blr-probes100309.txt

Oct 1, 2209 link to LA Times article
FBI probe of Burbank police focusing on alleged excessive force involving 12 officers

---

5:59PM BURBANK LEADER UPDATED ARTICLE

Sergeant shoots himself on residential street

Neil Thomas Gunn Sr., who was listed in recent FBI probe, was pronounced dead at the scene

By Christopher Cadelago
Published: Last Updated Thursday, October 29, 2009 5:59 PM PDT
source

HILLSIDE — A Burbank Police sergeant who was listed in an FBI probe into police misconduct shot himself to death Thursday morning on the corner of a residential street, authorities said.

Burbank Police Sgt. Neil Thomas Gunn Sr., 50, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the corner of North Sunset Canyon Drive and East Harvard Road, Lt. John Dilibert said.

Police were called to the intersection at about 11:40 a.m. after witnesses reported seeing Gunn turn the gun on himself, Sgt. Thor Merich said. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Officers sectioned off several blocks of Sunset Canyon Drive and surrounding streets, shielding views of the body from the public as detectives investigated the scene.

"This incident is a devastating tragedy," Dilibert said in a statement. "The members of the Police Department and all our city employees share in the grief with his family during this difficult time."

A 22-year veteran of the department, Gunn received several commendations for his work, including the Ministerial Officer of the Year in 1992, and two departmental professional esteem awards, one in 1997 and one in 2004.

The U.S. attorney’s office on Sept. 14 issued a grand jury subpoena for personnel records involving 12 members of the Burbank Police Department. The subpoena sought records on “use of force, defensive tactics, Tasers, pepper spray, or the rules and ramifications pertaining to the use of excessive force or a violation of civil/constitutional rights.”

FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller earlier this month confirmed that the agency was looking into possible civil rights violations by officers, the results of which would be forwarded to the Department of Justice. She would not specify when the probe began, how long it would last, or expand on why the officers were named in the probe. Several of the officers listed in the probe — Bill Taylor, Omar Rodriguez and Steve Karagiosian — have also filed lawsuits against the Police Department alleging racial discrimination, harassment and on-the-job retaliation.

Residents of the hillside enclave, located below the Castaway Restaurant and DeBell Golf Club, spent the morning outside of their homes calming neighbors who feared they were in danger as detectives confirmed Gunn had shot himself.

Erminio Iacobellis, who lives in the 1000 block of East San Jose Avenue, said he never imagined a high-profile slaying within earshot of his home.

“This doesn’t happen in the city,” Iacobellis said, staring across the police barrier. “Nothing like this happens here.”

The Glendale Police Department is handling the investigation.

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AT 1:38PM THE FIRST BURBANK LEADER STORY WAS THIS...

Man shoots himself to death on street corner

UPDATE: Police section off street, investigation continues

By Christopher Cadelago
Published: Last Updated Thursday, October 29, 2009 1:38 PM PDT
source

HILLSIDE — An unidentified man shot himself to death Thursday morning at the intersection of North Sunset Canyon Drive and East Harvard Road, authorities said.

Police were called to the west corner of the intersection at about 11:40 a.m. after witnesses reported seeing the man turn the gun on himself, Burbank Police Sgt. Thor Merich said.

Officers have sectioned off the 700 block of Sunset Canyon Drive and erected screens to shield views from the public as detectives investigate the scene of the shooting.

Witnesses said the man was heavy-set and had a gunshot wound to the chest, but police would not confirm their accounts.

The number of people who killed themselves in Burbank this year has more than doubled compared with last year, from six to 13, according to police records. Attempts are also up, police said.

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Photo from FOX News




October 30, 2009 UPDATE

We pray for the family and friends of Neil as well as the community of Burbank. May the truth come forth.

MAP

View Larger Map

Following are a few ways to tell murder from suicide: (source)

Where on the body the injury occurred: A shot to the side of the head, in the mouth, or to the front of the chest is usually suicide. Wounds located anywhere else are most likely homicide.

Distance of gun from the body: Most suicide shots are at contact or near contact range, causing a burn mark around the wound and leaving gunpowder residue (which can be wiped off). At contact range, and if the gun is fired just above a bone, such as the skull or the sternum, a star-like wound is produced. Anything further away is likely homicide.

Angle of the shot: Most suicide shots are angled slightly upward.

Number of shots fired: After one shot, even if a suicide victim isn't dead, he would likely be unconscious or physically unable to fire a second time. Multiple shots usually indicate homicide.

Presence of gunpowder residue on victims hand: If a man shot himself, there would be powder residue from unburned carbon on the hand that fired the gun.

Shots through clothing: A suicide victim will rarely shoot through clothing. If he shoots himself in the chest, which is unusual, he will open his shirt to expose the skin. Shots through clothing suggest homicide.

History, a note, other factors: If the victim left a suicide note, or was known to have personal problems, or if there was evidence of drug use or drinking, suicide is likely.

Evidence of a struggle: If there are scratches, cuts, bruises, homicide is likely.

How fast a person dies depends significantly on where the wound is located and how quickly he can get help. A shot to the head might kill, or it might not. A shot to the abdomen might take hours to kill the victim, or he might bleed to death in half that time. A gunshot victim can be rushed to the hospital, have a bullet removed from his abdomen, be well on the road to recovery, then die a week later from some unforeseen infection.
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Found this Burbank Leader article from September 30, 2009:

FBI probes Police Dept.


After relative silence, the City Council Tuesday revealed that the Burbank Police Department was under some stage of investigation by the FBI, Los Angeles County sheriff and an outside attorney over allegations of misconduct within the ranks.

L.A. County Sheriff's Department has also been looking into a range of claims filed against Burbank police.

By Christopher Cadelago
Published: Last Updated Wednesday, September 30, 2009 10:20 AM PDT
source

CITY HALL — Four days after the city released a statement calling the latest lawsuit filed against its Police Department “baseless and disingenuous,” Mayor Gary Bric on Tuesday said the FBI was investigating allegations of misconduct within the ranks.

He also announced that the Burbank Police Department was being investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which was to turn over its findings to the county district attorney’s office, and that the city had brought in its own outside attorney to review the allegations.

Seven current and former members of the Burbank Police Department have filed lawsuits since May, claiming everything from unfair demotion and retaliation, to sexual harassment and racial discrimination.

The City Council had remained silent on the legal action building against the city, but Bric on Tuesday blew the lid off the investigations as a way to reassure the public that “the City Council is taking every step possible to make sure all of the issues are identified” and “dealt with in a manner that ensures they are never repeated.”

“These are all very serious allegations, and I think it is clear to everyone that the Police Department is facing some major challenges,” he said at the meeting.

Last week, Capt. Bill Taylor filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court claiming he was unfairly demoted after pushing for internal investigations into allegations of officer misconduct.

It was the latest in a string of legal woes for the department.

A former decorated Japanese American police detective sued the department in July, alleging he was subjected to racial discrimination and retaliation before being unlawfully fired. Attorneys for Christopher Lee Dunn also filed a second lawsuit claiming that City Atty. Dennis Barlow and his deputy disclosed private personnel records to the Burbank Leader “and other members of the press and general public.”

And in May, four officers and one lieutenant filed a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination and sexual harassment.

The influx of lawsuits prompted the Police Commission to meet more frequently.

Department and outside agencies had thoroughly investigated the claims long before the lawsuits were filed.

“In addition to these investigations, the FBI has been conducting their own investigation into these matters, and we are cooperating with their inquiries to the city,” he said.

Reading from a statement approved by the entire City Council, Bric stressed that the majority of men and women in the Police Department were not involved in the allegations.

Last week, the city released a statement responding to Taylor’s lawsuit, contending that the former deputy chief “has chosen to deal with his own personal career disappointments with a lack of leadership and professionalism.”

The change in tone by City Hall drew a quick response Tuesday from Councilman David Gordon, who called for all future news releases to be “professional and measured” in tone and that they be approved by the council prior to release.

Bric added that the council was frustrated that it could not share more detailed information, but that the integrity of the investigations and strict legal rules prevented the council from doing so.

He also sought to reassure the public that city officials were taking the allegations seriously and investigating them fully.

“This may mean some severe consequences for any persons involved in misconduct, but we believe the integrity of our Police Department is extremely important to this community and is our paramount concern,” Bric said.

Click here or see below the full statement from Mayor Gary Bric.

Statement from Mayor Gary Bric
Burbank City Council Meeting
September 29, 2009

There has been a lot of press recently regarding issues at the Burbank Police Department and I’m sure the community is concerned and wants to make sure that these issues are being appropriately dealt with. There have been a number of lawsuits and claims filed that contain multiple allegations of improper conduct ranging from wrongful termination, discrimination and retaliation to abuse of force and various forms of covering up such activities. These are all very serious allegations and I think it is clear to everyone that the police department is facing some major challenges. All of these allegations have arisen from sources within the department or from former members of the department.

As a result of allegations prior to these lawsuits, a number of investigations have been initiated both by the department and by outside entities at the invitation of and with the cooperation of the city. These investigations began long before the filing of the lawsuits and claims mentioned above. Chief Stehr requested the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department come in and perform an independent investigation. The city also began an independent investigation using an outside attorney and an outside investigator, both of whom report directly to the City Attorney and City Manager’s office. Your Burbank City Council has met with the outside attorney in order to confirm that there are no limitations on the scope of the investigation and to indicate that any signs of lack of cooperation by anyone within the city are to be brought to the Council’s attention. The Sheriff’s department requested that the city hold off commencing its investigation until the Sheriff’s investigation was completed. In addition to these investigations, the FBI has been conducting their own investigation into these matters and we are cooperating with their inquiries to the city. It is our understanding that when the Sheriff’s investigation is complete, it will be forwarded by the Sheriff’s department to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. The city’s investigation is now ongoing and includes all of the issues raised by the lawsuits and claims that have been filed and will also include any additional issues that may arise in the future.

While we cannot legally share the details of any of these investigations, we felt it was important to share with you that the issues in the Burbank Police Department are being taken very seriously and investigated by outside independent agencies. These investigations have been taking what seems like a very long time, but the investigators know the seriousness of the allegations and are making sure they do a complete and thorough job. We are frustrated that we cannot share more detailed information with you, but the integrity of the investigations and strict legal rules governing the privacy of police officers that may be under investigation prevent us from making any further comments.

While we know the entire community is disappointed to know that there are issues within the police department, please rest assured that the City Council is taking every step possible to make sure all of the issues are identified and that steps are taken to make sure that any problems that are identified are dealt with in a manner that insures they are never repeated. This may mean some severe consequences for any persons involved in misconduct, but we believe the integrity of our police department is extremely important to this community and is our paramount concern.

With our firm commitment to discover and correct any misdeeds within the police department, I can assure you the majority of the men and women in our police department are not involved in these issues and we would be remiss if we didn’t recognize the excellent job they do protecting the safety of our community during these difficult times.

Mayor Gary Bric
City of Burbank


Reader Comments

hear me wrote on Sep 30, 2009 7:55 AM:
"It's about time that city officals step up to the plate.This is embarrassing to the city of Burbank. Thank you mayor, FBI, and the sheriff's department. For finally listening and stepping in, to find out what's going on in the good ole boys club ,the Burbank police department. Any officers involved in the harassment, should be fired, and made to pay any lawsuits that come of it. Not the taxpayers of Burbank. Thank you.
B.A. on Burbank "

sandy587 wrote on Oct 3, 2009 12:19 AM:

"It's about time someone steps in and REGULATES these unethical, ruthless, liars that serve as THE POLICE in Burbank. They are nothing more than a bunch of bullies who lie and cheat I am not surprised they are being sued by 7 members inside the department, imagine how many citizens have cases against them, or should have cases against them, due to the harrassment , intimidation and eventually false arrests you will receive from these so called cops citizens are afraid to say a word! I know first hand, this time I am not letting it slide-! ...Internal Affairs & the Federal Govt are finally going to do what's needed to be done for a long time - WATCH HOW BPD operates... they'll be disgusted! You GO IA. Thank you! "

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Note the headline in the City of Burbank news report which says, "Man dies..." as opposed to "Burbank Police Officer dies..." It seems so cold-hearted... AND suspcious.

CITY NEWS ROOM

Man dies after self-inflicted gunshot wound
Posted Date: 10/30/2009 11:00 AM

On October 29, 2009, at approximately 11:40 am, Burbank police officers responded to the scene of a reported shot fired/man down call at Sunset Canyon and Harvard Road.

Responding officers found a man down with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Fire department paramedics arrived and pronounced the victim dead at the scene.

The victim was identified as 50-year old, Neil T. Gunn, a 22-year veteran and Patrol Sergeant with the Burbank Police Department. During his career, Gunn received numerous commendations for his work, including the Ministerial Officer of the Year in 1992, and two departmental Professional Esteem awards, one in 1997 and the second in 2004.

This incident is a devastating tragedy. The members of the police department and all our city employees share in the grief with his family during this difficult time.

The Glendale Police Department is handling the investigation into Sergeant Gunn’s death.

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TOPIX COMMENTS
Note: Please read with critical thinking and discernment as agents provocateur and shill are known to mislead/confuse/attack/name-call on message boards.

Burbank police officer commits suicide on public street

Burbank officer listed in FBI probe kills self

FBI investigating misconduct allegations at Burbank Police Department

FBI focuses on excessive-force claims in probe of Burbank police

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VERY INTERESTING MUST READ BLOG POST!
City Attorney Barlow is celebrating Gunn’s suicide (and update)

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source:

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November 12, 2009 UPDATE

Received these photos taken yesterday, Nov 11th

It's not too late

EU leaders are already running into problems with the ambiguity of the Lisbon Treaty, as they battle it out over whether or not the post should be, as David Cameron put it, "all-singing, all dancing" (Tony Blair), or more low-key and more akin to the kind of role the rotating EU President currently plays (Juncker, Balkenende).

Either way, the EU President will have no democratic mandate whatsoever, so anything other than a low-key role coordinating the EU agenda and similar to the current role of the rotating EU President is essentially a power grab.

The new EU President will earn roughly the same basic salary as the democratically-elected President of the United States, who has the support of 70 million people. The EU President, meanwhile, will have been appointed by a handful of leaders meeting behind closed doors in Brussels, with no input at all from national parliaments, let alone the people.

It is absurd, and a perfect illustration of how out of touch and anti-democratic the EU has become. The President will be appointed by a qualified majority vote in the Council (potentially as few as 18 people) so no country has a veto.

The people pulling the strings in the corridors of Brussels are amazingly arrogant about this fact. A couple of weeks ago an unnamed senior French diplomat pointed out that although most people in Europe will be against the idea of Blair for EU President, because of his position on the Iraq war, that makes no difference at all, because "only public opinion is concerned about this, not the 27 Heads of State and Government that will vote him in".

The current system of rotating EU Presidencies, which Lisbon replaces, is not ideal, but at least it means that prime ministers and presidents who have a current, democratic mandate to rule get to set the agenda in Europe for six months at a time. Appointing an ex-PM or President like Tony Blair will move the EU even further away from the people, as it is likely that whoever it is will have fallen from grace in his or her own country. He is yesterday’s news.

In what other region in the world does an ex-leader get to represent millions of people on the world stage, rubbing shoulders with Barak Obama? This is a huge step backwards for democracy, and the more powerful and grandiose the role, the further the EU will move away from the people.

In some ways, it would be good if Tony Blair was appointed EU President, because it would bring home to many people exactly what the Lisbon Treaty means. It would be the first tangible consequence of the Treaty. For years, people have struggled to understand why they should care about the Treaty, and what it will mean in practice. The Lib Dems, for instance, would hate to see Tony back in power and yet they strongly pushed for this role to be created by supporting the Treaty and conspiring to deny ordinary people a say. Lib Dem delegates at this year’s conference backed a motion saying Blair should not become EU President – but they really should have thought of that much earlier.

In yesterday's Evening Standard Ann McElvoy made a good point about the paradox of giving Blair, the man who divided Europe so deeply over foreign policy, the role of trying to craft a united foreign policy. But she also questioned whether a small nation would have the clout. This dilemma, which EU leaders are now having to confront, exactly represents the problem with the Treaty and the mistaken idea that you can create consensus where none exists by attempting to shoehorn countries through the creation of new institutions.

The Lisbon Treaty is deliberately vague about what he or she will do. The job title is one of many ‘unanswered’ questions about the Treaty, which meant MPs were essentially signing a blank cheque when they agreed to the Treaty last year. It will depend to a certain extent on the job title of the EU Foreign Minister (another unanswered question), and of course the person who takes the job first. To a great extent, the furore over Blair in the media is futile, since ordinary people have absolutely no say at all in who will take this job or what it will look like. By signing the Treaty, we have already handed that power irrevocably to the European Council (unless of course the Czechs now scupper the Treaty).

However, it’s clear that right from the beginning, Tony Blair wanted this role to be a powerful, symbolic and international one. During negotiations on the original EU Constitution back in 2002-2003, Peter Hain, acting on behalf of the UK Government, tried to amend the text so that the EU President would have responsibility for the general "external representation of the Union".

Article 15 of the Lisbon Treaty says: "The President of the European Council shall, at his or her level and in that capacity, ensure the external representation of the Union on issues concerning its common foreign and security policy, without prejudice to the powers of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy."

However, Peter Hain tried to change it to simply read: "The President of the European Council shall in that capacity ensure, at his level, the external representation of the Union, without prejudice to the responsibilities of the President of the Commission and the Minister for Foreign Affairs." (See here for how Peter Hain tried to cross out the words "on issues concerning its common foreign and security policy" http://european-convention.eu.int/Docs/Treaty/pdf/41699/41699_Art%2021%20Hain%20EN.pdf )

Surely this is a good climate in which to scrap the whole idea. After all, it's not too late.

Open Europe will be supporting a demo tomorrow morning between 10am and 12pm at the Rondpont Schuman in Brussels, just outside the Council, in support of Czech President Vaclav Klaus, who is still holding out against the Treaty.

Come grab your Czech flag and join us!

cool pic of kimmswick and sterling's paw

i love these guys! every day i'm thankful to have two little cat homies to hang out with.

cool clip of vu w/ angus maclaise drumming and some dude on saxophone!!!!

too bad there isn't any sound! d'oh!
but i bat bat hombre will be stoked to know that the alternate reality version of vu w/ saxaphone sort of happened, even if john cale wasn't the one playing sax.

velvet underground - what goes on / follow the leader apartment demo

"follow the leader" from the quine tapes is one of my favorite velvet underground songs, and so is "what goes on," so it's kinda cool to know that this recording exists. would be better if this was a full band version, though...


anyhow, i guess lou reed did a version of follow the leader on one of his solo albums (i just found this out a few minutes ago...)

IN MEMORIUM

WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA
WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH

IN LOVING AND GRATEFUL MEMORY

FROM YOUR KHALSA SISTERS
VINI AND SUNI AND MAI


on the 22nd 23rd 24th 25th  26th anniversary of your Shaheedi
the Delhi Pogrom,
31 October- 4 November, 1984

TO OUR KHALSA BROTHERS

SHAHEED BERTRAM K. SINGH

SHAHEED BALBIR SINGH

SHAHEED EDUARD P. SINGH

SHAHEED MANDEEP SINGH KHALSA

SHAHEED MOHAN SINGH
SHAHEED SANDEEP SINGH

and our two little sisters who died unborn,

BABY KAUR ONE

BABY KAUR TWO

and to all the thousands of our other brothers and sisters who died in this battle/pogrom/massacre.

YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN

WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA

WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH

OUR SEARCH FOR JUSTICE CONTINUES UNABATED.

KHALISTAN ZINDABAD!!

UPDATE - CHILDREN OF 1984 AND AN IDEA

My little sister. Kamal, sent me a link today which I followed and I must share with you. It starts out:

"They were in their mothers stomach, just delivered, toddlers or school going children in 1984 when their fathers, uncles or siblings were butchered in the anti-sikh riots in Delhi which left almost 3000 sikhs dead. These children were suddenly wrenched out from their cosy family life and hurled into the world of neglect, apathy and abuse. They grew up in the shadow of the riots, struggling between going to school and making a living. Their fathers were killed and their mothers either remarried or were so busy working to eek out a living that the kids were virtually forgotten. 25 years on they have grown up into young men. Some wayward due to the neglect , others unemployed due to lack education, and yet few others transformed their lives by sheer grit and determination. These are their stories."

"Sheer grit and determination" I interpret to be that great Sikh virtue of chardi kala, which means, among other things, we never give up, no matter what!

This is the introduction to an incredible collection of pictures and the stories that go with them. These are photographs by Sanjay Austa, a professional photographer. PLEASE go check out From Children To Adults-1984 Anti-Sikh Riot Victims. I know I ask a lot of my readers, from keeping kesh to signing petitions. Here is one more action I ask of you. It won't be painless, but it will be worthwhile.

I'll have a picture here, if I can get the photographer's permission.)
************************************************************
After looking at all these pictures and reading their brief histories, do you feel the need to do SOMETHING? I have a suggestion. Please take this idea to your gurudwara, wherever you are in the world.

A long time ago, I tried to get a programme going in India, invite one of the widows and her kids to join your household as an honoured family member. In India, even Sikhs don't like widows in close proximity. Not even the widows of our beloved, honoured shaheeds.

But why can't our gurudwaras do that from wherever we happen to be? Someone over there would have to find individual survivors and then they could be helped in whatever way is necessary on a one-to-one basis.

I think that kind of personal touch would help a lot. "Somebody really cares about me, as an individual, as a human being." Remember, these women feel unloved, unwanted, unappreciated...We here complain about that, but our situation is heavenly compared to them. So I suggest personal visits, if possible. When we visit Punjab, take detour to Delhi and go meet the families.

There were maybe about 10,000 Sikh heads of household killed...(I don't believe the smaller numbers)..With more than 20,000,000 Sikhs - about 4-5,000,000 families, certainly we can take care of our own. The Sikh establishment, namely the SGPC, has dropped the ball. I suggest thast we ordinary, everyday Sikhs pick up the ball and run with it.

i love this song.

yeah, still listening to lots of unrest. what you gonna do, you know?

Hallowe'en. Again.

Two years ago, I wrote a post about Hallowe'en. Last year, I printed an informative article on the subject, Hallowe'en and Sikhs. This year, I am just writing a very short piece about my opinions of this holiday.

I have not celebrated Hallowe'en since my young son objected to it in about 1977, asking, "Why do we celebrate bad, imaginary things like the devil and demons? That doesn't seem very Sikh to me." He was right. There is enough evil - imaginary and otherwise - in Maya that I see no reason to celebrate.

I turn out the lights and let the trick-or-treaters go on to the next house. I don't preach about it, but I answer truthfully (generally without calling the devil and demons imaginary) when asked. Anyway, most Hallowe'en treats are bad for kids and it is no longer acceptable to give homemade goods because of the danger of poison or foreign objects.

And, of course, it is the day (appropriate, I think) of Mrs. Gandhi's execution and the beginning of the Delhi Pogrom.. Hardly a day for celebration.



Should you choose to celebrate, some suggestions can be found in Sukhmandir Kaur Khalsa's article in About.Sikhism, Is Hallowe'en A Good Idea For Sikhs? Should you not choose to celebrate, the column still contains a bunch of great information and you would, no doubt, learn quite a lot by reading it.

Sonoma First City in County to Win Bicycle Award

Photo from Cathy's Camera

SONOMA
Bike-friendly city wins bronze designation

Press Democrat
Published: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 4:03 a.m.
source

The city of Sonoma has won a bronze designation as a bicycle-friendly community from the League of American Bicyclists.

The bicycling advocacy organization's designation, the first for a Sonoma County city, honors what it calls the city's commitment to improving conditions for bicycling and making a focused investment in bicycling programs and facilities.

Sonoma was recognized for implementing "long-term bicycle plans that provide quality of life improvements for their citizens," according to the organization.

The organization said it chose Sonoma because of its community support for bicycling and because of its progress in the city's bike and pedestrian plan.

Eighteen of 36 proposed bikeways and project priorities identified in the plan are being implemented.

"Sonoma is leading the way," said Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Christine Culver. "We're thrilled that the city's leadership wants to continue working toward a platinum certification."

The city applied for the four-year, renewable designation earlier this year. Fewer than 40 percent of the applicants win a four-year award. After four years, the city can be reevaluated and seek recertification to platinum, gold, silver or bronze status.

The city will host a formal awards ceremony in the Plaza amphitheater at 4 p.m. Nov. 5.

Hang on a sec

Our new Europe Minister Chris Bryant (the 12th Europe Minister in 12 years of Labour government, no less), has gone immediately on the attack, beginning his new job with an interview with the Sunday Telegraph in which he accused the Conservatives of lying about a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

He said:

"I think your readers will end up feeling deceived by Cameron over the question of a referendum. I would lay a very big wager that they will be very disappointed if there was a Cameron government, because they wouldn't end up having a referendum."

He said Cameron's pledge that he would "not let matters rest there" was deliberately ambiguous, and covered the fact that he would not be able to renegotiate. He said: "Either he's incompetent and he doesn't know this, or he knows and he's downright fibbing."

Now we realise the whole question of Cameron, will he, won't he, is very topical and sensitive at the moment (and here at OE we are waiting with bated breath - see here for roughly what we think they should do, which we are in the process of fleshing out further), but still, for a Labour Minister to try and grab the moral highground on this one is astounding.

It was Labour, you will remember, who promised a referendum on the Constitutional Treaty, indeed, in Gordon Brown's own words, on any treaty "that is acceptable for Britain," and went back on it, denying the people say, despite a poll of more than 130,000 people showing that 88% wanted a referendum. Only a complete hypocrite could now start accusing other people of leading the British people down the garden path on this one.

But that's not all. It now looks like as well as being a hypocrite he might actually be a bit of a fibber himself.

Last night on Newsnight, Bryant pompously corrected presenter Kirsty Wark for suggesting that the issue of candidates for the post of EU President will come up for discussion at the EU summit at the end of this week, as the Guardian (and countless others) have suggested.

Bryant said:

“I hate to correct Newsnight - I know politicians aren’t allowed to do that, but it’s quite possible that there won’t be any discussion at this week’s meeting because the job doesn’t yet exist. We haven’t had the final ratification from the Czech Republic.”

But with Luxembourg PM Jean-Claude Juncker telling Le Monde newspaper today that "If the call went out to me. I would have no reason to refuse to listen," it seems pretty hard to believe that this won't feature strongly on the agenda.

In fact, the good old French Foreign Office have today confirmed in no uncertain terms that the topic will be discussed this week. According to a press release this afternoon, asked if the French government is in favour of Juncker becoming EU President, the reply came:

"These questions will be discussed at the European Council at the end of the week."

Clear, simple and honest.

To be fair though, maybe it's because, as the Evening Standard reported yesterday, as a lowly parliamentary under-secretary of state, the lowest ministerial ranking there is, Bryant isn't going along to the European summit this week, and therefore isn't au fait on what's happening on his own patch.

Who knows.