Houston's Clear Thinkers: February 2012 Archives

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February 29, 2012

The Sibling Bond

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) |

February 28, 2012

Detained for Babysitting While White

Scott Henson authors the popular Austin-based blog Grits for Breakfast, which has been cited numerous times on this blog over the years on a variety of criminal justice issues.

Two Fridays ago, Henson and his wife were babysitting their five year-old granddaughter, Ty. After an evening at a neighborhood recreation center, Henson -- who is white -- and his granddaughter -- who is black -- started to walk to his home, which is just a few blocks from the rec center.

Some busybody saw Henson and his granddaughter walking home, called police and alleged that a kidnapping was in progress.

From that point on, all hell broke loose.

Henson and his granddaughter were stopped twice by different law enforcement agencies while walking home (remarkably, this wasn't the first time this sort of thing has happened to Scott and his granddaughter). The second stop -- which was recorded by the Austin Police Department below -- resulted in Henson being handcuffed and detained for over 10 minutes by a half-dozen or so APD officers while his terrorized granddaughter was hauled off to sit in the back of a squad car. An APD officer then contacted Henson's wife, Henson's wife contacted his daughter, who called and verified his relationship with Ty. APD then let Henson and Ty go home.

Subsequently, Henson blogged about the ordeal and got a couple of facts wrong. APD Chief Art Acevedo went on the offensive and claimed that Henson had lied about what he had been put through. As is usually the case in such matters, people then take sides and nothing productive is resolved.

I mean really -- how many kidnappers would be leisurely walking along a neighborhood sidewalk? When Henson informed officers that he lived two blocks away, was it really necessary for APD officers to handcuff Henson in front of his granddaughter, even while she was crying out "That's my grandpa!"? Despite the obvious close relationship between Henson and his granddaughter, there isn't much doubt that Henson would have been detained for much longer if his daughter had been in a movie or other activity in which she would have been unavailable to take a phone call.

It's unfortunate that Henson got a couple of facts wrong in his blog post, but I certainly understand how his recollection of events could be affected by the stress of the situation.

But it's far more unfortunate that Chief Acevedo views what happened to Henson as appropriate police work. Yeah, it certainly could have been handled worse. But APD's conduct still looks over-the-top and excessive to me, particularly in regard to a 22-year resident of a neighborhood.

And to add a final issue that no one involved seems to be addressing -- Just who the hell called in the report of the alleged kidnapping?

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (1) |

February 27, 2012

The Power of Medicine

Nobel Prize winner Peter Agre talks about the power of medicine, even in regard the knotty problem of North Korea.

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) |

February 26, 2012

Over the Rainbow

Brandi Carlile's splendid rendition of the Judy Garland classic.

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (1) |

February 25, 2012

The Art of Storytelling

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) |

February 24, 2012

Life's Best Photos 1936-1972

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) |

February 23, 2012

How your brain tells you where you are

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) |

February 22, 2012

Tipping Around the World

Mint.com Personal Finances

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) |

February 21, 2012

Richard Epstein on health care markets

H/T David Henderson.

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) |

February 20, 2012

Flying through an Antarctic Ice-Crack

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) |

February 19, 2012

Streaming City

Steaming City from Simon Christen on Vimeo.

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (1) |

February 18, 2012

What you don't know about marriage

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) |

February 17, 2012

Testing Milton Friedman

Testing Milton Friedman - preview from Free To Choose Network on Vimeo.

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) |

February 16, 2012

American Experience - "Clinton"

The American Experience biography of Bill Clinton premieres February 20-21 on PBS.

Watch Clinton Chapter 1 on PBS. See more from American Experience.

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) |

February 15, 2012

S*** happens, economics style

"Insider economics" jokes from the Standup Economist, but wickedly clever nonetheless (H/T Greg Mankiw).

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) |

February 14, 2012

Catching up with Texas' greatest novelist

An interview with Larry McMurtry, as well as a short video about a hidden gem of McMurtryism at the University of Houston's M.D. Andersen Library.

Posted by Tom at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) |

February 13, 2012

The challenge of opening science

Physicist Michael Nielson explains Michael Nielsen explains why scientists should embrace new technological tools for collaboration that will facilitate discoveries. A related Q & A is here.