Monday Link Roundup

• The US Justice Department is investigating the city of Bell, CA to determine whether or not they violated the civil rights of Hispanic motorists by deliberately targeting them for car towing in order to raise revenue. The city is already under investigation for misusing funds and voter fraud.
• Maj. Everett Clendenin, a high-ranking North Carolina state trooper, is in a bit of hot water after being caught using his state-owned cell phone to send text messages to his “little sugar bowl,” Pamela Maynard. Maynard, who worked as Clandenin’s secretary, is married to another NC state trooper.
• Unfortunately, drug war hysteria affects more than just the criminal justice system. School officials for the Byron Nelson High School in Fortworth, Texas suspended a student and told him that he would have to transfer to an alternative education program because he had bloodshot eyes (they believed him to be under the influence of cannabis). In fact, Kyler Robertson’s eyes were bloodshot because he had been crying due to the death of his father.
• Speaking of hysteria, a new law in Queensland, Australia requires that anything that “looks like a gun” must be registered with the state. This law would, for instance, probably require that toy guns be registered. “We just want to know where they are,” claims an anonymous government source.
• And speaking of schools in Texas, a student on a school bus in Houston “was so badly beaten [by a police officer] that his face will never be the same.” The officer allegedly beat the student for refusing to answer his questions. The incident was caught on video, but police are refusing to release it.
• Lastly, here’s a video of Howard Zinn offering his perspective on civil disobedience. I don’t really agree with Zinn’s politics, but I thought it was an interesting video. Another video (which I like better) of Zinn talking about civil disobedience here.