12-Year-Old Boy’s Fatal Shooting By Cops Could Have Been Avoided: Family

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12-Year-Old Boy’s Fatal Shooting By Cops Could Have Been Avoided: Family

CLEVELAND (AP) — The family of a 12-year-old boy fatally wounded by a Cleveland police officer said surveillance video of the shooting shows that if the officer had not acted so quickly the youngster would still be alive. The video made public on Wednesday shows Tamir Rice being shot within 1½ to 2 seconds of a patrol car stopping near him at a park in Cleveland on Saturday. It shows the boy reaching in his waistband for what police discovered was a pellet gun that shoots non-lethal plastic projectiles. He died the next day. Tamir’s family said in a statement released by their attorneys that they hope Cleveland police and Cuyahoga County prosecutors “thoroughly examine” what happened at the park …

CLEVELAND (AP) — The family of a 12-year-old boy fatally wounded by a Cleveland police officer said surveillance video of the shooting shows that if the officer had not acted so quickly the youngster would still be alive.

The video made public on Wednesday shows Tamir Rice being shot within 1½ to 2 seconds of a patrol car stopping near him at a park in Cleveland on Saturday. It shows the boy reaching in his waistband for what police discovered was a pellet gun that shoots non-lethal plastic projectiles. He died the next day. Tamir’s family said in a statement released by their attorneys that they hope Cleveland police and Cuyahoga County prosecutors “thoroughly examine” what happened at the park that day.

“It is our belief that this situation could have been avoided and that Tamir should still be here with us,” said the family. “The video shows one thing distinctly: the police officers reacted quickly.”

The patrol officer who shot Tamir was identified Wednesday as Timothy Loehmann, a 26-year-old rookie who began his career in Cleveland on March 3. He previously spent five months in 2012 with a department in suburban Independence, but four of those months were in that city’s police academy.

Loehmann’s partner that day was identified as Frank Garmback, 46. He has been with the department since 2008. Both are on paid administrative leave pending a decision by the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office whether to pursue any criminal charges.

Much of the video footage shows Tamir alone in a park on an unseasonably warm November afternoon. He is seen pacing, occasionally extending his right arm with what appears to be a gun in his hand, talking on a cellphone and sitting a picnic table with his head resting on his arms.

The gun wasn’t real. It can be bought at sporting goods stores for less than $20. Tamir’s was lacking the orange safety indicator usually found on the barrel and, from a distance, was indistinguishable from a real firearm.

At one moment, Tamir is sitting at a picnic table in a gazebo. He stands and a police car zooms into the frame from the right and stops on the grass, just a few feet from Tamir. The passenger door opens and Loehmann shoots Tamir before Garmback can get out the driver’s side door.

It’s unclear how far Tamir was from Loehmann when the officer shot him, but Deputy Chief Ed Tomba said Wednesday that it was less than 10 feet.

The low-resolution video shows Tamir reaching to his waistband and then bending over after being shot. His body is mostly obscured by the patrol car when he falls to the ground. Garmback can be seen walking around the car and kicking what is said to be the airsoft gun away from Tamir.

Tomba told reporters at a news conference Wednesday that an FBI agent who was working a bank robbery detail nearby arrived within a few minutes and administered first aid to Tamir. Paramedics arrived three minutes later. The boy died on Sunday at a Cleveland hospital.

Tomba said the city was releasing the video at the behest of Tamir’s family.

“This is not an effort to exonerate. It’s not an effort to show the public that anybody did anything wrong,” Tomba said. “This is an obvious tragic event where a young member of our community lost their life. We’ve got two officers that were out there protecting the public that just had to, you know, do something that nobody wants to do.”

On Saturday, a person had called 911 about a male pointing a gun at others at the park. The caller told the 911 dispatcher that the gun was “probably fake,” then added, “I don’t know if it’s real or not.”

Tomba would not discuss statements the two officers gave after the shooting, saying they were part of the investigation. Nor would he discuss details of the radio conversation between the officers and a dispatcher except to say they were apprised that they were on a “gun run.”

David Malik, one of the attorneys representing Tamir’s family, said Wednesday that he hoped the shooting of Tamir would lead to reform. He cited Cincinnati, where he said the police department, police union and the community worked collaboratively.

“Hopefully, incidents like this won’t occur again,” Malik said.

___

Associated Press writers Jennifer Smola in Cleveland and Kantele Franko and Ann Sanner in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.

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12-Year-Old Boy’s Fatal Shooting By Cops Could Have Been Avoided: Family

13 Things Nobody Wants To Hear On Thanksgiving

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13 Things Nobody Wants To Hear On Thanksgiving

If you hear any of these today, RUN.

If you hear any of these today, RUN.

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13 Things Nobody Wants To Hear On Thanksgiving

Volunteers In Ferguson Help Ward Off Looters

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Volunteers In Ferguson Help Ward Off Looters

FERGUSON, MO., Nov 26 (Reuters) – Since looting first erupted following the August police shooting of black teenager Michael Brown, nearly all the businesses in a 2 square mile area of this St Louis suburb have had to board up. All except one – a Conoco gas station and convenience store. At least a dozen stores have been set ablaze and others looted in Ferguson in racially charged riots since a grand jury on Monday cleared white policeman Darren Wilson in the shooting, which has torn apart this predominantly black Missouri city. The unrest surrounding Brown’s death has underscored the often-tense nature of U.S. race relations. But the gas station has stood out as a beacon, literally and figuratively, as nightfall has descended and chaos…

FERGUSON, MO., Nov 26 (Reuters) – Since looting first erupted following the August police shooting of black teenager Michael Brown, nearly all the businesses in a 2 square mile area of this St Louis suburb have had to board up. All except one – a Conoco gas station and convenience store.

At least a dozen stores have been set ablaze and others looted in Ferguson in racially charged riots since a grand jury on Monday cleared white policeman Darren Wilson in the shooting, which has torn apart this predominantly black Missouri city.

The unrest surrounding Brown’s death has underscored the often-tense nature of U.S. race relations. But the gas station has stood out as a beacon, literally and figuratively, as nightfall has descended and chaos has reigned around it.

On Tuesday night, as police and soldiers took up positions in the parking lots of virtually every strip mall and big box store around it, the forecourt of the brightly lit gas station was busy with customers.

One, a six feet, eight-inch tall man named Derrick Jordan – “Stretch,” as friends call him – whisked an AR-15 assault rifle out from a pickup truck parked near the entrance.

Jordan, 37, was one of four black Ferguson residents who spent Tuesday night planted in front of the store, pistols tucked into their waistbands, waiting to ward off looters or catch shoplifters.

Jordan and the others guarding the gas station are all black. The station’s owner is white.

Ferguson has seen a stark demographic shift in recent decades, going from all white to mostly black. About two-thirds of the town’s 21,000-strong population are black. By some accounts, the Brown shooting has heightened racial tensions in the city. But not at the gas station.

“We would have been burned to the ground many times over if it weren’t for them,” said gas station owner Doug Merello, whose father first bought it in 1984.

Merello said he feels deep ties to Ferguson, and if the loyalty of some of his regular customers is any indication, the feeling is mutual.

REPAYING A DEBT

At times, Jordan and his friends were joined on Tuesday night by other men from the neighborhood, also armed. None of the men was getting paid to be there. They said they felt they owed it to Merello, who has employed many of them over the years and treats them with respect.

“He’s a nice dude, he’s helped us a lot,” said a 29 year old who identified himself as R.J. He said he, like the other volunteers, had lived a short distance away from the store for most of his life.

He carried a Taurus 9mm pistol in his sweatpants and drew it out to show another customer, an older man at a pump who was brandishing a MAC-10 machine pistol.

Missouri allows the open carrying of firearms. State lawmakers recently passed a law overriding any local ordinance that banned the open carry of firearms by people who have concealed weapons permits.

R.J. said on Monday they chased away several groups of teenagers rampaging through the area.

But they have also had a close brush with soldiers from the Missouri National Guard, who mistook them for looters, he said. The guardsmen, rifles raised, had handcuffed one man before Merello came outside the store to explain that the residents were trying to help, not hurt.

While the volunteer guards talked, a white SUV pulled up and a thin young man sauntered into the store. A few moments later, there was a commotion. Merello frogmarched the man out the store.

One of the armed residents, Sean Turner, showed the .40 caliber pistol in his jacket and told the man, “This is what happens if you try to steal from this place.” (Additional reporting by Carey Gillam, Editing by Ross Colvin)

More On Ferguson From HuffPost:

Photographic Evidence Revealed | ‘First Year Law Student Could Have Done Better Job’ | Ferguson Smolders After Night Of Fires | Protest Locations | Americans Deeply Divided | What You Can Do | Darren Wilson Interview | Darren Wilson Could Still Face Consequences | Timeline | Students Protest | Shooting Witness Admitted Racism In Journal | Peaceful Responses Show The U.S. At Its Best | Reactions To Ferguson Decision | Prosecutor Gives Bizarre Press Conference | Jury Witness: ‘By The Time I Saw His Hands In The Air, He Got Shot’ | Thousands Protest Nationwide | Ferguson Unrest Takes Over Newspaper Front Pages Across The Country | Grand Jury ‘Should Be Indicted,’ Brown Lawyer Says | Grand Jury Documents Reveal Mistakes, Questionable Testimony | Parents Bring Young Kids To Bear Witness To Ferguson Protests | 12 Sobering Numbers That Define The Fight To Get Justice For Michael Brown | Saints Player’s Moving Reflection On Ferguson Goes Viral | Amid Ferguson Cleanup, Locals Look For Their Community To Rise Above The Damage | ‘They’re Murdering Our Kids And Getting Away With It’ |

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Volunteers In Ferguson Help Ward Off Looters

Thanksgiving 2014: What Media Personalities Are Thankful For

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Thanksgiving 2014: What Media Personalities Are Thankful For

As is tradition, The Huffington Post has asked some of the biggest names in media what they were most grateful for this year. The list ranges from the standard (friends, family and health), to the not so standard (coconut champagne, Taco Bell and Spanx), and everything in between (Taylor Swift). And we at HuffPost Media are thankful, of course, to all the anchors, correspondents and commentators around the globe who keep us gainfully employed by giving us something to write about each day. Happy Thanksgiving! Joy Reid, MSNBC “Reid Report” Host “This year, I’m thankful for my home family’s patience and love, and for my work family’s forbearance, sense of humor, tirelessness and brilliance. I’m also thankful…

As is tradition, The Huffington Post has asked some of the biggest names in media what they were most grateful for this year. The list ranges from the standard (friends, family and health), to the not so standard (coconut champagne, Taco Bell and Spanx), and everything in between (Taylor Swift).

And we at HuffPost Media are thankful, of course, to all the anchors, correspondents and commentators around the globe who keep us gainfully employed by giving us something to write about each day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Joy Reid, MSNBC “Reid Report” Host

joy reid

“This year, I’m thankful for my home family’s patience and love, and for my work family’s forbearance, sense of humor, tirelessness and brilliance. I’m also thankful for the continued willingness of communities and individuals to struggle out from the margins, and to stand up for justice, freedom and fairness, anywhere around the world.”

Jorge Ramos, Fusion “America with Jorge Ramos” Host

jorge ramos

“I’m thankful for having the life that I always wanted to have. I’m thankful for this country (that gave me the opportunities that my country of origin couldn’t give me). I’m thankful for being able to enjoy my son Nicolas and my daughter Paola. I’m thankful for having the best job in the world, a job that at 56 keeps me young.”

Norah O’Donnell, “CBS This Morning” Co-host

norah odonnell

“Well, Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE holiday. And while I love the mashed potatoes, bacon stuffing and the drumsticks, I really cherish that for almost 15 years now its the one time of the year when the whole extended family gets together. I am truly thankful for family, our annual touch football game, and a husband who designs the menu and rents the plates and glasses so I don’t have to wash them!”

Christiane Amanpour, CNN Chief International Correspondent

christiane amanpour

“This Thanksgiving I am grateful that I still have the platform to speak truth to power, that I inhabit the fact-based world of journalism, and that I have not lost the passion to seek the truth no matter the risks, and hold power and influence accountable on behalf of our viewers.”

Anthony Mason, “CBS This Morning: Saturday” Co-host and CBS News Senior Business Correspondent

anthony

“First, always, I’m so thankful for my three extraordinary kids (Emily, Olivia and Nick) and to my smart and beautiful wife, Christina, who has stuck with me for 20 years now. Lastly, I’m grateful for our move back into NYC (after 17 years in the suburbs) because we now live around the corner from Gray’s Papaya (open all night!) where at any hour you can always pick up a hot dog and a Coconut Champagne after a long day at CBS!”

Robin Meade, HLN “Morning Express” Anchor

robin meade

“In my personal life: I’m so thankful my mother’s health bounced back quickly this year. She gave us a big scare in the spring with a cranial hemorrhage. Thank goodness it was a one-time thing and didn’t affect her speech or her ornery personality! While I won’t be home in Ohio for Thanksgiving, I know she’ll be the one, head-honcho-ing the culinary activities in my family house. And I’m so grateful for that.”

Alexander Marquardt, ABC News Correspondent

alexander marquardt

“I’m ever grateful to have a roof over my head and food on my plate, unlike so many I meet in this job who don’t. I’m thankful for a career that takes me to places I couldn’t otherwise imagine seeing, for the brilliant people I work with and friends I’ve made who share this peripatetic lifestyle. Above all, I’m thankful for such a loving and supportive family, even when I miss things like Thanksgiving.”

Lisa Ling, CNN “This is Life” Host

lisa ling

“First and foremost, I’m grateful for my family. My daughter Jett has allowed my husband and me the opportunity to know a love of which we never knew we were capable. After multiple miscarriages, this feisty little person is the child we were supposed to have.

And I wake up everyday and pinch myself that I get to tell stories about people that inspire compassion and better understanding of one another.”

Nando Vila, Fusion “The Soccer Gods” Co-Host

nando vila

“I am thankful to whatever genius invented Taco Bell’s Beefy Crunch Burrito because it is pure perfection. I mean, it has spicy Frito chips in a burrito! I am also eternally grateful to Simon Carr, Pablo Sanchis, Zac Rigg, Gigi Robles and everyone else that works on The Soccer Gods. It’s the most fun thing in the world. And most importantly I’m thankful for Sergio Ramos’ goal in the 93rd minute of the Champions League final, a titanic last gasp effort to send the game into overtime, allowing Real Madrid to win its TENTH Champions League Title.”

Gio Benitez, ABC News Correspondent

gio benitez

“Grateful for my family and friends who cherish the time we can spend together, for the bosses who help me live this adventure, for the mentors who have pushed me to dream big, and for the ABC teams around the world who work so very hard to get us on the air.”

Alex Wagner, MSNBC “Now” Host

alex wagner

“I’m thankful for Sam Kass, paper to-go cups with those fancy lids, Bryan Stephenson at the Equal Justice Initiative, individually-wrapped Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, Google translate, the NYC Food Bank, the saintly patience of everyone who works with me, and my impossibly feisty grandmother, Mya Mya Thant Gyi – who, at 97, definitely gets to have both turkey drumsticks this year.”

Simon Carr, Fusion “The Soccer Gods” Co-Host

simon carr

“In 2014 I have been grateful to “The Soccer Gods” for channeling their foibles into a semi-coherent TV show that amazingly pays the rent, the dept. of immigration for continuing to let me work in the glorious USA and my mum for giving me a full head of hair. Oh and Nando Vila for being Nando Vila.”

Ryan Smith, ABC News Correspondent

ryan smith

“This year, I’m most thankful for my 11-month old twin boys, Blake and Cole. Nothing better than to see two booming grins every time I come home!”

Mariana Atencio, Fusion “Fusion Live” Anchor

mariana atencio

“This Thanksgiving is unlike any other. I’m thankful my only sister is alive after a near fatal accident in New York City. I’m specially grateful for my mom who, during these past difficult months in-and-out of the hospital, has demonstrated the most admirable resilience in bringing my family together and renewing our faith in God.”

Nicholas Kristof, New York Times Columnist

nicholas kristof

“I’m grateful that a path appeared for Sheryl and me to survive another book tour! And that we’re with family for Thanksgiving!”

Abby Huntsman, MSNBC “The Cycle” Co-host

abby huntsman

“On Thanksgiving I’m always thankful for family, health, and the men and women who serve to protect our freedom.

But this year let’s also not forget the simple pleasures in life — like an extra serving of chocolate cake, a fresh cup of your favorite coffee, or coming home after a long day to a dog waiting at the door to shower you with kisses.”

Dr. Drew, HLN “Dr. Drew on Call” Host

dr drew

“Gratitude is truly one of the most important emotions to call to mind as often as possible. I guess I feel most thankful that most of the time I do feel grateful: grateful to have regained my health after treatment for Prostate Cancer, grateful for a wonderful wife and three amazing children roaring in to the world, and grateful to have an interesting creative career where I can ply my skills in such a way as to make a difference.”

Pedro Andrade, Fusion “Fusion Live” Anchor

byron pitts

“I am grateful for living a life I could only have dreamed of when I was a child … Simple as that.”

Sanjay Gupta, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent

sanjay gupta

“Every Sunday, since any of my children were born, I have taken a picture of them in the same spot– next to a small stone wall in our backyard. At first they were lying in a small bundle in the grass, but over the years, they have become stronger, taller and more confident. Looking at these pictures from time to time creates unbelievable surges in emotion — from laughing out loud to wiping away tears. This year, I want to give thanks for that. I am grateful for the ability to feel such powerful emotions, and to have people around me who feel that same passion.

I am also grateful for the ability to finally and genuinely enjoy the present — not worry so much about the future — and to let go of the past.”

Vinita Nair, “CBS This Morning: Saturday” Co-host

vinita nair

“I’m thankful for the amazing editors and producers at CBS, Spanx, a piping hot bowl of Ramen, and friends/family.”

Sam Sifton, New York Times Food Editor

sam sifton

“I’m thankful that our launch of Cooking went well this fall, and that it seems to be thriving. I’m thankful to work at a place that supports new ideas and bold thinking about service journalism. It keeps us in work. And I’m thankful for my wife and kids, for their support and love and curiosity about all things.”

Michaela Pereira, CNN “New Day” Co-host

micha

“After my first full year in NYC I am thankful for good walking shoes, a warm coat, frequent flier miles and a Seamless account. In all seriousness, family is love…and I am so grateful for a big, huge, loving, crazy family.”

Rebecca Jarvis, ABC News Chief Business and Economics Correspondent

rebecca jarvis

“I am thankful for my wonderful family and friends – authentic and true to their core. For good health, joy, meaning, burrito bowls, and a job I love that also happens to earn me frequent flier miles. And for my incredible husband who supports me through it all and constantly gives me good reason to put down my iPhone and laugh.”

Chris Cuomo, CNN “New Day” Co-host

chris cuomo

“Health, Family, and Opportunity…what more is there? For me – and for most – it comes down to these three essentials.”

José Díaz-Balart, MSNBC “The Rundown with José Díaz-Balart” Host

jose diazbalart

“This and every Thanksgiving I am grateful for the privilege of being able to give seldom heard voices a place to share their stories, and for the extraordinary family I am blessed to have.”

Alisyn Camerota, CNN Anchor

alisyn camerota

“I’m thankful for my big new CNN family where they supply doughnuts every Friday morning. And eternally grateful for the good health of my kids and husband.”

Ari Melber, MSNBC “The Cycle” Co-host

ari melber

“I’m thankful for Taylor Swift!”

Arianna Huffington, Huffington Post President and Editor-in-Chief

arianna thanksgiving

“What I’m most thankful for in 2014 is that this was the year that awareness of the dangers of burnout and exhaustion — and of the ways to combat them — finally broke though into the mainstream. The challenge now for the next year is to go from awareness to action, from knowing that we need to change to actually doing it.”

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Thanksgiving 2014: What Media Personalities Are Thankful For

The HuffPost Style Editors Share What We’re Thankful For In 2014

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The HuffPost Style Editors Share What We’re Thankful For In 2014

Time flies when you’re having fun — and we’ve had plenty of fun this year! Over the past 11 months we’ve celebrated tons of style news including the presence of more curvy models, awesome new designers to covet and who can forget Solange’s stunning wedding! We’ve had a number of personal moments we’re grateful like landing our dream jobs, giving birth to beautiful babies and having the opportunity to share special farewells with loved ones we’ve lost. So, in the spirit of giving thanks the HuffPost Style team has listed a few things we’re thankful for in 2014. Check it out — and make sure to let us know what you’re thankful for in the comments section below. Happy Thanksgiving! Julee Wilson, Fashion…

Time flies when you’re having fun — and we’ve had plenty of fun this year!

Over the past 11 months we’ve celebrated tons of style news including the presence of more curvy models, awesome new designers to covet and who can forget Solange’s stunning wedding! We’ve had a number of personal moments we’re grateful like landing our dream jobs, giving birth to beautiful babies and having the opportunity to share special farewells with loved ones we’ve lost.

So, in the spirit of giving thanks the HuffPost Style team has listed a few things we’re thankful for in 2014. Check it out — and make sure to let us know what you’re thankful for in the comments section below. Happy Thanksgiving!

Julee Wilson, Fashion & Beauty Editor

I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with my natural hair. However, I’m thankful that this year I’ve truly dropped the hate and have learned to fully embrace my mane. Plus, I got the opportunity of having Johnny Wright, aka Michelle Obama’s hairstylist, transform my tresses (see below)!

I’m thankful for Solange Knowles’ EPIC wedding. I can’t stop staring at the photos! I truly hope rocking a jumpsuit and an Afro at the altar becomes more common.

A photo posted by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on

Most importantly — I’m thankful for my baby boy Orion. Giving birth to this little angel in July has been a life affirming and truly magical experience. #Wombfire

Jamie Feldman, Associate Style Editor

As an only child and an only grandchild, I am extremely close to my tiny family. This year, my Nana had a pretty serious health scare and had to undergo major surgery. I am so thankful to the doctors and nurses who were patient with us and took such great care of her. I’m also thankful and proud to say that after 60 years, she finally quit smoking.

I am also thankful that more gorgeous, curvy women are making waves in the fashion industry. This year we saw IMG sign five new models to their regular roster, a slew of fashionable options in a range of sizes and more and more instances of body love and acceptance. I am so happy to say that through this progress, I have become more in tune and comfortable with my own body, as well.

Finally, I am so thankful for the incredible opportunities I have had over the past year working at HuffPost. I never imagined three years ago when I started my little fashion blog that I would work my way up & actually have a career doing something I love to do. As someone who has long been fashion-obsessed, I can confidently say I feel like the luckiest person in the world coming to work everyday.

Dana Oliver, Executive Fashion & Beauty Editor

I’m thankful that Queen Bey gives me LIFE through her many, many hairstyles. #BringBackThePixie

A photo posted by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on

Thank the soul music gods that Jhene Aiko blessed us with her “Souled Out” album. I keep records like “Lyin King,” “It’s Cool” and “Blue Dream” in heavy rotation. Jhene be knowin’ my heart!

And while losing my grandmother Annie Ruth was one of the hardest things I experienced this year, I was blessed to do her final manicure in OPI Samoan Sand.

dana oliver

Michelle Persad, Fashion Editor

I’m thankful that slides made a major comeback this year. As a tall girl who loves flat, comfortable footwear, the fashion gods were really smiling down on me with this trend.

While I’m not thankful that George Clooney is now taken, I am thankful for his stylish Mrs. If you look up the definition of “the perfect outfit,” I’m pretty sure you’ll see a picture of Amal’s white two-piece Stella McCartney suit.

am

I’m thankful that fashion is embracing new, emerging talent and giving them the space to create new trends and visions. From Ji Oh to Rosie Assoulin to Louisa and Pookie Burch of Trademark — there is so much to be excited about for 2015!

Megan Mayer, Associate Style Editor

Surprisingly enough, I’m thankful for this winter weather! My coat hoarding is in beast-mode.

A photo posted by megan • mayer (@meganmayer) on

I’m thankful for learning my TRUE bra size, after 6 years of wearing undergarments that were too small.

bra

And of course, thankful for my #bawse of a manager (aka Dana Oliver — seen here as Janelle Monae on Halloween).

A photo posted by megan • mayer (@meganmayer) on

Chanel Parks, Associate Style Editor

I am thankful for taking another big chop in life for the sake of healthy hair. And a huge thanks to Anthony Dickey at Hair Rules!

A photo posted by Chanel (@chanelinezp) on

This year I took another big step in realizing I could wear whatever I want, which helped me wear one of my best outfits in 2K14. Praise sunshine-yellow and tight silhouettes!

A photo posted by Chanel (@chanelinezp) on

Finally, I’m thankful that Hollywood and the small screen have integrated beauties like Lupita Nyong’o, Viola Davis, Dascha Polanco and Laverne Cox into the mainstream game, because it shows that beauty isn’t a standard, but a spectrum.

lupita nyongo vogue

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The HuffPost Style Editors Share What We’re Thankful For In 2014

HuffPost Gives Thanks: What We’re Grateful For In 2014

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HuffPost Gives Thanks: What We’re Grateful For In 2014

There are several essentials for every Thanksgiving table. Of course, you have to have the turkey and the stuffing. Then there’s your grandmother’s china and the perfect seating arrangement. But perhaps the most important element is the gratitude that inevitably filters its way into dinner conversations across the country. It’s really no surprise we take the opportunity to say thanks during the holidays: Experts suggest it can help us feel more connected to others. Counting your blessings — even the little ones — can also reduce stress and boost happiness. Seeing as it’s so beneficial, we asked HuffPost staffers to share what they treasure…

There are several essentials for every Thanksgiving table. Of course, you have to have the turkey and the stuffing. Then there’s your grandmother’s china and the perfect seating arrangement. But perhaps the most important element is the gratitude that inevitably filters its way into dinner conversations across the country.

It’s really no surprise we take the opportunity to say thanks during the holidays: Experts suggest it can help us feel more connected to others. Counting your blessings — even the little ones — can also reduce stress and boost happiness.

Seeing as it’s so beneficial, we asked HuffPost staffers to share what they treasure most this year. From puppies to siblings to good health, we certainly have a lot to be thankful for. Take a look at our responses below, then share what you’re grateful for this year.

Happy Thanksgiving from The Huffington Post!

Show us what you’re grateful for, in one image, and we’ll share some of our favorites!

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HuffPost Gives Thanks: What We’re Grateful For In 2014

Legally Blind Single Mother Living On $21,000 Is Just Grateful To Finally Have A Turkey This Year

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Legally Blind Single Mother Living On $21,000 Is Just Grateful To Finally Have A Turkey This Year

When Shawanna Vaughn, 36, started to lose her sight four years ago, the working, single mother quickly hit rock bottom. That year, Thanksgiving was turkey sandwiches and a bag of chips. “It was the worst holiday ever,” the South Bronx, New York, resident told The Huffington Post. “I had nothing.” The mom of two, who now works with at-risk youth, has a heart condition and keratoconus, a cornea disease that has already robbed her left eye of its vision. While Vaughn never thought she’d resort to accepting handouts, her mounting medical bills left her with no choice but to join the growing number of single parents struggling to feed their kids. “The face of hunger is the working mother. It is the disabled parent…

When Shawanna Vaughn, 36, started to lose her sight four years ago, the working, single mother quickly hit rock bottom. That year, Thanksgiving was turkey sandwiches and a bag of chips.

“It was the worst holiday ever,” the South Bronx, New York, resident told The Huffington Post. “I had nothing.”

The mom of two, who now works with at-risk youth, has a heart condition and keratoconus, a cornea disease that has already robbed her left eye of its vision. While Vaughn never thought she’d resort to accepting handouts, her mounting medical bills left her with no choice but to join the growing number of single parents struggling to feed their kids.

“The face of hunger is the working mother. It is the disabled parent,” said Vaughn, who earns $21,000 a year and doesn’t get any child support. “It’s me and everybody who’s like me.”

Hunger is on the rise in the U.S., with 15.8 million kids living in food-insecure homes. And the issue disproportionately affects single parents.

Last year, 31 percent of single-parent households struggled to put food on the table at some point, while 19 percent of two-parent households reported experiencing the same issue, according to a recent Gallup poll.

Vaughn’s unexpected spiral into near poverty represents a now-familiar narrative.

Across the U.S., 43 percent of households are one financial crisis away from falling below the poverty line, according to a report released by advocacy group Corporation for Enterprise Development.

Such was the case with Vaughn who had never visited a food pantry before 2012.

In 2009, when Vaughn was diagnosed with her eye condition, doctors were blunt. They told her that without cornea transplants and retina surgery, she’d likely lose her vision.

Vaughn, who had been making a comfortable living as a massage therapist, underwent her first procedure the following year, and the next in 2012. One surgery “halfway worked,” she said. But the other didn’t, leaving her blind in her left eye.

She missed a combined nine months of work while she recovered and accepted that, because of her disability, she’d have to find a new means to make money.

Vaughn took an administrative position at Silent Cry, a nonprofit in the Bronx that empowers at-risk youth. She works five days a week from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., and makes $21,000 a year.

But, soon after, Vaughn faced yet another blow.

Her now-2-year-old daughter was born three months early with a respiratory condition that required heart surgery. She’s due to have tonsil surgery soon and relies on expensive medication to survive.

It was already a struggle for Vaughn to pay for the basics, which includes $400 rent for her two-bedroom apartment in the South Bronx and her own medication, which runs about $140 a month.

She then tacked on more than $2,000 a year for her daughter’s medicine.

“After taxes, I feel like I make nothing,” she said. “I never know what’s coming next. I try and save and that’s almost impossible.”

Money was so tight at the time that Vaughn often had to choose between filling her daughter’s prescriptions or buying the nutritious foods she wanted for herself and her now-13-year-old son.

She typically went for cheap McDonald’s and Burger King meals, and helplessly watched as her son gained weight and grew increasingly lethargic.

“I’m guilty,” Vaughn said. “When you only have $5, and you have three people to feed, you stretch it the best way you can.”

Still, despite her struggles, Vaughn didn’t technically qualify as living below the poverty line.

To be counted as living in poverty last year, the annual income threshold was $11,490 for a person and $23,550 for a family of four.

It was at that point that Vaughn forced herself to swallow her pride and accept a friend’s recommendation to seek help from Food Bank NYC. Two years ago, she visited the group’s soup kitchen in Harlem for the first time, a program that serves 10,000 meals each month to locals in need.

While she hung her head in shame with her two kids in tow, the soup kitchen’s director approached Vaughn in the same vein anyone involved in customer service would.

“How can we serve you?” he asked. “How can we make your day better?”

In that moment, Vaughn peered around the room and noticed just how many clients looked like her. She realized that she was hardly the anomaly in this group whom she describes as “financially challenged,” because it has a much better ring to it than the term “poverty” does.

She stopped blaming herself for her misfortune and started accepting the help needed to turn her life around.

“They make me feel like it’s OK to come there,” Vaughn said. “It’s never a place of embarrassment, no matter what time of the day.”

These days, the family goes to the soup kitchen about three to four times a week for dinner where Vaughn says they’re treated with the same dignity a paying customer would get at Applebee’s or IHOP. The center is so close to Vaughn’s son’s school that the eighth-grader always has a safe and inviting place to go when he gets dismissed at 4 p.m. before his mother and sister join him.

“This reminds me of [the TV show] ‘Cheers,’ a place where everybody knows your name,” Vaughn’s son told her recently. “I’m not a ticket. I’m not a number. I’m not a caseload. I have a name,” she added.

Vaughn stocks up on groceries there twice a month and is now able to fill her fridge with the nutrient-dense produce she couldn’t afford before. The food bank has also taught her innovative ways to prepare vegetables — like cooking cauliflower in a way that it resembles mashed potatoes — so that it’s appealing to her son.

Vaughn said she’s lost about 60 pounds since she started visiting the food bank and that her son has dropped about 15. His energy levels have also improved, as has his GPA, which has climbed to 3.8

But it isn’t just the nutrition boost that has changed Vaughn’s life.

She now has a safety net, which constantly protects her from the crises she couldn’t withstand before.

When Vaughn had a procedure on her heart last month, she easefully took a few weeks off from work, knowing that if she needed extra help, she could turn to the food bank.

When Vaughn couldn’t afford diapers recently, a staff member at the center found some in storage for her. When her son needed a coat, they found one for him.

And when Thanksgiving rolled around, she didn’t fret over how they’d celebrate this time.

The family sat down to a three-course meal — which tastes just like “grandma’s food,” according to Vaughn’s son — at the soup kitchen on Wednesday with the friends they’ve made and the staff that’s supported them.

The soup kitchen boxed up all the holiday’s trappings for them to take home, so that on Thursday, they can enjoy a holiday meal in the comfort of their own home.

“For me, that’s the gift. If we get nothing else, that’s the gift,” Vaughn said. “We’ll all eat together. We can come home and laugh with each other. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.”

Learn more about the Food Bank’s holiday campaign and how you can get involved here. Find out how you can set up a virtual food drive, where a $1 can feed five New Yorkers, here.

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Legally Blind Single Mother Living On $21,000 Is Just Grateful To Finally Have A Turkey This Year

Why the Black American’s Fight for Civil Rights Still Isn’t Over

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On Monday a grand jury chose not to indict Officer Darren Wilson, the white police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, on a street in Ferguson, Missouri, in August. Innumerable people were immediately outraged, erupting in fury. The criminal justice system must be reformed to promote civil rights for African Americans. News headlines frequently report on police officials killing unarmed blacks who only seemed dangerous enough to die. Last year two New York City police officers fatally shot 16-year-old Kimani Gray four times in the front and side of his body and three times in the back as he left a friend’s birthday party in Brooklyn. The only publicly identified eyewitness maintained he was empty-handed when…

On Monday a grand jury chose not to indict Officer Darren Wilson, the white police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, on a street in Ferguson, Missouri, in August. Innumerable people were immediately outraged, erupting in fury. The criminal justice system must be reformed to promote civil rights for African Americans.

News headlines frequently report on police officials killing unarmed blacks who only seemed dangerous enough to die. Last year two New York City police officers fatally shot 16-year-old Kimani Gray four times in the front and side of his body and three times in the back as he left a friend’s birthday party in Brooklyn. The only publicly identified eyewitness maintained he was empty-handed when he was gunned down. In 1999 four off-duty officers approached Amadou Diallo, a West African immigrant with no criminal record, on the stoop of his New York City building, striking him 19 times as he tried to escape. They said they thought the 23-year-old had a gun. It was a wallet. In both cases, all officers were acquitted of second-degree-murder charges and continue to “serve and protect.”

The American legal justice system rules unfairly. In a 2012 case that captured the attention of a nation, vigilante killer George Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges following the shooting death of 17-year-old, unarmed Trayvon Martin. In contrast, African American Marissa Alexander, 33, fired a warning shot at her abusive husband during a confrontation at her Florida home in June, injuring no one, but a judge denied Alexander the same “stand your ground” rule that had been applied to Zimmerman, and she served hard time in jail. And in contrast to the tragic case of Michael Brown are the cases of 63-year-old Joseph Houseman and 19-year-old Sarah Culhane, who are both white. In May an intoxicated Houseman toted an AK-47 through the streets of Kalamazoo, Michigan, before challenging cops on the scene. Though Houseman told police officers, “Why don’t you f**king shoot me?” police officers remained calm. The cops engaged Houseman in peaceful conversation before parting ways and “shaking hands.” Then, in September, Culhane plowed her BMW into three cars, left the scene of the accidents and kicked a police officer in the head before police apprehended her. Both Houseman and Culhane are alive today.

Police officers unfairly prejudge African Americans as threatening and hostile, and federal laws punish them more harshly. “It’s an oppressive organization now controlled by the one percent of corporate America. Corporate America is using police forces as their mercenaries,” said former Philadelphia police officer Ray Lewis in an Al Jazeera interview. Likewise, in 2011 there were more African Americans in prison or “under the watch” of the justice system than were enslaved in the United States in 1850. Young black men are 21 times more likely than their white peers to be killed by police. African-American men in Wisconsin are incarcerated at a rate that’s nearly twice the national average. Every year since 2003, blacks have consistently accounted for over 50 percent of all stop-and-frisk selectees, despite constituting a much smaller percentage of the New York City population. Crack cocaine and power cocaine are pharmacologically identical drugs, but blacks are more likely to use crack and whites more likely to use powder. While both groups use the respective forms of the drug at similar rates, someone would need to possess nearly 18 times more powder cocaine than crack to get a five-year mandatory-minimum sentence. Though the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 reduced this sentencing disparity from 100-to-1 to 18-to-1, that ratio is still not 1-to-1.

African Americans will continue to be oppressed and eliminated until the government takes action. Prior to the 1960s and during the colonial and slave eras, racism and ethnic discrimination manifested in the form of lynchings and “separate but equal” laws — just to name a few things. Then, in 1964, legislators passed the Civil Rights Act. Ever since then, discrimination based on race and color has been outlawed, and unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the workplace and in facilities that serve the general public have ended. Still, SWAT raids are much more common in black neighborhoods than in white neighborhoods, drug sentences for black men are 10 percent longer than drug sentences for white men for the same crimes, and black people are still much more likely to be arrested, incarcerated and executed than any other race. It is time for a change.

The criminal justice system must be reformed and pressured to serve and protect African Americans just the same as it serves and protects any other race of people. Protest and rally for awareness and for change. Lobby for police officers to wear cameras and be held accountable for unjust actions. Sign petitions for the passage of acts to preserve civil rights. Keep fighting for equality.

May God bless America.

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Why the Black American’s Fight for Civil Rights Still Isn’t Over

Men Reportedly Had Plans To Bomb St. Louis Arch And Kill Ferguson’s Police Chief

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Men Reportedly Had Plans To Bomb St. Louis Arch And Kill Ferguson’s Police Chief

Two men arrested last week allegedly planned to bomb the St. Louis Arch and kill Ferguson’s police chief and the prosecutor in charge of Darren Wilson’s case, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Wednesday. Brandon Orlando Baldwin and Olajuwon Davis were arrested Friday on federal charges of making false statements when attempting to buy pistols in Hazelwood, Missouri, according to court documents. The two men had purchased pipe bombs during an undercover FBI operation, a source told CBS News. Baldwin and Davis, both members of the New Black Panther Party, are in police custody and have waived their right to make a case for bail on the gun charges. They pleaded not guilty…

Two men arrested last week allegedly planned to bomb the St. Louis Arch and kill Ferguson’s police chief and the prosecutor in charge of Darren Wilson’s case, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Wednesday.

Brandon Orlando Baldwin and Olajuwon Davis were arrested Friday on federal charges of making false statements when attempting to buy pistols in Hazelwood, Missouri, according to court documents. The two men had purchased pipe bombs during an undercover FBI operation, a source told CBS News.

Baldwin and Davis, both members of the New Black Panther Party, are in police custody and have waived their right to make a case for bail on the gun charges. They pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.

The men’s plans included placing a bomb at the top of the arch’s famous observation deck and killing Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson and St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch, sources told the Post-Dispatch. Additional charges reflecting the plot were expected to be filed, the newspaper reported.

Ferguson has been rocked by protests since Monday night, when McCulloch announced in a bumbling press conference that a grand jury had decided not to indict Wilson for fatally shooting unarmed teenager Michael Brown in August. Similar demonstrations followed Brown’s killing.

Thousands of protesters across the country, from New York City to Los Angeles, have taken to the streets this week in solidarity with Brown’s family. While some of the demonstrations have been marred by violence and looting, most have been peaceful.

Wilson defended his actions, saying he “just did what I was paid to do,” in a widely publicized interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos Tuesday.

The New Black Panther Party, a controversial organization that has been accused of encouraging violence against white people, Jews and law enforcement, has taken an active role in the Ferguson protests since August, and Davis denounced Wilson’s actions at a rally in a Ferguson church last month. “This is not the first Mike Brown, and it won’t be the last, if we do not unite,” he said at the time. “Divided, we lose brothers and sisters. If you do not unite, put aside your differences and unite, you can expect no changes in the future.”

For more on Davis and Baldwin’s thwarted plot, visit the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

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Men Reportedly Had Plans To Bomb St. Louis Arch And Kill Ferguson’s Police Chief

Are Democrats the Real Racists?

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Are Democrats the Real Racists?

Nevada Assemblyman Ira Hansen, recently elected speaker of the assembly’s Republican caucus, stepped down this week. His resignation comes after he made some truly remarkable public comments about race. He claimed that the “relationship of Negroes and Democrats is truly a master-slave relationship, with the benevolent master knowing what’s best for his simple-minded darkies.” Yes, he called black Americans “Negroes” and somehow thought sticking it to the Democrats would be accomplished by using the dated epithet “darkies.” His plan backfired, because it brought into clear focus a point that Democrats often make about Republican leadership: They’re…

2014-11-25-obama.jpg

Nevada Assemblyman Ira Hansen, recently elected speaker of the assembly’s Republican caucus, stepped down this week. His resignation comes after he made some truly remarkable public comments about race. He claimed that the “relationship of Negroes and Democrats is truly a master-slave relationship, with the benevolent master knowing what’s best for his simple-minded darkies.” Yes, he called black Americans “Negroes” and somehow thought sticking it to the Democrats would be accomplished by using the dated epithet “darkies.”

His plan backfired, because it brought into clear focus a point that Democrats often make about Republican leadership: They’re completely unaware of contemporary racial dynamics in the United States and don’t care to learn. This is largely because black Americans aren’t invited to the party. (Pardon the pun.)

First, let’s take a look at the Congressional Black Caucus, which represents black Americans in the United States Congress. There are currently 44 members. Every last one is a Democrat. Since the organization was founded in 1971, only six black Republicans have even been elected to Congress at all. Alignment with the Democratic Party is not the result of exploitation by white leadership. Rather, the Democratic Party welcomes black Americans as leaders to represent their own communities. The Republican Party does not extend the same welcome.

In fact, the Republican Party has been attempting to literally erase black Americans from the voting map. Republicans have been simultaneously pushing voter-ID laws, which disproportionately affect racial minorities, and gerrymandering the districts. If you’re wondering why Democrats are having such a hard time these days, it’s partially because Republicans have succeeded in drawing lines straight through their constituencies. Guess whom these lines disproportionately affect? You got it: racial minorities.

Republicans also almost universally oppose actions designed to combat inequality. The most notable example is their rejection of affirmative action, a measure initially instituted to combat racial discrimination in employment. One bizarre moment found likely presidential contender Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) suggesting that the section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 banning discrimination in business was unconstitutional. He claimed “private ownership” should allow businesses to discriminate against black Americans.

While comments like Sen. Paul’s may reflect a cold version of legal analysis that doesn’t appropriately factor in race, the Republican response to race has been downright ugly in other instances. In 2009 Judge Keith Bardwell, a Republican justice in Louisiana, refused to officiate the marriage of an interracial couple. He reasoned that neither black nor white communities would “accept” their possible offspring. Did I mention this was 2009?

The racism present on the right extends beyond elected officials. The connection of news media to politics further highlights the divide. On the conservative, Republican-leaning Fox News, there is not one single-host show featuring a person with dark skin during the week. Only one black host appears at all during this time, a single member of the panel on The Five. Contrast that with the liberal, Democratic-leaning MSNBC. There is a single-host show featuring a black anchor during the morning, afternoon and primetime on every weekday. Two of these shows are hosted by black women. Michael Steele, the black ex-chairman of the Republican National Committee, is notably not with Fox News but serves as a paid contributor to MSNBC.

It’s a widely known fact that white Americans will cease to make up a majority of the population by 2043. And non-white Americans vote overwhelmingly for Democrats, which rightly frightens Republicans. But to claim that this dynamic exists because Democrats act as “master[s]” is clearly laughable.

Why would black Americans vote for a party that doesn’t invite them, doesn’t represent their needs and, in extreme cases, rejects their integration into basic contracts like civil marriage?

Rather than finding ways to open the door to racial minorities, the Republican Party is now lashing out at Democrats. In the process, they’re only further alienating the very people they need to remain a serious force in the American political system.

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Are Democrats the Real Racists?

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