Is Trump Making Team Summers Dream Come True?

[Michael Deneen]

For the past couple years Lakewood City Hall has had the Lakewood Observer in its crosshairs. They pulled papers from the lobby of City Hall, there was the SLAPP lawsuit against O'Bryan, City Hall-friendly advertisers have left, and they even tried to make a "fake paper" that was designed to look like the LO.
Anyone who spends time on Lakewood social media knows that City Hall allies incessantly belittle or attack the Observer, calling it "fake news" or dismissing its contributors as "haters". We've even seen one its water carriers deliver the "hater" message here to the Deck.

In normal times, this sort of behavior would be considered outrageous. Americans have historically believed that a free press is critical to the functioning of a healthy democracy.
However, these are not normal times. As Lakewood City Hall has attacked the Observer over the past two years, there has been a parallel war on news media by Donald Trump.
He has called the media "enemies of the people" and has turned "fake news" into one of the most commonly used terms in America. When visiting CIA headquarters, Trump boasted about “a running war with the media” and called reporters “among the most dishonest human beings on earth.” Chief strategist/neonazi Stephen Bannon has demanded the media "keep its mouth shut." Trump even urged FBI Director James Comey to jail reporters (hopefully this one will backfire on him now that Comey is fired).

In recent weeks we've seen Trump's War escalate.
On May 10 reporter Don Heyman was arrested for asking the HHS Secretary and Kellyanne Conway about health care. The official charge was "willful disruption of state government processes".
On May 18 a reporter was pinned against a wall by security guards after trying to ask a question to an FCC member.
This week the GOP Congressional Candidate body slammed a reporter that dared to ask him about healthcare. He was charged, yet won his election yesterday.

Based on events both nationally and here in Lakewood, it is clear that news media is under attack. With Trump "normalizing" this behavior, is there any reason to believe Lakewood City Hall won't escalate its war on the Observer? We've already seen Team Summers use the police in an attempt to silence dissent. If someone asks the "wrong" questions at City Hall, are we now at risk of arrest for "willful disruption of state government processes"? Should we expect physical violence? I'm sure there is a line of folks over there that would love to body slam Brian Essi.

Don't laugh. A few weeks ago I had one "Team Summers' loyalist get in my face and threaten me at a local McDonalds. He backed down when I stood up to him, but not until after he said stuff like "I know where you live". Luckily I'm too fat to be body slammed (thanks, McDonalds!)

Will Trump's anti-media fervor enable City Hall to get away with its scandal? I fear it might.

[james fitzgibbons]

Mike, should have stuffed a french fry in his ear. Who was it? What is wrong with these people. Did you file a complaint with Lkwd.PD ?

[Michael Deneen]

Mike, should have stuffed a french fry in his ear. Who was it? What is wrong with these people. Did you file a complaint with Lkwd.PD ?

I did file a police report. If you want details, you can look it up. The prosecutors office chose not to pursue the case.

[Dan Alaimo]

Mike, should have stuffed a french fry in his ear. Who was it? What is wrong with these people. Did you file a complaint with Lkwd.PD ?

I did file a police report. If you want details, you can look it up. The prosecutors office chose not to pursue the case.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the prosecutor's office report to the City's law director?

[Lori Allen _]

If this is the local prosecutor, then I believe they do indeed report to Law Director Kevin M. Butler.

This seems to be a regular habit now of City Hall, where members of Team Summers seem to be given immunity from the law or otherwise following any kind of rules, almost on a level of "diplomatic immunity".

My question would be: Who does one go to if their local prosecutor and law department appear to be corrupt and/or "playing favorites" and not protecting victims? I'm not sure if the attorney general's office would help or not in this case.

[Michael Deneen]

Hillary Clinton gave the Commencement at Wellesley today.
I thought this quote was quite timely:

"When people in power invent their own facts and attack those who question them, it can mark the beginning of the end of a free society."