The Ferguson Days of Rage

This week, America held its collective breath as it waited on the grand jury indictment verdict for Officer Darren Wilson. Wilson, you’ll recall, had the misfortune to run into 6’5″, 289-lb. Michael Brown, an 18-year-old black man who had just finished strong-arm robbing a convenience store. Wilson pulled Brown over as he and his accomplice walked in the middle of the street; all available evidence shows that Brown then pushed himself through the driver’s side window, punched Wilson, went for his gun, was shot in the hand, ran, turned around, charged Wilson, and was shot to death.

But that doesn’t matter. And it has never mattered. Because facts do not matter to those attempting to rectify what they perceive as an unjust universe. For those utopian visionaries – and, yes, violent thugs who rob stores are minions of the utopian visionaries — individuals do not exist. Individuals are merely stand-ins for groups. Wilson was a white cop; therefore, he was the Racist White Establishment. Brown was a black teenager; therefore, he was the Innocent Black Victim. The parts have already been written; Wilson was merely unlucky enough to land the starring role.

And so we expect riots no matter what the outcome of the indictment. Should Wilson escape indictment due to complete lack of evidence, the utopians and their rioting henchmen will attribute that acquittal to the Racist White Establishment. Should he be indicted, the utopians and their rioting henchmen will cite Wilson as merely the latest example of the Racist White Establishment. No matter the antecedent, the consequence has been determined in advance: rage, riots, recriminations.

If all of this sounds familiar, that’s because it is.

Alongside the anti-Racist White Establishment protesters taking to the streets in Ferguson in recent weeks, anti-Israel and pro-ISIS protesters have appeared. All utopian visionaries fighting the status quo — self-perceived victims — love their Days of Rage. And these Ragers don’t require evidence to incite their emotions. Evidence regarding individuals is for the reasonable; false stories of victims and villains are the fodder for Ragers.

Whether we’re watching thousands of Muslims across the world protest and riot over cartoons of Mohammed, or whether we’re watching hundreds of people in Ferguson riot over a media-manufactured story about a racial killing, Days of Rage provide the outlet for delusional anger. Radical Muslims need an external enemy to justify their own brutality; protesters in Ferguson need an external enemy to justify their own failure to make good in the freest country in the history of humanity.

Every society has its Ragers. The West’s suicidal impulse to humor those Ragers, however, spells the end of the West. When facts become secondary to emotion, truth dies. And a society that doesn’t value truth cannot survive. Calling out the National Guard in Ferguson while lending a sympathetic ear to the Ragers does little good, long-term. It merely staves off the inevitable surrender of the reasonable to the Ragers.

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Live: Breaking news, traffic and travel across Teesside

The Evening Gazette's live breaking news blog brings you regular updates, pictures, video, tweets and comments covering the latest Teesside and North Yorkshire traffic, travel, weather, crime and council news for today, Wednesday 19th November, 2014.

You can contribute to the live blog by posting your comment below, and you can also tweet us @EveningGazette to share breaking news stories, pictures and opinions.

Our Teesside breaking news live blog begins at 07:00am every weekday and is updated throughout the day and into the evening.

New dad Benji Bolsenbroek said he was 'on top of the world' on the night he died in Linthorpe

A new dad who died shortly after he was involved in a pub brawl was “on top of the world” before the fight, a court heard.

Benji Bolsenbroek was out wetting his baby’s head with a group of friends when they were involved in a fight with another group of people at the Park Hotel in Linthorpe, Middlesbrough.

Seven men and one woman are on trial at Teeeside Crown Court accused of violent disorder in relation to the fight. They deny the charge.

Eight other people have admitted the charge.

The prosecution is not seeking to attribute responsibilty for Mr Bolsenbroek’s death to any of the defendants.

Barmaid Sally Keane told the court that Mr Bolsenbroek’s group was “well natured” on the night of the fight and were “not concerned with anyone who was not in their group” when they arrived.

She said she knew Mr Bolsenbroek as she previously went to school with him. She said she spoke to him in the pub before the fight.

She told the court: “He said he was on top of the world. He didn’t say why, he just said he was on top of the world.”

The court yesterday heard from witnesses who were at the pub when the fight happened.

Stuart Martin who was drinking in the pub wrote in a statement that it was “like a scene from the Wild West”. He added: “I was in fear of my safety.”

Barmaid Ms Keane told the court that she thought one of Mr Bolsenbroek’s group bumped into someone in the other group.

She says the man who bumped into the other apologised by offering a handshake but it was not accepted by the other man.

She said Hayley Crossling, who has already admitted a charge of violent disorder, then picked up a bottle and threw it at Mr Bolsenbroek’s group.

VIEW GALLERY

She said the person who was hit swore at them, demanding what they were you doing” and lunged towards Crossling which made the whole group move forward.

Peter Mullen, who was drinking in the pub on the night of the fight said he felt an “uncomfortable atmosphere” before the brawl.

He said the room was full of people and he was in the beer garden when the fight started.

He said: “It erupted into mayhem in the pub.”

The four accused in the Bolsenbroek group are Blaine McCarthy, 22, of Blackhall Sands, Acklam, Benjamin Jones, 24, of, Hesleden Avenue, Acklam, Justin Heward, 24, of Harrow Road, Linthorpe, and Cain Conroy, 37, of Slaley Close, New Marske.

The four accused in the other group are Paul Kime, 26, of Daleville Close, Beechwood, Michael Kime, 28, of Lambton Road, Grove Hill, Vicki Kilpatrick, 25, of Woodville Avenue, Beechwood and Anthony Conway, 24, of Barberry, Coulby Newham.

More than 160 Christmas jobs being created at Hillstreet Shopping Centre

More than 160 jobs have been created at Hillstreet Shopping Centre in time for the festive season.

Vacancies for temporary sales assistants and stockroom staff are available at stores across the centre including M&S, Primark and Pandora to cover the Christmas and January Sales period.

Peter Drabble, Hillstreet Centre Manager, said: “As we gear up for our busiest time of the year, we are pleased to be able to create more jobs for local people.

"With retailers starting to see an improvement in the general market, we are expecting big numbers of people in the centre this Christmas and our stores are all busily preparing for this.”

Those interested in temporary positions should click here or find out more on Hillstreet’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Man in hospital after being attacked by two men with baseball bats outside Eston Hotel pub

A man suffered serious facial injuries - including a fractured cheekbone - after being attacked by two men with baseball bats.

The assault happened outside the Eston Hotel on Fabian Road in Middlesbrough on Friday, November 14 at 5pm.

Two men dressed in dark clothing and balaclavas approached a 29-year-old man and attacked him using baseball bats.

Both suspects made off in a black vehicle.

The victim suffered serious facial injuries including a fractured cheekbone, significant blood loss and hand injuries.

He is still undergoing treatment at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to ring the non-emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Three Tees GP clinics at 'high risk' of providing poor care, says health watchdog

Three GP surgeries on Teesside have been rated “high risk” of providing poor patient care, according to a new health watchdog report.

The Coatham Surgery in Redcar, the Thornaby and Ingleby Barwick Medical Group and the Woodbridge Practice in Thornaby were all flagged in the “highest concern” category by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Patients can compare GP surgeries in their area for the first time after the CQC published data suggesting around one in six may be falling below care standards.

The CQC’s “intelligent monitoring” database allows patients to see which practices were highest on the list of priority for inspections under the watchdog’s new regime.

Exactly 1,200 fell into the top two ‘priority’ bands based on evidence of patient experience, care and treatment from sources including major surveys and official statistics.

Many of these practices had possible issues with appointments, mental health plans, and cervical cancer screening.

You can view the bandings, as well as a map of surgeries, here.

Out of the 7,276 practices ranked in England, 861 were in the “highest concern” category.

They included the Coatham Surgery, Woodbridge Practice, and Thornaby and Ingleby Barwick Medical Group.

The latter serves Thornaby, Ingleby Barwick and Maltby and has a list size currently in excess of 21,400 patients.

The CQC report highlighted an ‘elevated risk’ at the practice around issues with doctors involving patients “in decisions about their care”.

Other ‘risk’ factors revolved around GPs treating patients with “care and concern”, the overall patient experience and opening hours.

At the Coatham Surgery, covering Redcar, Marske, New Marske, Saltburn and Lazenby, an ‘elevated risk’ was reported around care plans for patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and other psychoses who have “a record of alcohol consumption”.

‘Risk’ areas included smoking cessation support for patients with physical and/or mental health conditions and care plans for patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and other psychoses.

The Woodbridge Practice on Trenachard Avenue, Thornaby, also had an elevated risk around patient care decisions and also with patients being treated with “care and concern”.

Other risk factors included the percentage of patients 65 and older who had received a seasonal flu vaccination, and also the overall patient experience.

The three practices were contacted by The Gazette, but none were available for response.

But the CQC said the reports released online were not a judgment on practices’ quality, which would be made only once they had been inspected.

Around 3,800 were in band six, or of “lowest concern”.

The North-east had the lowest proportion of practices where the risk was judged to be high, and the highest proportion where risk was low (69%).

Professor Steve Field, chief inspector of general practice, said: “There is a lot of good and outstanding care taking place across the country as our data and recent reports show.

“While it is positive that 78% of general practices are currently a low concern based on the available data, there is no reason for complacency and standards must continue to improve.”

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients’ Association, said: “We often hear about the difficulties people have trying to get an appointment with their GP.

"We hope that CQC’s work in highlighting this major issue will act as a catalyst and there will be some positive changes.”

However, doctors union the British Medical Association has criticised the banding scheme as “simplistic” and potentially confusing.

It said the scheme does not take into account factors such as levels of deprivation in which the surgery operates.

The CQC aims to inspect all GP surgeries by March 2016, with those rated in the priority top two bands being inspected from next year.

Fat Lads fundraisers team up with Phat Lasses to raise even more money for cancer ward

Fat lads have joined up with “Phat Lasses” as three passionate Teesside fundraisers expand their efforts into a “brand” - and also launch a “DIY SOS” for a poorly Middlesbrough youngster.

Cousins Neal Bullock, of Ingleby Barwick, and Glenn Auckland, of Middlesbrough, along with friend Paul Sykes, also of Middlesbrough, launched their “Fat Lads on Bikes” fundraiser last month in aid of Ward 14 at James Cook University Hospital, as previously reported.

They are currently training for a 152-mile coast-to-coast bike ride as well as for the Great North Run.

They decided to fundraise for the cancer ward after Glenn’s mum Linda Auckland was helped to beat breast cancer twice.

Now the trio have been joined by dozens of other fundraisers - there are now around 25 taking part in the Great North Run - and they have teamed up with Teesside Hero award winner Jane Harvey of Anyone Can Run, an all-ladies running group based in Guisborough, to form the “Phat Lasses in Trainers” arm.

Additionally, Neal has launched “Cool Kids Jog On” for fundraisers aged five to 12.

Dad-of-three Neal, a chef who previously owned The Cooks Room restaurant in Great Ayton, said: “This has become so much more than a bit of fundraising. I didn’t expect to feel this passionately about it. It’s just grown so quickly into something massive.”

The Fat Lads have also stepped in to help create a sensory room for South Bank youngster Millie Mann.

Millie, seven, who lives with parents Ian and Aimee and siblings James, 11, and Ebonie, 10, has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and visual impairment, after she was deprived of oxygen at birth.

Describing it as a “Fat Lads DIY SOS”, Neal said he would be helping with fundraising and then making sure the sensory room is built.

He added: “While our mission is to raise as much money as we can for Ward 14, we’re happy to help other people raise money for their cause by putting the Fat Lads’ name to it.

“The Aim of the Phat Lasses in Trainers is to inspire mothers, daughters and sisters to get involved in fundraising for local causes and get fit at the same time.

“Together our goal is simple - to raise as much money as we can for local causes, while simultaneously supporting each other in events that are planned for both the Lads and the Lasses.”

“Jane Harvey is fantastic. She’s a Healthy Living Champion at Marton Pharmacy. We’re also setting up a section on our website full of information about preventing cancer. If we can save one life by doing that it’s been worthwhile.”

For Ward 14, Neal and the others have already lined up a number of events for the coming year, including a golf day.

The “Fat Lads with Clubs” golf day will include a two-course carvery, a pint, a bacon roll, 18 holes of golf, sporting memorabilia auction and more.

Also planned is a “Fat Lads with Balls” charity Bubble Football tournament and family fun day.

The men are also looking for any donations of raffle prizes or auction items, while each golf hole is also available for sponsorship. Anyone who can help or who is interested in sponsorship is asked to get in touch.

The golf day is to be held on Monday, June 22, 2015 at Teesside Golf Club in Thornaby.

For details contact Neal on 07970060119 or fatladsonbikes14@gmail.com.You can also visit http://ift.tt/1uEkkrn or search Facebook.

Typical Boro fans like listening to Taylor Swift, watching Big Brother and shop at Aldi, according to a YouGov survey

The typical Boro fan is a middle-aged man who enjoys DIY and loves nothing more than listening to Taylor Swift.

Those are the findings of a light-hearted YouGov survey based on data provided by Boro fans.

The market research firm have launched a new service that provides profiles based on a huge database of preferences expressed by members of the public.

And it's fair to say the Boro findings are quite surprising.

According to the survey the average demographic for Boro fans is male aged between 40 and 59 and belonging to the social grade ABC1.

The findings claim that Boro fans spend between 36 and 40 hours a week in front of the TV and their favourite show is Big Brother.

The demographics of a typical Boro fan, according to a light-hearted YouGov survey

Seared scallops get the nod over cod but a typical Boro supporter's favourite meal is beans, egg and chips closely followed by a chicken tikka.

Roy Chubby Brown is one of the most popular Facebook searches for Boro's faithful while Ricky Gervais, Mark Cavendish and Piers Morgan are amongst the most popular people to follow on Twitter.

When it comes to favourite celebrities there's a strong Teesside core to the preferences of Boro fans with Jeff Stelling and Steph McGovern both named in the top five but Gabby Logan is the most popular, according to the survey.

The weekly big shop is most likely to be done at Aldi while Boro fans also enjoy going out cycling and visiting museums and galleries, or so claim the findings of the YouGov study.

The results of the survey also claim to offer an insight into the personality of Boro fans, alleging that the typical Riverside regular is an expert at saving money, puts their family before their career and exercises at least once a week.

If any of this seems completely ridiculous, it might well be.

The sample size of fans used was quite small compared to the actual size of Middlesbrough's fanbase.

Just under 200 fans were included and considering that the club has a Twitter following numbering in the tens of thousands it would be fair to assume that this sample size is probably not as rigorous as it could be.

Anybody at the club thinking it would be a good idea to flog scallops instead of a parmo in a bun at the next home game might want to reconsider.

Middlesbrough Housing Local Plan is given green light by planning inspector

Proposals for future housing development in Middlesbrough have been given the green light by a planning inspector.

The Middlesbrough Housing Local Plan makes provision for nearly 7,000 homes to be built in the town by 2029, to stabilise the population and allow for continued regeneration.

It outlines Middlesbrough’s biggest house building programme for 40 years at a number of new and existing sites including Brookfield, Ladgate Lane, Hemlington Grange, Gresham, Stainton, Coulby Newham and Nunthorpe.

When complete, it is estimated the new homes could potentially generate £10 million a year in Council Tax, and around £65 million in New Homes Bonus.

Councillor Charlie Rooney, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, said: “This plan represents the most ambitious building programme Middlesbrough has seen for over four decades, so I am delighted it has been backed by the Planning Inspector.

“That’s a ringing endorsement of our desire to create successful neighbourhoods and communities that will stand the test of time and play a key role in ensuring the town’s future prosperity.

The endorsement of the Middlesbrough Housing Local Plan is the latest stage in a major review of the town’s housing needs, in a bid to reverse long-term population decline.

Following extensive consultation, submission to the Secretary of State and formal examination by the Planning Inspector, the Plan will be considered for adoption at a full meeting of Middlesbrough Council next week.

Cllr Rooney continued: “The Plan lays out a framework that will combine high quality housing with green recreational areas, cycleways, footpaths and local facilities.

“There will also be provision for affordable and special needs housing.

“This is a major achievement for the town, and I would like to thank all the officers involved for all their hard work and professionalism in helping us become the first authority in the region to reach this important milestone.

“In short it will help to make Middlesbrough a place where future generations want to live, work and bring up their families.”

If adopted at the council meeting on Wednesday, November 26, it will be the first new-style Local Plan to be adopted in the North-east.

In July, councillors in Redcar and Cleveland voted against the adoption of its plan, which set out its 15-year scheme to build more than 4,000 homes in the borough.