The Murder Of Joe Campos Torres

[sinister1]

Hi all,

 

To anyone who is interested you are invited to attend the first official meeting of the JOE CAMPOS TORRES ACTION GROUP tomorrow (2/22/2012 @11:00 a.m.) at 2509 Navigation Blvd. to explain the objective of having a Harris County Historical Commission Marker placed in Moody Park, to commemorate and to keep alive the lesson of the May 7, 1978 INSURRECTION in the park, plus an update on the historical marker dedication on March 22, for EL BARRIO DEL ALACRAN.

 

{Facebook page}

[sinister1]

Were planning on meeting this Sunday at taqueria Arandas ( 5931 gulf freeway) at i45 and wayside. Maybe about 1030. Maybe sit down and get more of a game plan going. Everyone is welcome. Give me a shout with any questions. 832 491 6886

[kylejack]

What was the address of Club 21 in the East End in 1977? This is where Joe Campos Torres was arrested before being beaten to death by some Houston Police officers.

[mkultra25]

Per the Chronicle it was on Canal at Burr, which would make it at or very near the 4800 block of Canal. The 1977 city directory would probably be the quickest way to confirm the exact address. 

 

Refs:

 

https://books.google.com/books?id=jcnxAKgPBy8C&pg=PA220&lpg=PA220&dq=%22club+21%22+canal+houston&source=bl&ots=MiVQoTxkCY&sig=q384qopUfowN5JZ0VpDBCLvd2kU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=X_dLVfObD5K1yAT27YHQBg&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22club%2021%22%20canal%20houston&f=false

 

http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/support-your-local-police?fullpage=1

[EastEndHeritage]

For those interested in the story, there is now a podcast related to this case called the Chicano Squad.

 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chicano-squad/id1546383966

[tenoeight]

4739 Canal Street Houston, TX 77011.

As seen in this clip at 3:37- 3:46.

https://texasarchive.org/2014_00077

[Luminare]

Would be kind of hilarious if on the other side of the bayou on Jail Island they did another memorial, but for all the cops killed by criminals. If you think about it would be perfect. You get one side about what happens when the State over reaches, but yet at the same time on the other side you get the perspective on what happens during times of lawlessness. Both sides should be presented.

Edited February 1, 2022 by Luminare

[mattyt36]

1 hour ago, Luminare said:

Would be kind of hilarious if on the other side of the bayou on Jail Island they did another memorial, but for all the cops killed by criminals. If you think about it would be perfect. You get one side about what happens when the State over reaches, but yet at the same time on the other side you get the perspective on what happens during times of lawlessness. Both sides should be presented.

Yeah, "kind of hilarious" is exactly how I would describe that.

4 hours ago, hindesky said:

"A future new memorial for José “Joe” Campos Torres will serve as more than a place to reflect on one of the most notorious cases of police brutality in Houston's history, his family said."

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/joe-campos-torres-memorial-architecture-16822516.php#photo-21977217

https://www.rogersarchitects.com

What a fine memorial, well done!

[j_cuevas713]

1 hour ago, Luminare said:

Would be kind of hilarious if on the other side of the bayou on Jail Island they did another memorial, but for all the cops killed by criminals. If you think about it would be perfect. You get one side about what happens when the State over reaches, but yet at the same time on the other side you get the perspective on what happens during times of lawlessness. Both sides should be presented.

Except one has immunity and a badge and the other has his word and nothing else. Thank goodness for smartphones. 

[dbigtex56]

3 hours ago, Luminare said:

Would be kind of hilarious if on the other side of the bayou on Jail Island they did another memorial, but for all the cops killed by criminals.

You're a little late there, Bubba. 
The Houston Police Officers Memorial (2100 Memorial Drive) was dedicated more than 30 years ago. 
 

[Luminare]

2 hours ago, dbigtex56 said:

You're a little late there, Bubba. 
The Houston Police Officers Memorial (2100 Memorial Drive) was dedicated more than 30 years ago. 
 

Never said one didn't exist. Merely stating that the juxtaposition would be interesting.

[mattyt36]

7 minutes ago, Luminare said:

Never said one didn't exist. Merely stating that the juxtaposition would be interesting.

Nope, you said it would be “kind of hilarious” and that “both sides should be presented.” Cuz that’s the point of memorials, of course.

Edited February 2, 2022 by mattyt36

[Luminare]

1 hour ago, mattyt36 said:

Nope, you said it would be “kind of hilarious” and that “both sides should be presented.” Cuz that’s the point of memorials, of course.

Well at least you quoted me correctly, though out of context. Honestly, what I said isn't even controversial. History is messy business. Memorials are supposed to help facilitate conversation as much as remembering past events. I'm merely stating a scenario that yes would be hilarious as a juxtaposition and it would present the messiness which is the very entity that is required to maintain law and order, is also an agent that can become corrupt who blindly follows the rules which can lead to brutality because the state has a monopoly on violence. Plain and simple. If people want to pearl clutch about this, you know what, that's them. I don't care about pearl clutchers on the Right for cops, and I don't care about pearl clutchers on the Left for [insert martyr of the week I'm supposed to care about, but don't]. Also what's ironic is the very state that committed such an act is now trying to convince people that they are somehow different and not like those in the past because they are recognizing an event from 50 years ago which they clearly didn't care about until it became politically expediate for them to do so. The memorial itself, I like, but what I don't like is the state pandering to a current zeitgeist type issue who are clearly trying to buy votes. "See See we care about police brutality, Look we made a monument to it, Now vote for us in the next election." But hey maybe they really have had a change of heart and doing this because they truly believe in reform...which they aren't doing.

[Naviguessor]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Joe_Campos_Torres

Draw your own conclusions.   

[mattyt36]

8 hours ago, Luminare said:

Well at least you quoted me correctly, though out of context. Honestly, what I said isn't even controversial. History is messy business. Memorials are supposed to help facilitate conversation as much as remembering past events. I'm merely stating a scenario that yes would be hilarious as a juxtaposition and it would present the messiness which is the very entity that is required to maintain law and order, is also an agent that can become corrupt who blindly follows the rules which can lead to brutality because the state has a monopoly on violence. Plain and simple. If people want to pearl clutch about this, you know what, that's them. I don't care about pearl clutchers on the Right for cops, and I don't care about pearl clutchers on the Left for [insert martyr of the week I'm supposed to care about, but don't]. Also what's ironic is the very state that committed such an act is now trying to convince people that they are somehow different and not like those in the past because they are recognizing an event from 50 years ago which they clearly didn't care about until it became politically expediate for them to do so. The memorial itself, I like, but what I don't like is the state pandering to a current zeitgeist type issue who are clearly trying to buy votes. "See See we care about police brutality, Look we made a monument to it, Now vote for us in the next election." But hey maybe they really have had a change of heart and doing this because they truly believe in reform...which they aren't doing.

Hey, a lesser man would've just said, "Whoa, sorry there, maybe that was a poor choice of words for an obviously sensitive issue" and "I can see how entirely reasonable people might find my "hilarious" idea to memorialize someone while presenting "both sides" to be entirely offensive.  In fact, maybe members of the HPD and their families maybe wouldn't find it "hilarious" to build a monument to police violence adjacent to the HPD Memorial for the sake of "presenting both sides."   In fact, maybe some of those families would say, "Wow, this is supposed to memorialize those police officers who were killed in duty and has nothing to do with police violence . . . in fact, by connecting the two, wouldn't you risk denigrating their memory, which is what memorials are all about?" 

But you, hey, you man--you take a step back, reflect, dig in your heels, say "what I said isn't even controversial" (when it has already clearly proven itself to be in this thread) and prove yourself to be even more cynical than even I by saying, at the end of the day it all about "buy[ing] votes" cuz voters who are concerned about police brutality obviously constitute some big block of swing voters.  

Well, I see you, buddy!  You do you while we "clutch our pearls."  Maybe you have a future in rewriting textbooks . . .we obviously have a lot to learn.

Edited February 2, 2022 by mattyt36

[Luminare]

18 hours ago, Luminare said:

Would be kind of hilarious if on the other side of the bayou on Jail Island they did another memorial, but for all the cops killed by criminals. If you think about it would be perfect. You get one side about what happens when the State over reaches, but yet at the same time on the other side you get the perspective on what happens during times of lawlessness. Both sides should be presented.

For future reference this comment was addressing a hypothetical idea or situation related to a new memorial regarding the story and person in this thread. See original renders for it in here:
 

I understand why this was moved as it goes off topic. I'm simply establishing context. I've never said this person story shouldn't be told, or that this memorial shouldn't be a thing. If people want to know more about this person, his tragedy, and subsequent memorial then they really should do so. I'm sure there is plenty of relevant info out there, and if you want to support efforts for this story to be more widely known then do so. I'd certainly won't stop you.

As for my previous comments. I stand by them because I did nothing wrong. If you don't like my comments or wish to be offended by them then you have every right to do so. If you want to critique a hypothetical idea or situation that isn't actually happen and think its wrong for me to even think it in the first place then you are fine to comment further, criticize, roast, or do whatever you wish. Its a free country after all.

Edited February 2, 2022 by Luminare

[mattyt36]

45 minutes ago, Luminare said:

If you want to critique a hypothetical idea or situation that isn't actually happen and think its wrong for me to even think it in the first place then you are fine to comment further, criticize, roast, or do whatever you wish. Its a free country after all.

Erm, thanks for the permission, boss, much appreciated!

[samagon]

20 hours ago, Luminare said:

Would be kind of hilarious if on the other side of the bayou on Jail Island they did another memorial, but for all the cops killed by criminals. If you think about it would be perfect. You get one side about what happens when the State over reaches, but yet at the same time on the other side you get the perspective on what happens during times of lawlessness. Both sides should be presented.

nothing at all hilarious in any of it. murder sucks.

2 hours ago, Luminare said:

As for my previous comments. I stand by them because I did nothing wrong. If you don't like my comments or wish to be offended by them then you have every right to do so. If you want to critique a hypothetical idea or situation that isn't actually happen and think its wrong for me to even think it in the first place then you are fine to comment further, criticize, roast, or do whatever you wish. Its a free country after all.

I suspect if your original statement didn't start off with the bolded, it might not have received as much negative feedback.

I don't think you were trying to make light of the memorials, and memories, just an unfortunate selection of words.

[Luminare]

22 minutes ago, samagon said:

nothing at all hilarious in any of it. murder sucks.

I suspect if your original statement didn't start off with the bolded, it might not have received as much negative feedback.

I don't think you were trying to make light of the memorials, and memories, just an unfortunate selection of words.

You're probably right. I'm not perfect. I certainly have been known to do this at times . I've tried to be much less of this as the years go on. I also come from a background of gallows humor and sarcasm which I know not everyone is from. I personally believe the only way we can move forward is by laughing, poking fun while learning about our mistakes. The only way myself and my family have gotten through tremendous tragedy is to laugh at it, or develop humor associated with it.

I also believe some are selectively reading what I said here. They read the first sentence stating being "hilarious", then read "memorial", and then depending on what one believes or what their bias is they come to a certain conclusion. I really have no control of that. I make it clear in my post that what would be hilarious is not murder of anyone, but a specific situation that visually would be something you would see in a comedy poking fun at something. A gag no less. People will take this however they will. That is up to them. I do appreciate you seeing where I might be coming from.

[mattyt36]

Misunderstandings certainly do suck.  Thanks for setting the record straight.

From my point of view, I guess I just saw "hilarious," which then wasn't "hilarious," but rather "interesting" (but I guess it's "hilarious" again? you know, a "gag no less") and was confused.  Adding to my confusion, I guess, was the additional language about "both sides" and "pearl clutching" and "buying votes" and "people not caring about the guy until now," but maybe the humor was over my head.  I guess I also found it confusing that there was plenty of opportunity to say, "WHOA man, boy did that come out wrong . . . my bad," and it didn't come out until . . . now, I guess?  (Or maybe some would note, as a matter of fact, that that still hasn't been explicitly said, but I dunno . . . maybe I lost it in the whole "I didn't do anything wrong"/"none of this is controversial"/"I come from family tragedy"/not sure how to describe (maybe victim complex?)-type thing.  I mean, not the type of thing I say when joking, but, again, maybe it was over my head.  Needless to say, it was all a bit distracting . . . but I shall emulate your good example and try harder next time.)

Family tragedy is also always bad.  I've been pretty lucky in that department but I still hope that if, say, a family member died from alcoholism my first instinct wouldn't be to erect a statue of Adolphus Busch to commemorate the contributions of the brewing industry across from their tombstone.  Even as a "gag" or "gallows humor" (no less).  Because I think that'd be kind of weird.

But maybe it's a Salt Lake City kind of thing?  I always heard it was a "hilarious" place.

Edited February 3, 2022 by mattyt36