I'm not sure wheither I should be happy or upset about
the latest defeat of the immigration bill. After all I and my
ancestors have spent tha last 450 years trying to get our
just due and respect from this nation and still the struggle
continues. But on the other hand I find it hard to be against
thoses that have come to this country to try and build a
better life for themselves. So on this issue I think I'll just
sit back an let this one play itself out. What do you think?
The Senate on Thursday resoundingly defeated a bill that would have overhauled the nation's immigration laws for the first time in two decades, crushing the chances of settling the contentious matter in the next few years.After a rancorous final debate on the bill, lawmakers on both sides pledged to deal with illegal immigration and secure the southern border — but they disagreed not only on why the legislation failed, but on what to do next
The 46-53 rout was 14 votes short of the 60 needed to end the debate and move the bill forward. It was a major defeat for President Bush, who had pushed hard to achieve his last major domestic initiative. It was also a bitter finale for the bipartisan team of senators and two Cabinet secretaries who worked for months to craft the intricate bill.About two-thirds of the Senate's Republicans joined almost a third of the Democrats to kill the bill, which had been carefully constructed to appeal to both parties, but also drew bipartisan opposition.Supporters appeared grim and subdued after the vote.
They expressed regret at the bill's demise and warned of the consequences."What occurred today is fairly final," said Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), a member of the coalition behind the legislation. The Cuban-born Martinez spoke of his deep disappointment and that of people "who share my background as an immigrant to this country, many of whom were looking to this effort as a way to improve their lives."With defeat of the legislation, cities and states will certainly feel pressure to come up with their own solutions to a national problem.
The vote also revealed deep fissures within the GOP.Republican senators who backed the compromise measure said its loss shifts the onus to their opponents to offer proposals. The Republicans who led the charge against the bill have offered no new plans and said they would continue to urge the administration to enforce existing laws. And they portrayed Thursday's vote as a victory for the American people, a characterization the bill's supporters flatly rejected.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Globetrotter ?
I just wanted to send out my props to the first
black man and the youngest to circle the globe
in a plane. Congratulations Irving!
Barrington Irving kept his fans in suspense Wednesday as he circled the airport in his plane Inspiration — now marked with flag stickers of the countries he visited on a worldwide adventure. After a journey that lasted more than three months, the 23-year-old landed his single-engine Lancair Columbia 400 to a hero's welcome at the Opa-Locka Executive Airport. "I am home," Irving said quietly when he stepped to a microphone.
He said the long flight had challenged him mentally and physically. "I am proud to have had the opportunity to live my dream," he said. Irving, a Florida Memorial University aerospace student, said he was the first black person as well as the youngest person to fly solo around the world, though it was unclear how the claims would be validated. The National Aeronautic Assn., the aviation record-keeping authority in the U.S., does not track pilots' age, sex or ethnicity, said Nathan Rohrbaugh, who helps coordinate records at the organization.
Hundreds of people gathered at the airport hangar to welcome Irving. Many wore buttons and cooled off with fans bearing Irving's image. A banner in the hangar read, "Live, Dream, Fly!"Beneath cloudy skies, the Jamaican-born Irving circled the airport a few times before touching down on the runway about 10:30 a.m. He immediately reunited with family and close friends."They told me I was too young," Irving told well-wishers. "They told me I didn't have enough money…. They told me it's going to take me forever.
They told me I'd never come back home. Well, guess what?" Irving said with a smile.The young pilot's adventure started in South Florida, where he founded Experience Aviation. The Miami-based group encourages young minority group members to pursue aviation careers. People tracked Irving's progress on the organization's website, experienceaviation.org, where he posted photos and blogged about his journey. He visited U.S. cities to talk about aviation and made similar stops in Greece, Egypt and Japan.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
black man and the youngest to circle the globe
in a plane. Congratulations Irving!
Barrington Irving kept his fans in suspense Wednesday as he circled the airport in his plane Inspiration — now marked with flag stickers of the countries he visited on a worldwide adventure. After a journey that lasted more than three months, the 23-year-old landed his single-engine Lancair Columbia 400 to a hero's welcome at the Opa-Locka Executive Airport. "I am home," Irving said quietly when he stepped to a microphone.
He said the long flight had challenged him mentally and physically. "I am proud to have had the opportunity to live my dream," he said. Irving, a Florida Memorial University aerospace student, said he was the first black person as well as the youngest person to fly solo around the world, though it was unclear how the claims would be validated. The National Aeronautic Assn., the aviation record-keeping authority in the U.S., does not track pilots' age, sex or ethnicity, said Nathan Rohrbaugh, who helps coordinate records at the organization.
Hundreds of people gathered at the airport hangar to welcome Irving. Many wore buttons and cooled off with fans bearing Irving's image. A banner in the hangar read, "Live, Dream, Fly!"Beneath cloudy skies, the Jamaican-born Irving circled the airport a few times before touching down on the runway about 10:30 a.m. He immediately reunited with family and close friends."They told me I was too young," Irving told well-wishers. "They told me I didn't have enough money…. They told me it's going to take me forever.
They told me I'd never come back home. Well, guess what?" Irving said with a smile.The young pilot's adventure started in South Florida, where he founded Experience Aviation. The Miami-based group encourages young minority group members to pursue aviation careers. People tracked Irving's progress on the organization's website, experienceaviation.org, where he posted photos and blogged about his journey. He visited U.S. cities to talk about aviation and made similar stops in Greece, Egypt and Japan.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
The Poor Peoples Judge?
As New Orleans continues to battle it's way
back from the effects of hurricane Katrina a
certain judge in the city fights to make sure
that there is no miscarriage of justice while
the area struggles to reform its justice system.
Read the article below and let us know if the
judge is sincere or grandstanding?
The exchange between judge and defendant happens many times every court day. "You got a lawyer? Can you afford one?" Judge Arthur L. Hunter Jr. will say in his customarily affable way, which often puts the person standing in front of him at ease. "OK, I'm going to appoint you a public defender."But the number of times Hunter has said those words and then seen the defendant receive subpar representation spurred him to take on the city's indigent-defense program.
Already troubled before Hurricane Katrina, the system has deteriorated into what Hunter called "unbelievable, unconstitutional, totally lacking in basic professional standards of legal representation and a mockery of what a criminal justice system should be in a Western, civilized nation.
"The Orleans Parish Criminal District Court judge has held high-profile hearings into post-Katrina legal snafus and delays involving indigent defendants. In the last two months, he has suspended the prosecution of cases against 142 defendants and ordered the release of 20 who were still jailed. In doing so, he propelled the city's cash-strapped and overburdened public defender program into the national spotlight. Its performance has become a controversial topic in a city battling record levels of violent crime.
Supporters view Hunter as a near-fanatic for fairness. Critics call his actions outrageous, and charge that he is a publicity-seeker more interested in protecting the rights of criminals than those of victims and their families. The judge's recent ruling that suspended about 100 prosecutions and freed 20 was halted by an order from the Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of Appeal, after an appeal by Orleans Parish Dist. Atty. Eddie Jordan. The appeal is awaiting a ruling by the 4th Circuit.Hunter is determined to press ahead.
In recent weeks, he has notified more than 300 private lawyers of potential appointment to represent indigent defendants. And he has continued to call for increased state funding to reform the indigent-defense system.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
back from the effects of hurricane Katrina a
certain judge in the city fights to make sure
that there is no miscarriage of justice while
the area struggles to reform its justice system.
Read the article below and let us know if the
judge is sincere or grandstanding?
The exchange between judge and defendant happens many times every court day. "You got a lawyer? Can you afford one?" Judge Arthur L. Hunter Jr. will say in his customarily affable way, which often puts the person standing in front of him at ease. "OK, I'm going to appoint you a public defender."But the number of times Hunter has said those words and then seen the defendant receive subpar representation spurred him to take on the city's indigent-defense program.
Already troubled before Hurricane Katrina, the system has deteriorated into what Hunter called "unbelievable, unconstitutional, totally lacking in basic professional standards of legal representation and a mockery of what a criminal justice system should be in a Western, civilized nation.
"The Orleans Parish Criminal District Court judge has held high-profile hearings into post-Katrina legal snafus and delays involving indigent defendants. In the last two months, he has suspended the prosecution of cases against 142 defendants and ordered the release of 20 who were still jailed. In doing so, he propelled the city's cash-strapped and overburdened public defender program into the national spotlight. Its performance has become a controversial topic in a city battling record levels of violent crime.
Supporters view Hunter as a near-fanatic for fairness. Critics call his actions outrageous, and charge that he is a publicity-seeker more interested in protecting the rights of criminals than those of victims and their families. The judge's recent ruling that suspended about 100 prosecutions and freed 20 was halted by an order from the Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of Appeal, after an appeal by Orleans Parish Dist. Atty. Eddie Jordan. The appeal is awaiting a ruling by the 4th Circuit.Hunter is determined to press ahead.
In recent weeks, he has notified more than 300 private lawyers of potential appointment to represent indigent defendants. And he has continued to call for increased state funding to reform the indigent-defense system.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Patients At Risk
Why is it that a county hospital that serves the minority
community in south Los Angeles can't seem to get it's
act together? Is it money? Nooooo cause the county
supervisors pumped millions of dollars into the facility
and it still flunked a federal inspection losing it's federal
funding. I think it's a number of things, mismanagement,
and low morale are a couple of the problems. Too
many patients and not enough staff are a couple more.
Feel free to weigh-in on this hospital crisis after you've
checked out the article below.
Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital's recent woes, far from being isolated examples of poor care at a reformed institution, represent a continuing pattern of entrenched failings that risk patients' lives, according to a federal report released Monday. According to a June 7 report from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 17 patients, among 60 whose cases were reviewed, received substandard care at the hospital. Some were as recent as last month. Based on the findings, the Medicare agency declared that patients at King-Harbor in Willowbrook were in immediate jeopardy of harm or death.
The government gave the hospital, formerly known as King/Drew, 23 days to correct its problems or lose federal certification and funding once and for all. The hospital would probably be forced to close if funding were cut off. Among the cases cited:• One patient in King-Harbor's emergency room told a triage nurse on April 30 that he was seeing "aliens and devils" and that he was thinking about drinking bleach to commit suicide. He was left in the lobby for more than an hour and not seen by a physician for almost seven hours. A mental health evaluation was not completed for 17 hours after he arrived, according to the federal report.
At that time, the patient denied being suicidal and was discharged without receiving treatment.
• A female patient went to the emergency room on March 8 complaining of two weeks of stomach pain. She said she had nausea and rated her pain as a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. "The patient identified that the pain she was experiencing was constant and that nothing provided relief." Even so, she was given no treatment to alleviate pain or reduce her fever. Two hours later, she was checked again and again offered no treatment. She was not seen by a physician until nearly seven hours after she arrived. "The patient experienced severe pain throughout her [emergency stay]," the report said. Eleven hours after she arrived, she went to surgery.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
community in south Los Angeles can't seem to get it's
act together? Is it money? Nooooo cause the county
supervisors pumped millions of dollars into the facility
and it still flunked a federal inspection losing it's federal
funding. I think it's a number of things, mismanagement,
and low morale are a couple of the problems. Too
many patients and not enough staff are a couple more.
Feel free to weigh-in on this hospital crisis after you've
checked out the article below.
Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital's recent woes, far from being isolated examples of poor care at a reformed institution, represent a continuing pattern of entrenched failings that risk patients' lives, according to a federal report released Monday. According to a June 7 report from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 17 patients, among 60 whose cases were reviewed, received substandard care at the hospital. Some were as recent as last month. Based on the findings, the Medicare agency declared that patients at King-Harbor in Willowbrook were in immediate jeopardy of harm or death.
The government gave the hospital, formerly known as King/Drew, 23 days to correct its problems or lose federal certification and funding once and for all. The hospital would probably be forced to close if funding were cut off. Among the cases cited:• One patient in King-Harbor's emergency room told a triage nurse on April 30 that he was seeing "aliens and devils" and that he was thinking about drinking bleach to commit suicide. He was left in the lobby for more than an hour and not seen by a physician for almost seven hours. A mental health evaluation was not completed for 17 hours after he arrived, according to the federal report.
At that time, the patient denied being suicidal and was discharged without receiving treatment.
• A female patient went to the emergency room on March 8 complaining of two weeks of stomach pain. She said she had nausea and rated her pain as a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. "The patient identified that the pain she was experiencing was constant and that nothing provided relief." Even so, she was given no treatment to alleviate pain or reduce her fever. Two hours later, she was checked again and again offered no treatment. She was not seen by a physician until nearly seven hours after she arrived. "The patient experienced severe pain throughout her [emergency stay]," the report said. Eleven hours after she arrived, she went to surgery.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Friday, June 15, 2007
Justice Arrives Once More
This should serve as a warning to all those racist
that committed unspeakable crimes during the
civil rights era that unless death over take you,
you will be held accountable for your actions.
Check out the article below and comment on this
turn of events that took 43 years to transpire.
After 43 years, Thomas Moore can tell his brother that his killer has been brought to justice.
''I'm going to go to that cemetery, that Mount Olive Cemetery,'' he said. ''I'm going to tell Charles Moore, "I told you that I see it to the end.''
The end came Thursday with the conviction of reputed Klansman James Ford Seale on federal charges of kidnapping and conspiracy in the 1964 deaths of Charles Moore and Henry Hezekiah Dee. Seale faces life in prison when he is sentenced Aug. 24.
The 19-year-olds disappeared from Franklin County on May 2, 1964, and their bodies were found later in the Mississippi River.
Thomas Moore, 63, of Colorado Springs, Colo., was instrumental in getting authorities to take another look at the case. He has not lived in Mississippi since he entered the Army in 1964, weeks before his brother disappeared.
''I now feel that Mississippi is my home,'' said Moore, a Vietnam veteran who spent 30 years in the military. ''Mississippi, you came a long way and I'm so proud the jury spoke.''
Seale, 71, sat stone-faced in court as the verdict was read and showed no emotion as marshals led him away. Jurors reached the verdict after two hours of deliberations.
Several relatives of the victims dabbed tears from their eyes. Among them was Thelma Collins of Springfield, La., Dee's older sister.
''I thank the Lord that we got justice,'' she said outside the courthouse.
After the verdict, a half dozen of Seale's relatives, including his wife, ran out of the courthouse to a waiting sport utility vehicle, bumping some reporters in the scramble.
''Obviously, we're very disappointed in the jury's verdict and we certainly plan to appeal,'' public defender Kathy Nester said.
The prosecution's star witness was Charles Marcus Edwards, a confessed Klansman. During closing arguments Thursday, prosecutors acknowledged they made ''a deal with the devil'' but said that offering immunity to Edwards to get his testimony against Seale was the only way to get justice.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
that committed unspeakable crimes during the
civil rights era that unless death over take you,
you will be held accountable for your actions.
Check out the article below and comment on this
turn of events that took 43 years to transpire.
After 43 years, Thomas Moore can tell his brother that his killer has been brought to justice.
''I'm going to go to that cemetery, that Mount Olive Cemetery,'' he said. ''I'm going to tell Charles Moore, "I told you that I see it to the end.''
The end came Thursday with the conviction of reputed Klansman James Ford Seale on federal charges of kidnapping and conspiracy in the 1964 deaths of Charles Moore and Henry Hezekiah Dee. Seale faces life in prison when he is sentenced Aug. 24.
The 19-year-olds disappeared from Franklin County on May 2, 1964, and their bodies were found later in the Mississippi River.
Thomas Moore, 63, of Colorado Springs, Colo., was instrumental in getting authorities to take another look at the case. He has not lived in Mississippi since he entered the Army in 1964, weeks before his brother disappeared.
''I now feel that Mississippi is my home,'' said Moore, a Vietnam veteran who spent 30 years in the military. ''Mississippi, you came a long way and I'm so proud the jury spoke.''
Seale, 71, sat stone-faced in court as the verdict was read and showed no emotion as marshals led him away. Jurors reached the verdict after two hours of deliberations.
Several relatives of the victims dabbed tears from their eyes. Among them was Thelma Collins of Springfield, La., Dee's older sister.
''I thank the Lord that we got justice,'' she said outside the courthouse.
After the verdict, a half dozen of Seale's relatives, including his wife, ran out of the courthouse to a waiting sport utility vehicle, bumping some reporters in the scramble.
''Obviously, we're very disappointed in the jury's verdict and we certainly plan to appeal,'' public defender Kathy Nester said.
The prosecution's star witness was Charles Marcus Edwards, a confessed Klansman. During closing arguments Thursday, prosecutors acknowledged they made ''a deal with the devil'' but said that offering immunity to Edwards to get his testimony against Seale was the only way to get justice.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Is Paris A Scapegoat For D.A.?
I think it's time for me to add my two-cents
to the Paris Hilton issue. I think that the only
reason the courts are being so hard on her is
because she is the only celebrity that they are
able to send to jail after the D.A. blew the O.J.
and Robert Blake cases, so now it all falls on
Paris. What do you think?
The Times analyzed 2 million jail releases and found 1,500 cases since July 2002 that — like Hilton's — involved defendants who had been arrested for drunk driving and later sentenced to jail after a probation violation or driving without a license. Had Hilton left jail for good after four days, her stint behind bars would have been similar to those served by 60% of those inmates.
But after a judge sent her back to jail Friday, Hilton's attorney announced that she would serve the full 23 days. That means that Hilton will end up serving more time than 80% of other people in similar situations. (She was transferred late Wednesday from the Twin Towers jail in downtown L.A. to a women's jail in Lynwood).The findings came as some critics accused Baca of showing favoritism to Hilton and as the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors launched an investigation into whether the multimillionaire received special treatment because of her wealth and fame.
The data also underscore the profound effect of the Sheriff's Department's early-release program, which sets inmates free before their sentences are up to ease overcrowding.Before the early-release program began in 2002, inmates with cases similar to Hilton's were sentenced to terms that amounted to an average of 23 days, the same as Hilton is expected to serve. They actually served 20 days. After the program began, the average term was 14 days, with inmates actually serving an average of four days.
Because of the high media interest, Hilton was one of only a few inmates whose premature release received publicity — and the judge who originally sentenced her noticed. She is believed to be the first inmate in years who actually was sent back to jail to serve more of her term."Twenty-three days would be considerably more than the average person given her sentence would actually serve," said Stan Goldman, professor of criminal law and procedure at Loyola Law School. "The jails are so overcrowded that even though overcrowding is not the reason for her release, it colors every release decision from the jails system."
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net
to the Paris Hilton issue. I think that the only
reason the courts are being so hard on her is
because she is the only celebrity that they are
able to send to jail after the D.A. blew the O.J.
and Robert Blake cases, so now it all falls on
Paris. What do you think?
The Times analyzed 2 million jail releases and found 1,500 cases since July 2002 that — like Hilton's — involved defendants who had been arrested for drunk driving and later sentenced to jail after a probation violation or driving without a license. Had Hilton left jail for good after four days, her stint behind bars would have been similar to those served by 60% of those inmates.
But after a judge sent her back to jail Friday, Hilton's attorney announced that she would serve the full 23 days. That means that Hilton will end up serving more time than 80% of other people in similar situations. (She was transferred late Wednesday from the Twin Towers jail in downtown L.A. to a women's jail in Lynwood).The findings came as some critics accused Baca of showing favoritism to Hilton and as the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors launched an investigation into whether the multimillionaire received special treatment because of her wealth and fame.
The data also underscore the profound effect of the Sheriff's Department's early-release program, which sets inmates free before their sentences are up to ease overcrowding.Before the early-release program began in 2002, inmates with cases similar to Hilton's were sentenced to terms that amounted to an average of 23 days, the same as Hilton is expected to serve. They actually served 20 days. After the program began, the average term was 14 days, with inmates actually serving an average of four days.
Because of the high media interest, Hilton was one of only a few inmates whose premature release received publicity — and the judge who originally sentenced her noticed. She is believed to be the first inmate in years who actually was sent back to jail to serve more of her term."Twenty-three days would be considerably more than the average person given her sentence would actually serve," said Stan Goldman, professor of criminal law and procedure at Loyola Law School. "The jails are so overcrowded that even though overcrowding is not the reason for her release, it colors every release decision from the jails system."
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net
Monday, June 11, 2007
They Dont't Play Fair In Georgia
Did the white legislators change the law in the article
below so that white kids wouldn't have to go
through what an African American youth is facing.
It seems so in light that after changing the law they
refused to make it retroactive. Read the story and
feel free to comment.
Nothing could have prepared Genarlow Wilson for what happened as he neared the end of his days in high school. He became prom prince, homecoming king — and a child molester.A 17-year-old star football player and honor student, Wilson was arrested on the day he was supposed to take his SATs after police saw a video showing him receiving oral sex from a 15-year-old girl at a 2003 New Year's Eve party. Under Georgia law, the encounter constituted "aggravated child molestation."
The girl said the act was consensual, but in February 2005, Wilson was sentenced to 10 years in prison and a lifetime on Georgia's sex offender registry.The following year, Georgia legislators changed the law to make most consensual sex between teenagers a misdemeanor rather than a felony, with a sentence of no more than 12 months in jail.Yet Wilson, now 21, remains in a legal limbo. Today — having spent two years, three months and 25 days in prison — he is to appear in court to hear a judge rule on a habeas corpus petition seeking his immediate release on constitutional grounds.
"It truly is cruel and unusual punishment," his attorney, B.J. Bernstein, said last week outside the Monroe County courthouse after a hearing before Superior Court Judge Thomas Wilson. The odds of Wilson's release appear to be long. When Georgia legislators revised the law, they declined to make it retroactive so it would apply to Wilson. Then the Georgia Supreme Court rejected his motion for an appeal on the basis that legislators had chosen not to make the law retroactive. This year, a bill that would have allowed judges to review earlier sentences stalled in the Georgia Senate.
Last week, Bernstein argued it was wrong for Georgia to keep Wilson in prison for 10 years and on the sex offender registry now that state law had changed, but Paula K. Smith, the state's senior assistant attorney general, insisted the new law did not apply to Wilson. "The General Assembly passed a statute and they did not make it retroactive," Smith said. "They had the prerogative to do so and they did not." As his attorneys have trudged back and forth between the Legislature and the courts, Wilson's story has become a super-charged Southern morality tale, a lesson in the legal complexities of harsher sentences for sex offenders — particularly when they are young black men.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
below so that white kids wouldn't have to go
through what an African American youth is facing.
It seems so in light that after changing the law they
refused to make it retroactive. Read the story and
feel free to comment.
Nothing could have prepared Genarlow Wilson for what happened as he neared the end of his days in high school. He became prom prince, homecoming king — and a child molester.A 17-year-old star football player and honor student, Wilson was arrested on the day he was supposed to take his SATs after police saw a video showing him receiving oral sex from a 15-year-old girl at a 2003 New Year's Eve party. Under Georgia law, the encounter constituted "aggravated child molestation."
The girl said the act was consensual, but in February 2005, Wilson was sentenced to 10 years in prison and a lifetime on Georgia's sex offender registry.The following year, Georgia legislators changed the law to make most consensual sex between teenagers a misdemeanor rather than a felony, with a sentence of no more than 12 months in jail.Yet Wilson, now 21, remains in a legal limbo. Today — having spent two years, three months and 25 days in prison — he is to appear in court to hear a judge rule on a habeas corpus petition seeking his immediate release on constitutional grounds.
"It truly is cruel and unusual punishment," his attorney, B.J. Bernstein, said last week outside the Monroe County courthouse after a hearing before Superior Court Judge Thomas Wilson. The odds of Wilson's release appear to be long. When Georgia legislators revised the law, they declined to make it retroactive so it would apply to Wilson. Then the Georgia Supreme Court rejected his motion for an appeal on the basis that legislators had chosen not to make the law retroactive. This year, a bill that would have allowed judges to review earlier sentences stalled in the Georgia Senate.
Last week, Bernstein argued it was wrong for Georgia to keep Wilson in prison for 10 years and on the sex offender registry now that state law had changed, but Paula K. Smith, the state's senior assistant attorney general, insisted the new law did not apply to Wilson. "The General Assembly passed a statute and they did not make it retroactive," Smith said. "They had the prerogative to do so and they did not." As his attorneys have trudged back and forth between the Legislature and the courts, Wilson's story has become a super-charged Southern morality tale, a lesson in the legal complexities of harsher sentences for sex offenders — particularly when they are young black men.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Discrimination of Another Shade
With time things change and in California and most of
the southwest things have taken a turn for the worst for
African Americans. There was a time when blacks controled
small towns in this part of the country but no more since the
latino population has exploded and the black numbers have
declined. This is creating a strain on race relations and a
soulution must be found if the races are co-exist. Check
out the article below and feel free to ad your two cents.
For years, the battle for control of the city of Lynwood has been shrouded in accusations of political corruption and cronyism. A former mayor is serving a 16-year sentence in federal prison for embezzlement. Five current and former City Council members have been charged with padding their salaries with public funds. And an effort is underway to recall four of the five current City Council members. But beyond the allegations of graft and corruption, a different war — rife with racial and ethnic stereotyping — is being waged in the working-class city south of Los Angeles.
Latinos, who make up more than 80% of the city's 72,000 residents, are vying for power with African Americans, who, despite smaller numbers, maintain considerable influence by virtue of superior voter strength in a city where 40% of the residents are foreign-born.A decade ago, when blacks controlled the city's political landscape, Latinos complained that they were being denied city jobs and lucrative municipal contracts. Now Latinos dominate and African Americans complain of being frozen out.
The problem is emblematic of emerging tensions throughout Los Angeles County, where the Latino population has surged as African American numbers have dwindled. The tensions are playing out in cities such as Carson, Compton and Inglewood, where traditional black political muscle — concentrated largely among older working- and middle-class homeowners — is showing signs of weakening as a generation of Latinos reaches voting age. Tensions are also playing out in the race to succeed Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, where the competition between two well-positioned African American candidates may result in their canceling each other out, paving the way for a Latina to capture a seat blacks have held for decades.
The black-Latino friction in a city such as Lynwood is exacerbated by a lack of resources and decent jobs and by poverty — all problems common to both groups, said Harry Pachon, a USC professor and head of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, which released a report in April titled "Beyond the Racial Divide: Perceptions of Minority Residents on Coalition Building in South Los Angeles."One conclusion, he said, was telling. "Each group is buying off on the negative stereotypes held by the majority [white culture], rather than questioning them," Pachon said.
"Blacks say that Latinos don't take care of their housing, and Latinos felt that blacks don't value families as much."In Lynwood, some of the strongest evidence of stereotyping can be found on Lynwood Watch (lynwoodwatch.blogspot.com), a website created by an anonymous blogger to keep watch on city officials. The blog encourages readers to voice their opinions, and they do. But many of the comments are laced with calls for Latino unity that include racist rants — in English and Spanish — directed at African Americans.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net
the southwest things have taken a turn for the worst for
African Americans. There was a time when blacks controled
small towns in this part of the country but no more since the
latino population has exploded and the black numbers have
declined. This is creating a strain on race relations and a
soulution must be found if the races are co-exist. Check
out the article below and feel free to ad your two cents.
For years, the battle for control of the city of Lynwood has been shrouded in accusations of political corruption and cronyism. A former mayor is serving a 16-year sentence in federal prison for embezzlement. Five current and former City Council members have been charged with padding their salaries with public funds. And an effort is underway to recall four of the five current City Council members. But beyond the allegations of graft and corruption, a different war — rife with racial and ethnic stereotyping — is being waged in the working-class city south of Los Angeles.
Latinos, who make up more than 80% of the city's 72,000 residents, are vying for power with African Americans, who, despite smaller numbers, maintain considerable influence by virtue of superior voter strength in a city where 40% of the residents are foreign-born.A decade ago, when blacks controlled the city's political landscape, Latinos complained that they were being denied city jobs and lucrative municipal contracts. Now Latinos dominate and African Americans complain of being frozen out.
The problem is emblematic of emerging tensions throughout Los Angeles County, where the Latino population has surged as African American numbers have dwindled. The tensions are playing out in cities such as Carson, Compton and Inglewood, where traditional black political muscle — concentrated largely among older working- and middle-class homeowners — is showing signs of weakening as a generation of Latinos reaches voting age. Tensions are also playing out in the race to succeed Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, where the competition between two well-positioned African American candidates may result in their canceling each other out, paving the way for a Latina to capture a seat blacks have held for decades.
The black-Latino friction in a city such as Lynwood is exacerbated by a lack of resources and decent jobs and by poverty — all problems common to both groups, said Harry Pachon, a USC professor and head of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, which released a report in April titled "Beyond the Racial Divide: Perceptions of Minority Residents on Coalition Building in South Los Angeles."One conclusion, he said, was telling. "Each group is buying off on the negative stereotypes held by the majority [white culture], rather than questioning them," Pachon said.
"Blacks say that Latinos don't take care of their housing, and Latinos felt that blacks don't value families as much."In Lynwood, some of the strongest evidence of stereotyping can be found on Lynwood Watch (lynwoodwatch.blogspot.com), a website created by an anonymous blogger to keep watch on city officials. The blog encourages readers to voice their opinions, and they do. But many of the comments are laced with calls for Latino unity that include racist rants — in English and Spanish — directed at African Americans.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net
Monday, June 4, 2007
Selling Out ?
Just what does contitute selling out, do you
think you know? Well the answer might fool
you. So check out the story below and fell free
to comment.
How do we as African Americans define selling out? Is it dating outside of our race? Is it the shuck-and-jive entertainers? Is it the black Republican? Is it the overly ambitious, material-driven civil rights activist? Or, is it the well-spoken and studious black child?
I believe we need a new paradigm of selling out. Today's sellouts are blacks who perpetuate violence and destruction in the black community and participate in the globalization of negative stereotypes and images of African Americans.
Not long ago, I was eating lunch at a restaurant near downtown Chicago, and a young black man walked in with a scantily dressed white woman on his arm. They were both in their early 20s and dressed the part. I saw a few ''sisters'' sigh as they entered. Yes, the brother -- smiley gold teeth and all -- looked real proud to have ''Becky,'' and she seemed even prouder to be on a safari with her African guide. They sat down near me and spoke very loudly, apparently wanting all to hear. I overheard a young black woman say, ''It's bad enough that he is a sellout, but do they have to be so ignorant, too?'' I gave her a nod of approval.
Then, as I gazed at the local newspaper, I read an interesting story about hip-hop and its alleged misogynistic and materialistic culture. This caused me to ask: What is selling out? According to Wikipedia, it refers to ''compromising one's integrity, morality and principles in exchange for money, success or other personal gain. It is commonly associated with attempts to increase mass appeal or acceptability to mainstream society. A person who does this is labeled a sellout. Selling out may be seen as gaining success at the cost of credibility.'' This is a pretty good definition. In the context of race relations, sellouts compromise racial solidarity and group identity and integrity for perceived societal acceptance, adventure or mere escape by dating outside of their race or ethnic genre. To many, love gives no amnesty to selling out.
However, given the poor state of black America, I believe we should redefine if not expand the term. African Americans rank at the bottom of nearly every social, political, economic and health indicator in the country. We are among America's poorest, financially in debt and illiterate. Proportionate to the population, we comprise the single largest racial group in prison and are disproportionately the unhealthiest.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
think you know? Well the answer might fool
you. So check out the story below and fell free
to comment.
How do we as African Americans define selling out? Is it dating outside of our race? Is it the shuck-and-jive entertainers? Is it the black Republican? Is it the overly ambitious, material-driven civil rights activist? Or, is it the well-spoken and studious black child?
I believe we need a new paradigm of selling out. Today's sellouts are blacks who perpetuate violence and destruction in the black community and participate in the globalization of negative stereotypes and images of African Americans.
Not long ago, I was eating lunch at a restaurant near downtown Chicago, and a young black man walked in with a scantily dressed white woman on his arm. They were both in their early 20s and dressed the part. I saw a few ''sisters'' sigh as they entered. Yes, the brother -- smiley gold teeth and all -- looked real proud to have ''Becky,'' and she seemed even prouder to be on a safari with her African guide. They sat down near me and spoke very loudly, apparently wanting all to hear. I overheard a young black woman say, ''It's bad enough that he is a sellout, but do they have to be so ignorant, too?'' I gave her a nod of approval.
Then, as I gazed at the local newspaper, I read an interesting story about hip-hop and its alleged misogynistic and materialistic culture. This caused me to ask: What is selling out? According to Wikipedia, it refers to ''compromising one's integrity, morality and principles in exchange for money, success or other personal gain. It is commonly associated with attempts to increase mass appeal or acceptability to mainstream society. A person who does this is labeled a sellout. Selling out may be seen as gaining success at the cost of credibility.'' This is a pretty good definition. In the context of race relations, sellouts compromise racial solidarity and group identity and integrity for perceived societal acceptance, adventure or mere escape by dating outside of their race or ethnic genre. To many, love gives no amnesty to selling out.
However, given the poor state of black America, I believe we should redefine if not expand the term. African Americans rank at the bottom of nearly every social, political, economic and health indicator in the country. We are among America's poorest, financially in debt and illiterate. Proportionate to the population, we comprise the single largest racial group in prison and are disproportionately the unhealthiest.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Friday, June 1, 2007
Thank You Mr. President
Well wouldn't you know it Bush has taken time out
of his busy schedule to recognize Black Music month.
I guess thats the least he could do for us since he has
not given us much and this won't cost him nothing.
Although most of us already recognize June as Black Music Month, apparently it had never been made official through the federal government – until yesterday.
The White House released a proclamation by President George W. Bush announcing that the month of June will now and forever more be recognized and acknowledged by the country as Black Music Month.
Ladies and gentleman, here’s your President:
During Black Music Month, we recognize the outstanding contributions that African-American singers, composers, and musicians have made to our country, and we express our appreciation for the extraordinary music that has enriched our Nation.
The music of African-American musicians has helped shape our national character and become an important part of our musical heritage. Often born out of great pain and strong faith, that music has helped African Americans endure tremendous suffering and overcome injustice with courage, faith, and hope. By speaking to the human experience and expressing heartfelt emotion, African-American artists have inspired people across the generations in America and around the world with their vision and creativity.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
of his busy schedule to recognize Black Music month.
I guess thats the least he could do for us since he has
not given us much and this won't cost him nothing.
Although most of us already recognize June as Black Music Month, apparently it had never been made official through the federal government – until yesterday.
The White House released a proclamation by President George W. Bush announcing that the month of June will now and forever more be recognized and acknowledged by the country as Black Music Month.
Ladies and gentleman, here’s your President:
During Black Music Month, we recognize the outstanding contributions that African-American singers, composers, and musicians have made to our country, and we express our appreciation for the extraordinary music that has enriched our Nation.
The music of African-American musicians has helped shape our national character and become an important part of our musical heritage. Often born out of great pain and strong faith, that music has helped African Americans endure tremendous suffering and overcome injustice with courage, faith, and hope. By speaking to the human experience and expressing heartfelt emotion, African-American artists have inspired people across the generations in America and around the world with their vision and creativity.
This Article Continues Here
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
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