Hair highlights police bias in Philadelphia

Can you imagine your boss coming to you and reprimanding you for your hair? To have your boss instruct you to change your hairstyle because it is not ‘clean or professional’. And imagine in this instance that there are several other people in your workplace that have the same exact hairstyle, and nothing is said to them as they happen to be of a different race.

Sounds like a blatant bias does it not? I would say it is.

The hairstyle in question is cornrows. A popular style among many African Americans, men and women alike. Which is not to be confused with dreadlocks, as some do make that mistake.

The workplace is the police in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia to be exact. Where the regulations regarding hairstyle require a military look.

But the person in question is not an African American. It’s a White cop – Officer Thomas Strain.

Now does that change anything in what you were thinking as you were reading along? For me it has not. But obviously in Philadelphia there is a bias, this time against White cops, over what is a simple situation.

This is just as wrong as if a Black police officer was told to cut his cornrows. In fact, I believe either all the officers need to remove the cornrows or every officer that wants to wear them can. As long as they are neat and keep up to date, it’s no different than a dozen different hairstyles that I have seen officers in every police force in the nation wear.

These days politicians are using accusations of bias, and racism, for anything and everything that does not match their point of view. It doesn’t matter how trivial the subject, nor if any factual evidence exists. Which is a shame and a problem at the same time.

This is an obvious case of bias. It doesn’t matter that the officer in question is White. And while hair preferences may be transitory and benign to most, it is a real issue as it indicates other problems. Yet with so many fake and politically advantageous uses of the serious issue of bias and racism, this gets shoved under a carpet – as do all real issues.

Personally I hate when any rule or law is split or modified just because of the color of my skin. Either I am just as good and qualified as anyone else, or I am not. To create special rules just for me infers a weakness or inferiority in me. Which is an insult and a lie. Which doesn’t change because the issue is trivial.

In stating that the White officer can’t have cornrows, the police department is stating that Black officers have to be treated with different rules. That they are not the same as any other officer. It’s an insult to EVERY non-White officer.

What other rules and regulations are not the same? What else might one officer be allowed that another cannot do? And would that include violations of the law? Because it seems to be credible that such disparities might just exist.

I am a man. A Black and Latino man. Which makes me no better or worse than anyone just on the basis of my skin. Or my hairstyle. To judge me as such is to insult me.

The same is occurring in this case. Every officer in the department has been insulted and ranked. They have been told de facto that they are not the same and therefore better or worse because of skin and hairstyle. I can think of little more explicit examples of bias. It should not be allowed to happen.

Hollywood movie star reacts to Philadelphia racism

When it comes to a news story about entertainers doing a good thing and kids, I just can't stay away. It's these kinds of things we all need to hear more about.

In this case the news starts off in a negative. In Philadelphia, a city known for its negative overreactions of its police force, there was the added negative news that 65 kids were turned away from a private swim club.

The story goes like this. Valley Swim Club is private, but declares they are open membership. Creative Steps Day Camp paid nearly $2000 to allow 65 kids (that happen to be Black and Hispanic) to be able to use the pool to swim. The day camp made one visit, which seems to have caused a ruckus. Not because the kids were rude or badly behaved, but because of race.

"I heard this lady, she was like, 'Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?' She's like, 'I'm scared they might do something to my child,'" said camper Dymire Baylor."

It seems that not only were comments like this stated, but the parents (who it seems were all White) pulled out all of their kids from the pool once the kids of color got in the pool. Which is insulting in far too many ways.

It got worse though. Valley Swim Club then rejected the day care. The very next day the membership was revoked, with an offer to refund the money paid offered. But this was not about money, but a chance for kids to swim.

Valley Swim Club stated

"There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club," John Duesler, President of The Valley Swim Club

In just that statement I think the case was clear. Valley Swim Club is open to everyone, as long as they have the right skin color. It's a page right out of Jim Crow and segregation. I'm sure Philadelphia was proud.

But the story was not over. Because after this hit the news on July 9th, people around the nation started to hear what happened. One of those people had the ability to do something about it. That was Tyler Perry.

Perry found this to bne an outrage. That no child deserves such treatment, especially over their race. He said

"It broke my heart and I wanted to do something. I want them to know that for every act of evil that a few people will throw at you, there are millions more who will do something kind for them. Show them they are just as good as anyone else that they can do or be anything they want to be no matter what anyone says."

Then he went a step further. Since the kids couldn't go to Valley Swim Club, Tyler Perry is going to send them to Disney. He has paid for all 65 kids to go to Disney and a Disney Water Park for 3 days.

I applaud Perry and what he has done. I hope that the people of Philadelphia abandon the Valley Swim Club, and write to John Duesler about this. People like him need to be reminded that this is not the 1950's, that even then such actions were never acceptable, and that all of America is better because of the various people that make up this great nation.

Tyler Perry has helped the 65 kids of the Creative Steps Day Camp, and all of us that hear this story, realize that the small minds of a few cannot prevent them from attaining great things in their life. It's a message that I am more than happy to spread.

**You can reach John Duesler and Valley Swim Club at:

22 Tomlinson Rd
Huntingdon Vly, PA 19006
(215) 947-0700

Police, murder, African Americans. Never Again. Stop The Game

In 1946, in Georgia, a mob lynched 4 Black men. That event led to the desegregation of the military, and arguably set the stage for the Civil Rights Movement.

In 1981, in Alabama, Michael McDonald was randomly selected and lynched.

In 1998 James Byrd Jr. was dragged to death in Texas.

These were horrible acts of violence. Thankfully in each case some degree of justice was enacted. But these are not isolated events. And they are reinforced by actions of a group in America that should never be tolerated. Police officers.

There is a pattern in America that has been accepted and hidden by the news media for far too long. In each occurrence it is passed off as an individual act and unrelated. I disagree. I believe we need to bring these connected events to light.



In 1991 Rodney King was beaten by 4 officers with excessive force. This was one of the first times such an action by police was seen by the public, as the event had been videotaped by a bystander. Even with this evidence a jury essentially slapped the wrists of the officers involved. This lead to riots in 1992.

Since that time several other events have been video taped with the media less willing to give it public attention. One of the most recent was the execution-style murder of Oscar Grant, in Oakland California on New Years Day 2009.

The killing of Grant was witnessed by at least a dozen witnesses. Grant was unarmed, on the ground face down, with an officer on his back, and was not resisting arrest. He was shot 1 time in the back at point blank range, killing him. The entire incident, some 4 minutes long, was caught on multiple cameras. It took 14 days for the officer firing the shot to be charged with a crime. The incident reached the national media 2x (an ABC news 30 second video clip and the opening memo on the O’Reilly Factor), both focused on the riots that occurred a week after the event.

On that same day, Robbie Tolan was shot in his driveway, while on the ground, in Texas. Robbie Tolan has been a minor league baseball player, was unarmed, and coming home from getting fast food when he was confronted by police. He currently has a bullet lodged in his liver. The officer in question has not been charged to date, though an investigation appears to still be underway.

Again on that same day, in New Orleans, Adolph Grimes was shot at 48 times, and struck 14, by 9 police officers. 12 of the 14 shots struck Grimes in the back. There is no clear explanation of why Grimes was shot at, or how he was struck so many times in the back. At this time no charges are pending any officer involved, though an investigation is said to be underway.

In 2008, Philadelphia, 19 police officers surround and beat 3 men. The officers believed the men might have been suspects from a shooting earlier that night. The men, not resisting arrest and unarmed, are kicked and beaten while lying on the ground. The result of this unquestionable act of police brutality enacted on African Americans is 4 officers fired, 3 suspended, and 1 demotion. No charges were brought.

Sean Bell, and 2 other passengers in his car, were shot at 51 times in NYC in 2006 by 5 police officers. None of the men were armed. Sean Bell died, the other surviving men were critically wounded at the time. None of the police officers were found guilty of wrong-doing.

Also in 2006, in Atlanta, Kathryn Johnston (age 92) was shot by 3 officers and killed. The officers entered the home with a no-knock warrant – prying off burglar alarms and breaking down the door - Johnston fired a shotgun once in the ceiling. No officer was injured by Johnston. Police fired 39 shots and hit Johnston 6 times. A failed cover-up of the incident included false claims of Johnston being a drug dealer. It was later proven that the Atlanta police routinely lied to get warrants All 3 officers that shot Johnston have been found guilty.

In 2005, in New Orleans, Robert Davis was beaten by 4 officers (2 of which were in fact federal agents). This incident was videotaped by the Associated Press, during which one of the newsmen was physically assaulted for videotaping the event. The federal agents were never charged. 2 officers were fired and 1 received a 120 suspension. 1 officer was cleared of all charges by a judge.

In 2004, NYC, Timothy Stansbury Jr. opened a rooftop door and was shot and killed by a police officer. He was unarmed. The shooting violated police procedure. The officer was never charged.

In 2001, in Ohio, Timothy Thomas was shot and killed by a police officer. The initial statement by the officer was that his gun accidentally went off. He then later stated that Thomas, wanted on non-violent charges, had a gun. He later revised the statement that he believed Thomas was reaching for a gun. Thomas in fact was unarmed, and is believed to have been holding up his baggy pants. The officer was not charged.

In 1999, in NYC, Amadou Diallo was shot 41 times by 4 police officers outside of his home. He was unarmed. At least one of the shots to Diallo was fired through the bottom of his foot, meaning he was lying on the ground when the shot was fired. None of the police officers involved were found to have committed a crime.

1998, in New Jersey, State police officers fired 11 shots at Danny Reyes and 3 passengers in the van. 3 of the men in the van, including Reyes, were shot. Reyes was hit 4 times, and was unarmed, as were all the men in the vehicle. All the men were on the way to professional basketball tryouts in North Carolina. The State troopers were charged with attempted murder after having initial charges dropped by lower court. I am unaware of any trial date having been set or occurring to date.

In 1997, in New York City, 4 officers arrested Abner Louima on questionable charges at an incident not originally involving him. When Louima was brought to the police station the officers proceeded to beat Louima with fists, nightsticks, police radios, and then sodomized him with a plunger. The entire event was attempted to be covered up by multiple police officers in the police station. 2 officers received time in jail, 3 other officers had convictions overturned and never served time.



I mention all of these events for 1 reason. They are not separate. They are all related. This is a pattern that has been occurring since before the 20th century started. It happens across the nation. And it could happen to your brother, sister, mother, father, children or yourself.

Police officers are routinely given carte blanche to violently act against African Americans without cause. Even when that action results in death, or extreme unjustifiable violence and torture, police are routinely excused.

The media almost invariably ignores these events. Even when presented with evidence from independent sources. Right this second more people in America know of the Florida Caylee Anthony case than all of the above cases (with the exception of perhaps the Rodney King event). While the Anthony case is horrendous, it is an individual act – reported on for a year – whereas we have a pattern of systemic abuse of power allowed by the legal system that remains virtually unseen. And it is anyone’s guess how many other cases of a similar nature occur and are not reported on.

This is unacceptable. This is wrong. We cannot allow this to continue.





The news media must live to its obligation to report on patterns that violate the rights and lives of American citizens. The news media is not an entertainment program, nor does it have the right to ignore facts that affect a huge segment of the nation while trying to garner ad revenue.

The police are employed to protect the rights of all the people. While many do this every day successfully, there are more than enough officers that do not. For every case resulting in the unwarranted death of an unarmed African American how many more cases of lesser violence slip thru the cracks? For every case of violence that catches the local (almost never national) attention how many are unreported, or successfully covered up?

We may never know. Especially if this is allowed to be viewed as individual events that are unrelated. Especially if we cloud our eyes to the fact that officers in these events are routinely placed back on the street, and inevitably train future officers the tactics and mentality they employ.

We need to wake up America. We need to shed light on this subject. We need to make people aware of the danger that exists. Because if 1 Black man can be shot at 51 times without question or repercussion, any man woman or child in the nation could be next.

I present this clothing line, found at www.cafepress.com/nova68, with one thought in mind. Attention to the wrong that is happening right now, in this “post-racial” America. Police cannot murder innocents without concern if they know they will be punished for it. Police departments will not abide criminals wearing a badge if they know that they have the support of the public.

I cannot say that the Never Again, or Stop The Game, clothing lines will prevent another Abner Louima, Kathryn Johnston, or Oscar Grant – but if enough of us have this, wear this in public, open the debate and thus increase awareness it just might. If enough of us can wear this, and it starts people noticing the obvious connected pattern of abuse and death things can be changed. And that change could save the life of a child, a father, a family. This change could save you.

Isn’t that worth it?

A chicken wing, or a life

I have often said that much of the anger (or envy if you prefer) that America receives from the other nations of the world is due to us being

“Powerful, rich, and free... all at the same time.” – from The West Wing

Well that is mostly true. We are the king of the hill, whether other nations like it or not (and they don’t). But that isn’t the only reason.

Another part of the anger to us as a nation comes from some of the things we do. And occasionally that anger is well deserved. Take this wonderful item as an example.

In Philadelphia, home of the concept of police gang beat-downs, there is an annual chicken wing eating contest. PETA was not invited. In this contest the goal is to shove down as many wings as possible. This year’s winner was John “Super Squibb” Squibb, who ate 203 wings in 20 minutes. But of course there were no professional eaters in this years contest.

Think about that. Thousands came to watch a group of people stuff food down their throats for entertainment, not sustenance. And only in America could someone be employed to do such a feat.

Meanwhile there are millions suffering from famine around the world. Projections state that only 25% of Africans will be sustained by the land by 2025. And world food prices are soaring since 2007. Since the beginning of the year 39,304 people have died from malnutrition worldwide.

Now I understand that we are free. That includes the right to be wasteful and not care about other parts of the world. It’s something we do daily, to varying degrees, as does every nation on Earth. But some things just go beyond indifference.

Professional competitive food eaters? While children die across the world because they can’t drink clean water or have any food to live on? Seriously. It’s one thing to not realize the enormity of need in the world. No one expects us to give to everyone in need – even the U.S. is not that rich or powerful – nor should we be responsible for the world. But there is a line to all that. And competitive food eating contest cross it.

Am I wrong? Is competitive food eating contests perfectly fine? Should America not be singled out for such a waste of nourishment?

I think that on this one subject, under these conditions, international disdain is on the money. But you tell me.

Treat her Black, pay $10 million

The police are insane. The TSA has lost control over its employees. The only way to reign in these blatant abuses of our rights is to sue. And the spin goes on and on.

You might have heard of this news story. If you haven’t here it is



This event takes place at Regan National Airport. It happened in February 2007.

Now I’ve seen a couple of versions of this story. The AP story is not the least biased, and I think it represents the general medias feelings best.

Now this is not about a question of rights. It’s not about government intrusion in public places while dealing with public safety. It’s about the media.

Robin Kassner describes the event as “flying”. She compares it to being “beaten up” without knowing why or by whom. The video shows her reaching for something in the bag being searched, and then the cop reacting. They “twisted my arm around, if felt like it was breaking”. “They threw me against the metal table… they took a forearm to my head, they pounded my head into the metal table.”

Listen as the reporter tells how Kassner received a concussion and permanent brain damage.

“Kassner says that doesn’t justify the brutality, … suing for $10 million dollars.”

All in all I have heard several news organizations all tell this story, over a year old, all from the point of view of Kassner. She is the presumed victim. She is the one that was hurt. She deserves (some in the media have stated) to win her case for some if not all the money. I have not seen any single media coverage that does not implicitly side with Kassner and blame the authorities for overreacting.

So why is this a big deal? Because the media is outraged when a White person is treated as if they were Black or in this case Muslim. How dare this be allowed to happen. But what happens when the media reports on a situation that is similar to this one when Blacks are involved?

May 5, 2008 - WTXF news helicopter - Philadelphia

“Like Rodney King, the men once pulled out of the car, are assaulted with extreme prejudice. Not one man in this video is shown resisting.”

Each man in the video is Black, kicked and punched. Each was assaulted by multiple officer after being on the ground. They might have permanent injuries, but you never heard about that in the media. They had their arms twisted, their head beat. They were beaten up en masse.

But where is the media calling for the police department getting sued? Where was the media saying that out of 19 officers on the scene no more than 4 needed to be punished (I do not feel a demotion – 1 - nor temporary suspension – 3 - are penalties) is inexcusable? Where is the indignation, the outrage, the calls for change?

Robin Kussner might have been a terrorist. Thats why she was pulled to have extra screening done at the airport. Alerts at the time stated that terrorists were trying to use liquid explosives, and she was reaching into a bag that was being checked. It could have been a bomb she wanted to set off. The officer was acting to protect all the people in the airport from a possible threat. But the media paints a sympathetic picture for Kassner. She is White after all.

But when Black men are involved sympathy is unnecessary from the media. Any excuse from the police – who ADMITTED this was unnecessary force – is acceptable. No matter how many times this kind of case happens the media fails to connect the dots, though there is no lack in connecting dots to any Republican that has not acted in a liberal manner or for a liberal cause. And there is no timeframe that stops when sympathy should be given to a White that is treated in such a manner.

I don’t care about the legal issue. I do care about the media portrayal and emphasis. But now thay you can see and read the comparison, what will you do? How do you feel?

Community gardens and prisons create fresh food

Crude Oil hits newer and newer highs, gasoline is creeping forward in a slower but no less steep rise, and heating oil is the tiger in the next room. With these costs going up money gets tight quickly for even well-to-do families. Add to that the big gotcha that ethanol production is driving up food prices (or more sneakily shrinking serving sizes) and you have a situation where families cannot make ends meet.

The solution, at least in Philadelphia, involves a prison and community gardens. Essentially the lowest level prisoners are being used to tend to seedling plants that will then go out to community gardens. As these public gardens are tended fresh vegetables are grown, which are then given out to charities and churches for distribution to the needy. And the number of needy is growing. Last year 6 tones of vegetables were grown and given out. This year the plan is to grow 15,000 pounds of food.

This plan has a hidden benefit as well. For the prisoners there is the opportunity to learn about nature, self-reliance, self-discipline, and even a few classes in classics like math squeezed in. It may not be the perfect answer to higher food prices, but to those – especially the elderly – that have the need it’s brilliant.

Now some of my more business minded readers might wonder where all the money comes from. Nothing is completely free, and they are right in this case as well. The Albert M. Greenfield Foundation has funded this program through 2009 at a cost of $500,000. Those involved believe this is money well granted.

So what is the point here? That gardening can be more than just a bit of relaxation. That community gardens can be used for more than just nice looks. That even under difficult conditions the human spirit can flourish in the least expected environments.

Think about it. Maybe you have a community garden near you, or you can start one. Perhaps there is a program in your area already or you can start one. I’ve just planted a seed, will you help it grow?

Philadelphia: Justice for 1 in 5 fair for police

So here is a key thing to consider when it comes to how law enforcement in America reacts to a blatant and violent reaction caught on tape. In Philadelphia there were 19 police officers involved in an attack against 3 Black men. I spoke about this here Police overkill: not a movie, Philadelphia

Now I have long said that this is more than an isolated event. I have mentioned that this is a national policy, in at least that under duress the rules are bendable. And I noted that the offenders tend to be forgiven or barely touched by their actions. That is exactly what I perceive to be happening now.

Of all the officers involved, 4 will get fired. Additionally 1 will be demoted and 3 will be suspended. That’s it.

Look at the video in my previous post. Of all the officers involved I see none that are trying to stop any of the police brutality that occurred. Not a single police officer is being stopped as they kick and beat on the 3 men lying on the ground and surrounded by multiple officers each. In what way are they not complicit?

If I were to stand by and watch several African Americans beat a White American and it was video taped, I would be charged with conspiracy to commit a crime. I would be attacked by the media for not doing something to stop the obvious violence and overkill occurring. Yet officers of the law are not held to that same standard. Why?

But there is something else that is happening, and it is as critical as the actions of the police. It’s the reporting and words’ being used to describe what has happened.

On Yahoo you can read this statement right now

“The beating occurred at the same time police were conducting an intense manhunt for a suspect in the slaying two days earlier of Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, but Ramsey said Monday that there was no indication that any of the officers thought the suspect was among the three men in the car.”

That sentence, the last in the article, is powerful. It implies that the manhunt for the criminal that killed an officer involved these men. That their actions were motivated by the belief these men were involved in that shooting in some way. That is the only purpose of this sentence. Especially since earlier in the article is clearly states that the police alleged these men were suspects in an unrelated shooting, which occurred the same night as the video.

That last statement, that I have heard cable news reporter repeat in some form, is the beginning of a defense of any potential charges on the officers. It is the seed of a subliminal excuse for all that read this. And it will become more prominent as the case moves forward. This always happens.

Is it a big deal? Yes, because a potential jury will hear this defense of the officers perhaps dozens of times. The fact that credible authorities, major media of multiple formats, have said this over and over means it must be true. Because anything the media says is thought to always be true. And this is the thought process being embedded. This is one reason that a jury could find Rodney King’s assailants innocent of any charge. It’s why the Sean Bell murderers were found innocent, thought the official police story on events changed dramatically.

Add to that the fact that the major media is trying very hard to prevent the average person from connecting how law enforcement acts on a regular basis. At least once every year the national media reports on an event where police officers use unwarranted extreme violence against African Americans – usually males. That’s at least once a year for probably decades now. But they are unconnected. And it’s never racial.

I feel that is a lie. It’s racial because it’s something that happens to only people of color. You have never heard of, nor has it ever happened that, a White male was shot 20, 30, 40, 50+ times in front of their home. You have never heard, or seen 5 or 10 or 15 officers beating on subdued White suspects. Because of this it is racial. And it’s connected.

We need to break this mindset in the law enforcement of this nation. We need to remove the permissive environment that exists allowing people of color to be victims of acts that would never be tolerated if done to White Americans. The statue of Justice is said to be blindfolded because Justice has no bias, But the more I pay attention I tend to believe she is blindfolded to not see the abuse and injustice being enacted in this nation – just as she remained blind to slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, and the various disparities found in inner cities as opposed to everywhere else.

R Kelly trial to start, or will it?

“5 years and counting. What might that refer to? Could it be the Iraq war? It could also be the amount of time since R Kelly was supposed to go to trial for the alleged rape of a minor…”

“Will R Kelly finally go to court and stand trial for his actions – and will the family of the girl that was raped still be working for him?”

I made those comments back in September 2007. Now in May 2008 with 2 days to go before the start of the trial, another delay looms, and the media still isn’t paying attention. I cannot describe how angy this makes me. A rumored and widely acknowledged pedophile is running around free and evading the law and the news media can’t be bothered.

The media makes me sick in cases like this. Wesley Snipes is an entertainer, and Black, so no time was wasted in painting him as a felony criminal – even after he was found innocent of all but the least significant charges. OJ Simpson can’t walk across the street without a news crew documenting it (as they virtually have for over a decade) – and he was found innocent. Rev. Wright had 35 years of religious service and work for the equality and imporvement of quality of life wiped out by five 10 second polispeak soundbites – and he wasn’t running for an elected position.

But when it comes to real crimes the major news media has it’s head stuck up it’s collective a**. The Jena 6 case was ignored for months. The Megan Williams case was granted all of 30 seconds and will never be uttered again. Sean Bell was discussed form the cops perspective, without ever mentioning the conflicts in their stories, and pushed to a corner as quickly as possible. Now the actions of 15 cops in Philadelphia is set to be accepted as merely a slight over reaction among a small group of officers – completely obfuscating the connection to and growing trend of excessive police brutality to people of color nearly exclusively.

And we can add R Kelly, a pedophile whos targets are near-pubescent girls. The daughters, neices, and sisters in the Black community that are supposed to be protected by the law and the community. Yet the news media can’t be bothered to know anything about this case, because Britney Spears cut her hair, Amy Winehouse is a crackhead that got arrested again, and Paris Hilton is a spoiled rich brat who was arrested for violating the law and is placed into entertainment events because she has too much money to offend.

Of course how can we blame the major news media. African Americans regularly support this vile and disgusting man every time he has a concert or makes a record. Grown women still swoon to his words and gyrations on music videos, actively ignoring the fact that were they standing in front of him naked he would prefer a clothed 13 year old next to them. What makes him any less dispicable than the Mormons in Texas?

And not a single complaint has come from the major news media about the judge’s running of the case.

“Vincent M. Gaughan, a Cook County circuit court judge… essential goal, according to one of his orders: "To preserve the dignity of the court and the integrity of the proceedings." That's an especially powerful, ironic argument, given widespread concern that Kelly is receiving preferential treatment because of his celebrity status.”

The media has been consistent in complaining that Black entertainers get treated preferentially by the legal system. They point to OJ, Wesley Snipes (who was sentanced beyond any parity according to all experts in such matters), and numerous rappers like Snoop Dogg. Yet they can’t seem to be able to see R Kelly or the fact they are giving him a pass that is underserved or justified. And many African Americans laud this as a positive.

Of course R Kelly hasn’t been taking this vacation from the law lightly. He’s used the time to lay low, keeping out of the direct spotlight – letting potential jurors only know about his records and not his deeds. He’s employed the father of his victim, paying cash to keep his a** out of jail and possibly buying testimonies in the process (isn’t that called inciting perjury – and a crime in itself?).

I once quoted

“As Huey states in one episode, [I paraphrase]
“America has done a multitude of injustice to Blacks, but that does not mean everything is an injustice, or that this makes every African American a hero.”

The fact that R Kelly can sing a song, is Black, and entertainer and has some money does not make him a hero. The fact that video tape proves he is a pedophile does make him a criminal and in need of imprisonment in my view. And the news media ignoring this case makes the injustice to African Americans no less palpable than when the media ignored Jena, Megan Williams, Sean Bell, or ignored the innocence of Wesley Snipes.

The major news media has a position and it seems to be clear. It could be said as:

• If a Black is popular and well off – find something to take them down. Crush their lives if possible. (Stories on Michael Jordan gambling on golf games, stories claiming Tiger Woods' wife was in a porno, searching for infidelities in Bill Cosby’s life or others, and so on).
  
  
• If they are guilty, or even suspected of a crime against a White, convict them at every turn (Wesley Snipes, OJ Simpson, and on).
  
  
• If they are committing, or suspected of, a crime against themselves or African Americans. Spin it as positive as possible. Publicize it as often as possible. And if it has no positive edge, ignore it. (R Kelly, Snoop Dogg and more)
  
  
• If they are the victim of a crime – only if commited by a White – ignore it. If it can’t be ignored then blame the African American and support the White (Duke rape case, Megan Williams) but never allow guilt to be a fact.
  
  
• And for any other case not covered, just look for the most negative portrayal of any person of color as possible, or avoid the issue. (How many Amber Alerts have you seen on the news for Black children? How about in the past year?)
  

So I have to wonder if R Kelly will ever get into a courtroom. Or if the media will cover it if he does. Or is the victim in the case (who is now 23 and thus won’t look as obviously a victim as she would have 5+ years ago) going to have her short past used as a weapon against her.

What would you bet?