Will there ever be justice for Oscar Grant?

Oh my god. Could it actually be that Justice will be served in a case where a police officer shot, and killed, and unarmed young Black male?

The end of the preliminary trial for ex-BART officer Johannes Mehserle has ended in Oakland, still without the media coverage that such a case deserves to have. This is especially true given the fact that video evidence exists for this case from multiple sources. Add to that the blatant and extreme nature of a police cover-up. Then finally include an astounding revelation from one of the key officers involved with the murder of Oscar Grant

“I didn't see the hands, so I didn't see a threat," Pirone said. "It didn't pose a threat to me "... or any other officer.” - Officer Anthony Pirone, who was kneeling on the neck of Oscar Grant III as he was shot in the back and killed.

The facts of this case are so blatant that the Judge presiding over the prelim made the following statement after ruling to allow this case to go forward to trial

“There is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Mehserle intended to shoot Oscar Grant with a gun and not a Taser.” Alameda County Superior Court Judge C. Don Clay

Yes, it’s so obvious that a Judge was willing to say that publicly. Of course this will likely cause the trial to be moved. And I’m willing to bet that the new location for the trial will be the equivalent of Simi Valley. And we all know how impartial that kind of jury pool can be.

Since I first learned of this case in January 2009, days after the murder of Grant, I have seen no reason to doubt the guilt of Mehserle. I have followed this case while the major news media has actively ignored it at every turn. I have questioned what has been done to cover-up the situation, and speculate about the cause of news media disintrest.

So far we have learned that ex-officer Mehserle initially excused his murder of Grant with a claim of an unseen, non-existent gun. Later, after time with a new lawyer and the quick cover story speculated by the Oakland Police Chief, the story became the accidental use of deadly force.

We have learned that every officer involved has (in my opinion) perjured themselves with lies of chaos and impending doom. Accusations of angry mobs rushing forward, attacks against officers, and resisting arrest have all been soundly debunked by witnesses and multiple videos of the event.

How this case has not been subject to a quick plea bargain leads me to one thought. Mehserle believes he can get off scot free.

This is even more likely if the venue is moved. It is backed up by precedence of officers across the nation being absolved of the murders of, and/or violence against, unarmed, innocent, young Black males. It is supported by a news media that has tried to actively maintain doubt, in the most of the few times the case has ever been mentioned. It is reinforced with the persistence of criminals covering their crimes with accusation of imaginary Black assailants that are readily accepted as fact by the media and most of the nation (most recently by a Pennsylvanian woman who was in Disney at the time).

That is gut-wrenching sickening. That a defendant can be guilty as sin, with more than ample proof, and the odds of gaining justice or even a semblance of punishment are maybe 60 - 40 against is unacceptable in the least. And I still get people advocating the innocence of Mehserle. I still have people that wonder and debate why African Americans across the nation fear and shun police officers. I still hear people deny the imbalance of the legal system and misrepresentation of Justice in America.

In my opinion, Mehserle is guilty of murder. Yet I still cannot be assured that he will be convicted of this obvious and insanely vicious crime. Because in the end, it was just another young innocent defenseless Black male. And in America that is the same as a deadly weapon in the hands of Osama Bin Laden. Lady Justice is weeping.

ex-officer Mehserle on trial for Oscar Grant murder - justice undone

And so it begins. Almost 6 months ago to the day, the year 2009 rang to life. At almost the same time Oscar Grant’s life came to a close with a sharp bang. That bang was a gunshot through his back and into his lung. Oscar Grant was lying on the ground, possibly handcuffed, with one police officer kneeling on his neck with another standing and having shot him.

This was the cause of riots in Oakland, California. This was the start of yet another cry for justice from the Black community across the nation (a cry the major news media ignored). And it was the target, along with another murder and shooting – all by police, of multiple posts and videos by me. And I’m not done yet.

On the 26th of May, the defense for former officer Mehserle has claimed that the officers at a BART station on January 1st feared for their lives and were receiving resistance from at least Oscar Grant among 4 men detained that night. One officer has stated that Grant was grabbing her arm shortly before being shot in the back. It was stated that Grant had to be forcibly made to sit down by officers, and that he was being restrained when he was shot in the back.

Oh, and the major point that everyone has waited for the defense to say: Ex-officer Mehserle thought he had his stun gun out when he shot Oscar Grant in the back while he lay on the ground, defenseless.

This is bullshit. Not unexpected but crap from start to end.

While I cannot comment on the actions of Grant or the other men that night from before video was available, I can comment on the video before and during the time he was shot. The video that the earliest news reports denied existed. Video that was available to the world, and I featured in my posts of the event.

Here are the facts as I saw on the video. Grant was not resisting officers. Grant was on the ground, restrained and under control of an officer who was on his neck. None of the other men being detained moved. There were some 5 or 6 officers on the scene. Not one officer made a move for their guns or stun guns. None were reaching for or had out their mace/pepper spray. While the situation was loud, not one officer was moved against with aggression from the crowd on the scene. Officers did try to confiscate videos being taken of the event.

Most important is officer Mehserle. After he stands, he is alone from all other groups and officers. He takes out his gun, which is not near his stun gun, just because of this supposed occurrence. He aims for about 2 or 3 seconds, then fires.

So the actual visual record, from at least 3 video recordings of this event, all show the same thing. The officers did not have to fear for their lives. They may have been uncomfortable, but they were in no apparent danger. They were outnumbered, but they also were in force and not mobbed by a crowd. None felt the situation to be so precarious as to arm themselves.

Mehserle is the only officer to become armed. He took his time, and acted with purpose. He was seemingly in full control and was unencumbered nor rushed. He is not a rookie, and was supposedly well trained.

Grant was lying on the ground. His hands are behind his back, likely restrained. Which means this was cold-blooded murder.

The news media will likely not cover this story, just as it did not cover the initial event. There will probably be no mention of this on the national cable networks. The few stations that do cover this trial will likely take the stance that the police offered immediately after the shooting. That it was a tragic accident. The actual videos of what happened will likely not be mentioned. And the likes of Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson will remain absolutely silent.

In fact, other than a quote from the family of Grant, the existence of a video was barely mentioned in the news report by the San Fransisco Chronicle

So the average American, who probably never heard of this murder, and don’t know that video evidence of the actual shooting exists, will think that an officer in fear of his life accidentally shot a kid that was resisting arrest. Which is a lie.

And I’ll even say more on that. It’s a lie because officer Mehserle would not have quit the police force rather than go thru an internal investigation of the shooting if it was an accident. Mehserle would not have left the state prior to charges being placed against him (well over a month after the fact). News organizations would not have omitted the existence of multiple videos of the event, nor would the police have denied all but one source of video (which conveniently had the worst view of the shooting). This is a set-up. It is the means by which a former cop is being protected from the truth of his actions.

Again I tell you that I have covered this story in detail. You can see all my posts at http://blogsearch.google.com/?bl_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackentertainmentblog.com%2F&ui=blg&as_q=grant

True justice demands that Mehserle gets the death penalty. Justice would be his imprisonment for life, and the awarding of all his possessions and funds to the Grant family (in particular to Grant’s daughter that will never see him again). But this is America. Mehserle was a police officer who killed a young Black man. Odds are that Mehserle will walk away from this with barely community service.

And people wonder why African Americans are so angry at the police and the legal system. Just imagine the press coverage, and speed this would be happening at – not to mention the ultimate outcome – if this was a Black cop that killed a young White father while he was lying on the ground defenseless. If you can imagine that, you cannot compare it to this mockery. That’s why we are angry.

But I will continue to follow this, even as the major media avoids it like the televised plague.

Oscar Grant - the deafening silence

Right now I can say that I can't recall a post subject that has drawn more attention on my blog than right now on the subject of Oscar Grant. Not that the major news media has been focused on this issue until there were riots in the streets of California. Yes Oakland is enraged, as well they should be.

I have watched more people comment on my own expression of rage on my youtube commentary than anything but the election of President Obama, based on the same amount of time. I have recorded more visits and views, at each and every blog that I own or write for that covered this issue.

But I am noticing a few things.

One of the first things I noticed is how quiet a large section of the internet has become. I do not believe that a single White visitor to any blog I write to or own has said a word. Normally I have commentary from around the world, people of every race, creed, ethnicity all comment on various things I say. When it comes to race relations in America I normally get feedback from various Americans across the nation. Some agree with my views, others do not. And inevitably I have some that just want to be racist.

But I'm hearing nothing right now from anyone but African Americans - apparently. The people that defend cops when I correctly point out their policies on brutality on African Americans and other minorities are quiet. People that think my comments about race in America are biased or too extreme are silent. In fact, even the racists that find fault with any comment that reveals America is racially divided have nothing to say.

Considering the number of visitors I have every month, and the huge numbers viewing my posts on Oscar Grant, I find this odd. On 5 different blogs (including Black and White Blog which is focused on race relations issues), one of which (1800blogger.com) dwarfs my own blogs in terms of visitors each month, there is nothing being said. WHY?

Is it because the only concern of the major news media is the riots that have disrupted businesses and thus they are covering the news? Is it that the videos of the event cannot be edited in any manner that brings question of the murderous guilt of officer Johannes Mehserle? Rather ex-officer as he has resigned in an attempt to pre-empt further investigation and avoid punishment as well as embarrassment on the Oakland police.

Why are people rioting in Oakland, why is the national African American community outraged? Because this murder has been brushed aside by the media and excused by the police - like the beating of Rodney King, and the murder of Sean Bell and so on. African Americans are tired of being targets, of being ignored in the news (except when a negative statement can be made), of receiving a second-class justice while being depicted as objects of fear, violence and hate.

A White man lost in the woods gets national attention. White children that are missing gets national attention. A White man stealing millions in dollars gets national attention. White stars die and they get year-long attention. Each of these have been news items in recent weeks, and each received days of news coverage and posts on these stories have gotten dozens of responses across the blogosphere. But when the victim of a crime is Black and the criminal is a White police officer it all goes quiet.

Well I am glad I have helped raise attention on this issue. And more importantly on the fact that this is not an isolated event. That this is a policy found across the nation. That the odds are overwhelmingly in favor of this ex-cop walking away from this cold-blooded murder without spending a day in jail.

The news media have acted like cowards. They hid this story from the nation, for reasons I cannot name. They have failed to draw attention to the very thing they exist to do - make the public aware, keep all levels of law and enforcement accountable to all the people, and bring justice to those who have been wronged.

If this was kept out of the major media because of ratings, then they are worse than cowards. Fear of losing viewers because it makes cruel, vile, White police officers look bad is their job. Yet they do this job poorly.

How much attention did the assault of 15 cops on 3 Philadelphia Black men receive? Do you know what has happened to the case since that video was released? Do you know what happened to the 5 officers that brutally shot some 51 times Sean Bell and his companions in their car in New York City? How about the 6 Whites arrested and on trial for the rape, torture, and kidnapping of Megan Williams? And I can go on and on.

But I bet you know what happened to OJ Simpson, every day. Or the arrest of Wesley Snipes (and far less so his victories and overly-harsh punishment on minor non-federal charges). Or the arrest and trial of Bobby Cutts.

So I am not surprised that so many people that want to argue with me about the racial bias in movies and television (in front of and behind the camera), commercials, news, at airports, and so many other places and events in America are absolutely wordless in this case. Because there is no question of guilt. There is no twist or doubt or anything but guilt. And it was racial if not racist in its motivation. And again there is no question there.

All White people are not like ex-officer Johannes Mehserle. The shocked reaction of some of the officers on the scene tells me that not all officers in Oakland are like him. But when the news media wants to avoid the entire subject because it makes them uncomfortable, or whatever is their reason, it makes it hard not to feel that they all are like Mehserle.

Obviously I am still angry. And I have every right to be. The White part of this nation was insanely upset about OJ wining in L.A. Now imagine if African Americans were to be equally as insanely upset over the multiple, repeated, unjustified, unpunished violence and murders enacted by police officers against us. If you can imagine what that would bring, the only question I can ask is why does the news media seem to want to provoke such a reaction by failing to do its job?

Oscar Grant's family deserves tens of millions for his wrongful death. Ex-officer Johannes Mehserle needs to be in jail, convicted and put to death. And the news media is obligated to cover both of these things, for days, at every step, to ensure such an outcome and preserve some semblance of justice in America. The silence as seen so far is not enough. Action and active participation needs to occur.

Just like it would if Grant had been White.

Oscar Grant murder - commentary by Michael Vass

I have listened to the news today and so far I have yet to hear of news about Oscar Grant. I have heard about Adam Herrman who has been missing for 10 years, the UN discussing Israel and Gaza, and Obama having lunch with all the living former Presidents. I have heard that the best way to lose weight is to eat less, and that Senator Harry Reid is backing down and accepting the appointment of Roland Burris. I even saw a bit on the fidelity of Brad Pitt.

I still have yet to hear about Oscar Grant. Which has my anger boiling, and reminds me why I made a video commentary last night. I went through a couple of versions before my emotions calmed a bit.

The news media is failing America. In not discussing the why of what happened we are failed. In not discussing the cold-blooded act itself we are failed. And I for one will not stand for it.

Here are my thoughts.

Oscar Grant murdered by Oakland police in cold blood

Can we even start a year without something racial happening in this country? I have already spoken about my thoughts concerning the Muslim family that were subjected to fear and discrimination while trying to take a flight. But this is something far worse.

On New Years eve, hours into the start of the New Year, police shot a young Black man. In the back. While he was laying face down. And I bet most in the nation are only learning about this today, a week into the month just like me.

Now some may have seen the highly edited video of this murder, as shown by ABC News and a local television station. I warn my viewers this is disturbing, real, and murder in my opinion.



Here are details that are currently known and visible from the video. Police were called to the Oakland train station reportedly because of a fight. Once there we see that initially 2 officers had control over 3 or 4 men, who were co-operating. The crowd observing the event made the officers nervous, as another 5 officers arrived on the scene. Oscar Grant, 22 years old, is seen standing at one point though it is not clear why. The officers have him kneel and then place him face first on the ground. Oscar seems to be handcuffed this entire time. He moves on the ground and one of 3 officers restraining him places his knee on Grant's neck. As this happens another officer, a 2 year veteran, casually stands back, reaches for his gun and fires into the back of Grant killing him.

Another view of this entire incident can be seen below.

This is raw footage. The key moments are from 1:56 - 2:57 . It is clear at 2:37 that 32 officers, joined by a third, are nervous but controlling a crowd that are busy observing the event and video taping it. At 2:52 you can see the officer draw his gun, with 2 officers holding Grant down, 3 officers holding the crowd (4 people apparently and an unknown amount in the subway car) and I believe one other officer in the background.

While the situation was not pleasant, none of the men on the ground were endangering the officers. The crowd was at a distance. and 3 men were close getting video. One of those men was taken down by one officer, but the rest of them were unencumbered or endanger. I say that both from their stance and the video footage of the crowd.



There is no question of the guilt of the officer that fired. There was no threat. Not from Grant, the other men on the ground, nor the crowd. There were 6 or 7 officers at the location that can be observed, with an unknown amount in transit. While quite vocal, the crowd maintained a wide distance, with the exception of 3 men that were under constant observation by no less than 2 officers.

This was a murder.

A murder committed by a police officer, on an unarmed, defenseless Black man. Again. And some dare tell me that I have no reason to fear the police. That stories about the consistent, coast to coast murder of Black men by police is a lie. That this is just a coincidence.

If all that were true, then why has this taken 6 days to be released to the nation? Why has no major media network covered this story nationally? Why is ABC News providing a highly edited video that places doubt on the cause of this event, when I found several videos of this event on youtube in 10 seconds that are clear on what happened.

The innocent can stand in the light of day, and were this murder justified in any way the police would have made it national an hour after it happened. But it is not. And only now, with the family suing for $25 million is it catching attention.

And I think the family deserves far more. A father of a 4 year old daughter has been killed in cold blood for no justifiable reason. A family has lost a son. There is no proper price, but obviously in California the $50 million paid to Rodney King was not enough to make a point.

How can anyone look at this video, and recall the deaths of Sean Bell, the beating of Rodney King, Amidou Diallo, and so many other events - each year - and not wonder if Black men have bull's eye's painted on their backs that police see.

I am angry. At the news media for hiding this for days. At the police department in Oakland for pretending that there could be any justification for this act. They are claiming the officer might have been trying to draw his taser. If so, once his hand was on the gun didn't he know the difference. Once he drew the gun and saw it, why didn't he replace it. And why did he fire when 2 officers had control of Grant on the ground?

And I am insanely angry at the officer. he is a murderer. He needs to be in jail right now. Because I guarantee if I killed a White man who was on the ground, defenseless, and a father of a child there would be national outrage. I'd be in a jail immediately. And the only question would be if I would get electrocuted. And all that is without a video tape.

Justice in America is not colorblind. Like the news media and police across the nation it seems to be color bound.

OJ Simpson convicted - kangaroo court closed

Prepare for the shock of your life. OJ Simpson has been convicted of 12 counts in the Las Vegas kangaroo court trial on Saturday. I’m sorry, I meant to say the legal farce that was the precondition to the incarceration of now convicted OJ Simpson, on charges that he murdered his White wife. Oh, wait. You thought this was a case about something else?

Lest you think I made this up, that OJ was on trial a second time about his wife’s death, here are some quotes to reflect on.

“I think he did it," juror Sherian Sue Eckart, 55, said in response to a questionnaire item on the murder of Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson…

“I don't believe the jury consider(ed) the facts," Ruth Ann Horschmann, 62, wrote of the Los Angeles jury…

I disagree with the verdict. I think the police/prosecution in the case made errors," Sharon Ann Johnston, 36, wrote…

In documents released by the Clark County Court following the verdict, five of the 12 jurors disclosed during the jury-selection process that they disagreed with the 1995 verdict.”

“David Wieberg, a 51-year-old manager, was among the jurors who said he disagreed with the 1995 verdict.

"No, I don't believe the jury consider(ed) the facts," he wrote in his questionnaire.
Mr Wieberg also said he agreed with the outcome of the civil trial that found Simpson liable for the deaths.

"It may have given the victims' families some satisfaction," he wrote.”

“She says jurors instead used video, audio and documented evidence to evaluate whether Simpson was guilty of each of the 12 counts. She was one of seven jurors to speak to reporters.

Jury foreman Paul Connelly says it might have been a waste for prosecutors to give plea deals to several Simpson co-defendants in exchange for their testimony.”

And this was a fair trial? This was about Las Vegas?

This case was never about Las Vegas. If it were the fact that there was considerable evidence supporting the contention that OJ was entrapped into the whole thing would have been relevant. And the testimony of the witnesses, actually a group of men looking to avoid up to 11 years in prison each by turning states evidence, showed many reasons to have doubt.

Now that doesn’t mean a crime wasn’t committed. Nor that OJ shouldn’t be convicted of that crime. But it does mean that 12 crimes and a lifetime in jail is unwarranted. Unless you were one of those rejoicing at this blatant act of revenge. So much for a legal system.

This is so angering. This is all about race. A Black man was accused of a White murder, and because he could afford a legal team that usually only some Whites can and is found innocent he had to be tormented for his life. If OJ was caught on tape J-walking there were cops hoping to arrest him and lock him up. 13 years of news coverage of his every step, and newscasters unconcealed disdain over OJ’s freedom says it all.

There was no question of OJ getting convicted. I have spoken to dozens throughout the nation, not one thought he could win even if God came down and forgave him of his sins on primetime.

So while some are out having a great time, cheering and drinking the conviction here is a sobering thought. Justice in America, no matter how lax or intermittent before, is now dead. It is now legal precident that double jepardy is allowable and enforceable.

No longer will it be enough to win a case, be prepared to win in every concievable aspect and court, many times over. While the average White defendant will likely never have to worry about this, if you are Black you will have to. Because the legal system that previously was biased to significantly convict any Black defendant, and to more hashly sentence that defendant, will now follow you to your grave no matter if you win and everytime you do.

If you are White you likely will never understand why OJ being convicted this time matters. If you are Black you understood it the day he was arrested in Vegas, and all through the week of coverage that followed. And if you weren’t scared, you have to be dead.

Some want to think racial injustice in the law died the day that Senator Obama ran for President, and those same people were likely screaming for OJ’s blood 13 years ago – and rejoicing this weekend. So maybe it’s just that as long as you do what they would like you are treated well, and once you don’t they will have no problem cracking the whip. Just that these days the whip is the legal system.

And if you don’t agree then explain why so many are so damn pleased about this verdict, barely able to contain themselves about the case 13 years ago that had nothing to do with Vegas 1 year ago?

Editorial by Michael Vass

In August of 2007 I wrote a post highlighting my disgust at the major news media. That feeling of absolute sickness came from the fact that the major news media could not bear to spend a moment of time to discuss a travesty in the American legal system.

I said in that post

“After 43 years of shadows, lies and looks the other way a semblance of justice has been enacted. This is not something that we as a nation need to avert our eyes from, but look towards. Like slavery (and reparations) we must address the fact that horrible crimes against humanity and these 2 men, Charles Moore and Henry Hezekiah Dee, went unaddressed for decades with no reason better than law officers, the public, and the government in general did not want to think about it. How much further have we really come when justice finally is enacted and the major news media are too timid to shine a light on the dark corner of the recent past that is this nation’s history.”

Now a year and a month to the day I have been given reason to return to both this subject, and to the reprehensible reaction in the major media. Perhaps this time seeing my comments will help give some impact and thought to this mockey of justice.

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.

If you want to be a bank robber - 3.25.2008.1

Have you ever needed money and dreamt of robbing a bank for the money? Maybe you needed an operation for your family, or your kids were hungry. Maybe you don't like working. Maybe you just wanted to go to the mall and get your hair and nails done. And if you were blonde, white and young, you could.

I’m speaking of the affectionately named “Barbie Bandits” out of Atlanta. About 1 year ago I wrote on the robbery these 2 young girls committed, stealing $11,000 from Bank of America – giggling all the way. They were caught after casually leaving the bank, spending money and then going to the mall the next day and discussing the robbery with a hairdresser.

For this crime, one girl was given the harsh penalty of 10 years probation, the other 2 years in jail and 8 years probation. Let my heart be still. Keep in mind that this was an inside job, one of their accomplices was a Black man. He received 10 years.

Now if you think this is appropriate, note that a bank robber in Surprise Arizona – who walked away with no money – had a 5 ½ hour manhunt after him. He was Hispanic/Latino and 41. Another man Paul Carman, of unnamed race, age 31 robbed Citizens Bank of $3,500 was arrested 8 ½ hours after the robbery. He is charged with robbery, theft and receiving stolen property.

There were no cute nicknames for the male robbers. There were no casual attempts at catching the men. No delay was spared in searching for them. And the charges were both multiple and likely to involve everything but probation. Of course they were not blonde, young and White girls.

My problem? That this is another example of the skewed enforcement of the law that occurs. Senator Obama may not have wanted to say it, but Rev. Wright was alluding to it. And White Americans receive the advantage without thinking about it. If you are White you have an advantage at every step even while you break the law. And I can’t get the same treatment even if I deserve it.

The “typical White person” in America probably won’t see the problem with the young girls getting probation. They were dumb, and were not violent in their actions. They have lives in front of them. They deserve the chance to get their lives on track. Such are the comments that might be said.

Yet I have never heard such comments made of African Americans or people of color when a crime is committed. Nor have I seen a similar criminal penalty handed out. It reminds me of the Delorean fiasco. He was caught with a kilo of cocaine. Only because there were huge sums of money devoted to finding an entrapment by the DEA, did he avoid jail. Of course the general consensus of the country was, ‘He couldn’t have done that?!’ But if I was similarly entrapped do you honestly think I’d get the same monetary and public support? Do you think I’d have avoided a huge jail term?

If you can even hesitate in your answer then you know the answer is that I’d be in jail for a decade or more. The same thing would happen if I were involved in a robbery like the ‘Barbie Bandits’, as the Black male in this case received.

How can any American be aghast at the comments of Rev. Wright, Rev. Al Sharpton, or any other African American while our legal system skews the legal punishment of Whites right in our faces? And the media conveniently avoids coverage of these events in favor of negative portrayals of people of color? Avoiding questionable or downright barbaric events like Megan Williams torture, rape and kidnapping, or the murder of Sean Bell and others.

I love my country, but I hate the schism in legal enforcement and the presumption of guilt I face because of the color of my skin. This ‘Barbie’ case just highlights the facts. It is in no way an extreme as I have seen in the news.

These women are criminals. They broke federal laws, and committed high crimes. They flaunted their crimes and were laughing about the crime. Were they not idiots, who knows how long they would have gotten away with their actions, since there was no manhunt as every other similar case has. And as a deterrent to other young, White girls and boys they received probation while the African American received 10 years. What message do you think is being made?

So the next time you need money, especially if you are in the South and specifically if you are in Cobb County, rob a bank. That is if you are White with blonde hair. Being a girl is a bonus too. Because the time is easily worth the crime, if you are White it seems.

Justice may be blind, but the legal system sees colors Part 2 - 12.5.2007.2

Continued from Justice may be blind, but the legal system sees colors Part 1...

There is no way possible that the current system will improve when, even in the face of criticism by the highest courts, the average populace thinks that the system is fair or needs to be harsher. There is no chance of repair while the media focuses thoughts towards the impression that Blacks are responsible for the majority of violent crimes, are the majority receiving social entitlements, and generally in the worst class of society.

“Focusing on 2006 (estimated data from the FBI) there were 611,523 violent crime arrests and 17,034 people murdered. 70% of all arrests were for Whites, with 59% of those responsible for violent crimes being White. And White teens represented 67% of all teens younger than 18 arrested.”

Those are the facts, but the media has spent how much time following every aspect of the recent OJ case? How much time was dedicated to Bobby Cutts? And in each case how often did major news commentators all but declare these men guilty from the first day?

“In terms of media time there was about 1-5 ratio at best on the coverage of the Vaughn case versus the Davis case. So far today I have noticed about 5 minutes of news on the Vaughn murders, versus 1 ½ hours (at least) on Mr. Cutts. This was over a 2 hour 45 minute time period. Roughly every 3rd item on cable news is referring in some aspect the Davis case. In comparison there has been 1 item on the Vaughn case in that same time.”

The legal system is not fair. It never has been. It is racist and predjudiced. But there are many Americans that don’t realize this. A friend and colleague of mine once stated to me

“I had no idea of the things that happened to you were possible in America. It would never come into my mind. It would never happen to me, or anyone I know. I’m shocked.”

So once again we will hear about how bad things are. And the media will maybe provide a minute of coverage, unless they are too busy dedicating a day of coverage to OJ sneezing, or Ellen DeGeneres losing another pet and crying on television about it. You know covering the important issues.

Because the legal system is fairer now, more than any other time in history.

Justice may be blind, but the legal system sees colors - 12.5.2007.1

*This can also be found at Black & White Blog, where I am a co-author.*

I was recently talking to a friend and they mentioned how things are so much better for African Americans these days. They believed that the legal system is fairer now than ever before. I laughed.

There is no question that African Americans have long felt that the legal system in America is a failure when it comes to any person of color. We have long complained of higher conviction rates, less access to bails, and harsher penalties once convicted. That says nothing of the stigma attached to those paroled, falsely accused, or who win the judicial action.

There is the examples from the past of numerous lynchings, the eradication of Rosewood, and Jim Crow laws including segregation as recent as the mid- to late-70’s. But on more recent notes there are the examples of Rodney King, Sean Bell, OJ Simpson, Genarlow Wilson, and the Jena 6. To that recent list can be added Allen Snyder.

Who is Allen Snyder? A black man who was convicted in Louisiana for the murder of a man and the stabbing of his wife. Sounds similar to another case? Well this trial was initially in 1996 and the prosecutor removed all African Americans from the jury, and then made correlations to the OJ Simpson case. The all-White jury agreed on guilt and the death sentence.

“Williams made repeated public references to the Snyder case as his "O.J. Simpson case." In his final remarks before jurors, Williams said the case reminded him of Simpson's, although he didn't use Simpson's name.
"The perpetrator in that case got away with it," Williams said, after the trial judge overruled a defense objection.”

Now the Supreme Court is looking over the case. Of course this is after the fact that back in 1986 and 2005 the issue of racial bias in juries was addressed.

"The use of race- and gender-based stereotypes in the jury-selection process seems better organized and more systemized than ever before," Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in a 2005 case. Breyer said that despite a 1986 decision, Batson v. Kentucky, barring prosecutors from striking someone because of race, studies suggest discrimination "remains a problem."

My point?

Simple. There is more than just an imbalance in the legal system. It’s an absolute fact that it’s prejudiced. But the media plays short shrift to this, and the general White populace believes that everything is fair. At least that’s how I have experienced it.

Continued in part 2...

Why is the major media afraid of racial news stories? Part 2 - 10.22.2007.2

Continued from Why is the major media afraid of racial news stories? Part 1...

"Last year, there was a little bit of racism, but it didn't surface as much because there weren't as many minorities. I never thought I was in danger or anything, but this year it's starting to escalate more, so now I'm starting to get kind of worried." - Jasmine Whaley a 15-year-old sophomore.

Does that sound like a place immune to racism, or where the predominant racial majority chose to ignore their own actions against others? I mean one of the greatest points of racism that is never addressed is the fact that many Whites don’t see any racism ever. The Superintendent seemed to think there was none until this event, while at least one student interviewed has seen it grow over a little more than a year. And this is hardly an isolated event.

I plan to delve into a case of racism that has been brought to my attention, in a vocational college in Pennsylvania, in the near term. But where is the insight from the major media that has far more resources and personnel than I do? Why do they fear addressing this issue?

I know that this isn’t the 1960’s, and racial conflict stories aren’t popular. That doesn’t mean they are irrelevant. More importantly as nooses, guns and racial slurs are being noted in schools, and kidnapping and torture occurs virtually without any media coverage, we are being told that there is one problem in our nation.

Perhaps if the nation is defined as Whites only. I won’t say that every White American thinks like that. But when I see nooses in Long Island police stations, Jena, and a dozen other locations, when I read about the rape, torture and kidnapping of a woman, and more cases of violence against Blacks and other minorities it seems obvious that there are more than a few that do think like that. And as Superintendent George presents, many more that just won’t see this racism before them.

Some thing needs to be done. The issues need to be addressed. Because I think if you closed your eyes and imagined that 6 black men and women repeatedly raped a White woman, poured boiling water on her, stabbed her, chocked her with a noose, and ripped her hair out that there would be national media attention that would be covered from dawn to dawn until the offenders were found guilty and sentenced to life in jail. If you doubt that, just count the hours of coverage on the Bobby Cutts case.

The question should be asked. Why is there such a disparity in justice in America today? Why is the major media terrified to present that disparity? Who benefits from this lopsided presentation of the nation?

Why is the major media afraid of racial news stories? - 10.22.2007.1

I find it interesting how the media works. Months after everything happened in Jena; the media pops up and gets involved as if this were a new thing. But, since this is an obvious example of prejudice and legal bias in the 21st century, the media felt it necessary to ignore the Megan Williams case in West Virginia. As if the quota were filled for the racial injustice for the month.

But that’s not all. The media seemed to feel a need to prove that such injustice was not one-sided. Thus there was a big splash made when a young White teen was assaulted in Virginia by 6 Black teens. But in day 2 of the building coverage that was describing how horrible this racial incident was, and cries of justice were coming from media pundits, they were let down. Let down by facts like the police stating live on-air that this was not a racial act. In fact this was a provoked incident, one that the White teen caused prior to the “sudden attack” which just happened to occur on tape made by his friend who did nothing to prevent the fight, nor defend his friend.

Can’t you hear the major media executives groaning at the loss of that story? Because they killed it right after that announcement. Not another mention of the story since that utterance by the Norfolk police.

Yet throughout all this searching for equality in ratings, and a diminishment of guilt there has been a blind eye turned to the obvious and recurrent. Sure there has been a special about the increase in nooses in the news. But no one asked if it’s an increase of the major media just paying attention. And at the same time we saw that Ellen Degeneris whining about a dog was worth of 2 days of coverage as opposed to an extra 5 minutes about Megan Williams, or the emergence of problems at Warwick High School in Lititz, PA.

Haven’t heard about that have you? I imagine not.

To give you a breakdown, possibly some time in the first week of October 3 White teens, possibly members of the known and allowed “redneck row” verbally attacked 3 non-White students and threw paper at them. While it may sound innocuous, this incident lead to rumors that same day that the next day guns would be brought in and riots were planned. What fun.

And this pastime was a shock to local residents.

"Perhaps we were lulled into a false sense that our school district was immune to racism and bigotry." - Superintendent John George

Imagine that. In a town of 9,000 that has 3 percent Hispanics and Blacks represent 2 percent in the high school. No racism or bigotry. Never mind the confederate flags and “redneck row”. Suddenly they have a race issue.

Continued in part 2...

The things in the news - 10.12.2007.1

Well I’m tired. Not just tired from running my company and trying to set up bigger and better give away contests. Not just because trying to track down various celebrities, entertainers and notable people is difficult if you’re not a huge media conglomerate. No, I’m tired of seeing stupid things in the news.

I’ll give you an example. Snoop Dogg, an ex-convict, drug promoter and generally not a person I’d want to socialize with, was just given community service. This time the charges stem from his carrying a baton onto a plane going from L.A. to New York City. Now I won’t say this was too light a punishment, the crime was not that serious. But the fact that I have discussed several crimes committed by this one man in roughly a year is ridiculous.

The man seems to be a magnet for violence and criminal activity. Of course based on his background, as stated above, I am not shocked. But some judge had better get on the ball and put this guy back in jail for an extended period of time. Snoop Dogg, or Calvin Broadus as his given name, knows better than most entertainers and celebrities that there is no way he would be tolerated committing all these crimes were it not for his fame. His continued disrespect of the law, and his work in promoting drugs and disrespect for women, add up to probably one of the worst examples of what a Black man can be. Sadly he gets far too much media exposure highlighting these actions, as opposed to say Mr. Samuel Jackson or Mr. Denzel Washington or Mr. Bill Cosby who provide positive images and messages.

And there are the amounts of money being spent on silly items. Recently the watch worn by Mr. Peter Fonda in the movie Easy Rider was sold for $33,460. Now if the money was given to charity I’d be happy, but no such thing has been reported. Similarly a Batman comic book from 1939 was recently found in an attic and bought for reportedly $250,000. Again no details about the sale were provided but that just too much.

I don’t mind that someone made a profit and another got something they wanted. I myself wish that my mother had kept the comic books she and my father collected back in the late 60’s and 70’s before they could afford a television set. [For those that are too young to know, the price of a television was expensive back in those days, kind of like a PS3 or a decent computer now.] But the prices are just too much. I can only hope that some of that money was given to charity or used to help the homeless or AIDS prevention or something. Odds are though that they didn’t.

It’s not the money per say, but the fact that so much is being spent on such frivolous things, and there are so many things that could be done instead. Of course I’m trying to gain wealth as well as anyone. I have the T-shirts, mugs, and items I sell as well as ads on all my sites. At the same time I’ve given away motivational books, currently giving away dinners or making a charitable donation, and I’m working on setting up a chance to pay a year of tuition for a college student. It’s not a lot, but then again I couldn’t pay a quarter of a million dollars for a comic book if I wanted to.

Well enough of my gripes, more soon.

Another reaction to 'Average American' comments Part 2 - 10.2.2007.4

Continued from Another reaction to 'Average American' comments Part 1...

So when some say things like

“I also didn’t grow up in an area where there were drug dealers on the corner. I didn’t grow up in an area where there were gun shots nightly. But why do these things happen in black communities throughout America. Is that White America’s fault?”

Blacks understand that we didn’t choose to have drugs in our neighborhoods. They were brought there to us, and integrated into or communities decades ago. They were allowed to flourish, so long as it was not in the more affluent and ‘White’ communities, though Whites were given carte blanche to go in and out making their purchases.

Drugs promote violence, guns being one symptom of that. Were police truly interested in removing that violence, decades ago they could have stopped, or lessened this. They chose not to, because it’s ‘not their people’ affected. Even if you do not agree, that is the impression we grow up learning.

How can any White American understand all of this? That Black on White crime is debatably 60% more likely to end up with a Black conviction. That Blacks convicted are 3x more likely to have longer sentences on equivalent charges. That the media routinely presumes Black guilt at every instance.

Imagine, if you are not African American, how you might feel knowing that you’re that great-grandfather was lynched, your grandfather was not allowed an education, that your parents were refused a place to live all because of their color.

That your mother was paid less money than her peers, that your grandmother was only allowed to wash other peoples clothing, and your great-grandmother could only get work as a maid by people who routinely referred to her as a racial slur.

Are these absolute facts? No, but they are common enough history that most have multiple elements of this in their background.

Yet for all this, the average African American goes to work everyday. Children grow up getting as good an education as possible and overwhelmingly most are not into drugs. And nearly all deal with the fact that America fears them without issue.

Conversely, White women hold purses tight when Blacks pass by. Security in malls and stores follow Blacks, ignoring actual criminals that happen to not be Black. Police act with a presumption of impending violence even at routine traffic stops. The media constantly portrays every image of poverty and criminality with a Black face, though the quantity of Whites with these issues outnumbers Blacks.

Imagine that life. Imagine living under that pressure everyday. Imagine that you were me. And then tell me you could go to college, own a business, and never be an addict. Tell me that your friends and family would go to college and raise families without drugs. Tell me that you could not just survive but thrive in that environment.

I do, my family does. So do the families of my friends. But how many “Average Americans” could survive a day under this scrutiny and pressure. How many fail to have prosperous lives without any of these obstacles?

It’s not about who is better. It’s about understanding what the facts are, and how we all can get closer to a world that these things are no longer happening. The first step is comprehension. Not the denial that “Average American” posed. From that point we can move forward. At least I think so.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Response to 'Average American' comment on comparing news coverage Part 3 - 9.28.2007.3

Continued from Response to 'Average American' comment on comparing news coverage Part 2...

When you say

We all know how it works, there will be no justice here or anywhere Al or Jessie chose to spin the truth.

Who do you mean by “WE”? If you imply White America you may be correct. But that is yet another reason why this is a problem. The truth of this case has been discussed on blogs for MONTHS prior to the case ever being spoken by Jesse Jackson, Senator Clinton or the major news media. The Johnny-come-lately news media has yet to cover all the facts, from start to finish on this case because they don’t know. They are still trying to figure out what happened, while bloggers have long discussed it.

If you mean that Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton bringing this to national attention because major news media ignored it is spin, all the better. I am no fan of sensationalized events. I have commented on what I feel are the short-comings of both reverends. Yet there is no question that this is a newsworthy item that the media ignored, in my opinion, because of the racial component.

As for no justice, well I believe that happened when the Jena 6 were charged with attempted murder, that they were charged as adults, that no charges were brought against those that hung the nooses, and when the shotgun was brought to the school. Where was the justice in all those acts?

Were is the justice in the media ignoring Me. Megan Williams, or Jonathan Riches, or Sean Bell? Who does this blind-eye benefit? None of these cases are separate, and all indicate a pervasive problem in America.

You make an accusation against the reverends, claiming that

You can not seek equality and justice by perpetrating the exact opposite.

I ask, where have they committed crimes? What have they done that is vile or dangerous? How have they prevented justice from being done? As far as I am aware, while you might call some of their actions grandstanding, they have not violated any rights or broken laws (with exception of civil disobedience which is not violent – and they were charged and served their punishment for).

Lastly you come to Rodney King. Obviously you come to this with a certain frame of mind. Your focus is on the prior actions of Mr. King, which could not and were not known that night. There was no prior knowledge or justification for 6 or more POLICE officers to stun and beat a man repeatedly for a traffic violation. I ask you, if this were a White man with the same criminal record, or without one, being beaten in the same manner would you still think that the beating was justified as you imply?

To say that this was a critical point, that this changed things in the nation, I disagree. The difference was that there was a videotape of the event. There was no tape when I was driving with friends and the police decided to pull us over and draw guns on ME in the passenger seat, while asking the 2 White guys in the back seats if they were ok. No ticket, no problem with the car. Just that question while I held my hands to the top of the car with 2 guns on me. (The driver was Asian if that matters in your mind. Oh no one in the car took drugs or had been drinking, in case you wondered.)

There was no camera when I was in college and was walking home from buying cigarettes and had officers roll up and pull guns on me. While they were looking for someone, I could clearly hear that they were looking for a White male with blonde hair, it’s what the dispatcher was saying on their radio and I could hear it at a distance of roughly 20 feet. Yet with that fact, as I stood under a streetlamp, in 1987 New Brunswick NJ, I spent the next 20 minutes providing my identity and waiting for them to confirm that they were looking for a White, blonde haired male with a gun pointing at me and my hands in the air. Rodney King was not special, it was just video taped.

Concluded in part 4...

Response to 'Average American' comment on comparing news coverage Part 2 - 9.28.2007.2

Continued from Response to 'Average American' comment on comparing news coverage Part 1...

As for where a hate crime should be claimed, Ms. Megan Williams of West Virginia was kidnapped, raped, tortured, stabbed, had boiling water poured on her and had her hair ripped out while being called the N-word and other derogatory names for a week. There was no motivation for the prolonged crime committed by 6 people, comprised of men and women. The racial impetus for this crime is not questioned, yet the hate crime statute has been denied. I ask why has there been no coverage of this case, and the failure to apply the federal statute.

Back to the point at hand.

There was nothing fake about the nooses. And as a resident of the South that has been around long enough to recall the 70’s you know that a noose is a threat. It has every intention of implying a lynching and death. It is also, by definition a hate crime which has not been charged. In fact no crime has been charged, which at the least can be called disturbing the peace and criminal mischief.

All penalties for that threat of death were ignored, similar to how you brush off their presence. I assume from this comment that you are White, because I know of no Black American that does not see a noose in the same manner as a burning cross. There is no comparative image in White America, so I am not surprised that the impact it creates is not recognized immediately.

As for your comparison that a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King justified his murder, you make several fallacies. The first is that you assume I do not wish any criminal penalty against the Jena 6. That is untrue. A crime was committed, punishment is due. I want that punishment to be commensurate to the crime committed and equal to the punishments for the crimes of all the others involved. Lopsided justice is bad for everyone, no matter who is on the favored side. There are several crimes that whites have committed in this case from its start to conclusion, yet none have been punished. That I do not agree with. Nor do I agree with penalizing anyone with a crime more severe than what they committed. Lastly I do not agree that legal minor, who has not committed a serious offense, should be treated as an adult. That is the law in this nation, and as I do not see this as an attempted murder, they were wrongly accused and bail was severely over-charged.

Secondly, hate speech should not ever justify an attack. How can you compare words calling for compassion and understanding to threats and physical harm? Where do you see the connection? It was that same logic that caused the nooses to be hung from the tree creating this problem in the first place. You imply that speaking against an over punishment for a crime is the same as murder for seeking equality. I cannot see that logic forwards or in reverse. It’s simply illogical.

Continued in Part 3...

Response to 'Average American' comment on comparing news coverage - 9.28.2007.1

This is in response to a comment from Average American on my post Compare White and Black news coverage Part 2 - 9.25.2007.2. My response was so long I felt it was better as a post of it's own. Please refer to the link to see the comment that lead to this post.


Thank you for responding Average American.

I too feel I am an Average American. I’m 39, of Black Puerto Rican decent and grew up in the Bronx going to public schools. As I state in my bio, I did not grow up in any special way and wealth was never a factor in my young life.

Given that, I do recall how the N-word was used back in the 70’s and throughout my life, including recently. I can recite multiple events, in New York City and the Northeast, where race and law enforcement directly collided against me. Oh, let me add another fact of my life. I’ve never been arrested nor involved in any crime. Yet off the top of my head I can recall several incidents where I have had police draw guns on me, while at college or driving on the parkway, or driving down Hollywood Blvd with friends (White and Asian). I have lived with the knowledge first-hand and through observation that race is a MAJOR factor in how the law and justice are applied in America.

I also have spoken with friends of mine of other races and found that consistently White Americans are not faced with these same events and outcomes. To deny the fact of how race affects issues in my decades of life is to ignore facts that exist. You may not have experienced them, or not recognized when they happened, but that does not change that they happen.

While I agree that if, in the Jena 6 case, race is not considered there is no question that there was an attack made. There is no question that there were 6 against 1. There is some dispute, as stated by Rev. Jesse Jackson and others, whether or not the victim was kicked and/or when he became unconscious. That makes this a crime and prosecution is justified. No one has questioned that.

The question is the application of the law. The victim was not seriously injured. He attended a dance, or some other social event, later that same day. If murder was the intent, 6 people are more than enough to accomplish this, especially if he were unconscious. This was a fight, lopsided but a fight all the same. To charge attempted murder is over the top.

In comparison, days earlier a White student brought a shotgun to school to intimidate one or several Black students. That student, in a nation that has endured Columbine and college shootings, was not charged or reprimanded. Is not a firearm attempted murder when used in this manner? Where is the justice and equal treatment under the law?

While you might say this is a hate crime, I disagree. Were this a random White male selected you might be right. But this student was part of a group of White males that attacked one of the Jena 6; I believe it was Mr. Bell, the day prior striking him allegedly with a bottle. The attack by the 6 Black males was an opportunistic attack in retribution. If the first attack the day earlier, and the shotgun being brought to school, are not hate crimes, then neither is the Black males fight. In fact because this was retaliation on other violence it can be easily argued that race was never a factor.

Continued in part 2...

Issues stemming from Jena 6 Conclusion - 9.23.2007.4

Continued from Issues stemming from Jena 6 Part 3...

mike vass: No, he is going to be released.

MH: No he is not being released. Check CNN.

mike vass: I stand corrected, what is happening then?

MH: I am still reading. That sucks, even after the protest they still didn’t get "justice".

mike vass: Not really. But protest has been ongoing for months. At least now there is a chance, Congress is supposed to get involved.

MH: Which makes my point. I think that is just a spin.

mike vass: It is, but it may get justice served along the way. They may be self-serving, but he may get help by accident.

MH: So in order for us to get justice, we need to call Al and the gang and have a march?

mike vass: We need to pursue it, and realize it won't happen immediately. If we stop it's like stopping swimming, you drown. May still die while swimming, but at least you have a chance.

MH: We need to get the hell out of the pool then. This is crazy.

mike vass: You can only get out of the pool if you win, and we aren't winning.

MH: We only make up 12 percent of this country, we will never win.

mike vass: Actually, we are at 15% and Hispanics are 15%. We are roughly 1-3 for people of color, which means things have to start to change.

MH: Oh excuse me. So even if we and the Hispanics teamed up (don’t hold your breath) and really rallied, we would still be basically doing nothing. We don’t even like our own people.

mike vass: But how depends on what we do, and not being divided, or distracted (like by trying to be the next sports star, or the whole rap/hip-hop thing).

MH: Black Americans don’t like Jamaicans, Puerto Ricans don’t like Dominicans. But we get bent out of shape when whites don’t want us around.

mike vass: No real reason for it. But it makes things easy for others to maintain control.

MH: Jamaicans are idiots because they say "Black Americans allowed themselves to be mistreated during slavery so they are now lazy." Which is asinine. Black Americans think "West Indian men beat their women and cheat on them all the time and they are arrogant."

mike vass: That’s so stupid.

MH: Yes it is. Which is why I can see why Whites don’t like us.

mike vass: Where does all this come from?

MH: We spend too much time doing stupid things. It comes from the fact that the English were much more humane to their slaves (Black Caribbean’s) than American slave owners were. They were not beaten nor treated as harshly as American slaves were. So there was some level of pride left in Jamaican slaves, when they were freed, they were in a better position and they look down on American slaves.

mike vass: Ah, that makes a big difference.

MH: It does, but it’s stupid because we were all slaves. Hating one another doesn’t make sense.

mike vass: Exactly, still suffering the effects of all that.

MH: No he is not being released. Check CNN.

mike vass: I stand corrected, what is happening then?

MH: I am still reading. That sucks, even after the protest they still didn’t get "justice".

mike vass: Not really. But protest has been ongoing for months. At least now there is a chance, Congress is supposed to get involved.

MH: Which makes my point. I think that is just a spin.

mike vass: It is, but it may get justice served along the way. They may be self-serving, but he may get help by accident.

MH: So in order for us to get justice, we need to call Al and the gang and have a march?

mike vass: We need to pursue it, and realize it won't happen immediately. If we stop it's like stopping swimming, you drown. May still die while swimming, but at least you have a chance.

MH: We need to get the hell out of the pool then. This is crazy.

mike vass: You can only get out of the pool if you win, and we aren't winning.

MH: We only make up 12 percent of this country, we will never win.

mike vass: Actually, we are at 15% and Hispanics are 15%. We are roughly 1-3 for people of color, which means things have to start to change.

MH: Oh excuse me. So even if we and the Hispanics teamed up (don’t hold your breath) and really rallied, we would still be basically doing nothing. We don’t even like our own people.

mike vass: But how depends on what we do, and not being divided, or distracted (like by trying to be the next sports star, or the whole rap/hip-hop thing).

MH: Black Americans don’t like Jamaicans, Puerto Ricans don’t like Dominicans. But we get bent out of shape when whites don’t want us around.

mike vass: No real reason for it. But it makes things easy for others to maintain control.

MH: Jamaicans are idiots because they say "Black Americans allowed themselves to be mistreated during slavery so they are now lazy." Which is asinine. Black Americans think "West Indian men beat their women and cheat on them all the time and they are arrogant."

mike vass: That’s so stupid.

MH: Yes it is. Which is why I can see why Whites don’t like us.

mike vass: Where does all this come from?

MH: We spend too much time doing stupid things. It comes from the fact that the English were much more humane to their slaves (Black Caribbean’s) than American slave owners were. They were not beaten nor treated as harshly as American slaves were. So there was some level of pride left in Jamaican slaves, when they were freed, they were in a better position and they look down on American slaves.

mike vass: Ah, that makes a big difference.


MH: It does, but it’s stupid because we were all slaves. Hating one another doesn’t make sense.

mike vass: Exactly, still suffering the effects of all that.


I hope this conversation was of use and interest. I want to thank Michael H. for allowing me to present this to everyone. And thank you to everyone that read it all.

Issues stemming from Jena 6 Part 3 - 9.21.2007.3

Continued from Issues stemming from Jena 6 Part 2...

MH: Well then here is the crux. The black student wasn’t arrested for sitting under the tree; they left nooses basically taunting him. Not hanging him outright. So what would have happened if he ignored it?

mike vass: Who knows? I feel a noose is more than a taunt. In the South that's a death threat.

MH: Agreed, a noose is more than a taunt.

mike vass: somehow I don't think it would have ended with the threat.

MH: We will never know, but the escalations that followed were done by blacks retaliating with physical harm.

mike vass: If you don't respond then it's a sign of fear and/or weakness and the aggressor pushes to see how far they can go. I agree that they reacted badly. But that was a death threat. Not justifying it, just a point.

MH: So then report it to the authorities, we have that right now as opposed to the 60's when we were on our own.

mike vass: True and I agree they should have. But to charge attempted murder is going overboard. Especially when other fights around that time, by whites against blacks, were never given charges most of the time and the ones that were got misdemeanors.

MH: Why is it overboard? It was 6 to 1 right? Were blacks beaten up? If the colors were reversed, how would it play out?

mike vass: Yes. And it would be like in West Virginia with Megan Williams.

MH: This is not in WV

mike vass: Fine, but nothing so serious would have happened. It wouldn't make the news or the blogs. You know that.

MH: But would justice be served? That is the important thing, not whether I can see it on CNN. If it doesn’t make it on TV and the people have been prosecuted correctly then I don’t need to see it. TV would probably put a negative spin on it anyway.

mike vass: Does justice get served now? Jonathan Riches took 43 years to get arrested and convicted and not a blip on national news. And as true as your words are, it isn't getting prosecuted correctly.

MH: And it’s on the TV, so what is the difference?

mike vass: For every one case we do hear of there are 15 that don't get any attention. I mean it took months to get this news out on the Jena 6, and bloggers were speaking about it for months. Oh, by the way, I just heard one kid just had his conviction overturned. Which is more just.

MH: But it didn’t make a difference, the boy is still in jail.

Continued in Part 4...

Issues stemming from Jena 6 Part 2 - 9.23.2007.2

Continued from Issues stemming from Jena 6 Part 1...

mike vass: Given. These are all very true points. So where is the issue with what I said? I tried to address and suggest sparking debate over those feelings.

MH: Had the black student kept those facts in mind, he would not have asked to sit under a tree where it was CLEARLY seen to be a white’s only area, or whatever. Why did he have to choose THAT area?

mike vass: Why shouldn't he be able to is the question. Not that he should have, but should be able to. And why did they have to respond with a threat of death? Especially over a tree.

MH: No we know why he shouldn’t be able to. Because he should be able to sit where he wants.

mike vass: Because of segregation and racism.

MH: Which is the norm in the South.

mike vass: Which I address in the post.

MH: Which is why he didn’t need to sit there.

mike vass: That's why this nation will always have race issues. It's also why there will never be an apology for slavery.

MH: This nation will always have race issues because there will always be racists. I don’t want an apology for slavery. You can never apologize for that. But whether there are laws telling whites to accept me or not, will not change the fact that they will not want me around them if they don’t like me.

mike vass: I agree

MH: Then the real question is how far do I want to push the issue knowing that the more I try to integrate myself, I will certainly run into resistance. Is it worth it just to prove a point? Just to be able to sit under a tree?

mike vass: Sometimes yes. Because if you don't try to sit under a tree, eventually you can't sit in a diner, and so on. Especially as kids today pay less attention to the issues that affects them, and buy into the commoditization of being black.

MH: I don’t think so. A diner is not a tree. The tree was not specifically mapped out for whites only. It just so happens that the groups of whites have always been under that tree.

mike vass: A diner can become one with time. The point is the segregation and not where it happens. It just so happens that they may eat at a diner, or go to a classroom. Where is the difference?

Continued in Part 3...

A conversation on the Jena 6 - 9.21.2007.2

Suddenly after months of bloggers speaking about the Jena 6, the major news media has finally woke up and realized there is an issue. It would be funny that they are treating this as a new thing, except there is no humor in this. Rev. Jesse Jackson is holding rallies and blaming Sen. Obama over this case, suddenly. Democratic Presidential candidates are all jumping forward to make a comment on how they feel about this injustice. And the President was asked to speak on the controversy. You would think this all just came up in the last day or 2, yet that is a false impression. At least it’s finally getting attention.

But what I want to share with you is a conversation I had yesterday with a colleague and friend. He is a White man about my age, owns businesses, and a good person. He also writes to a couple of blogs and was completely unaware of the Jena 6 case. After hearing all the news yesterday, he decided to write some thoughts on it, and then got in touch with me to discuss it.

His position was basically

In every racial injustice case, we tend to measure the punishment and forget that a crime was committed.

To a degree I agree with him. But there is a lot going on with this case that most are not getting. There is something not being conveyed. The main question is not as much that there should be no punishment, but that it should be equal. Attempted murder was hardly the correct charge, if charges must be made in this case. I say must as others White males were not given any charges for their fights. But if a crime is done, punishment is mandatory. But it shouldn’t be blind or biased.

Given that, the conversation evolved to discuss the real issue that Jena 6 represents and the major news media seems to never want to discuss. Race, segregation and anger. These are the roots of the Jena 6 case. And these are the things not being addressed. The charges and the imbalance of the legal system are only symptoms of this root.

The facts are that no one in this nation should be fearful of entering an establishment or standing in a space and being punished for it. In this case a tree was designated ‘Whites Only’, harkening back to the segregation of the 1950’s (for the younger readers, that’s really not as far in the past as you might think). A tree.

Continued in Part 2...

An American kangaroo trial in the making Part 2 - 9.18.2007.2

Continued from An American kangaroo trial in the making Part 1...

Another item that might make you think this is all just the means by which many in America will be able to enact revenge against OJ for his INNOCENT verdict over a decade ago is the bail. Normally bail is set at $150,000 for similar charges. That’s a total amount of bail. I doubt that the bail announced tomorrow will be so low.

Mark my words. I doubt that OJ will be given a plea. This will go to trial, and the nation will watch as never before waiting to hear the words guilty. Regardless of what happens in the trial, the outcome will be guilt for enough time to see OJ die in jail. Aliens could come down and state they commited the initial murders, or that they took control of OJ last week and he will still be found guilty. Thomas Riccio can be found to have organized this whole thing as a means to trap OJ, knowing he would react as he has, and proof of his consiracy to do this can be found and OJ will be convicted. America wants this more than picking the next President or getting out of Iraq with a win.

Major news media will not mention any question of the motives of Riccio. Interviews with him to date have yet to ask the obvious question why he taped this. There has been no question of potential entrapment, or the oddity of the circumstances of how this all came together. Major news commentator have been literally giddy with this news and bubbling far too much to bother. The idea that ANY case involving OJ going to jail cannot be tried failly has been avoided actively. I saw one person mention that OJ can never get a fair trial, and was cut off immediately.

After more than a decade, during which references to OJ being guilty of murder and anger of this has been mentioned no less than once a month at least by all the major news media, America now has a chance to get blood. Nothing seems possible to prevent that.

If that’s not a kangaroo court, I’m not sure what could be. At the least, some should be honest and say ‘I don’t care, I just want to put OJ in jail. He’s a Black man that killed a White woman and man. He needs to die. Lynch him.’ At least then they would be honest.


**As a side note, I don’t care about OJ. I don’t care if he did or did not kill Goldman and Brown. The original case was suspect, with contamination of evidence by police, and bad prosecution. 12 peers, some White, said OJ was innocent. It should have ended there, as it has for many rich Whites, like Ted Kennedy.

I don’t know if this current situation was set up. It has elements of such. I do agree that OJ can’t get a fair trial. I agree that part of America shares the feelings expressed by Sheppard Smith. I do believe that a Black man in America can’t walk away from a murder of Whites, like a White can and has walked away from murders of Blacks.

This is what I think, what do you think?

An American kangaroo trial in the making - 9.18.2007.1

“A kangaroo court or kangaroo trial, sometimes likened to a drumhead court-martial or Drumhead trial, is a sham legal proceeding or court. Kangaroo courts are judicial proceedings that deny due process in the name of expediency. The outcome of such a trial is essentially made in advance, usually for the purpose of providing a conviction, either by going through the motions of manipulated procedure or by allowing no defense at all.”

Now apply that to the current OJ Simpson proceedings. There seems to be a remarkable applicability of Kangaroo trial to what is going on. And none of the major news media is picking up on this. Rather they are feeding into it.

Were it possible for OJ Simpson to be killed for these charges, that are rumored to be increased, I have no doubt he would be, and I’d be referring to this as a lynching. It’s that obvious to me.

This is the 5th day of news about the OJ Simpson case leading the news, though finally it is not the sole item news media is speaking about. Mind you that this is the predominant story, receiving almost 10 – 15 minutes of coverage per hour. That kind of coverage is ridiculous, but not uncommon for the nature of the sensationalized reporting that is common today, in my opinion.

Rumors are now appearing that 2 more federal charges may be handed down against OJ. Kidnapping is one of them, coersion is the other. That would make 10 charges. It seems that the prosecution is just dumping every charge possible on this man. I would say that they are trying to ensure that with so much being thrown against the wall, something sticks and he is in jail for the rest of his life. And the injustice of this mounts.

News has also been reported that Thomas Riccio is going to be the prime witness in the prosecutions case. This is the man responsible for the audio tape that has reached the news media and internet. Yet I have not heard certain questions that should be asked and noted.

First, it’s known that OJ knew Riccio for some time. Riccio sells memorabilia. He was the one that told OJ of the items in question. He did not notify the police about the potentially stolen goods. He did suggest and set up, it’s alleged, the ‘sting’ that OJ enacted. He was the only one that’happened’ to have an audio device and taping the situation without notifying anyone about this. Does that sound like a trap, otherwise known as entrapment, to anyone?

Riccio is not being charged with any crimes. He is getting a pass and will be the prime witness for the presecution. Odd since he factually aided and abeited a crime that involved an alleged gun. And Riccio is not getting a single charge, though the other men involved are. While Riccio planned and performed the whole incident.

I would like to know why Riccio did not involve the police? Why did he involve OJ, and organize this incident? Why did he bring a recording device? Why has the audio been allowed to be released to the public, where it is contaminating the jury pool, even though according to Nevada law it’s not admissible in court? Why is he not being charged with a single crime that he committed and organized?

Continued in part 2...

500th post shows the faces of evil in West Virginia - 9.14.2007.5

This is the day of my 500th post on Black Entertainment USA. I've spoken about a lot of different topics throughout these posts, from video games, to cable network television shows, movies, rappers, celebrities, entertainers, commercials, news media and crime coverage. That's a huge list.

I was hoping I could have a more positive comment about hitting 500, but given the nature of the news out today (or more accurately what is being focused on today) and the far more important news that was recently ignored by major news media I think I will just focus on that.

For my 500th+ post I will simply provide the faces of evil. Here are the 6 people responsible for the vicious sexual, mental and physical abuse and toture of Megan Williams in West Virginia. Sometimes there are happy fluffy things to discuss on this site, but not today. Sometimes you just need to be serious.

The news today is not about OJ Simpson, but African Americans Part 2 - 9.14.2007.4

Continued from The news today is not about OJ Simpson, but African Americans Part 1...

On September 12th the major news media spent 5 minutes in 24 hours to discuss the repeated rape, torture and abuse of a Black woman by 4 White males and 2 white women in West Virginia, which occurred 5 days earlier. To date, there has been no further mention of this case. There is no information on the Brewster family, the mother and son that owned the shack the victim was held in for days. We know nothing of the motive, where these people worked, their relationship to the victim, or anything else. It was mentioned, once, that there may have been racial slurs used in the commission of these acts; and it is a FACT that the federal government will not pursue hate crime charges on this case. I cannot tell you why as there has been no reporting to tell me about it.

On August 14th at 3:30pm Sheppard Smith on Fox News stated

Pop some popcorn, its OJ time

As he continues to discuss the allegations against OJ for over 34 minutes now. What is going on?

The major media is so obsessed with punishing a Black man, that was lucky enough to afford the legal representation that members of the Kennedy family, and so many others have done before him. One Black man was not convicted of a crime, and it has resulted in a decade of pursuit waiting for him to get into trouble.

Yet, a woman is abused in the most horrible ways and there isn’t a whisper made. I’ve said it before, if 6 Black people raped, cut, beat, fed rat and dog feces, tortured, kidnapped and God knows what else to a White woman the Blacks involved would be lynched and the media would discuss every instant of their lives. We would know everything down to the spelling of their kindergarten teacher’s names.

Do I care if OJ is innocent? NO, not then and not now. He paid enough money to win his case in the past, and that’s what it takes to win trials. Especially if you are African American. Do I care if he did what he is accused now? It doesn’t matter, as the constant decrees by Sheppard Smith of

It’s Fantastic Friday; we’ll have more coverage on OJ in a moment

implies. He has spent 2 ½ minutes discussing anything but OJ. What is wrong with America?

I’ve lived 4 decades, and I understand quite well the discrimination I’ve had to fight to gain what I have today. I realize that I have more today because of what happened before I was born. I know that it could be far worse.

But 4 ½ hours of news coverage on a Black man, sheerly for the glee and thirst for revenge this nation has, out of 6 hours scares me. It feels like I am being told that I am worthless. That my life is worth nothing but an afterthought and that persecution against me will follow me for life. If I am even suspected of a crime, it means that I MUST be guilty and WILL be treated as such.

There is a crime being committed today, and it has nothing to do with OJ Simpson but it does affect every African American, Latino, Hispanic, Asian and every other person of color in this nation.

This is what I think, what do you think?

The news today is not about OJ Simpson, but African Americans - 9.14.2007.3

Oh the jubilation in America today. I have been watching the news (Fox News channel) since 10am. The worst or best depending on your point of view, news out all day has been OJ Simpson. You might think nothing else has happened in the country or world with all the coverage this has gotten.

Most jubilant of all the commentators (news anchors these days comment and interpret the news far too much to call them newscasters) is Sheppard Smith, on the air since 3pm. The man is fairly glowing with joy announcing that OJ Simpson is potentially in trouble. He spent the first 11 minutes 30 seconds of his program discussing nothing else. He even preempted news on a hurricane report. At 3:15, after a commercial break, he his back at it on the same subject.

So far today every 3rd news story has been about OJ Simpson. Whether it’s about the alleged robbery in Vegas, or the book that was initially considered completely vile and insulting and is now being published to make the Goldman family money.

Honestly, I could care less about OJ. He is no superstar since he left football. His life is anything but astounding. But he does not deserve the attention and media focus he receives. Jack the Ripper got less attention.

But here is the point I want to make. Some may say, ‘Michael, you go on and on about the imbalance of the media. You claim there is bias in news stories and racism in the nation. But it’s really not that bad.’ And I agree it’s not that bad, compared to the 1920’s when Rosewood was destroyed, or the 1960’s when fire hoses and police dogs (not to mention an uncounted number of murders) were unleashed on African Americans. That doesn’t mean it’s good.

On August 24th the major news media ignored the news that a murderer was finally going to be brought to justice. The fact that it took over 40 years to do so was never mentioned. The fact that local police knew who killed to Black teens and did nothing was not mentioned. It was just glossed over.

Continued in part 2...