Lil Wayne gets celebrity justice

Is this another example of celebrity justice in action? Lil Wayne, who is due to go to jail on gun charges, was excused from sentencing today in New york City. The reason, he need surgery - on his teeth.

To be very clear, Lil Wayne could not be sentenced because he was supposed to get an unknown surgery on his teeth done. It was supposed to be done before today, but his dentist is out of the country doing charitible work. So his trip to prison has to be delayed.

Ok, this is a major medical emergency right? I mean it's not like NYC doesn't have hundreds of other qualified dentists he could see. And the surgery is so important that he can wait for his dentist to get back in country. Plus it's not like the prison system doesn't have dentists that could perform the surgery, like they do for any other inmate.

Yes this is exactly the way you or I would be treated. A case that has been going on since 2007. Pushing back a jail sentence, that was created by breaking the law by Lil Wayne's own admission, because of an unnamed malady so severe it is not being treated.

But it is surely the reason why his lawyer referred to him as "a strong man", because only a strong man would endure such horrible pain to avoid going to jail. Of course it may also be why he is not referred to as a smart man. A smart man wouldn't have broken the law, again, and would have just got another dentist to take care of the problem.

I hate celebrity justice. They just need to throw him in jail like they would for everyone else. Maybe some time with the jail dentist would be a motivation for him to stop breaking the law. Nothing else seems to.

Wesley Snipes keeps fighting the good fight, and the media doesn't care

I know the world is busy falling because Oprah Winfrey has finally decided to stop doing her show. I personally could care less as I don't watch the show, I've not been on it, and it's been 25 years. That is not to say I don't respect what Oprah has done, it's just not earth-shattering news that she's finally stopping. Not like she will be in the poorhouse with $1 billion.

But as all eyes turn on Winfrey, I noticed something slip through the cracks of the news. It's something that the major media has avoided once it turned into something less than what they had hyped.

As long-term readers of my blogs are aware, Wesley Snipes was railroaded by the IRS and the major media not too long ago. The Government went after Snipes, implying the worst of tax evasion offenses, while he was out of the country filming. The media swooped on the story as if it were a scene from a film with some dastardly villian hidding from the righteous Government. Too bad it was mostly a sham.

Snipes did in fact not pay taxes. Well actually he paid them, and then his accountants asked the IRS for the money back. And they gave it to them, millions without instantly raising a red flag. Years later, someone noticed that there was a box not checked somewhere in the Government and they came after Snipes. They tried to brand him a criminal mastermind, forcing his accountants to do the taxes of dozens of people such that they made more money than they were supposed to. Pure evil, it was a movie plot I think.

So after Snipes returned from Africa, found out the Government suddenly wanted him, he complied. And a trial soon ensued. The media was all afluster. Snipes faced charges that would put him in jail for 16 years. Charges that other actors and celebrities have never faced. Because the Government wanted to make an example out of Snipes. Never mind that Willie Nelson owed 2x as much money ($34 million) and after LOSING his case against the IRS, never saw a day of jail. Nevermind that right now Nicholas Cage owes millions to the IRS and he has yet to be charged, and there is no media circus around him.

But the Government was sure they would win. There were about 10 charges or more as I recall (I do have several posts on the subject but I don't want to stop to check right now), with all but 3 being federal charges. The IRS lost every single federal charge against Wesley Snipes, proving his innocence of the worst of the allegations. It was a massive slap in the face of the Government - and almost all of the media suddenly forgot that there was a trial.

But the revenge of the Government was swift. Almost immediately after losing the 3 misdemeanors, Snipes was giving the absolute max for the crimes. These types of judgements normally are probation for a month or 2 at most. Given that he had 3 he should have recieved a year on probation in TOTAL. Instead he got 3 years of jail.

Snipes has not taken this lying down. Like with the hyped up and erroneous charges first made by the IRS, the punishment is also being fought in court. Snipes wants the overly extreme jail time thrown out. And I agree with him.

Perhaps this isn't as important as Oprah. Perhaps Snipes doesn't have the fanbase he once had. Maybe this isn't as questionably racial as it seems. But other than my readers I doubt anyone will ever know. Because the major media is burying this on the back page.

Had Snipes lost, it would have been big news. A major Black entertainer with bad news is always front page. But he won, and the media and Government were embarrassed. I just hope that they get over themselves and stop punishing Snipes for proving they were wrong. Maybe Oprah will talk about this before she goes off-air. Probably not though.

Lil Wayne - justice at last

So it has finally happened. An entertainer, caught red-handed with drugs and illegal weapons, has been convicted of the crimes. You would think that such an occurence was what should be expected in the legal system, but then again that would be forgetting the key word - entertainer.

I personally could care less about Lil Wayne, Dwayne Michael Carter Jr, as a person. I don't know him, nor do I have any desire to. His music is even less of a source of interest. Lil Wayne is a rapper, of some success but that says little considering the music genre.

The thing that matters to me is his criminality. Like a host of entertainers before his, especially in rap music, Lil Wayne has been given every chance to change his ways. At every turn he has taken those chances and thrown them to the wind.

But it is far past the time where the legal system remembers that entertainers, in any format, are just people. The law sees not their fame but their criminality, and they should be penalized just as anyone else is. Yet time and again they are not.

The list of entertrainers is huge, especially in rap music. DMX, Ja Rule, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, are but a couple of names that fly off the top of my head as I think about the entertainers that have committed crimes that would place you or me in jail for years (perhaps decades) and walked away.

Lil Wayne has been arrested with marijuana, cocaine, and guns on several occasions. Yet this is the first time he will be going to jail. The mind boggles at how he was allowed to be free after the first arrest, let alone several of them.

Why is this a big deal? Because Lil Wayne and so many others like him are an inspiration to the youth. Tens of thousands of kids imitate him. They try to mimic his life, style, and in some cases criminality. Because an authentic rapper is one that is a criminal.

Such a role model, whether Lil Waynbe of others are willing to be honest enough to admit that they are such even if they claim not to be, is a negative in any comminuty. The fact that crimes ordinary citizens would be incarcerated for are ignored for these performers reinforces that negative. Which is something that needs to end.

I don't think that the 1 year plea deal is fair for a criminal facing the multiple charges in multiple states that Lil Wayne has. But considering the multiple evasions of justice, it's a start. I can only hope that judges across the nation see this as a wake-up call when faced with a celebrity that cannot understand the law of the land.

Going to jail is not a rite of passage. Being a criminal is not an obligation. Crime, in any form, is not a path to fame or fortune. These are things that need to be clearly stated to all the fans of Lil Wayne, and rap / hip hop (where I feel the problem is most extreme).

Will this one conviction change the lives of those on a path to self-destruction in hope of future wealth? Maybe one or 2. But those are lives that now may become far richer, and possesions have nothing to do with it. And if more convictions follow, well that just helps that many more.

Lil Wayne has finally touched a bit of justice. I can only hope that this experience will improve his life and help him guide others away from what has lead him to a loss of his freedoms and Rights.

Thoughts on Roman Polanski

So Roman Polanski has been arrested. It only took 32 years.



The question some are raising is if this is worth it. The expense of catching Polanski and extraditing him, as well as any legal costs that will definitely come up. I say it's worth 3x the actual cost or more.

Roman Polanski was arrested on rape by use of drugs, perversion, sodomy, lewd and lascivious act upon a child under 14, and furnishing a controlled substance (methaqualone) to a minor. He plea bargained and was convicted engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor (itself a mockery of justice and an example of celebrity justice). To ensure that he could rape her, he drugged the girl with qualudes. Once he was charged and was to be sentenced he ran. Which makes him a fugative of the law on top of it all.

Polanski thought that he had evaded the law. That his fame made him untouchable in Europe. That he was capable of doing whatever he wanted, and with the turn to more liberal policies in the nation he could act even more brazen and freely. I'm happy he is wrong.

If we do nothing about this case, Polanski proves that the rule of law is not only skewed as we all know it is, but broken. If he skates past this he makes rape of minors less of a crime than it should be. He almost makes it something other twisted minds might try to do.

Were it up to me, I would lock Polanski up for decades. I would give him 1 year for each year he was a fugitive from the law, plus the original time he was to serve in the plead deal he had made. The worst thing that could happen is if he gets the same treatment that celebrities and entertainers get when they are convicted. If he gets to go through a revolving door of justice, like Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, and so many others I will be enraged.

I hope the media gives this as much attention as they gave OJ Simpson. I hope that N.O.W. and other liberal organizations jump all over this case as much as they do against conservative causes. Polanski is a rapist of little girls. He deserves to have his balls cut off, in my opinion.

DMX should love Arizona

Did You hear about the slap in the face of Justice? I’m not talking about the defense’s claims in the Merserhle case (he killed Oscar Grant on January 1st this year), but DMX in Arizona.

Yes, DMX – otherwise known as Earl Simmons or by his inmate number - has skated away from the repercussions of his actions yet again. The reason he has escapes me completely. I imagine that the Judge and Prosecutor must be enormous fans of his rap music.

To bring you up to speed, DMX (Simmons) had been arrested for drugs, weapon possession, animal cruelty (dog fighting pitbulls of course), evading arrest, theft, and potentially fraud. For the sum of these charges, plus speeding, he served all of 80 days in jail. Again that is eighty days. You would think the Court was his love slave to get off so lightly.

But there’s more. While serving the mockery of time, DMX assaulted an officer. That offense, from an inmate known for repeat violations of the law and in a penal institution, normally would have severe consequences. But this is one of the more popular jesters of the music industry these days. He has even expanded his minstrel act to include farces that some call movies, really bringing in money for the executives that I imagine are bankrolling vacations for the Court in lieu of his sentences.

What might such a lucky and obviously stupid [he keeps committing crimes and getting caught – I call that stupid] criminal entertainer have to say about all this?

“Don't misunderstand me. It's a beautiful state, it's a beautiful city. But the powers that be have it out for me. It kind of taints my view.”

Yes the powers that be are tainting his view of Arizona. It has nothing to do with his multiple violations of laws in that state. It has nothing to do with the Court sticking its figurative head up its own ass to help out Simmons. Blame the system even in the face of the obvious. Brilliant.

Perhaps the view DMX has is tainted because he is spoiled. He is being treated like he has made some act of importance for mankind. That will warp anyone’s viewpoint, especially a mere petty criminal and rapper.

To really help DMX get some perspective, and at the same time providing for the safety of Arizona, I suggest that the next time he gets arrested and convicted of a crime he gets treated like a regular criminal. Not a Black criminal – that would be overly harsh – but like any other joe bloe doing these things. And to make sure that the 3rd strike really sunk in, I’d charge him the cost that the State would normally pay to imprison him. If the time doesn’t make him straighten out his act, the fine might.

Either way there would be some semblance of Justice. And all the kids that follow his career thinking he is someone to emulate; they might just be even a slight bit more civil and law abiding. Which is reason enough for me.

Lindsey Lohan beats jail again

Sometimes it must be good to be a young, drugged out, alcoholic. At least that seems to be the message that both Lindesy Lohan and the criminal justice system in L.A. seem to be sending the public.

It was announced that Lohan had an arrest warrant issued in relation to violating terms of her sentencing. Which sentencing is the question one should ask, as she has been arrested several times. It seems that the case in question was the May 2007 DUI and car crash (which she tried to flee from). The one where she seems to have taken a car that was not her’s, chased a former assistant, allegedly injured the passengers, and was in possession of cocaine that mysteriously was not included in the arrest charges though it was in her blood.

That incident was the 4th car incident she has had. Overall she has been arrested twice that I can recall. She has been drunk and driving as well as found in possession of cocaine at least 3x. For all of this, she has received the extremely harsh penalty of 84 minutes in jail. Oh, she also has been in and out of drug rehab 3x. I know we all can feel her pain.

After the May conviction, she was given 3 years probation and required to finish an alcohol abuse program. Which she reportedly did do. But it seems someone screwed up the paperwork. Thus the judge thought she had violated her release and was about to send her back to jail. But Lohan’s lawyer cleared up the misunderstanding.

Still I am waiting to see how many times it takes this celebrity to appear in front of a judge before she gets the treatment that normal people get. Hell, I’d love to see her get the punishment a White girl would normally get, because I can tell you one thing with absolute assurance – if she was Black, her name was Shaniqua, and this happened in the Bronx, she’d still be in jail for the 3 year sentence she would have gotten.

I honestly hoped that Lohan was going to go to jail. And I don’t me the revolving door stay that she, Daniel Baldwin, Snoop Dogg, Michelle Rodriguez, and Paris Hilton (initially) received. I mean the kind of prison time that real people get. Because as a celebrity she should be held to a higher standard, not a lower one.

I believe that people in the eye of the public like this should get the harshest treatment. Every time they don’t the message being sent out is that a person with money, and or celebrity, can do anything. That there is a visibly separate line of justice. And that line often sees color very clearly. [Yes there are times when entertainers of color are treated with the same hands off kid gloves, but there are more times where they are not. Wesley Snipes and OJ Simpson come to mind.]

Well Lohan should thank her lawyers, and make sure his retainer is paid to date. She should also send a Easter card to the judge, the prosecutors, and the police department. They all seem to be fans. At least until their daughters decide to follow in the footsteps of their television idol. Then I wonder how much sympathy they will have for Lohan.

2008 - a year in overview

With the hours ticking away I wanted to go back one last time and look at the year 2008.

It has been quite the year. Barack Obama rose from a nuisance Senator for the Clinton machine to become the first Black President, 411 years after the first African slave was recorded in this land.

The financial system started the year with rising oil, depressed profits, and fears of inflation. Which quickly became a domino of failed institutions, buy-in, buy-outs, and bailouts - most funded by the Government. And the vortex of money sinking into the blackhole of political finger-pointing, and employment worries has yet to end. But inflation and oil are no longer concerns.

And focusing on entertainment we started the year with a mediocre talent that died from his own illogical action and was catapulted to superstardom for it. As the year progressed, serious acclaimed greats in literature, comedy, film, music, and other forms of entertainment passed - barely with attention. And it looks like even into 2009, the stupid actions of 1 man will dwarf the lifetime of achievement of dozens of others.

War continues to rage in the world and in the movies. While the atrocities in Darfur continue to be waged, the screens of America are filled with blame America-for-everything political wastes of time. These films are not bad because they are badly acted (though some are), or that the scripts are irrelevant (some are just too inane to imagine being greenlighted), or even because they don't like their home nation (one of the few in the world that allows criticism of every elected official without reprisal). They just failed to entertain.

Hollywood enjoyed a year that was filled with no surprises and even fewer attempts at innovation than the year before. More sequels, spin-offs, remakes, revisioned past favorites and direct copies on the big and small screen occurred than Bill Ayers on a LSD flashback remembering his past actions. And most were as entertaining - the new 90210 comes to mind.

Filling the void of intellect was fodder so unfit as to be like sugar mainlined into a 5 year old with ADHD. There was the usual "reality" programming that did nothing but allow the public to lose brain cells without the joy of a buzz. And there was the not so subtle loss of several programs that bucked the trend - The Shield, The Riches, among others.

Another loss to the small screen flies in the face of the change in politics in the nation. While America gains the first African American to ascend to our highest office, television descended to a vision of America not seen since 2000 (or more like 1970). Several Black actors in co-leading roles were removed, or shows canceled. Hispanics and Latinos remain virtually unseen and when seen reflecting a diversity that is easily confused with another ethnicity. Native Americans and Asians remain invisible, even in background scenery. And if that sounds bad, the environment behind the camera is 1/3 as diverse.

So in 2009 the schizophrenia will be that one of the few times a Black face will be on the national airwaves will be in the news and the rest of television will be whitewashed. The hypocrisy of Hollywood and its ultra-liberal views, as opposed to its staunch 1950's actions, is amazing to behold.

And the ethical void continues to grow. The nation was deluged with images and stories of entertainers doing the wrong thing and getting away with it. From the British Winehouse (aptly named I think) to our own disfunctional and potentially child-endangering Spears. We watched as entertainers were allowed to throw children into crowds from stages, admit drug use, carry illegal weapons, abuse animals and people alike, all without a hint of true reprimand.

And as the substitution of justice we had racial revenge. OJ provided the means for many White Americans to cry out "Justice at last" though his trial was a mockery of justice from start to finish. He may be a fool, and perhaps even guilty of past crimes, but his trial was as much a kangaroo court as in any movie.

And when it comes to the law the media was very consistent. African Americans that they labeled guilty were made to look horrible, and their claims (and even jury confirmation) of innocence went unheard - like Wesley Snipes. But for the people making the media money, in music videos and records and what some call movies, there was plenty of coverage hyping their minor convictions - like Akon and DMX.

2008 was quite the year indeed. So much happened all at once it was often hard to be sure what was the most important thing to track. And just as often what the media wanted us to watch was the least important of the issues at hand. But then again this was the year where the line between journalism and cheerleading was obscured from sight. The after-the-fact admissions of several media giants that they crossed the line, "a little", says nothing of the 'feeling in my leg' they poured into televisions and thus homes across the nation.

The news media was so bad that satirical comedy shows often were more objective and less political than the supposed "neutral" media. And networks like CNN and MSNBC wonder why their ratings are so bad.

2008 was a bad year in most every manner of accounting. From wasteful spending by the Government, to political polispeak that was fair and unfair. Even in moments of honesty - like polling from various agencies during the Primaries - America showed the world that the ugly underbelly of racism still held a grip in the nation.

I won't miss 2008 overall. While I am amazed and pleased with being able to say President Obama and that I am a homeowner, there is little else that occurred in this year that makes me wish to relive it even in memories.

But 2009 is just hours away. And with it will come a new President, with a very different set of objectives for America. The new year will usher in a new direction in American thinking, where some like it or not. And the media will be forced to adjust, because even in comic books the world is changing.

2008 was they year to say "I want change", 2009 will be the year it happens in. And we can all only hope that the change is better than the reality of the year that has ended.

DMX vs Maricopa County - the wrong one wins

Oh the joy of the holiday season just does not end. At least that is what DMX is saying right now.

Earl Simmons got a late gift in the form of a plea deal. This rapper who seems incapable of avoiding a criminal act, or police, admitted guilt to one misdemeanor count of animal cruelty, one felony count of theft, and one count each of felony possession of marijuana and a narcotic drug. He has been busy indeed.

And for admitting his guilt, which no one questioned, he will receive the grand total of ... 90 days and probation.

Screw a gift, who might he have had sex with to get that sentence. And I wonder if he paid them after he got done?

Seriously. Wesley Snipes was proven innocent of all charges except 3 misdemeanors with the full weight of the U.S. Government against him and the media lapdogs doing phenomenal bits of staging to make him look guilty as hell. Snipes got 3 years.

Michael Vick got 23 months Federal and 3 years State for his animal cruelty. And he deserves every minute of that.

A minor rapper wanna-be Rico Wright got 20 years and 20 years probation for shooting a guy and making a rap about it.

Akon got community service for throwing a minor off of a stage in front of dozens of witnesses and more than a few police officers.

TI got away with voting though he is a convicted felon.

Remy Ma got 8 years for assault, weapon possession and attempted coercion. And she "accidentally" shot a woman.

Is anyone noticing a trend here?

What the hell is wrong with the legal system. If you or I were charged and convicted with any of the things these rappers have done, repeatedly, we wouldn't see the light of day for a decade - with a plea bargain. And the bigger they are, the more the legal system is willing to ignore.

Snipes was facing 17 years if convicted. He was found innocent of everything but minor issues that normally get probation. yet he will spend more time in jail than DMX and Akon combined. And I don't think either man was allowed to vote.

Considering the way the legal system has been I would have expected Wright to have walked out the door, but I guess his song didn't get a big fat record company deal first. No wonder young kids are looking at rap as a way to live. The bigger the star the more insanely stupid things you can do with little consequence. How can we expect kids to live by the rules when the people they spend unknown hours listening to and mimicking are flaunting the law and getting away with it.

I'm glad that 2008 is ending. And that we have these examples to look at as we enter 2009. I hope judges are looking over the cases in 2009 and seeing what a revoltingly perverse job they are doing.

These criminals don't deserve to be paid, or to get glorified in music videos or movies (talk about a stupid and blisteringly dumb waste of money and talent. Yet sure to make a profit). They need to be in jails, not concert halls. They need to be serve penitence, not get served drinks.

It's one thing to be Slick Rick. But there is no question of the remorse of DMX, Akon, Remy Ma and so many others. There may be an argument to be made about their sellout shuck and jive for record executives, but outright crimes should never be excused.

If I were the people of Maricopa County I would be sure to start the New Year by calling up the District Attorney's office (602-506-3411) and let them know they need to do better in 2009. And then I'd follow that with a letter to the major record labels (to many to list but you can find them on Google) asking them to have a shred of ethics in how they reap in their money. Big Oil is bad? How about the people supplying your kids with heaping doses of convicts and ex-cons as examples of success.

The year can't end fast enough.

R Kelly - next stop Neverland Ranch

I have been following the news of the sudden death of Tim Russert when I was sent a message from a friend. R Kelly has skipped justice.

As many who have read my many political thoughts know, I am a political junkie. Tim Russert was a large figure in accurately reporting the political news. He was fair and grounded, and well researched. His loss makes a large difference in politics. My condolences to his family and friends.

As for the travesty of justice, R Kelly. I can’t say I’m amazed that the jury came out with their answer on a Friday and late in the day. Even if the news currently wasn’t filled with the shocking news of Mr. Russert, I think the R Kelly news would have still been buried.

The media knew this would be the outcome. The courts knew this was a set-up.

After delays for 6 years the defense finally allowed this case to come to court when they knew that the celebrity star power of this alleged pedophile would outshine the crime he was accused of. Obviously I feel this was a failure to punish someone that needed to be punished.

How do I know this was expected? How do I know that celebrity skewed justice? Well look at how Yahoo News reported this in their first sentence

“R. Kelly was acquitted of all charges Friday after less than a day of deliberations in his child pornography trial, ending a six-year ordeal for the R&B superstar.” [emphasis added by me]

His ordeal. Not the victim. He was attacked and don’t forget he is a superstar entertainer.

Pitiful.

Does the Black community know if R Kelly was guilty? Well here is one source that proclaimed what many, including myself, believed.



I again will say that I hope he loses all his money and never has another successful album or tour. It is only my opinion, but I feel R Kelly is a pedophile. I believe he is a troubled and sick individual. And I am bewildered that anyone continues to buy his music.

The jury felt I was wrong. After 6 years of delays, and practice to get their case figured out I’m not surprised. Give anyone 4 high-end lawyers and 6 years and you can get off of anything, even being videotaped violating the law and a child.

I’m not upset with the lawyers; they did their job and were paid well for it. How they sleep at night is their own issue. But I feel that the jury failed justice. And I have nothing else to say about it.