Elm Street has nothing on Big Creek. In what easily qualifies as a nightmare, complete with scenes bizarre and grotesques enough to have been penned by a Hollywood screenwriter, Megan Williams endured a week of wanton torture.
It would be impossible to do justice, no pun intended, to discussing this story, without at least mentioning the victim is black, and the alleged perpetrators, all six of them, the Big Creek Six shall we say, are white. Taking that single fact into account is a great springboard for framing the atrocities foisted upon Ms. Williams as hate crimes.
However, in what may seem an odd twist to some, and truly ironic to others, this is not the tack authorities are pursuing at this time. Before anyone one thinks of leveling charges of conspiracy or racial inequity, chill for a moment. This is actually a good thing.
Why, you may ask? Well for starters, the maximum sentence for hate crimes in West Virginia is ten (10) years. Alternately, the maximum State kidnapping sentence is, up to life. Each of the alleged assailants faces multiple charges, among them:
· Kidnapping
· Sexual assault
· Malicious wounding and assault during a felony
· Battery
· Providing false information to police
Consequently, strange as it may seem, foregoing the hate crimes in lieu of charges with stiffer penalties may be in the best interest of justice. The alleged assailants are more likely to be sentenced appropriately for the crimes they committed.
Big Creek is located in Logan County, West Virginia. The community has a 2007 estimated population of 333, while the County population was estimated at 36,502 in 2004, and trending downward from the 2000 Census. The County’s population is 96% white, and 2.59% black.
Having said that, please note I am framing this discussion as a conversation about race, but not about color, class, or ethnicity. So you’re thinking (and thinking is good), how can that be? Simple, for my purposes, this discourse focuses on the human race! There are those who would argue it is the only race, but that is a premise to examine at another time.
The sheer gravitas of this episode cannot be overstated. It is, or at least should be, unfathomable that such malicious acts cold be inflicted by humans upon another human. We watched in abject horror amid a proverbial media circus, as Michael Vick and his collaborators were depicted as savage and inhuman for inflicting gross pain, suffering, and in numerous instances death, upon man’s best friends, dogs.
By contrast, the Megan Williams story has been woefully under reported. Ms. Williams, after all, is a member of the human race. No need to revisit the sordid details of the Vick case, but consider if you will the appalling excruciation, torment, and abuse Megan was subjected to for an entire week. She was:
· Beaten
· Called the N-word
· Choked
· Forced to eat rat feces
· Kidnapped
· Made to drink from the toilet
· Sexually assaulted
· Scalded
· Choked
· Verbally assaulted
There are treaties that denounce most of these practices even during times of war. The PETA movement reacted swiftly and powerfully to the Vick episode. Where is the groundswell of indignation by People for the Ethical Treatment of Americans? If no human equivalent of PETA will rise up, how about a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Americans?
As a member of the human race, Megan Williams needs and deserves support from some broad based lobby. Vick and friends were reviled, worldwide. Should the Big Creek Six not face similar censure, both nationally and globally?
Indeed, it is a fact pets are substantially integrated into our culture, even considered family members by some people. While that is certainly an acceptable lifestyle choice, let us keep it in perspective.
Animal Rights Activist, Dr. Tom Reagan attributes to Gandhi, his self-proclaimed hero, the quote, “you can judge the character and greatness of a society by how it treats its animals.”
While that may be true, I believe instead, though animal rights are important, the litmus test for judging the character and greatness of a society, specifically our society, is how we treat fellow members of the human race! How about you? What do you believe?
Holla back!
If interested in delving more deeply into the specifics of the Big Creek story, click on the links below and read about it:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=big+creek%2C+west+virginia
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/12/national/main3253257.shtml
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3590598
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20824918/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/19/AR2007091900227.html
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Is The Foundation Crumbling?
How close are you to attaining “The American Dream?” What factors, if any, impede your ability to achieve your objective? Recent news may surprise you. The very foundation may be crumbling beneath you.
But I’ll come back to that. First, I will inject a commercial for the cause. After penning last week’s post, I quickly came face-to-face with a query that challenged my thinking about the topics I have chosen to write about. The question was neither posed of me, nor applied directly to what I have written. Yet, I took it as a matter of intense personal interest and importance.
The gist of the question was why do many of us continually focus on the negative and unseemly aspects of life? It’s a theme that is oft repeated in the news, in personal conversations, and most definitely in chat rooms, and on blog sites, across the spectrum of the World Wide Web.
It was on its face, a basic question. One whose weight seemed to be magnified by the assertion that it accompanied, which was: There are an abundance of positive stories to be told; why not focus on those, instead of dwelling on the negative?
I devoted a great deal of thought to the matter. And for now at least, I respond by conceding the power, poignancy, and propriety of both the question, and the assertion…but by countering that there is also considerable currency in consciousness-raising.
The matters I have chosen to put forth have not simply plumbed the depths of negativity, but have called attention to our collective need to be ever vigilant. Through the pieces presented for consideration and discourse, I have urged us to learn from past mistakes, avoid settling for overly simplistic solutions, and take responsibility for doing our own homework.
End of commercial; now back to this week’s point of exploration. Most of us are at least interested in attaining some level or version of The Great American Dream. The term, “The American Dream,” was coined by James Truslow Adams in his 1931 book, The Epic of America. In his book, Adams defined the term, in part, as “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement.”
At least as far back as the end of World War II, and the advent of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, more familiarly known as the G.I. Bill, home ownership has been considered a fundamental plank of “The American Dream.” The G.I. Bill made accessing higher education opportunities and acquiring home ownership status prime goals for many whom previously had not harbored reasonable aspirations of attaining either.
While it’s true, execution of the major tenets of this act have always been spotty, and at best, inequitably applied to People of Color, as we fast-forward nearly sixty-five (65) years, one would hope, if not expect, that there is by now a sense of equanimity associated with all aspects of a Federal law, and a universally accepted National dream.
Alas, just a few days ago, Thursday, September 13, 2007 to be precise, Binyamin Appelbaum reported, in the Charlotte Observer, that “a federal analysis of 2006 lending data shows mortgage companies continued to charge black and Hispanic home buyers higher interest rates more often than white buyers.” The report, released a day earlier by The Federal Reserve, said “discrimination by lenders may contribute to the gap.”
Of course, there are widely divergent opinions on this point. John Taylor, president of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (an organization that bills itself as the Nation’s economic justice trade association), posits, “Racial differences are getting worse. The federal government needs to make sure that the mortgage industry is properly regulated.”
Conversely, lenders continually and consistently resist this conclusion. They suggest instead, the disproportion of blacks being charged higher rates is a function of economic differences. Moreover, they add, consideration of credit scores was not part of the analysis.
Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve, in a carefully constructed statement calls the data “interesting but not conclusive. It notes further, “Significant differences remain unexplained.”
At first glance, the lenders’ version sounds plausible. In fact it may be. But, I submit these (huge) caveats for consideration:
· This is the third year the federal analysis has been done, and the results are ostensibly
unchanged
· When income is accounted for, data showed blacks with income upward of $100,000 were
charged high rates more often than whites with income below $40,000
· Minorities were “far more likely” to be denied mortgages than whites (32% of blacks
applicants, 25% of Hispanic applicants, and 13% of white applicants)
· When qualified for loans, minorities were “far more likely” to pay high interest rates (53%
of black applicants, 46% of Hispanic applicants, and 18% of white applicants)
· To the extent the gap changed in the third year of the analysis, it widened
Yes, the lenders may have a point. I am skeptical, however. It goes without saying the mortgage industry is a powerful and well-funded lobby. If the story they put forth is the gospel truth, where is the evidence? Inconclusive results, perhaps, interesting findings, you bet, unexplained differences, definitely! What is the proverbial missing link in this equation?
Let’s just say, I’m unable to fathom why the mortgage industry has not commissioned an independent study to determine whether the discrepant charges are really a result of disproportionate economic deficiencies and low credit scores by blacks and Hispanics. The absence of an unbiased analysis is more than a little puzzling, after three consecutive reports citing the same imbalances…especially if there is, in fact, a solid conviction those factors are the crux of the problem.
I am neither a marketing guru, nor an economic savant. But in a period during which multi-year Racial disparities in lending rates have been cited, similar inequitable trends in mortgage denials have been noted, and high mortgage rates have contributed to a record number of foreclosures, an analysis to determine how anemic credit scores and other financial deficiencies impact mortgage rate determinations is a simple, yet savvy, tactical response to a trenchant public relations quagmire, and a thorny business problem. More important, it is the right thing to do!
What do you think? Holla back!
Read more about The American Dream, the G.I. Bill, and/or Binyamin Appelbaum’s story on the Federal Reserve’s analysis of mortgage lending practices and their inequities:
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/dream/thedream.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GI_Bill
http://www.charlotte.com/breaking_news/story/275835.html
But I’ll come back to that. First, I will inject a commercial for the cause. After penning last week’s post, I quickly came face-to-face with a query that challenged my thinking about the topics I have chosen to write about. The question was neither posed of me, nor applied directly to what I have written. Yet, I took it as a matter of intense personal interest and importance.
The gist of the question was why do many of us continually focus on the negative and unseemly aspects of life? It’s a theme that is oft repeated in the news, in personal conversations, and most definitely in chat rooms, and on blog sites, across the spectrum of the World Wide Web.
It was on its face, a basic question. One whose weight seemed to be magnified by the assertion that it accompanied, which was: There are an abundance of positive stories to be told; why not focus on those, instead of dwelling on the negative?
I devoted a great deal of thought to the matter. And for now at least, I respond by conceding the power, poignancy, and propriety of both the question, and the assertion…but by countering that there is also considerable currency in consciousness-raising.
The matters I have chosen to put forth have not simply plumbed the depths of negativity, but have called attention to our collective need to be ever vigilant. Through the pieces presented for consideration and discourse, I have urged us to learn from past mistakes, avoid settling for overly simplistic solutions, and take responsibility for doing our own homework.
End of commercial; now back to this week’s point of exploration. Most of us are at least interested in attaining some level or version of The Great American Dream. The term, “The American Dream,” was coined by James Truslow Adams in his 1931 book, The Epic of America. In his book, Adams defined the term, in part, as “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement.”
At least as far back as the end of World War II, and the advent of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, more familiarly known as the G.I. Bill, home ownership has been considered a fundamental plank of “The American Dream.” The G.I. Bill made accessing higher education opportunities and acquiring home ownership status prime goals for many whom previously had not harbored reasonable aspirations of attaining either.
While it’s true, execution of the major tenets of this act have always been spotty, and at best, inequitably applied to People of Color, as we fast-forward nearly sixty-five (65) years, one would hope, if not expect, that there is by now a sense of equanimity associated with all aspects of a Federal law, and a universally accepted National dream.
Alas, just a few days ago, Thursday, September 13, 2007 to be precise, Binyamin Appelbaum reported, in the Charlotte Observer, that “a federal analysis of 2006 lending data shows mortgage companies continued to charge black and Hispanic home buyers higher interest rates more often than white buyers.” The report, released a day earlier by The Federal Reserve, said “discrimination by lenders may contribute to the gap.”
Of course, there are widely divergent opinions on this point. John Taylor, president of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (an organization that bills itself as the Nation’s economic justice trade association), posits, “Racial differences are getting worse. The federal government needs to make sure that the mortgage industry is properly regulated.”
Conversely, lenders continually and consistently resist this conclusion. They suggest instead, the disproportion of blacks being charged higher rates is a function of economic differences. Moreover, they add, consideration of credit scores was not part of the analysis.
Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve, in a carefully constructed statement calls the data “interesting but not conclusive. It notes further, “Significant differences remain unexplained.”
At first glance, the lenders’ version sounds plausible. In fact it may be. But, I submit these (huge) caveats for consideration:
· This is the third year the federal analysis has been done, and the results are ostensibly
unchanged
· When income is accounted for, data showed blacks with income upward of $100,000 were
charged high rates more often than whites with income below $40,000
· Minorities were “far more likely” to be denied mortgages than whites (32% of blacks
applicants, 25% of Hispanic applicants, and 13% of white applicants)
· When qualified for loans, minorities were “far more likely” to pay high interest rates (53%
of black applicants, 46% of Hispanic applicants, and 18% of white applicants)
· To the extent the gap changed in the third year of the analysis, it widened
Yes, the lenders may have a point. I am skeptical, however. It goes without saying the mortgage industry is a powerful and well-funded lobby. If the story they put forth is the gospel truth, where is the evidence? Inconclusive results, perhaps, interesting findings, you bet, unexplained differences, definitely! What is the proverbial missing link in this equation?
Let’s just say, I’m unable to fathom why the mortgage industry has not commissioned an independent study to determine whether the discrepant charges are really a result of disproportionate economic deficiencies and low credit scores by blacks and Hispanics. The absence of an unbiased analysis is more than a little puzzling, after three consecutive reports citing the same imbalances…especially if there is, in fact, a solid conviction those factors are the crux of the problem.
I am neither a marketing guru, nor an economic savant. But in a period during which multi-year Racial disparities in lending rates have been cited, similar inequitable trends in mortgage denials have been noted, and high mortgage rates have contributed to a record number of foreclosures, an analysis to determine how anemic credit scores and other financial deficiencies impact mortgage rate determinations is a simple, yet savvy, tactical response to a trenchant public relations quagmire, and a thorny business problem. More important, it is the right thing to do!
What do you think? Holla back!
Read more about The American Dream, the G.I. Bill, and/or Binyamin Appelbaum’s story on the Federal Reserve’s analysis of mortgage lending practices and their inequities:
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/dream/thedream.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GI_Bill
http://www.charlotte.com/breaking_news/story/275835.html
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Where Is He?
Settling in and thinking about what to write this evening, several thoughts entered my mind. There have been times I struggled to pull the proverbial fish out of the sea. But that is not the case tonight. No, for once, ideas aplenty abound, including:
Former Duke Lacrosse players seeking a $30 million dollar settlement – that certainly oozes with possibilities. In fact, stick a pin in that; it’s a definite keeper.
The troubling matter of otherwise precocious Black kids “dumbing down” to avoid peer pressure and avert the, oh so not cool, label, “acting white"
The ever volatile topic of hip hop and the foul language and misogyny associated with the genre, masked under the guise of “keeping it real”
Erosion of the erstwhile American psyche due to recently released statistics that reveal ten percent of Counties in the United States are now majority minority
An infectiously polarizing hot potato otherwise known as immigration reform
A rapidly aging prison population and all the implications that accrue, including transitioning sections of Correctional Facilities into Nursing Homes
Consideration of the wide-spread (and getting wider) phenomenon of overweight Americans, especially children
All these topics possess that certain je ne sais quoi, necessary to form a catalyst for robust conversation and debate. But those are thoughts to be explored some other time. None of them will likely be resolved before next week, right?
But today…today was Patriot Day, a Tuesday, September 11th, just as that fateful Tuesday in 2001 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Day). Patriot Day is observed on September 11th, and was designated in memory of the nearly three thousand people who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks. As Americans, we are enamored with symbolism. There is little that could be considered more apropos to write about and discuss today than some aspect, in fact, almost any facet, of “Nine-Eleven (9/11).” Wouldn’t you agree?
To keep this discussion brief, I will make it a précis of one simple question. Well, at least it will be one question. You can decide if it is simple. The query of the day: Where is Osama?
In many ways, this is one of the quintessential questions of the day. We are told bin Laden, the 50-year old Saudi Arabian-born militant Islamist, and Commander-in-Chief of al Qaeda, is the principal culprit and mastermind behind “Nine-Eleven (9/11).” Some reports say bin Laden’s father had 22 wives (though no more than four at one time), and 55 children. I guess you could say the elder “Mr. B” had a big family, and a healthy (sexual) appetite.
But let’s get back to the main question. Where Is He? Let me make one point perfectly clear. I don’t know where Osama is, nor will I offer any theories about where to find him. OK, that’s two points.
Here’s what I can tell you. We now live in what is known as the Intangible Economy, and the Age of Technology. The Intangible Economy was preceded by the Knowledge Economy, which followed the Information Age.
In this first decade of the 21st Century, we are armed with an arsenal of technology and genius so sophisticated (How sophisticated is it?) that we have sent and seen 12 men, on six separate expeditions, walk on the moon…though interestingly none since December, 1972. We have designed functional computer chips microscopically small. We have developed satellites which can guide Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to any address anywhere in the world. We know when NBA referees gamble, when NFL players participate in dog fighting, and when Major League Baseball players use steroids.
So why, pray tell, can’t someone tell me where Osama bin Laden is hiding. Cedric Antonio Kyles, better known to some as Cedric the Entertainer, has called bin Laden, “The King of Hide and Go Seek.” There are, of course, many theories about why this elusive terrorist has not been apprehended. Some say he’s already dead, a la Jimmy Hoffa, while others say he’s just so incredibly smart, while yet another group maintains he has enlisted the aid of a loyal and complex network of operatives to help shield himself from the clutches of the “Ugly Americans.
Where Is He...I'm talking 'bout Osama? What do you say?
Holla back!
Former Duke Lacrosse players seeking a $30 million dollar settlement – that certainly oozes with possibilities. In fact, stick a pin in that; it’s a definite keeper.
The troubling matter of otherwise precocious Black kids “dumbing down” to avoid peer pressure and avert the, oh so not cool, label, “acting white"
The ever volatile topic of hip hop and the foul language and misogyny associated with the genre, masked under the guise of “keeping it real”
Erosion of the erstwhile American psyche due to recently released statistics that reveal ten percent of Counties in the United States are now majority minority
An infectiously polarizing hot potato otherwise known as immigration reform
A rapidly aging prison population and all the implications that accrue, including transitioning sections of Correctional Facilities into Nursing Homes
Consideration of the wide-spread (and getting wider) phenomenon of overweight Americans, especially children
All these topics possess that certain je ne sais quoi, necessary to form a catalyst for robust conversation and debate. But those are thoughts to be explored some other time. None of them will likely be resolved before next week, right?
But today…today was Patriot Day, a Tuesday, September 11th, just as that fateful Tuesday in 2001 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Day). Patriot Day is observed on September 11th, and was designated in memory of the nearly three thousand people who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks. As Americans, we are enamored with symbolism. There is little that could be considered more apropos to write about and discuss today than some aspect, in fact, almost any facet, of “Nine-Eleven (9/11).” Wouldn’t you agree?
To keep this discussion brief, I will make it a précis of one simple question. Well, at least it will be one question. You can decide if it is simple. The query of the day: Where is Osama?
In many ways, this is one of the quintessential questions of the day. We are told bin Laden, the 50-year old Saudi Arabian-born militant Islamist, and Commander-in-Chief of al Qaeda, is the principal culprit and mastermind behind “Nine-Eleven (9/11).” Some reports say bin Laden’s father had 22 wives (though no more than four at one time), and 55 children. I guess you could say the elder “Mr. B” had a big family, and a healthy (sexual) appetite.
But let’s get back to the main question. Where Is He? Let me make one point perfectly clear. I don’t know where Osama is, nor will I offer any theories about where to find him. OK, that’s two points.
Here’s what I can tell you. We now live in what is known as the Intangible Economy, and the Age of Technology. The Intangible Economy was preceded by the Knowledge Economy, which followed the Information Age.
In this first decade of the 21st Century, we are armed with an arsenal of technology and genius so sophisticated (How sophisticated is it?) that we have sent and seen 12 men, on six separate expeditions, walk on the moon…though interestingly none since December, 1972. We have designed functional computer chips microscopically small. We have developed satellites which can guide Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to any address anywhere in the world. We know when NBA referees gamble, when NFL players participate in dog fighting, and when Major League Baseball players use steroids.
So why, pray tell, can’t someone tell me where Osama bin Laden is hiding. Cedric Antonio Kyles, better known to some as Cedric the Entertainer, has called bin Laden, “The King of Hide and Go Seek.” There are, of course, many theories about why this elusive terrorist has not been apprehended. Some say he’s already dead, a la Jimmy Hoffa, while others say he’s just so incredibly smart, while yet another group maintains he has enlisted the aid of a loyal and complex network of operatives to help shield himself from the clutches of the “Ugly Americans.
Where Is He...I'm talking 'bout Osama? What do you say?
Holla back!
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Latitude 42.240N; Longitude -83.268W Follow-up Comment
This post is comprised of comments in response to the blog post discussing the events that unfolded in Taylor, Michigan. Since the reply could not be fully accommodated in the comment section, I have elected to reprint it in its complete and unaltered form, here in this space.
The writer's electronic signature is also included. This enables readers to choose between adding a comment to this reply in the regular comment section, or communicating directly with the writer, if so inclined.
Thanks!
"The horrid conditions Black males find themselves in are indicative of our (Blacks) lackadaisical approach to issues of paramount importance. With significant portions of time being given to entertainment of one form or another, a false sense of security has spread far and wide. This false security is breached only when something problematic happens personally and sparks us to seek solace from other quarters i.e., Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, etc.
In a very real sense we are at war with casualties mounting daily. Just how seriously we see and face the challenges before us will determine our response and lay the groundwork for what is at best a dubious future for many Black males and, by extension, Black America."
Ahmad Daniels, Executive Director Creative Interchange "Where Changed Philosophies Lead to Changed Behavior" 704 537-1533
On the web: http://www.creative-interchange.com/ By Email: ahmad@bellsouth.net
On the radio every Wednesday from 7-10 AM WGIV 1370 AM or http://www.rejoynetwork.com/
Free Self-Empowerment Workbook --Visit: http://www.creative-interchange.com/workbooks.asp
Creative Interchange -- Creating Self-Empowerment Workshops.
The writer's electronic signature is also included. This enables readers to choose between adding a comment to this reply in the regular comment section, or communicating directly with the writer, if so inclined.
Thanks!
"The horrid conditions Black males find themselves in are indicative of our (Blacks) lackadaisical approach to issues of paramount importance. With significant portions of time being given to entertainment of one form or another, a false sense of security has spread far and wide. This false security is breached only when something problematic happens personally and sparks us to seek solace from other quarters i.e., Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, etc.
In a very real sense we are at war with casualties mounting daily. Just how seriously we see and face the challenges before us will determine our response and lay the groundwork for what is at best a dubious future for many Black males and, by extension, Black America."
Ahmad Daniels, Executive Director Creative Interchange "Where Changed Philosophies Lead to Changed Behavior" 704 537-1533
On the web: http://www.creative-interchange.com/ By Email: ahmad@bellsouth.net
On the radio every Wednesday from 7-10 AM WGIV 1370 AM or http://www.rejoynetwork.com/
Free Self-Empowerment Workbook --Visit: http://www.creative-interchange.com/workbooks.asp
Creative Interchange -- Creating Self-Empowerment Workshops.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Latitude 42.240N; Longitude -83.268W
Last week I introduced to some, and made others more familiar with, Mychal Bell and his five Jena, Louisiana co-defendants. When wrapping up the Jena 6 post, I emphasized that the fate that befell those young men was not confined to Louisiana and parts nearby. In other words, this is not just a Southern phenomenon. Moreover, these events can invade your town; even your very own street.
To sharpen the theme to a finer point, this week’s conversation invites you to visit Latitude 42.240N; Longitude -83.268W, or more specifically, Taylor, Michigan. Taylor is a community located 15 miles south of Detroit, which is, of course, separated from Canada by the Detroit River.
In the vernacular…that’s up North! But, like Jena, Taylor is the site of a recent imbroglio involving Black youth facing questionable charges and subsequent arrests, stemming from attacks on a White victim. Similar to Mychal Bell in Jena, Devin Plummer and Franklin Smith are the principals in Taylor.
Police reports say the victim, Wendy Meinke, who was murdered July 30th, was shot by Plummer, who has been charged with first-degree murder, assault with intent to murder, and using a firearm to commit a felony. Smith is charged with being an accessory to murder. They and two friends, Brandon Pannell, and Clifford Collins, all students at Kennedy High School, purport they drove to the neighborhood, after hearing of the shooting, to check on a friend who lived there.
All four suspects profess their innocence. Pannell and Collins, who were arrested and later released, say they were not read their rights before being arrested. Plummer’s mother said her son maintained his innocence and repeatedly asked police to conduct a gunpowder residue test, and was repeatedly told they did not have to do one.
Pannell and Collins said while they were being interrogated at the police station, they heard screams from Plummer being brutally beaten to force a confession. Devin’s mother Aretha (OK this is a Detroit suburb) said she almost had a stroke listening to her son being beaten to force him to admit to a crime he did not commit. His sister Alicia said she asked a detective to stop beating her brother, and was told she would be arrested if she did not keep quiet.
Enough already. I’m not going to inundate you with more of the gritty details. I think the picture is HDTV clear. At least I hope it is, anyway. There is a level of vigilance we all must maintain. Regardless of zip code, area code, City, or County, if you are Black, and live in America, you are in a “State of Emergency.”
Holla back!
For more details on this case, see the following links:
http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=22163
http://seattlemedium.com/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=81424&sID=3&ItemSource=L
http://www.freepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070815/NEWS02/70815040/1004/NEWS02
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070827/METRO01/708270368/1006
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070818/NEWS06/708180380/1008
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070818/METRO/708180381/1003
To sharpen the theme to a finer point, this week’s conversation invites you to visit Latitude 42.240N; Longitude -83.268W, or more specifically, Taylor, Michigan. Taylor is a community located 15 miles south of Detroit, which is, of course, separated from Canada by the Detroit River.
In the vernacular…that’s up North! But, like Jena, Taylor is the site of a recent imbroglio involving Black youth facing questionable charges and subsequent arrests, stemming from attacks on a White victim. Similar to Mychal Bell in Jena, Devin Plummer and Franklin Smith are the principals in Taylor.
Police reports say the victim, Wendy Meinke, who was murdered July 30th, was shot by Plummer, who has been charged with first-degree murder, assault with intent to murder, and using a firearm to commit a felony. Smith is charged with being an accessory to murder. They and two friends, Brandon Pannell, and Clifford Collins, all students at Kennedy High School, purport they drove to the neighborhood, after hearing of the shooting, to check on a friend who lived there.
All four suspects profess their innocence. Pannell and Collins, who were arrested and later released, say they were not read their rights before being arrested. Plummer’s mother said her son maintained his innocence and repeatedly asked police to conduct a gunpowder residue test, and was repeatedly told they did not have to do one.
Pannell and Collins said while they were being interrogated at the police station, they heard screams from Plummer being brutally beaten to force a confession. Devin’s mother Aretha (OK this is a Detroit suburb) said she almost had a stroke listening to her son being beaten to force him to admit to a crime he did not commit. His sister Alicia said she asked a detective to stop beating her brother, and was told she would be arrested if she did not keep quiet.
Enough already. I’m not going to inundate you with more of the gritty details. I think the picture is HDTV clear. At least I hope it is, anyway. There is a level of vigilance we all must maintain. Regardless of zip code, area code, City, or County, if you are Black, and live in America, you are in a “State of Emergency.”
Holla back!
For more details on this case, see the following links:
http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=22163
http://seattlemedium.com/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=81424&sID=3&ItemSource=L
http://www.freepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070815/NEWS02/70815040/1004/NEWS02
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070827/METRO01/708270368/1006
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070818/NEWS06/708180380/1008
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070818/METRO/708180381/1003
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