It's time to Break It Down!
Happy New Year; Auld Lang Syne, my friends!
The one-half fortnight between Christmas and New Year's Days is a unique occurrence in the unfolding of the American edition of the Gregorian Calendar. It is the only instance in which the space of a mere seven days separates two major holidays. Unquestionably, the timing is propitious. Millions of holiday travelers return home from their Christmas commemoration and revelry, just in time to get a day off to "celebrate" the New Year...and recuperate from the old, most notably their extracurricular activities, including the exploits of New Year's Eve.
In last week's post, I presented for your re-airing the Christmas e-concert (12 Days of Christmas: The Concert - Redux) from the previous Noel. Today's edition, similarly, is effectively a re-posting of last year's New Year's blog. Once again, this tack permits new readers to catch-up by seeing the piece, allows long-time readers to reflect upon both the passing year as well as the theme lifted in the post, and finally, and ensures that those busy readers, with no time to invest in checking out a blog during the holidays, will not have to miss anything. It's a win, win...win!
So with that loosely framed preamble behind us, here's the déjà vu all over again:
Since we are still in the Sweet Spot of the holidays, once again I shall practice minimalism. For your purposes, that means the blog should be available, but not intrusive. To that end, I
am taking a page from last week, but going a step further. Instead of a concert, I give you a song…of reflection.
Robert Burns, a Scot, wrote a poem (Auld Lang Syne) in 1788 that has come to symbolize the spirit of mass contemplation that people around the world invoke as the clock strikes midnight, signaling not just the dawn of a new day, but of a new year. Undoubtedly, you have been somewhere, at sometime, when you joined those assembled to sing Auld Lang Syne, which loosely translated means, Times gone by.
Once again, that time is upon us. After thoughtful reflection on my 2010, I have had no choice but to conclude, my travails have been few and small, especially when compared to my blessings, which have been both abundant and vast! All praises to the one true, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient God; a mighty fortress is He.
No need to thank me for my inherent thoughtfulness. But, by all means, “Drink a cup of kindness,” or eggnog, or Champagne, or “name your favorite adult beverage,” for me. And, if you are a teetotaler, water will do nicely, thank-you!
As I complete my last post for this year, and, prayerfully and faithfully prepare to embrace 2011, I leave with you this familiar Irish Toast:
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
I invite you to click on the link below, which leads to a Smooth Jazz interpretation of Auld Lang Syne, arranged and performed by Donnie Thomas (and listen to the remainder of this week’s edition of Break It Down):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bffBdmlf0Wo
It has been my unique honor and privilege to visit with you briefly for each of the 52 weeks this year. I hope you have derived a fraction of the pleasure reading the blog posts that I have experienced from preparing and providing them to you. Happy New Year; may 2012 be all that you desire!
I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bffBdmlf0Wo
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/question279.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_spot
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
"12 Days of Christmas: The Concert - Redux"
It's time to Break It Down!
Merry Christmas to you! I know some of you are caught up in the whole “We Are The (Secular) World” trip; thus the substitute Holiday for Christmas in seasonal greetings. Of course those innately curious enough to conduct the requisite etymological research know that the root derivation of holiday is “Holy Day;” but I digress; that is fodder for another day's fight.
By now many of you have already begun your well-planned and no doubt, richly deserved hiatus from work. You may even have finished your shopping and taken care of all the major errands that accompany preparing for the Big Day. Perhaps all that remains is packing and/or traveling; maybe that throw-down cooking marathon that precedes the arrival of the family, friends, and guests whom you will host over the coming week.
As is my custom, I will not use this Christmas Season Post, if you will allow me to call it that, to challenge you to sort the facts, be they esoteric or mundane. No, this is your time to take advantage of the opportunity to hang out with your guests, or to be a guest, and enjoy the hospitality of friends and famiy.
In the true spirit of keeping it simple for both you and me, I am, as the Title suggests, reprising a previous post. In fact, not just any previous post; not even just any prior Christmas Post. I am, for all intents and purposes re-posting the entry from last Christmas.
The English playwright and poet, William Congreve, in the opening line of his 1697 Play entitled "The Mourning Bride," asserted, "Musick has Charms to soothe a savage Breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted Oak." I think Congreve was on to something. If indeed music is capable of enabling us to overcome our basest instincts, and in so doing, ennoble us to pursue our finer impulses, then indeed, we should take more opprotunities to render ourselves captivated by it's magical spell. (By the way, it really is breast...not beast; caught you thinking, didn't I?) ;-)
So, last year, I identified and pulled together an assortment of my favorite Christmas Standards. This year, I am offering the same artistic olio for your reading, viewing, and listening pleasiure. Below, you will find bios for the 14 artists, the 13 youtube video interpretations, and the 12 songs listed and included in the form of a Yuletide e-concert. The information and links below tell the essence of the story; but there are a few points I wish to amplify for your consideration.
The number in parenthesis after each artist’s name is his or her current age, or the age at which the artist died, in the cases of James Brown, Eartha Kitt, John Coltrane, Nat King Cole, and Donny Hathaway. Each artist, song and interpretation is special in its own right.
The legendary Godfather of Soul, as James Brown became known, died on Christmas Day (2006, aged 73), as did Eartha Kitt (2008, aged 81), whom shall ever remain, to many of us, the incomparably personified Catwoman. There was both a surreal sadness and a resolute completeness associated with them ending their respective earthly journeys on Christmas Day, two years apart. Both artists were born in South Carolina; Brown in Barnwell, and Kitt, in North. Brown was renowned for his energetic performances, which earned him another of his many titles, “Hardest working man in show business.” His rendition of “Merry Christmas Baby” was a reminder that he had earned his chops the hard way, and that he was much more than flash and dash. Kitt’s “Santa Baby” is on my list, not only because it is a classic; it is, but also because like me, it was born in 1953. I’d like to think we both (the song and I) have held up well.
Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” quite simply personifies Christmas for many of us. Hathaway, an initiate of Howard University’s Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, was a brilliant musician, but a troubled man. He endured bouts of depression and suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, which ultimately led him to commit suicide (1979, aged 33). “This Christmas,” however, lives on, and along with it and many of his other classics, so does his melodious voice.
Chris Brown (age 22), has had his moments. He is known in most circles as either the Pied Piper to Generation Y (Millennials), or That Guy…you know, the one who beat down Robyn Fenty (age 23); Rihanna to you! This post will not attempt to moralize, or capitalize in any other way on the beef between these two. Rather, for the purposes of this commentary, I wanted to touch upon Chris’ cover of Hathaway’s classic tune. I think he did a fine job, and is an example that, many voices to the contrary, Gen X’ers are not only capable, but do in fact, continue to perpetuate the tradition of making great music.
Nat King Cole (1965, aged 45) and Natalie Cole (age 61), father and daughter, both stellar musicians, in their own right, also represent two successive generations of the “family business.” Though the elder Cole is probably better known for his interpretation of The Christmas Song,” I intentionally chose his rendition of another standard, “O Holy Night,” to highlight another of his great performances. I included Natalie’s rendering of “The First Noel,” solely because of my partiality to the reverse spelling of “Noel!”
Having eschewed Cole’s version of “The Christmas Song,” I could not omit it altogether. Kem (age 42), delivers a virtuoso performance of this classic tune. He is one of my favorite contemporary artists, singing one of the Christmas songs I enjoy most. Ledisi (age 41, until her New Years' Eve birthday) and Lauryn Hill (age 36) are two of contemporary R&B’s most accomplished female voices. Their versions of “Give Love On Christmas Day, and “Little Drummer Boy,” respectively, are special treats, and integral components of this e-concert.
John Coltrane and Dianne Reeves (age 55) add an instrumental (“My Favorite Things”) and vocal (“Christmas Time Is Here”) jazz flavor to the mix, respectively. "Trane," born in Hamlet, North Carolina, died of liver cancer (1967, aged 40), another life cut short, far too young. He and the combo render a cool version of the tune, so much so that it could make it one of “your favorite things.” Ms. Reeves uses her powerful and well-trained instrument to craft a compelling version of “Christmas Time Is Here.”
Christina Aguilera (age 31) and Brian McKnight (age 42) unite in a superb collaboration on “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” They revel in demonstrating multiple octave range and elasticity in framing their unique arrangement of this classic that makes it a song I enjoy listening to again and again. Last, but certainly not least, Will Downing (age 48), perhaps my favorite musical artist, delivers a silky smooth rendition of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” What can I say? Will...is Will!
That’s it; 14 artists, 13 videos (a Baker’s Dozen), and 12 songs. Add it all up and you get “12 Days Of Christmas: The Concert - Redux!” Enjoy it agaian, and by all means, remember the Reason for the Season!
I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
James Brown (73) – Merry Christmas Baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xg6FcaYHf4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown
Eartha Kitt (81) – Santa Baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfqZmlfQEto&NR=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eartha_Kitt
Donny Hathaway (33) – This Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj1mVUEHeUE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donny_Hathaway
Chris Brown (21) – This Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty2eya8zWyE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Brown_(American_singer)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rihanna
Nat King Cole (45) – O Holy Night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4uP32mnAjY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_King_Cole
Natalie Cole (60) – The First Noel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf6fTRTQrG4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_Cole
Kem (41) – The Christmas Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jk34lUQoyQ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kem_(singer)
Ledisi (32) - Give Love On Christmas Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehBwM0a9Hf8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledisi
Lauryn Hill (35) – Little Drummer Boy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxv88-euQtE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauryn_Hill
John Coltrane (40) - My Favorite Things
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I6xkVRWzCY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Coltrane
Dianne Reeves (54) – Christmas Time Is Here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hInJstw1cGE&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianne_Reeves
Christina Aguilera (30) & Brian McKnight (41) – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftva4G2vmDw
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Aguilera
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_McKnight
Will Downing (47) – I’ll Be Home For Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhT1_ybF-tI&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Downing
Merry Christmas to you! I know some of you are caught up in the whole “We Are The (Secular) World” trip; thus the substitute Holiday for Christmas in seasonal greetings. Of course those innately curious enough to conduct the requisite etymological research know that the root derivation of holiday is “Holy Day;” but I digress; that is fodder for another day's fight.
By now many of you have already begun your well-planned and no doubt, richly deserved hiatus from work. You may even have finished your shopping and taken care of all the major errands that accompany preparing for the Big Day. Perhaps all that remains is packing and/or traveling; maybe that throw-down cooking marathon that precedes the arrival of the family, friends, and guests whom you will host over the coming week.
As is my custom, I will not use this Christmas Season Post, if you will allow me to call it that, to challenge you to sort the facts, be they esoteric or mundane. No, this is your time to take advantage of the opportunity to hang out with your guests, or to be a guest, and enjoy the hospitality of friends and famiy.
In the true spirit of keeping it simple for both you and me, I am, as the Title suggests, reprising a previous post. In fact, not just any previous post; not even just any prior Christmas Post. I am, for all intents and purposes re-posting the entry from last Christmas.
The English playwright and poet, William Congreve, in the opening line of his 1697 Play entitled "The Mourning Bride," asserted, "Musick has Charms to soothe a savage Breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted Oak." I think Congreve was on to something. If indeed music is capable of enabling us to overcome our basest instincts, and in so doing, ennoble us to pursue our finer impulses, then indeed, we should take more opprotunities to render ourselves captivated by it's magical spell. (By the way, it really is breast...not beast; caught you thinking, didn't I?) ;-)
So, last year, I identified and pulled together an assortment of my favorite Christmas Standards. This year, I am offering the same artistic olio for your reading, viewing, and listening pleasiure. Below, you will find bios for the 14 artists, the 13 youtube video interpretations, and the 12 songs listed and included in the form of a Yuletide e-concert. The information and links below tell the essence of the story; but there are a few points I wish to amplify for your consideration.
The number in parenthesis after each artist’s name is his or her current age, or the age at which the artist died, in the cases of James Brown, Eartha Kitt, John Coltrane, Nat King Cole, and Donny Hathaway. Each artist, song and interpretation is special in its own right.
The legendary Godfather of Soul, as James Brown became known, died on Christmas Day (2006, aged 73), as did Eartha Kitt (2008, aged 81), whom shall ever remain, to many of us, the incomparably personified Catwoman. There was both a surreal sadness and a resolute completeness associated with them ending their respective earthly journeys on Christmas Day, two years apart. Both artists were born in South Carolina; Brown in Barnwell, and Kitt, in North. Brown was renowned for his energetic performances, which earned him another of his many titles, “Hardest working man in show business.” His rendition of “Merry Christmas Baby” was a reminder that he had earned his chops the hard way, and that he was much more than flash and dash. Kitt’s “Santa Baby” is on my list, not only because it is a classic; it is, but also because like me, it was born in 1953. I’d like to think we both (the song and I) have held up well.
Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” quite simply personifies Christmas for many of us. Hathaway, an initiate of Howard University’s Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, was a brilliant musician, but a troubled man. He endured bouts of depression and suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, which ultimately led him to commit suicide (1979, aged 33). “This Christmas,” however, lives on, and along with it and many of his other classics, so does his melodious voice.
Chris Brown (age 22), has had his moments. He is known in most circles as either the Pied Piper to Generation Y (Millennials), or That Guy…you know, the one who beat down Robyn Fenty (age 23); Rihanna to you! This post will not attempt to moralize, or capitalize in any other way on the beef between these two. Rather, for the purposes of this commentary, I wanted to touch upon Chris’ cover of Hathaway’s classic tune. I think he did a fine job, and is an example that, many voices to the contrary, Gen X’ers are not only capable, but do in fact, continue to perpetuate the tradition of making great music.
Nat King Cole (1965, aged 45) and Natalie Cole (age 61), father and daughter, both stellar musicians, in their own right, also represent two successive generations of the “family business.” Though the elder Cole is probably better known for his interpretation of The Christmas Song,” I intentionally chose his rendition of another standard, “O Holy Night,” to highlight another of his great performances. I included Natalie’s rendering of “The First Noel,” solely because of my partiality to the reverse spelling of “Noel!”
Having eschewed Cole’s version of “The Christmas Song,” I could not omit it altogether. Kem (age 42), delivers a virtuoso performance of this classic tune. He is one of my favorite contemporary artists, singing one of the Christmas songs I enjoy most. Ledisi (age 41, until her New Years' Eve birthday) and Lauryn Hill (age 36) are two of contemporary R&B’s most accomplished female voices. Their versions of “Give Love On Christmas Day, and “Little Drummer Boy,” respectively, are special treats, and integral components of this e-concert.
John Coltrane and Dianne Reeves (age 55) add an instrumental (“My Favorite Things”) and vocal (“Christmas Time Is Here”) jazz flavor to the mix, respectively. "Trane," born in Hamlet, North Carolina, died of liver cancer (1967, aged 40), another life cut short, far too young. He and the combo render a cool version of the tune, so much so that it could make it one of “your favorite things.” Ms. Reeves uses her powerful and well-trained instrument to craft a compelling version of “Christmas Time Is Here.”
Christina Aguilera (age 31) and Brian McKnight (age 42) unite in a superb collaboration on “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” They revel in demonstrating multiple octave range and elasticity in framing their unique arrangement of this classic that makes it a song I enjoy listening to again and again. Last, but certainly not least, Will Downing (age 48), perhaps my favorite musical artist, delivers a silky smooth rendition of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” What can I say? Will...is Will!
That’s it; 14 artists, 13 videos (a Baker’s Dozen), and 12 songs. Add it all up and you get “12 Days Of Christmas: The Concert - Redux!” Enjoy it agaian, and by all means, remember the Reason for the Season!
I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
James Brown (73) – Merry Christmas Baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xg6FcaYHf4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown
Eartha Kitt (81) – Santa Baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfqZmlfQEto&NR=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eartha_Kitt
Donny Hathaway (33) – This Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj1mVUEHeUE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donny_Hathaway
Chris Brown (21) – This Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty2eya8zWyE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Brown_(American_singer)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rihanna
Nat King Cole (45) – O Holy Night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4uP32mnAjY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_King_Cole
Natalie Cole (60) – The First Noel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf6fTRTQrG4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_Cole
Kem (41) – The Christmas Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jk34lUQoyQ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kem_(singer)
Ledisi (32) - Give Love On Christmas Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehBwM0a9Hf8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledisi
Lauryn Hill (35) – Little Drummer Boy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxv88-euQtE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauryn_Hill
John Coltrane (40) - My Favorite Things
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I6xkVRWzCY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Coltrane
Dianne Reeves (54) – Christmas Time Is Here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hInJstw1cGE&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianne_Reeves
Christina Aguilera (30) & Brian McKnight (41) – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftva4G2vmDw
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Aguilera
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_McKnight
Will Downing (47) – I’ll Be Home For Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhT1_ybF-tI&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Downing
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
I Beg Your Pardon: The System Is Broken!
It's time to Break It Down!
By the weekend, we will have passed the midpoint of December. Already Christmas is less than two weeks away. With that in mind, I will make this post short and to the point; I know you have shopping to do, in order to help spur our flagging economy. That does not mean the topic is light, or that the news is good. It is fair to say, if this blog were a movie, it would not have a happy ending.
In the 21st Century it is fashionable to say; even to believe, by and large, that life is fair. Often, it is not! Moreover, especially since the election of President Barack Obama, there is significant resistance to the idea that racial disparity still plagues us as a society. That’s too bad; it does!
Speaking directly to this point, last week, ProPublica, a New York City-based non-profit corporation that produces investigative journalism in the public interest released a report that white criminals seeking Presidential pardons over the past decade have been nearly four times as likely to succeed as minorities. The study found that blacks, specifically, have the lowest chance of all groups of receiving such a pardon.
Right off the bat, I know there are people who are tired of hearing about such findings, and who are not reluctant to say so. It is no secret that a significant portion of Americans, some secretly, and many others overtly, looked to the potential of an Obama Presidency to move the dial on such matters, and to finally, and forever put the disconcerting “myths” of racism, and other vestiges of, and lamentations about disparate treatment, based on race & ethnicity, behind us.
This faction of our society looked upon the ascendance of Mr. Obama to the Oval Office as a Rite of Passage for White America. His election was equated to having cracked the sordid code of centuries of repression, discrimination, and general ill treatment of people who could never claim the magical triumvirate, free, white, and twenty-one.
In response to the throng who have become so tired of being confronted by such claims, let me be clear. I speak and write for all those who are equally tired of being confronted by such facts. Moreover, when these atrocities are eliminated from the normal array of practices and patterns of daily life in this country, I and others who dare to continue reminding the forgetful, or otherwise inattentive, will be more inclined to “let it go.” Until then, it is my hope that institutions such as ProPublica will continue to harvest the truth so that those who care about ending such injustice can “Go Tell it on the Mountain.”
In responding to ProPublica’s findings, it is not uncommon to charge the media with unbalanced coverage, or to suggest that, quite simply, they got it wrong. That’s why two key points rise to the forefront on this matter. The first and most basic is that ProPublica is not a conventional news outlet. However, the second, and perhaps more compelling point is found in the reaction of key stakeholders.
When presented with the evidence, both current and former officials at the White House and the Justice Department said they were surprised and dismayed by the racial disparities which persist even when factors such as the type of crime and sentence are considered.” In other words, they do not deny or challenge the validity of the findings, presumably at least in part due to the strength of the research and the integrity of ProPublica.
The examination covered the period beginning near the outset of President George W. Bush’s first term. At that time President Bush elected to rely almost solely on the recommendations made by career attorneys in the Office of the Pardon Attorney. In their defense, senior aides from the Bush White House indicated Mr. Bush wanted to take politics out of the process. For their part, Justice Department officials argued the pardon process takes into account many factors that cannot be statistically measured, such as an applicant’s candor and level of remorse.
So what level of disparity are we talking about here? To put it in context, from 2001 to 2008, President Bush issued decisions in 1,918 pardon cases. Of that number 189 received favorable review; in other words, a pardon. All but 13 of the pardons went to whites. Seven pardons went to blacks, four to Hispanics, one to an Asian, and one to a Native American.
ProPublica looked at President Bush’s pardon history to the Pardons Office’s record over a President’s full term. ProPublica looked at a random sample of 500 cases. In multiple instances, white and black pardon applicants who had committed similar offenses, and who had comparable post-conviction records experienced opposite outcomes. For example:
By the weekend, we will have passed the midpoint of December. Already Christmas is less than two weeks away. With that in mind, I will make this post short and to the point; I know you have shopping to do, in order to help spur our flagging economy. That does not mean the topic is light, or that the news is good. It is fair to say, if this blog were a movie, it would not have a happy ending.
In the 21st Century it is fashionable to say; even to believe, by and large, that life is fair. Often, it is not! Moreover, especially since the election of President Barack Obama, there is significant resistance to the idea that racial disparity still plagues us as a society. That’s too bad; it does!
Speaking directly to this point, last week, ProPublica, a New York City-based non-profit corporation that produces investigative journalism in the public interest released a report that white criminals seeking Presidential pardons over the past decade have been nearly four times as likely to succeed as minorities. The study found that blacks, specifically, have the lowest chance of all groups of receiving such a pardon.
Right off the bat, I know there are people who are tired of hearing about such findings, and who are not reluctant to say so. It is no secret that a significant portion of Americans, some secretly, and many others overtly, looked to the potential of an Obama Presidency to move the dial on such matters, and to finally, and forever put the disconcerting “myths” of racism, and other vestiges of, and lamentations about disparate treatment, based on race & ethnicity, behind us.
This faction of our society looked upon the ascendance of Mr. Obama to the Oval Office as a Rite of Passage for White America. His election was equated to having cracked the sordid code of centuries of repression, discrimination, and general ill treatment of people who could never claim the magical triumvirate, free, white, and twenty-one.
In response to the throng who have become so tired of being confronted by such claims, let me be clear. I speak and write for all those who are equally tired of being confronted by such facts. Moreover, when these atrocities are eliminated from the normal array of practices and patterns of daily life in this country, I and others who dare to continue reminding the forgetful, or otherwise inattentive, will be more inclined to “let it go.” Until then, it is my hope that institutions such as ProPublica will continue to harvest the truth so that those who care about ending such injustice can “Go Tell it on the Mountain.”
In responding to ProPublica’s findings, it is not uncommon to charge the media with unbalanced coverage, or to suggest that, quite simply, they got it wrong. That’s why two key points rise to the forefront on this matter. The first and most basic is that ProPublica is not a conventional news outlet. However, the second, and perhaps more compelling point is found in the reaction of key stakeholders.
When presented with the evidence, both current and former officials at the White House and the Justice Department said they were surprised and dismayed by the racial disparities which persist even when factors such as the type of crime and sentence are considered.” In other words, they do not deny or challenge the validity of the findings, presumably at least in part due to the strength of the research and the integrity of ProPublica.
The examination covered the period beginning near the outset of President George W. Bush’s first term. At that time President Bush elected to rely almost solely on the recommendations made by career attorneys in the Office of the Pardon Attorney. In their defense, senior aides from the Bush White House indicated Mr. Bush wanted to take politics out of the process. For their part, Justice Department officials argued the pardon process takes into account many factors that cannot be statistically measured, such as an applicant’s candor and level of remorse.
So what level of disparity are we talking about here? To put it in context, from 2001 to 2008, President Bush issued decisions in 1,918 pardon cases. Of that number 189 received favorable review; in other words, a pardon. All but 13 of the pardons went to whites. Seven pardons went to blacks, four to Hispanics, one to an Asian, and one to a Native American.
ProPublica looked at President Bush’s pardon history to the Pardons Office’s record over a President’s full term. ProPublica looked at a random sample of 500 cases. In multiple instances, white and black pardon applicants who had committed similar offenses, and who had comparable post-conviction records experienced opposite outcomes. For example:
- An African American woman from
- A white woman from the same city who faked multiple tax returns to collect more than $25,000 in refunds, was pardoned
- A black first-time drug offender – a
- A white fourth-time drug offender who did prison time for selling 1,050 grams of methamphetamine was pardoned
- All of the drug offenders forgiven during the Bush Administration at the Pardon Attorney’s recommendation – 34 of them – were white
· Are married
· Never divorced
· Never declared bankruptcy
· Never took out a large loan
· Never incurred large amounts of debt
The intent, according to officials, was to reward people who demonstrated “stability,” after their convictions. The effect has been to exclude large segments of society. The review showed that applicants with cases older than 20 years had the best chance of receiving a pardon. Married people, those who received probation rather than prison sentences, and financially stable applicants also fared better. However, when the effects of those factors and others were controlled for, using statistical methods, race emerged as one of the strongest predictor of a pardon.
The most significant disparity involved African Americans, who have historically suffered from greater financial and marital instability. Blacks make up 38% of the Federal Prison Population. In ProPublica’s nearly 500-person sample, 12% of whites were pardoned; 10% of Hispanics. None of the 62 African Americans in the random sample received a pardon.
The Founding Fathers, in framing the original intent of Presidential Pardons was to right miscarriages of justice. William Rehnquist, former Supreme Court Chief Justice, called pardons a “fail safe” against the “unalterable fact that our justice system, like the humans who administer it, is fallible.” Today’s Pardons Office places little emphasis on trying to help those who might be innocent.
Finally, the changing of the guard, from President Bush to President Obama has seen little to no change in the way the pardon’s process works. For all practical purposes, the office works much as it did under President Bush; President Obama pardons only applicants recommended by the Pardons’ Office. Mr. Obama has denied 1,019 applicants, which is more than President Clinton denied in two terms.
So, as we consider the state of Presidential clemency, “I Beg Your Pardon: The System is Broken!” I say, fix it…now!
I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
December 7, 1941: A Date Which Will Live In Infamy!
It's time to Break It Down!
Seventy years ago today, an incursion of the highest order befell our great nation. On that fateful Sunday in early December, the Japanese Empire, with the aid of its naval and air forces, attacked the American military installation atPearl Harbor , Hawaii Hawaii did not officially become the 50th State until June 27, 1959, the Republic of Hawaii America
The next day, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) met with the U.S. Congress to request a Declaration of War, and in so doing, uttered these now famous words: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval andair forces of the Empire of Japan.”
This brazen and unmitigated act of war had surprised the American military establishment, and the Country as a whole. While we as Americans remember the pillage atPearl Harbor , the comprehensive nature of the Japanese attacks, though amply documented, is less well-known. In fact, over a two-day span, Japan
Germany invaded Poland United States U.S. destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki
So it is with much respect, simple humility, and a heavy dose of sadness that I salute the millions pressed to service to defend the world as we know it against the rapacious desires of those in search of global hegemony and world domination. In any version of this storyAmerica
We now live in the nuclear age of course. Many nations have access to nuclear weapons, while others are trying to attain them. What the future holds is uncertain. But we know for sure that any number of countries have The Bomb at their disposal, and there are enough nuclear weapons stored around the world to destroy the earth, many times over. With what should be mixed emotions, as Americans, we also know that the only nation ever to unleash the fury of this potential “world-ender” is us, as in theU.S.
I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5166
Seventy years ago today, an incursion of the highest order befell our great nation. On that fateful Sunday in early December, the Japanese Empire, with the aid of its naval and air forces, attacked the American military installation at
The next day, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) met with the U.S. Congress to request a Declaration of War, and in so doing, uttered these now famous words: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval andair forces of the Empire of Japan.”
This brazen and unmitigated act of war had surprised the American military establishment, and the Country as a whole. While we as Americans remember the pillage at
· Torpedoing ships between Honolulu and San Francisco
· Launching an offensive against Malaya
· Assailing Hong Kong
· Raiding Guam
· Attacking the Philippine Islands
· Raiding Wake Island
· Invading Midway Island
FDR’s request was granted of course. Four days later, on December 11th, Germany and Italy , which had signed a three-nation pact with Japan on September 27, 1940, declared war on the United States Germany and Italy were compelled to defend their ally, Japan Japan
- Benito Mussolini quit his post as Dictator of Italy
- U.S. Flag raised over
- FDR died; Harry S. Truman was sworn in as President of the United States
- Italians killed Mussolini
- Adolph Hitler committed suicide
- Winston Churchill lost re-election bid
- Allied Nations celebrated VJ (Victory over Japan) Day
So it is with much respect, simple humility, and a heavy dose of sadness that I salute the millions pressed to service to defend the world as we know it against the rapacious desires of those in search of global hegemony and world domination. In any version of this story
We now live in the nuclear age of course. Many nations have access to nuclear weapons, while others are trying to attain them. What the future holds is uncertain. But we know for sure that any number of countries have The Bomb at their disposal, and there are enough nuclear weapons stored around the world to destroy the earth, many times over. With what should be mixed emotions, as Americans, we also know that the only nation ever to unleash the fury of this potential “world-ender” is us, as in the
I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5166
http://www.worldwar-2.net/
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