Wednesday, January 26, 2011

"The Future is Ours to Win!"

It's time to Break It Down!

So, did you tune out an hour or two of your regular TV viewing to catch the State of the Union (SOTU) Address last night? Chances are, unless you are a die-hard political junkie, a zealously committed Democrat, or an African American fighting the good fight to give POTUS the respect and support you believe lots of Americans decline to provide him, probably not. In fact I know individuals who fall into one, two, and in a few cases, all three of those categories, who opted out.

Many feel the soaring rhetoric never equates to practical application, execution, and follow-through; moreover, they believe they can catch one of the myriad recapitulations and get as much from the digest form as they would have gleaned from the roughly 90-minute investment of the processional, the speech, and the recessing. And then of course, there was the matter of the Republican rebuttal. Forgive me, I mean Response. And this year, one would also have needed to factor in the (GOP) Tea Party Response, which as Representative Bachmann, Minnesota, insisted, was not meant to compete with the GOP Response, which was delivered by Representative Paul Ryan, Wisconsin.

Since I did watch all three, in fact, the SOTU Address became today’s subject by default. I have included a link to the Transcript below; in the event you want to review some portion of it, or in case you missed it altogether, but hanker for your own personal copy. I have also provided a link to Representative Ryan’s Response, as well as one for that of Representative Bachmann. Feel free to thrill and amaze your friends with impromptu, pointed, comparative analyses of the three addresses. That is not what I will be doing. In fact, I will not mention the Responses again.

Having included a link for the SOTU Address, I will attempt to summarize a few major points, in a much more concise fashion than usual. President Obama proclaimed, “The future is ours to win!” He then spent the next hour detailing just how to go about prevailing. In answer to the question, “How do we get there,” he declared, the roadmap is, “Out innovate, out educate, and out build our competitors.”

In a metaphor that a number of news analysts have had fun with, President Obama referenced a period, near the end of the first decade of the Cold War Era, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first satellite to orbit the earth.  In his bold response to that challenge, President Kennedy announced that we would be the first nation to land on the moon. Eight years later, July 20, 1969, the crew of Apollo 11, Astronauts Neil ArmstrongBuzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins orbited the noon. Armstrong and Aldrin landed, while Collins remained in orbit. President Obama suggested that we view our current position as the equivalent of a Sputnik Moment; saying, in effect, we may be behind, but the race is not over…and when it is, we will win.

As you may be aware, Mr. Obama and his Party endured what he personally called, “a shellacking,” in the November Elections. The GOP-T Party added 63 seats in the House of Representatives, a turnabout of historic proportions. They also significantly closed the margin in the Senate. Since November, the President has spent a great deal of time and energy re-casting himself, and to an extent the Democratic Party. As analysts note, he has pivoted to the Center. In doing so, he has managed to engender a substantial rebound in poll numbers, moving from a low Approval Rating of 41% to a current number of 55%.

His speech last night continued his repositioning. He argued repeatedly that in order to move the Country forward, Democrats and Republicans must work together. In the wake of recent events, including the tragic shootings in Tucson, Arizona that killed six, and wounded Representative Gabrielle Giffords, and others, the President and Congress have largely promoted toning down the decibel level, and the derisiveness of the rhetoric. In an effort to promote movement in this direction, many Senators and Representatives eschewed their normal pattern of seating, divided by Party, and intentionally sat next to a member(s) of the opposing Party. For his part, the President did not raise the issue of the shooting as a talking point.

In citing examples of what he proposed, or would do in the coming year, President Obama called for a 5-Year freeze on domestic spending, and continued by recommending that we:

• Eliminate oil subsidies

• Use the savings to invest in clean energy

• Win the race to educate our kids (currently 9th in proportion of young people w/college degrees)


• Encourage Youth to become teachers; your Country needs you

• Make higher education available to every American

• Stop expelling talented young people who could help rebuild America

• Invest in high speed rail

Simplify the tax code

• Eliminate regulations that unfairly burden business

• Let’s make government live within its means, but not on the backs of those most vulnerable

• Insisted we cannot make permanent the tax cuts for the wealthy

• Make government not just more affordable, but more competent; more efficient

• Draft a bill to merge, consolidate, & reorganize the Federal Government

• Proposed transparency & openness in government, Congress, & the White House

• Promised to veto bills with earmarks

In closing, the President maintained our destiny is our choice, & said we will win the future by doing big things. CNN, which often conducts snap polling after the President speaks, did so last night, and reported several numbers.

Of Americans who watched the speech:

77% said they were more optimistic

19% said they were more pessimistic

52% had a very positive response

32% had a somewhat positive response

15% had a negative response

68% said President Obama will succeed in improving the economy

61% said President Obama will reduce the deficit

57% said President Obama will succeed in creating jobs

61% thought President Obama would move the Country in the right direction before the speech

77% thought President Obama moved the Country in the right direction after the speech

61% said President Obama will succeed in increasing cooperation between the Parties

70% said President Obama’s speech was about right

23% said President Obama’s speech was too liberal

5% said President Obama’s speech was not liberal enough

90% said it was a good idea for Democrats and Republicans to sit together

7% said it was a bad idea for Democrats and Republicans to sit together

I identified likely viewers at the outset, but for those who prefer a more sober, analytical depiction, the survey included a sample of 475 viewers; 39% of whom were Democrats, 19% Republicans. As such, the sample was nine to ten points more Democratic than the population as a whole. A similar CNN Poll assessing last year's SOTU Address was comprised by 38% Democrats and 25% Republicans. The poll does not purport to be scientific; rather, merely a reflection of the opinions of those who viewed the speech. This skewing is a common occurrence, depending upon the President's Party. President Bush’s SOTU Addresses produced similar relatively high favorable responses for the same reason; a higher percentage of Republican viewers.

There you have it; the play-by-play, and the numbers behind the SOTU Address. President Obama has declared, “The Future is Ours to Win!” My closest Republican confidante has conceded the speech was “A++, but like most grand plans, the Devil is in the details.” I agreed; what do you think?

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, January 19, 2011

"WWMD?"

It's time to Break It Down!

Monday was the 25th Anniversary of the initial observance of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (MLK DAY). After a quarter century of inculcation into the very fabric of our society, it may be largely forgotten that the conceptualization, submission and continual resubmission of the idea, the enactment, and the gradual national observance, was not the product of universal acceptance of a grand and enlightened concept, but rather, was emblematic of the civil rights struggle itself; steeped in controversy, and the eventual victory of a relentless movement to achieve richly deserved, and long overdue social justice.

Several members of Congress, and a number of states, and even a President, using a host of creative means, sought to undermine, outmaneuver, sabotage, subvert, and otherwise derail the efforts of the measure’s proponents. Ultimately, the movement was consolidated, snowballed, and would simply not be denied.

The effort to create a King Holiday was started by U.S. Representative John Conyers, Michigan, shortly after Dr. King’s death, in the spring of 1968. It was first introduced in the House of Representatives in 1979, but fell 5 votes short of the number for passage in the Lower Chamber.

High profile opponents to the measure included Senator Jesse Helms, NCSenator John McCain, AZ, and President Ronald Reagan. Both Senators voted against the bill, and Senator McCain publicly supported Arizona Governor Evan Mecham for his rescission of MLK Day as a State Holiday in Arizona. The campaign however, reached a critical mass in the early 1980’s. Spurred on by Stevie Wonder penning a song in King’s honor called, “Happy Birthday,” a petition drive to support the campaign would attract over 6 million signatures. It has been called the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. History.

Buttressed by what had become a wildly successful public campaign, Congress soon followed suit. The proposal passed in the House by a vote of 338-90, and in the Upper Chamber by a vote of 78-22. Given the dimensions of this overwhelming support, in the form of bicameral veto-proof votes, President Reagan signed the provision November 2, 1983, and it became Federal Law. The first observance under the new law took place January 20, 1983, rather than on January 15th, Dr. King’s birthday. A compromise in the legislation specified that the observance take place on the Third Monday in January.

Of course, that was not the end of the story. It would actually take more than 30 after Dr. King’s death before the Holiday was fully adopted and observed in all 50 states. Illinois holds the distinction of being the first State to adopt MLK Day as a State Holiday, having done so in 1973. Twenty years later, in 1993, for the first time, some form of MLK Day was held in each of the 50 States. It was not until 2000 that South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges signed a bill to make MLK Day a paid holiday for State employees; giving the Palmetto State the dubious distinction of being the last of the 50 States to do so. However, Mississippi also sets itself apart by designating the Third Monday in January as a shared Holiday the honors the memory of Robert E. Lee and Dr. King…two fine southern gentlemen.

So with that extensive preamble, I give you the issue of the day. This year, the convergence of a series of perfect winter storm systems bludgeoned the South and Eastern United States during the weeks leading up to the King Holiday. Part of the collateral damage emanating from these storms was wide-spread school closings, especially in the South, including parts of Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

In an effort to reformat the remainder of the school year, while minimizing over all disruption to School Calendars, a number of School Administrators discussed, and/or chose to eliminate the MLK Holiday, and program the day as a “Make-up Day.” These conversations, especially those leading to decisions to cancel the Holiday, proved to be controversial, and highly charged. It does not help that in many Southern school districts, there has been a level of retrenchment that many parents, families, and human rights organizations believe is tantamount to re-segregating the districts.

So I ask you, “What Would Martin Do?” (WWMD?)

I am not going to indulge in intellectual hubris, and pretend I know the answer to the aforementioned query. Instead, I will apply a couple of basic pragmatic considerations, and share my version of common sense. First, it is no secret; the efficacy of the American Education System is in question. By most accounts, American students, our children, are in trouble. A Google search of “Shortcomings of the American Educational System” produces 28, 400,000 results. Do not worry I am not about to recount them for you.

The point is from the White House, to the State House, to the School House, the calls for reforming the American System of Education resound clearly, loudly, and incessantly. Almost every depiction of what is required for America to regain its mojo and reach its potential includes some version of enhancing the level and quality of education that we provide to our students.

In that light, I believe we are missing, not only the larger point, but we are also missing a unique opportunity, if we allow ourselves to get “stuck,” quibbling over the alleged unfairness, inequality, or racial bias of administrators having declared MLK Day a school day. Even “if,” any or all of those notions were accurate, and I am not certain they were, our forbears prided themselves in rising above those challenges, and excelling in spite of them. Given all of our advantages, relative to our ancestors, it is incumbent upon us to do the same…and more!

We should have leveraged the construct of MLK Day as a Day of Service, and enhanced it to make it a Day of Service and Education. There are many studies that suggest the longer students stay away from their regular studies and study habits, the more ground they lose. Has it not occurred to anyone that is the last thing we or they need? It was both important, and apropos to have school on MLK Day because that was the next “First Day Available” to conduct the Make-up Day. By taking advantage of that option, the students, for whom education is designed for, and whom should derive the greatest direct benefit, receive the highest and best use from a necessary evil; the inclusion of a Make-up Day.  Naturally, all of society reaps the rewards of their immediate increased potential.

Now, I am not a medium or a spiritualist, so I do not profess to have conducted a séance with Dr. King; nor am I an educator, and I have not polled teachers or administrators. I am just a guy who is a perpetual student…of life, and that is how I see it. So if you were to ask me, “WWMD?” My answer is, in his most Reverend voice, Dr. King would implore us not to get “stuck,” quibbling over the alleged unfairness, inequality, or racial bias of administrators having declared MLK Day a school day. He would add, “I Have A Dream" that one day, down in Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina, black boys and black girls will join with white boys and white girls, and with Latino boys and Latina girls, and with Asian boys and Asian girls, and they will all get the quality education that they deserve, irrespective of their color, or their culture, or whether January 17th is a School “Make-up Day.”

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mlkhistory1.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr._Day

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/01/12/1973425/schools-get-flak-for-makeup-day.html

http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13839930

http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13815722

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13839930

http://www.foxcharlotte.com/news/top-stories/Controversy-over-Classes-on-MLK-Day-113857594.html

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/01/15/Weather-creates-ML-King-Day-controversy/UPI-51471295116770/

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/7889649-snowday-makeup-in-tennessee-causes-controversy-should-schools-open-on-mlk-holiday

http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-national/martin-luther-king-jr-holiday-cancelled-at-some-schools

http://www.polijam.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50864:weather-creates-ml-king-day-controversy&catid=:us

http://coastal.news14.com/content/top_stories/635270/mlk-day-used-as-snow-make-up-day-sparks-controversy/

http://www.allvoices.com/partner/ap/news/7917530-obamas-mark-king-holiday-with-service-at-dc-school

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Obama

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_of_Barack_Obama

http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/politics/malia-obama-PECLB004380.topic

http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/politics/sasha-obama-PECLB004381.topic

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Traumatic Terror in Tucson

It's time to Break It Down!

President Obama will visit Tucson today. In preparation for his visit, I can only assume he spent at least a portion of last night reading Dickens. To satisfy any portion of the Left, Right, and/or Center, his speech, at the University of Arizona, will avail, if nothing else, an unforgiving test of “Great Expectations.” The tragic events that transpired last weekend in Tucson, which resulted in a gunman shooting 19 people, killing 6 of them, and seriously wounding U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, serve as the horrific backdrop for Mr. Obama’s next big speech.

Critics and pundits alike have already identified what he must do to be successful. It is quite clear, unless all sides agree to concede ground; the principals will all come away mouthing the famous Jagger lyrics, “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.” Of course, as is the norm in contemporary American society, some have already declared his effort a failure. But really, this is not the President’s story. Rather, it is about the pain, suffering, and in 6 cases, the untimely demise of the victims.

There has been an active debate, and the usual finger-pointing with the intent to identify who is responsible for the senseless acts of violence put upon unsuspecting victims attending a “Congress on the Corner” event. Citizens came out to meet, greet, and engage their local District Congresswoman. It was a simple Saturday in Tucson; or so they thought. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. It was, instead, a life altering, and in some cases, a life ending outing.

The dispute revolves around the immediate assertion by the Left that Sarah Palin, the Tea Party Movement, and Conservative Republicans have so toxically infused contemporary political discourse that it led to Saturday’s massacre. The Right, in turn has accused the Left of politicizing the tragedy, and quite naturally, of falsely attributing to Ms. Palin, and the GOP-T Party, any responsibility whatsoever, for the shootings.

There is more, not surprisingly. Gun Control supporters insist that Arizona’s lax gun laws contributed to the tragedy. The gun lobby, the NRA, and extollers of the Second Amendment above all others, have responded on cue; not only do guns not kill people, the only logical antidote to gun violence is more guns. In other words, as one spokesperson put it, if Representative Giffords’ staff had been armed, and/or if members of the crowd had been carrying guns, it is unlikely that 19 people would have been shot before the gunman was brought down.  Draw your own inferences!

Another tapestry unfolding in the backdrop is the ongoing Immigration controversy that is roiling the State of Arizona. It is clear that some citizens of this border state feel threatened by the assimilation of “too many” of their neighbors form the South. Arizona, one of only 3 States, along with Alaska, and Vermont, permits anyone over the age of 21 to carry a concealed weapon without a background check. To them a gun is the ultimate “great equalizer;” the one thing that enables a person to feel safe.

Finally, there is one other dynamic that may be difficult for some to fathom. Arizona is a part of the historic “Old Wild West.” Representative Giffords’ District, specifically, includes the town of Tombstone, the O.K. Corral, and Cochise County. So the legacy of gun fights and the ghosts of Virgil, Morgan, and Wyatt Earp evoke proud memories. Representative Giffords, who owns a Glock 9mm, has incorporated references to this heritage in her stump speeches. She also opposed tighter controls on owning weapons, and on renewing a ban on assault weapons.

So how did Sarah Palin and the GOP-T Party even enter this conversation? The question, though an apt one, has a tortuous answer. Ms. Giffords, considered a moderate Democrat, supported the Health Care Reform initiative. In response, Ms. Palin placed a map on her website showing 20 Congressional Districts, denoted by gun sights, which she called bulls’ eyes. Below the map appeared 20 corresponding names, including that of Representative Giffords. Those who defend Ms. Palin say the graphic was strictly metaphoric…and perhaps it was. Who knows?

Media reports note this is not the first time that Representative Giffords has been threatened. Her local office was ransacked shortly after the Health Care vote. Moreover, during a gathering in the summer of 2009, similar to Saturday’s, an attendee dropped a gun on the floor. The Congresswoman reported later, “At no point did I ever feel in danger, and at no point did I ever feel there was a problem.” With that outlook, it was probably even more difficult for her to envision what unfolded four days ago.

What authorities do know is:

• A young man named Jared Lee Loughner shot the Representative in the head from point blank range with a Glock 19 9mm

• He continued shooting others

• His shots resulted killing 6 persons (including, a Chief aid to the Representative, a Federal Judge, and, ironically as it turns out, a 9-year old girl who was born September 11, 2001)

Representative Giffords seems likely to survive; which under the circumstances should probably be deemed a miracle

Mr. Loughner’s background has been scrutinized thoroughly, and he is characterized as troubled

• Reports suggest he is likely mentally unstable, and may have drug issues

• Authorities say Judy Clarke will represent Loughner; she has represented or counseled: 911 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui, Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Timothy McVeigh, Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski, Atlanta Olympic Bomber Eric Rudolph, and South Carolina murderer of her own toddlers, Susan Smith

In reality, there is a substantial amount of damning evidence that suggests Sarah Palin and her associates’ rhetoric influenced on the events that unfolded in Tucson last weekend. However, it is circumstantial, and far from conclusive.

It is my opinion that Ms. Palin has contributed her fair share to the deterioration of civility in the exchange of political ideas. But let’s not pretend that politics has ever been anything other than a rough and tumble sport. Recall that Vice President Alexander Hamilton’s death resulted from dueling former Secretary of the Treasury, Aaron Burr, on Jul 11, 1804. Today’s incendiary talk, while lacking in grace and tact, absolutely does not constitute an all time low; far from it. So, let’s not over reach, and in so doing, give Ms. Palin more credit…or blame, than she is due.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabrielle_Giffords

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_E._Kelly

http://judgepedia.org/index.php/John_Roll

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/report-giffords-staffer-gabe-zimmerman-among-the-dead.php

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/us-politics/8249178/Arizona-shooting-dead-Dorwan-Stoddard.html

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/7832686-rip-christina-taylor-green-born-on-911-died-today-by-a-gunmans-hand

http://www.legacy.com/ns/obituary.aspx?n=dorothy-morris&pid=147730607&ua=snuxgqk%2Btjuw2mfaoloemq%3D%3D

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jan/09/nation/la-na-phyllis-schneck-20110110

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Lee_Loughner

http://www.remtek.com/arms/glock/model/9/19/

http://ashleyfmiller.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/sarah-palins-target-list-and-the-assassination-of-gabrielle-giffords/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/11/obama-arizona-speech-to-h_n_807694.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-powell/arizona-is-america_b_806449.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/01/09/2011-01-09_palin_put_a_target_on_her_she_should_have_known_the_dangers.html

http://ashleyfmiller.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/sarah-palins-target-list-and-the-assassination-of-gabrielle-giffords/

http://www.npr.org/2011/01/10/132764367/congresswoman-shot-in-arizona

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_congresswoman_shot

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40978517/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/08/arizona-congresswoman-reportedly-shot-public-event/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/arizona-congresswoman-gabrielle-giffords-shot-in-arizona/developing/

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/politics&id=7887034

http://www.redstate.com/moe_lane/2011/01/08/breaking-rep-gabrielle-giffords-d-az-shot-at-public-event/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/us/politics/09giffords.html

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/11/photos.az.shooting.victims/index.html?hpt=T2

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/01/11/political.rhetoric/index.html?hpt=T2

http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/11/how-can-pres-obama-use-tucson-shootings-to-unite-country/?hpt=T2

http://www.startribune.com/politics/113158859.html

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/10/judy-clarke-who-defended-the-unabomber-will-represent-jared/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zacarias_Moussaoui

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_McVeigh

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kaczynski

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Robert_Rudolph

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Smith

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

"Truth, Crushed to Earth, Shall Rise Again!"

It's time to Break It Down!

As one popular saying goes, “Everything is big in Texas.” Apparently, that includes the list of persons convicted of crimes they did not commit, who have later been exonerated, based on DNA evidence that proves their innocence. That list grew larger by one yesterday, when district court Judge Don Adams told Cornelius Dupree, Jr., “You’re free to go.”

Mr. Dupree was imprisoned in 1980 as a result of his conviction on rape and robbery charges in 1979, and served 30 years of a 75-year sentence. He had at least two opportunities to have his sentence reduced and to make parole, had he admitted to being a sex offender. He consistently refused to do so.

When asked about his refusal to act to speed up his release by admitting guilt, he said, “Whatever your truth is, you have to stick with it.” His clear-eyed resoluteness spoke volumes. It principally underscored, that regardless of the verdict, he knew he was innocent; but also showed a dispassionate understanding that had he admitted guilt for a crime he did not commit, the quest to prove his innocence would instantly and irreversibly lose its righteous fervor. Those who believed in him and his cause would have reason to doubt. As Mohandas (Mahatma = Great Soul) Gandhi said, “Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self-sustained.” Fortunately, Mr. Dupree embraced that construct.

The State of Texas has freed 41 inmates since 2001 because DNA evidence proved their innocence; more such exonerations than in any other state. Of the 41 inmates freed, 21 have come from Dallas County. That is an amazing, almost stupefying statistic, at least until the underlying reasons are revealed. Dallas County, unlike jurisdictions virtually anywhere else in the nation, has maintained DNA evidence dating back decades after convictions. The exoneration process has been aided further because current Dallas County District Attorney (D.A.) Craig Watkins, the first black D.A. in Texas history, has cooperated with Innocence Projects to reopen cases to facilitate review of relevant DNA evidence.

Dupree’s 30 years served give him the distinction of having done more time for a crime that was proved later he did not commit, than anyone in Texas. In fact, only two inmates in the Country have served longer before being exonerated due to DNA evidence; James Bain spent 35 years in a Florida prison, and Lawrence McKinney spent 31 years in a Tennessee penitentiary.

In 2009, after dozens of wrongly convicted inmates were related during the decade, the Texas Legislature enacted a law to compensate those wrongly imprisoned, that is the most generous in the nation. Under the provisions of the law, Mr. Dupree is eligible to receive $80,000 for each year he was jailed, plus a lifetime annuity. The $2.4 million dollar lump sum payment would not be subject to federal income tax. On its face, that sounds like a huge windfall. Yet, who among those who have never been imprisoned would trade a year of freedom for $80K? Multiply that by 30 years; if you could turn back the clock, assuming you are 22 or older, would you agree to go to prison, with the understanding that if you lived 30 years, at the end of that period you would receive $2.4 million with no federal tax, plus an annuity? Mr. Dupree had no such assurances of course, but suppose you did; deal or no deal? I am curious. Please feel free to write your response and rationale in the comment section if your answer is yes.

The cases of Cornelius Dupree, Jr., James Bain, and Lawrence McKinney are troubling, individually, and collectively. That the American system of jurisprudence is subject to such egregious errors is problematic, in and of itself. This post centers on Texas, but Mr. Bain, and Mr. McKinney were from Florida, and Tennessee, respectively, so as big and bodacious as the great State of Texas is, this is not an issue unique to The Long Horn State.

Beyond the fact that such cases of mistaken identity, rush to judgment, and convict at all costs occur at all, the fact that the individuals who have served the three longest wrongly convicted sentences in America, happen to all be black men, is abhorrent, and provocative. It is another of those damning statistics that suggest blacks in this Country often fail to receive equal treatment under the law. But I digress. It would take several posts to adequately address that topic.

Moreover, in keeping with my 2011 Mantra, “Less is more,” this is where I put a pin in today’s conversation. In his poem, The Battle-Field, William Cullen Bryant asserted, “Truth, crushed to the earth, shall rise again!” Cornelius Dupree spoke truth to power, saw it crushed, waited, prayed, and litigated; 30 years later, it rose again.

The good news is he lived to hear Judge Adams utter the phrase, “You’re free to go.” I am happy that Mr. Dupree will receive a measure of compensation for the injustice that was wrought upon him. Still, it is hard to imagine the emotional pain and suffering he endured, and equally challenging to fathom the resultant scarring that he will carry for the duration of his life. Nevertheless, “it is what it is.” My hope is that Cornelius Dupree takes a page from (Karl Paul) Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer: “May God grant him the serenity to accept the things he cannot change, the courage to change the things he can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”  From all indications, he is way ahead of me on that.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cullen_Bryant

http://www.bartleby.com/102/23.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Scheck

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innocence_Project

http://www.innocenceproject.org/know/Browse-Profiles.php

http://www.dallascourts.com/forms/frmCtsCrimCDC.asp?court=2

http://www.dallasda.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Watkins

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2011/01/dallas_court_officially_declar.php

http://blackmeninamerica.blogspot.com/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/04/cornelius-dupree-jr-prove_n_804010.html

http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS390&=&q=cornelius+dupree&aq=f&oq=#q=cornelius+dupree&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS390&prmd=ivnsuo&source=univ&tbs=nws:1&tbo=u&ei=Tu0jTaWGNMWclgfDrLyTDA&sa=X&oi=news_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCEQqAIwAA&fp=402f87a5aaec04db

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/01/04/132650399/dna-evidence-clears-texas-man-who-spent-30-years-in-prison

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40909822/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/dna-evidence-frees-james-bain-from-prison-after-35-years/1059473

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/11403184/dna-results-prove-innocence-for-man-behind-bars?redirected=true