Not surprised…

Posted on January 17, 2013 by notjustmythoughts

I am not surprised when I read an article about the negative conduct of courts. I am not surprised when I learn about another conviction overturned. I am not surprised when that conviction took 10+ or even 20+ years to get overturned. I am not surprised.

I am not surprised to learn that people are “paid off” by lower sentencing or even absolution of their records for testimony. I am not surprised people take these deals for their own benefit, knowing damn well they are hurting someone undeserving of their wrath.

I am not surprised that the character of these witnesses were never challenged by defense attorneys. I am not surprised when the jury “of peers” convicts based on weak evidence and weaker testimony.

I am not surprised that most of the times it happens to minorities from poor communities who couldn’t afford a lawyer that actually gave a shit. I am not surprised their lawyer didn’t give a shit. Not to defend the corruption, but even in the most astute and caring lawyers – it’s hard to give a shit when you’re a legal aid paid by the state and have 100+ active case.

I am not surprised there isn’t more awareness of the injustices of the system.

I am not surprised,
notjustmythoughts

Article the spurred this brief writing:

OF COURSE they wouldn’t

Posted on August 22, 2012 by notjustmythoughts

Have you read the news today – The NY Daily News, The NY Post, or The NY Times specifically? I ask because there is an article in each of these, which I’ve linked the Daily News article, (NY Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/ups-drivers-caught-delivering-30-pounds-marijuana-article-1.1138992) regarding 3 men who were arrested in a Marijuana bust. 30lbs of Marijuana to be exact. These men were all in their 50s. Other than their age and where they live characteristics of the men are not given. Therein lies my issue.

I have an issue with race not being noted in this article. Truthfully, I don’t really care what color or ethnic background a person is if they commit a crime. BUT the media LOVES to let us know when an individual is Black or Brown when they commit crimes – drug crimes or (and maybe especially) violent crimes. No where in this article is there a mention of race. Because of this my natural reaction is to assume they are not minorities. If they were, the article would read something like:

3 Black men were arrested in a cartel attempt of drug smuggling through celebrated shipping company UPS.

It’s just another way to downplay “their” presence in the drug game and criminal world while touting us as criminals and violent and prone to animalistic behaviors.

notjustmythoughts

Dalits

Posted on December 22, 2011 by notjustmythoughts

A Dalit is an “untouchable” in India. As I was reading this article in the NY Times I kept thinking, kind of sounds like the gap between the wealthy and the poor here in America… and then this paragraph:

“Dalits still lag behind the rest of India, but they have experienced gains as the country’s economy has expanded. A recent analysis of government survey data by economists at the University of British Columbia found that the wage gap between other castes and Dalits has decreased to 21 percent, down from 36 percent in 1983, less than the gap between white male and black male workers in the United States. The education gap has been halved.”

I bolded the text to signify what stood out to me.

Read the full article here…http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/22/world/asia/indias-boom-creates-openings-for-untouchables.html?ref=world

notjustmythoughts.

Buying Congress

Posted on December 20, 2011 by notjustmythoughts

Is this really the first time someone has thought that people are buying Congress? I’ve been saying this from the very beginning. Congress makes strides for the rich, because ultimately they are the ones who have funded “them” (the representative/senator/president) getting into office. No money = no campaign train, which in turn means not getting your word out there, which in turn means you wouldn’t win. So you win with financing from people, but when wealthy people end up contributing more money combined than money from smaller individual donations you have a skewed perspective on winning tactics. It is no longer about the people of the nation, but rather the people with money that donated and how you can get more of their money and also keep them on “your team” going into the next elections…

What does this means? Well, dig in your pocket and come up with a little under 30K for a donation and you too might have a voice… Of course, my version of irony…

The Bronx median income is about 17K/yr … now doesn’t it kind of make sense as to why the Bronx is often the forgotten borough? And the average medium income is a little more than 26K…

And even though this article in the NY TIMES (http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/19/deep-pockets-deeply-political/?hp) is an opinion piece, I kind of feel like they make these stories “opinion” to undermind people into thinking it really isn’t so.

Check out the article. It’s worth your time. Notjustmythoughts.