Summer Heaters

I am a firm believer that the crime rate is lower in the winter across the nation.  When watching the nightly news or reading national news online there seems to be less killings.  Perhaps it's because murders don't like cold, rainy weather or perhaps they are too busy watching sports or preparing for the holidays or are in school.  I have no clue.

It seems once the weather heats up, folks bring out the heaters.  Over the past few weeks, especially in Chicago, there has been a tremendous increase in shootings.  So many young, innocent men and women losing their lives for nothing.

It makes me wonder, will the mass amount of murders ever stop? Why are the crimes being committed in the first place? What are the police doing? Where are the parents? Mentors? National media outrage?

Late last month a 10 year old girl was caught in the cross fire of a gun fight. Some 275 people have been murdered in all.  It was then that the Mayor addressed the prooblem in an interview.   His main objective was to blame it on the gangs.  He and his team need to adress why there are so many young people in gangs to begin with.

It seems that majority of the killings are due to gangs. There is debate on which Police Chief has the best policies, but no debate on the REAL reason behind the foolishness. Perhaps there is so much violence because of the culture in the area. Or maybe there are so many young adults who feel the only way to solve a problem is by killing. Or maybe some want to go to jail because they know they will have access to food, shelter, education.

As a young, black woman I feel for the area, our children.  Parents losing their child(ren) to foolishness.  The question I find myself asking is what can I do? I live a few thousand miles away, how can I effect change in that area?  I'm not exactly sure, but I am going to research some options.  This foolishness needs to STOP.  Even if that includes electing different officials who care.

Sending prayers up to all of those affected by the horrific events unfolsing in the area.

Trayvon Martin

Let me start by saying I'm a very compassionate person, especially when it comes to young black men and women.  As a black women and younger sister to two black men I understand the plight and stereotypes we face in America.  Black women are seen as angry and black men are aggressive and up to no good.  If you see me on a normal day, dressed in a sweatsuits and 5 finger shoes, I may look angry to some because I don't always sport a smile.  My brothers have always been victims of racial profiling; especially the one who lives in Alabama.  With that being said the case of Trayvon Martin HURTS me deep down in my soul.

From all accounts this young 17 year old black male was walking back to a family home minding his business.  He wanted some candy and a soda.  While walking, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, jeans and sneakers; he caught the eye of George Zimmerman.  Why he caught Zimmerman's eye we will never know.  According to 911 calls, Zimmerman felt Trayvon seemed suspicious, on drugs. Zimmerman is recorded telling the 911 dispatcher that Trayvon was "checking him out" and those "a$$holes always get away". What "a$$holes" was he referring too? Black men? Seventeen year olds? Guys wearing hooded sweatshirts? I really want to know!

We all know the rest of the story.  Zimmerman follows Trayvon despite being told NOT too by, essentially disobeying a lawful order and at some point parks his SUV, grabs a loaded hand gun, gets out of the car and finds Trayvon.  A fight ensues and Zimmerman shoots Trayvon in the chest, killing him.  A single shot.  Police come, he claims self defense and the police let him go.  That was almost a month ago and he has yet to be arrested.

This story troubles me for several reasons.  The first reason is very selfish.  I have an 11 year old nephew who could look suspicious to some.  He about 5'4 and weights 165 lbs.  Big boy, no doubt.  I'm sure if he was walking down the street he might have caught Zimmerman's eye.  Situations like this make me want to hug him closer, not let him out of my sight.  I'm not sure if I will let him walk to the basketball court by himself this weekend.  Or down to the corner store two blocks away.  I can't risk something, anything, happening to the my preteen.  He is like a son to me, has been since the day he was born. 

Another reason this story is so troubling is because of the way the shooter is being treated.  We all know Zimmerman shot Trayvon, he admits that.  But the police didn't do any drug testing, bring him in for questioning, take witness statements verbatim, etc.  It seems like they arrived, took his "self defense" excuse as scripture and let it go.  They didn't ask why did you still follow him after the dispatcher told you not too.  They didn't ask why he got out of his SUV.  They didn't ask why he got out of the SUV with his handgun. They didn't ask if he saw Trayvon commit a crime which is why he seemed suspicious.  They didn't ask ANYTHING!!!!! That's NOT right.  I really don't want to believe they treated him like that because of the color of his skin and the color of Trayvon's.  As a society we are pass that.........At least I thought.  What if during the scuffle Trayvon somehow got Zimmerman's gun and shot him.  Would he be sitting in jail?? I'm sure of it!

It's sad that we have to add Travyon Martin's name to the list of young black males killed for NO reason at all.  It is my hope that as a country we stand together to bring those who kill people in cold blood, regardless of race, to justice.  It shouldn't matter if the defendant is a police officer, regular citizen, Neighborhood Watch Captain, etc.  Justice is Justice.  Today I wear my hoodie, jeans and sneakers.  I just pray I don't catch the eye of someone like Zimmerman. 

RIP Trayvon Martin.

******************************UPDATE*******************************

So my 11 year old nephew is now afraid to walk outside.  I asked him if he wanted to walk to the store Sunday morning to get some milk and he responded "no thanks."  I asked him why and he explained that it was cold outside and all he had was a hoodie.  That broke my heart! Here he is, 11 years old and he doesn't want to go outside.  I live in a predominately white neighborhood.  My neighbors have seen my nephew before, he loves playing outside and can be very friendly.  To get to the store he would have to walk by/through another neighborhood and I think that is what has him scared. 

In related news, I now understand why is mom doesn't let him cross the street, walk to the playground, etc by himself.  For the longest I thought she was being over protective, but I realized she is just looking out for her son.  She doesn't want anything to happen to him while "walking home".  I didn't agree with her at first, but now I do.  There will be no more going outside or to the basketball court by himself.  He will have an adult with him at all times.  Can't let NOTHING happen to my baby.  He is my heart!  Part of the reason I breathe and work everyday.  Gotta grind to give him a future!

We Are Trayvon Martin

Unequal Justice!

My heart is heavy….even though it has been two days and almost all of society has forgotten how the US justice system failed us………….AGAIN!  This time the US Supreme Court had the opportunity to grant clemency to a convicted murder whose case has been shadowed by recanted witness testimony, police coercion, lack of physical evidence and confessions.  One would think that with all of “that”, there would be cause for reasonable doubt.  There would have been enough to grant a re-trail or at the very least commute his sentence to life in prison with or without the possibility of parole.  Instead the justice system chose to kill a man, not fully knowing if he is actually guilty.  They failed to realize if it ever comes out that he was innocent there is NO way to bring this man back to life. 

There are so many things about this situation that doesn’t sit right with me.  Now let me say this…..I am a Civil Rights Analyst by trade and have been for the past 10 years.  It is hard for me not to look at social issues such as this from racial standpoint.  A quick review of the facts is that this young black man was convicted in 1991 of murdering a white GA cop.  During his trail the state used only witness testimony to convict him.  The weapon was never found and the ballistics from the “alleged weapon” presented at trial linked bullets recovered at or near the scene to those at another shooting in which he was also charged.  He was convicted of murder and various lesser charges, including the earlier shooting.  The witnesses originally testified that they either saw him commit the crime or he confessed the killing to them. 

Fast forward to 2010…..seven of the nine witnesses have recanted or contradicted their testimony.  Some asserted they had been coerced by police.  Several implicated one of the original prosecution witnesses, Sylvester "Redd" Coles, in the crime.  Evidence that Coles had confessed to the killing was excluded as hearsay because Coles was not subpoenaed by the defense to rebut it.  In an August 2010 decision, the conviction was upheld, and the court described defense efforts to upset the conviction as "largely smoke and mirrors”.  He was scheduled to die by lethal injection on 21 Sep 11. 

Let’s contrast his case with that of a white man who was also scheduled of execution on the same day.  In March 1988, he killed a store manager during a robbery at the lumber company in Douglas County, west of Atlanta.  He had previously worked at the store, shot the store manager three times with a pistol, beat him with a crowbar and a pot of paint.  He pleaded guilty to armed robbery and murder and was sentenced to death the following year.  The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles made its decision less than three hours before he was to be executed, according to a spokeswoman for the state's prisons.  "After careful and exhaustive consideration of the requests, the board voted to grant clemency. The board voted to commute the sentence to life without parole," the parole board said.  "He takes full responsibility for his crime and experiences profound remorse," according to Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, an advocacy group, who welcomed the board's decision.

In this case there is NO doubt that this man took the life of someone else, yet he gets to live?  Is it because he showed remorse? Because of his color?  Because he killed a store manager and not a police officer?  As much as I hate to admit it, the justice system is not color blind as it ought to be, smh.  The entire world was outraged for various reasons the black man’s sentence was not commuted.  Petitions were signed, protests were staged, money was raised, e-mails/phone calls were sent to those who could have saved a life.  Instead they chose to kill a man, not knowing if he was guilty or not.

It is my prayer that Troy Anthony Davis is sitting in the heavens with my God.  It is not man’s decision to determine life or that, only God’s.  Those that kilt a man who may have been innocent will have to answer for their action on judgment day.  My Troy Davis rest in peace and know that his death was NOT in vain. We have the power to bring about a moratorium on the death penalty by voting out those representatives and senators who are steadfast on its use; by enacting the old saying that government is of, by and for the people I am Troy Davis and his cause lives through me…..I hope it lives through you as well!

Not Guilty

Casey Anthony is a free woman.  A jury of her peers found her not guilty of serious charges.  There is nothing the public can do but GET OVER IT!  I understand the emotions of society are running high and a lot of people feel she murdered her own child.  The evidence didn’t support that theory, so the jury got it right.  All the prosecution had was circumstantial evidence and that doesn’t get the job done.  If in fact she did murder her child she has to live with that for the rest of her life. 

I’ll be honest; I don’t understand how they could not convict her of the child neglect charge.  She waited a MONTH before reporting her child missing!  A MONTH!  If my niece/nephew are gone for ten minutes I start to panic, but maybe that’s just me.  In addition to not calling the police, she lied to various people about where her daughter actually was.  That seems like neglect to me.  In no way am I judging because folks have different parenting styles, but there is NO WAY I’m letting my little child, if/when I have one, out of my sight.  During the time lil Caylee was missing, Casey was out partying and living the good life.  I don’t know how she did it, but it’s not for me to understand. 

News just broke that she will be released at some point next week.  All I can do is pray for her and her family.  I know this is a difficult time and I am sure folks are going to be coming for her.  They shouldn’t do that!  If they believe she is guilty so be it, but they can’t attempt to take her life or make her life a living hell.  I’m sure sitting in jail was enough.  We have to keep in mind she lost her child.