2008 Woodie Awards
Our reader's voices
Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: Voices
- Page 1 of 2 next >
Prosecution's record demands attention
I found your editorial chiding of the ministers from Detroit about the planned demonstration to be na've at best. If past experience is to teach us anything, to suggest that they should allow the investigation to take its course, is to prepare for no justice to be done in the case of the nooses. The track records of this prosecutor and CMU are not very good, particularly when it comes to matters of racism.
About 13 years ago a black female student was gang raped by members of the soccer team and others. What was the result of that investigation? Even though the assailants were known, no charges were brought by the prosecutor. What did CMU do? The soccer team was disbanded.
Two or three years ago when there were threats and an assault by the Neo-Nazis on some black students on campus, the investigation found nothing and consequently no charges were brought.
In another case, which had nothing to do with race because the victim was white and the assailants were white, no charges were brought. This was a case in which a young white male was severely beaten by a gang of white students on Washington or Main streets and was in a coma for a month. No witnesses would tell what they saw. Yet these students were not accused of having a "culture of silence."
Then, in an almost identical case when it came to the death of DeMarcus Graham, the prosecutor charged the black students who were witnesses with contempt of court and perjury. One female student spent a month in jail. For the alleged assailants, these black students were not charged with "assault with the intent to do great bodily harm" or manslaughter, but MURDER!
I say right on to the ministers. This prosecutor and the investigations seem to be blind when it comes to justice for African Americans. Unless attention is brought to this case, it is likely to suffer the same double standard as previous cases.
I say right on to the demonstration. The double standard needs to be exposed for the world to see.
I found your editorial chiding of the ministers from Detroit about the planned demonstration to be na've at best. If past experience is to teach us anything, to suggest that they should allow the investigation to take its course, is to prepare for no justice to be done in the case of the nooses. The track records of this prosecutor and CMU are not very good, particularly when it comes to matters of racism.
About 13 years ago a black female student was gang raped by members of the soccer team and others. What was the result of that investigation? Even though the assailants were known, no charges were brought by the prosecutor. What did CMU do? The soccer team was disbanded.
Two or three years ago when there were threats and an assault by the Neo-Nazis on some black students on campus, the investigation found nothing and consequently no charges were brought.
In another case, which had nothing to do with race because the victim was white and the assailants were white, no charges were brought. This was a case in which a young white male was severely beaten by a gang of white students on Washington or Main streets and was in a coma for a month. No witnesses would tell what they saw. Yet these students were not accused of having a "culture of silence."
Then, in an almost identical case when it came to the death of DeMarcus Graham, the prosecutor charged the black students who were witnesses with contempt of court and perjury. One female student spent a month in jail. For the alleged assailants, these black students were not charged with "assault with the intent to do great bodily harm" or manslaughter, but MURDER!
I say right on to the ministers. This prosecutor and the investigations seem to be blind when it comes to justice for African Americans. Unless attention is brought to this case, it is likely to suffer the same double standard as previous cases.
I say right on to the demonstration. The double standard needs to be exposed for the world to see.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 5
Steve A. Redder
posted 12/05/07 @ 9:02 AM EST
Seven years ago Robert Newby and his black militia pressured the editor of Cm life to ban my submissions to the Letter to the editor section. Why? Because a white man dared to publicly criticize him and his cronies. (Continued…)
Teh Troll
posted 12/05/07 @ 2:00 PM EST
I guess the good old professor forgot the part of the Showalter case where Showalter used the N word. He was beaten by other whites for using racial slurs. (Continued…)
John Denny
posted 12/05/07 @ 5:35 PM EST
Mr HIcks:
1. The Bill of Rights does not specifically grant us any rights. It only serves to protect our basic human rights from government interference. (Continued…)
michmediaperson
posted 12/07/07 @ 10:06 PM EST
I suggest CM LIFE re-print the outstanding column recently written by Chicago Tribune columnist, Pulitizer Prize-winner, African-American Clarence Page. (Continued…)
Post a Comment