Who are these people?

This weekend, I was watching a documentary entitled "After Innocence". It chronicled several men who were released from prison after DNA proved they were wrongfully convicted. It was a sad tale of the permanent scar that remained on their lives as they lost those years of their life where most people develop their identity as an adult by building a career and family.

One of the issues that were highlighted was the "oops sorry" attitude as they are sent on their way without any compensation or support. Now my personal opinion is that there is NOTHING worse than being imprisoned for something you didn't do, it's possibly a fate worse than death to be rotting in a prison shouting your innocence and being generally dismissed for 10, 15, 20 or more years. I would go mad.

Realizing how much of a nightmare this would be I cannot image WHO ARE THESE PROSECUTORS are that are FIGHTING to keep innocent men incarcerated? That may very well be the cruelest and most vicious things I've ever seen in the practice of law.

Now it was a step in the right direction that Mr. Nifong, the prosecutor in the North Carolina Lacrosse team rape case had to serve one day for his role in this false prosecutor, but I think the penalty must be more frequent and severe. The punishment needs to be preventative (read my post on preventing drinking and driving) due to the fact that we cannot give someone fifteen years of their life back after they are wrongfully imprisoned. I think that any prosecutor that engages in behavior that hinders a fair trial, such as witness tampering or intimidation, withholding evidence or presenting false or manufactured evidence should be criminally charged, and if convicted, should do HARD time mandatory sentences. Now the thought of a PROSECUTOR having to go to prison, that's scary. Being tossed in the penitentiary with the perpetrators that they have put away, should act as a very strong deterrent for any prosecutor to engage in such questionable practices.

As for anyone who will lament that "we are taking away the tools they used to get bad guys", I say that the integrity of the system is so much more important than that. It's like saying we can't win unless we play dirty and while I could state so many reason why that's ridiculous, if you don't already know that, then nothing I say would make a difference.

We are so distracted by our various wars, "war on drugs", war on terror", "war on gangs" and "war on poverty", but I'd like to see a war in injustice. If would could implement the same type of mandatory sentences on dirty prosecutors as we have on crack users, I'd call that progress.

Kanye West Rock’s SNL

I was watching a repeat episode of Saturday Night Live tonight featuring performances by Kanye West. I don't think I knew much about who he was until the nanny played it in the radio and my little one came home singing the hook to "Gold Digger".

Since that time, I've followed some of the "unconventional" behavior that has been reported on this artist, but I didn't really follow his music. Heck, I don't follow rap music in general. Maybe a song here and there, but since I was a teen, and LL Cool J was the hot rap artists (okay, did that just date me or what), I've followed a mixture of R&B, Pop and whatever the kids listen to (as in Hillary Duff, Cheetah Girls, and HSM tracks).

My critique, review etc. of this performance….HOT in a word. His lyrics were relatable and decipherable, but most of all I loved the background orchestra that accompanied his band. The music was unbelievable. I think possibly, that's what I've been missing in most rap music.

Currently, I have a few songs on my MP3 that have rap collaborators, but as soon as possible, the cut "STRONGER" will join the other rap cuts, Kick Push and "Show Me Whatcha Got" on my playlist.

I hope it is Mr. West's immaturity that causes him to react the way that he does in some situations and I sincerely hope that he will learn that the cockiness' and conceit that he has is unwarranted. We can all see his talent (as demonstrated by his record sales) and I'd hate to see him alienate the industry in the long term.

I hope to continue to enjoy his music and I just might go out and by the first rap album that I've purchased in years.

New DUI Law in California

It's too little, too late. Not the law, but the time in a person's drunk driving career in which they FINALLY face appropriate penalties.

First, let me share a little about the law with you. At the prosecutors' discretion, if an intoxicated driver causes a fatal accident, they can be tried for second degree murder instead of the current manslaughter. My first problem with this is that we shouldn't leave something like this to the discretion of prosecutors UNTIL we have a fair justice system. If judges can be stripped of "discretion" in crack sentencing, then I'm sure prosecutors in this case can as well. Second, while I have no scientific statistics, my personal experience tells me that by the time a person is caught DUI, they have done it MANY times. Why would we wait until someone is dead before we appropriately punish this crime? If it were up to me, I would make everyone's first drunk driving a MANDATORY 30 day sentence. After all, nobody ever HAS to drink and drive. It's a bad and dangerous choice EVERY SINGLE TIME. This is a penalty stiff enough to deter and that's exactly what we need. Even a person who has the "disease" of alcoholism, who for whatever chemical changes have taken place in his brain cannot will him or herself not to drink, can choose not to drive. And if we are to consent that they've lost that control as well, then why would we punish them MORE harshly when they do it the fifth or sixth time, or even when they kill someone, if it's not a choice, then punishment would NEVER be appropriate. Of course smellier bull has never been proffered.

In my humble "bloginion", there is NEVER any excuse for DUI (okay, maybe while on a prescription medication that you didn't know impaired you), but with alcohol in particular, while there may be many reasons or excuses for drinking to excess, there is never a reason or excuse to drive while drunk.

I am losing faith, respect and integrity?

Recently, as I read how local, state and federal governments waste, pillage and steal our tax dollars, I have become more and more disenchanted with them. Of course, I lost respect long ago, and I have no faith that they can accomplish anything worthwhile. I'm not even convinced that public services couldn't be delivered faster, better and cheaper than they are now with government. I live in an area where most have given up on public services when given the choice and collectively, we can agree that we are paying taxes for almost nothing. For awhile I was willing to consent that I should pay the government for the streets and highways, but when I witness how traffic mostly stands still during the time most of us want to use it, I've decided they really don't deserve to be paid for that as well.

I've noticed that all the tax CUTS have expiration dates, but tax increases never do and that politicians treat tax dollars are like credit cards that they intend all along to file bankruptcy against. Even the good politicians are a waste of oxygen because no one can accomplish much in politics alone.

Now mind you, this is simply a rant, but a pre-cursor to my proposed solutions. History has a couple of examples that I love, the recall of former California Governor, Gray Davis and the political human (almost) sacrifice staged by KFI's 640 (http://www.kfi640.com) host, John and Ken in 2004 against Orange County congressman David Drier. I read on http://www.blogactive.com, that David Drier is gay and although I don't recall John and Ken discussing this on their show during their attempt to lay Mr. Drier on the altar of inexplicably lost elections, (for which I partially respect) I can't help but believe that revealing that tidbit of information would have sealed his fate.

For years, we've been told that the MASSIVE perks that come along with most political offices are necessary in order to attract the brightest and best to serve the "public interest", however I am convinced that politicians are neither the best nor the brightest and may possible be not only the worst and dumbest, but also the most morally bankrupt and power hungry we have to serve up.

So the first thing I recommend is that we either start paying them a teacher or cop's salary OR better yet, make it like jury duty, everybody has to serve at some time, for a two, four or six year terms and it's a random process. Coming soon, more of my ideas.

Celebrity Love Search - Continues

As I mentioned before, I don't consider entertainment news particularly critical, but when I think it makes a statement towards some other issue, I'm not shy about weighting in.

I recently learned that VH1 is casting "Rock of Love II". Yet another installment of Brett Michaels looking for love which leads me to believe that things didn't work out exactly with Jess, the pink and blond, raspy voice cutie that Brett ultimately chose over Heather. I couldn't help but to feel sorry for Heather, the stripper who was so committed to Brett that she had his name tattooed to the back of her neck.

I couldn't help but to be reminded to another seemingly committed suitor who was scorned, not once, but twice (three times if you count Mr. Tango), the "fabulous" Miss New York".

Realizing that VH1 is now airing a second installment "I Love New York" and has recently been running promos for Flavor of Love 3, I can't help but wonder if Flava Flav would have been happier with Tiffany (aka New York) than with "Hoops" or "Deelicious", two relationship which clearly didn't work, AND would Brett have been happier with Heather.

I have long thought that men and women tend to choose mates who are not good for them. Women will chose for security, or an obvious "bad boy" who they hope will reform as a result of their love and men will choose a woman whom they can "show off" to their friends or one who is easily dominated. Both fly in the face of good old fashion love and compatibility as the healthy foundation of a lasting relationship, but after all, I did inadvertently use the term "old fashion".

As I recently read that Charlie O'Connell and his bachelorette, the longest Bachelor pairing to date, had decided to go their separate ways, I begin to wonder if the mating/dating shows that are airing and re-airing are meant to find real love or just for our entertainment.

How to slowly and systematically eliminate the black race…

Convince Black women that they cannot have a baby until they are in a stable healthy marriage.

 

Mission accomplished!

Black Men In Prison Didn’t Fight The Plea

This weekend I was in my car, yelling at the radio. Not because I've lost my mind, but because two host, which I cannot identify (because I don't know who they were) were discussing the statistics regarding the number of black men in prison and/or in the "injustice" system. Now I'm generally not one to pound on my chest lamenting the racial inequities in our society, but this time, I was screaming to the radio that this is all about one thing – PLEA BARGAIN. Yes, there are many African Americans making poor choices. My guess is that many of the incarcerated are there for drug related charges and the difference between being INCARCERATED on drug related charges and not is the quality of lawyer you have and whether or not that lawyer has incentive to plead your case out, or whether they are paid by the hour to defend you. Overworked public defenders will plea, private attorneys, with the support of a family (often, a two parent family granted), who is willing AND able to sacrifice, provide moral support by coming to court. When you have a single mother, working 10 or more hours every day with two or more jobs and two or three other kids to care for, providing the emotional support to a trial that even the lawyer (who is pressuring you to plea) doesn't support just isn't an option.

When OJ was acquitted, my primary emotion was shock. Over the years, I periodically revisited that shock until I watched the vast majority of the Phil Spector trial. As ridiculous as the defense "theory" of what happened sounded, I cannot deny that I had a good amount of reasonable doubt in hearing WORLD RENOUND experts testify to alternate theories of what actually happened. It opened my eyes to how ones knowledge of how to "play" the system (based on having "created" it) is the difference between the nearly 33% of black men who can expect to spend time in prison and the 6% of whites. As for Hispanics, I argue that they are a group that because of their religious foundation (something that the black community USED to have) are not yet making the poor choices that both blacks and whites are making, respective to their own communities. One thing I know FOR CERTAIN white teens are NOT doing less drugs, white teenage girls are NOT having less unprotected sex although they are having less babies because in that community, a stigma is still attached (as possibly it should be) to illegitimate children.

The bottom line is that the difference in blacks and whites in their imprisonment rates are not related to the actions, they are related to REACTIONS.

Poor, poor Britney Spears

I'm certain I'm not the first to do so, but I am OFFICIALLY predicting that we will soon learn that Brittney Spears is suffering from Schizophrenia or Bi-Polar disorder, but most likely Schizophrenia. Having known several people who are suffering from such mental illnesses, I feel so terribly sorry for her, but unfortunately, there is nothing I can do to help her.

Click below to view Brittney's new Video "Gimme More"




One of the things that's really sad about this is that I believe people in her inner circle probably KNOW this, but they would rather continue to send her back and forth to drug/alcohol rehab because in her business once people believe she is recovered from addiction, she can continue to work and they can all get paid, but if she is exposed to be schizophrenic, the likely hood of her being able to work is much less. Let's face it, given the poor prognosis of functionality of schizophrenics, what company is going to schedule and sponsor a worldwide tour for her?

While I believe that drugs and alcohol are compounding Britney’s mental illness(es), there are MANY, MANY drunk and stoned entertainers who continue to record and perform until their addiction kills them, but a schizophrenic is even so much LESS reliable than even a substance abuser.

I recently viewed Brittney’s latest video, which I understand from media reports was her “vision”. As I watch this video of her watching herself in two different personas I can’t help but to think this is exactly how she is feeling in her life.

As the child and sibling of schizophrenics, I have the deepest sympathies for her boys and unfortunately (as we learned with Andrea Yates), someone with that mental illness cannot be trusted to raise children un-monitored. My thoughts are with her and her family.

“I am not a physician and have not treated Brittney, I am providing my beliefs and observations based on what has been reported not an official diagnosis”. In the past she has been a brilliant business woman and entertainer, whether or not I was a fan of her work and for that I respect her and I wish her nothing but the best.

Soon I will post my other thoughts on the poor treatment choices (based on patient compliance) for schizophrenics and how I’d like to support alternative options for them in the future.

Utah Mine Collapse

During the time this tragedy was unfolding, everyone wanted to talk about Michael Vick. I'm not a media basher, but every time I heard people talking about Vick, meanwhile, these miners could have been dying a slow death, in a black hole, deep under the ground. As time ticked on, and especially after the rescue workers were killed, I knew, as did the families, that they had given up on finding these workers, dead or alive.

I will admit, it was painful for me. Almost as painful as watching a parent agonize over a missing child, wondering if they are dead or alive and these feelings presented the following dilemma for me; To regulate or not to regulate.

In this country, I believe our local and federal governments are WAY too parental with us. They tell us what drugs we can take and when, they regulate our sexual behavior through criminalization of prostitution and sodomy laws, although some of these laws are no longer enforced thank goodness. With that being said, do I wish to see the government outlaw or severely restrict this type of mining activity? I had to answer this question NO. I did some careful research and, without boring you with the details, I can say that mining activities are quite highly regulated. I honestly don’t think that more regulations will do anything more than raise the price of the resulting retail products that are derived from mined coal. So what is the answer then?

I have no question that these miners were aware of the danger that was present in this job, but for the time that they worked these jobs, they were allowed to have jobs that gave them the dignity to take good care of their families. There are many dangerous jobs, police, firefighters, military etc. and in each of these cases, I believe that the men (and women, in many cases) who work and serve in these jobs with pride, wish that their families will push on and have the lives that their fallen loved ones would have desired for them.

If it is discovered that there was any wrong doing on the part of the company, I hope they will pay for that wrong dearly, but aside from that, my only other hope is that if those miners did unfortunately die a slow death, the company will see fit to continue looking for them, and for any last words or messages that they may have left for their families. You are all in my thoughts and I hope you find the strength to have the life that your loved ones would have desired for you.