Due to the shooting, Waco, Texas is getting its fair share of attention at the moment. There was a recent melee of murder between two rival motorcycle gangs in Waco, Texas. The crazy part is that all of this happened today (May 17^th, 2015). Yet, it seems so insane that there were 9 people dead because of it. Easily, things can go from 0-100 in Waco, Texas when it comes to murder and mayhem.

If anyone out there is short on memory, they have to go back to the last mass shooting that happened in Waco, Texas. We should all be aware of the madness between the Feds versus the Branch Davidians. And you are welcome for the reference.

And by the way: the name of the restaurant the fight started at is Twin Peaks. I’m sorry, but this madness is so poetic that reality will always be stranger than fiction.

Waco Texas Biker Gang Shooting Part 1

As details emerge, there are some things to consider. For one, the statement “0-100” is exactly what happened:

According to police spokesperson Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton, authorities were already at the scene when a gang fight broke out inside the Twin Peaks Restaurant at around 12:15 p.m. As the brawl spilled into the parking lot, the bikers reportedly escalated from “fists and feet to chains, clubs and knives, then to gunfire,” shooting at both rivals and police. [1]

Another thing that a lot of people keep mentioning is that it was between two motorcycle gangs. No, it wasn’t a crazed shooter that demonstrated our nation’s failing mental health approach. Nor was it the murder of a Black person for no apparent reason. This time around, it was a biker gang vs. a biker gang vs. the police.

When will the curfew be established in #Waco? Oh, that’s right…

— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) May 17, 2015

Oh, and did I mention that these were white culprits? Again, the poetic inclinations are endless. Luckily (depending on your feelings for police), none of the officers were harmed.

Waco Texas Biker Gang Shooting Part 2

Its Jim Beam and Marlboro’s fault! If white ppl smoked and drank less harsh stuff they wouldnt be so violent! #StopWhiteOnWhiteCrime

— The Blakk Samurai (@BlakkSamurai) May 17, 2015

You are a clever duckie, but nonetheless, a racist one #StopWhiteOnWhiteCrime#BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/ppx9OFE6ef

— Connie Collins (@khanknee) May 17, 2015

What is causing such an uproar on Twitter, Facebook, and within Black America has a whole is the fact that IF these were Black gangs members, there would be some “call to arms” for us to have a “come to Jesus moment” over black-on-black crime. Yet, it had to be two white biker gangs causing such a murderous hullabaloo that the comedy had commenced for the sake of enlightening entertainment. Also, many of us await that moment where people are actually going to have these media filled conversations about violent biker gangs. You know: the same way they want to exacerbate the issues of Black people.

I demand @msnbc @cnn & others air detailed analysis of White biker gangs & their violent lifestyle. Just like you do Blacks. Equal coverage.

— Connie Collins (@khanknee) May 18, 2015

Waco Texas Biker Gang Shooting Part 3

Fuck it: let us have a round table discussion on how to prevent this situation from happening from this moment forward. However, we KNOW that this won’t happen. Waco, Texas had a biker gang shooting that left NINE people dead and I bet my top Ben Franklinthat there won’t be much more than a peep coming from these news stations. Compared to the 25/366 coverage of situations involving everything plaguing Black America, I would be worried.

WACO, TX MASS SHOOTING: • 9 dead • 18 injured • 5 bike gangs • 150-200 bikers • 50+ guns recovered LIVE: http://t.co/y0tVvPuth1

— Breaking News Feed (@PzFeed) May 18, 2015

@khanknee It is Texas-these gangs may well have more arms than the national guard…

— M McV (@McVickerMaria) May 18, 2015

Has city been closed down to prevent further deaths & protect citizenry. Has national guard been called? 9 already dead #TwinPeaksShooting

— Connie Collins (@khanknee) May 18, 2015

It’d be sad if Dr. Ben Carson has to leave his church because of this White Biker Gang stuff.#Waco #WhiteLiesMatter

— RiPPa (@RippDemUp) May 18, 2015

Why are white people so violent and angry? #StopWhiteOnWhiteCrime

— TheArdentNegress (@miss_v3) May 17, 2015

Now do we see how white privilege works? Now do we see why these people weren’t labeled “thugs”, “delinquents”, and “cracker white trash” yet? Of course we all do. In fact, I await the rebuttal about how Blacks do these type of things more than whites. So, white privilege is always best when it comes to those that don’t take responsibility and ownership of their bullshit.

Waco Texas Biker Gang Shooting – Undone

I could write a paragraph about my feelings on all this, but I won’t. In fact, I will leave you all with a tweet that summarizes my feelings:

If this Waco shit (9 dead. 100 guns) happened in Baltimore, they’d be occupying Maryland w/the Nat Guard, the Canadian Mounties & the IDF.

— Dave Zirin (@EdgeofSports) May 18, 2015

The post Waco Texas Biker Gang Shooting and White Privilege appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Of course, you’ve heard of black-on-black crime. Whites love to make the usual point that although blacks are still roughly a minority of the American population, we constitute half of all crimes, especially murders. They also want to point out there most blacks are killed by other blacks, hence the term ‘black-on-black crime’. Why is it happening? Culture. Rap music. Poverty. We’re black. Simple as that.

But while black people are constantly being painted as a race that is linked with criminality, it’s rare that anyone would question about what’s going on in the white community. If someone so much as open his/her mouth about white criminality, then claims of racism against whites will surface. Some will try to explain how white criminality is a non-issue while black criminality is while, again, claiming that it no way racist. The usual broken record responses are played to avoid the issue that will question white purity.

I can only guess that it’s painful for some white people to hear about what’s wrong with white people in the same sense that white people make no qualms about discussing what’s up with black people as if they’re the cause of their problems. It may be uncomfortable, but it is what it is. White people have a criminal problem in their midst, and if certain white supremacists who claim they care about the existence of their precious race cared, they would see to it that the problem is acknowledged and fixed and not try to scapegoat it on other races and religions.

Now, before some of you get upset, I’m not saying that white people are a criminal race. There are plenty of descent white folks out there who are not engaged in criminal activity. What I am saying, however, is that white-on-white crime can no longer be censored to protect the image of the pure, honest and innocent-by-design white person where there’s absolutely no one within their race that would do anything wrong. There are a lot of white criminals out there and we must be aware of that simple, indisputable fact, especially if they want to survive out there.

The Vox explains:

…The disturbing truth, according to the FBI’s most recent homicide statistics, is that the United States is in the wake of an epidemic of white-on-white crime. Back in 2011, the most recent year for which data is available, a staggering 83 percent of white murder victims were killed by fellow Caucasians.

In other words, most whites are killed not by blacks as many racist claim, but by other whites. So, that trashes the notion that living in white communities would make one feel safer.

As a black person, I can tell you that there is a crime problem in black communities. We can’t or won’t deny it. How can we? The news loves to report it whenever and wherever it happens. In fact, black people have acknowledged and tried to fight it for years with exceptional results. A lot has been done, but a lot more work is at hand. We know there is a crime element among us, and some of us know where it comes from. And despite what some fools think, black people do not worship crime.

We know that whenever black people commit a crime, it gets reported almost instantly. We know that whenever black people does something insane, it becomes an internet meme. Whatever a black person does that’s considered wrong becomes a story that begs people to ask what’s wrong with us and command us to ‘do better’. But now it’s time we turn our attention to white people and ask what’s wrong with them. Tackling the problem may save a lot of lives, including white lives.

The post The Taboo of White-On-White Crime appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Nashville-Middle TN is home to numerous public and private colleges and universities with thousands of students. Those students are becoming easy picking to a scam that has serious consequences.

“Cracking cards”, with origins in the Southside of Chicago, began creeping down south about a year ago with activity on many campuses around Middle TN. Card crackers start with an innocent question to unsuspecting college students, “Do you want to make easy money fast?” Rarely is there a “no”. They are roped into the ‘quick money, no work’ scam.Students are told to loan the scammer their debit card and PIN to deposit a counterfeit check into their account. The card cracker then goes to another institution like a Check Advance Company and withdraw the funds the next day before the bank returns the check for being counterfeit. Most banks state the process takes about two days.

Students are promised a cut of the money and scripted to tell the bank that their debit card was stolen or lost to justify the amount that was withdrawn from their account. The students get shafted and are not given any of the money. Their account is in the red for the charge back, returned check fees, AND they have committed a serious crime. The amounts deposited are thousands of dollars. College students add even more misery to their life by lying to the bank and feds when they are questioned about the counterfeit checks. Lying to a federal agent can get you more time than the actual crime itself. By the time they do confess up, it is usually too little, too late as they sit staring across the table at bank corporate security, local police, Secret Service, and the FBI.

I have spoken to several parents who have experienced the above dilemma first hand. Most of their stories are very similar and the parents have been left dealing with the possibility that their children they sent off to college, to get an education, are being charged with a felony and facing serious jail time. Several parents are dealing with the financial repercussions of having to pay off the bank debt and the mounting legal fees to help protect any future their son or daughter may have.

Parents are usually blindsided with the news that their adult child participated in a criminal activity when their purpose in life as a college student is to go to SCHOOL. Many stated over and over, “I raised them better than this.” But this is not about how they were raised or judgement of anyone. The reality is, students are putting themselves in situations where they could get a federal sentence longer than a drug dealer or a murder. It is that serious.

Very few college students have thousands of dollars in their checking account. The promise of getting a few hundred dollars for allowing someone to put a bogus check in your personal checking account at an ATM is a temptation that cash strapped students find hard to resist. But not every student is cash strapped. Some are just stupid to put it plainly; easy targets for professional thieves that seek out naive students who are willing to cut corners to buy sneakers.

Most students are met at clubs, intramural sporting events, and over Facebook. Before the card cracker strikes, they sum up who will be a willing participant. Students who want to be accepted by others, loners, and those who are careless with their personal identification are vine ripe for the picking. Some students have been known to have their IDs stolen. Students can be recruited by buddies who were initiated by other members of the card cracking crew. As in other gang recruiting activity, easy to coerce is first choice. Card crackers are usually young black males but card crackers are not exclusive to any race or even age. Young female college students are recruited as well and can rise up the ranks to be mid-level leaders by being the bait to lure college males.

 Another group that has been infiltrated by the cracking card crime industry is the military.Young enlistees are promised a quick buck and they think “what harm” because they are ready to be deployed or move around often. But cracking cards crime travels and usually catches up with a member of the military no matter what part of the world they maybe stationed. This can cause them to lose their rank and they are often prosecuted as well. Being prosecuted for a federal crime as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces could lead to a dishonorable discharge and jail time.

Perplexed and wondering what can be done?

Become educated about cracking cards and spread the word throughout your community. Knowledge is power. Read as much information as possible and talk openly with your children about card crackers. As parents, our children will always be our children. It is a lifetime commitment. Listed below are words of wisdom that several parents shared with me that they wished someone would have shared with them to talk with their adult children.

1. Emphasize that cracking cards is criminal. Discuss this crime with your college bound, current college students, or young adult. No matter what the world may tell us, parents still have influence in their children’s lives. Let them know the dangers of even thinking about it. And share with them real life consequences.

2. Know your college student’s friends. An old saying, You are known by the company you keep, is relevant today. I am an advocate for knowing who is my children lives whether 5 or 25. Sudden friends out of the blue? Remember when we used to ask “Who are your people?” Unusual activities? Friends flashing money? Be watchful and be aware.

3. Ask questions. Nothing is more revealing than asking questions. Too often, parents see things out of the norm but brush it off. Trust your instincts. Did your son or daughter go on a shopping spree and you know they cannot afford the items? An inquiring mind finds answers.

4. Check your college student’s bank records. Keeping tabs on what is deposited and what is withdrawn can help your students to manage their funds better but it also can give you the heads up if there are unusual activities. Be a co-signer on the account.

5. Teach your students the value of having good credit. Once a good name is ruin, it is hard to get it back. Bad credit is costly; higher interest rates, higher insurance premiums and can even cost a student future job opportunities.

6. Gangs are gangs. Parents can easily think that because their adult children escaped being recruited into gangs during their high school years, they can breathe a sigh of relief. Not so fast. Card crackers are gangs. They operated with the same hierarchy and are known to become violent if their livelihood is threaten or they fear their run is about to come to an end.

I believe being aware of threats that hinder building a great community is the best offense. I also believe that criminal activity flourishes when we look the other way or put out heads in the sand as if it does exist. Knowledge is power. Please share this with others.

— Genma Holmes

Genma Holmes is a writer, blogger, and entrepreneur who publishes her work at GenmaSpeaks. You can follow her on Twitter @bugsact. She is a resident of Nashville, TN who writes from the heart as her spirit moves her.

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About ten years ago, you lend your roommate (William Allen Jr.) your car after a party. Being white boy wasted, you go to sleep (hell, it is 5 in the morning). Meanwhile, your roommate takes 3 other men with him to rob a local marijuana dealer. Things go wrong, which leads to the pot dealer’s 18 year old daughter being bludgeoned to death. This is a classic example of bad decisions leading to dire consequences.

As it turns out, everybody got a prison sentence (including Ryan Holle himself- more on that later). William Allen, Jr. received the death penalty. The killer, Charles Miller, received the death penalty as well. All the others that were involved in the crime received the same sentence as the killer. The “piss poor pot pusher” received 3 years for being a dope peddler. It seemed as if they were having a “sentencing party”.

It turned out that Ryan Holle received a piece of the sentencing cake with unnecessary icing. Ryan Holle himself was sentenced to life in prison without parole. His conviction was first degree murder. No, he was not directly involved with the crime and he vaguely recalled even knowing if the crime was going to occur. Still, he was convicted for murder back in 2004.

This was 10 years ago, people. A man is a criminal for lending a car and falling asleep in the early morning. Let that sink in for a minute.

Ryan Holle and the Felony Murder Rule

The main reason why Ryan Holle is going to prison is due to the felony murder rule. This rule was established for the sake of catching accomplices to crimes. From what the laywers, judges, prosecution, and jury saw, if Ryan Holle did not lend the car, there would not be a murder. So, by default, Ryan Holle is a criminal because he had “indirect involvement” in the murder. Therefore, the felony murder rule determined that Ryan Holle is a criminal because he “did his roommate a solid by lending his car”.

Mind you, the felony murder rule is abolished in places like England and Wales. But I digress.

Ryan Holle and the Dangerous Precedent

This entire conviction is problematic at its core. What it does is make it easy for anyone that has grossly minimal involvement in a crime to become convicted. Ryan Holle is in jail right now because he “overheard” his friends plan a robbery after he lent his car. Yet, there was no other involvement in a crime he had no plans on benefitting from. Within all of this, the prison industrial complex has another feeding system for its cells.

To add insult to injury, the criminal prosecution of this case occurred in Florida. If I was a Floridian, I would become tired of hearing my state being involved in consistent court cases consistent of cretinism.

To the credit of the prosecution, they had sordidly solid reason for Ryan Holle’s conviction. From their standpoint, they proved that Holle knew his car would be used for a crime. This can probably be acknowledged. Nevertheless, there is no true understanding of the flow of information and the validity/probability of Ryan Holle even believing William Allen Jr. I can still find it amazing that this man could still get passed a jury (in one entire day) with a murder conviction on his record.

There are probably other cases similar to this legal fiasco. In fact, I know of another man has been imprisoned for the past 20 or so years for a similar crime: Paul Modrowski. Paul, whom has autism, was also convicted of the murder of Dean Fawcett back in the 1990’s. They even associated him with the murders at Brown’s Chicken in the Chicago area(which would be cleared up later). With the murderer being acquitted by a separate jury, Paul Modrowski is also “guilty by association”(lending his car).

Ryan Holle and the Understanding

Ryan Holle should NOT be in prison for life without parole. This “accomplice by association” rule (felony murder rule) needs some serious rework. Ryan Holle has the outstanding honor to be a man convicted of murder while sleeping and nowhere near the crime scene. Remarkably, he did not get close to clemency. Let us see how this episode of “Trial Twilight Zone” will continue to play out.

Stay tuned!

The post Ryan Holle, in Prison for Lending Car to a Friend? appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Mike Anderson was convicted of armed robbery in 2002.  He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in Missouri, but due to a technical error by the state he was never required to turn himself in or taken into custody by law enforcement.  During the next twelve years he did what every penal system in the country desires: he walked away from crime and led a law abiding, productive life.  He started a business, became a home owner, got married, and started a family. Now he is in prison . . . waiting for some leadership in Missouri.

Yes.  I am a criminal defense attorney so I may not be the most objective person to relay Mr. Anderson’s story.  However, I know political cowardice when I see it.  There is no good reason for Mr. Anderson to be required to spend the next twelve years or so away from his family in a prison where he will pay no taxes, provide no help to the local or national economy, or provide no help to his wife in raising their children.

Mike Anderson

I am sure the law and order crowd will be quick to yell in the wind that the clerical error in his favor by the state of Missouri does not release him from his debt to society and his jail sentence. No.  It does not, but it should. It should because he is not the same man today that he was when he committed the felony that is now ruining his life and bringing a great deal of sorrow to him and his family.  And by the way, the victim of his crime also thinks he should not have to serve his sentence.

When the state’s criminal JUSTICE system dictates that a person is to be sentenced to time in prison it is for two reasons: either to (1) protect the society by removing a dangerous person from society, and/or (2) to provide an opportunity to change a criminal into a law abiding citizen through rehabilitation.  Mr. Anderson does not fall within either category.  He has already been rehabilitated and has a strong track record and incentives to continue to lead a law abiding life. And his behavior during the past twelve years demonstrates that he is not a danger to the community.  He is instead an asset to his community.  What is the real reason for him to serve a grossly belated sentence?  The politics of punishment.

The governor of Missouri has the power to end this ridiculous ordeal, so does the Attorney General of Missouri.  The governor can commute Mr. Anderson’s sentence and send him back home to his family and his community but he won’t because that would be a political risky move. If the governor or the attorney general let Mr. Anderson serve his entire sentence without regard to the blatant injustice of the situation there is likely to be no political consequences.  Or if the governor left this matter to the long and protracted process of the court system, he can effectively dodge a sticky issue and pass the buck to another branch of government.  However, if the governor showed some leadership and compassion and commuted Mr. Anderson’s sentence and Mr. Anderson went on to commit another crime, like murder or rape or something heinous, then that could cost the governor his job so why do the right thing and risk negative consequences when he can stay silent and take no risks.  Like I said.  When leadership is needed, we routinely get politicians.

If you believe Mr. Anderson should be released from prison please go to the change.org website and sign the petition for his release.

The post Mike Anderson and the Politics of Crime and Punishment appeared first on Madness & Reality.

As I mentioned last night, Shanesha Taylor is homeless and is the mother of two very young children. The gentleman in this case, however, has a home and from all appearances is co-parenting with the mother of his children. Unlike Shanesha Taylor, the father in this case didn’t make the conscious decision to leave his baby locked in the car.

According to the following report from Seattle’sKOMO-TV, Matt Steele just simply forgot that his baby was in the car for eight hours while at work until she was rescued by police.

King County Sheriff’s Office Transit Police officers used special equipment to unlock a car in the Thornton Place garage shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday evening. Deputies said a caller had noticed a car with an infant sitting in a car seat had been parked in the garage since 10 a.m.

 

After the deputies unlocked the car, the child’s mother held her close. They said the father normally drops off the baby at a daycare along with the family’s other children. The mother normally picks them up in a separate car, but today the baby wasn’t there when she arrived.

 

Deputies say the father simply forgot and left the baby inside the car at the garage all day.

 

He arrived shortly after the car was unlocked, telling KOMO his name was Matt Steele. Steele said the baby was okay, but when asked how he could forget that his own child was in the backseat he said, “I don’t have an explanation for that.”

 

Deputies did not arrest him, but said that there could be possible charges for child neglect. Child Protective Services may also become involved.

 

Steele was allowed to leave, saying he needed to pick up his other daughter.

 

Watch the video below:

Now I really hate to throw down a race card but I can’t resist. It might not be fair given that both cases were not in the sam,e state. However, it’s hard for me to believe that if the father of this child in Seattle was black he would have been arrested on the spot (oh, my bad, the parents of this child were both white). Unlike Shanesha Taylor — a single black woman from all appearances — police officers in this case gave this man the benefit of the doubt. And therein lies the bullshit otherwise known as the racist double standard many people of color contend with as it relates to the criminal justice system. What the father idid amounts to child neglect; but, like the cops you may not agree.

The post Father Leaves Baby Locked in Car for 8 Hours (No Arrest) appeared first on Madness & Reality.

This from CBS 5:

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – It’s unclear if an Arizona mom got the job she was interviewing for, but after a witness found her children, ages 2 years and 6 months in a hot car outside, she now faces child abuse charges.

 

Scottsdale police said a witness heard a crying child inside a Dodge Durango parked in an office complex parking lot at 9700 N. 91st St. in Scottsdale about 12:30 p.m. Thursday. The woman reported to police the two young children were inside the vehicle parked directly in the sun, with the engine off, the doors closed and each of the four windows were just slightly open.

 

The mother, Shanesha Taylor, 35, returned to the vehicle about 45 minutes later and told the officer she had just finished a job interview and did not have anyone to watch her children.

 

“She was upset. This is a sad situation all around. She said she was homeless. She needed the job. Obviously not getting the job. So it’s just a sad situation,” said Scottsdale Police Sergeant Mark Clark.

 

She was arrested and booked into jail for child abuse.

This is a tough and very sad situation indeed. I mean, what was she supposed to do? Of course I can hear many of you saying that what she did was irresponsible. But, again, what was she supposed to do? The easy answer would be to take the children along with her on the job interview. But, in a society that hardly gives comfort to working mothers, do you really think that any mother at a job interview with a6-month-old and a 2-year-old would be accommodated or even welcomed?

Watch the video below:

This from Green Doors:

• Homeless families comprise roughly 34% of the total U.S. homeless population
• Approximately 1.6 million children will experience homelessness over the course of a year. In any given day, researchers estimate that more than 200,000 children have no place to live
• People counted in the single adult homeless population (about 2.3-3.5 million annually) are also part of families:
  • Among all homeless women, 60% have children under age 18, but only 65% of them live with at least one of their children
  • Among all homeless men, 41% have children under age 18, but only 7% live with at least one of their children

Who are homeless families?

The typical sheltered homeless family is comprised of a mother in her late twenties with two children.

• 84% of families experiencing homelessness are female-headed. This is due to a number of factors:
  • Most single-parent families are female-headed (71%). Single-parent families are among the poorest in the nation and as such, are extremely vulnerable to homelessness
  • Many family shelters do not accept men into their programs, causing families to separate when they become homeless
• Families of color are overrepresented in the homeless population. Nationally:
  • 43% are African-American
  • 15% are Hispanic
  • 38% are White, non Hispanic
  • 3% are Native American
• Families experiencing homelessness usually have limited education:
  • 53% of homeless mothers do not have a high school diploma
• 29% of adults in homeless families are working
• 42% of children in homeless families are under age six

The post Homeless Mother Arrested for Leaving Kids in Car During Job Interview appeared first on Madness & Reality.

All you need to know is that she was originally sentenced to 20-years for firing a handgun at her husband and his two children, hence the 3 counts of aggravated assault. Her conviction was overturned on appeal, and she is currently awaiting a July 28th trial date for the same crime. Alexander claims to have acted in self-defense but a jury of her peers found her guilty.

And they convicted her because clearly they were racist, right?

Alexander’s own actions were ultimately used against her self-defense claim. While she was out on bail, awaiting trial on her aggravated assault charges, Alexander was arrested for domestic battery against Gray. Although her bail contract specifically prohibited any contact between her and Gray, Alexander went to her husband’s house — where she wasn’t living at the time — and after an altercation, he ultimately called police.

 

When the police contacted Alexander about the incident, she first said she didn’t know what they were talking about, and she hadn’t been at the house, but later she stated that Gray attacked her because she wouldn’t stay with him overnight. Alexander never called police and later stated she was scared. According to police reports, Alexander had no injuries, but Gray had a bloody swollen eye and told police Alexander had punched him.

 

In Gray’s initial deposition to police, he said he would have hit Alexander if she had really tried to threaten him, in an effort to help her and get her potential sentence reduced. Alexander and Gray collaborated on that story while she awaited trial, but Gray later admitted that it wasn’t true and that she really did threaten him and did fire a shot at him.

 

In 2009, Alexander filed charges against Gray, claiming he tried to choke her, but she went to the Florida District Attorney’s Office and said that wasn’t really what happened and then all charges were dropped. According Richard Kuritz, attorney for Gray and his two children, Gray has never been convicted of any violent act toward Alexander. Kuritz said the only time Gray has been arrested for domestic violence was an incident involving his brother and those charges were also dropped. (source)

Supporters of Alexander have maintained that her original conviction was a grave injustice. To them, it doesn’t make sense that a woman — a black woman — had to serve a 20-year sentence for defending herself by firing what Alexander called a “warning shot” to ward off a physically abusive husband during a heated exchange. To that point, I imagine this latest news out of Jacksonville in the wake of the recent verdict in the Michael Dunn trial, doesn’t sit well with her supporters.

This from Jacksonville.com:

The same appeals court that ordered Alexander’s retrial separately ruled last year that when a defendant is convicted of multiple counts under 10-20-life that arose from the same crime, judges must make the sentences consecutive and are not allowed to impose them concurrently.

 

The law has not changed since Alexander was sentenced in 2012, but courts throughout the state have been struggling to interpret what the Legislature meant when it passed sentencing laws regarding 10-20-life.

 

The conviction was thrown out after the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee ruled that Daniel made a mistake in shifting the burden to Alexander to prove she was acting in self-defense. During jury instructions, Daniel said she must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she was battered by her husband.

 

[…] “It’s unimaginable that a woman acting in self-defense, who injured no one, can be given what amounts to a life sentence,” said Free Marissa Now spokeswoman Helen Gilbert. “This must send chills down the spine of every woman and everyone who cares about women and every woman in an abusive relationship.”

 

Seeking 60 years is an incredibly abusive and outrageous action by Corey, Gilbert said.

 

[…] But Assistant State Attorney Richard Mantei, the lead prosecutor in the case, told the Times-Union his office was simply following the sentencing laws of the state of Florida.

 

The same appeals court that ordered Alexander’s retrial separately ruled last year that when a defendant is convicted of multiple counts under 10-20-life that arose from the same crime, judges must make the sentences consecutive and are not allowed to impose them concurrently.

 

The law has not changed since Alexander was sentenced in 2012, but courts throughout the state have been struggling to interpret what the Legislature meant when it passed sentencing laws regarding 10-20-life.

 

[…] Mantei said the appeals court ruling demanding consecutive 20-year sentences dictates that if Alexander is convicted of the same three counts, Daniel will be required to sentence her to 60 years in prison.

 

“Absent a plea agreement, if convicted as charged, the law of the State of Florida fixes the sentence,” Mantei said. “At this time, Ms. Alexander has rejected all efforts by the State to resolve the case short of trial.”

 

[…] The Florida Supreme Court is expected to take up the issue of whether Florida law requires multiple 10-20-life sentences to be consecutive. While the 1st District has ruled that judges must make sentences consecutive, other appellate courts in Florida have said judges can impose sentences concurrently.

Don’t be mad, folks; it’s the law.

Once again, none of you will agree; however, Michael Dunn is facing 60-years for essentially the same crime (3 separate counts just like Alexander hence 60-years). But, I expect none of you to take that into account and turn this into some personal vendetta by Angela Corey. Which as I’ve said from the beginning, the issue in this case was not Stand Your Ground. Instead, it was about Florida’s “10-20-Life” gun enhancement law (read here). By pulling the trigger unlawfully in a situation where someone isn’t hurt, a defendant faces a mandatory 20-year sentence if convicted. So, again, if you think Alexander is being treated unfairly, this just isn’t true. Why? Because it is the standard.

Maybe now supporters of Alexander would finally get it; but, it’s highly unlikely that most of you will. Why? Because in your collective minds, it’s about race. To many of you, Alexander’s situation and this latest development is yet another example of a racially biased system of justice. Which is funny because if Dunn gets 20-years and not 60-years, many of you would be mad. And, many of you would be of the opinion that the punishment doesn’t fit the crime, much like folks did after Alexander was sentenced after her original trial. But hey, maybe 20-years is a lot better than 60-years for shooting at 3 people whether they’re unarmmed in a home or in an SUV trying to run.

Here are 3 things to consider before you comment:

• Alexander shot at her then husband and two children (read here).
• Alexander was never assaulted – her husband lied then recanted.
• Alexander was not present when police arrived after firing the alleged “warning shot”.

In the interest of justice, I would say that the inconsistencies in mandatory sentencing under Florida’s 10-20-Life law is a huge problem. If the law says that sentencing in crimes involving multiple victims should be consecutive on all counts, then that’s how it should be applied. The issue here as I see it, isn’t that a black woman is being treated unfairly under the law per se. It’s that there is ambiguity on the part of judges in Florida who issues these sentences.

As stated by Jacksonville.com, it is an issue that could, should, and more than likely be taken up by Florida’s Supreme Court. Should Alexander be convicted and sentenced to 60-years in prison, on appeal, her case could be the catalyst for the necessary changes of sentencing guidelines. To that point, it is up to her supporters and like-minded people to focus on Florida’s 10-20-Life legislation, and not the state’s Stand Your Ground self-defense law as they most egregiously are.

There’s a problem with mandatory minimum sentences in this country, and that should be the focus. And to be fair, it is crazy for Alexander to be sentenced to 60-years if convicted of 3 counts of aggravated assault with a weapon. And yes, such a sentence reeks of cruel and unusual punishment, which is deemed unconstitutional thanks to the 8th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. However, as a staunch advocate for gun control laws, I do support the laws intent as related to gun crimes.

I do also support and advocate domestic violence legislation.

However, in this case, I believe that in trying to advance a worthy cause, many folks are dangerously misrepresenting the facts of the case. Which to me, is a not in the interest of truth and justice for all. That said, we cannot pretend that gun violence and domestic violence isn’t real, no?

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The knockout game had created so much of a stir that even one politician in New York City questioned whether the act should be constituted as a hate crime. In fact, one Brooklyn, New York man was charged with a hate crime recently, after being arrested for assaulting a Jewish man. And now, one Jewish group has put out a bounty on perpetrators of the crime. Why? Because as I mentioned before, the media has given everyone the impression that black men were breaking into homes and punching white folks in the face while they are asleep. Let’s face it, nothing gets the racial resentment of certain people riled up like alleged racially motivated violence.

Columnist Cathy Young writes:

That such attacks have happened is not in question. Several have been captured on video. A few have resulted in deaths. In May in Syracuse, a man was beaten and stomped to death by a group of teenagers; a 13-year-old boy admitted that he started it by trying to knock out the victim to impress his friends. Another death linked to the “game” took place in September in Jersey City.

The senselessness of the attacks is part of what makes them terrifying. Anyone can be a victim, and one cannot protect oneself — as in a robbery — by cooperating. But is this kind of brutality really new? Some crimes described as part of the trend go back a few years. Of course, the phenomenon of youth violence motivated by thrill-seeking or displays of toughness is much older and crosses ethnic and cultural lines: Remember the predatory teens of Anthony Burgess’s 1962 novel, “A Clockwork Orange”?

[…] Given America’s terrible history of anti-black racism, the desire to avoid promoting racial stereotypes of black (especially male) youths as violent and dangerous is understandable. But when the media fail at full and honest reporting, it can only undercut their credibility and make right-wing racial paranoia more appealing.

Okay, so I’m exaggerating just a bit about white folks being punched in the face while asleep. But, to say that media reporting on the knockout game was irresponsible wouldn’t be wrong on my part. In fact, for me, the hype around the knockout game game took me back to the 1980s when we were all warned about crack babies. You know, those poor unfortunate children born to mothers who smoked crack cocaine while pregnant. If you remember, back then it was all the rage that some of us within the black community joked about babies being born addicted to crack. Which was sad because the only crack babies on television news casts were black babies. Well, folks, I hate to tell you this, but the knockout game and its frequency as reported by the media is as real as the story of Ashely Depew of St. Louis being attacked by three black men recently.

This from KMOV:

A St. Louis woman who claimed to be a victim of the “Knockout Game” has been accused of lying to police.

St. Louis Metro Police said the woman was not a victim of the “Knockout Game,” but was actually punched by her boyfriend.

The young woman claimed to be a victim and showed News 4 her injuries. She said someone in a crowd knocked her to the ground as she and her boyfriend were leaving a South City bar.

Authorities said her claims didn’t add up or fit the motives to other “Knockout Game” crimes in the area, so they decided to dig deeper. That’s when police discovered the false allegations. Police even said the couple was never at the bar in South City.

Police charged both Ashley Depew, 23, and her boyfriend Justin Simms, 25, with making a false report to police. They also said this case has absolutely no connection to the “Knockout Game.”

Court documents allege that Simms elbowed Depew in the face.

Watch the story below:

There’s a long history of white women lying on black men which has led to negative consequences for the accused in this country (remember this?). In this case, however, I’m glad to report that three unsuspecting and innocent black men were arrested for this sham of a crime as reported by Ashely Depew with help from the media. I’m not going to say much more about this now, but I’ll leave the floor open to your critique and comments as I’m used to by now.

Mind you, I’m not saying that a few knuckleheads aren’t participating in this game. I am however saying that it in no way the signal of a race war; nor, a signal of the newfound bravery of black youth inspired by having a black POTUS as some would have you believe.

[H/T Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner]

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There’s no doubt that in a violence obsessed, gun crazy nation such as the United States, black people do commit crimes against each other. (I don’t want to get into debate about rates and frequencies.) But so do all other groups. Yet, we get the distinction of being the worst…as usual.

So, here we go again, trending all over the news on latest kick called the knockout games. According to reports, most of the youth involved are black. Also, most of the victims are black. Not too many white victims. Although, in this society, one or a few white victims of black crimes constitute as black-on-white racism. And then, there’s a push to punish us negroes to make sure the nonexistent tables are turned.

Black crime in general, particularly of the violent varieties, seem to become threatening and epidemic in the mainstream. When watching local or national news, one would think that it’s reached record highs. However, recent data suggests the opposite. Violent crime, including in black communities, is going down. Black youth crime is dropping, and crime overall is intraracial.

And yet, black crime is somehow worse. People associate blackness with criminality. Even the most liberal of people make the connection without even knowing it (or admitting it).

Black-on-black crime is a racist misnomer used in three distinct ways: The first is mentioned by well-meaning people, including blacks themselves, who see it as a continuous and widespread crisis. Many of them honestly see it as a tragedy that not only is it happening, but that America allows it to happen. And they go out and try to do what they can to prevent more crime and violence.

Then, there’s the other usage, by the uppity, uninformed and unwilling to do any heavy lifting. To make matters worse, they use it to taper any prominent instance where racism was a factor in affecting the lives of blacks significantly and tragically.

When Trayvon Martin was killed, masses of people were upset, and rightfully so for numerous reasons. His killer George Zimmerman didn’t get arrested for a while. He killed him because of what he chose to see in him, a thug. And media outlets tried their damnest to paint Martin as the very thing Zimmerman thought he was, just another young black male thug up to no good.

Yet, those on the right felt the need to tell the masses to quit crying and get mad where it really counts. The number one issue they wanted people to truly focused on was – you guessed it – black-on-black crime. Funny. Black-on-black crime was never too much of their concern to begin with.

The third and most insidious use of ‘black-on-black crime’ is to justify further oppression. It’s to apply another trait of failure that comes with black skin in the minds of white racists. It’s processed and distributed from the mainstream to society prompting excuses for more prisons, more cops, more surveillance in black communities and more policies like stop-and-frisk.

At the same time, it diverts much needed attention to real structural factors that play important roles to the suffering such as systematic economic and political neglect and inadequacy originated outside struggling black neighborhoods. Emotional and psychological causes are hardly up for discussion. Avoiding such considerations will not only limit or censor urgent conversations and actions, but will strengthen the myth of black pathology as being a natural defect.

The myth of black criminals is nothing new. When the war on drugs began, there was a myth of the violent, drug dealing, young black male lurking in inner city streets, largely responsible for the nation’s illegal drug problem during the 1980’s. There was the superpredator scare of the early 1990’s proposed by Princeton professor John Dilulio. Two years ago, there were reports of flash mob violence in a few cities across the nation. Most of the perpetrators were young blacks, some of the victims were nonblack. And now in 2013, the name of the game is all about a few incidents of youth knocking people out.

Look people, nowhere has there ever been denial that there are black criminals who target black people, or people in general. It would be stupid to say so, because crime is a part of every society and everyone is capable of being a criminal, even a violent one. Yet, while so many people are obsessed with blacks and crime as if we had some kind of gangster gene, they fail to understand that – again – most crime is intraracial.

So, for the racist white separatists out there preaching to the choir of the black apocalypse coming to destroy white civilizations, keep worrying while your white male buddy is out there beating his wife, while a 45 year-old white woman is hitting on a high school junior who bares a striking resemblance to Brad Pitt, and while a white youth plots another mass murder.

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