My year thoughts for 2017 both positive and negative...ying and yang #repost

Discussion: What is the worth of our young Black men's lives? Why are we as a people being exterminated?

#‎canblackboyscry‬ Powerful --"Can Black Boys Cry?: The Shadow of Mass Incarceration. ‪#‎HuffingtonPost‬ "✮ ✐ RIP ‪#‎MikeBrown‬ ‪#‎TrayvonMartin‬ and ‪#‎JordanDavis‬-- “Excerpt: Where do black boys like Mike Brown, Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin cry? Where can they be children that play, laugh and joke as they learn their way in this world? When can they be a victim not only of bullets, but also of a society that has deemed them as men before their time by virtue of their s...kin and gender? Black men like Jordan Davis do not have childhoods. After puberty they lose so much of their innocence and begin their descent into the shadow of our nation's mass incarceration. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/25/trayvon-martin-jordan-davis_n_4855746.html

America as a nation has become a tale of two cities: one for young black men and one essentially for everyone else. While we can argue with this blanket statement, what cannot be refuted is that young black men are one of the most imprisoned groups in modern history. African-American men comprise a mere 6% of the American population, but according to the Department of Justice, they make up nearly half of the 2 million inmates in U.S. jails or prisons. These men are largely imprisoned for non-violent offenses. According to the U.S. census, nearly half of America’s 19 million black men are under the age of 35 years old, and the ratio for young black male imprisonment is around 10 percent, or 10,000 prisoners per 100,000. (Note: This is not counting the additional numbers on parole, or on probation, which add significantly to these numbers.) Placing this ratio in context, as of today, India, a country of 1 billion people, only has about 300,000 prisoners, a ratio of 30 prisoners per 100,000 people. During South African apartheid, one of the most horrific instances of racism the world has seen, the prison rate for black male South Africans, under immensely unfair laws, was 851 per 100,000. In America today, young black men face a rate of imprisonment effectively ten times that number. #canblackboyscry
Rick Ross

The biggest threat to the Black communtiy vs. HIV mass incarceration

Justice or JUST us?

Hello I am back!!  So my two worst enemies are the destruction of the Black race/community: HIV and mass incarceration, which is coincidentally linked because men tend to have sex with men while locked up but don't consider themselves gay.  We as a community are so homophobic we don't accept or men being gay or bi-sexual so they are forced to be on the down low, meaning hiding their sexuality and preferences therefore sometimes still having sex with us, increase transmission of HIV infection.
Did you know that more Black American males are incarcerated in 2013 than enslaved in 1850? Yup do the research, below is some recent statistics.

In the state of California, to prevent violence, prisoners are segregated by race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation while held in county jails and in the California Department of Corrections,  reception centers, where newly committed prisoners are assessed prior to being transferred to their "mainline", long-term institutions.

 In the past two decades, the money that states spend on prisons has risen at six times the rate of spending on higher education. In 2011, California spent $9.6 billion on prisons, versus $5.7 billion on higher education..... The state spends $8,667 per student per year. It spends about $50,000 per inmate per year. Why is this happening? Prisons are a big business. Most are privately run. They have powerful lobbyists and they have bought most state politicians. Meanwhile, we are bankrupting out states and creating a vast underclass of prisoners who will never be equipped for productive lives.

Estimated number of inmates held in custody in state or federal prison, or in local jails, by sex, race, and Hispanic origin, June 30, 2009.
	Male				Female
Year	Totala	Whiteb	Blackb	Hispanic	Totala	Whiteb	Blackb	Hispanic
2009	2,096,300	693,800	841,000	442,000	201,200	92,100	64,800	32,300

So our job as a minority, non-white community is to educate ourselves and our youth on the so-called justice system in America and focus on positive development such as education and social services.  Open our minds and hearts to different lifestyle choices, because in the end only God can judge us and we ALL fall short of sin.

Knowledge is power!  Peace, Love and Strength

T. Davis

July 4th not OUR independence day

This post is a few days late.  I had to think about it, Should Blacks celebrate the 4th of July?  The answer.... Hell NO!   First of all, when America gained independence from Britain we were still slaves. It is estimated that half a million people, or one fifth of the total American population was enslaved in 1776. And why do we feel obligated to celebrate this country's freedom when we were in bondage?   On one hand whites were upset about the way Britain treated them, but they were here treating Blacks worse.  Thomas Jefferson felt shameful about the newly formed country's treatment of Blacks he wrote this in the original draft of the Declaration of Independence (which was later removed because delegates from South Carolina and Georgia) "we have waged a cruel war against human nature itself, violating it's most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere".  WoW.  How did we get so far from the lofty dreams of our founding fathers? 
Don't get me wrong, I love America, the constitution and am patriotic, I disagree with some of it's policies and treatment of some of it's citizens we have a long way to go but I have to remind myself some of the holidays we choose to celebrate we need to do our homework on.
That is why I choose not to celebrate most American holidays, we have to find some culture within American culture, our identity is tied into American history but free you mind and celebrate those holidays that are meaningful and worth celebrating! Just saying....

Love, Peace and Strength
T. Davis

Man buries children alive but get parole?!

 Thirty-five years ago, three young white men from wealthy families kidnapped a bus full of 26 schoolchildren and their driver in this San Joaquin Valley community and entombed them in a rock quarry. It's the largest kidnapping for ransom in U.S. history and one of California's strangest crimes — a legacy seldom forgotten by outsiders who still connect the name "Chowchilla" to it.

The California Department of Corrections says 58 year old Richard Allen Schoenfeld was released from the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo Wednesday night.

Despite spending 16 hours underground, all of the victims survived after the bus driver stacked the mattresses together allowing everyone to eventually climb out of the van through the top.

Instead of collecting any loot, the three kidnappers fell asleep before calling in their ransom demand.

It was the largest kidnapping for ransom in U.S. history and it remains a part of California criminal history lore.

"If it wasn't for the bus driver saving those kids, all of those kids would be dead right now", adds longtime Chowchilla resident Jon Newton, "so why does he get to get out."

After 35 years behind bars, a California Appeals Court ordered Richard Schoenfeld released because the State Parole Board unfairly set his parole date for 2021 even though the Board said Schoenfeld is not a threat to society.

His brother and co- defendant’s James Schoenfeld and Frederick Woods are both up for parole at the California Men's Colony near San Luis Obispo later this year.

Really?

Now normally I try to get all the facts before I speak on a topic or legal issue, but Really?  Just the fact that 60% of all Black men incarcerated are for Non-Violent and/or drug crimes, namely crack cocaine which in fact the "crack law" has been repealed because of the disparity to powder cocaine convictions alone shows the flawed racist criminal justice system clearly doesn't work.  How can non violent or drug offenses have mandatory minimum sentences but wealthy, white men can get paroled for ATTEMPTED MURDER of 26 CHILDREN???  

WoW.  Loss of words....may God have mercy...

Peace, Love, and Strength.

T. Davis

Juneteenth 2012

June 19^th is known as Juneteenth celebrating the emancipation of the last remaining slaves in the U.S. This state holiday is observed in 41 states, the state of Texas is widely considered to be the first state to have informal celebrations, and it has been an official state holiday since 1890.  Many call it Freedom day or Emancipation day; I like to call it our own 4^th of July since we weren’t free on America’s Independence Day but that is another topic for another blog!

The history of Juneteenth comes from when Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862 with an effective date of January 1, 1863, but for whatever reasons Texas was not notified until two and a half years later in April of 1865.  Many rumors surround the delay, some say the messenger was murdered on his way to Texas with the emancipation news; that the news was deliberately withheld by slave masters to maintain the labor force and allow them to reap the benefits of one more cotton harvest.  Which to me all above are believable considering the U.S. history on treatment of Black Americans and former slaves. 

The civil rights movement of the 1950’s and 60’s embraced this state holiday to celebrate our freedom and achievement while encouraging self-determination and respect for all cultures and freedoms.   Many of our youth were pulled into the struggle for equality and learned the historic struggles of our ancestors.  This celebration has declined as our race forgets the past and focuses on the materialistic  Me  Me  Me  generation rather than our cultural history.  I encourage you the reader to revisit Juneteenth, spread the word and CELEBRATE this historic event!

                       

                     General Order Number 3 from President Abraham Lincoln states:

“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with the proclamation form the executive of the United States, all slaves are free.  This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slave, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employ and free laborer”

Unfortunately, once free many slaves had no jobs, savings or means to celebrate this freedom and still remained slaves, or indebted to their owners.  Even today we as Black Americans struggle with such freedoms, and the right to self-determination and equality.  Only through knowledge of our past can we prepare for our future.

                        God bless us all and God bless America.

Peace, Love and Strength

T. Davis

Do Blacks share the same constitutional rights as others?

In my professional and personal experience dealing with the laws of the United States of America, especially constitutional law I find the words in theory are wonderful, but in practice not guaranteed to all Americans.  Let's look at the 6th Amendment to the constitution, it reads as follows:

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution affords criminal defendants seven discrete personal liberties: (1) the right to  a Speedy trial, (2) the right to a public trial; (3) the right to an impartial jury; (4) the right to be informed of pending charges; (5) the right to confront and to cross-examine adverse witnesses; (6) the right to compel favorable witnesses to testify at trial through the subpoena power of the judiciary; and (7) the right to legal counsel. Ratified in 1791, the Sixth Amendment originally applied only to criminal actions brought by the federal government.

Basically, we are all guaranteed the right to have a jury of our peers; which is defined as others in our community, socioeconomic, racial etc.  The jury pool should represent other Americans that  represent US.  So whats the problem? Well not enough of US want to do jury duty, so that leaves alot of individuals that don't relate to urban, racial, economic, social issues so their judgement is biased and tainted to their own lifestyles.  

The Sixth Amendment entitles defendants to a jury pool that represents a fair cross section of the community. From the jury pool, also known as a venire, a panel of jurors is selected to hear the case through a process called voir dire.   During voir dire, the presiding judge, the prose cution, and attorneys for the defense are allowed to ask members of the jury pool a variety of questions intended to reveal any latent biases, prejudices, or other influences that might affect their impartiality. The Sixth Amendment requires a trial judge to inquire as to the possible racial biases of prospective jurors when defendants request such an inquiry and there are substantial indications that racial prejudice could play a decisive role in the outcome of the case (United States v. Kyles, 40 F.3d 519 [2d Cir. 1994]). But an all-white jury does not, by itself, infringe on a black defendant's right to an impartial jury despite her contention that white jurors are incapable of acting impartially due to their perceived ignorance of inner-city life and its problems (United States v. Nururdin, 8 F.3d 1187 [7th Cir. 1993]). However, if a white juror is biased by an indelible prejudice against a black defendant, he will be stricken from the jury panel or venire.
 Basically, we rely on the judge and attorneys to ensure all jurors are impartial and fair, but how flawed is that process?  Well it is entirely flawed, not everyone is honest about their personal beliefs, nor will admit it.  Some people don't think they are prejudice or racist either.  So the defendant's mercy is at a flawed system, not just a conspiracy against poor and people of color as we may suspect. 

Here is a interesting link I'd like to share...I could go on all day about our legal system and the violation of Black American's so called rights but I will let you the reader decide, knowledge is power!

http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=21621796&msgid=1266157&act=LB03&c=242394&destination=http://www.kulturekritic.com/2012/05/news/racial-jury-nullification-re-visited-should-black-jurors-let-off-black-defendants/

please also visit the ACLU website:  www.aclu.org

Peace, Love and Strength

T. Davis