Everybody should have heard of our illustrious mayor’s (Kwame Kilpatrick) indictment for perjury and conspiracy to obstruct justice, etc. – it’s on all the channels locally and nationally and maybe even on some international stations. The coverage is non-stop.
The mayor has hired a top gun lawyer and is vowing he will be exonerated, vindicated and all the usual drivel coming from the accused. He is also refusing to resign despite a huge cry for resignation from the media and the citizens of Detroit. The mayor’s lawyer says he should not resign because he has not been tried in a court of law and therefore has not been found guilty of anything – presumed innocent?
It is here that I have a problem.
Text message transcripts prove that the mayor is guilty of all charges; he cannot be found innocent. His lawyer claims that the text messages were obtained illegally and will be inadmissible as evidence – without them, they have nothing!
The fact remains that text messages exist which is proof positive that he did commit the crimes he is charged with; how can he claim that he will be cleared of all charges?
I guess you can be guilty but if the prosecutor cannot prove your guilt to the jury then you are judged not guilty?
O.J. Simpson was guilty as hell of double murder but he was found not guilty; does that make him not guilty? Well in the eyes of the law I guess he is not guilty and the jury of his peers found him not guilty – that is how our legal system works - right?
So even if his smart lawyer can work magic and the jury does not somehow find overwhelming evidence of guilt and has to acquit him; everyone will know that he is still guilty but he beat the system. How does that make our system of jurisprudence look to the rest of the world?
Let me ask a hard question – is it a Black thing? I am talking about a cultural difference. The governor of New York just resigned after being discovered using a prostitution ring for personal service. He did not challenge the obvious facts; he knew he could no longer remain in his job or perform his job after his secret life was discovered – same for the governor of New Jersey.
How is the black mayor of Detroit different? How can he remain in office when the facts absolutely point to his guilt? Is “beating the system” ala’ OJ somehow the “cool” thing to do and if you can do it, you are OK to continue your life as if nothing has happened?
I think this may have been a truism in the past; a past many in the black community are trying to leave behind. Detroit is a black city and is mainly run by blacks. The prosecutor bringing the charges against the mayor is female and black. Citizens calling for the mayor’s resignation are black. The “man” is no longer the hated white man; if you beat the system, you are sticking it to a black “man” or in this case to a whole “black” city – who are you really hurting here?
Our mayor was raised in the old school of black politics; he is not used to the new, black school of politics, ala’ Obama, et. al.
Mayor Kilpatrick surrounded himself with black friends and associates from grade school, high school and family members from Detroit; insulating himself from the outside with a bunch of loyal to the core chums that would never go against him. He rewarded those chums with anything and everything they could get out of the city; provided so naively by the impoverished citizens of Detroit. After all, Coleman Young, the “famous” mayor of Detroit did it just that way; why not talented Mr. Kilpatrick.
Let us see if anything has changed in the city and in the black community at large; should be interesting.
The mayor has hired a top gun lawyer and is vowing he will be exonerated, vindicated and all the usual drivel coming from the accused. He is also refusing to resign despite a huge cry for resignation from the media and the citizens of Detroit. The mayor’s lawyer says he should not resign because he has not been tried in a court of law and therefore has not been found guilty of anything – presumed innocent?
It is here that I have a problem.
Text message transcripts prove that the mayor is guilty of all charges; he cannot be found innocent. His lawyer claims that the text messages were obtained illegally and will be inadmissible as evidence – without them, they have nothing!
The fact remains that text messages exist which is proof positive that he did commit the crimes he is charged with; how can he claim that he will be cleared of all charges?
I guess you can be guilty but if the prosecutor cannot prove your guilt to the jury then you are judged not guilty?
O.J. Simpson was guilty as hell of double murder but he was found not guilty; does that make him not guilty? Well in the eyes of the law I guess he is not guilty and the jury of his peers found him not guilty – that is how our legal system works - right?
So even if his smart lawyer can work magic and the jury does not somehow find overwhelming evidence of guilt and has to acquit him; everyone will know that he is still guilty but he beat the system. How does that make our system of jurisprudence look to the rest of the world?
Let me ask a hard question – is it a Black thing? I am talking about a cultural difference. The governor of New York just resigned after being discovered using a prostitution ring for personal service. He did not challenge the obvious facts; he knew he could no longer remain in his job or perform his job after his secret life was discovered – same for the governor of New Jersey.
How is the black mayor of Detroit different? How can he remain in office when the facts absolutely point to his guilt? Is “beating the system” ala’ OJ somehow the “cool” thing to do and if you can do it, you are OK to continue your life as if nothing has happened?
I think this may have been a truism in the past; a past many in the black community are trying to leave behind. Detroit is a black city and is mainly run by blacks. The prosecutor bringing the charges against the mayor is female and black. Citizens calling for the mayor’s resignation are black. The “man” is no longer the hated white man; if you beat the system, you are sticking it to a black “man” or in this case to a whole “black” city – who are you really hurting here?
Our mayor was raised in the old school of black politics; he is not used to the new, black school of politics, ala’ Obama, et. al.
Mayor Kilpatrick surrounded himself with black friends and associates from grade school, high school and family members from Detroit; insulating himself from the outside with a bunch of loyal to the core chums that would never go against him. He rewarded those chums with anything and everything they could get out of the city; provided so naively by the impoverished citizens of Detroit. After all, Coleman Young, the “famous” mayor of Detroit did it just that way; why not talented Mr. Kilpatrick.
Let us see if anything has changed in the city and in the black community at large; should be interesting.
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