We incarcerate more people than does any other Country in the World. Blacks and others of color are disproportionately represented in our jails and prisons. They are also disproportionately represented on the Probation and Community Control rolls. Being sentenced to Probation or Community Control is the first step on the path towards Prison. Thereafter, the ex-offender cannot vote or find a job, never mind a good job. They have no economic or political power. They can never achieve the American Dream, because it truly is only a dream for those who find themselves in and out of the Criminal Justice system regularly.
The Police stop blacks night and day at will for "Field Interviews", which is a euphemism for illegal detention - no probable cause. It is much more rare for a white person to be stopped for no reason. Black men are subjected to illegal searches under one guise or another more often than are whites. When stopped, they are not free to leave, no matter how many times the Police testify to the contrary. Once officially detained, the black man stays in jail for the duration, because neither he nor his family can afford to post the bond, no matter how low it is set.
The attitude in our Criminal Courts is that since a black man was arrested, he must be guilty, they all are. It is assumed that black men want to be drug dealers and thieves. Black men are given longer jail sentences than are white men. Through a lack of social services, racial discrimination, Policing practices and Court attitudes, we are driving young black men away from mainstream paths to progress and success. If the Defendant is sentenced to Supervision, the system requires the Defendants to pay various fines, costs and Supervision fees, and to participate in, and pay for various court ordered classes. It is usually the case that they simply cannot afford to pay for their Supervision, given their hand to mouth existence. Also, the transportation necessary for attendance at the required functions Ordered by the Court is assumed to be availabe. I have trouble getting to my appointments, and I own a car. What job can a man faced with these institutional biases qualify for other than drug dealing or petty crimes.
The term "Supervision" really means that you can be harassed at will, searched without a warrant and must comply with random drug testing, at the Supervisee's expense. It is to the advantage of the Probation and Community Control Supervisors to file a Warrants for Probation Violation that would reduce their case loads. Formality and Rules of Procedure don't exist in Probation Violation Hearings. Jail or Prison is the most likely outcome. The petty crimes add up, and then it's Strike Three, prison for life.
The obstacles that black men face every day of their lives are not acknowledged by any one who works in the System, and the Offender is never given the benefit of a doubt. So black men plead No Contest to charges that could have been beaten at trial by a good lawyer. The Defendants don't trust their Public Defenders since the APDs and ASAs all work for the same government. If the man goes to trial and loses, he is given a much stiffer sentence than he would had he pled out. A huge number of black men are either on Probation or Community Control, or are being housed in our many prisons and jails. In this way they are eliminated, for all practical purposes, from our society. A wide range of domestic dysfunction and hopelessness results from the existence of this double standard. The cycle of arrests, prosecutions and imprisonment goes on with no intervention, until the young man becomes imprisoned for most of his life. His children never have a Father at home, and the children live in poverty, leading them down the same paths trod by their Fathers. Injustice grows into anger and hate, causing young black men to become criminals and to follow in the tragic footsteps of their forebears.
take a forom
I'm not sure what I want to say about Yankee Ingenuity, I just think we should remember how we, as a Country, got here. I watched the John Adams serial on HBO, and I was amazed at how difficult it was for our founders to agree on a goal, and then make it happen. It was not glamorous. We had a bunch of rag-tag soldiers fighting the very well trained British Army. Who would have given us a chance? From the Boston Tea Party, through the Industrial Era and the Great Depression, the people of the United States of America have, to quote Hank Paulson, run towards problems, not away. I'm not endorsing Mr. Paul's methods or results. Let's run, together, towards the complex issues we face today.
Personally, I'm experiencing the saturation point for 'Green' anything. I think the wholesale use of the ubiquitous and amorphous term Green will eventually lead to bad feelings. Prices will undoubtedly be higher for goods labeled as Green products. It's a little like the higher prices commanded for foods labeled Natural, when people wanted healthier foods. Since much of the Green movement is scientific, we don't even understand the basics of the technology. Therefore, when the Green Scammers come along, and they will, untold amounts of consumer money will be wasted. It is also the case that whenever the Government spends a lot of money, say, after a hurricane, or on Medicaid, or on industry bail outs, to name but a few, scammers will come along.
Another hard times concept that comes to mind is - Victory - as in 'Victory Gardens.' The USA should encourage and educate us on how to set personal Victory goals, and on the contributions that can be made by members of Team Victory. Instead of handing money over to one industry or to opportunists, give grants and seed money to ordinary Americans who use their ingenuity. Many of us need to re-fit our human capital, but how does one determine the kind of education that will be valuable in the new Greening of America period. Or, how does one pay for the new education needed. Loans and Grants are not available to people with Master's degrees or higher.
If we employ Yankee Ingenuity, on a very broad scale, to achieve Victory, things can only get better. As a people, we have tackled big problems in the past, and we can overcome our current problems if we apply our Yankee Ingenuity in the right areas.
Dear President-Elect Obama,
I refer you to my last blog on your election campaign site. I actually made closer to 900 phone calls for you in addition to my other efforts on your behalf. Most attorneys won't make that number of calls without compensation.
I am 52 years old, and previously I practiced Law in Florida. I went on to start a small business. I am now unemployed and have been for nearly 2 years. My small business failed. All of those details are included in my blog "100% Unemployment in Indidana."
First, I contacted the campaign, and they passed me on/off to change.gov. I tried to email that blog to change.gov but, apparently, that is not possible. This one size fits all arrangement is not Change. This is the way the Government has always worked. As an adult, I know that people are given some degree of favor or assistance in return for their willingness to work without pay to help a Politician get elected. I have never done any work for a politician before I worked for your Campaign as a Volunteer. And this is in INDIANA.
I need a job. It need not be a job that requires clearances of some kind. I did work for a DoD contractor right out of law school for a few years. I have skills. I need some help. Even a recommendation to a private employer would be helpful. My situation is located outside the boxes, as was yours, a bit. But I saw something in you, and got caught up in your historical election process. Now I'm asking for some kind of help. I'm a bright and educated person with good people skills. Surely there is something, somewhere, I could be doing. I've given up on finding a job, particularly because of my age. Can any of your advisors do anything to help me?
I spent 19 years in school pursuing a B.A. in Economics, and a Law degree. I started a small business in 2002, and was very successful until the real estate bubble struck South Florida. That was in 2006. I lost both my house and business to mortgage foreclosures. I have no health insurance. I have no savings left and no job prospects. My car does not run.
My father is an Economist, and among the pearls of wisdom he shared with me in the past was, when you're unemployed, unemployment is 100%. So, for me unemployment is 100%. If I continue to follow that line of reasoning, then foreclosures are at 100%, and health insurance is -- well you see where I'm going with this.
Neither the Government nor the mortgage companies tried to help keep me in my home or business. And, at that time I was caring for my partner as he died of pancreatic cancer, with no health insurance. I had to move out of my house within a couple months of his death. I wish I could have held out until this recent sympathy for "the economy" developed. I actually had people working for me, who got paid. What about me?
The investment bankers, who have always done very well, have been bailed out. I was so worried about them. AIG, an insurance company, was bailed out because we couldn't afford to let it fail. I'm sure the employees appreciate that gift. AIG was so pleased with our Government's money that it took some customers to a swanky resort right off the bat. Customers, ha.
I'm a 52 year old woman. How is the Government going to bail me out? I can't see myself constructing roads or bridges or any other infrastructure project. I receive no welfare from the Government. What about me? The only hope I can see is even more education. I have no money to pay for school. Of course my creditworthiness is a thing of the distant past. It is only by the Grace of God that I have a roof over my head, food and hot water.
If I didn't complain about my own failing economy sufficiently to catch someone's attention in 2006, well forgive me for suffering in silence. I'm complaining now! So what is the Government going to do for me? It would helpful if a little of the mega-billions that are going to the very important failing businesses could be trickled into a check and mailed to me in Indiana, my new home State. They're throwing around so much money now that no one would even notice. I worked for a DoD contractor previously, I know.
My problems were created by the very same housing fiasco that affected everyone else. Am I to understand that my Government can afford to let me fail? I'm ready for my share of the Change We Need.
I'm watching on the television all that one can see regarding our next President, Barack Obama. I couldn't help notice that the President-Elect looked very tired during his press conference the other day. I'm pretty thorough when I'm preparing for a presentation or when I need to master new subjects. Normally that condition of high alert and performance anxiety lasts only a short period of time, i.e., not for 4 years.
As someone who wanted him to win so much it hurt, I'd like the new President-Elect to know that I don't expect him to cure our economy, our wars or any other major job immediately. Get some rest. We only want you to do your best for our Country. As my Real Property Professor told us in my 1st semester in Law School: People, this isn't a sprint. Boy, was he not kidding. He told us to put it in low gear and keep moving forward. That's all we can expect of you. You don't have such a great job now, so don't kill yourself. We need you! There will always be partisan sniping and excessive media-induced scrutiny. We all knew that you would have a long hard road ahead of you. What's important is that we have you right where we want you.
Thank you.
It feels like the whole world is smiling at us. I get goose bumps when I say "President Obama" to myself.
I have voted in every election for the Presidency since I was old enough to vote. But this year, because I lost my house to foreclosure in Florida, I'm living in Indiana. Ruby Red Indiana. I didn't try to register to vote here because all of the red tape I encountered when I tried to get an Indiana Driver's License. I was still registered to vote in Florida, but I haven't lived there in 2 years. When the absentee ballot packet arrived from Florida, I didn't open it. It seemed wrong, and I didn't want anything to taint Sen. Obama's election.
I had no idea that I would feel so strongly about the 2008 election until after the DNC. I was inspired, but felt helpless because I couldn't vote. Being involved with the Campaign through this website probably saved me from having a nervous breakdown. Every time I got tired of making calls, I remembered how I felt after the 2000 Election when I lived in Broward County, Florida. And, again how I felt after the 2004 Election.
I ended up making nearly 900 phone calls for the Obama Campaign. I went out and put up stickers, and put a sign in our yard. We live right next door to a Polling Location. I made calls for nearly 7 hours on one day. Making the calls made me feel anxious. I had never worked with a campaign, only voted. I ended up catching the flu. Still I persisted because I didn't want to be left with the feeling that, by not voting, I lost the election for Sen. Obama. I made calls in Indiana, Virginia, Ohio and Colorado. Not Missouri. Privately, I like to think that Obama won in the 4 States where I made calls through sheer force of my will.
The most difficult part of the Campaign, for me, was the day of the election. My heart was pounding all day and night. I felt like I was waiting for the jury to come back. I will never forget seeing all of the people celebrating in the park with President-Elect Obama. The people, crying openly, with boundless emotion. I wish I had been there.
I could not relax -- I wanted to see who won Indiana. As the night wore on, I got the sick feeling that Indiana was just too Red, and that McCain would win by a small margin. When I woke up on Wednesday, I raced to the TV to see the final results. Still Indiana had not been called. I was glued to the television set all day, until, WE WON! Even 3 days later, I'm living in a haze. What do I do now? I'll recover eventually. I'm looking forward to the Inauguration and to the day when the Obama family moves in to the White House. My vote for the new puppy's name [if it's a boy] is "Buster."
As the soon to be former Commander in Chief, P. Dubya would remind us, over and over and over again, this is hard work. As a volunteer it's mostly hard because I have no idea if I've pushed voters toward Sen. Obama or away. After making almost 700 phone calls to voters in 4 States, I must report that I am unable to call any contest.
I can't even tell in which direction, if any, people are leaning. That is the case because, while many would tell me that they do plan to vote, and many reported that they had voted early or by absentee ballot, very few would tell me which candidate they favored. They knew things like when and where they would vote, what time they planned to vote, and from whence they would emerge to head for the Polling Location, but most would not actually commit either way. I admit that occasionally, in moments of weakness, I would ask whether the voter had an idea who they might be voting for, but very few would divulge that information to me.
My own private and statistically insignificant poll shows that a lot of people really hate being called, and that they will hang up. Some reported being called over and over again, and insisted that they be taken off "the list." It was very surprising to learn that a lot of men are home during the daytime while their wives are at work. Equally puzzling is the fact that many homes are without answering machines or voice mail. I was most pleasantly surprised to find that the oldest voters, many of whom are well over 80 and into their 90's, had given serious thought to both candidates, and had already voted. The most senior among us still believe that voting is a civic duty. It was a pleasure talking with them.
All in all, it made me feel very connected with other Americans. No one I called said they didn't intend to vote, nor did any one seem to take this historical election lightly. And most importantly, I got the opportunity to call the next president of the United States "Buster."
We are now, as they say, in the "Endgame", and even Dick Armey will allow as how Obama's campaign raised an unprecedented amount of money. You can only imagine, with a song in your heart, how thrilled those two little weasels, Dick Armey and Tom DeLay, are about the current political climate in America. It seems like only yesterday they were snickering and grinning as the Clinton Impeachment was being prosecuted by even more Republican weasels.
Dick Army ended his discussion about how well financed the Obama Campaign is by muttering that we'll see later the truth about the Obama contributions from big interests. This, hopefully, is a last gasp from the Republican Smear Machine. The only smear available now is that Obama must have cheated because, how in the world could he have raised so much money otherwise? The Indianapolis Star calls Obama's smartly funded campaign "the most lavishly funded presidential campaign in history." I think of the Commodore's Annual Christmas party at the Yacht Club as "lavish."
I have a theory about the method by which Obama raised such a large number of contributions - people like me, who have lost their homes, have no health insurance, and whose small businesses have failed are giving Obama's campaign whatever they can. In my case it was $5.00. We are the people who weren't invited to the Yacht Club party.
The Indianapolis Star also pointed to the more than 1.5 million Obama Campaign volunteers, who have pushed Obama's message of change, as a reason for his success. As our world gets smaller and less healthy, Americans are volunteering because they are eager to show the World that what it has seen the United States do lately, does not reflect the the intentions of the majority of its citizens. Americans are better world citizens than is the man who sits in the White House.
It's a new day. Politics must change.
Using a Shotgun approach, the Republicans have lately conjured up all manner of false and misleading ad campaigns designed to smear Sen. Obama. Unfortunately for them, the Obama campaign has shown the smears all to be hateful lies. Then comes the newest round of very clever attacks by the Republicans: Obama is Eloquent, and worse, he has Good Teeth. McCain favors the Eloquent smear, and a GOP guest on the Chris Mathews show accused Obama of having Good Teeth.
These new smears are especially disturbing because they are True! Interesting tactics -- or strategy. I don't know the difference, but Barack Obama does. I expect more true smears will follow, like the Obamas recycle, and are members of the PTA.
We all understand that the "truths" are designed to imply that the only reasons Barack Obama has been so successful in his campaign are that he can give a good speech, and that his good teeth give him extra points on physical appeal. He's only a superficially qualified candidate for the Presidency.
The physical appeal truth smear is ironic, because Obama is a black American, and being black in this country has generally hurt a candidate's chances for success. Perhaps the Good Teeth comment was a coded message aimed at white people: He's only doing well because he's black and because us white folks feel real guilty about how we have treated blacks. The teeth criticism is also eerily disturbing, as the value of an African American was once judged by the quality of his or her teeth. Maybe I'm over thinking this true smear. I hope so. His eloquence, however, is indefensible.
Not all positive statements made recently about Sen. Obama by Republicans are suspect though. A prominent, white Republican politician who, while a guest on the Chris Mathews show, recently endorsed Sen.Obama, and said that Obama may be the best qualified candidate for the Presidency of the United States that we see in a life time. And, for me, that's the the whole truth.
It is incredible to me that the cost of Gov. Palin's fancy new clothes has become such a big deal. We all knew she was chosen because she looks good on McCain's arm; sort of a trophy running mate. She looks great, and even greater since her patron got her all dressed up. Shades of "Pretty Woman." Her ability to look good in expensive clothes is her only qualification for high office. Am I the only human being on earth who thought that she was a complete and utter failure in the Vice Presidential "Debate." I don't know how the moderator was able to keep from bursting into laughter. Ms. Eiffel is more accustomed to people who actually listen and think before answering a question.
Palin is a woman who competed in beauty contests, and felt comfortable strutting around on a stage in nothing but a bathing suit and high heels. Most women hate to even try on a bathing suit in the privacy of a department store dressing room. There are plenty of pretty women who look great prancing around on stage in bathing suits and high heels, but they're not called Governor, and certainly not Madam Vice President.
Did anyone actually think that the hockey mom from Alaska paid for her campaign wardrobe? I doubt that her family has paid for a thing since getting the Nod from McCain. With any luck she'll get to keep the fancy duds as a consolation prize.
I don't know how the subject of Wealth Redistribution became a weapon to be used against Sen. Obama, and an attempt to scare the uninformed electorate into believing that Senator Obama is a Socialist or a Communist. "Wealth Redistribution" is included in the Economics textbooks used by college students all over the Country. At least it was when I studied Intermediate Income and Monetary Analysis in 1980. It was, admittedly, the last chapter, but it was included in the courses required for Economics majors.
My Professor, Dr. Jim Herman, pointed out that the chapter existed, and told us that a lot of the time that chapter is just ignored by Economics Professors. He did urge us, though, to consider the fact that in the U.S. some people have a lot while many people don't have any. But that, eventually, if we choose not to redistribute the wealth, the people who are without will come, and they will take from us, forcefully. That possibility is one that even a child could understand. Surely we don't want to have our own French Revolution.
You notice that the U.S. Government, the IRS, demands that you pay taxes on your earnings, and then doesn't give all your money back to you. Instead, the Government redistributes your money to every conceivable program and institution that exists, both here and abroad. The money is redistributed to Social Security, Social Security Disability, Medicare, Medicaid, Prisons, Airports, Unemployment Payments, Schools, Hospitals, the Armed Services, Highways, the Pentagon the CIA, Bridges, Bank Bailouts, etc. Many such redistributions are called 'Entitlements.' That sounds subversive, but is actually a heading under which Social Security is categorized. I don't think anyone is against that redistribution.
Senator Obama had nothing to do with the creation of the policy of income redistribution nor of social spending, but at least he has a great intellect, the very best advisors and he has familiarized himself with all manner of relevant information that will serve to benefit us all.
I'm tired of the need to hide the fact that I'm a Democrat, and a Liberal Democrat at that. I was an Assistant Public Defender, and I volunteered at the local Legal Aid office during the George W. Bush years. I was trying to help families who had no food for their children, and who couldn't get food stamps on that day, the day they had no food. And the children were right in front of me. I felt as helpless as the clients did. We are the world's bread basket but the livestock here are better fed and sheltered than are many of our own citizens and families. Our problems are not on the magnitude of the horrors seen in Africa. But, for some reason our African American children and families are usually the first victims of our abysmal Social Policies. We need Social Services for all kinds of people in the U.S.; Services that would prevent or cure most of the Social ills we now suffer.
We incarcerate more people than does any other Country in the World. When a person is convicted of a felony, that person can no longer vote. Black men are more likely to be stopped by the Police, arrested and convicted of a crime. It is extremely difficult to find a job following a criminal conviction, and even following an arrest that is nullified. This is just wrong. It is possible to regain one's right to vote, but that requires legal advice and assistance. Lawyers don't normally help people regain their voting rights. Someone should.
It has been said 'The poor shall always be among us.' That seeming to be the reality, the United States of America should invest in people who otherwise have no economic or political power. We should help the poor because that is the right thing to do.
