AMERICA

AMERICA
ONE NATION UNDER GOD!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

EQUAL JUSTICE???

Do you know this man?

His name is Thomas Hagan. He is a free man, walking the streets of New York City. He was released on parole April 27, 2010. 44 years after being convicted of premeditated murder. His sentence was 20 years to life. In a 2008 court filing, Hagan said he "acted out of rage". A statement like that today would qualify Hagan to face a stiffer penalty for committing a "HATE CRIME." Most people took no notice of Mr. Hagan's release. Others said he had served enough time. And still others, James Small, executive director of the Organisation of Afro-American Unity, told the BBC that the state of New York had "murdered Malcolm again" by releasing Hagan.
Thomas Hagan killed this man:
No, this is not Denzel Washington. This is Malcolm Little, aka, Malcolm X, or most properly El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. A famous and outspoken civil rights leader during the turbulent 1960s. Hagan gunned this man down in front of a crowd of 400 people that included Malcolm's wife and 4 daughters, on February 21, 1965 in Manhattan's Audubon Ball Room.

James Small argued Malcom X's killer should have been executed or kept in jail until death. But Hagan has met a curfew and held a job, as the parole board demanded, and repeatedly expressed remorse for the shooting. "I have deep regrets about my participation," he told the state's parole board last month. "I've had a lot of time, a heck of a lot of time, to think about it."

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My personal favorite quote of Malcolm X is:
I don't believe in any form of unjustified extremism! But when a man is exercising extremism in defense of liberty for human beings it's no vice, and when one is moderate in the pursuit of justice for human beings I say he is a sinner.
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I have been an ardent admirer of the Leaders of THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN AMERICA. And pretty much anything that deals with the America of my youth. American history is not a hobby of mine. It is more of a vocation. A dedication, and an infatuation. And I get incensed by people who try to use a perverted twist of truth to support how HISTORY is on their side of a debate, when the truth is clearly the opposite of what they portray it to be. So when I read an opinion that said "America would never released Thomas Hagan if he had killed a white man, or he would never have been punished if HE were WHITE and killed a person of COLOR."

Well you don't have to look too far back in American History to refute or confirm this accusation. May it please the court? I present the following;

Case #1. A white man,

 This is one of the last pictures of Robert F. Kennedy while he was alive. He was shot in Los Angeles, California, in the Ambassador Hotel, on  June 5, 1968.


Mr Kennedy was assassinated by this man of color, Sirhan Sirhan. A parole  hearing for Sirhan is now scheduled every five years. On March 15, 2006, he was denied parole for the 13th time.  He did not attend the hearing, nor did he appoint a new attorney to represent him. His next possible chance for parole will be in 2011.
That comes to 43 years in prison. Only the future will show if Sirhan will out stay Mr.Hagan's 44 years of incarceration.

Case #2.
A WHITE MAN,
LT William Calley, circa 1968-69.

On March 16, 1968 Calley did this to 504 people in the QUANG NGAI Provence, Republic of Viet Nam, In a Hamlet Named My Lai.
PEOPLE OF COLOR:
 
In 1969 a massive cover-up of the massacre was undone. And LT Calley was tried and and convicted of premeditated murder of 22 Civilian Non-Combatants. And sentenced to serve "Life in Prison at Hard Labor."
After serving 3 years in AT HOME Confinement, Captain Calley was given a Presidential pardon. And today he looks like this:
Now before you lump me into a group of bleeding heart anti-Military, Anti-War apologists, let me further tell you that there were US ARMY OFFICERS who received Medals for their actions to save civilians from the Boys in "COMPANY C."

 This is Warrant Officer 1, Hugh Thompson. He was a helicopter pilot who witnessed the carnage and landed his aircraft a began a rescue operation to save civilians who were still alive and being pursued by Calley and his men. WO1 Thompson went to confront Calley and gave his Helo Crew orders to use deadly force to save the survivors.

For their actions Thompson was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and his crew were awarded Bronze Star medals. In 1998, their medals were replaced by the Soldier's Medal, "the highest the US Army can award for bravery not involving direct conflict with the enemy." The medal citations said they were being awarded "for heroism above and beyond the call of duty while saving the lives of at least 10 Vietnamese civilians during the unlawful massacre of non-combatants by American forces at My Lai".

Thus endeth today's history lesson. But it still doesn't answer the question of EQUAL JUSTICE??? IN  AMERICA.
Your opinions are welcome______________________.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gosh I don't even know where to start or to end! LOL! I think American idea of justice is screwed up.

Marnie said...

Very insightful KW. I always learn something new from your posts. You've got me thinking...scary thought I know :0)

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

The justice system SUCKS in this country. That man should never have been released. I won't pretend to have any answers though, and the whole system is so corrupt on several levels I don't think there's hope for true equal justice.

Senorita said...

There is never equal justice in this country, and I don't believe there ever will be.

Every country has blood on its hands. But the difference, is that the US tries to portray that we are more moral than everyone else, when we are really just the same.

That man should rot in prison for his crime.

Anonymous said...

"Every country has blood on its hands"

I couldn't agree more.

Alice in Wonderland said...

I only know what I have read, but I do believe that a "Life Sentence" should mean just that!
I have come across people on this blog who are Anti-English!
What the hell have I done to anyone?
I lost my husband to a maniac who was high on drugs at 9:00 a.m. and he got away with a community service term slapped on him!
This country is just as crazy! This guy didn't just wreck my life, but my in-laws too, all for the sake of a snort of coke!
Very good post, and very eye-opening!

Heff said...

Eye for an eye, I always say.

red.neck chic said...

I'm not sure where to start... LOL

I think our Justice system is questionable - that is a fact. But - I am also a firm believer in God - and his justice system - and what goes around, comes around.

And I don't care what anybody says, the nice guy DOES NOT finish last. And I believe that people get what they deserve - and I believe that there is a far greater plan, and everything happens for a reason.

Hmmm... now I'm just rambling. LOL You've stirred up all kinds of thoughts though! And thank you for learnin' me something on a Saturday morning!!!

I'm going back to grease the wheels you have spinning in my head.

;-) robelyn

Kimberly said...

What about white on white?
Black on black?
At the end of the day does it really matter who did the killing but only that it was done?

Anonymous said...

Your examples all include people who are actually fought/operate FOR the state, meanwhile Malcom operated AGAINST the state.
But still I think you're right, that he deserved to stay in prison.

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