The elevator video of Ray Rice assaulting his then fiance, Janay Palmer, then dragging her out of the hotel elevator by her feet like a dead animal has been viewed by just about everyone and opinions have been articulated from every side of the issue. But I'm not concerned with rebooting any of the issues that have been discussed and over-discussed since it's all been said ad nauseum. The one question, however, that no one ever discussed that sat in the back of my mind as CNN, Fox and MSNBC all dissected the various social issues surrounding the video was, how would all of this have played out if Mrs. Rice were a young white woman? I mean, many black NFL players have white wives and I just couldn't help but to wonder how the media, and the general public, would have played all that controversy out.
Would The NFL have banned him for life or at least for more than 2 games? Would women's groups have been out front from the beginning demanding harsher punishments? Would there have been boycott's of the Baltimore Ravens and the other players who've assaulted their wives? Basically, would a brighter light have been cast on the violence against women from men who play this brutal, profitable, corporate sport? Would there have been a greater compassion for Janay Rice, instead of questions from so many men asking, "what did she do, though?" Would Ray Rice have gotten the sweet plea deal he got from the district attorney if the woman in the video had blonde hair and blue eyes? Would he have gotten death threats after America watched over and over the footage of him knocking a young, attractive white female unconscious? Would we hear endless comparisons to Nicole Brown Simpson? I'm not sure how it would have all played out exactly in our "post racial" America, but I'm sure it would have been different.
There aren't many moments when I feel genuinely good about an elected official, but the new Kings County District Attorney has me very excited for the first time in a while. For a politician anywhere that's a major feat but Ken Thompson, the new Brooklyn DA, defeated Charles Hynes last year to become the first black DA for the city's largest borough. You see, I'm not excited that Ken Thompson is the first black Brooklyn DA, I'm a little over "first black" elected officials since 2008. What does have me excited is that he's come with his sleeves rolled up and ready to repair some of the obvious injustices of the court system. He followed through on campaign promises and entered office ready to clean up the mess left by former DA Hynes' office that was responsible for putting innocent men in prison for murders they didn't commit, some of whom spent over 20 irredeemable years of their lives in our state's correctional system. Correcting this injustice so for has led to the reversed convictions for eight Brooklyn men and the investigation of 100 cases of wrongful conviction. This should be normal practice in a nation that prides itself on principles of justice and protections for the rights of the individual, but in jurisdictions throughout this country many local prosecutors resist reversing convictions and releasing innocent men and women where evidence proves they were wrongfully convicted and incarcerated.
But the investigations to pursue justice hasn't stopped with these individual cases alone but into former DA Charles Hynes himself who is presently under investigation by the NY State Attorney General's Office, along with some of his former staff, for criminal charges. In addition, the US Attorney's Office is probing a report that $200K was confiscated from criminals and used to pay his media consultant fees for his re-election campaign. Sweet justice that the man who wielded such political power is now the subject of state and federal investigations. Note to anyone in any position of power, be careful how you use it.
One important question the public needs to ask as a result of this is, what happens to prosecutors who knowingly use false witnesses and fix cases that lead to the loss of freedom for the defendants they knew were innocent? Do they get disbarred from practicing law or face any professional and legal consequences? I mean you or I can get time for lying on the witness stand (i.e. Lil' Kim), so what should happen to prosecutors who legally lie and rig a case. They should be held to a higher standard since their work has the ability to take someone's freedom or even their life.
But the major prosecutorial change he made that has system-wide implications is the policy to stop prosecuting arrestees for possession of marijuana. (Big Applause!!) His argument is that it is a waste of tax payer money since most of these arrests result in a marijuana ACD (Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal), which means if they stay out of trouble for 6 months, the conviction will be dismissed and dropped off their record. This is a major victory against the vicious stop and frisk tactics (mutated into the broken windows policy) of our NYPD that targets young black and latino males and leaves them with a NYSID after contact with the criminal justice system, if not a criminal record. People need to understand just how serious it is that our youth get targeted for crimes. One "minor" thing on their record can be detrimental and impede them from certain jobs and limit options in their future. This policy is also in step with the move to legalize marijuana in this country, which looks to be gaining momentum and even inevitable.
A progressive, strong and ethical leader seems to be running things across the Bklyn bridge and I'm damn happy about it so far. For the man fomer DA Hynes referred to as a "low life" in uncovered emails, he's off to an auspicious start as an elected official. Too often we elect black leaders that don't effectuate any changes, no matter how badly needed or how able they are to enact them. They cry that their hands are tied, that they can't do it all. But at least I feel confident that some needed changes are coming from a real leader who is facing great opposition in the very political borough of Kings.
