People Stay Alert as the Jordan Davis Trial Starts Today in Florida

Jordan Davis**Update*** The trial has already started with Michael Dunn pleading NOT GUILTY for the murder of Jordan Davis.. Guess he’s hoping it plays out the way it did for George Zimmerman..

Hope people stay alert and pay attention to the latest Stand Your Ground Trial in Florida which starts today.. This involves 17-year-old Jordan Davis who was shot and killed by a 46-year-old white man named Michael Dunn.. This killing took place 9 months after Trayvon Martin was killed..Jordan was unarmed and sitting in a car with several friends when Dunn who isn’t even from Jacksonville where the incident took place demanded the teens turn down their music..

According to Dunn, the teens complied but then turned the music up and an argument ensued.. Dunn claims one of the teens reached under his seat like he had a gun so he shot 8 times into the car where the 4 teens were at, killing Jordan Davis… According to Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law, the person who is shot does not have to have a weapon, he only has to look like he has one….

The mother of Jordan Davis notes that her son was like her shadow and was scared after Trayvon was killed. She had a number of talks with her son as to what he should do if confronted with someone determined to shoot him down… Sadly he was gunned down before he could even get out of harms way..

Meanwhile closer to home we had yet another teen gunned down over the weekend along with a 35-year-old man he was walking with as they left the Boys and Girls club here in Oakland..This was not a case of stand your ground, but sadly another case of unchecked nihilistic behavior, which gets highlighted on the nightly news and convinces all the stops must be pulled to contain, eradicate and suppress young Black males who are perceived as frequent perpetrators and the overwhelming majority of victims…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p02oLB3xi9E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl61NWARV70

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6vLfV7hGpQ

Hard Knock Radio: The Plight of Florida’s Other Slain Unarmed Teen, Jordan Davis

Jordan Davis

Jordan Davis

HKR August 15 2013: Today on Hard Knock Radio Anita Johnson sits down with John M. Phillips the attorney for the Jordan Davis family. For those who don’t recall last year Florida had two 17-year-old Black teens who were killed by racist individuals using Stand Your Ground Laws. We all know about the murder of Trayvon Martin and how he was profiled, followed and killed by George Zimmerman but not too many know about Jordan Davis.

Several months after the Trayvon slaying in November 2012, a white man named Michael Dunn saw some Black teenagers in a car and felt he they were playing their music too loud. He confronted them, according to him, words were exchanged. Dunn said he felt threatened and thus emptied his gun into the car containing 6-8 unarmed teenagers. When the gun smoke cleared 17-year-old Jordan Davis laid dead.

We discuss the particulars of the case, what steps are being taken to bring about justice and how they compare to the Trayvon case.

Later in the show we hear a commentary from political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal and a riveting speech from Michelle Alexander the author of the book ‘The New Jim Crow‘.

Click the link below to download or listen to the HKR Intv

Click the link below to download or listen to the HKR Intv

Hard Knock Radio_August 15 2013

President Obama’s Surprise Press Conference Addresses the issue of Race & Trayvon Martin

President ObamaThis morning at a press conference, President Obama addressed the issues surrounding Trayvon Martin… Many seemed to be happy that he went more into depth about his feelings around this and he acknowledged that this case was about racial profiling.. He also noted that work must be done so trust in the system can be regained… He raised the question as to how the outcome would’ve been different if Trayvon Martin was white..Obama noted that he would’ve been Trayvon 35 years ago..

He wants to figure out ways young African-American men can made to feel as if they a part of society. He wants us all to do some soul searching.. He doesn’t think its productive when politicians try to lead conversations on race..He feels it leads to stilted conversations..He also thinks race relations are getting better

Your thoughts on Obama’s remarks? How do those remarks square away with the fact that he is praising NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelly for his work in New York.. Kelly who is main proponent for Stop and Frisk is now being considered to lead Homeland Security. One has to wonder if Obama spoke to this issue because this Saturday there are protests scheduled in over 100 cities..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdPX2z_dDjY

Below is the full text of Obama’s remarks

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, I wanted to come out here, first of all, to tell you that Jay is prepared for all your questions, and is very much looking forward to the session.

Second thing is, I want to let you know that over the next couple of weeks, there are going to obviously be a whole range of issues – immigration, economics, et cetera. We’ll try to arrange a fuller press conference to address your questions.

The reason I actually wanted to come out today is not to take questions, but to speak to an issue that’s obviously gotten a lot of attention over the course of the last week, the issue of the Trayvon Martin ruling.

I gave a preliminary statement right after the ruling on Sunday, but watching the debate over the course of the last week, I thought it might be useful for me to expand on my thoughts a little bit.

First of all, I want to make sure that once again I send my thought and prayers, as well as Michelle’s, to the family of Trayvon Martin, and to remark on the incredible grace and dignity with which they’ve dealt with the entire situation. I can only imagine what they’re going through and it’s remarkable how they’ve handled it.

The second thing I want to say is to reiterate what I said on Sunday, which is there are going to be a lot of arguments about the legal – the legal issues in the case. I’ll let all the legal analysts and talking heads address those issues.

The judge conducted the trial in a professional manner. The prosecution and the defense made their arguments. The juries (sic) were properly instructed that in a – in a case such as this, reasonable doubt was relevant. And they rendered a verdict.

And once the jury’s spoken, that’s how our system works.

But I did want to just talk a little bit about context and how people have responded to it and how people are feeling.

You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago.

And when you think about why, in the African-American community at least, there’s a lot of pain around what happened here, I think it’s important to recognize that the African-American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a – and a history that – that doesn’t go away.

There are very few African-American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me.

There are probably very few African-American men who haven’t had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me – at least before I was a senator.

There are very few African-Americans who haven’t had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off.
That happens often.

And, you know, I – I don’t want to exaggerate this, but those sets of experiences inform how the African-American community interprets what happened one night in Florida.

And it’s inescapable for people to bring those experiences to bear.

The African-American community is also knowledgeable that there is a history racial disparities in the application of our criminal laws, everything from the death penalty to enforcement of our drug laws. And that ends up having an impact in terms of how people interpret the case.

Now, this isn’t to say that the African-American community is naive about the fact that African-American young men are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system, that they’re disproportionately both victims and perpetrators of violence. It’s not to make excuses for that fact.

Although, black folks do interpret the reasons for that in a historical context. They understand that, some of the violence that takes place in poor black neighborhoods around the country is born out of a very violent past in this country. And that the poverty and dysfunction that we see in those communities can be traced to a very difficult history.

And so, the fact that sometimes that’s unacknowledged adds to the frustration. And the fact that a lot of Africa-American boys are painted with a broad brush and the excuses given, “Well, there are these statistics out there that show that African-American boys are more violent,” using that as an excuse to then see sons treated differently causes pain.

I think the African-American community is also not naive in understanding that, statistically, somebody like Trayvon Martin was probably, statistically, more likely to be shot by a peer than he was
by somebody else.

So – so folks understand the challenges that exist for African-American boys. But they get frustrated, I think, if they feel that there’s no context for it, or – and that context is being denied. And – and that all contributes, I think, to a sense that if a white male teen was involved in the same kind of scenario that, from top to bottom, both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different.

Now, the question, for me, at least, and – and I think for a lot of folks is, “Where do we take this? How – how do we learn some lessons from this and move in a positive direction?”

You know, I think it’s understandable that there have been demonstrations and vigils and protests and some of that is just going to have to work its way through as long as it remains nonviolent. If I see any violence, then I will remind folks that that dishonors what happened to Trayvon Martin and his family.

But beyond protests or vigils, the question is: Are there some concrete things that we might be able to do? I know that Eric Holder is reviewing what happened down there, but I think it’s important for people to have some clear expectations here. Traditionally, these are issues of state and local government. The criminal code and law enforcement is traditionally done at the state and local levels, not at the federal levels.

That doesn’t mean, though, that as a nation, we can’t do some things that I think would be productive. So let me just give a couple of specifics that I’m still bouncing around with my staff, you know, so we’re not rolling out some five-point plan, but some areas where I think all of us could potentially focus.

Number one, precisely because law enforcement is often determined at the state and local level, I think it would be productive for the Justice Department, governors, mayors to work with law enforcement about training at the state and local levels in order to reduce the kind of mistrust in the system that sometimes currently exists.

You know, when I was in Illinois, I passed racial profiling legislation, and it actually did just two simple things. One, it collected data on traffic stops and the race of the person who was stopped, but the other things was it resourced us training police departments across the state on how to think about potential racial bias, and ways to further professionalize what they were doing.

And, initially, the police departments across the state were resistant, but actually they came to recognize that if it was done in a fair, straightforward way that, it would allow them to do their jobs better and communities would have more confidence in them, and in turn be more helpful in – in applying the law. And, obviously, law enforcement’s got a very tough job.

So that’s one area where I think there are a lot of resources and best practices that could be brought to bear, if state and local governments are receptive, and I think a lot of them would be. And let’s figure out, are there ways for us to push out that kind of training.

Along the same lines, I think it would be useful for us to examine some state and – and local laws to see if it – if they are designed in such a way that they may encourage the kinds of altercations and confrontations and tragedies that we saw in the Florida case, rather than diffuse potential altercations.

I know that there’s been commentary about the fact that the “Stand Your Ground” laws in Florida were not used as a defense in the case.

On the other hand, if we’re sending a message as a society in our communities that someone who is armed potentially has the right to use those firearms, even if there’s a way for them to exit from a situation, is that really going to be contributing to the kind of peace and security and order that we’d like to see?

And for those who – who resist that idea, that we should think about something like these Stand Your Ground laws, I just ask people to consider, if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman, who had followed him in a car, because he felt threatened? And if the answer to that question is at least ambiguous, then it seems to me that we might want to examine those kinds of laws.

Number three – and this is a long-term project – we need to spend some time in thinking about how do we bolster and reinforce our African-American boys? And this is something that Michelle and I talk a lot about. There are a lot of kids out there who need help, who are getting a lot of negative reinforcement. And is there more that we can do to give them the sense that their country cares about them, and values them, and is willing to invest in them?

You know, I’m not naive about the prospects of some grand new federal program. I’m not sure that that’s what we’re talking about here. But I – I do recognize that, as president, I’ve got some convening power. And there are a lot of good programs that are being done across the country on this front. And for us to be able to gather together business leaders and local elected officials and clergy and celebrities and athletes and figure out, how are we doing a better job helping young African-American men feel that they’re a full part of this society and that – and that they’ve got pathways and avenues to succeed? You know, I think that would be a pretty good outcome from what was, obviously, a tragic situation. And we’re going to spend some time working on that and thinking about that.

And then, finally, I think it’s going to be important for all of us to do some soul-searching. You know, there’s been talk about, should we convene a conversation on race? I haven’t seen that be particularly productive when, you know, politicians try to organize conversations. They end up being stilted and politicized, and folks are locked into the positions they already have.

On the other hand, in families and churches and workplaces, there’s a possibility that people are a little bit more honest and at least you ask yourself your own questions about, am I wringing as much bias out of myself as I can? Am I judging people as much as I can based on not the color of their skin, but the content of their character? That would, I think, be an appropriate exercise in the wake of this tragedy.

And let me just leave you with – with the final thought that, as difficult and challenging as this whole episode has been for a lot of people, I don’t want us to lose sight that things are getting better. Each successive generation seems to be making progress in changing attitudes when it comes to race. It doesn’t mean we’re in a post-racial society. It doesn’t mean that racism is eliminated.

But, you know, when I talk to Malia and Sasha and I listen to their friends and I see them interact, they’re better than we are. They’re better than we were on these issues. And that’s true in every community that I’ve visited all across the country. And so, you know, we have to be vigilant. And we have to work on these issues. And those of us in authority should be doing everything we can to encourage the better angels of our – nature as opposed to using these episodes to heighten divisions.

But we should also have confidence that kids these days, I think, have more sense than we did back then and certainly more than our parents did or our grandparents did, and that along this long and difficult journey, you know, we’re becoming a more perfect union, not a perfect union, but a more perfect union.

All right?

Thank you, guys

The Case Around Fla, Teen Kiera Wilmot is Part of a Bigger, More Disturbing Pattern

***Important Update***As folks read the original story I penned below I wanna give a quick update..The prosecutor behind this case Assistant State Attorney Tammy Glotfelty, has charged Kiera with two felonies, yet two days later this same prosecutor did not charge a white 13 year old boy Taylor Richardson for shooting his 10 year old brother with a bb gun.. Glotfelty said it was an accident. She spent over a month examining the case. With Kiera he didnt spend as much as a day.. You can read the entire story here  http://raniakhalek.com/2013/05/02/prosecutor-behind-kiera-wilmot-arrest-filed-no-charges-for-white-teen-who-killed-little-brother/

Straight Student Charged wit two felonies for Science Experiment Gone Wrong

Not sure if folks have heard about this story, but its disturbing and should make all of us pause and then take some major steps to bring about change.. and I mean real change.. Here’s whats been reported in the New Times out of Florida

kiera wilmot

Kiera Wilmot

Kiera Wilmot got good grades and had a perfect behavior record. She wasn’t the kind of kid you’d expect to find hauled away in handcuffs and expelled from school, but that’s exactly what happened after an attempt at a science project went horribly wrong.

On 7 a.m. on Monday, the 16 year-old mixed some common household chemicals in a small 8 oz water bottle on the grounds of Bartow High School in Bartow, Florida. The reaction caused a small explosion that caused the top to pop up and produced some smoke. No one was hurt and no damage was caused.

According to WTSP, Wilmot told police that she was merely conducting a science experiment. Though her teachers knew nothing of the specific project, her principal seems to agree.

“She made a bad choice. Honestly, I don’t think she meant to ever hurt anyone,” principal Ron Pritchard told the station. “She wanted to see what would happen [when the chemicals mixed] and was shocked by what it did. Her mother is shocked, too.”

After the explosion Wilmot was taken into custody by a school resources officer and charged with possession/discharge of a weapon on school grounds and discharging a destructive device. She will be tried as an adult.

You can peep the full story here http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2013/04/florida_teen_girl_charged_with.php

Brittany Rowley

Brittany Rowley

In looking at this story, I hope folks who are ready to react and kick up dust , keep a few things in mind. First, whats being described here is not unusual..Attacks  and harsh punishment like this is happening all over the country at alarming rates with young Black children and teens being the main targets by far..For example it was just a year or so ago that New York Police beat down a 15-year-old honor student named Brittany Rowley who fit the description of a shop lifter..She had done nothing of the sort.. read about that HERE

The year before that an honor student named Jordan Miles who is also an accomplished violinist who performed for First Lady Michele Obama was beaten down by police in Pittsburgh who thought he might have drugs on him. Miles was beaten so bad, his dread locks were pulled out..The cops in question were all honored and given promotions by the police chief Nate Harper who has since been charged with bribery and is looking at jail time.  Below is a video outlining the case with Jordan Miles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONPo-wslB40

With respect to Florida, we can’t separate this harsh treatment being meted out to Kiera Wilmot from the way officials have handled other cases. For example, who can forget what police in St Petersburg did several years ago with a 5-year-old who had a temper tantrum, had calmed down, but was dragged off in handcuffs anyway..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVv1rcMYZ2Y

Is Ms Paltrow real enough to help out someone like Marissa Alexander and the injustice she's recieving?

Marrissa Alexander

What we find in Florida is that there seems to be a pattern of DAs aggressively overcharging people with crimes so that they will either be charged as an adult if they are juveniles or be forced to plea bargain or face long sentences if they don’t.. Such is the case with Marissa Alexander who is currently serving 20 years after she fired off warning shots in the air to scare off an abusive husband who had a restraining order on her and was threatening to beat her while she was pregnant. You can read about that HERE

As we look at this case around Kiera Wilmot we should be looking at the role of the DA and his/her track record. Does he/she normally charge people so harshly? What sort of leeway did he/she have in charging Kiera? Was this politically motivated? We’ve seen in the past DAs who wish to run for higher office coming down hard on folks as a way to make a name for himself..

We should be examining the zero tolerance laws and seeing what sort of patterns emerge and how they are applied. We should also be looking at ways to change these laws and ways to replace the people who are selectively applying them..In short we have to look at Kiera’s case from a systemic stand point and not just as one lone case that went wrong. If we view this case in isolation we will do more harm then good..

Someone on my twitter feed reading this story about Kiera Wilmot summed it up best..this girl should be graduating and going to science camp! not funding some privateer’s jail biz -@scissorkim

written by Davey D

For folks wishing to make some noise around this..Here are some addresses and phone numbers

Bartow High School Principal Ronald Pritchard / Address: 1270 S Broadway Ave Bartow, FL 33830 / EMAIL: Ronald.Pritchard@polk-fl.net PHONE:(863)- 534-7400 Fax: (863)534-0077

Polk County Superintendent: Dr. John Stewart /Address: 1915 South Floral Avenue, Bartow, FL 33831 Phone: (863) 534-0521 Fax: (863) 519-8231 Email: Dr. John Stewart

Polk Regional Juvenile Detention Ctr

ADDRESS: 2155 Bob Phillips Road, Bartow, FL 33830

TEL: 863-534-7090
FAX: 863-534-7024
EMAIL:
pio@polksheriff.org

Tennis Superstar Serena Williams is Rapping Now..

Tennis Superstar Serena Williams Debuts New Rap Song.
The tennis star hit Baltimore Ravens lineman Bryant McKinnie‘s studio in Florida to record some songs last year. Have a listen to the minute-long sample, Lyrics Below:

Wait a minute now x4
I ball hard, no tennis racquet/I can see these haters through my Gucci glasses
I make hits like battin’ practice/Baby, like, ‘Serena, is you really rappin’?’
That’s me, thanks for listenin’/schooling all these rappers, they should pay tuition
I make a lot of money but that ain’t yo business/you can tell the people I said this
I win, I really mean it/Swag out this world, you should call me Venus
That’s my sister, my name is Serena/on the court I serve ’em up, no subpoena
I cook the track up like a frozen pizza/beats so crazy it might blow your speakers
I ain’t never been a loser and I’m always on top: roofer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D9kFgiaAaQ

Lets Go Beyond Hallmark Cards & Brunch to Honor our Mothers…How about Justice & True Equality?

This mother’s day if we wanna honor the mothers in our lives & around the world how about we END the poverty so many mothers are experiencing?…

We can honor the mothers in our lives and around us by ENDING the abuse of women.. We can start by not calling women out their names. Talk about giving a gift to the mothers of the world, try to forever ban the word “BITCH’ from your lips.. Looking back at how many men got bent out of shape at the notion Jay-Z was pondering taking such action and how relieved they were when he said he would still be calling women bitches,  I would say erasing that harmful word from our lips when referring to women, might be a gift of the ages..

Lets make this a mother’s day where we uplift those mothers around us who are in dire straits i.e Marissa Alexander the Florida woman sentenced this week to 20 years for defending herself against an abusive husband is one name that comes to comes to mind..But there are so many others. How about all of us take a firm stance against domestic violence. Let’s create a climate where the mothers in our lives can feel safe, and free of such a heinous act.. If your a man who puts hands on women and you’re running around giving out mother’s day cards.. how about you get some help.. serious help?  Try calling this hotline.. and stop the damage you’re causing 1−800−799−SAFE (7233)

Today lets comfort the mothers in our community who are in pain..Many have lost precious children to violence i.e. Sabrina Fulton who is Trayvon Martin‘s mom.. Rekia Boyd‘s mom, Alan Bluford’s mom, Oscar Grant‘s mom.. These are just a few of the countless who lost children to police violence..Can we make a commitment to help ease their pain? Can you join in their public and private fights to seek justice?

We must not forget the moms who live in our community who are in pain because of the senseless violence we inflict on each other.. How about we make a commitment to end all bloodshed as away to honor our mothers?  Forget the Mother’s Day card.. How about we go all out to affirm life? Let’s end war in our hood and war overseas. Let’s convince our government to stop sending drones that result in the deaths of mothers..Let’s encourage our government to pressure countries that we do business with to stop the practice of rape as a weapon of war.. How about we end female genital mutilation? Let’s end the mass incarceration of women and the shameful deportation and detention of mothers from their children…Those would be some serious gifts that would honor the mothers who struggled for such aims in the past and presently and would benefit from it greatly in the future.

Let this mother’s day be one in which we end the ‘war on women‘ If we wanna honor moms lets stop allowing them to be political punching bags for those unscrupulous politicians who would sell their souls for political gain vs doing whats right by the mothers in their lives. Do the mothers in your lives have health insurance? Are they working 2 & 3 jobs & still not making it? Are these moms making the same wages as the men around them? Are they being abused? Let’ honor our moms by ending those sorts of shortfalls.Here’s great article that came out this morning from Alternet outlining 11 things we can do to really honor Mother’s Day.. 11 ways to Really Help Mothers This Mother’s Day

This mother’s day let’s make a commitment to change the world and make room for our mothers to truly shine, be respected and loved and more important have a seat at the table.Lets honor all those heroic mothers from Harriet Tubman to Fanny Lou Hammer to our own moms who tireless sacrifice, put up the good fight day in and day out to help bring us all brighter tomorrows

As we close out here are two Mother Day mixes that’ll hopefully help all feel inspired this Sunday..One is by myself..(Davey D) the other by DJ Sloepoke out in LA.. the links are below..

Below is the mix by DJ Sloepoke.. you can peep it HERE

http://thesoundstrike.podomatic.com/entry/2012-03-10T19_19_08-08_00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTq84OWZc6Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkrdiABTcaI&ob=av2e

Serious Injustice from Coast to Coast: Family of Oscar Grant & Marissa Alexander

The Grant Family, Uncle Bobby, Oscar Grant’s Mother-in law and Grant’s mother Wanda Johnson

Yesterday I attended  a press conference where the family, friends and supporters Oscar Grant came to speak out about something hideous. The family, like everyone else in the Bay Area found out through local news reports that the person who murdered Oscar Grant, former BART cop Johannes Mehserle went to court to file an appeal. There’s a strong possibility, given the way things have been MIS-HANDLED in court, the walking psychopath may have his felony record expunged and be reinstated as a police officer… Yes you read that correctly..

During the press conference, Grant’s family cited the state law for victim rights which clearly notes the family was supposed to be notified of any appeal by Mehserle appeal.. The Alameda County DA Nancy E O’Malley admitted her office ‘made a mistake’ in not contacting them..That in turn enraged the Grant family and supporters even more..

‘How many mistakes are people in this justice system who are supposed to protect the people, going to make? asked Cephus ‘Uncle Bobby’ Johnson..

During his remarks he read a list of mistakes made all throughout the proceedings including the big blunder by presiding  judge Robert Perry who said he ‘made a mistake’ in giving the jury instructions hence he had to reduce key sentencing components to Mehserle’s sentencing..

You can hear the press conference at the link below

As this heart-wrenching press conference was unfolding, we got word about another grave Meanwhile in Fla a sista named Marissa Alexander just got sentenced to 20 yrs for shooting a gun at ceiling to protect herself from an abusive husband who had a restraining order and had beaten her while pregnant.. When he violated the restraining order and attempted to beat her again,Ms Alexander who legally owned a gun shot the gun into the ceiling to scare him away.. Florida where Ms Alexander is from has the infamous ‘stand your ground law‘, but it was disallowed as a defense.. Alexander was sentenced to 20 years in prison.. her three kids have not seen their mother since the incident a year ago.. Talk about injustice..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htVE9qrzyWk

Florida is Home to a Rapper Sent to Jail for 2Years for doing a Cop Killer Song

Antavio Johnson

In the wake of the Trayvon Martin situation many are re-examining the strange case of Lakeland, Florida resident Antavio Johnson. Two years ago Johnson known as DJ TO was charged with 2 counts of Treat To a Public Servant due to saying the names of two Lakeland Police Department officers from Polk County Florida. According to an article detailing the case in the The Ledger, DJ TO was facing 5 years on each charge but accepted a plea bargain for 2 years total. You can read that story HERE

The song was discovered by Polk County sheriff’s Cyber Crime unit  after it was put on the MySpace page of a local record promotion company called Hood Certified Ent .

On the YouTube page, HCE head Lucky posted the following;

I myself, “Lucky” from HCE was locked up with T.O. and I still remain friends with him. I’ve come out publicly saying that I take full blame for the outcome of this case. With that said like I said on a news interview “I will never apologize to the law enforcement community however I do apologize to T.O. because if cops are threatened by the lyrics of a song, then they are in the wrong line of work.”

Apparently because DJ TO was on parole, it’s speculated that him making threats even in a song was somehow a violation.. The ACLU disagrees.. All of us should pause for a minute and take stock in how powerful police officers have become over the past few years. We now have some states where it’s illegal to film them. We have a Policeman’s Bill of Rights in states all over the country including California and Florida where its difficult for the public to have access to police abuse reports. In Cali, its damn near impossible to use that information in court cases. We in Cali found this out during the Oscar Grant case, when the past abuses of former BART cop Johannes Mehserle was inadmissible

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ9yCmhnfNk

Here’s Lyrics to the song

Hi, Grady

Free My Ni**a Chico

Straight up

Free My Ni**a Chico

Im’ma see you when you get home, homey.

Im’ma kill me a cop one day

He’ey

Cause I’m tired of em playin’ with my life

Lord, I know it ain’t right.

It ain’t right, no

If Officer ……………….[name removed upon request by LPD] he care at all

Get my timing wrong

Im’ma be puttin’ one in his dome

Mr. Officer

Mr. Officer

Try me on the wrong day

And I’m offin’ ya

I gotta grudge with the judge

Rugers for prosecutors

Calicos for C.O.’s

Bullet holes for P.O.’s

Call me crazy but I think I fell in love with the sound

Of hearing the dispatcher saying, “Officer Down”

Im’ma kill me a cop one day

He’ey

Cause I’m tired of em playin’ with my life

Lord, I know it ain’t right.

It ain’t right, no

Hey!!! T.O.!!!

If Officer …………… [name removed upon request by LPD]

The Wonder Woman

Get my timing wrong

I’m a be puttin’ one in her dome

Mrs. Officer

Mrs. Officer

Try me on the wrong day

And I’m offin’ ya

I gotta Glock for a cop

Choppers for crime stoppers

And one in the cartridge

For the Lakeland Police Department

 

As We Watch the Trayvon Martin Case, All of Us Should Know Marissa Alexander

As we look at the drama surrounding the Trayvon Martin case, we encourage folks to connect the dots and pay attention to other cases to get an idea on how justice is elusive for some and the working quite well for others.. Yesterday we saw how George Zimmerman was granted bail after giving a half-hearted, insulting, insincere apology to the Martin family for profiling, stalking and eventually killing their son..

What we didn’t hear about was a how an African-American women who in the course of protecting herself from an abusive husband who beat her while she was pregnant, shot a gun that she legally owns into the air. No one was hurt, but she is now looking at 25 years. Yes indeed, you read that right, facing 25 years.. Her name is Marissa Alexander, she lives in Florida, is a mother of 3 and everyone should know her name and her case.The person who prosecuted her case is Angela Corey, the prosecutor in the George Zimmerman case.

Here’s a letter that was written on her behalf laying out the details… As you read this letter ask yourself the following questions:

Where is the NRA on this case? Don’t they have supporters who come to the aid of people like Alexander, a legal gun owner who used a law they designed to protect herself, or was she supposed to actually shoot her husband?

Where’s the folks behind ALEC who pushed for Stand Your Ground Laws, not just in Florida but in other states around the country?

Where are all the folks speaking loudly about the injustice around Trayvon, but silent on Marrissa Alexander, because they choose to see Trayvon in isolation and not connected to the larger system of continual injustices impacting Black people and people of color all over the country?

Here’s the letter….

April 3, 2012

Dear Supporters:

On August 1 2010, my premature baby girl, born nine days earlier, was in the Baptist South N.I.C.U. fighting for her life and I would too be fighting for my life in my own home against an attack from my husband.

My name is Marissa Alexander, I am a mother of three children, but at the present time, I am not able to be with them due to the following circumstances.  I am currently sitting in the Pretrial Detention Facility in Jacksonville FL, Duval County awaiting a sentence for three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon with no intent to harm.

Before my life changed drastically on that August afternoon, I was in the perilous position of leaving an abusive relationship with my husband who has history of violence and documented domestic abuse towards women.  Our history included one which required me to place an injunction for protection against violence and was active during the month of August 2010.

In an unprovoked jealous rage, my husband violently confronted me while using the restroom.  He assaulted me, shoving, strangling and holding me against my will, preventing me from fleeing all while I begged for him to leave.  After a minute or two of trying to escape, I was able to make it to the garage where my truck was parked, but in my haste to leave I realized my keys were missing.  I tried to open the garage but there was a mechanical failure. I was unable to leave, trapped in the dark with no way out.  For protection against further assault I retrieved my weapon; which is registered and I have a concealed weapon permit.  Trapped, no phone, I entered back into my home to either leave through another exit or obtain my cell phone.

He and my two stepsons were supposed to be exiting the house thru the front door, but he didn’t leave.  Instead he came into the kitchen that leads to the garage and realized I was unable to leave.  Instead of leaving thru the front door where his vehicle was parked outside of the garage, he came into the kitchen by himself.  I was terrified from the first encounter and feared he came to do as he had threatened.  The weapon was in my right hand down by my side and he yelled, “Bitch I will kill you!”, and charged toward me.  In fear and desperate attempt, I lifted my weapon up, turned away and discharged a single shot in the wall up in the ceiling.  As I stood my ground it prevented him from doing what he threatened and he ran out of the home.  Outside of the home, he contacted the police and falsely reported that I shot at him and his sons.  The police arrived and I was taken into custody.

I was devastated and would continue to be for months following the incident.  I had to appear in court all the way up until trial as I plead not guilty and know that I acted in self-defense.  I believe my actions saved my life or prevented further harm, but preserved that of my husband who was completely irrational, extremely violent, and unpredictable that day.

Florida has a self-defense law and it includes the right to stand your ground.  Below are the facts of my concern with the incorrect way the law was applied and ultimately the injustice in my case.

·        The alleged victim, my husband, under sworn statement in November 2010, admitted he was the aggressor, threatened my life and was so enraged he didn’t know what he would do.

·        The alleged victim, my husband, was arrested for domestic violence two times, once for abuse against me.  The attack against me was so violent; I ended up in the hospital.

·        Prior to my arrest, I told the office I was in fear for my life due to the prior violence against me.  I also told the officer there was a domestic injunction in place to protect me against abuse from the alleged victim.  This information was written in detail by the officer in my arrest report, but ignored for some unknown reason.

·        In July of 2011, a hearing was held, where I along with the alleged victims testified as it relates to the stand your ground law and its immunity from prosecution.

·        After the hearing, Judge Elizabeth Senterfitt denied my motion, citing that I could have exited the house thru the master bedroom window, front door, and/or sliding glass back door.  The law specifically states: No duty to retreat.

·        My attorney entered a standing objection on the record to the ruling and we proceeded to trial.

·        During that time, Angela Corey, our State Attorney met with the alleged victims.  I also along with my attorney met with Angela Corey, John Guy, and then prosecutor Christen Luikart.  I justified my actions to them and the truth as I have told it has remained the same.

·        Knowing our prior domestic abuse history, Angela Corey was hard pressed for the minimum mandatory, which provisions allow for prosecution to wave those stipulations.  I was not guilty, nor did I believe that was fair and just under the circumstances.  She also allowed for those same provisions in the State vs. Vonda Parker, same charges different circumstances which did not include self-defense.

·        Florida uses a law commonly known as 10-20-life as a sentencing guideline when a felony takes place with the use of a weapon.  Under this statute, my felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to harm carries a twenty year mandatory sentence.

·        Stand your ground law has been applied in multiple recent incidents, the following is just a couple of incidents.  Carl Kroppman Jr was allowed to use this law to avoid being arrested/charged during a road rage incident on the Buckman Bridge in Jacksonville, FL in August of 2011.  Marqualle Woolbright of Ocala, FL avoided murder charges due to the stand your ground law when he shoot and killed someone.

I am a law abiding citizen and I take great pride in my liberty, rights, and privileges as one.  I have vehemently proclaimed my innocence and my actions that day.  The enigma I face since that fateful day I was charged through trial, does the law cover and apply to me too?

A step further and more importantly is in light of recent news, is justice for all include everyone, regardless of gender, race or aristocratic dichotomies.  I simply want my story heard, reviewed and the egregious way in which my case was handled from start to finish serve as an eye opener for all and especially those responsible for upholding judicial affairs.

The threat that day was very real, imminent, and the battery on me occurred minutes before the decision I made to protect myself.  That decision was a last resort, necessary and a reaction to the continued threat on my life.  I am a believer that grace allowed for my response to be carried out in a non-lethal manner.  This prevented the imminent threat and harm a non-fatal tactic, but not against an unknown attacker, rather my very own husband.  That was by far the most difficult position to be in nine days after giving birth to a six week premature infant.  My heart goes out for my two stepsons and always has had a hurt and sincere empathy for them being subjected innocently to that trauma.

The law states that I was justified in standing my ground and meeting force with force up to including deadly force, but political views and concerns states otherwise in the 4th circuit court.

So my last questions and valid concerns are what was I supposed to do that day and the stand your ground law who is it for?

Sincerely,

Lincoln B. Alexander Jr on behalf of Marissa Alexander

You can get more info on this case my going to: http://justiceformarissa.blogspot.com/

Trayvon Martin Tribute: Mos Def, Dead Prez & MikeFlo “Made You Die”

M-1 of dead prez always represents for the people

Mos Def and dead prez come together to do a song that pays tribute to Trayvon.. We had a great convo with M1 the other day about this.. He reminded us that Florida is also home to the Uhuru Movement an oragnization that helped shape and mold him.He said the spirit of resistance in the Sunshine State is strong and should not be overlooked or underplayed.. Here’s what they did..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz8-lEof–I