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Jasmine Richards, who was just convicted of “felony lynching” in California for trying to de-arrest a fellow activist. How ironic can you get? Image: video still
On the eve of the California primary and six other contests, the Associated Press and NBC News shook up the Democratic race for the White House last night by announcing Hillary Clinton had reached the number of delegates needed to capture the nomination, beating challenger Bernie Sanders. Both news organizations reached that conclusion based on unofficial polls of unelected superdelegates.
If the projections stand, Clinton would become the first woman to ever be the presidential candidate of a major political party in U.S. history. Sanders criticized the move. “According to the Democratic National Committee, what they should not be doing is lumping pledged delegates, i.e. real delegates, with superdelegates, who may or may not change their mind, but who do not vote until July 25th,” Sanders said.
Ahead of the California vote, Donald Trump is facing criticism for downplaying the state’s historic drought. He recently blamed the lack of water in some communities on environmentalists who are “trying to protect a certain kind of three-inch fish.” California Senate President Pro-Tem Kevin de León and Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo debate who is the best candidate to take on the Drumpf.
Finally, in California, Black Lives Matter activist Jasmine Richards faces up to four years in prison at her sentencing today after she was convicted of a rarely used statute in California law known up until recently as “felony lynching.” Police accused her of trying to de-arrest someone during a peace march in Pasadena last August. This contrasts sharply with another California case — Stanford rapist Brock Turner, who was sentenced to only six months.
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NY Daily News columnist had a great piece that’s been circulating around the internet where he compares swimmer Brock Turner’s “sentence” to that of a friend of his who was busted for selling weed while black and got TEN YEARS in prison; and another former childhood friend who, admittedly, got a little “lost” and did some bad things, but again — because black — got a much, much harsher sentence.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/king-rapist-brock-turner-judge-embody-worst-america-article-1.2662841
Even without that comparison, though… 3-6 MONTHS? And he was CAUGHT IN THE ACT?
It’s purely obscene.
As is the police using this obscure law — which was originally intended to *protect* black people in police custody from being dragged off and lynched — to jail this young woman for four years.
WTF?
Can’t help wondering what sentence I might have been given if I’d found hunky young Brock Turner crashed out on drink beside a dumper truck and decided to have my wicked way with him.
Daresay the rest of his swim team would have made short work of this fancy nancy queer boy wereboy before the judge had a chance to pronounce a life sentence for ruining Brock’s career as an all-American boy.
I can totally identify with the NY Daily News columnist wanting to write 1000 words of profanity. That’s exactly what I feel like doing, because whatever this is, it sure as hell isn’t justice.
Update: Journalist applies necessary “fixes” to letter by Stanford rapist’s father
Friend of mine posted this great video of interview with Muhammad Ali in 1971. Wish I could say that times have changed a lot for black people in the US since then ….
https://vimeo.com/169381374
Yes, that’s featured in yesterday’s Dem Now! episode.
Gosh! Thanks for letting me know, Amy.