Sunday, December 4, 2011

Discrimination in Presidential Pardons

People of color just can't seem to get a fair shake when it comes to jail sentences and clemency.  They have to deal with disparities in arrest, jail sentencing, and now it seems in clemency too.   A report just came out regarding Presidential Pardons, which have been majority whitesCheck out this chart.

"An analysis shows that, over the past decade, those with a Congress member in their corner were three times as likely to win mercy. Interviews and documents show a lawmaker’s support can speed up a stalled application, counter negative information and ratchet up pressure for an approval." ~~Dafner Linzer~~

"An African American woman from Little Rock, fined $3,000 for underreporting her income in 1989, was denied a pardon; a white woman from the same city who faked multiple tax returns to collect more than $25,000 in refunds got one. A black, first-time drug offender — a Vietnam veteran who got probation in South Carolina for possessing 1.1 grams of crack — was turned down. A white, fourth-time drug offender who did prison time for selling 1,050 grams of methamphetamine was pardoned." ~~Dafner Linzer~~

"Turning over pardons to career officials has not removed money and politics from the process, the analysis found. Justice Department documents show that nearly 200 members of Congress from both parties contacted the pardons office regarding pending cases. In multiple instances, felons and their families made campaign contributions to the lawmakers supporting their pleas. Applicants with congressional support were three times as likely to be pardoned, the statistical analysis shows." ~~Dafner Linzer~~

"Daily the Negro is coming more and more to look upon law and justice, not as protecting safeguards, but as sources of humiliation and oppression. The laws are made by men who have little interest in him; they are executed by men who have absolutely no motive for treating the black people with courtesy or consideration; and, finally, the accused law-breaker is tried, not by his peers, but too often by men who would rather punish ten innocent Negroes than let one guilty one escape." ~~W. E. B. Dubois, The Souls of Black Folk ~~

America makes great claims of being a country of freedom, justice, and many other great things, but is America really the land of justice and liberty for ALL?  How can a country claim those great things, but treat some of their citizens in such a shameless manner and still boast to the world that they are all of those great things?

BTW, to that male person, you know who you are, and so do I.  Stop sending me emails in different blogger's names with viruses and attempting to hack my pc. That's not nice and can get you in a lot of trouble. You should be ashamed of yourself, especially since I showed you an act of kindness.  Some folks are so unappreciative nowadays.  Smh!

13 comments:

Redeye said...

SMH and thinking about Troy Anthony Davis.

GrannyStandingforTruth said...

"thinking about Troy Anthony Davis"

Me too.

Anonymous said...

Granny, none of this surprises me. Blacks keep losing ground day-by-day to others because society thinks far less of us. It's no secret and should not be a surprise when it comes to pardons.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Obama. I bet there will be no pardons for Blacks.

GrannyStandingforTruth said...

Anonymous 11:47:

It was stated that the Presidents do not get any information telling them what color the people are, so that is not where the problem is at. Both President Obama and President Bush had law firms evaluating theirs. Another problem is that Congresspersons have been influencing the choices in who gets clemency because they were getting campaign contributions from the prisoners and their families, so that's what the problem is.

Black Diaspora said...

"In multiple instances, felons and their families made campaign contributions to the lawmakers supporting their pleas. Applicants with congressional support were three times as likely to be pardoned, the statistical analysis shows."

The shame continues: Congress can be bought, and so can any other member in our government, not only by corporate special interest, but by those seeking pardons--you just have to divine what it is they want (which is usually money) for giving you their special attention.

Those who reserve insider trading just for themselves, will do anything to exempt themselves from the laws that govern everyone else, including the selling of pardons.

I believe that Rod Blagojevich, Mr. Pay to Play is up for sentencing, and make get as much as 10 years for his shenanigans.

Black Diaspora said...

As a followup: Chicago (CNN) -- A federal judge sentenced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to 14 years in prison for corruption Wednesday.

Blagojevich, who turns 55 Saturday, must start serving his prison term within 90 days, the judge ordered. He must also pay a $20,000 fine.


http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/07/justice/blagojevich-sentencing/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Anonymous said...

I don't understand. Blagojevich said he was innocent and was fighting the law suit to show his children that he was innocent. And now they sentence him to 14 years? That is so unfair.

Bill Clinton said...

Black people don't get pardons because black people are always guilty.

Analese said...

GrannyStandingforTruth said...
Another problem is that Congresspersons have been influencing the choices in who gets clemency because they were getting campaign contributions from the prisoners and their families
--------------

You got the grease the wheels with something, and money is the best lubricant.

Anonymous said...

"You got the grease the wheels with something, and money is the best lubricant."

That's the American capitalistic way. Nothing wrong with that. It's been that way since the beginning of America.

Someone grease Granny's palm so she will write another post.

Anonymous said...

Come on you guys. Granny still hasn't written anything. She needs more money. A writer of her wisdom and talent don't come cheap!

Analese said...

If there's one thing Granny has plenty of, it's money. She took a pile of it from the Koch Brothers, supposedly to "upgrade" her website.

Looks the same to me.

I think she is spending that money trying to gussy herself up so she can land old Herman Cain. She's really got a thing for that man.

Who knows? Could be a beautiful thing. Love is strange.

Fiona Banks said...

So that's where Granny has been! SMH....

Well bless her heart anyway. I wish her luck.