What the hell?

[conuly]

So, you're 14. And you shove a hall monitor. Nobody's hurt, and you don't have a record, so you get....

What? Detention? Suspended? A note in your permanent record?

Or, maybe, seven years in prison. Because we've just got to crack down on that violent behaviour. Or something. The news article says "up to seven years", but even if she gets out now, it's clearly too long. The girl has already been imprisoned a year.

For... what again?

I... I don't even know what to say. There aren't enough words to express how pissed the fuck off I am at hearing this.

Comments

[ysabel.livejournal.com]

For... what again?

On admittedly limited information, it sounds a lot like the answer to that is "for being black and uppity about it".

[conuly]

Seems pretty obvious.

[threeoranges.livejournal.com]

Cotton is black. The same judge had recently sentenced a white teenager to probation for arson.

Words fail me. I'll send her a note of support today, and, when I am calm enough to address the Judge without calling him an evil racist pigfucker, I will write him a letter expressing my outrage. Thanks so much for letting me know about this case.

[conuly]

Honestly, it's not likely the judge will listen no matter what you say, is it? Might as well say it like it is.

[threeoranges.livejournal.com]

So far I have four 15/16-year-old students practising their "letter of persuasion" skills by writing a letter to Judge Pigfucker outlining their understanding of the case and asking him to reconsider. The students are treating this entirely realistically, and they've all asked for a reply from the Justice Dept. (Yes, they live in the UK. So what?)

And I will ask every student of a realistic age to do this assignment (I'll provide the stamps) until I hear she has been released. I want that man DROWNING under a tidal wave of mail!

[cumaeansibyl.livejournal.com]

Best part is the other 14-year-old girl the judge sentenced to probation a few months earlier for burning her fucking house down. Guess what race SHE is?

I really need to start making a file of these stories for whenever someone tries to tell me that racism doesn't exist anymore.

[conuly]

They wouldn't listen, you know.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

Everyone may be yelling "oh its only racism" but do any of us really know the whole story?

But yeah, the judge sounds like a crock full of...you know.

[threeoranges.livejournal.com]

Normally, when I hear a story, I think, "Hmmm, I haven't really heard the other side of the story".

This, however? There IS no other side to this story. NOTHING can explain a 14-yr-old first-time offender being put away for seven years for a minor assault. Even my most cynical student, after searching online for anything that might explain the judge's decision, was left perplexed by it. Either the Chicago Tribune is lying through its teeth to us (i.e. Shaquanda is a hardened felon), or this guy (http://www.co.lamar.tx.us/county%20officials.htm) truly is a racist pig. No other option.

[ciaracat.livejournal.com]

Oh. My. God.

That makes me sick.

Sometimes I am so deeply ashamed of my state.

Like threeoranges, I'm going to write letters when I think I can do it without the use of obscenities. Like you said, they probably won't listen, but the Governor at least is someone that I can threaten voter's power over. Not that it would do any good. I voted against him in the last election, but he doesn't know that, does he? Nor does he care, in all likelihood.

I am also going to write something to that poor girl. *That* letter might actually get read and make a small difference to somebody.

Thanks for posting about this.

[conuly]

Thanks for posting about this.

What else could I do?

[ysabel.livejournal.com]

For... what again?

On admittedly limited information, it sounds a lot like the answer to that is "for being black and uppity about it".

[conuly]

Seems pretty obvious.

[threeoranges.livejournal.com]

Cotton is black. The same judge had recently sentenced a white teenager to probation for arson.

Words fail me. I'll send her a note of support today, and, when I am calm enough to address the Judge without calling him an evil racist pigfucker, I will write him a letter expressing my outrage. Thanks so much for letting me know about this case.

[conuly]

Honestly, it's not likely the judge will listen no matter what you say, is it? Might as well say it like it is.

[threeoranges.livejournal.com]

So far I have four 15/16-year-old students practising their "letter of persuasion" skills by writing a letter to Judge Pigfucker outlining their understanding of the case and asking him to reconsider. The students are treating this entirely realistically, and they've all asked for a reply from the Justice Dept. (Yes, they live in the UK. So what?)

And I will ask every student of a realistic age to do this assignment (I'll provide the stamps) until I hear she has been released. I want that man DROWNING under a tidal wave of mail!

[cumaeansibyl.livejournal.com]

Best part is the other 14-year-old girl the judge sentenced to probation a few months earlier for burning her fucking house down. Guess what race SHE is?

I really need to start making a file of these stories for whenever someone tries to tell me that racism doesn't exist anymore.

[conuly]

They wouldn't listen, you know.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

Everyone may be yelling "oh its only racism" but do any of us really know the whole story?

But yeah, the judge sounds like a crock full of...you know.

[threeoranges.livejournal.com]

Normally, when I hear a story, I think, "Hmmm, I haven't really heard the other side of the story".

This, however? There IS no other side to this story. NOTHING can explain a 14-yr-old first-time offender being put away for seven years for a minor assault. Even my most cynical student, after searching online for anything that might explain the judge's decision, was left perplexed by it. Either the Chicago Tribune is lying through its teeth to us (i.e. Shaquanda is a hardened felon), or this guy (http://www.co.lamar.tx.us/county%20officials.htm) truly is a racist pig. No other option.

[ciaracat.livejournal.com]

Oh. My. God.

That makes me sick.

Sometimes I am so deeply ashamed of my state.

Like threeoranges, I'm going to write letters when I think I can do it without the use of obscenities. Like you said, they probably won't listen, but the Governor at least is someone that I can threaten voter's power over. Not that it would do any good. I voted against him in the last election, but he doesn't know that, does he? Nor does he care, in all likelihood.

I am also going to write something to that poor girl. *That* letter might actually get read and make a small difference to somebody.

Thanks for posting about this.

[conuly]

Thanks for posting about this.

What else could I do?