Terrorist at the Gate: Charleston, South Carolina

Historically, churches, especially in the African American community, have stood as pillars of safety,faith and forgiveness.  Our churches have always welcomed people from all walks of life.  Many people who have committed all types of crimes and who have done some of the most reprehensible acts known to man have found a safe haven in church.  I have traveled to many churches during my time on this earth, and I can honestly say that I have never felt unsafe at any of these churches.  It did not matter how sketchy the neighborhood, or how dangerous the city.  People, even criminals, rarely attack rivals anywhere near a church or other sacred building.  Certain lines should never be crossed. 

So, when I heard about the deaths of nine people at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church ("EAMEC), I was shocked.  I thought, “there must have been some mistake in reporting.”  Like, maybe, just maybe, the victims were killed near a church (like maybe a few miles from a church).   I just could not believe that these innocent victims had been killed, in cold blood, inside of a church.  If you have been following my blog the past few years, you know that I have not written a blog post in a while.  This is not because I have not wanted to write; rather, it has been that I have not had the time.  After reading about this terrorist attack, however, I felt compelled to write something.  Maybe writing this blog post is my selfish way of releasing some of the emotions that have been circling in my mind the past two days.  The emotions have ranged from shock, to anger, to prayerful, to disheartening.   

Terrorism has been defined as the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.   Let’s be clear: the act that Roof perpetrated was an act of terror, which makes him a terrorist as far as I am concerned.  His attack was steeped in hate for African Americans.  Now, this deep-seated hate that runs through Roof’s blood really is nothing new to this country.  We have seen and heard this hate on many occasions during the history of the United States.  However, in recent history, I cannot recall a situation in which a church was attacked in this manner.  In 1963, more than 50 years ago, during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, four young girls lost their lives when 16^th Street Baptist Church was bombed.  Now, over 50 years later, and through the passage of countless laws, countless lives lost fighting for equal rights, we are right back to September 15, 1963.  There is an old adage that “history repeats itself.”  That should be changed to [bad] history repeats itself because that is what we just witnessed. 

Some folks may not be familiar with the history of EAMEC.  EAMEC has been a staple in Charleston, South Carolina since 1816, making it was one of the oldest African American churches in the United States.  It has endured many hardships, including being burned to the ground, being destroyed by an earthquake and even being banned by the state.  None of these obstacles, however, have stopped EAMEC, but the latest obstacle is the most difficult to understand to date.  I find it very ironic that Roof perpetrated his crime at one of the oldest African American churches in the country, and just days before Juneteenth.  Instead of readying for a celebration of Juneteenth, many people are mourning the loss of innocent lives.  I believe this is too ironic to not have been planned by a larger group.  This idea, of course, is unfounded at the moment, but I believe the truth will be uncovered.

The Act is one of the most cowardly, heinous crimes I have ever heard about.  The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing was terrible and unfathomable.  But, this crime is different because of the manner in which it was carried out. Imagine, for a moment, that a person plants a bomb at a church.  Imagine that person arming the bomb and setting it to explode at a certain time.  Now, imagine a person knocking on the door of a church, and then waiting on the church people to let him in.  Then, imagine this person joining a small, intimate prayer group.   Next, imagine the friendly interactions between the church members and the stranger.  Imagine the looks in their eyes and the love they showed to this stranger.  Then, imagine him looking each victim squarely in his or her eyes and seeing the terror and fear in their eyes as he pulled out his weapon.  Then, imagine him shooting each victim, in close range, inside of the church.  I cringed again as I described the scene that unfolded on June 17, 2015.

This act was premeditated, callous, intentional and unwarranted.

Racism still exists, and in some parts of the country, displays of racism are a normal part of life.  That being said, I do not know why some people are so afraid to talk about race.  This case was clearly a hate crime and race was the motivating factor for the act of terror.  According to survivors of the attack, Roof made multiple racist remarks during the commission of the crime.  Other individuals who know him spoke up about his use of racist language towards African American people and about his comments regarding starting a race war.  It truly is sad that you have people who hate other people simply because of the color of their skin.  As far as we have come as a society, we still are nowhere near a society free from the “isms,” including racism, sexism, and classism, to name a few.

Per usual, I went against my better judgment by watching the bond hearing this afternoon.  Roof looked just as cowardly as I thought he might look, but the statements made by family members of the victims were chilling.  Listening to them sob, but still tell Roof they forgave him, let me see how far I have to come in my faith.  Considering the severity of the crimes committed, I do not know many people who would have been uttering words of forgiveness that soon after the commission of a crime.  Maybe, after the wounds had some time to heal, maybe then, thoughts of forgiveness would creep in.  When I watched the bond hearing, all I could think about was Samuel Jackson’s role in “A Time to Kill.”  All that being said, I admire the strength and faith displayed by the family members of the victims.  

Lastly, some people were up in arms because his bond was set at a million dollars.  The presiding judge only had jurisdiction over the gun charges, not the murder charges.  Those charges will be addressed at a later time, but there is no chance that Roof will be getting out on bail. 

This act of terror has impacted millions of people.  The City of Charleston lost some great people who did not deserve to die.  You only hope that Roof, who has confessed to killing the victims, will get what is coming to him.  I sincerely hope he does not take his own life before he can be brought before a jury of his peers and punished to the fullest extent of the law. 

Peace

King of Storytelling

I often find inspiration for blogposts from random moments of my life.  The other night, I was listening to one of my Youtube stations when I came across Fabolous’ song, “I Miss my Love.”  Now, this song is one that many people do not know about because it was the last track on his album, Loso’s Way.  Admittedly, I overlooked this gem for many years, and it was not until a few years ago that I listened to the track.  Upon listening to the track, I realized that Fabolous is capable of telling an amazing, compelling story through his music.  That thought prompted me to think about the best storytelling songs of all time.  But, I have tabled that idea until a later date.  I plan on writing a collaborative blogpost for that topic so more than one perspective will be represented.  However, I could not wait to discuss my thoughts regarding the greatest storytelling artist of all time.

If you know me, or have read any of my blogposts regarding hip-hop, you know that I am an old school hip-hop fan.  By old school, I do not mean music from the 1970s or 1980s. Instead, I am referring to the Golden Era of hip-hop that occurred from 1992 to about 2003.  During that period, artists released classic albums full of great songs.  This time predates today’s era when an artist can become famous by releasing one catchy single.  During the Golden Era, artists such as Biggie, Tupac, Nas, Jay-Z, Mobb Deep, Talib, Common, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Scarface, De La Soul, Redman, Outkast and many others battled for rap supremacy.  As the artists battled for the top spot, they were a lot more creative with their rhymes.  I think the sense of competition brought out the best in these great artists and made each of them think outside of the box for creative ways of telling their respective stories.

Reasonable minds can differ regarding who holds the storytelling crown.  Some might say Biggie Smalls was the best to ever do it and he certainly can make a claim for that title.  Others might contend that Slick Rick holds the title and his song, “Children’s Story” is one of the most well-known songs of all time.  Despite the stiff competition, the best storyteller, in my opinion, is none other than Nasir Jones.  When I thought about great hip-hop storytelling songs, I immediately recalled about three of four of his songs.  Then, after I had a few moments to think about his expansive collection, I realized that it was a no-brainer for me.  His collection of storytelling songs is unrivaled by any hip hop artist.  Below, I will briefly discuss five of my favorite Nas storytelling tracks. 

5.         Fetus.  This song is dope on so many different levels. Nas tells the story of being born through the eyes of a fetus.  He actually goes through the nine-month process, including arguments he heard his mother and father have from his mother’s womb.  This is easily one of the most creative songs—of any genre—that I have ever heard.

4.         Rewind.  If you have not heard this song, please check it out below.  This song is even more creative than Fetus.  Nas actually tells the story in reverse order.  I have no idea what inspired this kind of creativity, but it is certainly appreciated.

3.         I Gave You Power.  In this song, Nas tells the story of being a gun.  If you have not heard the song, you might be thinking that he is in some way glorifying violence.  That thought could not be further from the truth.  The imagery and underlying themes in this song are second-to-none.  This is definitely one of my favorite hip-hop songs ever.

2.         Blaze a 50.  In this song, Nas raps about meeting a mysterious woman so beautiful she would make “Bobby leave Whitney.”  Then, she plans this elaborate plan for the two of them to kill her rich husband and then escape to paradise with all of his money.  You will have to listen to the song to see how this story ends.

1.         Undying Love.  The imagery of this song is amazing.  This story does not have a happy ending.  In fact, it is a tale of deceit and murder.  But, the way it is told will leave you feeling as if you just left a movie—albeit a very short one.

What is your favorite hip-hop storytelling song? 

Peace

Changing of the Guard: Who Has Next?

It is truly a treat to watch my favorite basketball players compete on NBA courts.  Because I enjoy the game so much, I sometimes forget that my favorite player is not twenty-one years old anymore.  As many people say: “Father Time is Undefeated.”  It was difficult watching Michael Jordan when he played for the Washington Wizards because that player was not who I was accustomed to seeing.  He was no longer the freak-of-nature with a 48-inch vertical.  Instead, he was a ground-bound player who relied on instincts, superior footwork and experience much more than sheer athletic prowess.  That transition seemed to happen overnight because I still remember him making the game winning shot against the Utah Jazz to solidify his sixth NBA Championship.

Recently, Kobe Bryant—who is notoriously stubborn—has talked more and more about his basketball mortality.  I watched his interview with Ahmad Rashad last night and his comments regarding “life after basketball” signaled to me that one of the NBA’s greatest stars is almost done competing in the NBA.  Even the current king of the NBA—Lebron James—who is seven years younger than Kobe—has discussed his basketball mortality.  Hearing him speak about his mortality is even more of a shock to my system because he started playing in the NBA when I was still a student at UNC-Greensboro.  But, if I think about it for a moment, I have been out of college going on eleven years this May.   

From Jordan to Kobe

With every generation in the NBA, there is usually an unquestioned leader—usually the best player in the NBA.  During the 90s, this title belonged to Michael Jordan.  He won at the highest level and dominated the sport like no player—before or after him—ever has.  Most of the great players in the NBA have wanted to “be like Mike” at some point.  But, even the GOAT eventually had to relinquish the keys to the NBA.  There were plenty of guys who wanted the keys, but only one guy snatched the keys—and his name is Kobe Bryant.  He outlasted his contemporaries from the NBA draft class of 1996, which included Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, Steve Nash and Stephon Marbury.  Now, Kobe is finally at the stage of his career where his body is failing him.  He is looking more and more like the ground-bound Michael Jordan who played for the Wizards. Although Kobe never really relinquished the crown; Lebron James snatched it a number of years ago.

From Kobe to Lebron

I remember watching a very young Lebron James battle with an in-his-prime Kobe Bryant.  Although Kobe usually had the better team, it was clear that Lebron was coming for the top spot.  Honestly, I believe he has had it since at least 2009, but some believe he did not snatch the crown until he won a championship.  Either way, Lebron has had a truly magical career and was the top player in the famed 2003 draft class—just like Kobe Bryant in his draft class.  The draft class of 2003 featured Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh.  It is weird seeing these guys transition into the last years of their respective primes.  I believe Lebron can hold the title for two to three more years as long as he does not have any major injuries.  But, there is a new crop of talented players who are pushing him for the top spot.

From Lebron to . . .

During the past few years, people have made the argument that Kevin Durant would be the next player to own the NBA.  However, this year, he has dealt with some injuries and Russell Westbrook has emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate, which has caused some people to wonder if he is even the best player on his own team.  In my opinion, Kevin Durant is clearly the best player on his team, but he does not have the tenacity and nastiness that Westbrook possesses.  If Lebron can hold on to the top spot for two or three more seasons (which is possible), that would make Kevin Durant twenty-nine or thirty years old.  By that time, a guy named Anthony Davis will be approaching his prime, which is a truly scary thought.  That being said, Kevin Durant might be destined to be Clyde Drexler 2.0.  By that I mean that he will always be considered the second-best player in the NBA.    

If we discuss the other young players who have a chance to become the number one guy, we have to mention James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook, Stephon Curry, Anthony Davis and Demarcus Cousins. Any of these guys have the potential to become the top guy, but the question that remains is—who will snatch the keys?  Only time will tell, but we know for certain that a change in the guard is on the horizon.

Peace

Kobe Bryant: The Twilight Years (maybe he should retire)

 

Kobe Bryant is arguably one of the ten best basketball players to ever play the game.  He is widely regarded as the second best shooting guard in the history of the game behind Michael Jordan (who he is inextricably tied to).  I still remember when he arrived in the NBA during the 1996-97 NBA season as an arrogant teenager with the wherewithal to force his way to a more glamorous city—sorry Charlotte.  Nearly nineteen years later, he is still as arrogant as ever, but his older age has forced him to think about the end.  He has finally reached a point in his career where he knows that he does not have many years left.  A life dedicated to basketball has nearly reached an end—but not yet.

 

During Kobe's career, he has prided himself on being able to do things that should not be physically possible.  So many times he returned early from an injury, or played through torn ligaments or partially torn rotator cuffs.  So many times his body—through extensive rehabilitation and sheer will power—has responded by allowing him to laugh at physicians' timetables.  He is like Tupac in the regard that no matter how many times you heard Tupac had been shot, you believed he would recover, just as he always had done.  However, Father Time is undefeated and Kobe Bryant can only prolong the inevitable.  Soon it will be all over. 

 

When reflecting on Kobe's career, you have to think about the number of games he has played.  Also, think about how many thousands of shots he has attempted during practice.  His joints have withstood more pounding and wear and tear than almost any professional athlete, ever.  During his prime years, his LA Lakers teams made deep runs into the playoffs, winning five championships.  He was also a fixture on Team USA when Coach K called upon him to represent his country.  To say that Kobe has been a gym rat would be a drastic understatement.  His work ethic has helped many of his contemporaries develop similar work ethics in their quests to become all-time great players.  Despite his other-worldly talent and work ethic—there are only so many times a person's body can be put through the ringer before breaking down. Kobe's body is broken, which is evidenced by his inability to finish a NBA season in a number of years, including this year.

 

Great players in many different sports all seem to share one flaw—hanging on to their respective sports for too long.  How many athletes have we seen dominate during their primes, then retire before completely “falling off.”  Barry Sanders left the NFL during his prime, which some might argue was too soon.  Do you remember seeing Michael Jordan when he played for the Wizards?  What about seeing Roy Jones Jr. hang around boxing too long?  These great athletes share this trait that pushes them to the brink of greatness, but also causes them to not be able to retire while still at the top of their respective sports.  As much as I respect Kobe Bryant and want him to accomplish other great milestones, those days are behind him.  He will never win a championship in LA and he is too much of an alpha dog to ever play second fiddle to another bona fide star.  That being said, he might consider retiring.

 

Kobe Bryant has been the face of the LA Lakers franchise for many years.  They would not dare force him out, but he needs to make a decision with respect to his playing career.  I suppose he has a number of options that include playing out the last year of his contract during the 2015-2016 NBA Season. He could retire now and forego the twenty plus million he is owed for next season.  I would like to see him have his farewell tour, but his body simply cannot hold up for an entire year.  If he does decide to play next year, he needs to be under strict minute restrictions.  Again, it is hard to believe that he would abide by such restrictions and even harder to believe that Byron Scott has any degree of control over Kobe.

 

Kobe's legacy is solidified whether he plays another game or not.  He has nothing else to prove on the court and can only detract from his accomplishments at this point.  He will never catch Kareem Abdul Jabbar; he will never win a sixth ring; he is still going to be regarded as the second best shooting guard.  He is a first ballot hall of famer and his legions of fans will echo his name for years to come.  These things are certainties, but I hope Kobe makes the right decision and does not end up limping off the court again—unable to finish yet another season.

 

Peace

 

 

L.A. Riots 2.0: Ferguson, Missouri

On November 24, 2014, I remember sitting in front of my television waiting on a decision from the grand jury in the Michael Brown case.  When St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch began his press conference, I had a feeling that the grand jury would not indict Darren Wilson.  When, after seemingly two hours of discussion, he finally announced that the jury had reached a decision not to indict Wilson, I did not have an immediate reaction.  I was not surprised, or mad, or sad, or disappointed, or frustrated.  I was completely void of emotion because I had no expectations—good or bad.  I have developed this mechanism of coping based on many years of being disappointed in our judicial system.  I remember watching the Rodney King assault on television years ago and thinking that justice would surely be served.  In my naïve mind, the officers would be prosecuted and jailed because their actions were actually recorded.  How could they not pay for their behavior?  I was wrong.  In 2009, I remember hearing about how 

Oscar Grant, an unarmed black male, was murdered by a police officer.  The officer was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, but the evidence presented seemed to suggest that a more serious conviction should have been upheld.  In 2012, I remember watching the Trayvon Martin trial and believing that his killer would be brought to justice.  You can probably guess what happened, right?  His murderer was acquitted and became a semi-celebrity.  These are but a few of the reasons I have lost faith in the criminal justice system.  So, with Michael Brown, I just listened to the announcement and then started reading blogs, websites, statuses, and anything I could regarding the decision.  Because I do not practice criminal law, I was mostly interested in learning about grand jury proceedings from experts on the subject matter, i.e. prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges and other criminal law experts.

A grand jury is a group of people who are selected and sworn by a court.  In this case, the grand jury consisted of twelve jurors—nine Caucasian Americans and three African Americans. Grand juries differ from trial juries in that they only determine whether a person should be indicted, or charged with a crime.  The burden of proof in this proceeding is probable cause, which is a relatively low legal burden. A grand jury proceeding (like the proceeding that recently concluded in the Michael Brown case) usually involves members of the grand jury listening to evidence presented by the prosecuting attorney(s).  Usually, the accused’s attorney is not present.  I talked to some of my colleagues who are either criminal defense attorneys or prosecuting attorneys, and was informed that prosecuting attorneys can usually obtain an indictment in most cases. Remember: an indictment just means that a person can be charged with a crime; the guilt and innocence phase comes much later in the process. 

Because the jury did not return an indictment, despite there being plenty of evidence to suggest that Wilson broke the law, many folks believe that McCulloch did not do his job.  This idea is called prosecutorial abuse and is a real phenomenon, unfortunately.  If you had the chance to watch McCulloch’s press conference following the grand jury decision, it was difficult to determine his role.  Was he the prosecutor or Wilson’s defense attorney?  During the grand jury proceeding, McCulloch presented all evidence—both for and against charging Wilson.  This was not his job and it makes people question his motives.  Was he trying to present evidence in a way that would encourage the grand jury to not indict Wilson?  If you read the transcript from the grand jury hearing and listened to the press conference following the decision, you could easily come to this conclusion.  This is troubling on a number of levels.

I am not an expert on police protocol, but I believe Wilson could have handled the situation with Michael Brown in a much better manner.  Had he dialed down his aggression towards an unarmed man, maybe Michael Brown could be enjoying his family today.  Wilson testified that Michael Brown attempted to grab his weapon during an exchange while he was still in his police car.  He also indicated that Michael Brown was bigger than him and essentially that he was afraid for his life.  At some point common sense should kick in.  If he felt so intimidated and overmatched, why didn’t he wait for reinforcements before trying to arrest Brown?  Also, he admitted that he discharged his weapon twelve times—yes, I said twelve times.  That seems like use of excessive force especially considering that Brown was unarmed.  Wilson testified that he was not carrying a Taser gun that day because it was uncomfortable to do so.  Additionally, he testified that he did not use mace on Brown because it could have backfired on him.  He testified that his baton was not available for him to use, so he resorted to deadly force.  That sounds like excessive force to me, which is why the grand jury not indicting him is puzzling. 

Grand jury proceedings are designed to be one-sided.  Typically, only the prosecuting lawyer, judge, members of the grand jury and witnesses are present during the proceedings.  When the prosecuting attorney calls witnesses to the stand to testify, the witnesses are provided an opportunity to testify without being cross-examined by the opposing attorney.  Cross-examination is a process whereby attorneys are allowed to interrogate a witness called by his or her opponent.  In many grand jury proceedings, the accused does not testify.  But, in this case, Wilson testified for four hours about the circumstances leading to the untimely death of Brown.  Imagine how easy it was for Wilson to describe the circumstances leading to Brown’s death in his own terms.  Imagine how he would be able to couch the incident in terms of how he was afraid for his life and how he followed proper protocol.  Also, understand that nobody could interrogate him.

As a civil lawyer, I cannot begin to explain how many times I have interviewed potential witnesses at my office (when the opposing attorney could not interrogate them) and witnessed their calm demeanor and confident tone of voice.  After the meeting, you (sometimes) believe the witness is ready to proceed. Then, when the witness appears at a deposition (another court proceeding) where the opposing attorney is able to cross-examine him, the witness struggles and often sings a different tune.  I have seen people who are telling the truth be made to look less than credible under the cross examination of a skilled advocate.  I say all that to say that Wilson was on easy street at the grand jury proceeding.  Under normal circumstances, this one-sided proceeding would not benefit the accused because the prosecutor would be actively pursuing an indictment—you know, doing his job.  However, if the prosecutor is not doing his job, the proceeding can actually benefit the accused.  In this case, I believe that McCulloch’s behavior actually benefitted Wilson.  If he were truly innocent of any wrongdoing, a trial jury would have found that he was innocent.  Because of McCulloch’s behavior, we will never know.

What will happen next?  A number of things could happen, but it is unclear at the moment exactly what will happen next.  The federal government is investigating Wilson to see if he violated federal civil rights laws.  Upon the conclusion of this investigation, the federal government could charge Wilson with a federal crime.  However, it is unlikely that this will happen because the burden of proof in a federal case is higher than that needed to proceed with a case against Wilson on the state level.  Brown’s family could sue Wilson in a wrongful death lawsuit.  This type of lawsuit could potentially allow the Brown’s a chance to recover monetary damages from the Ferguson Police Department and/or Wilson individually.  Despite this being an option, police officers are afforded legal defenses that could make this effort nearly impossible to complete.   I am certain people will continue protesting and complaining about how the system is unfair.  People will talk about how broad changes to the system are needed—people will be angry, but ultimately nothing is likely to change in the near future.  The kind of change needed to undue or at least mitigate the damage of years and years of institutional racism, prosecutorial abuse and excessive force is unfathomable.

As President Barack Obama so eloquently said, “we need to recognize that the situation in Ferguson speaks to broader challenges that we still face as a nation.”

Only time will tell whether we make the changes that are clearly necessary, or whether we will forget about Michael Brown as soon as his name is no longer uttered by the media.

Peace