(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Black Kos, Week In Review: What must a white person do to be charged with murder? #JusticeForAkije [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-06-09 Commentary by Black Kos editor JoanMar It appears that the charge of murder is reserved for Black, Brown, & Native Americans. In the last decade, we’ve had a number of cases of white people unjustifiably killing black people — or killing our allies — and regardless of the state, the response from cops is always the same. The murderers are only apprehended and charged with a crime after mass protest, and secondly, no matter how heinous the circumstances surrounding the killing, the charge is almost always manslaughter. Did you hear about the case against footballer Travis Rudolph? Only this week, his jury acquitted him of the charge of first degree murder; but here’s what happened and why his case is relevant to our discussion today: Rudolph’s married girlfriend physically attacked him and then texted her brothers to “go shoot his ass up.” Her two brothers showed up at the footballer’s home with two friends in tow. The four men, some armed with guns, attacked Travis and his brother before he was able to get away and get his own gun. Travis shot at his attackers, killing one and injuring another. There were videos to support Travis’s version of what went down at his home that fateful night. How do you think the cops treated him? He was immediately taken into custody, held without bond, and charged with first degree murder. I know you know that Travis Rudolph is black. Now consider the murder of Ajike Owens, a 35-year-old mother of four. The neighborhood’s reigning Karen, Susan Lorincz, has a documented history of terrorizing the children in the community. Phyllis Wills, 33, has lived in the neighborhood for about 15 years. She knew Owens and knew of Lorincz "because she used to come outside all the time and harass our kids," she said. "Everybody in this neighborhood has feuded with this lady over our children." She said Lorincz had a problem with children simply being children. Reports are that over the years, Susan’s neighbors made over 20 complaints to the cops about her racially and physically assaulting their children. The police department knows the racist. On the day in question, the murderer scared the children away from the playground and then stole Ajike’s son’s tablet. When the 10-year-old child tried to retrieve his tablet, she became violent. The racist Karen threw a skate at his head, swung an umbrella at him, and liberally used the most offensive racial epithet in her vocabulary to describe him. Mom Ajike did what any parent would do; she went to reclaim her property from the thief. Witnesses reported that she wasn’t belligerent, which she’d have all right to be. She knocked on the murderer’s door and said, “I know you are there, come on out.” Susan Lorincz responded by shooting her through the door, killing her in front of two of her children. I know you will not be shocked to learn that this white woman was briefly held for questioning and then released! The cops admitted that they allowed her to go home to sleep in her own bed that night because she told them that she had shot through her door in self-defense. A lifeless body, and all the cops took into consideration were the self-serving words of the perpetrator. What privilege! Not only did the cops fail to arrest the woman for even assaulting a child, but when protesters shamed them into doing the right thing by Ajike, the sheriff framed his statement to the public in such a way as to provide the murderer with a defense. Here he is showing his hand...and his arse: "There was a lot of aggressiveness from both of them, back and forth," the sheriff said Lorincz told investigators. "Whether it be banging on the doors, banging on the walls and threats being made. And then at that moment is when Ms. Owens was shot through the door." (my bold) It’s worth noting that the sheriff’s representation of the facts surrounding the murder runs counter to everything eyewitnesses told him. No wonder, then, that before they were forced to arrest the woman and charge her, they briefly took her into protective custody. Yep, they sought to protect the murderer from the community, not the community from the murderer. Oh, the privilege! The case for first degree murder Involves any intentional murder that is willful and premeditated with malice aforethought. Premeditation requires that the defendant planned the murder before it was committed or was “lying in wait” for the victim. I know that there’s a lot competing for our attention this week. There’s a lot for us to celebrate, even. But let us not allow Ajike’s life to be like a leaf falling in the forest. Her life mattered. Her motherless children’s lives matter. The woman who, with depraved indifference, took her life should be charged with first-degree murder. Nothing less should do. Condolences to Ajike Owen’s loved ones. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This ruling surprised me. Associated Press: Supreme Court rules in favor of Black Alabama voters in unexpected defense of Voting Rights Act ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a surprising 5-4 ruling in favor of Black voters in a congressional redistricting case from Alabama, with two conservative justices joining liberals in rejecting a Republican-led effort to weaken a landmark voting rights law. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined with the court’s liberals in affirming a lower-court ruling that found a likely violation of the Voting Rights Act in an Alabama congressional map with one majority Black seat out of seven congressional districts in a state where more than one in four residents is Black. The state now will have to draw a new map for next year’s elections. The decision was closely watched for its potential effect on control of the closely divided U.S. House of Representatives. Because of the ruling, Republican-led legislatures in Alabama and Louisiana will have to redraw maps so that they could increase Black representation. The outcome was unexpected in that the court had allowed the challenged Alabama map to be used for the 2022 elections — and in arguments last October the justices appeared willing to make it harder to challenge redistricting plans as racially discriminatory under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The chief justice himself suggested last year that he was open to changes in the way courts weigh discrimination claims under the part of the law known as section 2. But on Thursday, Roberts wrote that the court was declining “to recast our section 2 case law as Alabama requests.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New York is following the lead of California, which became the first state to form a reparations task force in 2020. The Grio: Reparations commission bill passed in NY legislature ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New York would create a commission to consider reparations to address the lingering, negative effects of slavery under a bill passed by the state Legislature on Thursday. “We want to make sure we are looking at slavery and its legacies,” said state Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages before the floor debate. “This is about beginning the process of healing our communities. There still is generational trauma that people are experiencing. This is just one step forward.” The state Assembly passed the bill about three hours after spirited debate on Thursday. The state Senate passed the measure hours later, and the bill will be sent to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for consideration. New York is following the lead of California, which became the first state to form a reparations task force in 2020. That group recommended a formal apology from the state on its legacy of racism and discriminatory policies and the creation of an agency to provide a wide range of services for Black residents. They did not recommend specific payments amounts for reparations. New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shamefully because of media bias, we need this. Black News Network: Founders Launch New Podcast, “Untold Stories: Black and Missing,” to Shine Light on Missing People of Color ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Derrica and Natalie Wilson, the founders of BAMFI Enterprises, the production company for the Black and Missing Foundation, have launched a compelling new true-crime podcast called Untold Stories: Black and Missing that will feature the stories of missing people of color. Inspired by the award-winning HBO Documentary, “Black and Missing,” this groundbreaking series will be hosted by Joy Sutton and is a must-listen for anyone who cares about justice and wants to make a difference in our community. Nearly 40% of missing people are of color, yet these cases often go under the radar and lack sufficient media and law enforcement support to bring our loved ones home or provide closure for the families. Launching on May 24, the first season of “Untold Stories: Black and Missing” features 8 episodes that delve into the stories of missing people of color. The podcast shines a light on these cases to spark new interest in the unsolved crime and encourage the public to help solve the mystery. “Every missing person deserves to be found, and you could hold the key to bringing them home,” said Derrica and Natalie Wilson, founders of the Black and Missing Foundation. “This podcast is more than just a platform for raising awareness. It’s a call to action. By subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with others, you can help amplify the voices of those who have been overlooked by the system. You can help bring hope to those still searching for answers.” The podcast debut coincides with the Black and Missing Foundation’s 15th-anniversary celebration, which includes the annual Hope Without Boundaries 5K Walk/Run and a multi-city billboard campaign. Podcast Executive Producers Derrica and Natalie Wilson have teamed up with Sound On Sound Off studios, Producer Denise Allen Membreno, and Award-Winning Host Joy Sutton, who also serves as an associate producer, to bring these stories to life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The vice president’s visit was accompanied by a string of announcements from the Biden-Harris administration, including more than $100 million in new assistance for the region. The Grio: Vice President Harris’ historic trip to the Bahamas pivotal for US-Caribbean relations ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip to the Bahamas marked a significant step in the United States’ relationship with the Caribbean as it was both historic and consequential. “She is the highest-ranking White House official to visit the Caribbean nation since John F. Kennedy in 1962,” said a White House senior official during a press call on background for Harris’ daylong trip Thursday. The vice president’s visit, which included a meeting with Caribbean leaders, was accompanied by a string of announcements from the Biden-Harris administration, including more than $100 million in new assistance for the region for needs like getting access to banking and combating the climate crisis. The financial commitments are in direct response to needs communicated by Caribbean leaders to the U.S. in previous meetings hosted by Harris over the past year. “Strengthening the U.S.-Caribbean relationship is a priority for me, as it is for President Joe Biden,” said Harris, who is of Jamaican descent, during Thursday’s U.S.-Caribbean Leaders Meeting, co-hosted by Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The legacy of colonialism, modern-day conveniences and a diet high in fat and sugar have bequeathed the island a diabetes and high-blood pressure pandemic. The Guardian: Barbados fights Big Sugar for the survival of its people ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The beaches are white sand, cruise ships meander through its warm azure waters and Rihanna is its global champion. But there is major trouble in Barbados’s 167 square miles of paradise. You could call it obesity, you could call it heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Or you could call it the postcolonial predations of Big Food and Big Sugar. Barbados, like other small island developing states, is fighting for its people’s survival. On this beautiful island, people wander daily into danger, swinging two-litre flasks of sugary drinks such as Coca-Cola as they step out of their cars, buying local fast food from the back of a van for lunch and queueing at Kentucky Fried Chicken or the local chain Chefette in the evening. The blessings of the modern convenience world have been visited upon small islands, with the result that more than half their people are dying prematurely from heart and lung conditions, cancer, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. Blame is being laid at the door of the food industry. The world’s 57 small island developing states, or SIDS, as the UN collectively calls them, have particular vulnerabilities. They cannot grow enough fresh food for their populations and, as the climate crisis worsens, water is scarcer and storms wipe out entire fields of crops every year. So they are reliant on importing their food: for some islands as much as 90% of it. And much of what they import is ultra-processed food, high in calories with very little nutritional value. This month, the World Health Organization will convene a ministerial meeting of small-island states in Barbados to forge a united response to killer non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A feel good book. Black New Network: Author Celebrates Black Dads and the City of Detroit With New Children’s Book ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Day in the D With Dad by native Detroiter Dr. Kelli M. Felder is a feel-good story celebrating quality daddy-daughter time, outdoor activities, and the City of Detroit. This realistic-fictional book is told through the eyes of 12-year-old Michelle as she explores Detroit, Michigan with her dad. This story brings awareness, remembrance, and appreciation to some of the many jewels and fun things to do in Detroit. A Day in the D With Dad promises to leave Detroiters, Metro Detroiters, and Detroit visitors with a wealth of information about the “Motor City” and guarantees to have readers wanting to explore the original home of Motown Music. As a native Detroiter, born, raised, educated, and employed in the city, Dr. Felder says that she was motivated to write the book to expose others to the beauty and richness her family and friends enjoy and experience in the D. She comments, “My goal is to inform readers that there is a lot of fun and learning experiences to be had in Detroit.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/6/9/2173989/-Black-Kos-Week-In-Review-What-must-a-white-person-do-to-be-charged-with-murder-JusticeForAkije Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/