Earth Is So Ghetto

Dear America,

We’re Tired.

Sincerely,

Black America

P.S. I know that there are some other groups that are tired as well. This week has been especially tragic, exhausting, and depressing.

Reparation Station

For decades there has been an effort to pay reparations to the descendants of slaves. The starting point of that would be the creation of a commission to study the issue and see how it can happen. This week is the first time the House Judiciary Committee has acted on that piece of legislation. The vote passed 25-17 after a lengthy debate. “Representative Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the committee. “H.R. 40 is intended to begin a national conversation about how to confront the brutal mistreatment of African Americans during chattel slavery, Jim Crow segregation and the enduring structural racism that remains endemic to our society today.” CBS News: In historic move, House panel votes to advance slavery reparations bill This bill still has a hard road to passage. Either way this bill was originally introduced by the late John Conyers in 1989, and while there have been many changes since then, this is the first movement on it. And that is worth acknowledging. It is also worth noting, this bill has no Republican support and they are adamantly opposed to this committee being formed. Their argument? Why spend “$20 million for a commission that’s already decided to take money from people who were never involved in the evil of slavery and give it to people who were never subject to the evil of slavery.” 

Chauvin Trial Update

This week Chauvin’s defense team, Eric J. Nelson laid the groundwork for the defense with three key arguments. First, Floyd’s drug use and health issues caused his death, not Chauvin’s actions. A former medical examiner testified that exhaust fumes from the police car, Floyd’s heart condition, and drug use led to his death. He also said that Chauvin kneeling on his neck for over nine minutes did not injure Floyd. Second, Nelson argued that the crowd of bystanders presented a threat to the officers. He pointed out the crowd became angry and called the officers names, taking their attention away from Floyd. Third, Chauvin’s use of force was justified because Floyd resisted and needed to be restrained. “Derek Chauvin chose not to take the stand essentially bringing his murder trial to an end on Thursday. Closing arguments are set to begin Monday, after which the jury will begin deliberating.” AP News: Defense rests without Chauvin testimony at murder trial And this wait won’t be nerve racking at all. It should not be surprising, but the blame for the crowd is appalling. Because people got upset that they watched an officer killing a man, who was saying he can’t breathe, they killed him? These are people trained in crown control and have to do their job in all types of scenarios, but the street in front of a Cup Foods was just too much for the three officers on the scene to handle? 

Bookcrap

“Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, one of the Louisville police officers who shot Breonna Taylor during the botched drug raid last year that resulted in her death will release a book on the case this fall, a publisher said on Thursday, drawing intense criticism over the project. The book is being published by Post Hill Press, a Tennessee-based house whose specialties include Christian and conservative political books. The officer’s book, The Fight for Truth: The Inside Story Behind the Breonna Taylor Tragedy, will be distributed by Simon & Schuster, which said in a statement on Thursday that it had no editorial control over book releases by smaller publishing houses for which it provides third-party distribution, including Post Hill Press.”  New York Times: A Louisville Officer Who Shot Breonna Taylor Lands a Book Deal  This is bullshit. I cannot with this. It is so out of line. Remember, how it felt when O.J. Simpson’s book, If I did It, was published. Yea, it’s like that.  

Simon and Schuster has subsequently pulled out and said, ““Like much of the American public, earlier today Simon & Schuster learned of plans by distribution client Post Hill Press to publish a book by Jonathan Mattingly,” the publisher said. “We have subsequently decided not be involved in the distribution of this book.”” Guardian: Simon & Schuster refuses to distribute book by officer who shot Breonna Taylor

Bon Fyre

Remember the epic scam/fail that was the Fyre Festival. If you don’t there were competing documentaries from Netflix and Hulu that explained everything. But essentially, a promoter sold tickets and created an huge interest buzz for a music festival that didn’t happen. “Tickets for the 2017 “luxury” music festival on a remote island in the Bahamas that actually turned out to be a beach full of FEMA tents and some pathetic cheese sandwiches, cost anywhere from $1,000 to as much as $12,000 — more if you bought a package deal. Organizer Billy McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to wire fraud charges. He was also ordered to pay $5 million to two people who paid $13,000 each for VIP packages. McFarland’s business partner, rapper Ja Rule, was cleared of wrongdoing.”  Well a class action lawsuit was filed and a “$2 million settlement that could pay $7,220 a ticket was reached this week and is awaiting final approval. Verge: The Fyre Festival settlement reveals the true cost of schadenfreude Maybe the ticket holders will get something but they are in line after the other creditors from the Festival. Good luck!. It won’t be the first time you’ve been let down, but they might get something. It won’t be the $7K a ticket though.