West Virginia torture and rape victim arrested for writing bad checks
by Carmen Van Kerckhove
WTF? From the Charleston Daily Mail:
The victim in an alleged weeklong torture in Logan County was arraigned in Kanawha County Magistrate Court on multiple counts of writing bad checks.
Megan Williams is charged with offenses in Summers, Raleigh and Greenbrier counties. There are 11 misdemeanor counts of writing worthless checks, one misdemeanor count of obtaining under false pretenses and one felony count of failure to appear in circuit court in Summers County, according to documents provided by Kanawha County Magistrate Ward Harshbarger.
…Megan Williams is charged with obtaining under false pretenses and writing a worthless check in Raleigh County, according to the Raleigh County warrant. The false check charge is for a $32.21 check to Dominos Pizza. The false pretenses charge is for $96.40 to the Kiddie Junction Consignment Shop in Beaver.
In Greenbrier County, Williams is wanted for eight worthless checks, according to the warrant for her arrest filed in Greenbrier County. One of the checks was for $173.79 to BSR Auto Supply.
She was wanted for two counts of worthless checks in Summers County, according to the warrant for her arrest filed in Summers County. One of the checks was for $220 to Jack W. Turner, the other was for $10.46 to Country Roads Store.
Hat tip to Laina.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
Michelle wrote:
whenever I hear news of the victim passing bad checks or not graduating high school because of a learning disability I can’t help but feel that the media wants to discredit or downplay the atrocity that the victim went through
Posted 20 Sep 2007 at 4:43 pm ¶
Mike wrote:
And this has exactly what to do with what happened to her? What is it the green light to be sexually assaulted and tortured because your a small time crook?
Posted 20 Sep 2007 at 4:50 pm ¶
egypt4 wrote:
Carmen, I was surprised you reprinted this because they identified the victim by name and apparently by photo.
Posted 20 Sep 2007 at 4:58 pm ¶
Keke wrote:
I read a report not long ago about the victim. When it described what she had been through I was horrified. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse the article ended with “It has not been confirmed whether or not the victim is in school or has a job.” I was like “WHAT????!!!” So now you need a master’s degree, a good job and good credit in order to be considered a victim of a vicious crime????
The people who did that crime, regardless of color did something horrible. No one deserves to be battered, raped and tortured. Her income, history or anything of that nature should not even come into play. It makes me so angry.
Posted 20 Sep 2007 at 5:05 pm ¶
dawn wrote:
Since when did writing bad checks become newsworthy??????? Sheesh.
Posted 20 Sep 2007 at 6:00 pm ¶
Versai wrote:
Well, if the people who tortured her had been fine, upstanding citizens–this little bit of news would have been enough to have “certain” folks call her the Tawana Brawley of 2007.
Actually, if she had escaped and gone to the police–instead of the police rescuing her–who knows how seriously her allegations would have been taken.
Posted 20 Sep 2007 at 6:43 pm ¶
Guerita wrote:
You’re not the only one Michelle. I’m wondering, if the victim was white and/or rich would she receive the same type of attention for writing bad checks?
Posted 20 Sep 2007 at 7:02 pm ¶
Brad wrote:
Hopefully this won’t damage the criminal case against the bastards who tortured her. The press really pissed me off on this one. I see all the press and rallies for the “Jena 6″ who are known to have done the crime they were accused of. Yet not a peep from any of those groups for this woman. Sorry if I offend anyone who doesn’t like my Jena reference. But lets get real about it. She got totured for one whole week. She gets arrested for bad checks. The Jena 6 beat a kid unconscious and leave him for dead. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton gets a huge freaking rally to get these kids compeletly exonerated. I don’t get it. I hope Jesse & Al advocate on her behalf. Sorry guys I honestly don’t think the Jena 6 kids are really victoms like they’re being portrayed as in the media. Not when you compare them to her.
Posted 20 Sep 2007 at 8:35 pm ¶
mona wrote:
“Carmen, I was surprised you reprinted this because they identified the victim by name and apparently by photo.”
Ditto that…
Posted 20 Sep 2007 at 8:37 pm ¶
Roxie wrote:
Her name and photo were released with the first story of her horrible ordeal. Her mother wanted it so.
Posted 20 Sep 2007 at 11:59 pm ¶
bertie wrote:
Brad–I don’t get the Jena 6 analogy? In the W.VA case what exactly is there to protest? This was a vicious attack by a small group of private citizens. I haven’t heard that the cops or DA have let the perps off lightly or mistreated the victim in any way. As far as I know the situation is working its way thru the criminal justice system like any other vicious attack. Again, what is there to protest? Who would protesters protest against–the perps parents?
In Jena, the state criminal justice apparatus is clearly applying a different standard to black and white teens involved in school related fights. White students aren’t charged at all and black students initially were charged as adults for attempted murder.
I don’t see how protesting unfair governmental action in Jena takes away anything from the victim of the W.Va attack.
And I agree with all those saying this is just a means of discrediting the victim.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 12:04 am ¶
Gandalf Mantooth wrote:
I’ve seen a picture of the victim, IIRC it was the paper of record.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 1:35 am ¶
LM wrote:
egypt4 and mona:
Are you suggesting Carmen not bring the issue of this coverage to this forum because the coverage has included her name and photograph?
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 1:42 am ¶
squidfly wrote:
Brad you need help around the Jena six issue. Either you work for some Neo Con, web group, or you just have an axe to grind, when Black people decide to strike back. What about the WHITE GUY who stuck a SHOTGUN in their faces? He never received any jail time, but somehow you seem to miss that oh so small point. That kid wasn’t unconscious, he danced and drank two hours later, a school yard fight and it’s called attempted murder. Given the amount of fights kids get into, that would make seventy per cent of the youth of America murderers using that school of thought. And Brad it is insulting that you purposely mix these two cases, to scratch out your narrow opinion on the Jena Six.
Brad, school fights build up over a period of time, so this powder keg had a fuse that was lit along time ago. You are naive to think that Jim Crow has dissapeared it just morphed into the Justice system, so for once the victims are getting some justice as this young woman will as well.
I see you also have an Al and Jesse Fetish, that’s very telling.
And by the way Jesse Jackson has done more than his fair share of service to this Nation, bringing hostages out of Kuwait, Iraq and Kosovo.
“Tawana told the Truth”- from Spike Lee’s Girl Six
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 1:45 am ¶
JC wrote:
The main stream white press will do anything to make a minority looked guilty even when they’re the victim. It makes their white readers feel better about themselves.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 4:10 am ¶
dnA wrote:
Her name is in the PAPER, and it’s about to be all over FOX News. Reprinting it, or not reprinting cannot do any more damage or undo the damage that has been done. The only person Carmen would have been helping by not reposting her name would have been herself.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 6:37 am ¶
Carmen Van Kerckhove wrote:
egypt4 and mona, I hear what you’re saying, but from what I’ve read, both the victim and her mother wanted her name released. I’ve also seen videos from a couple different local TV stations where the victim and her mother were interviewed on camera at the hospital.
If it was the kind of situation where someone leaked the victim’s identity without her consent, I would refrain from reproducing it. But since they are consenting to it, I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing to do.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 7:43 am ¶
Angela wrote:
Soo…she deserved what happened to her because she’s a semi-criminal? And also because she was in a romantic relationship with one of the sickos who tortured her? SMH
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 7:51 am ¶
LM wrote:
Carmen,
Seriously, you posting what’s in the media isn’t even something to defend. For anyone who has an issue it’s not with you.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 8:54 am ¶
merq wrote:
LM,
Actually, reposting a sex-crime victim’s name, ordinarily would indeed be something she should be called out on. Just because one (or five) unscrupulous news outlets violated the victim, does not make it okay for her to as well.
But of course, that isn’t what happened here at all, and some people (like egypt and mona) wouldn’t know that if Carmen didn’t feel accountable (as all journalists should) to her readers.
Nice one.
And for shit’s sake, people, don’t bother trying to reason with Brad. No good can come of it.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 10:37 am ¶
Wendi Muse wrote:
it’s featured in this article that i had on does race matter…her parents, acting as her legal guardians at the time i suppose because she was not mentally sound following the crime, seem to have released her name to give the victim an identity on purpose:
http://mattersofrace.blogspot.com/2007/09/to-those-of-you-who-say-racism-doesnt.html
it’s not entirely clear about the release of her name, but it’s obvious they want the public to know her story and to realize that the monster like those who attacked her still exist. i hope that helps clarify things a little bit.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 10:58 am ¶
LM wrote:
Merq,
I didn’t go a good job of defending Carmen, especially when she didn’t need it.
You’re right on the general journalistic practice of not running names/photos. I had known for at least a week that the Williamses had wanted her identity known and factored that in to my thinking.
Whether or not her identity was known or her picture was shown, you can bet that her writing of bad checks would be similarly covered by today’s media. When I see Yahoo! headlines saying that Justin Timberlake hasn’t talked to Britney Spears in a while, I know that the media is perpetually starved and generally unable to make good value judgments. As an ex-journalist myself, I know there are many exceptions to that statement, but the general rule now is that everything will get covered and quickly (though not necessarily well), except perhaps if there’s a hint of complexity. (See: Jena Six.)
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 12:35 pm ¶
La - msviswan wrote:
When I found out about it earlier this week, I was not surprised. I’m not trying to find excuses, but she clearly has a mental disability and she could easily be coerce by others.
I also wondered, if her family kept her identity private to begin with, perhaps the media would not have had legal jurisdiction to openly tie-in this story for people to vilify her even more – at least.
It would have been nice to let her wounds heal first and give her a courtesy predetermined time to come in. Especially since she’s not a threat to society with these petty fraud crimes. The system works for who they want it to work for. No Hilton treatment for these people, even considering her trauma and physical circumstances.
Brad, you are not the only person that sees the double standard within the black community. It’s been talked about within the Black female society for a very long time. Much kudos to you for being the man to point it out.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 12:47 pm ¶
La - msviswan wrote:
BTW Brad, the “victim” the Jena six kids “left for dead” was able to go to one of his racist rallies the very same night. He actually initiated the confrontation and those boys simply fell for it, forgetting how the anti-black system works. The system is what people are also trying to change.
What upsets a lot of people .. . If it were the other way around, the six “white” boys would not have even been charged with anything, much less attempted murder. The school would have also nipped it in the bud and start suspending the minute “black” students declared white students were not allowed under a certain tree.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 12:57 pm ¶
Latoya Peterson wrote:
This saddens me on so many levels. (Particularly since most of these bad checks seem to be for food, clothing, or necessities…)
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 1:38 pm ¶
Christina wrote:
I am appauled by what this poor woman went through. I feel that there has not been near enough coverage throughout the country on what she endured. I am a 30 year old white woman living out west and live in a prodominately white suburb. If this would have been six black people tourturing a white woman for five days it would be in every local newspaper and tv news cast in the country. This story DID NOT make our local news coverage. I truley beleive that because they assailants were white and the victim was black that it got far less news coverage. Is there some kind of fund the public can donate for Meagan. If Meaghan was white you know there would have been one set up the second the news hit the media. My heart and prayers go out to Meaghan and her family.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 1:43 pm ¶
merq wrote:
LM: I agree with everything you said. 100%
La – msviswan:
Please explain. Seriously.
For those who — due to America’s disgusting journalism industry — are working with incomplete facts on the Jena 6, I’ll try to break it all down for you. I’m probably working with inadequate info, myself, but at least I’ve gotten a whole lot from dnA over the last 4-5 months (dude, you deserve a medal for pushing as hard as you did on this front).
Anyway, here we go:
Black kids request permission from school administrators to sit under the school’s “White Tree.” They are told they’re free to sit where they please.
For people who insist this wasn’t about race, your heads should already be in the sand by now.
Two black students sit under tree, find nooses hanging there the next day.
The superintendent of schools dismissed this as a “prank,” and a seemingly threatened/exasperated black student body congregated under the tree as an act of protest.
DA Reed Walters was called to the school, where he told the black students he could “take away your lives with the stroke of a pen.”
- Once again, I must ask you if misuse of power is not a concern with a DA who speaks like this to teenagers.
The town erupted in a series of race-related incidents, including the burning of a Jena high school building.
Later that weekend, a black student was beaten up by a group of white students at a party.
-No charges were filed.
The next day, two black teens were threatened by a white teen with a shotgun.
They wrestled it from him, reported the incident to Jena police, and were charged with stealing the gun.
The following Monday, a white student (who was a vocal supporter of the noose “prank,” but not an active participant,) taunted the black student who was assaulted at the party the previous week, and called a number of other black students “nigger.”
Six black students attacked him, rendering him unconscious. However, his injuries were not severe enough to keep him from a social function that night.
Athough the school’s policy demanded a 3-day suspension for schoolyard fights, the kids were arrested after the incident.
Mychal Bell, one of the black teens, was tried as an adult – initially charged, along with the other five, with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder. The charge was reduced to aggravated assault.
Aggravated assault, of course, implies the possession/use of a deadly weapon. According to Walters (and the jury that convicted Bell), the deadly weapon was the pair of sneakers he wore during the attack.
That’s all I can think of right now, but let’s make some things clear now:
1. Blacks are not calling for these kids to be “let off for beating someone half to death,” as many a response to the media coverage has claimed. They are protesting the severity – nay, existence of the charges against the Jena Six, while the white kids who attacked them and their friends weren’t charged.
2. They are protesting the fact that after a white man threatened young black men with a fucking shotgun (though it was later found to be unloaded), the black men were accused of stealing the weapon by the very police officers they turned it in to.
3. Say what you want about Sharpton and [shudder] Jesse, but the media only responded to Jena after those two joined the protest against Jena.
Done here.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 2:05 pm ¶
merq wrote:
DAMN HTML TAGS!!! and what makes it so sad is i’m a developer!
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 2:18 pm ¶
Christina wrote:
I completely agree with Brad 100 percent on the Jena 6 comparison issue. Those boys should not be exonerated. They broke the law and should be behind bars so they do not have the oppurtunity to do this to another innocent person. One of the boys does have a history with assault. If the six people that tortured that poor black woman would have been behind bars for the 106 criminal complaints they had against them poor Meagan would have never endured the torture. Our justice system is entirley too nice to criminals.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 3:28 pm ¶
Sewere wrote:
Merq,
Ol boy, you don forget the part where the Feds came in and declared the hanging of the noose wasn’t a hate crime (Let’s call it the Jeremy Peirce (TM) Use of Decontextualized Logic Clause shall we?) because there was no police report. Thanks of course, to the superintendent declaration of the act as “prank”.
I’m more impatient than Merq so I’ll ask…
La – msviswan, can we really argue that the fact community activists (not just the Jacksons and Sharptons) have been able to turn out a great number of people to protest the events in Jena is somehow taking away from the situation in West Virginia and as you imply (but feel free to tell me I misread you), ignores social forces and structures that have such a deleterious effect on the lives of Black women? Or did you forget that the same folks rallied people around the Duke case even though the DA was willing to prosecute the Lacrosse Players?
The Jena case (which happened a year ago by the way) was actually perpetrated by the injustice of the local government, completely ignored by the state and federal government while in West Virginia (which happened two weeks ago) the local government have already begun prosecutorial proceedings against perpetrators of the crime against Megan Williams.
That she is being prosecuted for petty crime is definitely an issue but we have yet to see where this is going to lead. If and when the issue turns into the persecution of Ms. Williams you can be sure that the same community activists (including the Jacksons and Sharptons) will rally to her support. I mean, think about the fact that it has already been reported here as well as other prominent blogs.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 4:33 pm ¶
Sewere wrote:
Christina said,
Can you please point us to the place where anyone has said the Jena 6 should not be punished? Because I’ve yet to hear anyone say anything other than the fact that a school fight was deemed an assault and Michael Bell was tried as an adult to up the number of years of punishment because he is black.
You know what? Fuck it, at this point feel free to ignore rational comparison and historical context since they have no use in your racist agenda.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 4:47 pm ¶
Jamilah wrote:
OK, the thing about the Jena 6 is that there were actual NOOSES hanging from a tree, in the school colors no less. In 2006!
The noose was used to kill people, primarily Black people in this country for centuries. The hanging of a noose is not a joke, but a reminder, that a Black person’s life is worthless in this country and the response by the Jena 6 and the other Black students of Jena was Right On!
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 5:23 pm ¶
Tom wrote:
Merq,
That Jena summary matches what I’ve seen, except that it’s not even clear how many students hit Justin Barker. Six were charged, but witness accounts are all over the map about who and how many.
I mention this because the “six kids jumped him” argument seems to sneak up on us, even when supporters discuss the cases.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 6:18 pm ¶
La -msviswan wrote:
Sewere,
I understand what you are saying. Actually, I was being broad for purpose with my statement. Where was Sharpie and Jacko for the rape at the Dunbar Village? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19698132/ Maybe because the 10 vicious rapist were black “bros”?
Why must the “advancement” for colored people be put in place only when it’s white on black injustice? What about black on black crime, no advancement there. (I’m sure I’m committing black treason for even saying these things). What about intra-gendered racism, especially when it initiated a black on black crime? Even so, when it’s a white on black female crime, it still gets limited media, like the case where two white males targeted and raped black women on rampant in 2006. http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5117336&nav=0RaP
Also, the Duke case only got amplified when the white parents pushed for a media stink, just to prove how their sons were so “innocent” and how dare the black “un-rapable” stripper accuse good “stock” white boys (I’m not too convinced with the outcome of that case either, I smell something not right). Then, in the mist of all that melee, Sharpie jumped in to show face. It almost seems certain blacks only gear themselves up when black males are victims of white injustice. So now, what if this petty fraud situation with Megan got ridiculously serious and she ended up serving serious time for fraud and eluding a court appearance. What if she serves more time than her attackers? (lol?) Notice they didn’t even get charged with attempted murder to date (especially with a deadly weapon?). Sounds silly even hypothetical, right?
So, even hypothetically… I wonder how many of us black people (men and women) would rally up like we are doing with the Jena 6 case.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 8:04 pm ¶
BJ wrote:
I live in Los Angeles and happened to hear from someone in WVA, today, about Ms. Williams. What kills me is the amount of bail they have to put up. This country amazes me with it’s double standards. When they can’t buy out this way, they discredit victims to stack the deck. Ms. Williams was wrong for writing bad checks but they could have kept that out. It’s like they said, Oh, poor girl…but don’t feel too sorry for her, she writes bad checks”. As for the Jena issue, race comes in when you look at the “jury of peers” and the differences in how they are addressing the crimes committed by both sides. Bails were set high for the “6″ with the judge stating that “he did it because he didn’t think they could drum up that kind of money”. So, that lets you know how even a judge is feeling. I will be so glad when MLK’s words actually come to life. .. “…..by the contents of their character”. Though I don’t agree that anyone should attack another unless in self defense, and because we don’t know all that happened including the emotional impact the WHOLE thing took on anyone, none of us can really speak on the blow by blow stuff, just the legality of the matter. The one thing I really don’t get is that each of you has begun to attack the other.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 8:08 pm ¶
mona wrote:
Thanks for the clarification, Carmen. I was not aware that the victim and her mother wanted her identity released.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 8:20 pm ¶
Christina wrote:
It all comes down to one thing I think we can all agree on……….no matter who the jury is, who the judge is, what city or state a criminal is convicted in…………..we are way too EASY on anybody that beats, tortures or kills another human being.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 8:52 pm ¶
Brad wrote:
My real beef isn’t with Jesse/Al but the way news is covering these two issues. One you got six guys who beat a kid up who everyone pretty much agrees did it. On the other hand you have this lady who was abused beyond words. And nothing on her and I honestly haven’t seen anything on the news programs or local paper. I just feel in my gut she deserves more attention.
Merq,
Hi yep I’m still here. Any one it is late at night I’m tootired to get into a point to point debate with you so I found a link to an article I found on this case so here it is if you want to read it.
Fair Barn party incident
On Friday, December 1, 2006 there was a private party, attended mostly by whites, at the Fair Barn. Five black youths, including 16-year-old Robert Bailey, attempted to enter the party at about 11 p.m. According to U.S. Attorney Washington, they were told by a woman that they were not allowed inside without an invitation. The five youths persisted, stating that some friends were already in attendance at the party. A white man, who was not a student,[6] then jumped in front of the woman and a fight ensued. After the fight was broken up, the woman told both the white man and five black youths to leave the party. Once outside, the black students were involved in another fight with a group of white men, who also were not students.[6] Police were then called to investigate. Several months later, Justin Sloan, a white male, was charged with battery for his role in the fight and was put on probation. Bailey later stated that one of the white men had broken a beer bottle over his head,[8] though there are no official records of medical treatment being given.[6]
Convenience store incident
On Saturday, December 2, 2006, an incident apparently stemming from the Fair Barn fight the day before occurred at a local convenience store. A white student who had attended the party encountered Bailey and several friends. Reports from the involved parties are conflicting,[15] but indicate that an argument occurred, the white student produced a shotgun from his pickup truck, and that the gun was ultimately taken away from him by Bailey and his friends.[4] Local police reported that the accounts of the white student and black students contradicted each other and formed a report based on testimony taken from eyewitnesses. The white student testified that Bailey and his friends shouted and ran after him, that he ran to get his gun, and that the students wrestled it away from him.[15] According to the black students, as they left the convenience store, they were confronted by the white student with a shotgun. They then claimed to have wrestled the gun away from him and fled the scene.[15] The incident resulted in Bailey being charged with three counts: theft of a firearm, second-degree robbery, and disturbing the peace. The white student who produced the weapon was not charged.[4][6]
Merq in your statement you say no white person was ever charged in attacking a black person not true. Several months later, Justin Sloan, a white male, was charged with battery for his role in the fight and was put on probation. Just like Micheal Belle was put on twice once before the noose incident. So
By the way the pen statement was made in front of black & white students.
PS Merq this will shock you they were over charged No doubt.
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 11:46 pm ¶
Brad wrote:
PS Merq heres the link if you want.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jena_Six
Posted 21 Sep 2007 at 11:58 pm ¶
squidfly wrote:
So Brad what is your point? I think Merq was clear in their post.
However you still avoid dealing with the white student smashing a bottle over a young Black males head, why is that?
For some reason you want to justify why these 6 kids need to be punished. So what is the correct punishment for a group of hi school teens in a school fight?
You remind me of all the white people who after seeing the Rodney King tapes, still felt that the cops acted with great restraint.
For reasons that are clearly your own, you fail to get the point. This case symbolizes a justice system that has systematically targeted Blacks unfairly.
Your points # 15,4, and 15 again make no sense.
According to the reports, the shotgun was taken away from the white male by the young Black teens, who then truned the weapon over to the police who then arrested THEM.
I find you’r argument specious to say the least.
Posted 22 Sep 2007 at 2:28 pm ¶
merq wrote:
Squidfly,
Thanks for being patient enough to read Brad’s post. I found myself letting out a deep sigh and skipping over the entire post when I saw his name — I wasn’t kidding when I saidI was done trying to reason with him.
La-msviswan:
GROAN! Oh please, stop with the “black treason” bullshit. I’m so tired of reading that foolishness — along with the “we should handle our dirty laundry privately” drivel. When last did you actually hear someone say that? (I’m talking besides reporters who tell us how the “black community” feels on these issues.)
Do you know how long Jena has been stewing without any media coverage at all? Sharpie (odd that we have the same nickname for him) didn’t throw his hat into that arena until long after bloggers had been pulling out tufts of hair for damn-near six months!
Yes, I agree that black women are given a raw fucking deal by the media in all sorts of cases, from Cynthia McKinney’s hair to this torture victim, but do you seriously mean to tell me that black men have it easier in the media? Turn on CNN and watch the incessant “OJ killed a white woman” reportage concerning his attempted robbery charge, and tell me how the two are related.
So sick of this self-perpetuating “black gender war” bullshit. Have a nice day.
Posted 23 Sep 2007 at 10:53 am ¶
Brad wrote:
Hi Squidfly:
However you still avoid dealing with the white student smashing a bottle over a young Black males head, why is that?
I avoided nothing I clearly wrote that a white man named Justin Sloane was arrested several months after the fact and put on probation for it. The black kid stated that he was hit with the later on not when police initially showed up. And there was also no physical evidence to support his claim.
The difference with this fight and the barker fight is that Barker was beaten to the point of unconsciousness Bailey wasn’t he managed to walk away.
For some reason you want to justify why these 6 kids need to be punished. So what is the correct punishment for a group of hi school teens in a school fight?
I would not charge them with attempted murder that is for sure. I would put Mychal Belle in juvenile jail for at least a few months due to his being on probation for other assaults including one that had occured before the noose incident. For the rest I would have gone with probation and that would have been it. Clearly this DA is an idiot who went way too far and needs to be thrown out of office.
As for the noose incident the school clearly bungled it. Those kids should have been expelled.
Heres what people need to remeber no-one got hurt in that incident. It was an act of intimidation one that Should have been taken seriously but wasn’t.
So Squidfly I’m not saying these kids weren’t given a raw deal but I’am saying that charges weren’t unjustified.
That is all
Posted 23 Sep 2007 at 7:03 pm ¶
Brad wrote:
Squidlfy I must apologize I forgot about the convience store incident. The store incident appears to be an act of self defense but both parties are spinning it to their benefit so who know who is telling the truth. I have also read reports that Bailey did not turn the weapon in but that police found it. So like I said who knows who is telling the truth. And if that kid is underage he could have been charged with illegal possesion which is like probation or something. I don’t know what the gun laws are in Luisiana. Some times kids aren’t even charged so who knows.
Squidfly you wrote:
You remind me of all the white people who after seeing the Rodney King tapes, still felt that the cops acted with great restraint.
That is such an offensive analogy it is not even funny. Rodney King was an innocent dude who got beat up by a bunch disrespectful ass-wipes it is not even funny. You really think just because I don’t beleive that these kids who beat a kid 6 on 1 deserve all the media attention and sympathy from activists and the victim of a rape torture who gets arrested for bad checks, that I have an axe to grind with all poc’s?
So Squidfly I have addressed all your questions. I recall someone asked you a bunch questions the most prominent one was what charges would you have brought against the kids who hung the nooses? If so what kind of time would you like to see?
Oh Merq buddy:
How did it feel hearing someone say black guys have priviledges that black women don’t? (please note I don’t agree with her) Doesn’t feel good does it? Now you know how I feel.
Posted 23 Sep 2007 at 8:01 pm ¶
squidfly wrote:
Brad:
I defer to greater minds.
Harry A. Blackmun:
In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race. There is no other way. And in order to treat some persons equally, we must treat them differently.
Margaret Chase Smith:
Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous to this country as irresponsible talk. The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character.
I would rather be happy than right.
-Anon.
Go in peace Brad.
Posted 24 Sep 2007 at 12:36 am ¶
merq wrote:
Brad,
Caught the last bit of your 2nd post while trying to read Squidfly’s.
Sorry… buddy,
but my problem there lay in the perpetuation of some “black men vs. black women” myth that’s so offensively prevalent in today’s media.
Sorry, dude. Try again later.
Posted 24 Sep 2007 at 6:47 am ¶
Brad wrote:
Squidfly once again you dodge the question that has been asked of you several times now. Everytime you are asked how much jail time you want for three guysw who tie nooses to trees all the while wanting no time for others who beat down a kid 6 on 1. You come back with some propaganda
Merq: here is how you REACTED to the suggestion of black men having it easier
GROAN! Oh please, stop with the “black treason” bullshit. I’m so tired of reading that foolishness —
Granted you spent the crux of your argument talking about the Black m V Black f conudrum but this is what you said in response to her statement of black male privilege ( I don’t buy this ) but this what you said. but do you seriously mean to tell me that black men have it easier in the media? And then you went on to make what sounded like a straw man argument with this: Turn on CNN and watch the incessant “OJ killed a white woman” reportage concerning his attempted robbery charge
Sounds like a straw man argument to me
” black men don’t have it easier in the media look at OJ!”
Squidfly go with peace too my friend.
Posted 24 Sep 2007 at 9:25 am ¶
squidfly wrote:
Brad aka JB
Another ‘ Noose’ Incident Near Jena
Two arrested in noose incident near Jena, Louisiana
ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana (CNN) — Authorities in Alexandria, Louisiana, arrested two people after nooses were seen hanging from the back of a red pickup Thursday night, the city’s mayor told CNN.
A photograph taken by I-Reporter Casanova Love shows a noose hanging from a red pickup.
Alexandria is less than an hour away from Jena, Louisiana, and was a staging area Thursday for protesters who went to the smaller town to demonstrate against the treatment of six black teens known as the “Jena 6″ in racially charged incidents.
Police say the 18-year-old driver of the truck was charged with driving while intoxicated and inciting to riot and also may be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor — the 16-year-old passenger.
As police were questioning the driver, he said he had an unloaded rifle in the back, which police found. They also found a set of brass knuckles in the cup holder on the dashboard, according to the police report.
The passenger told police he and his family are in the Ku Klux Klan, the police report said. He also said he had tied the nooses and that the brass knuckles belonged to him, the report said.
And what should the punishment be here Brad? Grounded for a week?
Posted 24 Sep 2007 at 12:10 pm ¶
Michelle wrote:
I just want to point out that Sharpie fought for the rights of Tawana Brawley. He did it to his detriment, his credibility was shot and he was a laughing stock. And I believe that it was Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” where the words “Tawana Brawley told the truth” were first featured.
In any event, I can understand the frustration that Black women have with the male dominated Black leadership. However, when it comes to the media, I don’t think that gender really plays into the discussion. The differences in treatment between BM and BW are so minisucule that I don’t think it merits a conversation.
I must say that I am proud of anyone who stood up against the miscarriage of justice in Jena, LA.
Posted 24 Sep 2007 at 2:29 pm ¶
egypt4 wrote:
Carmen, I’m late to follow up on this, but I also wanted to say thanks for clarifying your decision to post the victim’s identity here.
Posted 24 Sep 2007 at 4:22 pm ¶
squidfly wrote:
I still commend Sharpton for his role in the Tawana incident. That case was tried in press.
Girl Six, Do the Right Thing…splitting hairs.
Thanks for the correction.
Posted 24 Sep 2007 at 5:40 pm ¶
Tish Jackson wrote:
I know I’m late, but for Brad and others: the Jena 6 case is about an unfair application of the law. You do NOT charge students with attempted murder for a school fight. That kid spent all of 3 hours in the hospital, and went to school afterwards.
Buster!
Ask Brad if he thought Shaquanda Cotton’s sentence was fair too.
Posted 25 Sep 2007 at 1:51 pm ¶
hottnikz wrote:
Brad said:How did it feel hearing someone say black guys have priviledges that black women don’t? (please note I don’t agree with her) Doesn’t feel good does it? Now you know how I feel.
What an idiot! People please do not fall for the BM vs. BW ploy. That’s nothing Willie Lynch in full effect.
Posted 25 Sep 2007 at 2:51 pm ¶
Brad wrote:
know I’m late, but for Brad and others: the Jena 6 case is about an unfair application of the law. You do NOT charge students with attempted murder for a school fight. That kid spent all of 3 hours in the hospital, and went to school afterwards.
Buster!
Uhmm I did agree with everyone that the charges were overblown read all my posts.
Hottnikz: What an idiot! People please do not fall for the BM vs. BW ploy. That’s nothing Willie Lynch in full effect.
So anything I point out makes me an idiot? Being a little over reactive there aren’t you?
Posted 25 Sep 2007 at 7:17 pm ¶
merq wrote:
Tish,
Well, you know Shaquanda Cotton was guilty of “assaulting a government official.” She deserved what she got!
If she had shoved a classmate (black, of course) or hell, a custodian, she’d be okay. But shoving a white hall monitor?? Throw her under the jail!
Posted 26 Sep 2007 at 12:16 am ¶
Brad wrote:
Shaquanda Cotton was a frequent discpline problem who threatened teachers before this is repeated by both black and white teachers. Please note that the black teachers were verbally bashed by black activists who called them “sell out negroes”.
However that said to answer your questions no I would not send her to jail due to the fact that there appears to be a mental issue at play. The article I found seems to indicate a an obsessive compulsive problem. Also her school principle stated that he never had a problem with her contradicting his own staff. That doesn’t make the staff liars.
If I were a judge I would have her mentally committed because the inconsistent behavior in shaquanda is indicative of such an disibility and I have personally witnessed such behavior when working with children.
know that I have addressed this issue.
I got a couple for you guys
Stanislav Shmulevich of Brooklyn flushed a koran down a toilet supposedly in his own dorm. He is being with FELONY charges is this fair? Especially when other religous texts and
How about a school teacher who was sued by an atheist student for wearing a christian cross. Putting her in debt.
Or (another christian example) how about a group of christian students who were in a prayer cirlce were being pettled with rocks a group of students who admitted they did it because they didn’t like christians they were never charged.
The courts in this country are totally messed up and I agree something has got to change.
Posted 26 Sep 2007 at 10:59 am ¶
T.Hill (PA) wrote:
You know….it is sad that this was not on the news. It has to make us as people wonder does anyone but Al and Jesse care about the black community. There was an incident in Philly that a pregnant black women went missing and that information did not hit the news until the family called in to broadcast and police about the incident. Now going back to Jena 6 that is all over the news and we all know why. Murder or anything of such…get a grip.
Who really cares if the Megan wrote bad checks…..then again now a days you have to have a 750 credit score, the highest I.Q and rest of the fine qualities(whatever they may be) in order to be tortured, raped, cut, and disrespected. Is the check thing really an issue?????? Hell NAW…..concentrate on the crime that was committed against her….she’ll have to deal with her own crimes on her time.
Posted 26 Sep 2007 at 6:39 pm ¶
keila wrote:
Come on are we serious!?! This young woman was violated in the most horrific way. Writtng bad checks is not rape, torture, kiddnapping or plotting murder. This really sickens me!
Posted 28 Sep 2007 at 1:02 am ¶
Adam wrote:
News like this especially given what had happened to the victim should never be published. This is slanderous and derogatory journalism aimed at a minority just because she is a minority. If this were a white woman this story would have never saw the light of day. Shameful really.
Posted 30 Sep 2007 at 12:39 pm ¶
pink diamundz* wrote:
you know what?! this reminds me of the type of society we live in. this woman has been emotionally, physically and mentally tortured!!!!!!!!!! what type of respect does is that to go and report some bad checks all under $300.00 soon after she experienced something that will cripple her in so many ways for the rest of her life.
this is just like, when anyone black in the music and acting industry get just a smidget of air play in the media for sumn so lame as parking tickets, they go on saying this person smokes weed and drinks heavy! wtf does anything outside of the main focus has anything to do with the more concerned topic at hand!? this shyt pisses me off!!! i am sick of this shyt! WHEN THE FUHK ARE WE AS BLACK PEOPLE WILL OPEN UP OUR EYES AND SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING TO US!?
Posted 30 Sep 2007 at 5:37 pm ¶
denita wrote:
i agree that black men tend to get more support from the black community when it comes to legal issues,i have been listening to black talk radio stations and there is no mention of the rape victim case out of virginia.in our community black men show little or no concern for their women or children,so it comes to no suprise to me that this type of response is coming from black men.
Posted 05 Oct 2007 at 4:36 am ¶
V2I2KS wrote:
This is exactly how I feel about what happened to me many years ago. A rape VICTIM is put thru so much crap, that it makes the victim not want to even be botherd with the police for help. Jena 6 was a more visible protest, but this incident to me is more horrible because it is defined as a racially motivated act against a person’s will. Sure Jena 6 was because of the legal injustice against one black man, but this is a moral injustice against all black people via one black woman. When OJ’s personal issues takes media priority over this inhumane act , no wonder this story about her bad checks is so rediculous and meaningless.
Posted 09 Oct 2007 at 10:59 am ¶
Jaime wrote:
That is riduclous. She may have created some small crimes, but since when is that newsworthy? And uhh… unless she wrote all those bad checks to her attackers, what does that have to do with what happend to her? Are they trying to say she deserved what she got? If bad checks is worth a week of torture and rape, then I would hate to see what would be the proper punishment for an actual serious crime. Whats next, death penalty for plagerism? I mean so she did something wrong, so what, she didn’t deserve what happened, and as far as I can tell, her bad checks and torture are not connected. So why bring them up. It seems like any time the media finds a flaw in any victim, they have to make the victim seem like a horrible person. The media does this with everyone. Anybody that is in the news at all better watch out because if you run a red light, forget to buckle your seatbelt, or even get and F on your report card, the media is gonna make a huge and pointless story of it. It is bad enough when they waste resources on pointless stories on famous people who make some mistake, but to pick on a poor victim like Megan Williams is just wrong, and the writer of the article should be ashamed
Posted 10 Oct 2007 at 3:17 pm ¶
Jaime wrote:
Oh and by the way, there was a case in which a couple in Tennessee was kidnapped, raped(both the man and the woman) multiple times, and I believe one was cut in half and the other was burned and put in a trash can. This had barely any news coverage, and it was a white couple attacked by a black person. I agree with LM, the media is shying away from writing anything that has remote complexity. After all why else would cases such as Megan Williams’s and the Tennessee couple’s barely get any coverage while stupid scandalls about Paris Hilton, Brintney Spears, and other stars get front page treatment for drinking and doing drugs and all that other stuff. MEDIA GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER. START WRITING WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO HEAR NOT WHAT IS EASY TO WRITE ABOUT! Honestly, maybe that way people could actually know whats going on in the world.
Posted 10 Oct 2007 at 4:35 pm ¶
aka Lynn wrote:
This woman was violated, and most likely coerced into writing checks. Megan doesn’t even own a car nor drive, but one of the checks were written out to an auto store. the media picked up on this story make the less educated say typical and become less sympathetic to the plight of the victim.
Posted 11 Oct 2007 at 2:02 pm ¶
Babygirl wrote:
Brad, I have personally encountered the racism in Jena and no you do not have the whole story. True maybe six kids shouldn’t have beat his ass butt he deserved it. When you have encountered that type of racism then maybe you can speak on the subject. I am from a small town located near Jena. We played in many of their basketball tournaments. We were subject to their racism and injustice on and off the court. After a victory against them on their home court our girls basketball team was sold some bad meat at a local store, which was probably was an accident. The events that would follow was not. Our bus broke down a couple miles later and every single person who ate that meat was sick in a matter of 5 minutes. Our bus driver pulled over to a near by home to get help for the team. A white lady opened the door for my coach who was white. He asked if his team could use her bathroom or the water hose outside to clean up since there was so many of us. The team was mixed race more white than black though. He also asked if he could use the phone to call for the other bus driver to turn his bus around and notify our parents of what was going on. The woman agreed until she spotted the black students getting off the bus . She then slammed the door is his faced and turned out all of the outside lights and turned of f the water hose outside. A Jena patrol car pulled up and looked at us. He did not ask if we needed help or contact our parish police officers he left us there. After an hour and a half of puking our guts out one of the parents from our school seen the bus and stopped. She notified our sheriff and had escorts sent to find the boys bus and our parents to come and get us. So yes I think you were wrong comparing the two events . When you have been a victim of racism that was not handled in a equal manner then maybe you will better understand the situation. They did not charge this kid with a hate crime or any crime for that matter, when clearly this was absolutely a hate crime. If it was the other way around I feel the same exact way. I don’t condone any type of racism. If you are guilty you should be punished the punishment should fit the crime. In case you were wondering I am black and this is not the first nor the last time I will be a victim of racism. I know this because my best friend is white and we always get stares from both sides of the divide. We stand proudly together through all of it and will continue to until ignorant people see that the only way to conquer all aspects of racism is to embrace every race and stand together as one. Let It Go !!!!
UNITED WE STAND AND DIVIDED WE FALL
Posted 25 Oct 2007 at 9:24 pm ¶
Alicia wrote:
I agree with aka lynn. Someone probably told Megan to write the checks or no one ever taught Megan how to properly use a checkbook and the resposibilites of having a checking account. I’ve worked in the financial industry for 19 years and many people write bad checks. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seem this happen. I am not making excuses for Megan but many people just can’t handle a checkbook or credit. I find it surprising that Megan was arrested considering the total dollar amount of checks she allegedly wrote, but then again she is in West Virgina.
Even if Megan had written some bad checks it doesn’t make her any less of a victim! I also don’ t see the point in bringing up examples of crimes committed by African Americans that didn’t idn’t get media attention? This crime was extremely heinous. It was committed by a family of 6 people and one of the assailants was a 45 year old woman. I often read true crime news and this story was pretty disturbing even without the racial part of it.
No woman should ever have to experience such terror.
Posted 23 Feb 2008 at 11:38 pm ¶