Posted by Tina
Dr. Martin Luther King: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
US Attorney General Eric Holder: “When you compare what people endured in the South in the 60s to try to get the right to vote for African Americans, to compare what people subjected to that with what happened in Philadelphia, which was inappropriate .. .to describe it in those terms I think does a great disservice to people who put their lives on the line for my people.”
Hmmm. Is “what people endured”, the length and breadth of their suffering, what the law is based upon? Or is the law based upon equality of basic rights that we human beings share as American citizens.
“What happened in Philidelphia”: A man with a weapon, dressed in military garb, stood outside a polling place and used physical intimidation to harass would be voters and, on at least one occasion said, “…now you’re gonna know what it’s like to be ruled by a black man”.
Payback’s a b*#ch but it’s stricltly playground! The behavior in Philly was in direct violation of the voting rights laws. Both blacks and whites risked life and limb to establish those laws. Eric Holder has misplaced justice with his own personal attitude and is, IMHO, unfit to serve as Attorney General. Martin Luther King had a dream.
HT: Jonathon Burns, Big Government
“Hmmm. Is “what people endured”, the length and breadth of their suffering, what the law is based upon? Or is the law based upon equality of basic rights that we human beings share as American citizens.”
What do Holder’s statements have to do with the law?
It’s important to point out why Holder even referenced this closed case in the first place. His comments were in response to Rep. John Culberson’s (R-Texas) remarks that the New Black Panther case was “the most serious act of voter intimidation he had witnessed in his career,” according to Politico.
http://dyn.politico.com/blogs/joshgerstein/index.cfm/tag/JohnCulberson
Holder never indicated the the law should be different depending on race. Holder has, in fact, followed the law and obtained an injunction against one of the Black Panthers involved in the incident. This fact doesn’t get reported on conservative sites, nor does the fact that it was the Bush administration which originally decided not to pursue criminal charges against the NBPP.
All Holder did was criticize Culberson’s assertion that this case was somehow above and beyond any other case of voter intimidation–an assertion which you have to admit is completely ludicrous.
“Eric Holder has misplaced justice with his own personal attitude”
How?
Chris: “What do Holder’s statements have to do with the law?”
His comments have to do with his attitude and I believe get in the way of his handling this law properly.
“This fact doesn’t get reported on conservative sites…”
This point doesn’t get reported.
“nor does the fact that it was the Bush administration which originally decided not to pursue criminal charges against the NBPP.”
The Bush administration was trransitioning out…the case continued under Obama.
“How?”
Dr. Martin Luther King: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
It’s important to ALWAYS apply the law. Degrees of suffering have nothing to do with it.
“Inappropriate” just doesn’t cut it. He’s the AJ and should send a clear signal that this behavior by anyone will not be tolerated.
Heres what you dont read on liberal sites:
http://blog.heritage.org/2010/07/21/the-new-black-panther-party-evidence-on-voter-intimidation/
See also Andy McCarthy here:
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/243504/case-against-new-black-panthers-andrew-c-mccarthy
June 22, 2009 is Obama time…Bush is long gone.
“It’s important to ALWAYS apply the law. Degrees of suffering have nothing to do with it.”
I agree, Tina, and I see no evidence that Holder disagrees.
I can see why many would think that the Obama administration should have gone further than they did in this case, but I think it’s important to have a little perspective. Voter intimidation cases rarely go very far in court, for reasons I don’t quite understand. The Bush administration’s reaction to the case is relevant because of the charges of politicization that Obama and Holder have faced. J. Christian Adams went as far as to claim that the New Black Panthers weren’t fully prosecuted because the Obama DOJ wouldn’t take on cases involving white victims and black defendants…a ludicrous, baseless charge, and if we are to jump to this conclusion based on the handling of the NBPP case, then we must also conclude the Bush DOJ had the same policy, which is even more ridiculous.