Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Texas death row inmate Ray Jasper (born and raised in Oakland) is scheduled to be put to death on March 19. He has written us a letter that, he acknowledges, "could be my final statement on earth." He talks about his childhood being raised in Oakland, and how race and the "corporatized" prison systems have ruined the lives of black youth. It is well worth your time.
Flowers grow in gardens, not in hard places. Using myself as an example, I was 15 when my first love got shot 9 times in Oakland. Do you think I m going to care about book reports when my girlfriend was shot in the face? I understand Barack Obama saying there is no excuse for blacks or anyone else because generations past had it harder than us. That's true. However, success is based on probabilities and the odds. Everyone is not on a level playing field. For some, the odds are really stacked against them. I'm not saying they can't be overcome, but it's not likely.
We live on the face of a rock hurtling through space around a perpetual fire ball with the surface temp of 10 million degrees and prone to City size chunks of iron hitting us every few million years destroying most of the life on earth.
Quote:
I did a little search. Ray was recording a rap album at the studio. Ray planned the murder. Ray booked the studio time. Ray recruited the codefendants. Ray actually slit the guys throat but when THAT didn't kill him, Ray's accomplice finished the job. Aside from whether the death penalty is appropriate or not, Ray is full of crap
We live on the face of a rock hurtling through space around a perpetual fire ball with the surface temp of 10 million degrees and prone to City size chunks of iron hitting us every few million years destroying most of the life on earth.
Cry me a river.
Bye.
Oooh, ice cold Bulldog.
I can't say I completely disagree with him. Being raised in a "hard area" in Oakland probably did have a huge disruptive effect on his upbringing.
BUT, it's a bit difficult to see someone talk about empathy, when they slice a guy's throat in a robbery.
How come other minorities are able to come to this country with next to nothing and are able to make better lives and not be part of the criminal system?
While the experience is unique to everyone there comes a time where it's just excuses and whining. No, the system ain't perfect. Racist and discrimination definitely exist. But should one be murdering innocent people? When the culture of poverty and crime trickles down from generation to generation with no end in sight, who are we to blame? The "Man"? How far down the generation line does it need to go before people start looking at themselves?
I guarantee none of the posters talking about what a "whinefest" it is actually read it. There's no whining in it, only a perspective that most of y'all clearly aren't familiar with and least of all from experience. Try reading it, you might actually learn something.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dragontales
How come other minorities are able to come to this country with next to nothing and are able to make better lives and not be part of the criminal system?
While the experience is unique to everyone there comes a time where it's just excuses and whining. No, the system ain't perfect. Racist and discrimination definitely exist. But should one be murdering innocent people? When the culture of poverty and crime trickles down from generation to generation with no end in sight, who are we to blame? The "Man"? How far down the generation line does it need to go before people start looking at themselves?
He even addresses "you" and your point. Try reading it.
Since most of you clearly just read the quote in the OP, here's the expanded version of the quote:
Quote:
Before Martin Luther King was killed he drafted a bill called 'The Bill for the Disadvantaged'. It was for blacks and poor whites. King understood that in order to have a successful life, you have to decrease the odds of failure. You have to change the playing field. I'm not saying there's no personal responsibility for success, that goes without saying, but there's also a corporate responsibility. As the saying goes, when you see someone who has failed, you see someone who was failed. Neither am I saying that advantages are always circumstancial. Sometimes its knowledge or opportunity that gives an advantage. A lot of times it is the circumstances. Flowers grow in gardens, not in hard places. Using myself as an example, I was 15 when my first love got shot 9 times in Oakland. Do you think I m going to care about book reports when my girlfriend was shot in the face? I understand Barack Obama saying there is no excuse for blacks or anyone else because generations past had it harder than us. That's true. However, success is based on probabilities and the odds. Everyone is not on a level playing field. For some, the odds are really stacked against them. I'm not saying they can't be overcome, but it's not likely."
I wonder how much flip-flopping will be performed in this thread, smh
Since most of you clearly just read the quote in the OP, here's the expanded version of the quote:
I wonder how much flip-flopping will be performed in this thread, smh
I actually think he has a fairly accurate assessment of the justice system as it currently is for black males.
But I find it troubling that he didn't show or express remorse for his crimes in the entire letter.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
