Racism runs rampant

Ok, let's call it what it is: Racism.

The Boston Herald ran a brief story yesterday. It's headline read "White jury not peers of blacks, judge rules." Really?

So before I jumped to any conclusions I wanted to read a bit more of the article. Let's see what these defendants are charged with: "They were charged with murder in the aid of racketeering for allegedly slaying a rival in 2001." It's a gang crime. Ok, I wasn't too upset until I came across the following comment: "African-Americans have different life experiences..." Right, no argument there, right? But let's dissect this statement. Really, this statement is always true! Remove 'African-Americans' and insert any of the following: Asians, Hispanics, Caucasians, Men, Women, Buddhists, My Neighbors, puppeteers, Olympic Athletes, or People who watch Star Trek. Of course people have different life experiences! However, this judge has ruled that the important aspect of these people who have had "different life experiences" is simply the color of their skin! Ok, so on these defendants jury I'd like Oprah, Alan Keyes, Romeo Cornell, Will Smith, Whitney Houston, Montell, Emmitt Smith, Bill Cosby, Tom Gordon, Michael Holley, Eminem, and the white homeless guy I saw yesterday outside the T. Oh, wait, which people do you think the defense would want on the jury? The two white guys? No! Because African-Americans have different life experiences!

So, what's really being said here? It seems to me that if I were the lawyer defending these charges I'd want some people from the same social class. Some people who actually know what they experience. The color of those peoples' skin doesn't enter into it. Do all African-Americans have the same experiences? Of course not! So I ask you: What has this ruling actually said? What is the message that the judge and defense are broadcasting by way of saying that white people are not these men's peers?

And if this ruling is accurate, then who is a jury of my peers? White middle class athletic males who are the youngest of two sons of divorced parents who split when they were under 10. These 12 people who fit the aforementioned description also have to be very happily married for under 5 years, produce independent films, know how to drive standard, be rabid Red Sox fans, and have a heart for foreign missions in Eastern Europe. Clearly, all of these things have caused me to have a "different life experience" and if I can't be tried by people who are different from me then I guess that's the way it'll have to be.

Judging these jurors based solely on the color of their skin is nothing more that pure racism - and now it is court supported racism!

And this is just my opinion.