How little black life means
It took an all-white jury just ninety minutes to wipe away all hopes for justice in the death of Martin Lee Anderson.
Anderson died on January 6, 2006, after being taken off life support. The previous day, he was in an altercation with guards a Florida youth boot camp. Over the course of 30 minutes, seven guards piled on him, beat him and forced him to inhale ammonia capsules in what they say were attempts to revive him. A nurse on staff stood by and watched it all occur. An autopsy performed by a local coroner claimed that he died from a undiagnosed (and, normally, not lethal) sickle cell trait. A second autopsy concluded that he died from being suffocated when guards where covering his mouth while making him inhale ammonia tablets.
Today, a jury acquitted all eight on charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child. Reading this article, I couldn’t help but think of Emmit Till’s death, in the respect that it took the jury virtually no time to acquit the accused. It’s hard to believe that any real deliberation went on at all.
But, most telling, was the part about the first coroner’s (the one who attributed his death to sickle cell) reaction to the verdict:
An initial autopsy by Dr. Charles Siebert, the medical examiner for Bay County, found Anderson died of natural causes from sickle cell trait. A second autopsy was ordered and another doctor concluded that the guards suffocated Anderson through their repeated use of ammonia capsules and by covering his mouth.
“I am feeling a little vindicated. People got to see a lot more than what’s been publicized in the media,” said Siebert, who was widely criticized for his autopsy. He said he was going to celebrate with some of the guards. (emphasis mine)
I guess people either lost sight or just didn’t care that a person was killed. However, I want to say that it mattered to me and I hope that we don’t forget that not all is well with race in America and that we have a lot of work to do.
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It is sad that his life needed to end that way but he should have stayed out of trouble in the first place. Peoples actions have consequences and breaking the law and getting sent to juvvie wasa consequence of his actions.
I also see no point in blaming the legal system. The legal system in this nation is not 100% perfect but it does a good job. Blaming an “all white” jury just goes to show how racism is always assumed when in fact it had nothing to do with this verdict.
October 12th, 2007 at 7:36 pmThe ignorance of some people is simply astounding. If I remember correctly, he wasn’t sentenced to death, right? You’re right, actions have consequences, which is why is was in a juvenile boot camp. However, this does not give anyone the right to kill him.
Also, I think the all-white jury is very suspect. Being all-white virtually insures that no one would look on that child and think about their child lying dead on the ground after being beating and smothered by seven grown men.
Furthermore, I was not “blaming the legal system”, per se. But, if you look at how blacks vs. whites are treated upon entry into the legal system, you would know the inequities are startling.
Of course, that assumes that you would actually do research instead of repeating talking points.
October 12th, 2007 at 10:22 pmYou are correct in saying that black lives mean little, in America, in the world. Genocide in Africa; millions killed by Islamics, no one cares. Blacks killed in prisons and this boot camp, no one cares. It has always been so. Not even other blacks generally care, unless they are told to care, and then, only for a season. Whites will have hell to pay when Jesus comes back. No outcry from the pulpits either. That’s why I do not go to church. Makes me ill, makes me puke, makes me cry.
October 13th, 2007 at 3:22 pmFrederick is a black in denial or a white racist so his comments mean nothing. An all white jury guarantees inequity, pure and simple. Read Tim Wise and learn all about it. Their opinions, and those of uncle Toms do not count. They are based on delusional arrogant thinking, or nonthinking. America is doomed, as is this world, for racism, evil and arrogance. NO ONE CARES and this article hit the nail on the head. Death sentence at birth, from whites, Hispanics, foreigners and your own.
October 13th, 2007 at 3:26 pmI blame the legal system, I blame its bias, I blame its inherent corruption. Yeah. I said it, and it is truth. Deal with it Frederick.
October 13th, 2007 at 3:30 pm