Renisha McBride: Justice Served

Good morning, family. Yesterday, Theodore Wafer was found guilty of second degree murder, manslaughter and felony weapons charges. Justice for Renisha McBride is now a reality. Thank God.

The jury told the world that black women matter. The jury told the world that all human life is sacred. I commend the jury for a job well done.

Justice for Renisha McBride: The Killer Takes the Stand

WXYZ reports that:

Theodore Wafer has taken the stand in his own defense in his murder trial. And Tuesday morning prosecutors will continue with their cross examination.

Wafer is charged with Second Degree Murder and Manslaughter in the shooting death of 19-year-old Renisha McBride.

During direct questioning by his own defense attorney, Wafer describes the night McBride was shot. He told the jury that he could not find his cell phone to call police to investigate whatever was happening outside his Dearborn Heights home that woke him up around 4:30 a.m. on November 2.

Wafer said the day before, after work, he went to a nearby bar and consumed no more than three beers. He says he went home around 7:30 p.m. and fell asleep in a recliner watching television.

Wafer's defense attorney asked him to describe the banging on his doors that woke him up and he described it for the jury as "violent" and so intense that he could feel the floor vibrating. Wafer testified that he thought multiple people were trying to break into his house.

Wafer first told police he shot McBride by accident, telling investigators that he didn't realize his gun was loaded.

When asked by his defense attorney to explain why he first said the shooting was an accident, Wafer said he doesn't know why, perhaps "denial," he told the jury.

Read more here.

This morning, I watched killer Theodore Wafer testify. I do not believe him. His story does not add up. If someone is knocking on your door, the first thing that you should do is look out of the peep hole. If you cannot see out of the peep hole, you should look out of the window. You would say, "Who is it?" or "Can I help you?"  Wafer said nothing.  If you are afraid of being seen, you cut off the lights and peep between the blinds to see who was knocking on his door.

I do not believe that Wafer was unable to find his phone. Instead of grabbing his gun, he should have grabbed his phone and called the police. Alternatively, he could have grabbed his gun, continued looking for his phone, grabbed his phone and called the police.

If he was so afraid that someone was going to break into his home, why would he open his door? By the way, most robbers and burglarers do not bang on doors.  They try to avoid drawing attention from outsiders.

Anyway, Wafer basically wanted to confront whoever was knocking at his door and ended up shooting and killing Renisha McBride. First, he claimed that the shooting was accidental. Then, he asserted that it was in self defense. During the trial, he was unable to explain why he initially told the police that the shooting was an accident.  I do not buy what he is trying to sell.

Justice for Renisha McBride!

Justice for Renisha McBride: The Trial So Far

Unfortunately, according to Legal Insurrection, judge Dana Hathaway banned live streaming of the trial. That may be part of the reason why the case is not receiving the kind of news coverage that it deserves. Local news and Rev. Al Sharpton are some of the few outlets providing coverage.

We must continue to bring attention to this case. Otherwise, injustice may prevail under the shroud of darkness.  This nation cannot afford another Trayvon Martin verdict. We cannot afford another Jordan Davis verdict. Are we not human beings? Do our lives have any value in this country?  We must continue to demand justice for Renisha.

Here is the latest news.

The Detroit News reports that:

Detroit — The big question surrounding the murder trial of Dearborn Heights homeowner Theodore Wafer is whether the 55-year-old defendant will take the witness stand in the shooting death of 19-year-old Renisha McBride on his porch in November.

Defense attorneys Cheryl and Mack Carpenter, a daughter and father legal team, have declined to comment on whether Wafer will be a witness in his own defense. Last week, Cheryl Carpenter said her client is “terrified” and that “he is on trial for his life.”

The defense began presenting its case Wednesday and called former Wayne County Medical Examiner Dr. Werner Spitz as its first witness. Spitz, a former longtime Wayne County Medical Examiner, is expected to continue his testimony Thursday.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140731/METRO01/307310073#ixzz3942e125O

Nelson Mandela, Rest in Peace and Power

Yesterday, our dear beloved brother Nelson Mandela joined the ancestors. The Washington Post reports that:

Flags across several continents fell to half staff early Friday, and South Africans poured into the streets at daybreak in mourning for Nelson Mandela, a liberator whose life spanned nearly a century and whose model for dignity and peace-making was admired across the world.

The death Thursday of Mandela, 95 and long ill, was at once thoroughly foretold and unexpectedly jarring, as people recalled his graceful leadership through what appeared to be an intractable racial crisis in South Africa and his ability to embody hope for moral progress in a beleaguered and often-unjust world. Mandela’s death spurred the rarest of outpourings — one nearly universal and unanimous. Mandela’s face appeared on newspaper front pages from Berlin to Beirut, often with just a few somber words and the years of his life: 1918-2013. His death spurred social media tributes in the United States and China.

I remember when Nelson Mandela came to Detroit, my hometown. My family and I listened to him speak at Tiger Stadium. He is one of my heroes. I admire his courage and sacrifice. He boldly fought to end Apartheid in South Africa. The brother and the African National Congress waged armed struggle against the racism regime. Despite being incarcerated for 27 years, Mandela maintained his commitment and dignity. After being released from prison, Mandela become South Africa's first black president.







Instead of mourning his death, we should celebrate his life and follow his courageous example. Stand up for freedom, justice and equality.  Dear brother Nelson Mandela, rest in peace and power.

We Don't Need Any More Speeches

Yesterday, President Obama gave yet another eloquent and beautiful speech about the economy. He vividly described the problem of "rising inequality and declining mobility." He discussed empowering workers, creating promise zones, raising the minimum wage, enacting the Pay Check Fairness Act and enacting the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. He said all of the right things. He usually does. Aside from his sharp rhetoric about class inequality, we heard this speech before.

Five years into the Obama Presidency and all we get is more speeches about the economy.  Congress refuses to act. As black unemployment remains disproportionately high, all we get is more speeches. Congress refuses to act.  As Detroit goes bankrupt and retired city workers face the real prospect of losing their pensions, all we get is more speeches.  Congress refuses to act.  The New York Times reports that:

In a ruling that could reverberate far beyond Detroit, a federal judge held on Tuesday that this battered city could formally enter bankruptcy and asserted that Detroit’s obligation to pay pensions in full was not untouchable.

The judge, Steven W. Rhodes, dealt a major blow to the widely held belief that state laws preserve public pensions, and his ruling is likely to resonate in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and many other American cities where the rising cost of pensions has been crowding out spending for public schools, police departments and other services.

The judge made it clear that public employee pensions were not protected in a federal Chapter 9 bankruptcy, even though the Michigan Constitution expressly protects them. “Pension benefits are a contractual right and are not entitled to any heightened protection in a municipal bankruptcy,” he said.

James E. Spiotto, a lawyer with the firm Chapman & Cutler in Chicago who specializes in municipal bankruptcy and was not involved in the case, said: “No bankruptcy court had ruled that before. It will be instructive.”

If Congress and the White House can get together to bail out filthy rich, avaricious companies on Wall Street, why can't they get together to bail out Detroit and the rest of Main Street?!?   Why can't they enact the legislation that the President mentioned?  If the U.S. can afford to squander billions in Afghanistan, why can't the U.S. bail out Detroit and the rest of Main Street?  We don't need any more beautiful speeches. We need action. Instead of patiently waiting on Congress to save us, we must force them and the White House to act.

Transforming Detroit's Blight into Light and Hope

Last week, I read a beautiful article on CommonDreams.org.  I created my blog primarily to highlight positive stories involving African Americans.  This is such a story.  This story is even more dear to me because it is about my hometown, Detroit.  Even in the depths of darkness, there is hope and potential. It is easy to remain cynical and sarcastic in the face of problems such as unemployment, violence, inferior schools, etc.  This story is an example of how blight can be transformed into light.  In his article, Paul Harris of the Guardian/UK writes:

"Covington's story is simple. Finding himself unemployed and living back in the blighted neighbourhood that he had grown up in, he decided to improve things by turning vacant lots into vegetables plots. Not only did the work improve the look of Georgia Street it also started to change local people's lives: reasserting community pride and helping people have healthier diets in a city where fresh food is unforgivably scarce."

"One of the UK's top DJ outfits, Above and Beyond, have shot a video for their next single, On A Good Day (Metropolis). The wonderful piece of film features the good folks of Georgia Street turning a spot of typical Detroit wasteland into a garden, transforming their neighbourhood piece by piece into a better place to live."