Friday, September 23, 2011

Once, There Was a Thing called Justice . . .

Once again on Planet Earth, the most civilized among us recoil from an abomination of the most vile among us.

The government of Georgia, U.S.A., has murdered an innocent man, joining its fellow racist southern state, Texas, in the ultimate act of legal infamy.

Across the spectrum of those who seek to improve the human species -- the Pope of Rome, the E.U., the Dalai Lama; ministers, scientists, healers and thinkers -- rose today a thunder of condemnation of the rich, powerful and unutterably vile nation that slew Troy Anthony Davis with malice aforethought.

Even our craven media dare to call his execution "for killing a police officer" somewhat controversial; even these cowardly  media whores suggest there might be doubt about his guilt. 

Where there is the rule of law, there cannot be "guilt" if there is the shadow of a doubt.  In the case of Troy Davis, the only evidence against him was the testimony of nine alleged witnesses to the crime.  Seven of these have recanted their testimony, citing abuse, threats and intimidation by police, prosecutors and others sworn to uphold the law.

The shadow of doubt?  This is a chasm of incredulity!  This is an open and shut case of criminal racism on the part of "legal" authorities.  Those who brought, pressed, abetted and consented in the charges against and "conviction" of Troy Davis should be brought in chains -- every one of them, jurors, too -- before the World Court in The Hague and charged with crimes against humanity.

For the victim here is not merely a black man named Troy Davis; we -- every single human of any race, creed or color who believes he or she is protected by something called the law -- we are all the victims.

But the most lamentable victim, the most sinned against, the most cruelly violated, is the thing called Justice.

"Justice has been served for Officer Mark MacPhail and his family,"  said the Attorney General of the State of Georgia, Sam Olens.

If there is a god, if somewhere beyond this tainted world there survives a pure concept called justice, if, then, there is a hell, surely there is an especially vile, punishing and inescapably terrible place within it for Mr. Olens.

Justice?

You, sir, are unfit to utter the word.  You violate every ethic, more, fundament-- you urinate upon an open wound in the heart  -- of the rule of law you purport to serve.

At a protest of the murder of Davis in front of the White House today, at least 12 Howard University students were arrested for failing to move off the White House sidewalk.

When James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and other geniuses of the Age of Enlightenment wrote our Constitution and gave us a nation, Franklin told us that  we had been given a republic -- "if you can keep it."

We have failed.

We have failed.

We have utterly failed.