March 31st, 2007
Black 15 Year Old female child released from prison for pushing a teacher’s aide
One of biggest hurdles a black business person faces is overcoming barriers that are caused by race. Shaquanda Cotton is to be realeased from prison today in George Bush’s Texas!This story was first reported in the Chicago Tribune in an article by Howard Witt. I remember reading the story and was going to post on it. Instead I wasted space posting about Clarence Thomas.
Luckly some 400 bloggers took up the cause and the result is an embarrassed youth justice system, having lost all credibility to the point, all cases are being reviewed. The best result is the release of this young woman. I hope she is able to recieve help to start mending the scares from this episode in the racist state of Texas.
Some of the blogs, I followed this story on a listed in links below. You will also find a link to the Tribune.These bloggers should be proud of their efforts. Rev. Jim Legington,Theo Johnson,Latimer Williams, and the first post I read was linked to a comment on my Calerence Thomas post, The Young Black Professional Guide. I am so proud of you 4 and the 396 other blogs that took up this cause. Keep Hope Alive!
http://podcast.theojohnson.net/
http://upperroom.wordpress.com/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0703310265mar31,1,4870079.story?coll=chi-news-hed
March 31st, 2007 at 6:54 pm
Thanks for the words of encouragement, We are all in this together, we must always protect our children or no one else will.
April 1st, 2007 at 10:06 am
This event points to the power of blogs, This is a big story but I have not seen any thing on the TV news.
April 1st, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Some digging and I found this:
There’s no question that she pushed a 58 yr. old hall monitor. So, even though I believe the justice system is flawed in this case, Shaquanda does need to take responsibility for the entire episode ever occurring in the first place.
During her trial, school officials - including black teachers - testified she demonstrated a pervasive and consistent anti-authority attitude.
Shaquanda was offered probation as a plea bargain prior to trial, but both she and her mother stated that they would not co-operate with the terms of the probation.
Even after the jury adjudicated her as a delinquent (essentially finding her guilty), the mother refused to cooperate with court-ordered family and social history studies to help the judge decide if probation was the right sentence.
Her sentence was “up to 7 years” because Texas Youth Commission has jurisdiction over any juvenile in its custody until their 21st birthday.
In other words, because a jury found her guilty, she was required to be sentenced this way. However, the sentence actually allowed her to be released at any time based on good behavior.
My worst fear now is that both society and the justice system has failed this girl. I hope that someone can provide this girl with the guidance she needs to be both accountable for her behavior and a successful, productive citizen in the future.
With Most Respect,
Doug
April 2nd, 2007 at 2:47 pm
This my friends is the other side of the story.Doug, if it were this simple, every case would not be reviewed. More children are subject to be released. Your last paragraph may represent the biggest problem. You can almost predict more trouble for this child. I know George Bush’s Texas hope so. Thank you so much for your comment and research. I stand by my post. The power of bloggers got this child released.
April 2nd, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Its funny you bring that up Doug, I was just listening to a radio interview with Creole Cotton, the mother of Shaquanda. The interview happened on the show called “The Open Line” in NYC. Creole stated that she was not given an option of probation and in fact that she was not allowed in the court room for sentencing, Now I can’t verify that but if it is true, it just states the system is more at blame here than Shaquanda
April 2nd, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Latimer, Doug is an open minder guy that may put too much faith in the conservatives,The cat is out of the bag and George Bush’s Texas is doing damange control
April 2nd, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Oh, I blame no one but Texas for this one, this is their baby and they must now fix this mess. And if Doug is a friend of this site , he is certainly a friend to mine.
April 2nd, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Doug is a friend and he authors a blog ranked in the top 3000, out of 65000000.He is on my blogroll as Doug Karr.
April 2nd, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Hey Jim D.
Wrong is just wrong and no one loves the United
States of America more than God Our Father and
when any state including Texas the beloved State
in which we live needs a trip to the woodshed, so
to speak, everyone benefits when God Has Spoken,
God Is Good-Keep Hope Alive!
Thankful to God that so many Bloggers, Black, White,
Brown and all our beautiful mix became united so
much so until Shaquanda Cotton walked out of a
central Texas youth prison Saturday and declared
she wants to be a better person. That a good goal
for all of us, See God’s Right Hand working in the
matter of mankind for sure. We all can be better!
Shaquanda, Thank You Daughter for Inspiring us all.
- Songs Beautiful For Situation -
Our God Is Good-Keep Hope Alive!
Psalm 23:1-6, Psalm 133:1-3, Psalm 138:1-8
Psalm 145:1-21, Psalm 146:1-10 {Updated-NASB}
See, what You have to recognize is what God Our
Father is doing in Shaquanda Cotton’s heart and
the heart of mankind in this whole ordeal. Love
is the most power force in Heaven and earth,simply
because God is love. You can trust that there is
no communication to mankind that is more powerful
than His Word found in the Bible. The Secret of
God Our Father is revealed to those that fear Him.
Proverb 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should
go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
I know this is the reason Texas State Representative
Harold Dutton raise his voice to appeal to the fact
that God is Good. That is declared by Our Lord Jesus
Christ when He says there is none Good but One.
Question:What commandment is the foremost of all?
Remember, it is written in Our Bible
Updated {NASB} Mark 12:29-31
Jesus answered, “The foremost is, “HEAR, O ISRAEL!
THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD;
AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR
HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR
MIND, AND WITH YOUR STRENGTH.
The second is this, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
AS YOURSELF.’There is no other commandment greater
than these.”
Question:Why are we still allowing anything to
divide us, certainly a house divide cannot stand.
Marvel not everyone Jesus said, “You must be born
again”. You Find it in John 3:7 In Our Bible.
Then we can hear the Word in His Son Jesus Christ!
God Has Spoken,God Is Good-Keep Hope Alive
Stay Tuned Many more Youth will be released in
Texas this week, starting Monday April 2, 2007.
The conservator, Jay Kimbrough, who is charged with
completely overhauling the Texas Youth Commission
decided Friday that Shaquanda merited immediate
release. Cotton was the first of an estimated 400 juveniles incarcerated across the state whom Kimbrough has ordered released, beginning Monday.
Those youths have all satisfied their minimum sentences and have committed no serious violations while in custody.
Read Howard Witts Full Details Here:
Beloved, Read a Very Important Update-
Shaquanda Cotton Released went Home with Mom
Creola Cotton March 31, 2007
By Howard Witt-Chicago Tribune
http: / / tinyurl. com/ 28e35k
Southwest Bureau Chief
Houston, TX
April 2nd, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Rev Jim, I knew you would supply a voice of reason, it is about love and forgivness.Having said that, God supplied you and other bloggers a reason to protest and come together as a community.Shaquanda will need God’s lead to help her let go of bitterness and become a person that will live a rewarding life filled with happiness and love. Thank you for the enlighting comment. You have so much to give.
April 3rd, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Growing up, the one thing my mom taught me was that there are consequences for your actions. I do agree with Doug. Shaquanda should receive some type of punishment for pushing the teacher. The problem I had was the punishment issued was very excessive. They could have easily expelled her or given her some other type of in-school suspension.
Since I’m in Dallas, I’ve heard arguments from both sides and I think her release after a year in TYC is more than enough of a punishment. I just hope she doesn’t allow this to hold her back in life.
It was a collective effort. The bloggers, the protesters, the people who called the Governor and the prayers sent up for her got her released. By working together we got positive results. There’s been a lot of debate on the law and what took place. On my podcast, I plan on having a friend of mine who’s a criminal attorney speak on the rights we have as citizens. Hopefully we can educate some people (including me) on what to do if their child was in a similar situation.
April 3rd, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Theo, thanks for the comment,the amount of time, which for the crime should have been none and the comparsion to the white student are what makes the state of Texas look bad.
April 6th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
Thanks JD & Latimer - you make a solid point: The power of the blogosphere helped to provide the needed pressure on Shaquanda’s release. That may be the most important message here… the democratization brought via the web is a powerful, powerful tool.
I also really appreciate both your friendships! I respect both of you very much and appreciate you being so proactive in educating folks on the perspectives of race and its terrible effects in this country.
If every issue of race was put under a microscope, with a lot of pressure, and backlash from the blogosphere, I suppose that’s not a bad thing at all! That would be a great step forward since it would hold those in power more accountable for their actions.
April 24th, 2007 at 10:56 am
For the most recent look at Shaquanda Cotton, I traveled to Paris, Texas to attend a rally in her honor. I had a chance to chat with her and her mother. Read my observation and account at http://www.eddiegriffinbasg.blogspot.com