"We Shall Ov -- er -- Come." Where have you heard that before? I heard it in August 1963 on the DC Mall. I'm in the picture above a couple of blocks on this side of the Washington Monument. My consulting office was on Connecticutt & 'K' but my bus stop to my safe segregated house in VA was next to the Mall. I walked down alone to watch the parade at lunchtime. I remember thinking to myself, "I think we shall, Dr. King, and it's good to dream, but it's gonna take a while."
Saturday I'll probably be doing the same thing on Harrison Avenue next to McDonald's when the NAACP Resurrection for Justice Demonstration marches by. But now I'm thinking, "Damn, I'm starting to get impatient. I've been hearing that same tune for over 43 years! When, for Pete's Sake? We named a street and holiday after the guy; what more could those people want? And when will we know we overcame?" I'll tell you.
We'll know when we shall have overcome when race is removed as a factor in political contests which pit one race against the other. When whites split their votes evenly between parties and blacks do the same. In Florida, when location (north or south part of the state) doesn't matter in the voting booth. There are reasons why people vote one way or the other, but race should not be one of them. Neither black or white support justice; they support the base of their power -- one political party or the other. The problem isn't racial hatred; it's greed and corruption on both sides, politics as usual. Blacks will say that Sharpton, Jackson and Crump are fighting for justice; whites will say that Crump, Sharpton and Jackson are really fighting for a $4M paycheck and personal political power by keeping the blacks voting as a bloc. By promoting racial harmony? No, by doing the opposite. The governor is claiming he wants everybody arrested and fired and punished in Bay County in the interest of justice. But is it really for cheap political reasons of exediency?
We can evaluate the role race plays rather than politics somewhat because we have the Minden, LA Hope Youth Ranch death now for comparative analysis. In that case there is a reversal of roles in that the victim is white and the guards are all black whereas in the boot camp case the victim is black and the guards are mostly white. The Minden death occurred in September; the Panama City one in January.
The NAACP has claimed victory already by accomplishing the following in Panama City:
1. Boot camp closed rather than merely changing policy by outlawing physical discipline.
2. Dismissal of nurse and drill instructors (guards).
3. Removal of top cop Tunnell from $136K/yr. job.
The NAACP is marching Saturday demanding also that
1. The nurse and drill instructors be arrested
2. Tunnell be removed from his new $40K/yr. job.
3. The former boot camp commander be fired from the Sheriff's Office.
And they want independent Special Prosecutor Ober to file charges immediately. I believe they are also asking for the first medical examiner to be arrested/fired/license revoked for his 'coverup' role in stating the victim died due to complications from sickle cell trait.
Now, let's compare the Panama City case to the Minden case which occurred four months earlier. This week charges were laid against the eight black counselors (guards) for negligent homicide. That means that Mr. Ober still has four months to make a decision about filing charges since there were no complaints about delayed justice in the Minden case
1. The Youth Ranch was not closed, merely policy changed to outlaw physical punishment.
2. No personnel were fired as a result of the incident. They're still employed there.
3. No state or local government personnel have been disciplined or being demanded to do so.
4. No discipline/punishment is being requested for the Youth Camp commander/CEO.
Media coverage is minimal and race isn't even mentioned of the victim or accused -- in sharp contrast to the Panama City case. Race was determined solely by mug shots in the little 5day/wk. all-white Minden Press-Herald this week following indictments. The NAACP is silent on the Minden case even though the indicted are all black and appear innocent (to me, at least).
So when shall we overcome? Check back with me in another 43 years for an update. The last 43 was a bit slow. I'll only be 110 then, and I have to live longer than that just to recoup all the money the IRS has stolen from me so far. :-) Stan
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May 25, 2006
When State Attorney Mark Ober goes to the office in Tampa Thursday morning, he will have had the Martin Lee Anderson case for 104 days. So far no one has been indicted in the 14-year-old's death at the Bay County Boot Camp. CP are getting impatient. The NAACP says its disappointed with nearly every facet of the Anderson investigation. The group says Special Prosecutor Ober is being too slow to file charges against the drill instructors, and the boot camp nurse.They're also angry with State Attorney Steve Meadows for hiring former FDLE Commissioner Guy Tunnell.The NAACP's latest initiative in the Anderson case is a public awareness campaign designed to pressure Special Prosecutor Mark Ober to file some criminal charges.Herbert Howard represents the Bay County NAACP and says, "We, the Bay County Branch, along with the Florida State Conference, have agreed to do this Resurrection for Justice Campaign until justice is served throughout this Bay County."The campaign will kick off on June 3 in Panama City with a march from the Marina Civic Center to Tommy Oliver Stadium. It will feature some yet-to-be announced prominent civil rights leaders. Herbert Howard says they hope the march will keep national attention on the Anderson incident and put political pressure on those involved in it. The Bay County sheriff made a choice to ignore the severity of the action and behaviors of those placed in the authority and custodial responsibility for our youth."The group also wants Guy Tunnell fired from the state attorney's office for his interference in the Anderson investigation and inappropriate comments he made about civil rights leaders. I think that the only way Mr. Tunnell can really do a good job in Bay County is to go by and see the big man upstairs and have his heart cleaned up, because it was not anyone in Bay County who caused Mr. Tunnell to say his remarks, but rather, Mr. Tunnell." At his own news conference Wednesday, State Attorney Steve Meadows said he's standing by his decision to hire the former FDLE commissioner as his newest investigator. "I don't know what more he can do to atone for those remarks but he is an extremely talented and valuable resource that our community needs."But the NAACP says its main goal in the resurrection for justice campaign is to see the arrests of everyone involved in the Anderson incident.So far there have been no indictments against anyone involved in the case. Besides the arrests, the civil rights group says it wants to see the former boot camp commander Mike Thompson fired from the Sheriff's Office.
