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Tag(s): Arrogance; Bigotry; Fort Worth; Justice; Race; Republican; Texas
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May 23, 2008 at 12:13:22

Democrat, don't let the sun set on you in Fort Worth

by Ed Martin Page 1 of 1 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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A May 22 article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram exposes the smugness, bigotry, racism and arrogance of the Republican stranglehold on Tarrant County, Texas.

The article recounts the experience of a white couple with a black lawyer, Nuru Witherspoon, in a car crash case before County Court-at-Law Judge Brent Keis. Witherspoon filed a complaint with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct regardings Keis' conduct during a pretrial hearing.

Witherspoon reported that Keis told him "that he thought slavery and the Middle Passage made my people better athletes. Judge Keis further stated that we are bigger and stronger athletes because weak slaves were thrown overboard and never made it to the Americas." This candid expression of racism, to a black man.

Keis also told the attorney's clients - who are white - that Tarrant County is made up of Republicans who think like him, and compared the risk of continuing with the case instead of settling to "Betting on Black." Another expression of overt racism.

Keis asked Witherspoon about his first name. It is an African name. Witherspoon explained that he is from Georgia, USA. Another instance of bringing racism into a court of law, where the law forbids racism. Doesn't matter to Keis, after all, he's a privileged Republican.

The commission ordered Keis to complete an eight-hour course covering the topics of racial sensitivity and diversity, including the perceptions of litigants and their clients regarding comments made by and with the apparent authority of a trial judge.

What Judge Keis was telling this attorney and his clients is that it is obvious to him that they couldn't possibly be Republicans, being white people who have stooped to hiring a black lawyer and that not being Republicans, they don't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting fair and impartial treatment, much less winning a case, in his Republican court.

Does anyone think that eight hours of counseling is going to turn this Republican judge around and make him racially sensitive, unbiased, fair and impartial to people who are not perceived to be Republican? Does anyone think the lifetime of the universe would be time enough to do it? No? I don't think so, either.

Keis never asked and never knew whether the attorney and his clients were Republicans or Democrats. Didn't matter to him, since they were not bald headed white fat f**kers, like him, (think Karl Rove) they couldn't possibly be a member of the Republican eite.

I can only imagine how this attorney and his clients must have felt, being dressed down by a judge, being humiliated about their choice of attorney, being made to feel inferior and being told that they have no chance with this judge, before the trial has even begun.

This is the state of what is call the dispensing of justice in Tarrant County, Texas. The sad part of it is that Judge Keis is right about one thing; Tarrant County is made up of and run by Republicans who think like him. If you can stretch it far enough to call it thinking.

The title of this article is a version of signs I have seen years ago posted prominently on entering some towns here in Texas. The word Democrat is substituted for the racial slur that was on the original signs, and Fort Worth is representative of whatever town used the signs.

Ed Martin is an unindicted curmudgeon. He is not a Democrat, Republican, conservative, liberal, deist, atheist, or a member of any -ism.

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5 comments

SW Texas ultra-liberal
john riggsSW Texas ultra-liberal

Foat Wuth just another fascist bastion.

In Maverick County we only have one party and here it is a Mexican mafia in charge. In Val Verde County I waited 6 months in solitary for my trial. When I was declared innocent by the jury Judge Tom Lee had me sent back to jail for "processing", this allows the corporate jail to collect another day of fees from the state. Is it constitutional to send an innocent man to jail ? It doesnt matter in a fascist police state, bottom line only matters and we are just the cattle of their stalls. The Del Rio Texas police officer that had me jailed had to testify under oath he was dating my wife. He is still on the force and still sexually harrassing women to this day. When a cop is killed I have no opinion as to whether it was good or bad. This is the lawless land of criminal authority. When in Texas dont be taken alive if you want to keep your dignity or humanity.

by john riggs (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 426 comments) on Sunday, May 25, 2008 at 11:01:10 AM

Armed with word, song, and sequencer, Mars delivers social analysis, dreams and blueprints for change. She survived the 1999 National Poetry Slam, has performed all over Chicago, and has been a featured speaker at many political rallies. Born in New England in the radical 60's, Mars is a veteran political activist, performance artist/musician, chocoholic, early childhood educator, photographer, sky-watcher, single mom of a rebel in training, and proud African-american bowl of gumbo.
Mars CaultonArmed with word, song, and sequencer, Mars delivers social analysis, dreams and blueprints for change. She survived the 1999 National Poetry Slam, has performed all over Chicago, and has been a featured speaker at many political rallies. Born in New England in the radical 60's, Mars is a veteran political activist, performance artist/musician, chocoholic, early childhood educator, photographer, sky-watcher, single mom of a rebel in training, and proud African-american bowl of gumbo.

If any of this surprises you...

... then you haven't been paying attention to the history of judges and courts in America. "Unbelievable"? Judge Sabo was heard to say regarding Mumia Abu-Jamal that he was going to help them "fry the nigger." Last month a NY judge found the three police who fired 50 rounds at an unarmed Sean Bell not guilty on all charges. A couple of years ago, the judge in a rape trial forced the victim as well as the jury to watch the video her attacker made of her assault, in part to jog her blacked-out memory.

If the story shared in this article is the worst you've heard of, you've got your head deep in the sand, my friend.

by Mars Caulton (1 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 82 comments) on Monday, May 26, 2008 at 12:23:33 AM

Ed Martin is an unindicted curmudgeon. He is not a Democrat, Republican, conservative, liberal, deist, atheist, or a member of any -ism.
Ed MartinEd Martin is an unindicted curmudgeon. He is not a Democrat, Republican, conservative, liberal, deist, atheist, or a member of any -ism.

Head in the sand?

Of course this isn't the worst I've heard. A reading of the article will show that I didn't say, or even imply, that that is the case. I'm well aware that there is much worse, and it is evident that a person with their head in the sand would not be aware of that, or this story, either.

by Ed Martin (120 articles, 0 quicklinks, 33 diaries, 140 comments) on Monday, May 26, 2008 at 9:59:47 AM

Conservative prolife anti-death penalty tree hugger. Believe that less government is good government, government cannot solve anyone's personal problems, the government taking money from one group of people and giving it to another group of people is a crime, and that people should take responsibility for their own lives.
Mad JayhawkConservative prolife anti-death penalty tree hugger. Believe that less government is good government, government cannot solve anyone's personal problems, the government taking money from one group of people and giving it to another group of people is a crime, and that people should take responsibility for their own lives.

KKK

There is one respected Democrat in the US Senate who is a former officer in the KKK. Should we judge the entire Democratic Party by this one individual? Should we judge the entire Democratic Party by their steadfast opposition to racial progress at one time in their history? Governor Faubus was a Democrat wasn't he? Do not slander all Republicans by the actions of a few. Do not slander all Democrats by the actions of a large number of them.

In the current primary battles there is more than ample evidence that there are plenty of racists who call themselves Democrats. Are the Democrats proud of that or they would just rather ignore it and scream that the Republicans are bigger racists than our racists?

Just because a few well-educated, non-gun-toting, non-bible-thumping elitists, happy-and-not-bitter Democrats take the racial high ground do not assume that all of them do. In other words, if you live in a glass house it is not advisable to throw rocks. And, clean up your own house before you complain about how dirty your neighbor's is. Both parties have a lot of clean-up work to do in the area of racial politics.

by Mad Jayhawk (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 309 comments) on Monday, May 26, 2008 at 5:24:26 PM

Sundown Towns

History note:

The author of this article uses a racist play on words that is used to describe what are called 'sundown towns'. I had a conversation with the author of a book about Sundown Towns a number of years ago about a 'sundown signs' I had seen outside a towns in Kansas back in the 1950s when I was a kid. I was trying to help him identify the sundown town and thought since this sign was fairly recent maybe those who had put it up or took it down were still around for him to interview. These towns and signs are a part, a definite shabby part, of our country's history and it is good that he took the time to document them.

Sundown towns were wide spread in the US in the 1920's and 1930's when white supremacy was almost everywhere in this country. The large, well-kept sign on US 34 in Kansas I remember from around 1955 vividly said "Nigger, don't let the sun set on your ass here." and showed a stereotypical picture of a black man. Even though I was young the obvious hatred in the sign shocked me because my parents brought us up to respect everyone. My uncle, who is in his 90s now, lives 20-30 miles from the sign and I asked him about it and won't repeat what he said. It wasn't nice. His attitude towards black people was not atypical for white people living then. Things have changed although there are people of both races who honestly believe that they haven't.

by Mad Jayhawk (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 309 comments) on Monday, May 26, 2008 at 5:49:20 PM