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14 year old Texas girl gets 7 years in prison for shoving Hall Monitor

chicagotribune.com — In Texas, a white teenager burns down her family's home and receives probation. A black one shoves a hall monitor and gets 7 years in prison. The youth had no prior arrest record, and the hall monitor--a 58-year-old teacher's aide--was not seriously injured. But Shaquanda was tried in March 2006 in the town's juvenile court, convicted of assault.

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  • ntransit, on 10/12/2007, -27/+380Atrocious.
    • canti32, on 10/12/2007, -38/+477"There was the 19-year-old white man, convicted last July of criminally negligent homicide for killing a 54-year-old black woman and her 3-year-old grandson with his truck, who was sentenced in Paris to probation and required to send an annual Christmas card to the victims' family."

      Plus

      "Among the write-ups Shaquanda received, according to Reynerson, were citations for wearing a skirt that was an inch too short, pouring too much paint into a cup during an art class and defacing a desk that school officials later conceded bore no signs of damage."

      Equals Racism.
    • CraigB12, on 10/12/2007, -228/+22blah blah blah
    • naughtymonkey69, on 10/12/2007, -110/+25[sarcasm]
      She should of just burned down the hall monitor's house instead...destroying property doesn't seem to be that offensive, but pushing someone... thats like totally attempted murder, just imagine if their had been a banana peel in the area or something.
      [/sarcasm]
    • stevegraham, on 10/12/2007, -5/+383If someone killed your grandma and practically got away with it, would you want a xmas card every year from the perp? This judiciary = fubar
    • dominasian, on 10/12/2007, -3/+72@ntransit
      agreed
      the only slightly fitting punishment would be maybe a demerit or at most a detention
      all she wanted was her medicine
      this is terrible no matter what spin you put on it
    • Tripacer, on 10/12/2007, -29/+132***** racist judge...
    • Ninjab3ar, on 10/12/2007, -126/+355Although i do think this is unjust, i hate articles like this:

      -Something bad happens to a BLACK person.
      -Something less bad happens to an unrelated WHITE person.

      OMG RACISM!
    • Bartboy919, on 10/12/2007, -99/+40Yet another reason Lincoln should have let the confederacy become its own country. The south causes to many problems for the U.S. Just think about it, George Bush would have never become president if the confederacy was intact.
    • jakobahman, on 10/12/2007, -18/+137@tripacer "***** racist judge..."

      Not the jury?
    • realitybias, on 10/12/2007, -11/+132No kidding. Where the heck is the ACLU in all of this? I live in the buckle of the bible belt here in North Louisiana, and this stuff is commonplace. I'm not even a minority in any sense of the word, but the way I see my fellow man and woman treated, I become more disgusted with the double standard that has been ingrained into everyday life. Many of you possibly come from places who have broken free of the 1950s dichotomy between them and us, black people and white people, but make no mistake, discrimination still exists on levels that this article doesn't even BEGIN to represent. Can you imagine the quality of education in a school like this?
    • Doomy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+29I agree - wheres the jury in this? Unless the judge issued his/her own ruling...
    • halleyscomet, on 10/12/2007, -16/+98@Bartboy919

      A quick note: George W is not Texan. He was born, raised and educated in Connecticut. He's lived in Washington DC far longer than he ever lived in Texas.

      And yes, this means Texans voted for a Connecticut Yankee as their governor. I guess they decided they couldn't find a local who could run things.
    • thomasknowland, on 10/12/2007, -6/+49@ninjab3ar
      it's not unrelated though, same town. one that is notoriously racist. in most stories, you're dead on right. not here, i don't think.
    • thcobbs, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1@stevegraham

      Hell yes. It's an easy way to keep track of them for when a pale rider comes for a visit.
    • 98acura, on 10/12/2007, -150/+18There is probably more to the story than she "shoved" her. Probably has a history of criminal or delinquent acts. You people need to quit basing your opinions on news stories that are obviously one sided. The news has become nothing more than a battle for ratings. More entertainment than news. The black and white aspect of this story, is just to get more attention, ratings and add more "shock" factor. If the girl truly did just "shove" the other student, she can appeal the decision and get out of the charges.

      I hate every time something like this happens, people have to pull out the friggin race card then, like magic, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will be all over it.

      Guess it's time to get buried.
    • TravisG5, on 10/12/2007, -4/+63Wow, so to punish her for a silly little mistake... they have ruined 7 years of her life.
    • pwill, on 10/12/2007, -3/+72@jakobahman
      The judge does the sentencing, not the jury.
    • catalysis, on 10/12/2007, -7/+75@stevegraham

      Criminally negligent homicide could have been a car accident for all we know, in which case probation is quite common. The author seems to go out of his way to leave out details.

      Also, "..and sentenced by Lamar County Judge Chuck Superville to prison for up to 7 years."

      Well, is it 7 years or is it up to 7 years? Huge difference.

      I'm not denying there is racism here, I don't know. I'm just pointing out some things that make the article appear biased and sensational. For me, the article would be much more effective if it just gave the facts.
    • TheUngod, on 10/12/2007, -14/+25@halleyscomet

      Born, yes...raised? Only until TWO years old! He moved to Texas at age 2.
    • Ninjab3ar, on 10/12/2007, -5/+74@98ACURA

      Does "no criminal history" mean anything to you? Oh, wait, you didnt RTFA.
    • BlinkBoy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+27@halleyscomet

      The President was born in New Haven, CT but his parent's moved to Texas when he was only 2 years old. He grew up in Midland and Houston, Texas.

      edit: you beat me to it theungod. :-)
    • scottc, on 10/12/2007, -10/+42@98ACURA

      Yeah, you're right. We should base our opinions on the baseless speculations in your Digg comments, instead.
    • Chebyshev, on 10/12/2007, -7/+59@98ACURA

      Buried, but not because of your opinion, but because you didn't RTFA before spouting off.
    • 98acura, on 10/12/2007, -48/+9@ninjab3ar
      Criminal history means criminal record.. Doesn't mean she hasn't been in trouble multiple times before.. Apparently you didn't read my post very thoroughly talking about the news being more entertainment than fact.
    • Ninjab3ar, on 10/12/2007, -2/+24@98ACURA

      If she did get in trouble, but it wasnt in her criminal record, they wouldnt be any serious "crimes" IMO. And that wouldnt be enough cause for someone to sentence a person to 7 years for shoving another person. What was the sentence based on, word of mouth?
    • walkingdogs, on 10/12/2007, -11/+25Racism in Texas? you don't say.

      Lived in Texas for 6 years so I'm not speaking off the cuff.
    • RekCognize, on 10/12/2007, -4/+32@98ACURA

      RTFA. Why does there have to be more to the story? You don't believe it's possible that the judge could be, at the very least, biased against someone? Sometimes the race card is overused. And sometimes it fits like a glove.

      They specifically mentioned the chick that burnt the house down because that very same Judge gave her probation. That doesn't sound "fishy" to you?
    • dirtyfrog, on 10/12/2007, -1/+23@stevegraham

      I remember talking about a case during law class in high school (I don't remember the name of it, just the outcome) and basically a young guy hit someone with his car. Instead of having the judge sentence the guy to prison the family of the person who died just asked that every year on the anniversary of the accident he had to send the parents a check for $1.00. Not because they wanted to hear from the guy that killed their kid, but because they felt that him having to remember what he did and how it affected other people was more of a punishment. Anyway, I would assume that the family requested a Christmas card be sent every year so this guy couldn't forget what he did. If he doesn't send a card he may face tougher consequences.
    • fatdog789, on 10/12/2007, -8/+41The difference:
      criminally negligent homicide is an *unintentional* crime, which the perp didn't intend to commit
      shoving someone requires intent (or legally does to establish liability)

      The criminal justice system has moved away from a solely results-based approach toward a more mental-based approach over the past few decades. That means intentional crimes are considered worse than unintentional (for example, negligent) crimes. Which means, conceivably, that if a guy accidentally crashed into someone while going 5 miles over the speed limit, and the other person dies, he's simply not as guilty as a person who intentionally attacks another person even if the victim here isn't harmed.

      There are many reasons for this, here are the two primary ones:
      - Retributive: Punish guilt, not people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. intentional acts deserve punishment. Negligent acts usually don't
      - Deterrent effect: punishing someone who didn't intend to commit a crime doesn't deter them because they hadn't intended to do it in the first place


      That being said, this is Texas we're talking about. A state so ***** up they tried to make the Enron guys their congressional representatives *after* the scandal.
    • elnerdo, on 10/12/2007, -24/+20Actually, those cases make a bit of sense. It's all about intent. In the first, the white man didn't MEAN to kill them. It was criminally negligent homocide. It was an foolish accident on his part. He probably feels like crap about it, and will be really careful for the rest of his life. He's not that much of a danger to society.

      In the second case, she actually attacked the monitor. She fully intended to harm him. It's likely that she'll want to harm people again. She IS a danger to society.
    • r00tus3r, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1@ninjab3ar ... you got a better explanation?
    • weister42, on 10/12/2007, -22/+5All I have to say is whoever started racism should burn in hell. Such a stupid idea.

      ...then again, I wonder who destroyed the Aztecs, almost killed all of the Native Americans, made Blacks slaves, invaded Asia in the 1800s...
    • KDX200rider, on 10/12/2007, -14/+10Maybe the ACLU should stop trying to get Christmas banned, and deal with cases like this. Certainly sounds like it would be worth investigating.

    • iceperson, on 10/12/2007, -2/+48@weister

      If you're implying that racism is a "white thing" then you'd be wrong. As a native american myself I know quite well the history of certain tribes in enslaving others. Hell, it wasn't unheard of for one tribe to annilate another and take their women. The first black slaves were taken by... blacks. And don't even try to pretend you don't know about the history of Asian on Asian hate. Even today the japanese are one of the most ethnocentric people on the planet.
    • Zippo, on 10/12/2007, -15/+7God bless America, home of the free.
      /sarcasm
    • ray901, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5@fatdog789
      "The criminal justice system has moved away from a solely results-based approach toward a more mental-based approach over the past few decades."

      Yeah, mental is definitely the right word to use here.
    • peritonlogon, on 10/12/2007, -18/+21@ninjab3ar

      "-Something bad happens to a BLACK person.
      -Something less bad happens to an unrelated WHITE person.

      OMG RACISM!"

      Dude, what does it take for people to understand the level of racism that still exists? Studies ( http://www.civilrights.org/publications/reports/cj/intro.html ) (there are mountains and mountains of more studies if you do some research), examples, stories?

      In fact, what makes the news more is, marginally qualified person doesn't get into University of Michigan OMG Affirmative Action is racist...well, that person never would have gotten in if AA didn't exist...some other white person would have. Just like you drive past a handicap spot and think... man I could be parking there instead of far away from the store if not for these handicap spots... well, no, you would be parking in about the same spot, maybe one closer because someone else would have already parked in that spot.

      But, nonetheless, more stories are devoted to discrimination against whites than discrimination against blacks. Ever wonder why the unemployment rate for blacks is consistently three times that of whites? Keeping in mind that the unemployment rate measures unemployed people in the workforce looking for work and not simply people who are not working.

      What more evidence is needed? How about, going to a city and asking some black people their view.

      Ever heard of "priority neighborhoods" and "priority streets." That's the euphemism for the white neighborhoods get the school money, the road repair, the streets swept, the roads plowed, the police presence first and whatever might be left, may get to go to the black neighborhoods.

      If you live in some suburb you might never notices this. If you live in a city it is plain as day. And now a-days, "urban" and "inner city" has become the euphemism for black.
    • tekz0r, on 10/12/2007, -21/+15In Soviet Russia, Hall monitors shove YOU!

      [/obligatory ussr comment abuse.]

      didn't see one, so i had to.
      *bows*
      ..
      *ducks*
    • rhawk301, on 10/12/2007, -7/+19This is a statement on our schools, not racism. Any little infraction is now considered a felony. They want to get everyone in the system, and better yet NOT have to deal with these kids again.

      If you glide through school accepting ALL forms of conditioning and brainwashing, you might, just maybe survive the experience. Of course you will be scarred for life with no real hope of understanding the true society as a whole. You will only see things from the establishment viewpoint.

      I would look into whether this school prescribes to a zero-tolerance policy or not. If they do, you should take your kids out immediately and have them transferred to a school which does not have one. Kids will be kids, and we MUST train them to be civil.

      A 14 year old "pushing" anyone would be considered bad behavior and should be written up as such. It would be the parents responsibility to correct such action. If this girl continues to be aggressive, then you take more appropriate action, but NEVER jail. Jail is for hardened criminals who cannot be simply rehabilitated using normal society methods.
    • drmangrum, on 10/12/2007, -10/+18There is always more to the story than what the author wants you do know. The author seems to spend a good bit of time downplaying some of the kids disciplinary actions, even calling out some rather ridiculous ones. However, if you have ever known a teacher in a public school, they will take ANY chance to get a problem child out of a classroom. They mention her mother being part of an activist group in town. I find it more likely that the mothers political views got hammered into the child and misinterpreted as permission to lash out at school.

      They can't even get some of the facts strait, first they say shoved, then they say grabbed. Which is it? They say up to 7 years. That means sentencing hasn't even been carried out.

      And what the hell does a COMPLETELY unrelated case have to do with the child's case. The author makes is trying to play a misdirection game here. This is nothing more than parents trying to bail their child out of trouble by playing the much abused race card. The parents say the child is "impulsive", "frequently tardy", and "speaks out of turn." Now, almost everyone out there in the REAL world knows what this means in when the parental ***** filter is removed: The kid was a loudmouth, disruptive troublemaker. Maybe the kid was "targetted" because she actually, oh i don't know, CAUSED TROUBLE!
    • mekongcola, on 10/12/2007, -16/+10I LOL'D!

      None of you hacks have a law degree. Perhaps you should not jump to conclusions and allow those officials with experience and knowledge to deal with the sentencing...

      It’s not racism if a black person breaks the law and is punished for it via due process…Even though the NAACP would like you to think so…


    • rshu4you, on 10/12/2007, -15/+6prison for up to 7 years

      Could be a month........

      All crimes have like 6 months to life..........
      Exaggeration AGAIN.... OMG Texas, must be Bush's fault!!!!!

      DUGG as Innacurate

    • DJrapture, on 10/12/2007, -6/+0Nefarious!
    • fiktionous1, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Anyone have more info on this case? Where are court documents, etc? I find it whacky that she has been in prison for over a year now and NOTHING has been mentioned about this before. It sucks that racism exists, but there may be more to the story than reported in the article. She could have been a complete bitch and disrespectful in court. Which any judge would probably say "OH YEA WELL... SLAM 7 YEARS BITCH!"

      I'd like to see the entire story before saying HOLY ***** ANOTHER RACIST!

      It probably is, but I don't want to believe it until I have the full facts rather than one side of the story... the article. Reading the article it mentioned previously 3 months before some GUY got probation for arson and blah blah... then on her blog site its a white GIRL. Just some of it sounds like a bogus "FIGHT THE POWER" ***** from the black panthers.

      Racism sucks, but it will always be there... on both sides.
    • rudedogdhc, on 10/12/2007, -3/+27@ninjab3ar
      "-Something bad happens to a BLACK person.
      -Something less bad happens to an unrelated WHITE person.

      OMG RACISM!"

      Except in this case it is related, because the same judge sentenced both the white girl convicted of arson (probation) and the black girl convicted of battery (7 years). The most likely explanation for this disparity is racism.
    • djAnakin, on 10/12/2007, -14/+5OMG Another black person playing the race card!!!!!! Surprise!!!!


      /sarcasm.


      Guess she won't be pushing any other old ladies anytime soon, will she? When are blacks going to stop passing responsibility for blacks actions.
    • person51090, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10Let them know how angry you are. This is absurd and racist. Get in touch with Mindy Moree, the "administrative director" of the "Paris Chamber". Send an angry e-mail, or leave an angry voice message.

      mindy@paristexas.com
      (903) 784-2501
    • 21chrisp, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@ninjab3ar

      Agreed. This type of attitude just perpetuates racism by promoting an "us vs. them" approach. The sooner injustices are dealt with on a case by case basis rather than a race by race basis, the sooner we can leave this baggage behind - because it's going to take generations for that to happen. Fighting racism with racism leads to more racism. We need fair and equal rights for all people, that includes the proper punishment for the criminals that do deserve it.
    • takeda, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2"Where the heck is the ACLU in all of this?"
      they are busy making videos how not to get arrested for drugs possesion.
    • zenmasher, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13@ninjab3ar

      Did you read the article? Same judge in both cases. That is racism.
    • mike17032, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1Innacurate.

      There is nothing here linking this to racism at all. The other case is unrelated and was in front of a different judge. Even if this is a boneheaded sentence, that does not mean it was because of race.

      News flash jackass, a bad thing happening to someone that is black is not the same thing as racism. Seeing racism where there is none makes YOU a racist.
    • ayeroxor, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1This child was sentenced because she has a made-up name. I bet if her name were Betty or Lucy, it would be different.
    • ophello, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Urge to kill....rising...
    • RedKiteFlying, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5@mekongcola

      As someone WITH a law-related degree (political science with concentration in legal studies), and a current law student, I find this case to be a travesty. Due process is supposed to mean that individuals who commit similar crimes under similar circumstances should be treated equally under the law. This is NOT due process. This is a farce.
    • almightyzam, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@ all who think the jury should be liable / are racist...

      Not necessarily true, the jury only decides the vertict (guilty vs. not guilty) of the defendent. However, the judge's duty is to determine the sentence of the defendent...therefore it is the judge who is racist, not necessarily the jury. Like the article says about the white individual who burned down her parents house. They were CONVICTED of arson by the jury, but were only sentenced to probation by the judge. Although, this is all taking place in Paris, Texas, an extremely segregated and racist town...I wouldn't be suprised if the jury was primarily or totally white and racist too...
    • ophello, on 10/12/2007, -12/+12@ninjab3ar
      "-Something bad happens to a BLACK person.
      -Something less bad happens to an unrelated WHITE person.
      OMG RACISM!"

      You're ignorant in the extreme.
      The black person got 7 YEARS for SHOVING SOMEONE.
      The white person got PROBATION for ARSON.

      Idiots like you are the reason racism still exists.

      And to all the sheep who dug up your comment, I pity you all.
    • RedKiteFlying, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@almightyzam

      Cases involving juveniles (those that have not been certified to stand trial as adults) are not heard by juries in most states.
    • slicedoranges, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3It's not like this always happening everywhere, but when it does happen it definitely shows us how corrupt our judicial system is.
    • decadence, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9@elnerdo
      "In the second case, she actually attacked the monitor. She fully intended to harm him. It's likely that she'll want to harm people again. She IS a danger to society."

      I totally agree. Who knows when she might have pushed again? Good thing they caught her early before she moved on to more serious crimes like tripping or pushing people while her friend crouched down behind them.

      Knowing that people can be thrown in prison for 7 years over something like this makes me feel real safe. We're so lucky to have such a sensible legal system to protect us.
    • stevets, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7Don't mess with Texas!


      It's not nice to pick on retards.
    • InfamousAtheist, on 10/12/2007, -5/+9All you people who are hating on Texas and Texans as a whole are just as bad as any racist that ever walked the earth.

      It's certainly true that we have our share of rednecks and assholes, but so does EVERY OTHER state. I've visited most of them and lived in four others. I have met racists in New York, California, Utah, Washington, Florida, Arizona, and many other places I've lived and visited. For *****'s sake, I'm in Rhode Island right now and I heard the N-bomb today.

      You're unfairly categorizing me, my family, and my friends based on where we live. I'm not racist. I never voted for Bush. This story makes me just as sick as it makes you.

      So take hypocrisy elsewhere, and ***** off.
    • digibruce, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@fatdog789

      Ah, the irony:
      - I intended to drive a car.
      - I intended to speed.
      - I intended to run that red light.
      - I did not intend to run into that person and kill them.

      If you don't punish "accidents", then only the careful will take care. The average thoughtless person will:
      - Drive recklessly
      - Drink and drive
      - Leave loaded weapons lying around their house and handle them unsafely
      - etc.

      This is most obvious when it comes to corporations, which routinely:
      - Build chemical plants that are very unsafe in highly populated areas
      - Run their supertankers aground and poison the environment
      - etc.

      Your attitude is a classic example of cost externalization - all costs of "unintended" (but not unanticipated!) side effects of behavior are offloaded onto other people - innocent people, I might add.
    • cmiller1, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2You guys wanna see some REAL racism? I bet the reporter didn't even know she was black, and just assumed because of the name.
    • foolfromhell, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1"required to send an annual Christmas card to the victims' family."
      Separation of Church and State?
      Why Christmas card?
    • Nerdculture, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5My family, not including myself, is from Paris, Texas. I can say for a fact that the city is still divided by a set of railroad tracks with a stark contrast between the black and white sides....

      Unfortunately, I don't doubt this story at all. My 15 year old cousin is probably one of the worst behaved children in the area with a police record and all. Because she is a cute little white girl she got off with nothing but community service for stealing a car, drug possession, assault, robbery, and many other things. I love the girl but she does serve as one example of the difference of how blacks and whites are treated in the Paris area.

      Things must change. I am so glad that the family is coming out about the mistreatment. :D
    • mikesly, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Note to self - if I am gay, black or Cherokee stay out of Texas..
    • sotopheavy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Cotton. Shaquanda Cotton.
    • bloodelfa, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1question any one else find it weird that it happend in texas and is in the chicago tribune? cus its umm a ways away from texas last i checked and how the hell is that even right i been wanting this kid were i live in jail cus hes always doing iligal stuff and when i react to it i get inb trouble as in he hit me 3 times and i hit him once (he was 16 i was 15) and i got 2 weeks of in school suspension and the teachers saw him hit me its cus he has a ***** IEP *some sort of learning disability and he gets away with any thing o they say he got in trouble yea lets see they sent him to iss he went to the specil ed room were he gets to do what ever he wants and gets to go out side me i only got to get my lunch AFTER every other person got theirs and I got a fine he didnt
    • dasilva333, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Hate to hijack this thread but I feel if we focus on the racist judge making these calls then we could all prolly email him something nicely informing him of our opinions like maybe a link to this digg article
      Executive Committee Member
      Honorable M.C. (Chuck) Superville, Jr
      Judge, Lamar County, TX
      Lamar County Courthouse
      119 N. Main St., # 201
      Paris, TX 75460
      903-737-2410
      903-785-3858 f
      http://www.atcog.org/administration_&_finance.htm
    • kuzotz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The same Judge sentenced a white girl that burned down a house for probation... No jail time for her nope, but the black girl...


      IS this 1963? noo its 2007..

      This ***** finally made it onto digg? ITs been circulating for weeks.
    • sacinandana, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Email the Judge and let him know what you think! Come on do it!
      Judge_Superville@co.lamar.tx.us
    • ayeroxor, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2You guys modded me down because I'm white, didn't you?


    • fcekuahd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0This is a pretty obvious candidate for appeal. Obviously the Judge and DA in this case need to lose their jobs. This is a clear case either of racial bias or of unforgivable lack of judgment.
  • Winters, on 10/12/2007, -5/+77Offtopic: Why the hell does old media require registration on their websites? They wonder why new media is slowly killing them and yet continue to stick to their ways. ***** them. I can't wait to see that dinosaur die.
  • Popdmb, on 10/12/2007, -28/+17"Among the write-ups Shaquanda received, according to Reynerson, were citations for wearing a skirt that was an inch too short, pouring too much paint into a cup during an art class and defacing a desk that school officials later conceded bore no signs of damage."

    For anyone who wonders why Northern states display a sense of arrogance and elitism when discussing Southern states...this is why.

    While I'm aware this is not the norm in every Southern state (thankfully), it happens far too frequently down there. Get yourselves in line.
    • Anrkist, on 10/12/2007, -18/+22I think the difference in southern states is, we actually live close to one another. In the north, everyone stays in their own place.

      Of course there are a few spots, such as New York.. the hub of racial tolerance. When the riots broke out.. none of them were in the north.. right?

      Every state has the same ammount of racisim in it, it has nothing to do with where you live.. it's how you were brought up and what you've been exposed to.

    • wild, on 10/12/2007, -11/+31Dude, CIncinnati had race riots. I was stuck in them. Your ***** stinks too.

      And you wonder why the south views you as elitist snobs...
    • gnawph2, on 10/12/2007, -3/+17"I think the difference in southern states is, we actually live close to one another. In the north, everyone stays in their own place."

      Right, thats it, us Northerners don't go out. Way too cold... I haven't seen a black person in 6 years.
    • redb369, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Um come to Detroit. The race lines are drawn in pavement.
    • Genthree, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Ever hear of Sundown Towns, prick?

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundown_town

      Only three in the entire state of Mississippi...472 in Illinois, 10,000 nationwide. Get off your pompous throne and realize that you are no better than the rest of us.
    • aliengoods, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I come from Wisconsin. You have your cities with blacks (Milwaukee, Madison), your cities with no blacks (almost all others), and a city where a select few black people are gods (Green Bay). I don't think its a racist state, but people like to feel oppressed, so I'm sure minorities would disagree.
  • augustojr, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4Interview with her mother
    http://digg.com/politics/Interview_With_Shaquanda_Cotton_s_Mother_DryerBuzz_com_Count_It_All_Joy
  • bigdoug, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13(Among the write-ups Shaquanda received, according to Reynerson, were citations for wearing a skirt that was an inch too short, pouring too much paint into a cup during an art class and defacing a desk that school officials later conceded bore no signs of damage.) - sounds like Catholic School
  • GoChris, on 10/12/2007, -5/+120The case seems pretty black and white to me
    • Paroparo, on 10/12/2007, -9/+6Now I feel evil for laughing at this. Thanks a bunch. >_
  • AdmiralAdama, on 10/12/2007, -22/+10First thought when I read headline -- "Was she black?" -- cuz Texas is screwed up that way
  • TheToecutter, on 10/12/2007, -31/+13Texas.

    'Nuff said.
    • ngandy, on 10/12/2007, -6/+16so are you saying all Texans are racists?
    • Tallon29, on 10/12/2007, -7/+15Well, we do know that only 2 things come from Texas.
    • ICSU, on 10/12/2007, -5/+14The same people (christian zealots and rednecks) mock Sharia law and such,. the irony...

      Some US states have the worst laws in developed countries, sending people to jail for blowjobs or pictures of your 17-year-old gf and so on.
    • spliffy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3"so are you saying all Texans are racists?"

      maybe not everyone is outloud, but for the most part, yes.
      they have that whole texas pride thing, which is cool, but pretty scary.
    • WileEPeyote, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Isn't it great that people can make Texans into a stereotype by saying they are all racists and not see the hypocrisy of it...
    • kuzotz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Living in Oklahoma is no where near as bad as Texas... Goto Texas, and every tw omiles is a giant US flag flying the same height as a Giant Texas flag. Sometimes the Texas flag is bigger, and get this. They also fly the Mexican flag...

      Anyway yea Texas sucks to live in. Its hyper nationalistic, and they like to brag aobu thow they were their own state, and my god their drivers when they come to oklahoma. They are the worse drivers in the world. I swear to god... If you ever see a bad driver in Oklahoma then that person is from Texas!!

      Anyway the only part of oklahoma that is nearly as racist as Texas( and yea Oklahoma is pretty ***** racist, but so is the entire United States) is southeast oklahoma..

      Anyway I couldn't live in Texas. A state that gives its oil corporations welfare, and then taxes higher on gas even though they produce more... Then they tax you on the toll booth, and then they tax you if you're an out of state driver.. Its ridiculious...

      Texas sucks!!!1 BTW Texans are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet, but that state is ***** up for real.. The laws are too strict, and there are some ridiculious laws that if they were in any other state. They would never get enforced, but in Texas they ennforce all laws because its the law!!!

      in the sense of a microcasm...

      Texas= USA
      Oklahoma = Canada....

      I dunno bad comparison XD
    • lbmouse, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2"My anus is a flexin' givin' birth to another Texan" ~ Tuck Fexas
      "It's like a whole other country" ~ The rest of the US wishes it was
  • OutThisLife, on 10/12/2007, -6/+24I live in TX and don't doubt it.
    • bioskope, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Just to add something into the mix here. As neither a black nor a white I think I've had the privilege of seeing this from a more or less neutral P.O.V. I have to say that the blacks and the older generation of white folks are the ones who you truly need to watch out for. A black girl over here wouldnt be caught dead having a white guy for a boyfriend, or if they do they do a pretty good job of covering it up from the publics eye. Its like the African-American community is using a sort of reverse-racism which is never going to help alleviate matters. As an immigrant(legal, you bitch!) I've had my fair share of being looked down upon by gas station attendants, you know the older white folks. So its not like I just wrote this all out of guesswork.
    • kuzotz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Black women who date white guys. I really don't have a problem with it, but the thing htat bothers me is that white men always go after black women like she is some exotic prize to have. Trust me white males do bra about them having sex with a black female.... White females brag the same about having sex with a black male.

      Which is kinda why its frowned upon in the black community to date a white person... To an extent... Like most black people have no problem unless that black person just objective said "Black women play too hard to get, and white women are nicer, and better, and prettier."

      Then those people tend to get shunned.. Then you have the divisions within the black community... If only we still had the Black Panther part... Atleast we had a sense of unity then, and we were improving our neighborhood, but nope FBI ruined it for us, but I never heard of the FBI bothering to kill off KKK leaders. Which is kinda why its bad to compare the black panthers to the KKK because the black panthers worked on improving the black community. While the KKK worked on segregating themselves from everyone else, and killing those with darker skin/religious beliefs.
  • jtrost, on 10/12/2007, -4/+26Hopefully the higher level courts will overturn this because this is simply nonsense. I've done worse things than pushing hall monitors, and have never received seven years in prison.
    • GMorgan, on 10/12/2007, -3/+19She has been in prison a year already.
    • aeoo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7No kidding. If I was judged by those kind of standards when I was a kid, I should have been shot at age 8. I didn't grow up in USA, luckily. As it is, I'm a decent law abiding citizen now.

      USA has the most insane intolerance toward kids that I've seen in any country considered "1st world". Kids should not be judged harshly.
    • spliffy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1
      condemn all children, not just minorities
    • kuzotz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1you can thank Reagan for that.. "Tough on crime"

      its a joke.. It comes to the point were blacks are given harsher sentences than whites for the same crimes/accusations.

      Blacks are guilty until proven innocent.

      Whites are innocent until proven guilty

      both blacks and whites are guilty until proven not guilty, but we know they're guilty when it comes to tax evasion violations.

      the US justice system is one of the worst in the first world/free world..
  • halvertos, on 10/12/2007, -20/+25RACE WAR RACE WAR!
    • diargasm, on 10/12/2007, -25/+14Whites win! Whites Win!
    • quantumHobbit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Its a South Park quote people. Lighten up.
      Oh wait this is Digg. Screw you guys I'm going home.
  • biuku, on 10/12/2007, -3/+24The national guard should escort her out of prison and rendition the judge.

    • fuzzmeister, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Just nitpicking, but how do you "rendition" someone?
    • aeoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3If they had any balls and independent thinking, they'd do exactly that.
  • VampTheChamp, on 10/12/2007, -15/+9That's Texas for ya.
  • CluelessTroll, on 10/12/2007, -23/+7'Nuff said, I'm moving to Texas!
    ;)
  • Charlesbian, on 10/12/2007, -0/+19Just disgusting is all I have to say...Assuming this is all factual and the whole story of course.
    • kuzotz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It is factual....

      How come white people tend to think that racism just doesn't happen anymore?
  • frodsteamin2, on 10/12/2007, -6/+14We wont see this on TV media anytime soon....well at least not before we see another Caucasian missing.

    This is wrong...this town is stuck in the 60s.
  • NoDo, on 10/12/2007, -11/+7how many people from new england would need to move to texas before it became a somwhat rational state?
    • halleyscomet, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15@nodo

      You imply New Englanders are rational. I live in New England and can assure you that this is not the case.

      I would like to remind you that George W Bush is a Connecticut Yankee.
    • CletusJones, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Funny...GWB was a Texan back when he was more popular.
    • jsballardx, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Uh I remember him clearing brush and talking in a over the top fake accent but I never remember anyone from Texas saying Bush was a Texan.
    • senseigmg, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5ATHF: 1/31/07 Never Forget

      You already forgot.
    • KDX200rider, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5@halleyscomet

      I couldn't agree more, just recently here in MA a liberal judge gave a man (whose has family in local government) a sixth month sentence for participating in the rape of a 9 year old girl. (He was having sex with the girls mother in the next bed in exchange for drugs.)

      Yup, that sounds rational.

    • fuzzmeister, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Stupidity is pretty much equally spread around, Texas just likes to show it off.
    • spliffy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1texas is better at it

      woo texas pride!

      ***** texas
    • kuzotz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1New England is far form rational.. I've been to Boston.. That region of the US is really just as intolerant.. The most tolerant people I've met, and werne't smugg about it were New Yorkers..

      CAlfiornians are smugg about it, and are really just stuck up pricks.
  • dairien, on 10/12/2007, -8/+11Where's Al Sharpton when you need him?
    • TravisG5, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4You actually have a really good point, I don't get why someone dugg you down. I don't like the guy, but he is able to influence people and he should be spending his time on things like this...
    • djSyndrome, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12He's busy trying to figure out if he's entitled to any of Strom Thurmond's estate.
    • VhaidraU, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Busy crying racism over something that is not remotely racism. All the while ignoring real racism.
  • Ishiguro, on 10/12/2007, -7/+43If anyone should be getting jail time, it is a person that names their daughter Shaquanda
    • spliffy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6maybe she should have named her something more unique like tiffany.
  • howdareyou, on 10/12/2007, -6/+51Shaquanda Cotton, what an unfortunate name for a black person. Honestly it sounds like a joke.
    • Urusai, on 10/12/2007, -13/+32Picking stereotypical names for your kids isn't helping them integrate. But black people don't want integration, do they?

      BTW, screw Paris, TX.
    • spliffy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1britney cotton would have been a better choice for integration.
  • mjparker75, on 10/12/2007, -14/+3Just so you know I'm ashamed our President comes from my great home state of Texas...

    thanks Natalie! sounds like a fantastic place...
  • dudemanbro, on 10/12/2007, -23/+4Why make race an issue? Our justice system has flaws and when mistakes happen attention should be brought to it and the mistake fixed. There is no reason to bring race into this already sorry situation
    • grooviekenn, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15The flaw of Paris' court system is that it's infected with racism.
    • wordfish, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11this article pretty much states this is a 'race issue'. Yes this is a flaw in our justice system, but a flaw in the fact that the justice system is acting suspiciously racist.
    • dudemanbro, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4The article MAKES it a race issue
    • Kryptik1, on 10/12/2007, -5/+8The problem is, the dots are there. A guy who kills a grandmother and her grandson, and a 14-year old girl who commits arson, both white, get probation. A girl who shoves a hall monitor gets 7 years.

      A guy who robs a man of $2 dollars gets 10 years probation, then gets life for being caught with a joint. A man who shoots a man in the back and gets 10 years probation for it, then breaks his probation with drugs, going out of the state, and owning firearms not only gets out of having to check in with his probation officer, he simply has to mail in a postcard to the state every now and then to reaffirm his probation.

      Race IS an issue when this state's justice system comes up. The dots are there, and all it takes is a glance to connect them.
    • Amnesia10, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Normally I would agree. Race should not be an issue but it is clear that in this town that racist tendencies result in appalling inequality in justice. Personally I would like to see a law that disqualified the federal or state government funding any town where the justice was unequal.

      How on earth can the US every promote itself as a fair and equal society when things like this happen? It is things like this that tarnish the reputation of a nation.
  • digitalsatori, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6Is it just me, or are there not any sources for this? I tried Google, but can only find blogs and an ONE article from the Chicago Tribune about it. Anyone have a source?
  • cobracommander, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3@ digitalsatori

    there's your source right there, you idiot.
    • digitalsatori, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8I'd hardly call an article from another state referencing the incident a "source". How about news of her arrest, or her trial? One might assume such a case would have been quite news-worthy..
    • twoof53, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Not in Texas apparently ;)
  • CletusJones, on 10/12/2007, -10/+12I HATE RACISTS...AND PUERTO RICANS.
    • rnwen2750, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Damn... I can't remember where that is from. Too bad people don't get the reference.
    • boobie278, on 10/12/2007, -5/+0You should look in a mirror!! Your as racist as they come..
    • tcquad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@mwen

      "There's only two things I hate in this world: people who are intolerant of other people's cultures and the Dutch."
      -Nigel Powers, Austin Powers: Goldmember
  • mweflen, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4Boy. Texas. Whodathought?

    Kudos to my local paper, the trib. Good story. Kudos also to Augustojr for linking directly to the site.
    • jsballardx, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6Yea your newspaper in Chicago is writing a column about something that happened 1500 miles away they sure are credible sources on this.
    • kerrle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8For those of you that have never been here, just realize that Texas is a truly huge and varied place, and most of it is no worse in this regard than the rest of the union.

      Places like Paris and Vider...there's no excuse for that of course, but you'll find similar things in small backwoods communities all over the country, as unfortunate as that may be.
  • dehnomac, on 10/12/2007, -4/+14What the article is leaving out (purposely, to get a racial angle) is the explanation of what she was convicted of, "assault on a public servant". If found guilty, this carries a mandatory sentence, just as a crime with committed with a firearm or a hate crime.
    • JLMac, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Does Arson carry a mandatory sentence? Just asking....
    • Kryptik1, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Do you think it was deserved, though? Is shoving now tantamount to assault? Even when he wasn't injured anywhere near seriously by the shove?

      This shouldn't have even been an issue about convicting her of any kind of crime, forget one that guaranteed her 7 years in prison. This sounded more like a school disciplinary issue, yet now this girl's life is pretty well screwed.
    • batasrki, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3Right, that makes it better. Now I am much less outraged that an arsonist and a murderer, incidentally both white, get probations and are back in the community where they can cause more havoc and that a girl, incidentally black, gets 7 years in prison for "assault on public servant".

      Thank you, I feel much better.
    • Liam76, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@ jlmac

      i could be way off base on this one, but I think arson has degrees like murder.

      if they said assault, I would guess there is only one for public official otherwise they would use simple, misdemeanor, aggrevated, felony assault.
    • rshu4you, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@ Kriptik1

      "up to 7 years"
      Can you read????
    • LeeSoong, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Attack a government official, and what do you expect to happen?
  • mikesty, on 10/12/2007, -8/+12She should have kicked her in the chest while yelling THIS IS SPARTA!!!!
  • Afrominican, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1So saddening...
  • matriculated, on 10/12/2007, -2/+19I don't think I could live with myself if I decided to throw a young girls life away. She's going to spend her teenage years and the beginning of her adulthood in jail? What is wrong with people?
    • aeoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18It's simple. They just don't associate themselves with that girl. They cannot put themselves in her shoes. It means there is no empathy. That's similar to what happens between professional butchers and the animals they must butcher as part of their job. There is no emotional connection to the animal. If there was, the job of being a butcher would be intolerable.

      The reason racists can get away with crap like that and sleep well at night is because they have a pretty deep dissociation from people of other races they hate.
  • Siphen21, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3With a name like Shaquanda, it has to be good
  • ahoy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5@ ninjab3ar

    Are you ***** retarded? You'd have to cite precedence if you want to show why something is different, in this case racist.
  • halik, on 10/12/2007, -11/+8Racist *****! ... I'm absolutely disgusted that this is in going on in this country.
  • mjh2901, on 10/12/2007, -6/+16I think the fact that you do not see Al Sharpton Or Jessie Jackson there protesting night and day in front of the courthouse, proves how corrupt those two are. There is no money in it for them. No Corporation to pay there "organizations" for sensitivity training. Which is where they generally make there money. Therefore they are not helping this girl.

    As for this Shaquanda. How the HELL DO WE FIX THIS!
    This shows either a group of racists starting with the hall monitor, moving to the school administration, district administration, police officers, prosecutor and judge.

    Or they are all mindless incompetent government employees guaranteed job security.

    Either way Shaquanda looses. None of these people put the brakes on at any point and said "stop, this is stupid Shaquanda apologize to the hall monitor, hall monitor drop it" Or be severe about it "Shaquanda your suspended for a week"

    No they had to take this to the courts. The police officers should have stated this is a school matter not a criminal matter and walked away. But no they didn't. The county prosecutor could have called every one to a meeting and ended the entire thing but no that racist wanted one more conviction under his belt. The judge could have thrown them out for wasting his time but no he had to follow through.

    They all should have been fired by now.

    And finally to the people of this town. If you are surrounded by public servants and officials this stupid. MOVE. I can't imaging you can't find a job somewhere safer else. There might be a lot of brainless government employees running schools and courts out there, but they have to be better than the bunch in this town.
    • Liam76, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9"This shows either a group of racists starting with the hall monitor, moving to the school administration, district administration, police officers, prosecutor and judge."

      What if there are mandatory sentences for assault on a public servant?

      If you are implying that the town is racist because black kids get "written up" more unless you live there you don't have a leg to stand on with that argument.

      I have gone to schools that are around 40% black where black kids caused 90% of the problems. Had nothing to do with the administrators being racist it had to do with the black kids coming from poorer parts of town and growing up with ghetto older siblings and almost never having two good parents. you can't just look at skin color see a difference in grades/success/punishment etc and automatically assume racism.


      That being said unless there is a minimum sentence, or the kid ran her mouth to the judge or refused to plead there is no excuse for this sentence.

      they do mention that she says the hall monitor pushed her first. I could see if the court/judge thought that she was lying (or if witnesses didn't agree) and him throwing the book at her.
    • twoof53, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@mjh2901

      I wish I could digg the you up twice.
    • aeoo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I think we can fix it by behaving properly when we encounter racists in our personal space.

      First, we try to reason with them and let them know how we feel about racism.

      Second, if they persist, we show them no tolerance, up to and including to kicking their ass (without limit). Why? Because that's how racists themselves behave and so we have to apply the same to them in return if they refuse to abide by reason. If a person doesn't want to reason, you may have to use force on them. I wish it weren't true.

      I'm afraid the best solution might be some vigilante justice in that area, since the "official" law is obviously not something that can be respected by any sane individual. If the official law is not corrupt or at least not too corrupt, vigilante justice is not recommended. But if it's 100% corrupt, you have to grow some balls and take a stand -- at no matter what cost, as long as you value what you stand for. So how much do you value living in a bigotry-free space? Are you ready to give up your life for it?
    • rnwen2750, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1liam76
      ghetto:
      1. a section of a city, esp. a thickly populated slum area, inhabited predominantly by members of an ethnic or other minority group, often as a result of social or economic restrictions, pressures, or hardships.
      2. (formerly, in most European countries) a section of a city in which all Jews were required to live.
      3. a section predominantly inhabited by Jews.
      Those suburbia neighborhoods? Ghettos. Those gate communities? Ghettos.
      Get a better word.
    • afpunk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1"I think the fact that you do not see Al Sharpton Or Jessie Jackson there protesting night and day in front of the courthouse, proves how corrupt those two are."

      Why would you even spout something so blatantly speculative to start an otherwise intelligent post. If you could give a shred, just a shred, of evidence that either one of them had a clue as to this specific case occurring, then you have an argument. If not, shut the ***** up. Seriously. I don't have a strong feeling for or against either one of them, but why the ***** bring them into this? Let's keep the focus on what matters, huh?
  • MonsterMagnet, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3I wouldn't expect much help from El presidente George Texas Bush Either!!! He had an innocent man killed before the evidence found he wasn't guilty but Bush wouldn't stay the evacuation for 2 more hrs. That was his last deed before being Head of the Country @@

    I say call in Louis Faracon , All Sharpton , or Jesse Jackson ...( even they are lured by money and fame !! )If they will go to other countrys and step up to bat for young black youth imprisoned wrongfully than they should come here @ and fix this mis justice before she rots in there or worse - NBC buys the rights and turns it into a made for TV movie starring "INSERT" Rappers name here for the starring role, cast and filming
  • cupofchino, on 10/12/2007, -7/+23People who annoy you ?
    N*GGERS
    • MonsterMagnet, on 10/12/2007, -35/+2the only ***** in here is you !!!!!

      ***** - dictionary - meaning ignorant person !!!!!!! Uneducated !!!
      You prick !!!!!!

      At least have the balls to spell what you are saying you raciest !!!!!!
    • Punisher2K, on 10/12/2007, -1/+25He was spelling NAGGERS. Now who is the racist?
    • dorianh49, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/index.jhtml?ml_video=83333
    • MonsterMagnet, on 10/12/2007, -11/+1like bacon n egger sure ***** YOU BITCH I"M black/native and white mix
    • dorianh49, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3and 8 years old?
    • WileEPeyote, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Uh, not everyone is a South Park fan so you can see how people would draw that conclusion. If you are gonna poke the tiger you have to expect to get clawed once in a while...
    • insomniac8400, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@MonsterMagnet

      So your half black and half caucasion. Do you want a cookie?
      You are the only racist here.
    • CletusJones, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I bet it would be an Oreo!
  • Nudar, on 10/12/2007, -7/+7Don't play the race card. Unless you know the two individuals in person and witnessed their violent acts, you cannot say their respective sentences are unfair.
    • aeoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3*****. 7 years for pushing a person? I don't care if it's a public servant. It's complete and utter *****. The jury and judges are there to exercise due conscientious judgment.

      If any juror believes the law is unfair or that the consequence is going to be unfair, regardless of what the judge instructs you to do, you have every right to hang the jury.
    • phmfthacim, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1shut the ***** up
  • atb12688, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2This was in one town and one case. Theres no way to know if similar situations would arise in the same town, county or state. You can't just take an unrelated white person receiving a lighter sentence for something worse and call it racism. We have no way of knowing if it would have been any different for a white person in this case.
    • batasrki, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1What, are you stupid? So, it's OK if it happens in just one town? Who cares about whether the people in that town are suffering, right?

      What if it were your town? What if it were someone you know? Would you be saying that then?
  • Rathmore, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2What a horrible story. I just wish it was on a website that didn't require membership to read the whole thing.
  • moocow1452, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1You know, I thought I heard that some Lincoln guy wanted to do something about racial inequality. Oh, well. He can't be too important.
    • BeyondGoodNEvil, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Lincoln was in no way, shape or form a racial egalitarian. He, along with many other influential politicians of his era, wanted to repatriate freed slaves back to Africa.

      "I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in anyway the social and political equality of the white and black races - that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied everything."
      -Abe Lincoln

      Basically he wanted Blacks to have the opportunity, but would have adamantly opposed the civil rights movement that forces businesses to do services for them.
  • tenrec, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1As the saying goes “The nail that sticks up is hammered down.”
    Paris Texas is not a good place to be Black and never has been.
    The Blacks who live there must be hard as nails.
  • spidoman, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5"You know what this is? It's mace that they use on bears, okay *****! Now show me your hall pass!"
  • RealHyperX, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6there are two sides to each coin
    • MonsterMagnet, on 10/12/2007, -12/+2Yeah side 1-prejudice and side 2-raciest as shown in the true colors of this forum !!!!!!!

      Bigots !!!!!
    • elfofdoriath9, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Any other pearls of wisdom, Confucius?
    • pushmouse, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@MonsterMagnet
      You are absolutely right. For such a left-leaning community here on digg it's incredible just how racist the majority of the people are. I can not believe our comments were dugg down and that bigot asswipe 'feebleminds' and this guy got dugg up.

      Disgusting.
  • Starflyer59, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3With over 2 million Americans in prison, this should surprise nobody.
    • Starflyer59, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You idiots have turned this whole thing into a race issue. Nobody should be put into prison for this kind of stuff.
  • xsuite, on 10/12/2007, -11/+4With a name like Shaquanda, of course she was thrown in jail. Id do the same thing as the judge.
    • Metaridley, on 10/12/2007, -11/+4***** you. There's really nothing more that needs to be said.
  • kirbs2001, on 10/12/2007, -9/+4little black girls should know better than to push people, white girls do
    • Metaridley, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2And ***** you too, while we're at it. WAY too many people on Digg these days who say the most outlandish things just to be dugg down.
      Let's give him what he wants, then.
  • starguy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6JURY NULLIFICATION. Learn it. Practice it people, any and every time you get lucky enough to be on a jury. Basically, someone on the jury should of said to the other jurors, sure, she pushed the a person, but shoving someone does not constitute assault worthy of a felony conviction, irregardless that she did so and irregardless that the prosecutor is telling us she can legally be tried as an adult. We didn't have a damn thing to do putting forth or passing those laws, therefore, bite me judicial system, "not guilty!"

    If people allow this bullcrap to fly, my little sister and half of every kindergarden class would of been in prison with a ten year sentence at the age of 4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification
    • batasrki, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2You're right. But if the jury consists of only white people in a openly racist town, common sense does not come into play.
    • plncrzy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1You might have sounded smarter if you didn't say "irregardless" ... twice.

  • BillDoE, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11"No kidding. Where the heck is the ACLU in all of this?"

    In court fighting over Bong Hits For Jesus.
  • plathw, on 10/12/2007, -5/+8while I definetly don't agree with some of the idiots above, it is just plain fact that blacks only make up 13% of the us population, yet commit almost 50% of violent crime more than 90% of interracial violent crime (whites, asians, and latinos making up the remaining percent). Something has to change, or there will always be racism as people are dumb and they look at these numbers and put all blacks in the same pile....and I'm with Cosby on this one--it's up to the black community to get a hold of the people doing the stupid crime to help change the mindset.
    • gitonga, on 10/12/2007, -9/+1Where are you people getting these statistics? Digg??
    • Liam76, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Google FBI crime stats.
    • plathw, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6From the 2006 census, and the DoJ...do some research, I know it sounds nuts, but it's just fact.
    • zeutner471, on 10/12/2007, -6/+0"Something has to change"

      ...yeah, the disaprity of the entire U.S. educational system.
    • twoof53, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5@plath

      You and the blacks make me sick, and I don't consider myself a racist.
      Everytime something like this happens all of a sudden it is generalized
      to the ENTIRE United States.

      *sarcasm*
      A single dip ***** cop shoots an unarmed
      black kid . . . WELL ALL COPS ARE RACIST! Didn't you know?

      One black kid is sent to prison for something that seems stupidly
      trivial, well maybe it wouldn't happen if SO MANY blacks weren't
      criminals! I HAVE STATISTICS!
      */sarcasm*

      Why can't we just look at the SINGLE incident, and say look, someone
      has been wronged here. It has nothing to do with cops being racist,
      nothing to do with your statistics, it happened ONLY because the
      people involved made mistakes. Either deliberately or as a result of
      ineptitude. If it was deliberate, we don't care what the reason was, you're
      fired. If it was ineptitude, then we will work with you to get you and others the
      proper training so that this does not happen again.

      Why is it necessary to always jump to the generalizations.
    • BeyondGoodNEvil, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Regarding slaves being sold originally from Africa, I think people should know just how callously some Africans treat one another. The extraordinarily well done 60s documentary Africa Addio showed the conditions that existed after the retreat of colonialism. At one point in the 2nd half, it shows from a helicopter view, killing fields where thousands of Arabs and other Africans were killed virtually on camera, by other Africans. Their helicopters were shot at by trucks on the ground, all of this on camera in great quality, just like being there. Highly recommended movie. Sad scenes of elephants being shot, fields of elephant bones etc. Nothing like it on any sort of movie today. It's actually on google video even:
      http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5855323615829365487&q=africa+addio
  • SlayerKid99, on 10/12/2007, -8/+2So very.... angry... I will kill the next person I see.
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