Rest without Peace: the injustice of Sean Bell

This picture says it all about the American justice system. 

On Friday, April 25, the justice was denied for Sean Bell, an unarmed 23 year-old New Yorker who was shot 50 times by uncovered cops in November 2006. The judge decided to acquit all three NYPD offices of all the charges. For some, it was a day of joy and celebration especially the police. But for others, it was a day of unfair justice. 

The court’s decision to free the three officers was a clear sign that it was okay to shot someone 50 times and still able to get away with it. Imagine if these cops were civilians like me and you, I’m pretty sure that they will be put to jail and probably on death row. Sometimes, I wondered what went through the judge’s mind to think that shooting an unarmed man 50 times was not an act of murder. For the defense, self-defense excuse did not add up. How you can call it a self-defense after shooting Bell 50 times? It was murder. 

Also, I don’t understand how can Obama and Clinton have the nerves to tell us that they respect the decision of the court! To me, they simply just don’t want to get involved in this conversation and police brutality. Just because we have police to protect us from danger, it doesn’t mean that they can abuse their power to do whatever they please. What this New York judge is doing to these three cops is pretty much telling them  ”Hey, you, cops, are above the law. I will do whatever I can as a judge to protect you.” Politicians must address the issue of police brutality. It can’t be ignored! 

Like others, I think the three cops and other cops who involved in the shooting should be punished and removed from their jobs. Cops are civilians. They are humans like us. They should be punished and treated like other criminals. You just don’t defend yourself from unarmed man with 50 gun shots. 

Sean Bell will, for now, rest without peace as his family continues to fight for him. I hope that the federal Supreme Court will pick up this case and deliver the verdict I look for…”GUILTY”  

Filed under: Blogging, News, Thoughts , 50 shot man from New York, 50 shots, blogs, justice, police brutality, sean bell, Thoughts, unfair justice

Leave the Beijing Olympics Alone!

 

The Olympic is an international multi-competitive sport event which happens every four years. It is the time that people from all over the world come together in one place, cheer, and compete for their respective countries. Many people like myself are excited about this year’s Olympics. However, because of political complications and issues surrounding this event, I feel this year’s Olympics will be the least exciting one. 

China, one of the fastest growing nation and one of the severe human right violators, is the host of the 2008 summer Olympics. Activists from all over the world are pressuring world leaders and athletes to boycott the Olympics because of China’s wrongdoings. At the same time, they want China to take action on various issues such as the situation in Darfur and most importantly, the liberation of Tibet. While I agree that China needs to do something about these issues, however, activists must be able to separate politics and sports. They should not use this event as a tool to further their causes.

As an activist myself, sports are the way to unite the people from all over the world. Together, they use sports as icebreakers to discuss more serious and complicated matters. Some radical activists and protestors who decided to distract the Olympic torch relay are out of their minds. Their actions are inappropriate. These individuals have ruined the spirit of the sports. Instead of uniting the people, they instead are dividing the people. In U.S, for example, Americans are debating whether or not the government should boycott the Olympics! Are you crazy?

If activists want China and other countries to take actions on issues like genocide, they have to find a different way, a diplomatic approach. What they are doing right now is ridiculous and annoying. The media are starting to lose interest in covering these distracted torch relays and other kinds distraction. As a young woman who loves sports and cares about human rights, for this one, I am going to ask the radical activists to leave the Beijing Olympics alone! This is not the way to get the message across. Let the athletes compete while pushing these human right issues through diplomatic approaches.  

 

Filed under: Blogging, International Politics, Politics, Thoughts , 2008 summer olympics, activism, Beijing Olympics, China, Darfur, human rights violation, olympics, Politics, Sports, tibet