During yesterday’s show, I read a news alert that said that the juror in the George Zimmerman murder trial known only as B37 had signed a book deal, and noted that there was something truly troubling about that.
But a woman who goes by the handle @MoreAndAgain on Twitter didn’t stop there. She was so troubled by the prospect of this example of what’s wrong with our judicial system (see video below) that she amassed some information about the agent and the publisher and using twitter, effectively, in just a few hours killed the book deal!
About that juror. Above, I said that she is representative of all that is wrong with our judicial system. OK, that’s a bit of an overstatement – as there’s so much more that’s wrong with it. But she is a prime poster child of the problems inherent in our jury system. If you doubt me, just watch the interview she gave to Anderson Cooper last night on CNN.
A little later, on that same network, Piers Morgan spoke with Trayvon Martin’s friend, Rachel Jeantel. I found her interview to be far more honest and credible than the rural juror above.
Meanwhile… something sad and very strange happened over the weekend. 73-year old Lester Chambers of the legendary Chambers Brothers was playing a set at the Hayward/Russell City Blues Festival in Hayward California when he was attacked by a woman who jumped onstage to assault him.
According to police and witnesses, the singer had dedicated Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready” to Martin when 43-year-old Dinalynn Andrews Potter jumped up and shoved Chambers to the ground after allegedly yelling “It’s all your fault!”
A musician friend of mine has known Lester and his bass-playing son Dylan (who’s in Lester’s band) shared the video below, and this tweet he received from Lester Chambers:
I am sore all over. Beaten but not broken. I can’t laugh, sing, hardly talk long or take a deep breath without chest pain.. All my joints ache. My hips feel sore as can be… I haven’t been in a fight since I was 15 or 16 back in highschool and 60 years later I am assaulted on stage… I WANT PEACE… PLEASE KEEP THE PEACE… LOVE PEACE AND HAPPINESS
What is this world coming to?
After a bit of a scheduling mix-up, I was able to connect with Lisa Graves on the show today. Not only is she the Executive Director of the Center for Media & Democracy, she’s also the publisher of ALECexposed.org. Obviously, ALEC had its blood-stained grubby hands all over this verdict, and she explained how.
And if it’s Tuesday, I’m joined by GottaLaff of The Political Carnival. Today, we were consumed by the aftermath of the trial… and we played Laffy’s new BLUNT webisode which summed up what so many of us are feeling now:
Tomorrow morning, a discussion you won’t want to miss, as I’ll be joined by author Tim Wise who writes eloquently and brilliantly on the topic of racism in America.
No doubt about the word “coons” in my mind, either. I’m hopeful that the DOJ take this into account when deciding to bring civil rights trial.
Maybe people who haven’t lived in the South don’t know that “coon” is a long-standing racial slur in the south.