Saturday, February 10, 2007
What constitutes a just nation?
Does a judicial system that guarantees rights protections for defendants define America's courts today? New York Times columnist Bob Herbert has tracked the unfortunate tale of a young black man wrongly accused of killing a white boy from a bus in Destrehan, LA in 1974. Destrehan town members hosted Klu Klux Klan meetings and protested school integration.
Destrehan High School had been deseggregated and angry white mobs paraded outside the school bus of black children. After Timothy Weber was shot and taken to the hospital, Herbert writes that "No weapon was found, and no evidence to indicate that the shot came forminside the bus,"nonetheless led to a trial for Gary. Gary Tyler is 49 years old and cannot imagine life outside of prison because racism won the Louisiana jury in 1974. Prejudice will continue to triumph justice if the case remains closed, and Gary will serve the rest of his life in a state penitentiary.
"A Death In Destrehan," New York Times February 1, 2007.
"They Beat Gary So Bad," New York Times, February 8, 2007.
Destrehan High School had been deseggregated and angry white mobs paraded outside the school bus of black children. After Timothy Weber was shot and taken to the hospital, Herbert writes that "No weapon was found, and no evidence to indicate that the shot came forminside the bus,"nonetheless led to a trial for Gary. Gary Tyler is 49 years old and cannot imagine life outside of prison because racism won the Louisiana jury in 1974. Prejudice will continue to triumph justice if the case remains closed, and Gary will serve the rest of his life in a state penitentiary.
"A Death In Destrehan," New York Times February 1, 2007.
"They Beat Gary So Bad," New York Times, February 8, 2007.
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