Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 10-9-15 Edition

Editorials/Columns
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Big Hope For Fallen Soldiers
just finished reading a copy of The Sentencing Re- form and Correction Act, a new bill that was introduced by long time Senate Judiciary Chair- man Chuck Grassley and seven other influential congress- men including Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sheldon White- house of Rhode Island, Lind- sey Graham of South Carolina, Chuck Schumer of New York, Mike Lee of Utah, Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Richard Durbin of Illinois. And all I can say is that, if this bill becomes law, there will thousands of families across the country who will be jumping for
joy.
The bill, which only applies
to federal prisoners, calls for the reduction of life sentences for a third of drug and violent of- fenses to 25 years retroactively; Reduces minimum mandatory 20-year sentences for second drug and violent offenses to 15 years retroactively; allows for 6,500 crack offenders sentenced before 2010 to seek re-sentenc- ing under the new revised 18-1 crack law; Reduces 15-year min- imum mandatory sentences for certain gun possession by con- victed felons to 10 years and re- duces the 25-year minimum mandatory for statutes like 924 (c) to 15 years. These last two are
also retroactive but will fall under the courts discretion and consider factors such as conduct while in prison.
All of these key provisions, along with several others involv- ing earned good time for non-vi- olent offenders and parole for juveniles, will affect a large seg- ment of the federal inmate pop- ulation with the exception of sex offenders and terrorists. For men and women who've already been languishing in prison for decades, this bill, if successful, potentially means a new lease on life. A second chance at the free- dom that was lost in the pursuit of a fast-paced lifestyle.
The implementation of The Sentencing Reform and Correc- tion Act also means that those who may be eligible for relief should start preparing them- selves now for the possibility of a swift return to the world on the other side of the fence. Prepara- tion that should involve a de- tailed game plan which doesn't include engaging in activities that end with, once again, being caught chasing the cheese inside of federal mouse traps.
Since guns and drugs are the most common factors found to promote recidivism, I suggest that any game plan not to return to prison should be rooted in staying as far away from those
two things as possible. Even if the person you're around has a concealed weapons permit, it still may not be wise to accom- pany them while they're carry- ing.
I mean, it may not be an issue. But why risk going through the legal process and leaving your new found freedom to chance when you could sim- ply avoid the trouble all to- gether?
Besides, if your loved one, friend, or family member feels compelled to take a weapon to an event the two of you may be attending, maybe that's some- where you shouldn't be going in the first place. It is always better to be safe than sorry because being sorry could result in a trip back through federal transit.
The best thing about what this bill potentially offers is that it gives men like Mase Lewis and Tampa Tony, good guys who were victimized by barbaric fed- eral guidelines, an opportunity to enjoy the sunshine again. Life sentences for drugs, to me, never made sense. And, hope- fully, when Congress has a chance to vote on this bill they'll realize it also.
Yes, this could finally be the door that so many have been looking for in their pursuit of freedom. I just pray that every- one who takes advantage of this opportunity does the right thing so it doesn't slam shut anytime soon.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Publishing Company. Anyone wishing to contact Clarence Barr can email him at: reali- tyonice@ yahoo.com.
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Accessory After The Fact: A Police Stategy That Works
month ago, a young man was gunned down and left on
the side of the road. Not long after he was discovered however, informants (willing or unwilling) led police to two individuals, a teen and a male accomplice, who admitted to their parts in a murder for hire scheme. For their success, each was charged with second degree murder: accessory after the fact.
If convicted, both people could receive lengthy prison sentences without parole. And even though the actual shooter of the young man remains on the loose, the word on the street is that for the right deal, one if not both of the “ac- cessory-after-the fact” suspects might gladly give up what they know. Finally, police agencies are beginning to under- stand the success of situations wherein accessories-to-the- fact, especially regarding murder, are worth their weight in gold and detective work.
Meanwhile, the savage playground antics of young men and women insistent upon killing each other for pocket change has become more popular than shooting marbles or throwing dice. What else would explain a teenage girl and her friend’s willingness to murder a fellow teenager who al- legedly stole a cell phone. This alleged wrong, cost the young man his life and rewarded the two accessories with a whop- ping $30 apiece?
No, snitching didn’t seem to fit. The trigger-man or woman remains on the run. But being fingered to remain be- hind bars for the rest of your life, while the real culprit runs free is a prospect not even the hardest criminal can swallow.
This year, more than forty young men and women, mostly Black, have been murder victims. But a new rule has been added to the deadly game: being an “Accessory-After- the-Fact” will get you prison time.
Mayor Sends Open Letter To Community
ayor Bob Buckhorn re-
cently addressed the surge of gun violence that has taken place this year. He shared his thoughts in the following
correspondence:
“Gun violence is on the rise in cities across this country and Tampa is not unique. In June of this year, we were seeing an alarming number of violent crimes. The homicide rate was more than double what we had witnessed at that time the previous year.
“To be effective, our work to stop the violence cannot begin after the blood has spilled on our streets we must be proactive. To counter the trend, we part- nered with the communi- ties that are most affected.
“We held rallies to bring law enforcement together with the community geared to foster one common goal, safety. We also strategically deployed law enforcement and partnered with key fed- eral agencies. We held a successful gun buyback program which resulted in removing 500 guns from the streets.
“Many of the crimes in- volved the most impres-
sionable and vulnerable in our community – our teenagers. In the early weeks of summer, we saw 21 people die in shootings, four of them teenagers. This somber reality was cause for a creative solu- tion.
“Instead of letting our teens roam the streets look- ing for something to do; we provided a safe and produc- tive environment at Parks and Recreation facilities throughout the City. Stay and Play, an addition to the City’s expanded summer programming, began in early July and allowed kids to utilize nine parks and community centers till mid- night each day. Responsible mentors led an array of dif- ferent activities from bas- ketball to art classes to guest speakers.
“Additionally, we dis- tributed free rec cards to teens and provided more than 1,000 scholarships to- taling $64,800.
“More than 16,500 kids participated in the 56 days of summer with Stay and Play. The sheer numbers of children we were able to keep off the streets is im-
pressive, but what moves me are the individual sto- ries our city employees were hearing each night we kept our doors open. We heard stories of teens show- ing up every evening for dinner, counseling one an- other through challenges, confiding in our coaches, and learning new skills. These kids chose to take part in valuable lessons, discussions, and relation- ships instead of being lured by senseless violence in the streets and we, at the City, have no doubt that these ef- forts saved lives.
“The men and women who work in Parks and Recreation are the caliber of people who want to take on the responsibility for molding young people, and we are lucky they have en- rolled in the effort — which, with the extended hours, means longer days for them. Tampa Police officers also are visiting our centers to make sure there are no incidents, but most are tak- ing an extra moment to in- teract with the kids because they recognize that what’s happening in our centers dictates what happens on our streets moving for- ward.
The City has now ex- tended hours throughout weekends to keep our mo- mentum going.
“We need the support of every parent, grandparent, teacher, coach and neigh- bor to keep our communi- ties safe.
Remove Confederate Emblems From State Properties
oday, the Florida Legislature’s Senate Rules Committee
will be meeting to discuss the Senate’s emblem, a fan with the five flags that have flown over the state of Florida since this country’s founding.
Of course, the seal includes the Confederate States of America flag which is among those of the United States, France, Great Britain, and Spain and will be the major topic of discussion.
Black members of the Senate, led by Sen. Arthenia Joyner have called upon the Senate to remove the Confed- erate flag from their chamber’s official seal.
Interestingly, South Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi are three Southern state that earlier began efforts to remove the Confederate battle flag from their states’ capitols. In- deed, all emblems of the Confederacy belong in museums and should have no place of honor on publicly owned prop- erty.
Voters should watch closely to see who supports the re- moval of the flag from the emblem – Senators doing so will demonstrate their sensitivity to what the flag represents. Those opposing the removal will do likewise.
Consequently, we urge the mid-Florida Senators to sup- port the removal of all Confederate emblems from state owned properties. The time is now.
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PAGE 6-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2015