Courtesy of UVA media

On February 22, 2012, George Huguely, the University of VA lacrosse player who murdered his girlfriend, UVA women’s lacrosse player Yeardley Love, was found guilty of 2^nd degree murder and felony theft—robbery.   He was facing first degree murder, felony murder and some lesser crimes.  Huguely who on the night of May 3, 2010 broke into Love’s apartment and after kicking in the bedroom door, brutally attacked her by hitting her head against the wall.  He left leaving Love to die. She died of blunt force trauma to the head.

Huguely and Love had an on again off again tumultuous relationship fueled  with domestic violence and drinking.  Huguely on prior accounts had choked Love and admitted remorse at not killing her in one Email. On May 10, 2010, he made good on his previous promise.

The jury recommended a sentence of 26 years—the judge will sentence Huguely in April.  The judge cannot increase the jury’s recommendation.

Huguely  hails from an upper class family in Chevy Chase, MD.  He attended a prestigious private school before attending UVA.  No doubt that his family background played into the jury’s decision to convict him of 2^nd degree, a lesser crime than first degree. First degree carries a lifetime sentence. While Hugely may spend a substantial amount of time in jail for his crime, he will not face life.

The jurors, may have subconsciously looked at Huguely and wondered if  he could have been their son or brother  in similar circumstances.  All I know is if Huguely was  a minority and from a family of lesser means, he would  not be facing a 2^nd degree murder sentence.  He would have been starring down a 1^st degree murder or felony conviction.

Race and class play a role in everything in our society. And  today from the UVA lacrosse player verdict, it played a role in George Huguely’s fate.  He should have been convicted of first degree murder. Premeditation does not require a well thought out plan in advance.  The decision to formulate a killing can be as short of time as from when Huguely kicked in Love’s door to when he attacked her. From the  blunt force displayed, he came to the decision to kill her and then expressed shock that she had died during his interrogation.  His class saved him from experiencing the  full justice that was due for Yeardley Love. 

Asian American Knicks basketball player Jeremy Lin brings back the old reminder that we are not a post racial society yet.  Minorities do not need the reminder. Most minorities know the world we are living in and it’s not post racial. The ESPN editor fired Sunday for using “chink in the armor” in a headline about Knicks basketball player Jeremy Lin said the racial slur never crossed his mind — and he was devastated when he realized his mistake.  The only thing he was devastated about was losing his job. “This had nothing to do with me being cute or funny,” Anthony Federico told the Daily News. “I’m so sorry that I offended people. I’m so sorry if I offended Jeremy.”

ESPN also suspended anchor Max Bretos for 30 days after he used the same phrase on-air Wednesday while speaking with Knicks legend Walt Frazier. Bretos apologized on Twitter Saturday, posting, “Wanted 2 apologize 2 all those I have upset. Not done with any racial reference. Despite intention, phrase was inappropriate in this context.” He followed that up with, “My wife is Asian, would never intentionally say anything to disrespect her and that community. Although he apologized and tweeted that his wife is Asian, he felt that he did nothing disrespectful.  It’s amazing that Bretos could state that the phrase was not done with any racial reference. That’s like calling African Americans the “N” word and saying it was not meant with any racial reference.

Bretos and Federico are but two examples of how racially insensitive and disrespectful the media is when it comes to covering diversity.  And the media is fueled by how the public’s perception of minorities is viewed.  The media would think before speaking disrespectful of minorities if they felt there would be a public backlash for their disrespectful comments.

And for all those who felt the punishment of firing was too severe, let me remind you to look and read the post racial memo again. For those who still don’t get it, just refrain from calling any minorities a racial name that is not the one used by them.

Debbie Hines is a lawyer, former prosecutor and legal /political commentator appearing in national and local media including CNN, the Michael Eric Dyson Show, XM Sirius radio, NBC , ABC and CBS -Washington, DC affiliates,  NPR, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, USA Today, Black Enterprise among others.  She founded LegalSpeaks, a progressive blog on women and race in law and politics.  She also writes for the Huffington Post.

The Voter Fraud Myth

The biggest GOP lie in 2012 is that we need strict voter ID to protect the vote in November, 2012.  There has been no source that even remotely suggests that dead people are voting or people are voting more than once or impersonating other voters. Somehow the Republicans have won the battle in the minds of many Americans  that voter ID is a good idea. With 25% of African Americans in lack of appropriate  photo identification, 18% of seniors lacking appropriate ID and 1 in 5 students without a driver’s license,  many will be disenfranchised by new laws that are unnecessary and based on the goal to disenfranchise the poor, African Americans, senior citizens and the youth vote.

I discussed The Voter Fraud Myth on the Alyona show on RT (Russian TV) on February 14, 2012.   The Voter Fraud Myth

Courtesy Emery Hines

Five years ago today, on a cold winter day, President Obama came to Springfield, Illinois to announce that he was entering the improbable quest for President of the US—at the symbolic place where President Abraham Lincoln lived.  Five years later, no one could have guessed the turn the country would take with President Obama’s election.

Five years ago, most people did not even think President Obama stood a chance of winning the Democratic nomination—let alone the office of President.  He’s changed since 5 years ago and we as a country have changed.  But, as Clint Eastwood said in the Chrysler Super Bowl ad, America is at half time.  Jobs are returning and General Motor is alive.  And our hope should not die, in spite of  the GOP backlash against President Obama and America. President Obama says today that  if you stick with him, he will finish what he started.

This is what he started 5 years ago:

WHAT HE SAID : “Praise and honor to God for bringing us together today. Thank you so much. I am so grateful to see all of you. Let me begin by saying thanks to all of you who’ve traveled, from far and wide, to brave the cold today. I’m fired up. … We all made this journey for a reason. It’s humbling to see a crowd like this, but in my heart I know you didn’t come here just for me. No, you came here because you believe in what this country can be. In the face of war, you believe there can be peace. In the face of despair, you believe there can be hope. In the face of a politics that’s shut you out, that’s told you to settle, that’s divided us for too long, you believe that we can be one people, reaching for what’s possible, building that more perfect union. …

“Now listen, I recognize there is a certain presumptuousness – a certain audacity – to this announcement. I know I haven’t spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington. But I’ve been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change. …[T]he life of a tall, gangly, self-made Springfield lawyer … tells us that there is power in hope. … That is why I’m in this race. Not just to hold an office, but to gather with you to transform a nation. …

“And if you will join with me in this improbable quest, if you feel destiny calling, and see as I see, a future of endless possibility stretching before us; … then I am ready to take up the cause, and march with you, and work with you. Today, together, we can finish the work that needs to be done, and usher in a new birth of freedom on this Earth. Thank you very much everybody – let’s get to work.” Link to Full Transcript http://bit.ly/zLqw1R