…he gets 2 1/2 cool points for pardoning the Scott Sisters. He still reminds me of Boss Hog from Dukes of Hazard a little to much for me to even jokingly be comfortable with him as a viable candidate for President. When I hear him talk I fully expect to be sprayed with a firehose, knocking the “Ain’t I A Man” poster out of my hands. He sounds racist…like people say “You sound ghetto”, so don’t act like I’m being harsh. I don’t think I’m being racist. At a minimum, I am judging him due to his accent and the region he represents.
There is southern and then there is Mississippi. When I heard about the Scott Sister’s story, my soul said that the place of my mother’s people has not changed much since it’s bloody days of lynching, murder, overt racism and “putting negroes in their place”. Here’s a synopisis of their story from the NAACP’s Letter of Petition to Barbour:
Jamie and Gladys Scott – the “Scott Sisters” – have been incarcerated in Mississippi for the last 16 years for an armed robbery which, according to court testimony, yielded $11. They have consistently denied involvement in the crime. Although neither of the Scott Sisters had a prior criminal record, they were each sentenced to an extraordinary double life sentence.
The presiding judge in their trial, Judge Marcus Gordon, has a history of racially biased rulings, including granting bail to the KKK murderer of the three civil rights workers: Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner.
Furthermore, Jamie Scott now has lost renal function in one of her kidneys and cannot survive without a transplant. She has suffered repeated infections and been hospitalized due to unsanitary prison conditions. The Department of Corrections will not allow tests for kidney compatibility even though numerous volunteers have come forward.
Also, at the time of their arrest, Jamie was 22 years old and Gladys was 19 years old and pregnant. Two African-American youth, who admitted taking the money, stated at the Scott Sisters’ trial that they falsely implicated the sisters in order to receive a reduced sentence. From what I read, the youth did end up in jail, but only served about 3 years.
NPR reported that Republican Gov. Haley Barbour decided in December to release them. “One condition: That 35-year-old Gladys follow through on her offer to donate a kidney (provided that doctors say it’s safe for her to do so) to 38-year-old Jamie, who needs regular dialysis…” Um…there is always a catch, huh. How about you just let them go because the evidence and sentence are shady and let them handle their family business without any intrusion??
Anyway…I just wanted to give my 2 cents on ole Haley since the 2012 election predictions and in full swing and people are wondering if he will run. It took TOOO long for these women to receive justice. However, I’m glad that Gov. Barbour saw the light and released them. That being said, I agree with Earl Ofari Hutchinson.
Writing in the Huffington Post, Daily Voice columnist Earl Ofari Hutchinson suggested the action was being taken, in part, because “Barbour sniffs the presidency,” a sentiment echoed by some others. “The governor of Mississippi did this for political reasons,” the sisters’ mother, Eveyln Rasco, told WAPT TV in Jackson. “He did it because I heard he was running for president,” she said. “I don’t think he did it because he opened his heart to do it.” – Daily Voice
I guess he’ll have a defense for accusations of racism on the campaign trail, huh?
