Prop 9 i.e. Victims Rights Act of 2008

Summary of what Prop 9 is from the voter information guide

- Requires notification to crime victims and gives them an opportunity for input from the victim and their families during almost all phases of the criminal justice process

- Victim’s safety is taken in to consideration when determining bail or release on parole.

- Allows more people to attend and testify on behalf of victims at parole hearings

- Reduces the number of parole hearings for each prisoner.

- Requires victims to receive written notification of their constitutional rights

- Establishes time lines concerning parole revocation hearings

In 1982 Prop 8 a.k.a. “Victim’s Bill of Rights” was passed and already made all of the above true in California. This new proposition only reiterates laws that already passed with minor changes and a hidden agenda. When Prop 8 passed, it amended the constitution and other state laws to allow crime victims the right to be notified of, to attend and to state their views at the sentencing and parole hearings of criminals. Prop 8 also established the right of crime victims to obtain restitution from anyone who committed the crime that caused them to suffer a loss.

Now, Prop 9 is disguised to expand the victim’s rights by offering the below:

Crime victims would have the right to 1) prevent the release of certain confidential information about them (which they can do now) 2) refuse to be interviewed at the pretrial stage (which they can do now) 3) protection from harm from other accused individuals (which they get protection now) 4) the return of property which is no longer needed for evidence (which I wouldn’t want my shit back, especially in a murder case) 5) “finality” meaning the final decision made at the hearing (which they can find out now)

Even in the official voter guide there is a note that reads (some of the above rights now exist in statue). The only one I couldn’t find while searching online was the returned evidence items.

Another alleged expansion of this law, which is already in place, states the constitution would be changed to specify the safety of a victim must be taken into consideration by judges in setting bail. Why wouldn’t the judge take the victim and their families in to consideration, especially when they are sitting in the room when the bail/parole is being set? The judge can not ignore the fact that the crime victims are there and I’m sure they play a factor in their decision making.

With California’s overcrowding system, you would assume that the state would go back to their original plans and thoughts regarding earlier release of inmates. Under this new initiative, lifers would be expected to spend life in prison. The state constitution gives a release date to all lifers who were sentenced with a possibility of parole. For instance, my cousin’s date of possible release is 2039. Giving lifers who have a chance of parole that date not only gives them something to strive for and better themselves, but also allows them to redeem themselves. What is worse, knowing your fate, or being given a chance to change it? We are all destined to die, that is apart of life, but we have the opportunity to decide what we do with our fate. When someone is incarcerated the rest of their lives are decided for them, inmates loose that choice that was given to all human beings. A parole possibility gives inmates another chance to change that fate of LIFE in prison. This new measure wouldn’t even give lifers a release date. The average annual cost to incarcerate an inmate is about $46,000, and due to the overcrowding other facilities in prisons like gymnasiums are being used for beds. When a lifer goes up in front of the board, and is denied, they have one year before they can go up again. Under this new measure, they would have to wait 3-15 years, and what is hidden under that is it would be closer to 15 years, no matter what their prison behavior has been.

The only thing that I agree with under this proposition is so minuscule that a new law doesn’t have to be passed for the change to take place, and that is the notification of victims. Currently, victims are notified 30 days before an inmate is released, Prop 9 suggests 90 days. Notifying victims and/or their families is a good thing.

I truly believe that since California legislators received so much shit for their thoughts of releasing prisoners early, their only other option is to build more prisons, in order to deal with the overcrowding. How can they expect to build more prisons when they can’t even get the state budget approved?

The prison system has proposed to take away the only privileges inmates have. They’ve already been forced to use extra space for beds, but now they are going to cut educational/vocational services, conjugal visits and all other rehabilitation programs. It is necessary to rehabilitate prisoners and there are numerous amounts of studies about how important it is. Rehabilitation prepares the inmates for the world again, why would we want to cut those programs, and then let the prisoners out into society, and expect them to function. Many, without rehabilitation, will end up in prison again. Incarceration – Rehabilitation = Incarceration

Many of the state’s school’s furniture is made by inmates, that is all apart of their vocational training, if they take that away what will happen over time when schools need more furniture. The way I see it is, the money paid by the taxpayers, including the money saved by cutting all these programs, will help the state to come up with their funds to build more prisons. There has to be a better way without cutting rehabilitation.

I know it may be hard for some to view prisoners as people, but they are, many made mistakes, were wrongfully accused and they have and will pay for their mistakes in most cases. But at least allow them a second chance, the state already does by giving them a release date for parole. These inmates have families too, just like the victims, and should have a fair chance to survive. Cutting those rehabilitation programs will ensure that they cannot survive once released, if they are released. I haven’t seen any commercials for or against this proposition, so I know most people are clueless about it, as I was.

Voting yes on Prop 9 is not only stupid, but unnecessary, because the victims already have these rights. Voting yes on 9 will only eliminate the rights of inmates, and haven’t they lost enough rights?

Read over your voter guide, go online and educate yourself on Prop 9 and all the other propositions, because November 4^th is just around the corner. Be informed and vote No on 9.

http://www.votenoprop9.com/facts.html

When my soul cries

By Raheem Ballard aka Bernard Ballard (my cousin)

When my soul cries does anyone care if apart of me dies?
Sometimes I wonder if there's anyone willing to stare into these eyes

Shameless they are they stand in a world of their own, what makes it so hard to lend me a hand from your throne?
Maybe I'm too low to reach from that place which you rise
Another peaceful sun sets, and another part of me dies

The blood of my blood, from the loins of "John" we all came
From the mud to the resurrection, will you even remember my name?

Has the blacksheep been plagued in another chapter of the blackbook?
Foreknown by those who grin but despair as they look

Lest I return am I just a burden thats better off less said?
Sojourn with me in this realm of the awaking living dead


Maybe I'm too low to reach from that place which you rise
Is it my face you see in the last generations demise?
Does anyone care if apart of me dies?

Can you fathom the innermost tears of a man when his soul cries?

Written - 11/28/2005

"John" - referred to in the 3rd paragraph was our "great grandfather" who was a slave who married Flora Ann.

Vote no on Prop 9 - Californians

Dear Jill,

Hello & How are you cousin? As usual I hope this letter reaches you in good spirits. I tried calling you about a week or so ago. Did you get my voice mail? I think I tried calling back in the morning too. (But I got no answer) I was however able to get through to your dad. We talked for a bit, and I encouraged him to be in contact with you more. He sounded for the most part to be in good spirits, despite his growing concern for the shape of our present economy. Hopefully things will get better. Right now were on a "lockdown," and have been for the past week or so. I guess from what I heard there was a couple people who tried to escape, as well as a couple stabbings, so they will be looking for metal and weapons and altered cells. More than likely we'll be locked down for at least another week or two depending on how fast they search.


Any how, there's something enclosed in this letter I would like you to 'Blog' if at all possible. It's dealing with a new measure on the ballot called "prop 9", though it's under the heading of "Victims Rights," or "Marcy's law," it's designed to keep every "lifer" inmate with a "to life" sentence in prison for ever. Being that I am serving a "35 to life" sentence/ My earliest possible parole date is set for 2039. I would be 65 years old. Well if this law passes, they (the parole board) could wait until I'm 80 before they schedule me for the next hearing - instead of 1 to 5 years. What does that have to do with "victims rights"? In all honest, the victims rights were satisfied when I was found guilty and convicted with the attached sentence, not to mention the families right to be financially compensated for their loss, which is by the way deducted from every dollar sent to me or ever dollar earned by me, their (the victim's family) are also entitled to show up to my parole board hearings and express their feelings and thoughts as to why or why not I should be released.


So you see, this is just another way for them (the powers that be) to ensure that people with the "possibility of parole" (like myself) never get out. What's not surprising is the fact that it is disguised under something "beneficial," but in reality it's only a deceptive tool used by the money hungry greedy and wealthy to trick the masses. This measure is indeed a "death blow" to inmates like myself who may possibly have a chance to go home. Vote no on prop 9, and spread the word for me cousin. For more info you can go to stopmarcyslaw@yahoo.com. Well I'm gonna sign off for now cousin, I love you.

Sister Souljah is back

I just got my Essence and read some very exciting news...Sister Souljah is back with a book about Midnight...he was the protagonist's love interest in The Coldest Winter Ever...I read that book when I was 14, and it changed my life. I've read this book so many times, that I can recite it word from word, page to page. So now Souljah has come out with Midnight: A Gangsta Love Story, and I'm so freaking excited to read it.


My friends and I would hold hour long discussions, at 15 about the coldest winter ever...about Winter Santiaga and her selfishness. We studied this book on our own. It was the second book I ever read for fun. I think they should make a movie about it because it is that great. I made my boyfriend read it, and he feels the same way. Even though the main character is a woman, its so easy to connect. You feel like you're on the streets of Brooklyn with Winter...and when she moved to Long Island, and left her hood, you felt for her.


So here is the blurb from Essence to get you prepared for the new book:

Nearly a decade ago, in The Coldest Winter Ever, Sister Souljah teased us with a mystifying brother called Midnight. Remember him? He was so fine and so deep that he was able to thaw hard-as-nails protagonist Winter Santiaga. Now in Midnight: A Gangsta Love Story ($26.95), this intoxicating character comes into sharper focus and tells his own fascinating tale.

Souljah creates a mesmerizing story about an honorable young man forced to live in a dishonorable world. It's a world that vexes and confuses him and one that will outrage and sadden you as you witness the choices that confront so many real-life men. Each day is a test as Midnight tries to reconcile his family's values with the harshness of the The Game. And then he falls in love, and nothing will ever be the same. - Ylonda Gault Caviness


Oh shit...but who does he fall in love with...Winter? Who? Damn I gotta go grab it.

~ JB

Penis Envy

I'm still reading The Feminine Mystique, and I came across penis envy...and I don't remember learning about that in school. I didn't take that many psychology classes, because of my major, Journalism, I was all over, but never had the opportunity to focus on that many other sources, besides black studies. So I googled penis envy, and got this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penis_envy

After confirming with some other readings, I know that wikipedia is correct in its definition, I never trust the first source I read...what kind of journalist/write would I be. So anyways, I always thought penis envy was the obvious, what it says. Women being envious of men for having penis'. But I thought even further than that. Men are so outward with every thing, from the genitals to their emotions. There are men who could fuck hundreds of women without any emotional attachment, and that is because their genitals are on the outside, no emotions or attachments. But since women are entered, we have so much inside of us, and women become instantly attached once they have intercourse, well some women. I just thought that women were envious of men because they are not as attached, on every level of life.


Well, anyways, after reading about what penis envy actually is, according to Freudian psychology, theory and/or thought, I began to wonder if that envy ever goes away. I did love my father as a child, and hated my mother, was it penis envy that made me feel like that, who knows. But now things have changed so much. Due to their divorce, I don't want to be like my parents, and I am hardly envious of either one of them. The theory according to what I read, says that young girls want to be like their mothers, because they have their fathers, and the penis envy is what makes them want their fathers. I guess that is where the term daddy's girl came from...and mama's boy, since the opposite is true for men. But once women grow older, and detach from their fathers, and move on to other men, does penis envy still exist? I wasn't able to get an answer from sites that I went to, I suppose I have to purchase the book, but I think the envy continues in other ways.


I can't say that the discovery that I made as a child, which lead me to knowing that I didn't have a penis, made me envious. I don't remember that far back, but nowadays I think if I was envious of men it would be for other reasons. The fact that they have penises means absolutely nothing to me, I suppose its the freedom attached to it that makes me jealous. However, the lack of a monthly menstrual cycle due to their penises, does piss me off. The fact that men feel invincible because of their penises is also another story. What gave men the right to feel invincible because of a genital difference? I can never understand that, but their physical strength is not due to their penis, maybe its their balls...anyways, that is not the point I'm trying to make here. The point is that right now, at this moment, the only thing that makes me jealous of a man, is the simplicity of their thoughts. Women are complicated and men are simple, right? Men come from Mars and women from Venus...


I just wish I could simplify my life like a man does. Simplify my morning routine, my day to day process....all the things that make me feminine, just sometimes not all the time. There are those days when I say fuck the make up, and I'll put on a baseball cap. The days where I will watch sports all day long, and lift weights, and exercise until I'm drowning in sweat, and I love those days more than any of the others. More than having the hair from my legs removed, and going to the beauty salon, applying mascara and dressing up. But I think the best thing about being a woman, which a man can never do, unless he is a cross dresser, is that I can be all of the above, in the same day even....sigh

Tribune Co. may drop Associated Press stories

The parent company of the Los Angeles Times may end its contract with the Associated Press as the newspaper tries to cut costs.

Tribune Co. gave notice to the AP on Friday that it intends to stop using AP stories Oct. 15, 2010, a statement from the Chicago company said.

The statement did not say how much money it would save and Tribune spokesman Gary Weitman said the company cannot comment beyond the statement. A Baltimore Sun spokeswoman declined to comment further.

AP requires that its clients give two years notice before ending its subscription to the newswire service.

The announcement comes as daily metropolitan newspapers are struggling with a downturn in the economy and the loss of readers to the Internet. In August, the Sun eliminated 100 jobs as Tribune slashed hundreds of jobs at its newspapers, including the Times and its flagship Chicago Tribune.

This year Tribune became a privately held company after an $8.2 billion buyout led by Chicago real estate mogul Sam Zell.

AP spokesman Paul Colford said the Tribune’s notice gives the media company an opportunity to leave AP, but does not mean that the paper will necessarily drop AP.

Many newspapers file notices but then do not ultimately drop the service, he said.

“We understand that in this climate a lot of newspapers are reexamining their strategies,” an AP statement said.

The AP recently unveiled a new pricing rate that charges more for premium content. It takes effect next year.

October's 20 Questions

Actually, instead of only 20 questions its more like 20 thoughts and observations that I have had in the last couple weeks....

1. I actually saw gas go down today...you know the attendant was out there changing the sign to $3.33
2. When I drove by the AIG office building today, why did I have the sudden urge to blow it up?
3. Is there any house less than $800,000 around here?
4. What will scare you more this Halloween, the country's debt or scary decorations?
5. What exactly is "penis envy"?
6. My male turtle finally learned how to stand up to himself against the female one...he's on guard finally.
7. If Adam came first and then Eve, why do women always say, "ladies first"?
8. I can't think of the last time I was actually drunk
9. Does my imagination far exceed my expectation?
10. Do you want to slap Mc Cain too?
11. And speaking of Mc Cain, do you think he has the early on set of Alzheimer's disease?
12. I think I am having a quarter life crisis...I am so confused
13. When did you first fall in love with hip hop, music?
14. Curly or straight?
15. How many lives do you think you've had?
16. Is 130 lbs fat?
17. If your answer is no, then why am I stressing so much, damn???
18. Is there life after death?
19. Can't wait to the Lakers start....and can you believe the effin Red Sox..damn
20. Why does Joe Rogan on UFC look like Leonidas from 300?

The American Dream

For as long as I can remember all I wanted to do was write, for a fashion magazine. My love of fashion came at such an early age. When I was 10 or 11 my best friend and I created a fashion magazine. J & S Fashions…we drew all the pictures, and used our Barbie’s clothes as the basis for the clothes we displayed in our magazine. Even though we only did two issues, I’ve always loved magazines. The glossy pages, the smell of the perfume advertisements seeping through every single page, the bright colors of spring fashion versus the darker subdued fall fashions, I can’t decide which season I love the most.

However, after graduating from college with my degree in Journalism, the magazine world was not so eager to hire me. I wasn’t able to do an internship because I had to work all four years, while I was in school, so the opportunity to get my foot in the door never came knocking. I continue to subscribe to all these magazines, but now when I look at them I don’t see hope, I just see my American Dream fading. With the way this economy is going, and all the bull shit on the news I just feel like I’m going further and further away from that dream. As I look at these glossy pages, with the $1,200 shoes and the $6,000 Gucci rings, and all of the other things that I feel like I’m never going to be able to afford it just makes me upset. Upset at this consumerist world and the fact that no matter how bad it gets, the people who can afford all of those things never have to worry. So here I am, at 24, wondering how my life is going to play out and if I am able to obtain all the things that I want in life. And not just the materialistic things either, just the normal things that people get in life, like marriage, buying a house, having children…the American Dream.

I know that I’m still young but my focus and direction have to be somewhere. I’ve never been the type to party every weekend, and just have fun, without a sense of direction or dreams. This American Dream that everyone has, this dream that brings hundreds of thousands of immigrants here each year. A dream that almost guaranteed people a job, a place to live and grow their family; the most simplistic dream, to just be free and live your life happily ever after. Is this dream still possible? More and more people are loosing their homes, and living in apartments, or even out on the streets. My boyfriend/fiancé and I have decided, well we don’t need a wedding, even though I want one, and we can stay in this one bed room apartment for a few more years, and we can wait until we’re in our late 30’s to have children. Our parents didn’t have to go through what we are dealing with today. Both of them had houses by the time they were our ages, or at least about to get a house. They were married and having children. If they knew that their children would be struggling as hard as we are, would they have wanted us to reach for the American Dream. How could they have known that things were going to get worse and not better?

The quality of life is so different too. There are people younger than me, who are rich off their asses, and spending money like crazy, and for what? For having no talent, or for hardly doing work, yet they look beautiful, and people look up to them. Is that the new American Dream? Offer nothing to the American public, and get everything for doing nothing. Some of these people are getting millions of dollars a year, and our country is continuing to struggle. I don’t know if I’m the only one who sees something wrong with this picture. I think if we cut some of these people’s salaries, foot ball players, and baseball players…why do they need to get up to $250 million for playing a sport they supposedly love? It’s the American people who support them, but they could care less if I never reach my dreams and goals in life. If I sound a little angry and bitter, it’s because I am just a little angry and bitter. Now, forget about all those people, and what about the heads of AIG deciding to take all their employees on vacation and spending half a million dollars. How fucked up is that? I would like to go on vacation; the last time I went away was in 2006, and 2003 and 2002. My boyfriend and I have worked our asses off for years, and we can’t even afford to go to New York for the holidays, like we have done every year in the past. He can’t go home to see his family, and we’re lucky if we have the money for anything this holiday season. I couldn’t imagine if we had children, and were unable to provide them with a Christmas.

What I don’t understand is how things changed so much, and how people are still able to afford things? In Los Angeles, homes are still going for over one million, and people are still purchasing these homes. And yet the rest of the country continues to struggle. If you live here, however, you feel so far removed from what they talk about on the news and online. People are happily driving their half a million dollar cars, and smoking their Cubans, and traveling everywhere….who knows what is really going on. Where I work now, its with designers, and although many of them are loosing jobs in the middle class, the upper class continues to thrive…spending over $10,000 for a sofa, and $800 for a fucking pillow. I just don’t get it. I feel like I’m slowly being eliminated, as someone in the lower middle class, taking my yearly salary alone, forget what we make together, just my salary, I might as well be living in my car, which I’ve been thinking about selling to save money.

In the 1990’s, my life was so different, we had a Mercedes Benz, an Alfa Romero, and a third car, a home, and my parents made over $100,000 a year…and now 18 years later, they make the same…minus all of the other amenities, like marriage, and a house and luxury vehicles. I’ve talked to a lot of people who say that they are making the same as they did 20 years ago, and the price of living continues to grow. The house that I grew up in, the one my parents bought in the 80’s for $115,000 is now on the market for $1 million. I don’t think they would be able to afford the house now, since they’re making the same.

As I turn the pages of my new Harper’s Bazaar and Lucky, I guess I’ll continue dreaming, about the simplest things in life, like those Versace shoes, working at a magazine as a writer, having a dream wedding by the beach that we want, that honey moon in Italy, getting a nice home, so our dog can have a back yard, and having two kids someday….just American dreaming.