Violence and Hypocrisy: As American as Apple Pie

Violence and hypocrisy: as American as apple pie. I was watching the house of managers giving their closing arguments during the impeachment trial. I couldn’t help but sit and wonder about how corrupt our political system in this country really is.

It is clear President Trump tried to get the Ukrainian president to launch phony investigations against Joe Biden and his son, in a effort to hurt Joe Biden’s presidential campaign. Then on top of that, this clown of a president then obstructs Congress’s lawful efforts to investigate his abuses of power in clear violation of the United States constitution.

Well, why does none of this even remotely surprise me? Because this is America, despite all its rhetoric about democracy and freedom, this land is ruled by the dictatorship of demagogues, special interests, money, and hypocrisy.

Let’s take it back to what the United States government did to the Black Panther party and to the Black community in general, in the 1960s, seventies, and eighties. In that time, Black consciousness was on the rise. It was out of this that the Black Panthers were formed.

Here, we had a bunch of young black adults standing up to defend, protect, care for and serve their community. But this was perceived as a threat to the white power structure that didn’t want to see poor Black people being independent outside the white capitalist world.

So they launched COINTELPRO operations that eventually culminated into flooding Black communities with guns and drugs. Which led to the rise in the destructive nature of gangs across the country, beginning in Los Angeles and then in Chicago. But was anybody ever held accountable?

This also reminds me of what is happening to Mumia Abu-Jamal, despite clear evidence that this elder brother was set up by racist Philadelphia police department, racist prosecutors, and a racist judge. He has languished in prison over 30 years. So has anybody ever been held accountable?

This reminds me further of what happened 10 months ago in my own hometown of Albany, New York, where police officers were caught on tape savagely beating Black men. One of whom is the maternal uncle of my own nephew, a man I grew up with. Despite being caught on tape, the police officers’ union is defending the actions of these dirty cops.

This even reminds me of all the abuse and mistreatment of prisoners by correction officers that I witness almost daily behind these prison walls. Like when a prisoner was killed last year, or when corrections officers beat down a 70 year old prisoner. But yet the correction officers’ union defended the actions of these corrupt prison guards. Violence and hypocrisy is as American as apple pie.

The impeachment trial of President Trump only underscores how fake and phony American democracy can really be. Here I stand in prison after 23 years for crimes in which nobody was hurt, harmed or injured, but this guy can use the office of the United States president in ways that threaten the national security of our country just to help himself get reelected.

He can get caught on tape making misogynistic and offensive comments about women genitalia and still get elected as our president. Does anybody think this guy, if he weren’t so popular with the Republican base, that he wouldn’t be in a orange jumpsuit by now?

But that begs an even deeper question: why is the Republican base backing this clown? Does not the American union mean more to them than partisan politics? And what party affiliations do you think the racist FBI agents and police officers were who destroyed the Black Panther party? What was the party affiliations of police officers, prosecutors and judge who are responsible for railroading Mumia Abu-Jamal?

What is the party affiliation of those racist cops who beat on my nephew’s maternal uncle? What is the party affiliation of the police officers’ and correction officers’ union members that defended corrupt and dirty cops who are caught red-handed on tape themselves violating the law.

All this hits home to me because even now, the New York state department of corrections and community supervision is utilizing taxpayer dollars to stop my UFD organization from helping young prisoners change and better themselves.

The department outright lied to justify their decision not to allow UFD official recognition and approval. And despite the evidence of this lie, I have federal judges who are purposely turning a blind eye to this. What’s happening at the highest levels of government in this country with the corruption of President Trump is only reflective of what many of us at the lower end of the spectrum already know.

Justice in this country goes to those who have the money and power to get away with the dirt that they do. Especially law enforcement and correction officials, biased judges and Donald Trump, the worst president in history.

This is Dontie S. Mitchell, better known as Mfalme Sikivu, reporting to you from Great Meadow Corrections Facility, Comstock, New York. Follow me @FreeDontieMitchell on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Send me a email or video-gram via Jaypay.com with your questions and comments. Thank you for listening, and God bless.

(Sound of a cell door closing.) These commentaries are recorded by Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio.