By Hal Fleming
Local activist and community leader Daryl Brooks was jailed this past week. He has tried to change the "business as usual" attitude in government that plagues New Jersey and Trenton. He has espoused many causes (including the Tea Party) but has also shaken up the local political establishment and ruffled the feathers of many local leaders. Often speaking against government privileg...e and inefficiency, Daryl has done a lot to shake the community out of apathy and to fight social and political inequities. It is now time for this same community to support Daryl Brooks!
The fact that a person has publicly and visibly fought for the rights of others, who has run for public office at State and local levels, and who tried to bring less violence to the schools and streets, does not seem to matter. Daryl has still not abandoned the "system" for the violence of the streets as so many young people have, he has always looked for the system to "do the right thing". This past week Mr. Brooks was jailed by the recommendation of a counseling service under contract to Mercer County Parole. It is my understanding that the "voluntary" counseling mandates were not fulfilled. We could speak endlessly of the contract agents, who supposedly provide "voluntary rehabilitation" in the system, but in reality subject the "client" to coersive techniques. We could also speak of "clients" as "cash cows", who are hopelessly trapped in the system which does its best to milk the taxpayer at the expense of the "client. Possibly the most upsetting rule, which seems to be arbitrarily imposed, considering the original charges, by "the powers that be" is the revokation of his internet privileges.
Increasingly with government "semi agents", citizens seem to have lost their rights. There are many examples from the recent war as well as from the justice system. We now have private armies in combat zones, private prisons to handle difficult prisoners, private consultants carry out water boarding to extract every grain of truth and untruth. Closer to home, we have "Miranda Rights" routinely ignored as confirmed by the release of so many confessed felons when DNA is examined. For efficiency, we threten severe sentences if plea deals are not accepted (often to an innocent person). We are watched by cameras that also generate summons for traffic and toll offenses, without human intervention. Our cars are inspected by contract services and our rehabilitation of clients in the justice system is handed over to contract counseling agents.
We know from our taxes the result of these measures in cost! We know from North Korea and China the cost in liberty, we have taken the mantra of those odius despotic regimes and are using it in our community, state, and Nation. Why should we question it, the government can do no wrong!
Sincerely
Hal Fleming
Local activist and community leader Daryl Brooks was jailed this past week. He has tried to change the "business as usual" attitude in government that plagues New Jersey and Trenton. He has espoused many causes (including the Tea Party) but has also shaken up the local political establishment and ruffled the feathers of many local leaders. Often speaking against government privileg...e and inefficiency, Daryl has done a lot to shake the community out of apathy and to fight social and political inequities. It is now time for this same community to support Daryl Brooks!
The fact that a person has publicly and visibly fought for the rights of others, who has run for public office at State and local levels, and who tried to bring less violence to the schools and streets, does not seem to matter. Daryl has still not abandoned the "system" for the violence of the streets as so many young people have, he has always looked for the system to "do the right thing". This past week Mr. Brooks was jailed by the recommendation of a counseling service under contract to Mercer County Parole. It is my understanding that the "voluntary" counseling mandates were not fulfilled. We could speak endlessly of the contract agents, who supposedly provide "voluntary rehabilitation" in the system, but in reality subject the "client" to coersive techniques. We could also speak of "clients" as "cash cows", who are hopelessly trapped in the system which does its best to milk the taxpayer at the expense of the "client. Possibly the most upsetting rule, which seems to be arbitrarily imposed, considering the original charges, by "the powers that be" is the revokation of his internet privileges.
Increasingly with government "semi agents", citizens seem to have lost their rights. There are many examples from the recent war as well as from the justice system. We now have private armies in combat zones, private prisons to handle difficult prisoners, private consultants carry out water boarding to extract every grain of truth and untruth. Closer to home, we have "Miranda Rights" routinely ignored as confirmed by the release of so many confessed felons when DNA is examined. For efficiency, we threten severe sentences if plea deals are not accepted (often to an innocent person). We are watched by cameras that also generate summons for traffic and toll offenses, without human intervention. Our cars are inspected by contract services and our rehabilitation of clients in the justice system is handed over to contract counseling agents.
We know from our taxes the result of these measures in cost! We know from North Korea and China the cost in liberty, we have taken the mantra of those odius despotic regimes and are using it in our community, state, and Nation. Why should we question it, the government can do no wrong!
Sincerely
Hal Fleming
| George Hathaway |
Daryl Brooks is a friend of mine and he has been screwed.
A while ago Daryl was wrongfully accused but incarcerated for a sex crime. The real story is that because of his community activism, he incurred the wrath of one of the local drug dealers. This dealer apparently had several in the Trenton police force on the take and as a result of this corruption Daryl was arrested. The trial was a travesty with several witnesses committing perjury on the stand. He had no defense other than those who could vouch for his character. It was not enough.
Daryl spent about four years in prison and a few years ago was released on parole. Apparently, one of the conditions of parole was that he not try to say that he was innocent. Now, he has irritated the parole board enough that they have arrested him for violation. His offense: protesting his innocence. They have now prohibited him from posting anything on his blog or otherwise speaking out.
Daryl is now protesting with the hunger strike in Trenton. This has been going on for about 10 days and we don’t know how much longer he can hold out. He is taking water but no food.
It is about time that this kind of corruption was rooted out of New Jersey and its municipalities. Certainly Trenton is a hotbed for this but it is apparent throughout the state. We need to stand up with Daryl. As importantly, we need to get our legislators to commit to a thorough and honest investigation regarding this and other judicial malpractice. I am sure there are many, especially from minority communities, who are similarly unjustly accused.
In the several years that I have known Daryl, he has been an outspoken advocate for prisoner rights as well as justice for the unjustly accused. Some may be skeptical of these positions, especially from someone who is a true conservative (or libertarian). However, how can we deny people equal justice? If we are truly a government of laws, these laws need to be applied equally to everyone. This is where social justice really is. We are not asking for equal outcome but we are asking for equal application of the law. This is all that Daryl was really asking for and he is being persecuted because of this.
Where is the Obama administration and Eric Holder regarding this injustice? This is, after all, the government abusing the rights of a black man. I guess conservative black people don’t count. We’re is the Christie administration on this? I guess Daryl, as a black gadfly, doesn’t count. He has been too much of an irritant of conventional GOP politics.
We will keep you posted about Daryl’s status as we find out more. However, it is not too soon to assert our right to protest this travesty of justice.
By George Hathaway
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