Judge TS Ellis committed what I consider a travesty upon the justice system of the American people. Ellis completely ignored the sentencing guidelines provided by the Prosecution and gave Paul Manafort a mere forty-seven months (minus time served) for the eight felonies of which he was convicted. This is justice for a life spent cheating on his income taxes, defrauding financial institutions, representing foreign governments as they attempted to get over on the U.S., and passing election related polling data to a representative of the Russian government? Ellis said that Manafort, who worked for pro-Russian oligarchs attempting to influence the United States to allow Vladimir Putin to have a free hand in his attempts to regain the Soviet sphere of influence beginning with the Ukraine, led an “otherwise blameless life.” Lenny Bruce hit the proverbial nail on the head when he opined, “The only justice in the Halls of Justice is in the halls.”
Manafort is a convicted liar, thief, and a traitor to his nation, but other than that, he led a blameless life. Manafort was sentenced to forty-seven months in prison; meaning he could potentially be out in half that time (less if he receives a Presidential pardon). If Paul Manafort were a person of color who stole a car he would have gotten fifteen, or more, years in prison. There is no justice in the U.S. Justice system. There is no equal justice under the law. Judge Ellis may be comfortable with this obvious miscarriage; I am not. I am disgusted not only with Judge Ellis, but with my country as well. They have allowed a Mercenary to beat the system. Manafort has no allegiance to this nation. This is especially galling in that Manafort is obviously an agent of the Russian government who gets to keep his ill gotten gains. This is one of the most stunningly obvious cases of White Privilege I have ever encountered. Juxtapose the case of Paul Manafort with that of sixteen year old Kalief Browder to understand how terribly broken the U.S. Justice System really is.
Sixteen year old Kalief Browder spent more than three years imprisoned on Rikers Island in New York for allegedly stealing a backpack. The young African American’s case was ultimately dismissed without ever going to trial. In the mean time his life was stolen from him by a bureaucracy that only seems To function properly if one is wealthy and white. After suffering at the hands of this system Kalief Browder, unable to deal with the injustice took his own life at the age of twenty-two. Paul Manafort, on the other hand, committed tax fraud to the tune of over thirty million dollars, among the eight felonies of which he was convicted and in essence gets a free ride...not to mention the very real possibility of a Presidential Pardon. The nation that was supposedly built upon the rule of law, of which we continually puff out our collective chest with pride, is a cruel joke for any but those who are rich and white. I sincerely hope that someone can explain the two divergent justice system outcomes to the family of young Kalief Browder. I know no one can adequately explain it to me.
The Congress of the United States is just a guilty as Judge Ellis, Paul Manafort, and Donald J. Trump for the outcome of both the Manafort trial verdict, and the attendant unjust justice system that destroyed Kalief Browder’s life. Ellis and Manafort have helped Donald Trump to once again defecate on the U.S. Constitution, and the people of the United States. Much of the collusion began before Trump showed up...it is certainly a fact that the Republican Senate did everything possible to prevent Barack Obama from having a successful Presidency. And, the gang leader, Mitch McConnell is the worst of the lot. McConnell, as much as Trump, Manafort, et al is a traitor to this nation, her people, and the very questionable “rule of law.” Examining the actions McConnell has taken since becoming the leader in the Senate one must wonder what illegal, back door activities in which he is involved.
I don’t know if I can ever have any respect for my nation again. The bad deeds just keep coming and the perpetrators get less fearful and bolder each day. the vermin are getting fat in a swamp they were supposedly going to drain. Finally, there is enough disgusting behavior to go around: there are the supporters of this administration, from the Hannity’s and Limbaugh’s to the brain-dead electorate that support Trump and his sleazy associates (eight of whom have already been indicted and/or plead guilty to crimes associated with their positions in the administration).
I can almost understand Hannity and Limbaugh’s actions because it fattens their wallets. But for the life of me I cannot understand how the alt-Right can let these people give our enemies secrets, allow their pockets to be picked and support a grifter like Trump who tells dozens of provable lies daily. And, just to be fair, in addition to the overt support of Trump and the White Privilege gang by those mentioned above, we must add the rest of America...the Americans who are apparently too lazy or content to get off their collective asses and do something about the failures of which I have spoken. There should be loud, directed, boisterous protests; boycotts of businesses and of government systems. Think of the havoc to the bureaucracies if the American people, in unanimity filed both their Federal and State income taxes just one day late. Or, perhaps like the citizens of Iceland, we could organize a series of “Pots and Pans” rebellions, nationwide.
This nation was built upon a promise of equality governed by the rule of law, and over our two plus centuries of existence that promise has been stolen. It was done ever so slowly so as to be unnoticeable at first; much like the proverbial frog in the pot of cool water heating on the stove slowly enough so the frog doesn’t realize it’s being boiled alive until it’s too late. However, now emboldened by success the thieves no longer hide in the shadows and slow cook the frog...the heat is up all the way. Are we going to let our posterity’s future be stolen? Are we to become a tenth century feudal society? Will we become the sheep for which the only end is sad and bitter? I certainly hope not. They cannot hurt me for I am nearly seventy-three years old; but they can hurt my children and grand children...that I cannot allow. Please join me in stopping this mad dash to hell. You can start by sharing this post, and by telling those with which you do, exactly why you are passing the message along. I wish you all well.
