An Apology from Alabama

Dr. Cheese · #1 03-30-2011, 11:36 AM

Recy Taylor: Alabama House Issues Apology for 1944 Rape Case

It's nice to see this. It cannot make up for such a profound injustice, but I'm sure it has made Ms. Taylor feel a bit better.

Relic · #2 03-30-2011, 11:42 AM

Took long enough for god's sake... justice still has not been done though.

MJ5150 · #3 03-30-2011, 11:43 AM

What else do you want to be done?

-Mike

**nutdog** · #4 03-30-2011, 11:43 AM

Too bad they don't have a trial. I can't really see anything wrong with an apology except the people apologizing aren't the ones that did anything wrong.

Relic · #5 03-30-2011, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ5150

What else do you want to be done?

-Mike

Dunno if anything CAN be done at this point. I mean the apology is a good thing - it acknowledges the fact that this is recognized as being wrong on all levels. But, damn.....it took this long to just get only that much?

Dr. Cheese · #6 03-30-2011, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ5150

What else do you want to be done?

-Mike

It would be good to re-open the grand jury for at least a finding of facts. I suspect that no suspects are still alive since the crime happened 67 years ago. If any are alive, they should be prosecuted and die in prison, assuming they are found guilty, since there is no statute of limitations for rape.

Dr. Cheese · #7 03-30-2011, 12:02 PM

Stories like this always make me feel ambivalent because although it is great to acknowledge wrong doing or even punish a wrong doer when possible, getting someone or just apologizing so many years after the fact just seems so hollow.

The obvious thing to do is to move on and let the past go, but there is a real danger in just forgetting past crimes because no one wants to be in a position to see them happen again.

MJ5150 · #8 03-30-2011, 12:03 PM

I didn't know about that Dr. Cheese, thanks for the info. Your idea seems logical to me if the guys are still alive. Maybe the decided on a public apology after realizing the offenders were all dead.

-Mike

**nutdog** · #9 03-30-2011, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

It would be good to re-open the grand jury for at least a finding of facts. I suspect that no suspects are still alive since the crime happened 67 years ago. If any are alive, they should be prosecuted and taken out back and shot, assuming they are found guilty, since there is no statute of limitations for rape.

Fixed. No point in wasting valuable public resources by sustaining their existence any longer.

thumpbass1 · #10 03-30-2011, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

It would be good to re-open the grand jury for at least a finding of facts. I suspect that no suspects are still alive since the crime happened 67 years ago. If any are alive, they should be prosecuted and die in prison, assuming they are found guilty, since there is no statute of limitations for rape.

#1! If any of the perps are still alive, they should reopen the case and bring them to trial. If that's not possible, they should
at least settle the facts and process them accordingly for what can be done via the legal system in that state for what it's worth.
The injustice won't be erased by far, but at least the matter could be acknowleged further. I hope she finds some resolution, since
justice can't be properly rendered in her case.

MakiSupaStar · #11 03-30-2011, 01:55 PM

pfft. Talk about a dollar short and a day late. Jeesh.

sandmangeck · #12 03-30-2011, 04:23 PM

That makes me sick. Thanks for posting Cheese. I'm sure there are many cases like this.

LAG · #13 03-30-2011, 04:24 PM

Great news! I am so happy to see this.

Dr. Cheese · #14 03-31-2011, 10:27 AM

Alabama House Apologizes to Recy Taylor: Brother Says It Will Give Some Closure

Here are some words from Ms. Taylor's brother.

MJ5150 · #15 03-31-2011, 10:36 AM

According to her brother, all Ms. Taylor wanted was an apology. This may also explain why there was no trial to convict those who raped her.

-Mike

Dr. Cheese · #16 03-31-2011, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ5150

According to her brother, all Ms. Taylor wanted was an apology. This may also explain why there was no trial to convict those who raped her.

-Mike

The most likely reason would be that the suspects are deceased. In a felony like rape, the victim's wish not to seek prosecution is irrelevant once the authorities know about it, assuming they have sufficient evidence (which is very problematic in a case this old.)

MJ5150 · #17 03-31-2011, 11:06 AM

Right, but how would they go about prosecuting the case if there was no one willing to testify?

-Mike

Dr. Cheese · #18 03-31-2011, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ5150

Right, but how would they go about prosecuting the case if there was no one willing to testify?

-Mike

I don't think that is an issue. I believe that either all of the suspects are dead or if one or two are alive, there is no physical evidence after all of these years. We already know that local officials suppressed the initial investigation.

MJ5150 · #19 03-31-2011, 11:34 AM

True. I guess I was kind of disappointed at the reaction to the apology. Good to know Ms. Taylor and at least her brother are satisfied with it.

-Mike

Dr. Cheese · #20 03-31-2011, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ5150

True. I guess I was kind of disappointed at the reaction to the apology. Good to know Ms. Taylor and at least her brother are satisfied with it.

-Mike

The Taylors are from a generation that saw such horrible mistreatment that any fairness is a gift to them. I come from a generation that expects a serious attempt at actual justice, and falling very short of it is a great disappointment.

I guess a good comparison would be when some sportswriters use Jackie Robinson's passivity in the face of abuse as an example for current black athletes. The fact was Jackie Robinson was a tough guy who only took taunts so he could at least get in the door, not because he some sort of saint. As soon as he could retaliate, he really hurt some players with spike first slides. He even hurt a taunter so badly that the man had to retire. Furthermore, I cannot help but think that Robinson died fairly young at least partially due to the stress of having to take crap day in and day out. I am not saying that black people need to walk around with chips on our shoulders, itching for fights, what I am saying that we have a right to expect justice, and we have a right to confront wrong doers.

When you think about it, injustice is not just about principles, it is about quality of life, and even public health. Although diet and overeating are issues, I'm sure injustice and percieved injustice cannot help but exacerbate chronic issues like hypertension in the black community.

It is for reasons like the one I mentioned that I can only be mildly satisfied with the apology nearly seventy years after the crime.