We Are All Troy Davis

We are all Troy Davis.

Given a set of circumstances we could all be Troy Davis. How does an innocent man or woman defend themselves when everyone is out to make sure they are convicted no matter what the facts of the case are? How do you defend yourself when not a shred of physical evidence is used?

Our criminal injustice system is flawed. We should have fixed it long ago. Instead we imprison a higher rate of our citizens that any other nation in the world. We have created a prison-industrial complex.

We have allowed private corporations to run our prisons and use those incarcerated as slaves to enrich themselves.

In the last three days three men have been executed. Troy Davis in Georgia, Lawrence Brewer in Texas and Derrick Mason in Alabama.

In the case of Derrick Mason even the judge that sentenced him asked the Governor to grant clemency.

When will this ever end?

End of the American Empire

As much as I hate the doom and gloom prophets, I am beginning to think that we may see the end of the American Empire in our lifetime.

The Republicans are not going to allow any solution proposed by President Obama and their solutions are what got us into the mess in the first place. Tanking the American economy seems to be their sole objective.

They may get the independent and the progressive voters so marginalized that the only people that could save us just won't vote. If the Republicans gain control of both houses and the White House, it is the end.

This will have an impact on those corporations they serve. If America becomes marginalized in the world, those businesses that depend on our strength to pursue their agenda abroad will lose their power also.

The American people can survive, but at a very high cost.