It is a sad case. While, we talk about illegal immigration and American pejorative attitudes toward these illegal aliens, it is almost a singular truth that the Black immigrants, especially African immigrants are most Americans nightmares. Forget about the whole thing about they are the most educated of all groups, including above native born. But then even the fate of those African immigrants with the least education, those on the lower rung of the leader, who are struggling to forage and survive are even worse off. Even some of us, within this forum have sided with the dominant perspective of the DA's office, that has turned a victim into a prosecuted. This thwarting of American justice seemingly is not consistent with how and what most American views regarding the prosecution of domestic violence and abuses have been, namely that the criminal past of the victim, when the evidence are clear, should not become centralized facts in ensuring justice. However, this is the case of 'another Diallo.' In this case of another Diallo, what is important is not the forensic evidence- medical and otherwise, but who the people involved are. In this another Diallo, we evidently see how two African immigrants are criminalized. The first Diallo was bestially killed by New York Police officers, who at the time claimed he was trying to pick out a gun, when in fact the man was harmless. Even further criminalization indicated that that Diallo was a drug peddler! The New York Police officers involved were freed, making mockery of justice. Then fell reticence. That Diallo dead, vulnerable in life and in death, decalcifying in his far away tomb in distant Guinea, the ghost of the itinerant migrant could of course encased no longer cause reckless harm- at least not to those in New York City, especially police and power that be. Now, as the memories of the first Diallo lapses, eclipsed from the popular imagination comes again the deafening awakening; the unfolding of story another Diallo. Please, why can this Diallos not stay out of the news! It seems to me that in NYC there is something iffy about Guineans and Haitians that keeps them in the eye of the storm. Yes, this borne out by the evidence. one Diallo, two Diallo; son and daughter of Guinea, and then Abner Loumar, and then a Patrick Dorismond, sons of Haiti, and these always associated with bad or good press, depending on which side of the aisle you are. Always, the nationals of these two countries have been known to provoke different ranges of emotions in us. It is either sympathy or disgust, and most times their cases are unresolved, without any definitive stance. No finality, and in more academic ontology, their ontic (specific) cases stalls on the gearing of dull teleology; without conclusive resolve. Like the hanging chads of the US Presidential elections 2000, these cases are chaordic at best, and shattering at worst. I have always wonder whether the fact that English is a second or third language to these French speaking folks is an issue! Maybe, so. Even, this time the Al Sharptons are more sonorous than ever, steering clear of whatever stirrings there is. Maybe, just maybe, they are finding it difficult to understand their French, Creole, and Fulla jargon to be useful to these French speaking folks. Or, like the Moslems- or more Middle Easterners- are the French speakers the next in the profiling of American society- the bad guys, and the more darker the worst on the scale of badness!. Two different stories but similar plots. These African immigrants were attracted to the American dream but seemingly scrounging at the lower rungs of its towering ladder. These two were wronged, no matter their past, but were left to roast, and vilified in other to make their hanging justifiable. Moreso, in an America that is so, since September 11th, 2001, acrimonious not only to immigrants, but Moslems, these two had the disadvantages of been adherents of the Islamic faith. Their issues therefore went beyond the traditional double-jeopardy, what the late Nigerian Afro musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti asserts as "double wahalla for dead body." It reminds me of what the French army officer, said to Paul in the movie "Hotel Rwanda," when they were repatriating foreigners and Paul wanted his family to join them- that Paul is not foreign, he is not even a Nigger, but that he is "African." Then, probably, it would have been worst if he was also Moslem! The fact of the matter is that no one, no matter their past, should be unjustly treated, especially when the facts are so lucidly clear. No human beings should be so violated because they belong to a certain assumably defined lower rung of the social universe and scales of power and influence. It is wrong and despicable. The DA Vance has truncated justice in the case of this other Diallo through his shabby and tacky handling of the matters. Yes, the woman may not have been the most credible person, but the issues in this case goes against all that Americans peddle about domestic abuse violence, that when it comes to rape, even a drug addict, an ex-convicts, rights should be upheld. Obviously, when sexual abuse and violence is involved it is expected that the forensic and medical evidence should speak for itself. The way this case has been handled gives room to people to abuse the most vulnerable of the American population with a certain sense of impunity. The homeless, women and children, and mentally sick, some of whom have made very bad life choices, and even scary social reputations, are among the most sexually assaulted and abused. What happens to them when they have credible cases of such abuses backed by forensic evidence? DA Vance and his office, by their decisions, obviously amplified by certain interests other than those ensuring the protection and safety of abused women and other vulnerable population have made a very sad statement. While not making excuses for Ms. Diallo, daily refugees and other migrants make false claims and lie to gain immigration benefits. This is even more true for populations that have suffered trauma, many have trust issues. Many after their previous violations are scared of recalling some of these devastating events, and they skirt around them with lies. However, that does not entail that all their statements and claims are lies. Lies is not limited to refugees or migrants, or even the most vulnerable. We have experienced lies from a sitting American president. We have seen governors, congressmen, and others in high standing (Enron, Madoff) blatantly and patently lied to the American public. Some have been left off the hook. In deed, many Americans of stature lie for personal gains, like the case of the Judge recently sentenced following his collaboration with owners and managers of correctional facilities to unduly sentence people to these facilities for business and financial convenience. Ms. Diallo lied on her tax returns. Many Americans do so, but this are not held against them when domestic violence issues are at stake- else many would be unable to come forward due to fear of further traumatization. Yes, lies, especially when revealed, does have enormous consequences- but they should not detract from the centrality of the issues involved in the Ms. Diallo's case. DSK states he had consensual sex with a worker at work. The argument sounds even bizarre. An IMF Chief, who should he helping to grow the global economy, should know better that sex-in-the-workplace- does not seem to be the best way to stimulate economic prosperity. Further, what were the terms of the consensual sex? How much did he pay for it? Probably, DA Vance feels that he is doing the New York City some good, by saving them their tax. But rather, the implications deriving from this case maybe that it could lead to wasteful spending may end up hurting the people of New York, as evidently this may grant to abusers a weapon in their orgiastic abuses of the weak and vulnerable. We already know that this population suffer the most abuse. In fact, if we are to encourage DSK's sex-at-work, this has the potential to cost the tax payers even more. Time tied up to such behaviors is likely to have grievous economic impact upon efficient services and their delivery. Maybe, DSK was experimenting on how the IMF would come up with a rational means of advocating sex-at-work as a new tool of stimulating global economy growth! Ms. Diallo's abuse should have been at the focal centre of the prosecution based upon the available medical and forensic evidence. After, she is not the only one who has a past in this case. DSK also has a past, and the DA's office refused to research more of this to see how he could have been brought to justice. More than anything else, the DA's decision is also stoking within certain ambience the insinuation of Semitic favoritism, while ambering some strong sentiments that denounces him as hurting women and other vulnerables. Such posturing may not be altogether true, but the incurrable and evolving damages deriving from such positions can be hurtful to the public interestg and good, especially as it pertains to safety and protection of a certain class and/or population. Overall, it is important that justice should be blind and at the disposal of all. It should not matter that DSK is an influential person and of Jewish heritage. Equally, it doesn't have to matter that Ms. Diallo is a woman of low social standing, and an African Moslem, in deed an asylee. There are also some virulent insinuations that have evolved and unveiled within the public domain that someone influential on staff within the DA's office is married to the sister of DSK's wife. There are also indications that the version of translation used regarding the conversation of this other Diallo was twisted and does not reckon as the truth rendition of what she actually said. These facts if true, does indicate that there was some manipulations of the facts in this case, with the DA's office acting unethically, leaking information to the media, and other acts that seems to be as if they are the defendants for DSK rather than prosecutors trying to get at the bottom of a criminal case. Therefore, whether this case is dropped or not, for the sake of justice, there need to be full ethical and even criminal investigation of the DA's office. While, as some folks herein has insinuated, that Africans and other migrants can be more wiser than the often taken for granted assumption of stupidity, ignorant, and even irrational, but groundedly more sophisticated, we must not criminalize this woman without knowing the entire facts of this case- and the backstage politics behind this all. She might not be the most credible witness because of some of the lies from her past, but she did not asked to be traumatized and be abused by a person whose pathological trait seems to involved abusing women around the world. Let us be clear, so did this woman research this man and also knew his area of vulnerability, and therefore, went to seduce DSK? DSK's zipper seems to be always loose, and him very lousy. Over and again, DSK has shown a propensity to abuse women in their places of work. The cases of the IMF employee, the French writer during an interviewing for a book, and now a hotel maid indicates that this man has a huge problem; a walking bomb waiting to detonate any and everywhere. It is both regretable and intriguing-if not impressive- that he even continues to receive enormously good press. When the current South African President, Jacob Zuma, showed such lousy propensity, we know the kinds of negative editorials that were mouthed, or rather penned by the western media. How, sad! The case of the two Diallo also represents the bad taste and dichotomous ways ethics and justices are proclaimed, held up, and interpreted for different personalities depending on their climes of origin. In the past, DSK has stonewalled, even threatening the media when the case of the IMF female employee played out. Surely, it seems that DSK can always, everywhere, buy his way out of any messy nest, and strut his shoulders. I am sure that the Arnolds, the Spitzers, and others are surely wiggling, so much in awe and envying DSK. Probably, they wish they were him, able to scuttle free unscathe, retaining the love and affection of his wife. It must make them wish to have learnt a few tips and taken some useful clues from him- especially his "wife-keep" tactics in spite of his many alluring indiscretions. It seems the good company of DSK wouldn't hurt in the Club of the Dissaffected Losers! Definitely, the theatrics of the case of another Diallo and its star protagonist, with all its drama, has shown that our world is always, ever for the powerful. But there is nothing like those TV prep-walk of DSK that made a Gulliver into a dwarf in the land of the Houyhnhnms. Definitely intrigued, I am awaiting for the movie in about two to three years, if not less --- On Tue, 8/23/11, Hetty ter Haar <oldavenue@googlemail.com> wrote:
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