Would You Let Them Channing On Your Tatum?
'The Voice' Crowns Its Winner
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It is a woefully low sentence for a man who was involved in heinous acts, such as shocking men's testicles to coerce murder convictions, and indicative of the fact that the statute of limitations on torture should be lifted.
Burge was convicted of lying about his role in a long-running torture ring that saw black men taken to secret locations, where guns were placed in their mouths and their testicles electrocuted with a cattle prod to coerce confessions.
While men who confessed to crimes under extreme duress without receiving their right to a trial were sent to prison for long stretches, the real murderers could have been left on the street to commit other crimes.
Burge, who is now old and sick, will finally have to pay some sort of retribution for his crimes, but it is not nearly enough time given the scope and magnitude of the criminal enterprise he was involved in.
"It's outrageous," Mark Clements, who says Burge's officers tortured him in to giving a false confession in 1981 when he was 16, told the AP. "It's not justice."
"People in our community get more time than this for fistfights," said Fred Hampton Jr., son of the late Black Panther of the same name.
The problem is that the statute of limitations on the crimes Burge was accused of has expired and perjury was the only crime prosecutors could charge him with. U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis of Illinois has proposed removing the statute of limitations for torture.
The city of Chicago should also be ashamed of itself for not investigating the persistent allegations over the many years by black men who said they were tortured. This is how Burge and his band of officers escaped justice.
This case should be used as the perfect example of why the change in the law needs to be made immediately.
Just think of how many lives Burge and his band of rogue officers destroyed. Burge decided that he was above the law, that black men did not have the same basic rights as every American and that he would serve as both judge and jury.
Burge asked for a lenient sentence because of his military service and because he has prostrate cancer and other ailments.
"I'm 63 years old, and while I try to keep a proud face, in reality, I am a broken man," Burge said in court.
The real question is how many black men did Burge break? How many families did he destroy? How many children grew up without fathers?
Unfortunately, we will never know.
Comments: (56)
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By: Bruce on 1/24/2011 1:24PM
I'm glad he got convicted, I don't think he will last a year in prison. I hope they give him a tattoo that says " I love Torture".
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By: Blackgold on 1/25/2011 1:52PM
His time in prison is limited once the Brothas find out who he is. I spent some time San Diego state pen for petty thief and jailed cops and aryans racists are scare to death when they incounter the Brothas.
The aryans nomally get a azz kicking on the regular because law inforcement didn't allow them to have racist tatoos removed before coming to the pen and we pass the word that a pig is in prison.
If this cop is not in solidary confinment, well that's his azz. But it's likely this person will get special treatment.
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By: ThePlayer on 1/25/2011 1:40AM
My real hope is that Burge is sued for violation of these persons civil rights, so when and if he get outta prison, he'll have no assets.
The City of Chicago should stop his police pension forthwith, because civil rights violations and lawsuits such as these, when they are properly prosecuted cost the citizens of the municipality monies.
Unfortunately, as the status quo goes, Burge will probably enjoy the fruits of his evil and lawless enterprise by having his police pension left in place and the vics of his criminal enterprise will never properly recover psychologically nor financially from his insidious behavior.
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By: wb7ptr on 1/25/2011 8:59PM
They need to give Burge's pension to the people he tortured ...
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By: jeromequigley on 1/24/2011 3:04PM
So Agree w/ You Bruce!!!! I am glad he was convicted...was it too little, of course it is!!! But unless they get him into a confy jail that has a very good isolation unit he will be toast, and will deserve anything he gets! But I can see them putting him some place safe and confy especially w/having cancer. He will never be subjected to "population" no matter what. Dang shame to because that would be justice. I always tell peepz who have been wronged by some one, cop or criminal, and they get light jail time...don't lose your kool in court and get mad. Because $100-$200 will buy you one heck of a beat donw on the person from a Lifer!! Heck most would do it for $50 but you may want to give them some good motivation to take care of business!! Not that I would suggest any of his victims do that (wink wink) or anything, I'm just sayin!!!
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By: Nadine on 1/24/2011 4:50PM
He looks like a snake that just mutated into a human. Look at his eyes, it is scary, he got snake eyes.
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By: Brown Sugah Baby on 1/24/2011 4:57PM
Bitter sweet justice. Bitter because it came after so many men had been subjected to the evil and wicked ways of a man deeply insecure and grossly twisted beyond anyone's full knowledge working as a city official (and the imps were worked underneath him).
Sweet because he will finally face the consequences that's he's managed to dodge for a very long time. Now, he must succumb to the darkness of the hell he was determined to place others in.
And though its hardly a call of justice that he would only be sentenced to 4 and a half years after the torture of at least one hundred men, he will reap what he's sown to some degree and that does give most a twinge of relief.
And for that, I will applaud - long and loudly!!
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By: Sabrina Baskerville on 1/25/2011 8:46AM
I am sadened at the acts of a Police Department that is suppose to uphold the law, also breaks the law and so easily. The crys, the scares of these beautiful Black Men will never be healed unless they receive "Justice." Black folks need to wake up and realize that dogs, cats, and other animals have more rights than African Americans in America and as a people we can not wait for anyone to treat us, love us, and give us education when we do not love ourselves.
Martin Luther King had a quote he used to keep us conscience of one thing, "If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, than he isn't fit to live." What will we die for, we need to teach our children pride, love, and honor. This will stop a multitude of trouble within ourselves self-hate has destroyed our culture, but self love through Christ Jesus will heal our people.
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By: Susan on 1/25/2011 9:08AM
You hit it right on the nose. I agree with you 100%..
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By: LINDA on 1/25/2011 9:29AM
IT IS NOW 2012 AND WE ARE STILL ENSLAVED. THERE IS ONE SET OF JUSTICE FOR WHITE PEOPLE AND ANOTHER SET IF JUSTICE FOR BLACK PEOPLE. IT SAD WHEN YOU THINK OF IT, BUT A BLACK PERSON WHO COMMITS A CRIME OF MISTREATING A DOG GET MORE TIME IN JAIL THAN THIS EX-COP FOR LYING ABOUT HIS ROLE IN OVERSEEING A RING OF COPS THAT TORTURED 100 BLACK MEN.
WE ARE TO BELIEVE THAT JUSTICE IS FAIR AND EQUAL. PLEASE TELL ME WHEN AND WHERE WILL JUSTICE BE FAIR AND EQUAL. I NOW IT WILL BE FAIR AND EQUAL IN HEAVEN BUT NOT HERE ON EARTH.
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