JUST WHAT IS AMERICA’S FAVORITE PASTIME?

Thursday, October 26th, 2017

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

JUST WHAT IS AMERICA’S FAVORITE PASTIME?

Look out sports fans!  Maybe, just maybe, baseball is making a big comeback.  Now I know we are in the middle of football season.  Down my way in the Bayou State, both the Saints and the LSU Tigers are on a roll.  And a hyped-up basketball season is just beginning.  But baseball is drawing record crowds with the World Series ringing up the largest TV audiences in years.

The luster is off pro football.  The “take-a-knee” controversy has turned off thousands of viewers.  Just check out all the empty seats at any Sunday NFL game. Quite frankly, many of the pro games are, well, just boring. Then there is the “thug factor” and the statistic that some 50 NFL players have been arrested for domestic violence. To many former sports fans, politics has become their favorite entertaining diversion.

Just what is America’s favorite pastime? Is it politics or baseball? Politics has always been a major spectator sport, particularly here in my home state of Louisiana. But don’t sell baseball short. Not only has baseball been around longer than any of America’s professional team sports, the game’s highs and lows have been injected in national politics almost from the sport’s inception.

Now I’m a diehard baseball fan. I grew up in St. Louis and was in the stadium the Sunday afternoon back on May 2, 1954, when Stan the Man Musial hit five home runs on the same day in a doubleheader. I’m a regular at spring training down in Tampa, where I follow my perennial favorite, the New York Yankees

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Baseball has been well ahead of the NFL in confronting issues of race. The problems of major league baseball have often served as a mirror image of the problems facing America. Its history is both a reflection of this country’s fears and ignorance, and its hopes and promises. Like almost any other cultural phenomenon of such prominence, baseball has served as solace and as a poke to our conscience.

In 1948, the major leagues faced the problem of segregation earlier than the politicians in Washington, DC, did.  Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and won the rookie of the year award in his first season. It took court cases and sit-ins to get the attention of our political representatives to follow suit.

A few years back, the Tampa Bay Rays were the Cinderella team that went from “worst to first,” winning the American League pennant. Maybe it has something to do with their name. They used to be called the “Devil Rays” and their record was terrible. As soon as they dropped the word “Devil,” they became victorious overnight. Is it baseball pure and simple, or is the Religious Right involved?

Maybe it’s impossible to get away from campaigns and politics by focusing on the current World Series, but I’m going to give it a shot.  The Fox network carried many major league games this season. In the National League, everyone, even the pitchers, get an equal chance to bat. Will Fox News say that the National Leaguers are socialists?  Will their commentators argue they should call some home runs out if they are too far to the left?  And I guess you can’t blame the Democrats from bemoaning that every time someone steals a base, they get reminded of the 2000 presidential election.

There is also a lesson to be learned from Babe Ruth as Congress is considering limiting executive pay and bonuses of corporations who received bailout money. When the Babe was asked how he could justify making more money than the President, he shrugged off the question by answering, “I had a better year.”

I suppose one of the biggest differences between these two spectator sports is the sense of optimism that baseball brings every spring. The crack of the bat, a pop fly against a blue sky, and the green grass seem to offer a sense of renewal. It harkens back to the essence of youth and heroes of the past, and you feel that almost anything is possible in the coming season.  But in today’s political climate, there is little thought of great statesmen and principled political figures.  Political courage today is too often defined by poll watching and sticking a wet finger to the wind.

So when the TV remote offers a choice of the NFL, politics or baseball in the coming week, I’ll choose the great American pastime.  It’s baseball hands down.  Like a fellow once said:  “The difference between politics and baseball is that in baseball, when you are caught stealing, you’re out.”

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide.  You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9 am till 11:00 am, central time, on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.

WAY TOO MANY ELECTIONS IN LOUISIANA!

Thursday, October 19th, 2017

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

WAY TOO MANY ELECTIONS IN LOUISIANA!

It’s like they threw a party but nobody came.  That’s how election officials must have felt when they counted the ballots for last week’s statewide election. The turnout was a paltry 13.5%. Now remember that some 50% of adults over eighteen who could register have not done so. That means the less than 7% of Louisianans over eighteen bothered to show up at the polls to vote.

The New Orleans Times Picayune headlined that “We should be ashamed of the abysmal voter turnout.”  But maybe that’s not the right message. Perhaps it’s the legislature that ought to be ashamed for having the election to begin with. There are five scheduled elections this year alone. Is it really that necessary to hold five different elections in one year?  Of course not.  And for that matter, there is really no necessity to hold any elections in Louisiana this year at all.

There is a statewide federally mandated congressional election less than one year away.  Every item on the current ballot could have been held at that time without any disturbance to the daily operations of state government. The current election cost taxpayers over $6 million.  There are a lot of tax dollars to be saved by consolidating election dates.

And what was so important that just had to be placed on the ballot now?  A vacancy for state treasurer?  The treasurer has limited duties to collect and invest tax dollars, but there are strict legislature requirements as to how the money is to be collected and spent.  There is as good argument to make that the job should not be elected at all. Many states appoint the treasurer.

How about those three constitution amendments?  Well, we have gotten along just fine without each of them since our last constitution was adopted back in 1973.  And quite frankly, none of the three were really all that necessary and should have been handled by the legislature in its normal course of passing laws. Does anyone reading this column remember what you voted for?

But New Orleans held an election, right?  Yes, but the city should tie its election date to one of the regular statewide elections beginning in 2018.  That’s what most cities do all over the country.  Did you read or hear of any other city or state holding an election in October?  Of course not.  Most elections are held at the same time as federal elections.  Why should voters all over the state pay for New Orleans to have their special election date?

And how about letting Hard-Working Undocumented Immigrants Vote? Just kidding. I wanted to see if you're still paying attention.

Why can’t our legislators make voting easier? The world has changed in so many ways. You can buy, sell, conduct business, pay your bills and taxes, and interrelate in just about any possible way over the Internet with the exception of how you vote. Why does one have to get in their car, drive to a polling location, wait in line, all just to vote? Isn’t it possible to design a system to allow voting electronically wherever you happen to be?

Oh, the naysayers will holler wide spread election fraud. I disagree. A voter could enter their social security number on a smart phone and cast their ballot. Yes, it would be possible to use a family member’s number to illegally vote. But someone who would attempt such a scheme is messing with your right to pick those who run the country and keep us safe. So stick them criminally if any attempt is made to defraud the system. How about a minimum of ten years in jail for such perpetrators?

Poll after poll indicates that Louisiana citizens have little confidence in how their state is being run. But the present system offers little incentive and too many roadblocks to make voting easier. Maybe a little creative thinking by legislators in Baton Rouge could help in getting voters out of their current doldrums. There is really not much at stake. Well, except for the future of our kids and our quality of life.

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“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.” -- George Jean Nathan

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide.  You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9 am till 11:00 am, central time, on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.

THE BETRAYAL ON JUSTICE IN LOUISIANA!

Thursday, October 12th, 2017

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

THE BETRAYAL ON JUSTICE IN LOUISIANA!

A Louisiana guy named John Thompson died last week.  You may not recognize the name, but he was the victim of one of the worst cases of prosecutorial misconduct in the state’s history. Here are the facts.

Thompson was convicted back in 1982 of first-degree murder and given the death sentence. He came within days of being executed after spending 14 years on death row and 18 years total in prison. Five different prosecutors were involved in the case and all knew that a blood test and other key evidence had been hidden that showed Thompson was innocent.

On his deathbed dying of cancer, one of the prosecutors confessed to a colleague that he had hidden the exculpatory blood sample. The colleague waited five more years before admitting that he too knew of the hidden evidence. Thompson, after 18 years, received a new trial, and his lawyers were finally able to produce ten different pieces of evidence that had been kept from him, that overwhelming showed he was innocent. The new jury took less than 35 minutes to find him not guilty.

Hiding evidence that can find the accused innocent is nothing new for prosecutors in New Orleans, both in state and federal court as well as with the FBI. The Innocence Project of New Orleans reviewed a number of convictions over the past 25 years in the city and concluded that prosecutors gave a "legacy" of suppressing evidence. The Project said 36 men convicted in Orleans Parish alleged prosecutorial misconduct.

Nineteen have since had their sentences overturned or reduced as a result. According to the Innocence Project, favorable evidence was concealed in a quarter of the murder convictions from 1973-2002. In 19 of 25 non-capital cases, the prosecutors withheld favorable evidence; in the other six cases, the courts ruled that evidentiary hearings were needed.

With full justification, Thompson sued the prosecutor’s office in New Orleans for ripping away and stealing 18 years of his life. He had two sons that he never saw grow up. A New Orleans jury awarded him $14 million. Some said it was too much money. Would you give up 18 years of your life in solitary confinement on death row for $14 million? On appeal, the Fifth US Circuit Court of Appeals, reputedly the most pro-prosecutorial circuit in the nation, upheld the award in favor of Thompson.

But a bitterly divided Supreme Court said to Thompson “no way.” In a 5-4 decision, his case was tossed out by the Supreme Court – not because they disagree that the prosecutor’s office hid evidence (in fact all 9 justices agree on that point). Instead they tossed the case because, in their divine judicial opinion, they didn’t see any “pattern” of the prosecutor’s office doing this to other people besides Thompson (because one life ruined is apparently not enough). Sounds like a John Grisham novel with a bad ending, right? If only that were so. Unfortunately, this is real life and John Thompson got nothing for his 18 years in jail. Not a red cent. Tough luck fella. The system failed you, but “stuff happens.”

This was not a decision based on a conservative interpretation of the law, even though the so-called conservative block voted in lock step to deny Thompson’s claim. A true conservative justice would be strongly opposed to government oppression and the encroachment on the liberty of a falsely accused person. After all, when a prosecutor can operate with impunity, totally absent of any criminal or civil check on their actions, the seeds of fascism are planted. No, a true conservative judge would have held these rogue prosecutors fully accountable.

John Thompson, stunned by the Supreme Court's decision, spent the rest of his life working to help wrongly convicted inmates. He founded a group called Resurrection after Exoneration. Sadly, he did not have the financial resources that the lower courts rightly concluded should have paid to help him pursue his goal.

If there was ever any doubt about the lack of fairness, competence and fundamental decency among the current majority composition of the Supreme Court, such doubt was put to rest by a decision that would make any oppressive and dictatorial government proud. The judicial system failed John Thompson. Along with Lady Justice, we all should shed a tear.

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“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”
- Elie Wiesel

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide.  You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9 am till 11:00 am, central time, on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.

TOO BUSY FOR NATIONAL ANTHEM!

Thursday, October 6th, 2017

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

TOO BUSY FOR NATIONAL ANTHEM!

I’ve always looked on honoring the flag and standing for the national anthem as a basic premise that connotes a commitment to protect our freedoms guaranteed to us under our constitution. It’s also a symbol of reverence for our soldiers who protect us throughout the world.  It’s never occurred to me not to stand as the national anthem is being played.  I guess I’m just an old fashioned coot that has allowed current trends to pass me by. It apparently is just not “cool” or “hip” to celebrate freedom, and to honor those who protect us.

I guess I have never been all that “cool.”  I was one of those young kids who didn’t dodge the draft, and even though I was married with a child on the way and past draft age, I still volunteered to serve in the military. Initially in the Army and then 12 years in the National Guard. I was a lawyer, but enlisted in the infantry. I still have and wear my dog tags given to me by the Army back in 1966. But I wasn’t all that special. Thousands of young men did the same. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

But I guess being patriotic is passé in this day and age.  It’s not just many overpaid NFL football players who can’t seem to take a few moments to honor those who serve and protect our country.  Have you been to a college or pro game recently?  Just take a look around you while the Star -Spangled Banner is playing.  As sports writer John Branch wrote in The New York Times this week, maybe we ought to turn the cameras around on the fans.  “Those who have spent a lot of time in stadiums and arenas know that they are rarely sanctuaries of patriotic conformity and decorum.”

Go to LSU’s Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night or venture into the SuperDome for a Sunday afternoon Saints game.  Many fans seem oblivious to the anthem as they wander towards their seats, or walk about looking for bathrooms and concession stands.  Tailgaters, almost without exception, carry on with their cooking and drinking as the music drifts outside the stadium gates. No time or interest in pausing for the anthem.

Actually, there is a federal act that requires allegiance to the American Flag.  In United States Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, the law states that non military persons “should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, or if applicable, remove their headdress with the right hand and holding to the left shoulder, hand being over the heart.”

I’m sure to the ACLU, lawsuits will come raining down if such a law were enforced.  I oppose players taking a knee, but those that do are at least staying quite and focusing on the anthem. Not like many fans that seem to be oblivious to a two-minute pause in honor of those who defend the freedoms that allows these same fans to attend a sporting event.  As Jack Nicholson said in A Few Good Men: “ We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline.”

Sure, there are many problems involving fairness throughout our nation.  I have written a book about discrimination in the federal judicial system called Justice Denied.  But there are times when our country should speak as one voice, and that time to me is during the playing of our national anthem.

The American Flag is rarely flown anymore, outside of public buildings and some car dealerships. When I grew up, many homes throughout our neighborhood proudly hung the Flag. I still fly the nation’s flag in front of both my house and my office, 365 days a year.

 But that’s just me.  I guess, to many of us old guys, patriotism is something that too many Americans acknowledge in passing.  Take for granted.  No big deal.  Now let’s get on with the game.

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide.  You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9 am till 11:00 am, central time, on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.