Some villagers may recall that we annointed Paris TX with the unofficial title as the 'Most Racist City in America'. The city lived up to its reputation with decision to release the two white men accused of killing Brandon McClelland, a Black man, in a racially charged dragging death. [SOURCE]
Shannon Finley and Charles Crostley were released last week in Paris after a judge granted the special prosecutor's motion to dismiss the case. The two men had been charged with fatally striking 24-year-old Brandon McClelland and dragging him over 70 feet with a pickup truck in September following the trio's late-night beer run to Oklahoma.
Last month, a gravel truck driver gave a sworn statement acknowledging he might have accidentally run over McClelland.
"His body was dragged and nobody gets charged?" said Brenda Cherry, a Paris resident and the president of Concerned Citizens for Racial Equality. "Even if a trucker came forward, that's all it takes? Even the trucker's not charged? If you hit someone, you don't get charged? Nobody gets charged with this?"Is there any reason for Black folks to stay in Paris TX any longer?
8 comments:
"Is there any reason for Black folks to stay in Paris TX any longer?"
I ask myself that about the United States of America all of the time.
This sounds like a reason to revert back to the Sixties...and relive the riots...a couple of good cocktails...and total civil disobidence sounds in order..
If Texas really left the union would it be missed? I think not.
We really don't have a presence there, but I sent word to the folks in B'Mo that we need to get on this. Thanks for the work that you do Wayne in keeping us all aware...
Why am I not surprised? Disgusted, yes. But not surprised.
Maybe I threw up in my mouth a little just now.
It's so hard not to feel like "whatever" with stuff like this.
You know what's also disheartening... meanwhile where are my black people on this issue? can we descend on Paris like we did on Jena, LA?
Can we start pointing to these issues the next time someone wants to say that our President's race proves we're post-racial.
Francis & Changeseeker - I feel ya'!
Lady D - I'm not lookin' for any new spate of riots this summer. I'm hopeful that we can find other ways to punish the powers that be in Paris TX. I'm punishing them by publically naming them the Most Racist City in America...
KMyles - Let us know what you find out from the folks at HQ. It would be great to see NAACP visible in Paris TX justice...
A. Smith - I'm not sure that enough of us know about Paris TX. Perhaps more Black bloggers can shine a light on those cockroaches...
As much as I'd like to shout, "Un-freaking-believable" from the rooftop, I know that it really isn't, unfortunately. I agree with mladydeborah -- TexASS would not be missed if they voted to leave the Union. Bleh!
Carleen - I wonder if the two accused white men are being treated like conquering heroes by the folks in Paris TX? Does anyone have compassion for the family of Brandon McClelland?
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