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14 year-old black girl, jailed for 7 years for shoving teacher's aide
(The Punishment Do Not Fit the Crime)

Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2007

Greetings Everyone,

Please read the exerpt below and visit the website to learn more about a 14-year old black girl jailed for 7 years in texas for shoving her highschool teacher.  Please pass this information along, so that more people can be informed


Nneka wrote:
I am a 14-year-old black freshman who shoved a hall monitor at Paris High School in a dispute over entering the building before the school day had officially begun and was sentenced to 7 years in prison. I have no prior arrest record, and the hall monitor--a 58-year-old te acher's aide--was not seriously injured. I was tried in March 2006 in the town's juvenile court, convicted of "assault on a public servant" and sentenced by Lamar County Judge Chuck Superville to prison for up to 7 years, until I turn 21. Just t hree months earlier, Superville sentenced a 14-year-old white girl, convicted of arson for burning down her family's house, to probation.  

Sistas & Brothas,  See what's up TODAY!!!!!!! !!!  read below  WOW!!!!

There's a long long racist legacy in Paris, TX. Below is just the late 19th century segment of that racist tradition.

Paris was the site of the lynching [http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ Image:Henry- Smith-2-1- 1893-Paris- TX-2.jpg ] of Henry Smith in 1893, the first blatantly public, actively promoted lynching of a southern black by a large crowd of southern whites. 10,000 people gathered ar ound to cheer while he has tortured and then burned to death. [1]

 It's about the continuation of the criminalization of a race of people. Young Sista Cotton is another unfortunate Black youth randomly selected to be a criminal by the very system that touts that it is democratic.

A site has been setup for her at http://freeshaquandacotton.blogspot.com 

"... so what can be done? link to this article. publicize this story. let's see what blogging black can really do. go to the governor's page at http://www.governor .state.tx. us/c ontact and let him know how you feel and how this is completely bullshit."

Paris, texas. in plain view

March 13th, 2007 Fredric · 52 Comments

the one thing i love most about reading online is the ability to find little nuggets of information or interesting stories without having to flip through a giant stack of recyclable paper with messy ink. yesterday was no exception when i stumbled upon a story in the tribe (may need free signup) about a small town in texas that seems to relish in its violent racial past.

paris, texas is the home of the Paris Fairgrounds, a stage where thousands of white 'spectators' would gather to burn and lynch blacks as if at some sort of carnival. today, it is a highly segregated town that has implicity dared anyone to question how it chooses to treat blacks that live in the area.

the facts:

1. "black parents have filed at least a 12 discrimination complaints against the school district with the federal Education Department, asserting that their children, who constitute 40 percent of the district's nearly 4,000 students, were singled out for excessive discipline"

2. the paris public schools are under investigation by the U.S. Education Department

3. 19-year-old white man, convicted last July of criminally negligent homicide for killing a 54-year-old black woman and her 3-year-old grandson with his truck, was sentenced in Paris to probation

4. judge chuck superville sentenced a 14-year-old white girl, convicted of arson for burning down her family's house, to probation

5. a 14-year-old black freshman, shaquanda cotton, shoved a 58-year-old teacher's aide at paris high school in a dispute over entering the building before the school day had officially begun. she was tried in march 2006 in the town's juvenile court, convicted of "assault on a public servant" and sentenced by the same judge chuck superville to prison for up to 7 years, until she turns 21

yes, you read that last part right. i'll let it sink in for a second.

so its 2007, one state is drafting formal legislation to apologize for slavery, and another is trying to flex its 'dont mess with texas' ego. while i complained earlier of how dismayed i was that some black blogs tend to be angry, this type of reality justifies that sentiment, and rightfully so. while i've never been the most articulate when it comes to expressing the complete shock of 'in plain view' racism, i can honestly say that this type of white arrogance and hate needs to be called out and handled swiftly. but how? the article mentions that naacp is on the case (rolling eyes), but i feel like more, MUCH MORE needs to be done.

if you get to the end of the article, the turmoil suffered by shaquanda in juvenile prison, where 95% of the offenders are repeat and violent (read: real crimes), has caused her to attempt suicide on her life 3 times. 3 times! a 14-year old, my little sister, is trying to kill herself because a racist bigot of a judge put her in prison for shoving someone. SHOVING!

so what can be done? link to this article. publicize this story. let's see what blogging black can really do. go to the governor's page at http://www.governor.state.tx. us/contact and let him know how you feel and how this is completely bullshit.

free shaquanda cotton. NOW!

Want to help stop misuse of prisons?

GO HERE: Write an email to Texas Governor, Rick Perry
http://www2.governor.state.tx.us/contact/

or fax Office of the Governor: (512) 463-1849

or call Office of the Governor Main Switchboard: (512) 463-2000
[office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST] 
 

To: Texas Governor Rick Perry

Governor Perry,  My letter concerns Shaquanda Cotton, the teenager who was sentenced to 7 years for pushing a hall monitor at Paris High School.  Although I can't condone Shaquanda's part in the incident, I cannot think of any justification for Lamar County Judge Chuck Superville's decision: Seven years in prison. 7 years, for Heaven's sake, she's 14 years old!  She shoved someone, not stabbed them...

I am from Texas, both my parents died there and 4 of my own 5 children live there now with their families. I'm very concerned about how children are treate by Texas police officers and judges.  I have four daughters and sons-in-law, 5 grandkids and 1 great-grandson that could one day come before Judge Superville, heaven forbid. 

I've been reading some of his past decisions, and I have to agree with the general public that Shaquanda's case appears to be a racial judgement. Judge Superville gives all non-black citizens a bad rap.  That's not safe, nor fair, particularly from a Judge!  A man sits on the judge's bench because he is supposedly somehow wiser than the rest of us.  But Judge Superville is obviously no King Solomon. 

It's more complicated than a little girl going to prison because she's black. It's about children's futures. It's about abusing prisons and the taxpayers who build them. It's about misusing authority.

Texas is still on a bit of a hot seat for racism from the Tulia Drug Narc Farce and the Dallas County Jail nastiness.  Texas prisons are overflowing and everyone is looking, Governor... Do the right thing equally for Shaquanda for every citizen who comes before the court, and for every overburdened taxpayer... Correct Shaquanda's legal situation and make Judge Superville get off that bench!

14 year old African American girl, given 7 years for Pushing a teachers aide.... "Read to the end of the article, about the turmoil suffered by Shaquanda in juvenile prison, where 95% of the offenders are repeat and violent (read: real crimes), has caused her to attempt suicide on her life 3 times. 3 times! a 14-year old, my little sister, is trying to kill herself because a racist bigot of a judge put her in prison for shoving someone. SHOVING!"  "If you believe racism is dead....this should be an eye opener. Click on the link below, don't just read the article, this is your chance to stand for something... pass this on to as many people as you know and take the time to write a letter to our dear

Gov.Perry... ..and to this child to let her know that there is a GOD and that there is hope.....I did and I encourage all of you to do so as well." A.T., Texas