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"A dream you dream alone is only a dream; a dream you dream together is reality." -- Yoko Ono
"In my heart, I think a woman has two choices: either she's a feminist or a masochist." --Gloria Steinem
Mar
24
Al Sharpton and the NAACP Support Dunbar Village Rapists
Filed Under action alert, activism, assholes, feminism, misogyny, patriarchy, race and racism, rape and sexual assault, violence against women and girls | Posted by Cara |
This is important.
Do you remember the Dunbar Village rape case? I’m not sure how you could forget; this is the case where a woman was gang raped by 10 men in her own home for over three hours, forced to have sex with her own 12-year-old son and survived an attempt to light both of them on fire. In an update that is a couple of weeks old but I’m just hearing from now via Document the Silence, Al Sharpton and the NAACP are taking to the streets to defend the four arrested rapists. This is despite conclusive DNA evidence and apparent photographic evidence that the rapists took on their cell phones during the attack.
Please, please, please read the call to action from Rev. Dr. Renita J. Weems, which is pasted in full after the jump. Please take time to undertake the requested actions and to pass this story along.
Right-thinking black people everywhere are stunned by the recent betrayal of Al Sharpton and the NAACP in a situation that is just too outrageous to ignore.
This is a painful story to tell, but it’s important for the moral, law-abiding majority of black Americans to understand exactly why Al Sharpton and the NAACP must be immediately stopped.
On June 18, 2007, a black woman was gang raped by 10 youths and forced at gunpoint to have sex with her own 12 year old son in a housing complex called Dunbar Village in West Palm Beach, Florida. The young men not only viciously punched, kicked and sliced this sister and her son with glass objects, but they also blinded her boy by pouring nail polish remover into his eyes.
The young men forced this sister and son to lay naked in a bathtub together, and attempted to set them on fire (they could not find matches). The youths boldly took cell phone pictures so that they could enjoy their violent, immoral and sadistic acts at a later time. The violence continued for more than three hours, and although this sister’s neighbors heard her screams, no one called the police or came to her aid.
This sister and her son had to walk a mile to the hospital, because the assailants stole her car, and threatened to kill her and her family if she told the authorities.
Only four of the young men have been apprehended, while the remaining six are on the loose, doing Lord knows what in our communities. There is no manhunt for the remaining suspects.
As devastating as this story is, what the NAACP and Al Sharpton have done about it will simply take your breath away:Not only did the NAACP ignore hundreds of requests to assist this woman because it was ‘outside the scope of their mission’, but they joined forces with Al Sharpton, and sent their lawyers to speak out IN SUPPORT OF THE RAPISTS.
You heard me right.Even though there is conclusive DNA evidence and signed confessions, the NAACP and Al Sharpton are saying that it is ‘unfair’ to not offer bail to these four alleged rapists. They even had a press release about it.
IT IS TIME FOR SENSIBLE BLACK PEOPLE TO STOP THIS KIND OF NONSENSE ONCE AND FOR ALL.
Al Sharpton and the NAACP are banking on the belief that you and I will be just like this black woman’s neighbors. Join me by saying NOT THIS TIME. We will not turn a deaf ear to when we hear calls for help from one of our sisters and brothers who are being victimized.
Stop the NAACP and Al Sharpton’s National Action Network from committing this disgrace in our community. Just this once, let’s stand up and be counted by saying that we demand safe neighborhoods for our women and children.
Here is what you can do:
1. Spread the word. Forward this email if your conscience and concern have been raised. Send it to every concerned black citizen that you know.
2. Demand an explanation from your local NAACP chapter about this case. Cancel your membership to these organizations, and write a letter explaining that you will return when they prioritize the public safety needs of black women and children.
3. If you do not belong to these organizations, call and write them to tell them of your outrage and displeasure:
NAACP National Headquarters
4805 Mt. Hope Drive
Baltimore MD 21215
Toll Free: (877) NAACP-98
Local: (410) 580-5777National Action Network
Rev. Al Sharpton
106 W. 145th Street
Harlem, New York 10039
212-690-3070
877-NAN-HOJ1If you know an African American reporter or a black radio talk show host, forward this story to them and ask them to follow up on it.
Read the history of the Dunbar Village problem here:
http://www.dunbarvillage2008.blogspot.com/Something Within is collaborating with a network of other black women bloggers who are committed to staying on top of this story. Please check any one of the following blogs out on Fridays for an update on this story.
http://blackwomenvote.blogspot.com
http://adifferentstory.wordpress.com
http://anonymissblog.blogspot.com/
http://auntjemimasrevenge.blogspot.com
http://blackfirewhitefire.blogspot.com/
http://charactercorner.blogspot.com/
http://electronicvillage.blogspot.com
http://episcopalienne.blogspot.com
http://essentialpresence.blogspot.com
http://focusedpurpose.blogspot.com/
http://h-essays.blogspot.com/
http://lareinacobre.blogspot.com/
http://mynewblog-ravenelvenlady.blogspot.com/
http://politicalseason.blogspot.com
http://privyconcepts.blogspot.com/
http://thesowingcircle.blogspot.com/
http://tributetoblackwomen.com/news
http://web.mac.com/roslynholcomb/iWeb/Site/Blog/Blog.html
http://whataboutourdaughters.com
http://whattamisaid.blogspot.com
http://www.blacksapience.blogspot.com
http://yanmommasaid.blogspot.comSome further notes about the NAACP and Sharpton’s actions: the excuse they’re giving is that a group of white teens who committed the “same crime” were freed on bond. Let me be entirely clear in stating that the white teens should also be in jail. Equal justice is an important goal which I fully support, but the answer isn’t to call for more leniency for black people who commit extremely violent crimes, it’s to call for all violent crime to be taken seriously, regardless of who commits it. Furthermore, though the crime by the white teens is utterly despicable in every sense of decency — five boys sexually assaulted two very drunk, young teenage girls — it is not the same crime. Because do you know the only thing you could possibly do to make a gang rape worse? Gang rape a woman in front of her child, force her to engage in a sexual act with that child, douse them in household cleaners and attempt to burn them alive.
I don’t know what the hell Sharpton and the NAACP are after, but it sure as fucking hell is not justice, and it doesn’t seem to be to be the rights of black people, either. Yet again, concern for “people” is being interpreted as concern for male people. If you want to talk about rights, how about the right to not be raped? How about the right of black women and children to personal safety? What about holding a fucking press conference in support of all the black teens in jail on non-violent drug charges, rather than those who commit some of the most unspeakable violent crimes? How about applauding a rare situation where rape — specifically and notably, the rape of a black woman — is being taken seriously? How about, instead of trying to undermine efforts to combat sexual violence and make officials wish that they hadn’t done the right thing, supporting the rights of black women and black children as though they are black people worth fighting for, too? Even more ambitious, how about practicing what you preach and actually fighting for the rights and voices of the oppressed, for real change, rather than just trying to shamelessly buy black men a ticket into the white patriarchal power structure?
The Dunbar Village blog is an amazing resource for information on the Sharpton/NAACP issue, as well as other news about the quest for justice in this case.
Again, please take the time to write some letters and to pass this along.
Popularity: 35% [?]
Comments
22 Comments so far
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"Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less." -- Susan B. Anthony
How on EARTH is fighting for the LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR (those white rapists went free, so it’d be unfair to jail these black rapists!) and standing up for fucking RAPISTS and SADISTS anti-racist, or good, or moral? How is that anything other than a fucking race to the bottom?!?!?!
How about, instead of trying to undermine efforts to combat sexual violence and make officials wish that they hadn’t done the right thing, supporting the rights of black women and black children as though they are black people worth fighting for, too?
Yes, yes, yes. Black women and black children are also people. God knows Sharpton and NAACP could use that reminder.
This is important.
Haha.
At least James Rucker and Color of Change have the sense to speak out against this crime.
Er, not lowest common denominator. Lowest possible standard.
This makes me sick. I will absolutely be spreading the word. They committed a horrible crime against a human being, a woman and her child. Their punishment has nothing to do with the color of their skin.
reposted here
Thank you bringing it to my attention.
This is one of the worst things I have ever heard. I will pray for that woman and her child. I will also pray that the pieces of crap that did this to them pay and I do mean pay not a slap on the wrist. al sharpton and the naacp how do you sleep at night. I could never take them serious again. What they did to that woman and her child they should be put away forever because they would get out and do it again. God help us all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow… i just don’t know what else to say but just wow… someone needs to look over their priorities.
Thank you so much for pushing the alarm within your sphere of influence! I am so happy to see Dr. Weems and all of the sisters on the bloglist raising awareness!
I just started a new blog a week ago and I am gathering a “HIT LIST” that I hope everyone will utilize to keep the writing and faxing campaigns going in many directions. Check my blog page later on this evening for the complete list!
http://blackwomenblowthetrumpet.blogspot.com
KEEP THE ALARM BLARING!
I think Rev. Al Sharpton and the NAACP are making a good point. So far you all don’t seem to understand the real picture. It’s not about whether these boys are innocent; it’s about fair treatment. There were four white boys charged with rape in Palm Beach County and they were let out on bond. The only thing Al Sharpton and the NAACP are saying is fair treatment. Why are the four black boys still in jail awaiting trial while the four white boys are out on bond. Sure they must all pay (if convicted) for what they did. Please wake up and pay attention to what’s really going on. And in the future before you pass judgement on an organization like the NAACP or a civil rights leader like the Rev. Al Sharpton get all the facts first.
Thank you
Concerned Citizen
It seems like I do have all of the facts, Vanessa, as you haven’t presented a single one that I didn’t write about in this very post. And you didn’t respond to a single one of the points that I made. Maybe you should read the whole post before passing judgment on whether or not my opinion is an informed one?
I’m all for locking up the white punks who raped that other woman. Thats what Al Sharpton should be focusing on, not trying to get these other guilty motherfuckers out of jail.
You guys don’t read at all. Sharpton and the NAACP aren’t supporting the acts that they did. They’re just saying that everyone should be punished the same for barbaric acts. You can’t throw someone in prison for 5 years for stealing a candy bar…and then throw someone in jail for 30 years for stealing the same candy bar. THEY ALL DESERVE TO BE IN JAIL, but let’s be equal across the board. Everyone has rights, like it or not. This article is libel.
Nice try, Chris, but I explained perfectly well in the post what Sharpton and the NAACP were arguing. And the fact remains that I, and many, many other people, strongly disagree. The problem is that he was not calling for harsher treatment of the white boys — he was calling for more lenient treatment of the black boys. Which is why he stood up on a stage with their families behind him. That’s not how you condemn someone.
Also, for the record, there’s a slight difference between stealing a candy bar and stealing every candy bar in the store and stabbing a clerk on the way out. As I said in the post, both crimes are horrible, and both should result in serious punishment. But as horrible as the things the white kids did were, they didn’t use nearly as much violence, did not force incest at gunpoint, torture their victims with household chemicals or try to kill them. They are not the same crime. Both crimes were gang rapes. And one involved many additional, horrific offenses.
He was advocating for the DV boys to be treated the same as the Boca Raton boys. If he wasn’t calling for lighter punishment for the DV boys then why have their families standing with him? He has them standing there to say, “Yep, your boys are where they belong.” I don’t think so.
If the equal treatment he sought was through stiffer penalties for the Boca Raton boys then why not have the families of their victims standing with him?
From WPVF-TV: “Sharpton said the teens charged in the June 2007 attack in the Dunbar Village housing project should have been treated the same as five white teens recently accused of raping two young girls in Boca Raton after a party.”
and go to the Dunbar blog and look at the flier that was handed out during the press conference.
http://dunbarvillage.blogspot.com/2008/03/dunbar-village-propaganda.html
I may relay a copy of that email to some people. Thing is, this doesn’t just affect black people, and this isn’t just something that black people need to be concerned about.
We all need to be aware of this crap, no matter what race we are.
I’ll be relaying this. Thank you for posting it.
Of course we are all outraged by what happened to this wom and her little boy, and we’re shocked by Al Sharpton’s comments about the rapists; but let’s also take a look at what else Sharpton has done. Remember Tawana B? Instead of trying to find out why Tawana was so afraid of her stepfather that she would make up the rape story, instead of trying to help this confused and terrified little girl, he went out and used her misery for his own promotion–just as he’s done with the Dunbar case. The rest of us are moving forward, together, trying to assist and care for one another, let’s just leave this old fool Sharpton in the dust and concentrate on helping the victims.
I hate rapists. If it were up to me they would ALL be skinned alive as soon as they were found guilty. None of them should be out. they should all be in solitary confinement till the end of their trial. Regardless of race.
i can not believe that.
i am black and i have made a personal decision to denounce the naacp and al sharpton on all their further actions.
they have already been irritating my nerves but this was the last straw.
the naacp is supposed to be an organization for black people. so maybe instead of complaining about trials that are on far different scales we should be trying to make our fellow brothers and sisters more responsible for their actions and letting these kids out on bail would put us in the worst case scenario. if those boys are let go, it will set an example to others that they can rape and beat women and get away with it. i know it is cleache but two wrongs do not make a right.
Hey folks, can someone tell me why all of a sudden I’m getting a lot of hits from google searches on this issue? I keep looking and can’t find any new developments, so I’m just curious as to why there’s such a large and sudden amount of interest. Thanks.
You may be getting a rush of hits because a blogger on youtube made reference to this story and encouraged everyone to google it and read for themselves.
Yeah, I got the initiative to search from youtuber and blogger ’sxephil’. Check him out, his videos are great.
And I just can’t believe something like this has happened. I mean, what were they thinking, supporting the RAPISTS of all people! I just don’t understand it at all. The obvious answer would be to fight to put the White rapists and rapists in general IN jail, not let more OUT. What is the world coming to…