By Mansfield Frazier
The recently emerged video of four United States Marines urinating on the bodies of three dead Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan sparked worldwide opprobrium… as well it should. However, at home the level of outrage over such incidents is often muted. In fact, Florida Republican congressman Alan West, a former Army lieutenant colonel, told critics of the incident “…unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, war is hell.”
In spite of the fact that since World War II our nation has been embroiled in (and lost) more armed conflicts than almost all of the other nations of the world combined, we bristle at the notion we’re a warlike people… but of course we are. We Americans love war as much as old folks love soft shoes… we find it somehow comfortable.
In peacetime, starting with LBJ’s declaration of a War on Poverty during his 1964 Inauguration Address, we have used the hot-button rhetoric of “war” to justify all sorts of efforts… virtually all of them failed or failing, like the infamous War on Drugs declared by Richard Nixon in 1971. This effort is actually a war on people and we still cling to a wrongheaded approach to addiction, in spite of the fact our unmitigated failure has cost us untold trillions of tax dollars and unnecessarily ruined millions upon millions of lives both in this country and abroad.
It was against this backdrop of failure (and in Cleveland Heights, one of the first cities in the nation where residents detest war so ardently they declared the land within their boundaries to be a Nuclear Free Zone) that Tim McGinty, during a debate for the county prosecutor’s seat, dropped the “w” bomb by stating that if he’s elected he’s going to “declare war on criminals.”
One of the other candidates, Subodh Chandra called out McGinty for his choice of loaded words and rightfully flung them back at him.
Of course no sane person can be for “crime” or “criminals,” which makes the issue the perfect target for overheated demagoguery. But just as trained U.S. Marines found it funny to piss on enemy combatants, so too might trained assistant county prosecutors find it OK to legally piss on defendants in criminal cases… especially if the boss says we’re in a “war”; because, as we all know, in “war”… shit happens.
Since the beginning of the prosecutor’s race, McGinty has been shamelessly engaging in the use of a scurrilous scare tactic. Similar to how George H.W. Bush used the image and story of Willie Horton to scare the bejeebers out of the American people and win the presidency in 1988, McGinty constantly invokes the name of infamous serial killer Anthony Sowell in hopes of achieving a similar victory.
However, it’s a historical fact no “Willie” Horton ever existed… he was a fabrication of Bush’s political operatives. “William” Horton never used the name “Willie” Horton, but Bush’s handlers changed his name to “Willie” because it was scarier. And, similarly, Sowell’s name and image is being used by McGinty to achieve political ends.
Did the criminal justice system fail miserably in stopping Sowell early-on in his killing spree? Without a doubt the failure was of gigantic proportions, but it was one that fell on the police more than the prosecutor’s office — but there certainly was enough blame to go around.
Is the system that enabled Sowell in critical need of repair? Well, yes, it was, but most of the needed repairs are already well underway and soon will be completed. Everyone inside the criminal justice system knows this to be a fact. But McGinty isn’t going to allow facts to get in the way of his efforts to panic the voting populace with Sowell; how else can he — and he alone, according to his version of the facts — ride to the rescue?
While invoking images of Anthony Sowell might cause little old suburban ladies’ knees to knock together in fear, the truth is, unless they happened to be hopelessly addicted crackheads, roaming the area around Kinsman and E. 121st Street at night (Sowell didn’t even own a car, so he couldn’t have snatched crackheads off the streets of Solon or Westlake, now could he?), they most likely would have been very, very safe in their persons. But what does the truth have to do with anything in an election campaign?
The scare tactics McGinty utilizes will play well in his far Westside and most outlying suburban neighborhoods, where hard-nosed, law and order, “Lock ‘um up and throw away the key” rhetoric carries the day among most conservatives. But the dilemma for true political conservatives is this: If they seriously want smaller, less intrusive, more efficient government, how can they continue to support the expansion and over utilization of one of the most failed, costly and inefficient systems on the face of the earth — America’s modern-day gulags?
But things are beginning to change across the country as communities are moving toward becoming “smart on crime” rather than just being “tough on crime”… and what Cuyahoga County voters have to decide is — do we want to move forward with new, workable solutions that save tax dollars, or do we want to remain mired in the past, utilizing tactics and language that has not and will not work?
Can we make “war” on the criminal justice front and brutalize the “enemy” into submission ala the U.S. Marines, or do we pursue sane and progressive policies that create a secure, safe, just and lasting peace for all of the citizenry? The answer to that question will largely determine how we in Cuyahoga County will be viewed by the outside world… by those we are seeking to attract to our region to assist us in growing economically. Are we fundamentally a progressive people and region… or will we remain mired in our ugly, failing past? The choice will be ours on Election Day.
From Cool Cleveland correspondent Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com. Frazier’s From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available again in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author by visiting http://www.neighborhoodsolutionsinc.com.
27 Responses to “MANSFIELD: War, Willie Horton, and the Race for County Prosecutor”
IndyCA35
Let’s face it. Sowell’s serial killings could not have happened in the suburbs because they have functioning police departments. In Cleveland, if you call the cops, they simply don’t show up. The fire department doesn’t even know if their firemen live in Cleveland or San Diego so how do you expect to have a functioning police department?
bob w.
GOOD article…hear wha saying..Sowell? end result of lot of ‘stuff’…fall thru cracks to…til finally HE forced the issue…can read whutever into THAT…he probably offered up $,place to crash,etc.n well gals went for it..or dragged into it…ALL of it goin on or downnn….I think the system,city gonna let X happen til finally reduced to x n then go on from there….the **$ is semi spreading out via highways to NEAREST shopping ctrs near freeways….n cop depts,etc.responding..or retail centers/companies are…burb stuff lot more nuanced,hidden,etc.enough BS comes out of pockets of whutever werever…finally when old enough,sick enough,etc. X finally gets tooo busy trying to hide,stay warm,etc.
FLING Cleveland out there as reality show...ACTUALLY SORTA already has been in pcs,parts...Hot in..to well hey.."Buring River"...not sure if just encourage more *$8 or MORE *$*@ TO come here...I THINK CH,etc.waitin for whutever LEFT to survive n deal w.TH
corporates and rest cleaning out rest…soo unless a real pro or connected or whutever gosh help u…heck..wha was YOUR lead article…saving grace is whoever is STILL left standing gets to supply biz,parts,services,etc.to whoever else elsewhere wants,needs,etc.the goodies &/or services…
CAN U IMAGINE THE REALITY show could have here…woooow…wha a thought n then some…yikes…thou in THIS asymetrical webwooly based world not sure how far THAT would carry…get this pop up web whutever giggle season for awhile n then folks tune out n say bye bey Cleveland n NEO….we are soo busy chasin LAST war,TRENDS n strategy dont even see the NEW one starting…
FLING Cleveland out there as reality show...ACTUALLY SORTA already has been in pcs,parts...Hot in..to well hey.."Buring River"...not sure if just encourage more *$8 or MORE *$*@ TO come here...I THINK CH,etc.waitin for whutever LEFT to survive n deal w.TH
CAN pic mr.frazier shaking his head…never met said..sounds iike good man…tired of the BS…probably thinkin I PUT up w/**$@* while got this coffeemaker watercooler NGOnonprofitNirvana crew making some $ n flingin this *$*@ out there..
bob w.
Kinsman,etc. WHA do with…short of urban farming n MT land for some turbines,etc.
bob w.
Burb PDS…ANYmore THIER cops GOT THEIR training IN Cleveland,etc.n soon as slots open up via retirements,etc.in todays near seamless hi techie media world…Noose is getting tighter…lot of ol roachmotels disappearing..or have to go deeeeeper into Cleveland for said..or someones house…all THAT…
bob w.
IF ENOUGH LOCKED Up LONG ENOUGH DOES help to reduce birthrates,etc.SHUTTLE X around…others…semi hide..tired of…why expose self to *$*2n get raped,have little one who has little hope of anything,etc.etc.n all that…and a *$* to YOUR COVETED Yuppie crew who then beg for iit alll…n get…cuz few things left for CH,etc.to fling out there as a ‘lure’…I FEEL for the semi good ones trying to do right n calm life but…NOT all are *$*@…AMAZED HOW many TRY n do right thing…finally up to owns conscience,etc.
bob w.
JUST had GROVER NORQUIST in toooown doin his spiel…
bob w.
LEAD article…econ thing..wha does THAT say…U are addressing THAT…welll sooo did PD…its tough…I guess coalesce as best as can around wha we got n go from there but Sooo *$@*8 TRYING to peddle half this stuff…which MAY EXPLAIN WHY got FITZ! dooownn at CuyahogaCounty…hate saying THAT…County sees,hears,reads X and its like Okkkk yeahh…PUT THIS ANOTHER way…HOW OFTEN hear bout Cleveland far as techie…EVEN w/NASA,CWRU,etc.etc.yeah lot of it is private work,subcontracting,piecesparts,etc.
bob w.
INDYCA35 half right..initially could do X…but after awhile…to be to any cleveland hood…THEY dont like *$*@ either…CERTAIN THINGS dont tolerate at alll…X Cleve hoods just have bad luck of having tooo much of X…crackheads,mental,etc.
bob w.
ARE ROOT problems…OUR city designed,trained for a ol style yesteryear industrial world of giggle thru gates wearing workboots n put some screws in something n out the plant gate….
bob w.
SUSPECT HALF of the County takes attitude of let the State,Feds,etc.supply bennies,etc.or take care of x…Welll yeahhh having battles over THAT FOR near 4 decades and BIG TIME NOW cuz of budget n politico mess…
bob w.
marines…Tali pic…NOT gonna be a wiener…Ugly,etc.still…can hear it now..SOME WOULD SAY NO pics..no cams…personally..ME…kill X..look around..get OUT OF THERE b4 get self killed…
bob w.
ONLY thing more insane is this *$82 preddrone Iranian thing goin on…NO idea HOW that will pan out…will Isrealis finally bomb the place or not..OR WORSE…OR Iranians screw up n issue semi mute..the do selves in dirtybomb style or…AND GUESS WHO PAYS BIG TIME AGAIN FOR ALL THIS BS….Iranians supposedly control ONLY FOUR % of the oil out there…yeah HORMUTZ STRAITS thing..bottle up REST of oil OUT OF THAT region..DETROIT,etc.let lot of this happen…COULD have done LOT of stuff to alleviate…n transplants certainly semi won THAT race and here we are…this bizarre roundrobin ordeal were now THOSE cars,plants make,buy USA stuff vs. well hey wha can I say…
bob w.
PRAY SOWELL was QUICK when did HIS horrors…noo long drawnout suffering…PRAY gals were soo drunk,zoincked out NO idea wha was happening to them…sad part…HE will get a decent death out of it…needle thing…Jury,judge said as much…wunder how long the appeal process will be…
bob w.
if want to get **$@ here,,,,ONE way to clean city out…have THIS GOIN ON…bodies flung into…n city to avoid *$*@ PR horror LEVELS SAID…after awhile thou THAT HORROR wears off n its like Okkk ANOTHER murdermaniaMansion…sure THAT sounds like a sickpup but considering rest of the horrors n BS visitied on humankind let alone US herre….
bob w.
McGiny learned from BAD Omalley…NOW gonna get sued,etc.Allll the *$*@ alive n welll…SURE X or kids OF yesteryear gens see,hear,EXPERIENCE all this claptrap and its like WHY gosh WHY…
bob w.
PUT THIS ANOTHER way…WHO wants to deal w/THIS *$*@…
bob w.
LIMITS as to HOW far slumlords to rest can play poo card or rest of it….FINALLY …HOW much ‘real’ biz is out there TO support alll this McMansionMania stuff….if look at the techie revolution and rest of it….
bob w.
FRAZIER can deal w/X….HE has been THERE and alll that….good ol whaz his face Irishman Mulroney or whutever his name is w/that funky blackhat jobbie would probably *$*@* HIS shorts w/**@ if dealt w/a FOURTH of the ….
bob w.
PUT THIS ANOTHER way….KASICH&Co.lets the *$*2 go on….X gets leveled,moved,etc.LESS to deal with…HE could come in and declare X…a takeove…RECEIVERSHIP…LESS overall to whutever across the board to *$*@ up….SUSPECT FEARS quagmire quicksand n lawsuits ….anything to gain politically..u tell me…MORE SOOO politically…CLEANS or perceived to clean out X…warped way I THINK HE is sincere,means well n probably TO A POINT could…and considering HORROR went thru LAST 3 years w/DimoraDebacle….wha lingers in the background…
LOOK at DETROIT DISassembled…Big 3 and other allowed X to happen n welll THERE THEY are playin furious catchup n peddling THIER techie whutever aka UofMich and rest of it…A LITTLE WAYYyy too late boyz n girlz but hey…WHO wants to hold up CHAMBERS BROS as a ‘model’ OF….
CMSD HAS LOT to answer for tooo…
BUT OVERLAYING ALL THIS is biz wants el cheapo whutever to giggle thru door and….but sooo *$@* up beyond belief LITTLE DEMAND cuz X wha LEFT semi fled out TO n only needs X amt of work done….I PITY THE POO POLICE…stuck w/this *$*@ n tryin to wade thru it all while prayin the techie thing,good nose,etc.separates all the whutever out….BUT WHO wants to wait around for THAT….
bob w.
GOT MEDIMART land coming…long w/casino..$ will roll in…but HOW many cops,etc.gonna get deterred TO guarding said..WHA choice do THEY have….CAN pic this deal tween City n some banks to flip X houses,coalesce around X hoods n well hey…MAYBE FOR SAKE OF NOT such a bad thing….
IF U havent gone mentally zoincked out readin MY posts FLING THAT out there…yeahh SOME COUNCILpeople may get *$*@ bout THAT but…CONSIDERING…LOSING X anyways…just the rate,%s,#s,etc.that differ….
bob w.
MAKE CSU,etc.work for their $…fling this to good ol FITZ! HIMSELF if want to…hey..good for quite a few yrs…
bob w.
FED election…assume wha mean…LOT can happen…U tell me..NO idea WHO repub candidate will be…THEY have to ‘decide’…IOWA had RECOUNT..gads…SANTORUM technically won..by THIRTYFOUR votes…round n round..enough @ink spent on THAT…or rest of my blogs…this looong sloow sooorry ruff slog out of this trough always prone to some econ hiccup ELSEWERE….
bob w.
I MAY sound or act or feel like a loon….BE NICE!…but CONSIDERING THE BS goin on …..I HATE SAYING THIS but SAd when JUSTICE is CANADA….THEY ARE NOooot expected to be defenders of the FreeWorld and all that….
bob w.
WE JUST FOUND OUT wha EXTREME CORPORATRCY is like….U HAVe to wonder how many of THEM privately wunder how much THIER BS has **$2 things up sooo badly…YEAH THEY GRAB THE $ AND RUN BABY RUN but….this shortterm subprime deb card etc.wunderNOTworld has soooo things up…HAS A VALUE if want to START a small biz,etc.BUT…Buuuut….
bob w.
IMAGINE THE NEW CONFEREnCE CALL Series…SERIOUSLY..fling OUT WHA I JUST said or wrote…SEE WHA response get…interests…AS time goes on THEIR revenue stream gets more n more convuluted cuz econ,patrons get *$@convuluted and FINALLY…just poo schmoos like us at bottom get *$*2 first n then finally whutever INTERESTS left who battle it out…