By Mansfield Frazier
The news that Cleveland City Council is considering legislation that prohibits numbskull dog owners from chaining pets outside 24/7 is very welcomed… if long overdue. There’s a special place in Hell for those who take “man’s best friend” and turns them into vicious, snarling and dangerous threats to the community. Makes me kinda sorry horsewhipping was outlawed.
And anyone who knows of such a situation where an animal is being mistreated has an obligation to call the city’s animal control officers… and to keep calling them until the problem is alleviated; there’s also a special place in Hell for those who know of ill-treatment and callously or cowardly do nothing.
* * *
Speaking of cowards
Last year I was asked by an international exchange organization to be part of a group of local journalists to spend an afternoon dialoguing with a half-dozen young journalists from all over Europe who were in the U.S. as part of their program. I’ve been engaged in such sessions with foreign journalists and government officials numerous times over the years and always find the questions and exchanges intellectually interesting and culturally stimulating.
The Arab Spring was just gaining momentum when we met last year and one of the visitors asked about Internet freedom in this country in particular (foreshadowing the current debate over SOPA)… and journalistic freedom in general. My response, that “in Europe, most of the governments are afraid of the people, while in the U.S. most of the people are afraid of the government,” caused all of them — to a person — to smile wryly and nod their heads in agreement.
This, then, is how much of the world views our once great nation… and we should be deeply ashamed of ourselves for allowing cowardice to cause us to betray the principles our country was founded on. For those who might suggest I go too far, that things really aren’t all that bad, consider this: Simply by speaking truth to power and writing what I believe, I’m regularly queried “Aren’t you afraid to write that?” The question disgusts me.
I cannot defame, slander or libel anyone with my pen… and in spite of a few people over the years squealing like stuck pigs after my oft-barbed pen poked them in the backside, I’ve never (at least to my knowledge) lied on anyone, and on the odd occasion I’ve gotten my facts wrong I’ve been quick to apologize… with alacrity.
I wanted to briefly restate my principles because I’m preparing to go to the mat on this prosecutor’s race. And, yes, I know full-well in advance that if the one candidate I’m unalterably against (Tim McGinty) wins, I probably should move out of the county, since part of the knock on him is that he’s mean-spirited, vindictive and may not be above using the power of the office to try to harass or find a reason to indict me. All I can say to that, if indeed he does win, is… “come get me copper.”
Why do I harbor such beliefs when I’ve never even met the man? It’s because I probably know more local defense lawyers than a high-priced hooker. And the fear among them is that if McGinty wins the prosecutor’s race, any attorney who fights too vigorously for his client might one day finds themselves the subject of an investigation.
If you think I’m kidding, simply do this: Ask any criminal defense lawyer you know, and see what they say. Fair enough? Or for that matter ask virtually anyone who’s ever worked at the Justice Center — including most of the judges.
Quick allegorical tale (if you are a regular reader you can skip this paragraph since I am repeating itself): A mother and father go to see their teenaged son graduate from military school. There are a couple hundred young men in uniform marching lockstep across the football field in their uniforms and the mother turns to the father and says, “Oh, look dear, of all those young men marching, our little Timmy is the only one not out of step!” The moral is — be very suspicious of any person who says everyone else is wrong and only they are right.
However, don’t expect to see an ad in the paper listing “Lawyers Against McGinty,” in spite of the fact the list could be long and contain the names of many well-respected members of the Bar Associations. Why? What they’ll tell you in private is they’re afraid to come out against someone who might win, and it’s not out of personal fear — it’s out of fear for potential clients. Their logic goes… “if I piss him off he could make it tough for me to get a fair shake for someone I’m representing down the road.” Problem is, their logic is flawed.
Here’s why: If McGinty is as big a prick as they say he is, he’s going to make it tough on their clients anyway, so what do they have to fear? At a debate in Cleveland Heights he virtually said as much when he declared a “war on criminals.” The only problem is, before conviction many are not criminals, so how does he know who to “declare war” on? If the history of American jurisprudence (both past and recent) is any indication, the easiest targets are poor, brown or Black.
Now, back to the third paragraph of this piece… the law profession should hang its collective head in shame for not doing enough to defend the Constitution and protect basic rights. They know the criminal justice system is collapsing, is grossly unfair… yet most of them do nothing to stem the problem. The fact is, too many attorneys are in law simply for the money, easily become calloused and jaded, and are not willing to fight for what they believe in. And the fact is… our law schools turn out far too many lawyers each year anyway.
But at the absolute bottom of the barrel are some politicians (especially those who are Black lawyers). Next week I’ll have some choice words for those cowards who put their own political well-being and interests ahead of those of their constituents.
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.
24 Responses to “MANSFIELD: What Took So Long?”
Thomas
Our law schools turn out too many lawyers while the rest of the world educates scientist and engineers.
bob w.
OUR Thomas as in Mulroney? Referencing blogger above…hear wha HE is saying…just cuz other countries turn out engineers,etc.OR MORE of said is no guarantee of whutever…
I INFER HE means WE have too many legalbegals running around gumming up the works…OR QUITE FRANKLY tooo many lawyers PERIOD… MAYBE CLOSER TO THE POINT…tooo many TRY n hide behind whutever whether down at CH,council chambers,what have you…LEAST FINALLY THEY did respond…and we wonder WHY we get the rep we do…having a law on the books is no guarantee EITHER but least A START…soo when X DOES happen…I THINK just sooo many pooches,other dooown at pound, shelter city took blind eye to said..ALONG w/REST of it but HEY…wha do I know…OTHER then when nicked for $25 for parking meter MINOR violation as in little too far forward &/or 8 minutes getting BACK but wha do I know…
bob w.
MAYBE I GOT A LITTLE whutever on SOME of MY last @comment but hey…I GUESS I GOT there…least INDICATOR OF WHA run into in this city….NO city is perfect and has foibles..but…
bob w.
BLESS U MANSFIELD….I GOT A FEELING U GOT $**@* of the WHOLE THING n decided GOTTA MAKE A STAND and blank it….YES!
bob w.
Mansfield..running for a office…NOT being flip here…U DO point up something that IS there ANd simmeRING…and a sad blank commentary on WHOLE range of whutever n sad took NEAR HALF A MELTDOWN of biz community…especially the half that HAD decent jobs,pay,etc.to expose the *$828….I DONT know if WE HERE would have been stuck goin DOWN present road of whutever far as rolling out redrug to whutever WHO will open shop here as were…U can PRETTY MUCH GUESS WHO I am referencing…ALL “THAT” was public enough….I THINK X THINKS Y is STUCK here….and gonna go ‘thru the system’….IS SERIOUSLY DISTURBING BEYOND BELIEF GOT WHOLE SECTIONS,PAGES of L A W Y E R S….yet FIVE listings for ‘research centers’…n gosh knows HOW want to “define” ‘research center’….WHETHER all this verbage actually leads to anything is another point/question or presentation…
bob w.
GOT FEELING U ARE TIRED OF WHOLE blocks of city TURNED or turning into *$*@ n BIZARRE Okkkk ‘deals’..or just left to rot…Has feeling of gave up,etc.etc.n dump whutever ON OTHERS…which USUALLLY MEANS….opens up DEEP SOUL SEARCHING but wha do I know….
bob w.
REferencing past,present(future?) politicos including black ones?
bob w.
WE have RUN out of projects….other then the *$*@ up bridges…Okkk yeah got flats…GOT MT bldgs,districts MORE useable THEN THAT..or least PARTS of THAT….THAT vicious cycle….NO idea if Port authority could,would be able to do anything or not OR just MORE *$*@…WHERE want to start w/this ‘stuff’….I THINK FOLKS TUNED out,etc.etc.n WHUTEVER happens HAPPENS n wake us up…SAD to say…
bob w.
HEARD same said of some journalists…OR WHA THEY SAID of OTHER *$*@…the ol dinos from CLEVELANDPRESS/PD era who recently retired n had done the Metro section jazz n their take on n still sorta have a hand in there via WVIZ….hey..public knowledge…..MAYBE I am being a blanck for BASHING some positive constructiv whutever THAT does get done n maybe NOT giving Yuppies,etc.a chance…I GUESS a anchor to START FROM…w/ALL THAT entails…Loooooooooooooong slllllllllllow soorry blanck back….Good ol CMSD n CTU gets to SWEAT bullets TRYING to meet whutever…n sad part…FORTY % of more WHO do graduate GO OFF to some OTHER Promisedland WHICH THEY ‘appreciate’…. MEANTIME got this bizarro $6 MILLION ped split bridge Okkk Yeahh I GUESS W*F is THIS deal but HEY……I GUESS THAT is good for weddings,fishing,daydreaming or using binoculars to see X….
bob w.
Refer.citycouncil,mayors office,Cuyahoga Council &/or pseudo officials/politicos aka NANCE…. I GUESS gonna have to stay tuned for THAT….
bob w.
TICK ALL THIS OFF…built runways,Medmarts,etc.etc. WE SHOULD be X…sorta are..UNIVERSITY CIRCLE….
bob w.
GONNA be some real soulsearching…wha telling me…priming US for when good ol Kasich&Co marches into town? In one shape or another…OR THE STATE does…STATE gets TIRED OF THE *$*@ n semi forced to…bad precedent n the teacher unions goooo all $*@*..u tell me…BettER off for THAT…I DONT know…GET strange bedmates….
bob w.
I HAVE doubts on private deal toooo….HATE namin Names but HORIZON n HOPE SEEM to be doin Okkk or least NOT in the news per say…..Wha hope is THEY become the NEXT ‘Sparkbase” or WHUTEVER latest techie flave is…I HATE naming Names but THEY threw THIER names,biz descriptions,pics of selves and ALL THAT out to the winds soooo dont be suprised if X whutever lands wherever….WE all have a take on…
bob w.
JC….sad when have a CUT RATE $ off ‘sale’ PAY YOUR fine n life is good n all is forgiven Day…n LINES OUT THE DOOR…WORKS..practical…viable..$maker…SOME sense of reasonable humane reachout..and HOW *$*@ the system wheels turn… JUSTICE IS A *$*@… GOTTA rep X…even if a $*@*..or was IN PAST n just whutever THIS time…BUT…SAD WHEN busIEST BLDG IS Just Ctr….
bob w.
IF ANY CONSOLATION….running OUT of stuff,situations,GOOD stuff FOR politicos,etc.U DESPISE TO stand ON or with or NEXT to whutever photo op….to be FAIR to THAT crew…CANT do,watch,handle EVERYTHING on own n delegate out..BUT THE OVERALL whutever…NO idea if X is HOPING,RELYING on nearby stuff aka MedMart,CASINO,etc.to be THEE SAVIORS along w/well U KNOW MY schtick on rest of it…..like they say…CHOICES AND CONDITIONING…..
bob w.
SADDER PART…ONLY 2 bloggers here..MAYBE fear thing is on…or folks THAT *$*@…BAD ON ME…for NOT reading your WHOLE article…McGINTY sounds like McFLINTY…NEVER met him…yeah the Law&Order thing n all THAT….AFRAID w/all the *$*2 goin on HE looks like some Messiah…kinda reminds me of some TV primetimeslime JudgeJ time but HEY….MAYBE HE feels HAVE TO BASH FOLKS OVER head to get attention…SOME U HAVE TO…. IF ANY value…ROLL HIM INTO JR.HI,HS …or elementary school…THAT WHOLE schtick DOES appeal to X gen….which TENDS to be oldER,bitter,divorced,own issues in life,financially struggling,etc.etc. n want to see blood, or the GUY get it up the…or WHUTEVER it is…sad part….ENOUGH blockheads WHO DO $**@ n WHA else can do….a JARED LOUGHNER HAS A DEFENSE…. wha is Warmus’s problem….WHA DOES “HE” say…seriouslllly…. HARD to walk away when feel got *$*@ n SEE “RED”…stillllll….onous is on X to just back offff….IF can…
bob w.
SAD when fear to go downtown,etc.cuz X can happen AND SUCKED into this $*@*…got friends of mine who WERE in TheSystem,went thru ALL THAT (SHE never *$*@ anyone…minor drugs…PAID her time…NOW ‘clean’…has OTHER jazz goin on like ADD,etc.BUT hey…ADD…NOT “AiDs”..) n NOW WANT to AVOID AT ALL COSTS….short of murder…
bob w.
LUV your choice of words…n context…”know more defense attornies then hi priced escorts know…”. SADDEST part…if u were to hold a reunion,meet ol friends/classmates/co workers..BE a SMALL crowd…”actuarial tables’ SKEWED by the *$*@…
bob w.
NOT sure how feel bout PLAIN DEALER and others but THEY SEEM TO MOSTLY rise to the occasion….THEY KNOW HOW to souse things out B4 go to X…TRAINED pros…AND HAD OCEANS OF DATA,people,etc.TO ‘access’….and ENOUGH X who got *$ or felt got *$*@… WUNDER HOW OTHER HI UP officials gonna react to YOUR NONfavorite ‘personage’……SURE has enemies….
bob w.
MAYBE this is personal BUT….one *$*@…who should get a pension check..
.LITT..STEVE LITT..geeeeeeeeeez…I GOT A FEELING HE had HIS run….MAYBE im being *$*2 in my assessments BUT SOMEHOW fancyesque whutever aint…HAS TO HAVE a REASON,etc. QUITE FRANKLY….HAD ISSUE 6 and ALLLL THAT…STILlllllllllllllll fighting ALL THAT…IN A SUMMIT COUNTY COURTHOUSE…”Dimora” (HIs day in court…)…AM I a8*$*@ off some construction guyz,etc.MAYBE…BUT UNLESS building a HALDRON COLLIDER OR OTHER specialty…and CONSIDERING ….AGAIN…wha went thru w/this ‘stuff’…..
like I said City half broke,issues,pensions to pay,Mayor is CautiousCal (AND got BO n whutever Repub spits out of the System coming to town n REHASH of GWB43 alll over AGAIN dooown at wha Wolstein Conv.)…. MORE DEAD concrete AND LAWYERS AROUND here then can shake a stick at….WHILE GOT 20 stories OF DEAD CONCRETE Downn on EAST 9th….MAYBE digressing from story ABOVE but see THIS *$@* n its like NO deal of whutever kind couldnt have been struck…MAYBE THAT had a taint OF…PEDDLE THIS bizarre whutever THROWN ON NET n sold for X JUST to get RID OF IT….
ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL this is soooo mindnumbing and blowing BEYOND BELIEF…..
bob w.
SACRIFICIAL lambs? WHO WANTS to admit HAVE MORE PRISONERS in X PART of OHIO,etc.THEN residents?? ALREADY SEEING THE YOUNG SAYIN *$*@ this BS….X leads to Y which leads to whutever….
bob w.
DOES get tiresome when X promises Y if blow $ on whutever n they should ‘come’…and in reality some semi yuppie restaurant on Lorain,Detroit or E.4th or whutever….
bob w.
OR a WHA data ctr for WHAT were built by WHO out of wha Columubus while got huge India Rising INF*Ysis,web,trollbots and rest of it goin on…LOST how many corporates..but wha do I know…
bob w.
WASTED too much time…I DO FEEL FOR U MF…or a Barack…see,hear,read *$*2 n its like…Im sorry as H to see all this goin on….IM afraid younghipchic just gonna stick heads in sand n trapped in own bubble as were which IS easiest thing to do…I can only guess wha they,others make of X….