[lbo-talk] Free Martha!

Nathan Newman nathanne at nathannewman.org
Tue Jan 20 15:21:04 PST 2004


----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Henwood" <dhenwood at panix.com>
>If the evidence of obstruction is there, then send Martha to jail. Two
>wrongs don't make a right.

-So if prosecutors railroad an unpopular figure to make a point, it's -ok if she's famous, because they do it to street criminals too? -Evidently two wrongs do make a right!

But why should we care about Martha when there are hundreds of thousands of other stories of poorer, less famous folks railroaded into jail? She was skirting or breaking the law to enrich herself, and then tried to cover it up-- why should we feel sorry for her? Will procedural justice for her enhance procedural justice for the poor or non-white? If I could be convinced it would, I could get on the "free Martha" bandwagon, but I just don't buy it.

The rich are different from you and I. They get to appear on television to garner public sympathy.

Nathan Newman



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