THE SAUDA VOICE: Race, Gender & Politics

(VIDEO) Man Who Slapped and Called Toddler Ni***r on Plane Charged with Assault and Fired

Stephanie M. Watts (aka Sauda Voice) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 08:32:19 PST

In case you haven't heard about this story making national headlines, let me quickly fill you in. On February 8th, Joe Rickey Hundley, 60, an Idaho executive with AGC Aerospace and Defense, was on a flight from Minneapolis to Atlanta. Seated next to him was Jessica Bennett, 33, and her 19-month old son Jonah. On the descent into Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, young Jonah began to cry, as babies often do when there is a change in altitude.

In response to Jonah's crying, Mr. Hundley told Ms. Bennett to "shut that Nigger baby up," according to Ms. Bennett. Not believing she heard him correctly, Ms. Bennett asked him, "What did you just say?" Mr. Hundley leaned in and repeated the ugly words in her ear then slapped Jonah across the face. Todd Wooten, another passenger, claims to have witnessed the slap and stepped in to assist Ms. Bennett along with other passengers, according to court papers.

Mr. Hundley has since been charged with simple assault by an Atlanta federal court and faces penalties of up to a year in jail. Mr. Hundley has plead not guilty.

In addition to the assault charge, there has been a new development in the case. It seems Mr. Hundley's employer has let him go from the company. A statement on the company's website reads as follows:

“Reports of the recent behavior of one of our business unit executives while on personal travel are offensive and disturbing. We have taken this matter very seriously and worked diligently to examine it since learning of the matter on Friday afternoon. As of Sunday, the executive is no longer employed with the company."

I'm proud of the company's swift response. It sends a clear message that racist behavior on the part of its employees will not be tolerated or excused, no matter how high their position is within the company. I wish more companies did this.

Check out a recent news report on the incident and hear Jonas's parents describe the ordeal in their own words and its effect on their young son.

(VIDEO) Comedian Louis C.K. Gets Real About Race

Stephanie M. Watts (aka Sauda Voice) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 23:56:17 PST

I am now officially a fan of comedian Louis C.K. ("Louie"). I came across a clip of an appearance Mr. C.K. recently made on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. After watching it, I knew it was a must share.

During the segment, Louis starts talking about his young daughters and how he sometimes has to remind them that, as two little white girls living in America, they have nothing to complain about. He goes on to talk about how around this time - MLK's birthday and black history month - white people start whining about how black people need to "get over it." You know, forget about the whole slavery thing and move on. As a black woman born and bred in America, I know I've heard my fair share of this sentiment. And Mr. C.K. is right, these demands do seem to increase in number during this time of year.

"Every year white people add 100 years to how long ago slavery was. I’ve heard educated white people say, ‘slavery was 400 years ago.’ No it wasn’t. It was 140 years ago…that’s two 70-year-old ladies living and dying back to back. That’s how recently you could buy a guy." Comedian Louis C.K., Tonight Show with Jay Leno

While the segment is equal parts funny and entertaining, Mr. C.K.'s words also contain 100% truth, which is refreshing as you don't often hear such honesty around issues of race by white people (although Mr. C.K. is part Mexican).

Check out the full segment. Trust me, it is well worth a watch.

How Do You Feel About Christopher Dorner?

Stephanie M. Watts (aka Sauda Voice) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 01:07:31 PST

LOS ANGELES - It's official. The Christopher Dorner saga has come to an end. It almost feels strange to think that just over a week ago, I didn't know who Mr. Dorner was. Then came the double murder of engaged couple Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence on February 3rd; their bodies found in a parked car inside the parking garage of their Irvine condo. No one had a clue as to who murdered them and why. Then the manifesto from one Christopher Dorner was leaked and soon the airwaves were filled with media reports of a crazy former cop who pledged to murder those who had wronged him, starting with their families.

Monica Quan, the daughter of retired LAPD captain Randall Quan, was the first known target and casualty of Mr. Dorner's twisted vendetta. Apparently, Mr. Dorner blamed Mr. Quan - among others - for his firing by the LAPD. Mr. Quan, then retired and a practicing attorney, represented Mr. Dorner before a tribunal in which he was accused of making false allegations against his training officer. Mr. Dorner alleged the hearings and his eventual firing were retaliation for reporting police brutality at the hands of his training officer, claiming she kicked a mentally-challenged man (schizophrenia and dementia) in the face and chest - an allegation corroborated by the man's father.

As the manhunt got underway, I kept hearing about this "manifesto" Mr. Dorner left behind. The media described it as "rambling" and "incoherent," a clear example of a confused mind. Finally, I felt the need to read the document for myself and found an unredacted copy online (Read here).

After reading the first few pages, I found myself instantly disgusted with the media and their mischaracterization of the document. It was clearly a WHISTLEBLOWER account. It was clear, concise and relatively well-organized. A rambling mess, it was not. Even more upsetting, not one media outlet was addressing the specific allegations Mr. Dorner made in his manifesto. He clearly and precisely discussed corruption, police misconduct and widespread racism within the LAPD, condoned and rewarded at the highest levels, and often provided specific examples. Despite this reality, none of the media spoke of these things, instead they happily towed the party line and followed LAPD's lead in painting Mr. Dorner as a lunatic. In my opinion, a lunatic could not have written such a well-organized account.

Based on the comments on various social pages and under every news story about Mr. Dorner, many others across the nation shared my sentiment after having read the manifesto. We wanted the allegations made by Mr. Dorner acknowledged and fully investigated. I absolutely do not and did not support Mr. Dorner's actions, especially the taking of innocent human life. However, his heinous acts do not negate the likely truth of what he was attempting to expose with his actions.

After a days-long manhunt and two additional lives lost, Mr. Dorner was tracked to Big Bear and cornered in a cabin. Like many others, I never expected law enforcement to take Mr. Dorner into custody alive - despite their claims of wanting to do so - even if he gave himself up willingly; not after reading his manifesto. Too much dirty laundry. To take him alive would all but guarantee an investigation into his motives, where answers would be given to questions the LAPD didn't want asked. A law enforcement agency with a corrupt and racially-tainted past couldn't take such risks.

So on February 12th, law enforcement set the cabin where Mr. Dorner was holed up on fire and let it burn to the ground - with him inside. A single gunshot from inside the cabin was heard not too long after, likely a self-inflicted suicide shot by Mr. Dorner. Of course, law enforcement claimed the fire wasn't intentional, just a consequence of shooting tear gas into the structure (a type commonly referred to as a "burner"), but I don't buy it. As further evidence of this likelihood, the following was accidentally transmitted during a live broadcast of the police standoff with Mr. Dorner:

“Burn that fucking house down!” shouted a deputy through a scanner transmission inadvertently broadcast on the Los Angeles local news channel, KCAL 9. “Fucking burn this motherfucker!” another cop could be heard exclaiming. (Source)

Read a detailed account of How Law Enforcement and Media Covered Up the Plan to Burn Christopher Dorner Alive.

On February 14th, the coroner confirmed remains found in the charred cabin were those of Christopher Dorner; thus, the manhunt is officially over. While many may be ready and willing to put this Christopher Dorner chapter behind us, especially the LAPD, I am not. I want every allegation Mr. Dorner made about the LAPD fully and thoroughly investigated by the Justice Department. How about you?

I'm Back. No, Really. I Am.

Stephanie M. Watts (aka Sauda Voice) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 01:19:08 PST

Hello TSV Family!! Wow, its been a loooooong minute. I didn't plan to stay away so long, but life just got the better of me. I won't bore you with the details other than to say the past two years have been extremely difficult for me, both emotionally and physically. However, I can only be thankful after coming out of this valley. And trust me, it was a valley.

I have so much to catch you up on and can't wait. Along with new content every week, you can now find me in more places. When you get a free moment, check me out across the web. You can find me at the following locales:

**** Posts are scheduled to resume this week. ****

STAY TUNED

(VIDEO & AUDIO) Walking While Black in Florida = Death Sentence

Stephanie M. Watts (aka Sauda Voice) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:12:18 PDT

ORLANDO - By now, it is my hope that all of you know the story of Trayvon Martin, a Florida teenager whose life was violently taken away from him because he was black and "looked suspicious."

On February 28th, 17-year old Trayvon was visiting his father in Sanford, Florida. The two were watching the NBA All-Star game at a home in the gated community of Retreat at Twin Lakes. During half-time, Trayvon walked to the local 7-Eleven to purchase a bag of Skittles and bottle of Arizona Ice Tea. On his way back, he was confronted by the self-appointed Neighborhood Watchman, George Zimmerman, a 28-year old Hispanic male.

George Zimmerman

Apparently, Mr. Zimmerman had been watching Trayvon for quite some time. Moments earlier, he called 911 to report a "real suspicious guy" in the neighborhood. After weeks of community pressure, the City of Sanford finally released the audio tapes. Take a listen below:

Despite being advised by 911 NOT to follow or confront Trayvon, Mr. Zimmerman took it upon himself to do so anyway. Some sort of scuffle ensued resulting in Trayvon crying out for help only to be silenced by a single bullet from Mr. Zimmerman's gun (Yes, he had a gun!) seconds later.

When police arrived on the scene, Trayvon was dead with Mr. Zimmerman claiming self-defense. One listen to the 911 recordings and witness accounts given on the scene make it patently clear that Mr. Zimmerman was the aggressor in this situation. However, he was NEVER arrested or charged in the death of Trayvon.

It appears that both Mr. Zimmerman and local authorities are relying on Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law for safe haven on this issue. In a nutshell, this doctrine grants a person the right to use deadly force if he/she feels threatened and does NOT impose a duty to retreat from such perceived threat if it is possible to do so safely. The NRA and other gun advocates lobbied for the law and it was ushered in by Republican lawmakers in 2005.

Sadly, this law loosened the pre-existing "Castle Doctrine" that most of us are familiar with. The Castle Doctrine permits a person to use deadly force if they are attacked IN THEIR HOME. Florida, through their "Stand Your Ground" law, extended this doctrine to include areas outside the home (read = in public). So, in essence, all a person has to do is "feel" threatened and he is permitted to take the life of the person he's scared of, however unreasonable that fear may be.

The normal standard, found nationwide, is that a person may use deadly force only when threatened with serious bodily harm or deadly force. Notice the difference? The standard is much higher than Florida's law, as it should be since it involves the taking of a human life. Because "feeling" threatened is a whole lot different than "actually" being threatened.

As a person of color, I have a huge problem with Florida's law as it currently stands. Namely because some people feel threatened by me simply because of the color of my skin and the proximity of that brown skin to them. So, the closer I am to them (like, say, walking beside them on a local street) the MORE they feel threatened. Such a person should NOT be given license to take my my life based on their irrational fear and possible prejudice. And that's exactly what Florida has permitted to happen with their "Stand Your Ground" law.

As of the date of this post, Florida authorities have NOT arrested or charged Mr. Zimmerman. Three weeks later! As you can imagine, national outrage has grown. Trayvon's parents demanded answers and action on the part of Florida lawmakers and law enforcement. Still nothing. So, Trayvon's parents and much of the national public began calling on federal authorities to intervene, asking them to investigate since nothing was being done on the local and state level.

Check out brief news clip on growing outrage.

Finally, on March 19th, the Justice Department agreed to do just that, issuing the following statement:

“The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, and the FBI opened an investigation into the facts and circumstances of the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. The department will conduct a thorough and independent review of all of the evidence and take appropriate action at the conclusion of the investigation. The department also is providing assistance to and cooperating with the state officials in their investigation into the incident. With all federal civil rights crimes, the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a person acted intentionally and with the specific intent to do something which the law forbids – the highest level of intent in criminal law. Negligence, recklessness, mistakes and accidents are not prosecutable under the federal criminal civil rights laws. The Community Relations Service will be in Sanford, Fla., this week to meet with civil rights leaders, community leaders, and local law enforcement to address tension in the community.”

It is my sincere hope that we are now on the path to getting justice for Trayvon Martin, a young man whose life was taken far too early. Let's hope that an arrest and charging of Mr. Zimmerman is right around the corner.

LEARN MORE:

What Everyone Should Know About Trayvon Martin (1995-2012)

White People, You Will Never Look Suspicious Like Trayvon Martin