FrontLine: The Confessions

[xiinfaniin]

I read this thread, and I cant help but feel sorry for a lot of people here who really think everything in the indictment is true.

 

Last night I watched a very interesting and timely program of American justice system, which I am happy to share with you here---please watch.

 

The Confessions of Four Men

[Che -Guevara]

I was watching it last night as well.This was sad and I felt for all them but Dick Joe was particularly sad person-was easily bullied to confess and got four other men in trouble.

 

 

I see your point Xiin and organizations like Innocence Project have proven many people are wrongfully convicted and some were sent to death row. That said, something must have warranted the investigations by the authorities. It makes no sense to commit that much resources to a neighborhood "gang". If the community believes there is no any criminality within their ranks than they should stand up and educate themselves about their rights and obligations.

 

If there's criminal element that indeed SOLD young girls into prostitution, I think we ought to give the system a chance since we can't self correct ourselves.

 

Cynicism unchecked by rational thought will only lead to irrational fear-yes, be aware of the pitfalls of the system but don't turn a blind eye to any criminal enterprise that's eroding the community's very fabric.

[Nin-Yaaban]

Should've remained silent and asked for an attorney present b4 answering a question.

[Chocolate and Honey]

The system has pitfalls and yes there is racial profiling.

But with the sex trafficking case; the indictment is mostly spot on!

If you personally know the 29 people who were indicted or their families, you'd know that they're known drug user/dealers.

For instance, if you personally know Hamdi "boss lady" you would know that she used supply weed to high schoolers. You would also know that several families threatned to call the police on her if she doesn't stop.

You would know that she housed run aways and sold them. I know because she picked up my friend's 15year old sister from school one day and she hasnt been home since.

Also, if you know Ahmed "xamarawi" and his brother, you'd know that they drive the latest Luxury cars every couple of months. He lives in a luxurious Cando with his wife and children. None of them has more than high school education. None of them hold a steady job yet they're sporting brand name clothes, different luxury cars every day of the week. His wife also knows that he has a ring of 15-17 years old girls calling him every hour of the day but she chooses to ignore.

This is not one of those cases where the MAN wansts to step on the neck of the black man(or in this case black women too). These people are menace to the community.

[xiinfaniin]

I must admit that I don’t know any of the arrested. Of course, there are gangs, prostitutes (one of the oldest professions), drug-dealers (qat chewers included) and other criminal activities in the Somali community, just like any other community in America, or the west for that matter. The story of 13/14-year-old girls being sold to older men for sexual pleasure is horrifying to any decent person. The coercions and extortions (young girls sent to apartment to ask if they can use the bathroom…to entice male resident for sexual engagement …only to threaten him later with rape charges if thousands of dollars are not immediately paid) are contemptible and amount to sexual enslavement and blackmailing. All these I heard, and most I am sure are true. Although I strongly resent the use of ‘Somali’ in the reporting for various reasons, I am not at all in denial of the existence of criminality in the community. I don’t particularly blame anyone entity or system. It’s possible some of the affected girls/boys are without parents…they might’ve lost theirs in the civil war, or their relatives bought them sponsorship to America for better life …young, lone, restless and in America, that is a recipe for potential disaster, and we all know it. Ilaahay ha u sahlo

 

The frontline program is a timely reminder for those of us who take authorities’ version of this story at face value. If it can happen to four white, American servicemen, think about the youth of a growing community in America’s heartland. The hand of justice in America is indeed long, but it can overreach. That is all, my friends.

[Chocolate and Honey]

Xiin,

I was responding to the issue of "coersion." I didnt infer anything from your post.I'm agreeing with the fact that there is corruption, racial profilling and mishandling of information on the law enforcement part. I'm arguing that in this case they're not wrong.

 

I don't know why you would resent my use of Somali in the post. It is a bit strange to talk about a case say where all the suspects are white except for one black person without mentioning their race.

[xiinfaniin]

Originally posted by chocolate & honey:

It is a bit strange to talk about a case say where all the suspects are white except for one black person without mentioning their race.

Yet crimes involving other communities don’t necessarily result in the media mentioning their ethnic associations, chocolate & honey. It adds no value to the facts of the crime. All it does is to alert the readers/viewers that there is a problem with the wider community, which may or not may be true. That is how bigotry and prejudices are created i.e. Muslims are terrorists or Somalis are dysfunctional.

 

It is an old argument.

 

It has been the trend in the national media to have peculiar fondness of reporting religious associations of a particular crime when those committing the crime are Muslims. If they happen to subscribe to other faiths (say Christianity), the media tend not to bother pointing out that aspect of the perpetrators. The Texas IRS suicide bomber is case in point. Demonstrably, so was the now-dead Oklahoma terrorist of 1996. This is, and has been, a major complaint in media’s selective reporting, or framing. There is nothing Somali about the alleged crimes, hence no need to point out the ‘Somaliness’ of these criminals.

[Chocolate and Honey]

Xiin,

I understand inaad ka gubaneysid the media thing. But I promise you America is big on race. If you watch the news closely, you'll notice that RACE is ALWAYS mentioned and religion is mentioned second.

It adds great value to know who is commiting crimes and in what community. Had this been another community's crimes, I would condemn it but ma ka guban laheen. I wouldnt lose sleep over it. And I wouldnt volunteer my precious time and energy to educate our youngesters.

The Somaliness of the criminals is relevant because they're selling their own people; they know the language, the community, the neighborhoods and they have so much leverage. Less innocent youngesters would've fallen if the recruiter wasnt a somali person speaking their language, dressed in the same clothing, calling them abaayo. How do you not see the relevance?

Everytime a boy is molested at Church, they always attach the religion, previous pedophile activity, other court rulings(even if it has nothing to do with the case)parents of other victims, etc.

Also, anytime someone is robbed, raped, arrested, killed they mention the race and age of the accused. It is an American thing. It is a media thing. People in America love to put crimes in boxes.

We can't protect the Somali name if we don't clean house. We will end up just like the black community always reactive, rarely proactive. We can say "muslim baan nahay. dhaqan waxaan uma lihin. Magaca ha naga haleeynina all we want. What matters is how proactive we get. How cooperative we become.

We need to get off our high horses and check the reality of our situation.

[Che -Guevara]

Originally posted by Nin-Yaaban:

Should've remained silent and asked for an attorney present b4 answering a question.

One of them actually did.You would think the conviction of the detective and confession of Mr. Ballard will cast shadow over the whole thing. The State hates to admit they are wrong.

[xiinfaniin]

^^DNA and lie detector tests were ignored as well.

 

chocolate & honey , the community is not bad. These things happen everywhere. Worst things happen in Somalia. The authorities should treat it as a criminal activity and prosecute it. Just don’t attribute to the large community. That is what media is guilty of. And that is my complaint. Taa weeye tan ila qaldan.

 

Dadyowga kaleba intaa waxbay bi’iyaane, lamana magac dhebo …inta danbiga gashay baa garsoorka lala tiigsadaa…ma fahamtay? I have yet to hear or read a report on ‘Swede’ crimes up in Duluth, or a ‘German’ violent racism in St. Cloud …no Norwegian or Finish crimes are reported. It’s either Black violence in North Minn., Hmongs in East St. Paul, or Somalis everywhere in the state.

 

It may help you to see the distribution of crimes in the state. What percentage do you reckon Somalis contribute? I promise you not much. And that is in every criminal category. We are not the menace we are portrayed to be. I remember one time a prominent TV station solicited (clearly solicited) a raw video showing Somali kids hurling profanity against a Gay parade in down town Minneapolis. And you guessed it: it made into the evening news: ‘Violent SOMALI kids harassing Gay Parade’---or something to that effect.

 

Similar things happened in St. Paul and the kids that harassed people in the parks. Once again a raw video was produced and aired.

Haddaan wado naftaa kaa baxaysaa…qayb baanu ka nahay shiddada oo rag waagay tuulo joogga ahaayeen ogaa in nin dadka ugu codweyne ugu caansanyahay baa maalin walba idaacadaha daba taagan…oo intaa war daldalaya. Goormaa iigu danbaysay Hmong MPR laga waraysanayo ma xasuusto Wallaahi…ceeb weeye waxa na haystaa

 

Adna waabad ku doodaysaa…

 

Crime is a crime. Period. Abtir ma leh. Midda kale, community gan beledaa ee isku xiran ee Soomaalida la yiraahdo xaggee joogtaa? Ma aragteen?

 

Magaca hanaloo daayo

[Malika]

^ ,You lost that privilenge 20yrs ago.Beerigii anuu wadaan leheen ayaa magaca laa illaliin jiree - in the late 70's Nyerere kicked out all those whom where not Tanzanian nationality aka citizens. The Somali goverment sent its own plane to come and take its people - btw those even born/bred in TZ opted to go home. We used to have embassies that will beat its chest for the sake of 'somalis' - hadhaa waxaa hadhee 'community leaders'..heh, most of them are jokers,with no engagement with the said community anyway due to the rifts within the community or else - here in UK its the greed that is the drive,rather community cohesion/work etc.

 

It's a white man's world yaa xiin.

[Chocolate and Honey]

Dadyowga kaleba intaa waxbay bi’iyaane, lamana magac dhebo …inta danbiga gashay baa garsoorka lala tiigsadaa…ma fahamtay? I have yet to hear or read a report on ‘Swede’ crimes up in Duluth, or a ‘German’ violent racism in St. Cloud …no Norwegian or Finish crimes are reported. It’s either Black violence in North Minn., Hmongs in East St. Paul, or Somalis everywhere in the state

I guess you're just noticing the disaprity between whites and nonwhites when it comes to the media. White people ma la kala saaro. But other minorities waa la kala saaraa wadanaka: Mexican burglar,Hmong drunk-driver, Somali gang, Black assailant.

It may seem that we are being singled out and maybe we are for our differences but wouldn't you agree that some of it we brought it on ourselves? There is nothing more interesting(as far as America is concerned)than people who isolate themselves. Look at what the media does to the Mormons, a very Christian group.

[Jacpher]

Che: That was one of the saddest moment of the documentary I think. He asked for an attorney and was threatened with a death penalty. He should have shut down completely and not utter another word. Then again, that's too easy for us to say when you're in the situation is totally different. The only good think that come out I think waa in the corrupt detective helay wuxu hormarsaday. It reminded me of tv show aan waa hore arkay xayeysiintiisa,

.

 

Originally posted by chocolate & honey:

The Somaliness of the criminals is

relevant

because they're selling their own people; they know the language, the community, the neighborhoods and they have so much leverage. Less innocent youngesters would've fallen if the recruiter wasnt a somali person speaking their language, dressed in the same clothing, calling them abaayo. How do you not see the relevance?

How so? Please elaborate more on the relevance of the ethnicity of the accused in the eyes of the law? I don't know why their 'Somaliness' would matters in the court. In the court of law, one's origin, culture, ethnicity, sex and race shouldn't matter. That's how the law is written and upheld. Is male pimp less or more guilty than a female pimp? Is Mexican, Asian, Jamaican or black/white gang/drug dealer less guilty than Somali one? As much I abhor the alleged crime, we shouldn't try to convict or execute them before we get the whole story. Let them have their day in court. No matter what you or a report dragging the Somali name in the mud thinks, I'm sure the larger Somali community welcome these thugs behind bars, that's after giving them their day in court.

[xiinfaniin]

Malika, chocolate & honey,

 

I perfectly understand our situation. I guess I am just airing my frustration. Have you sisters seen my bold request to the admin of SOL to edit chocolate & honey’s use of Somali word in the sex trafficking thread ?

 

I also understand the disparity among various groups/races in America thusly why I was a bit cautious and against heartfelt euphoria of the authorities’ round up of the alleged criminals.

 

Jacpher, it is interesting to watch how the system has been easily bended to procure prosecutors desired outcome.

[Chocolate and Honey]

How so? Please elaborate more on the relevance of the ethnicity of the accused in the eyes of the law? I don't know why their 'Somaliness' would matters in the court. In the court of law, one's origin, culture, ethnicity, sex and race shouldn't matter. That's how the law is written and upheld. Is male pimp less or more guilty than a female pimp? Is Mexican, Asian, Jamaican or black/white gang/drug dealer less guilty than Somali one? As much I abhor the alleged crime, we shouldn't try to convict or execute them before we get the whole story. Let them have their day in court. No matter what you or a report dragging the Somali name in the mud thinks, I'm sure the larger Somali community welcome these thugs behind bars, that's after giving them their day in court.

 

Before you jump down my throat, read where the conversation between Xiin and me was going. We werent talking about courts. We were talking about the title of my post and why I chose to attach the name Somali. Calm down!