George Floyd’s crying, “I can’t breathe,” “I can’t breathe.” Then the call for his primary nurturer and defender, “Momma,” as his life was suddenly taken away; Resonates very loudly in Pennsylvania’s prisons as we feel the pressure on our necks, and the emotional pain of declining spirits. Though we, the life-sentenced prisoners in Pennsylvania don’t feel the horror, the immediate escape of our life force, we all cry “I can’t breathe” and call our for our “Mommas.” Four officers of the law, very casually committing murder. The officer with his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck, truly looked disinterested, hand in his pocket, smirking, as he repositioned his foot to maintain force. One assistant district attorney and one judge, very nonchalantly take the life of nearly every defendant that stands before them. How cavalier! The police coerced a blind-woman into making an identification, the assistant district attorney takes that Identification in front of a judge, the judge accepts the blind-woman’s testimony, the case goes to trial. The defendant is convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. The appellate process produced no relief. There was a knee on this man’s neck for three decades. Finally, a prosecutor with a conscious, seeking justice said enough. Willie Veasy, wrongfully convicted, could actually take a breath. The brutality visited upon people of color by district attorneys and judges is no less wicked than the video of George Floyd’s last moments.
There are far too many atrocities that have been committed by the courts and prosecutors for me to list here. They take more lives than brutal cops, and they do it with no chance of being charged or punished for violating the constitution or their “oath of office.” The calls for Criminal Justice Reform has to begin with prosecutors and the courts, the police only go as far as those two allow them to. We can’t do anything about George Floyd, Sandra,Bland, Tamir Rice, and many many others. But, there are many many more Willie Veasy’s languishing in Pennsylvania prisons, asking “take your knee off our neck. – Carl Cooper, Lifers Inc. Public Safety Initiative.
