October 30, 2006

Soul On Ice

Life goes on. Easier said than done. More than twenty years ago, Alan Newton was incarcerated for a robbery and rape that he didn't commit. This past July, the DNA test was finally done and Alan was released.
A whole lot older. A whole lot wiser. Alan's got a lot of catchin' up to do. A hole in his resume is the least of his worries. The city's a whole lot different. Crack homes have become luxury condos. Warehouses have become fashion boutiques. Email has become part of our daily vernacular. Hip hop has gone pop. Life goes on. What are YOU doing tomorrow? What are YOU doing NOW?
Where were the news crews then? Where are they now? No one wants to hear about the exonerated criminal who isn't angry. No one wants to hear about the wrongfully imprisoned who isn't suing. No one wants to hear about the wrongfully accused taking classes in Business Administration at Medgar Evars College in Brooklyn.
Prison news needs to be much more dramatic. Prison gets you a record deal. Prison gets you votes. Prison gets you money for the plastic surgery you really need. Prison gets you video hoes. Prison is a springboard to limelight. Prison is street cred.
Life goes on.

4 Comments:

Blogger Amadeo said...

Of course...the day that people actually care about something worthwhile I'll never have to write again.

1:14 PM  
Blogger vik said...

true....we need our "jobs" or whatever you call this boggin thing

3:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good post! The Times article was actually good too. They have good "human interest" articles, but when it comes to the rest of the news... well, anyway.
Maybe it's just me, but this guy seems really impressive - he's just focused on getting back to his life, instead of just being angry about what happened to him. Not to mention he got 99 academic credits while he was inside, and is now back in school to get his degree.
Guys like this are the kind of rolemodels we need more of... but I guess he's not "exciting" enough to get people's attention.
Personally I think he should get compensation, even if it's just enough to help him get back on track - but at least for now his family has his back.
Anyway, I hope things go well for him, and thanks for the post Vik!
PEACE

1:45 AM  
Blogger vik said...

cb4 -

agree. this man does deserve compensation for the time lost. however, its admirable that he just wants to get back on track.

PEACE

7:59 AM  

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