If you're poor and get in trouble with the law, it's better to be white,

[Redstone]

but if you're rich and famous and get in trouble with the law, it's better to be black.

Discuss at will.

Redstone

[UdoKier]

1. I think it's better to be rich when you get in trouble - period.

Since I'm not the least bit rich, I try to keep my nose clean.

[KG]

6. you got that right - the line isn't black/white, it's rich/poor.

[charlyvi]

12. Yep. I'm a white woman

and would have to go with an overworked PD.

[JAbuchan08]

2. Not true, that one guy was white, the guy with the parrot

he was white.

[jobycom]

4. That would be

Captain Morgan!! But pirates don't count.

[JAbuchan08]

7. No the other guy, hung around with a parrot allegedly killed his wife

sounded pretty guilty yet got off.

[jobycom]

10. Sorry, I thought you were kidding. Robert Blake. It was a Cocatoo

I thought you were kidding about the name, so I made a wisecrack. I grew up on Baretta, so I assumed everyone knew his name as well as me.

[Redstone]

5. I forgot about him. Was thinking more about OJ.

Damn, Now I have to go wash my hands, mentioning the both of them in one thread.

Redstone

[matrixchick]

8. Well coonsidering

That most laws in general are either aimed to keep the poor in line and to maintain wealthy power, being poor in the us legal system is not a good position.


In other words I keep my nose clean, or I at least cover my tracks.

[Sandpiper]

3. If you get in trouble with the law, it's better to be rich

Fame is an added bonus, but wealth matters most.

If you're poor and get in trouble with the law, you're screwed regardless of race.

You're more likely to get roughed up by the boys in blue if you're black though.

[sweetheart]

9. justice for the rich

and injustice for the poor... that's pretty much it.

Black and poor is just worse all around... .. but poor
is the operative issue with US injustice.

[Kraklen]

11. How does being black work to one's advantage?

Is this some kind of "reverse racism" argument?

[JAbuchan08]

15. You see the black man is more likely to get arrested, but since

they're rich they're more likely to get off and then um, if there were white people on the jury they can say something like "race wasn't a factor" (I heard this on some of the Michael Jackson coverage - I swear to god I only watched a couple of minutes) and that's either the silver lining or the exact opposite. I'm not sure.

If you want my serious opinion, Robert Blake got off Scott Peterson was convicted. On the other hand Michael and Kobe were acquitted (as was OJ, but lets not deal with that here).
It seems to me that Michael probably did molest some of the kids, but he's around so many kids that he can be selective and exploit the most damaged. The kids were manipulated by the parents and that gave Jackson's lawyers an out to question the kid's credibility. That's not to say that I know that Jackson did anything and that's probably what it came down to for the jury. Pretty much the same thing applies in Kobe's case.

In conclusion, perhaps both Bryant and Jackson did what they were accused of, but given the realities of the legal system and the difficulty of proving such cases they were let off. I look at this counter intuitively myself, it almost sounds to me as if a black man HAS to be rich in order to recieve a fair trial.

edit for spelling

[ls317]

18. ......

The case against Bryant was dropped by prosecutors during jury selection after the accuser refused to testify.

Civil Lawsuit is next up for Mr Bryant

[JAbuchan08]

19. Well, sorry I don't follow this stupid ----- very closely

in any case my point stands. It almost seems to me that you HAVE to be rich in order NOT to be railroaded. The original poster made a MAJOR mistake bringing race into it in the first place.

[mzteris]

13. oh puhleeze

That had NOTHING to do with it in this case - except that the rich guys can afford good attorneys!

The prosecution absolutely FAILED in their attempt. Whether he was actually guilty or not - they didn't prove their case. Case closed.

[mcscajun]

14. Don't Forget Male

If you're rich and white, rich and black, you can get off -- if you're rich and white and female, or poor and white and female, or poor and black and female, you're probably goin' down.

Think Martha Stewart, Andrea Yates, etc.

[Redstone]

16. I hadn't thought of the "female" angle, but you know what?

You're right.

Good observation.

Redstone

[ls317]

17. ......

Its better to have money to buy a defense team( sad but true) regardless of what color you are !

[mark414]

20. half-correct

it's just better to be rich and famous if you get in trouble with the law