I have written Oprah, Keith, and my Congressmen. Can you help this young girl?

[Horse with no Name]

Some of the facts are in this original thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=454313

The Black Panthers are marching in the streets...the KKK is gathering and protesting the Black Panthers...the Judge who sentenced the young girl is pleading for peace in the community...the NAACP has called for her release. It goes on and on. But the thing that remains is, a young girl is locked away for 7 years and shouldn't be.

http://theparisnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=957eb68d7973523a
>>>snip
The Paris Branch of the NAACP called for a timely release of Shaquanda Cotton from the Texas Youth Commission after a four-hour executive committee meeting Saturday.

The group also asked that an emergency item be placed on Monday night’s Paris City Council agenda to consider naming a diversity task force.

The group also called for an expedited appeal of the Cotton case by the Texarkana Court of Appeals in motions approved unanimously by nine board members at Saturday’s meeting.

Tensions have mounted here in recent days since a Chicago Tribune article appeared March 12 about the Cotton case.

http://theparisnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=702edc9fc0ed587d
>>>snip
County Judge Chuck Superville says he fears for the community’s safety and is calling for the national media and other organizations to investigate the facts before drawing conclusions about the Shaquanda Cotton case.

The judge said a March 12 story in The Chicago Tribune unfairly painted the community as racist and a recent protest as well as the threat of future protests by organized groups with national media coverage could “spin this thing out of control.”

[AZBlue]

1. Wait...7 years in prison for a shove?? Are they insane??

Not sure what else to do...in a way this is sad, but Oprah and Keith and other media types are probably the best bet. Sounds like something Oprah might do a show on actually. If there's anything else that can be done, keep us posted!

[Horse with no Name]

2. In a word, yes.

Something has to give. I was told that Channel 8 in Dallas filmed the KKK rally, however, it hasn't been on television NOR has it been in the Paris newspaper.