Opinion: If Martin Luther King Jr Were Alive Today What Would He Be Doing- Do We Measure Up?

January 21st, 2019 and  another celebration of the life of martin Luther King, Jr. has come and gone. The acknowledgment of all of his accomplishments, the tributes have once again brought his legacy to the forefront. But this year, unlike the other years, the question came to mind as to just what he would be doing if he were alive today?

He, more likely than not, despite his age, would be marching alongside the women for the Women’s March, or joining those who are providing food to the furloughed workers, or maybe he would be in Puerto Rico, helping and encouraging those who are still suffering as a result of the hurricane which devastated the island, or even petitioning Trump and speaking out against the wall. One thing is certain, he would not be sitting back resting on his laurels.

March on Washington

He would encourage all to stand up and fight against injustice. He would remind us that in the beginning, he was just one voice, but what a voice it eventually became, saying the things that so many of us were thinking at the time, but too afraid to say. Or not knowing to whom to say it, or how.  Not that any of us should be deluded that we could ever fill his shoes, but we can follow in his footsteps. There is always the first voice, the first outcry, that creates a ripple in the ‘status quo’ pond, because one person, at some point, will hear it. And, even if that one voice is not successful, that voice is the first strike with a hammer against the wall of injustice. Silence is not an option, even though there are those who may ignore your voice, speak up you must.

Dr. King could no longer stomach the injustice not only that he was forced to live under, but had to witness. And, it is not a stretch to state that it made his stomach churn to the point that he could not remain silent. The amazing thing about Dr. King, he did all that he did out of love for all people and love for his country. His message of non-violence captured the world. And, his message and his example was to tell the truth, and thus, those who were perpetuating the evil status quo were angry when he spoke out and told the truth aloud, and not with a whisper. So tell the truth is what we must continue to do.

In our own lives, we must stand against injustice and unfairness, even if the odds are stacked against us. We must continue to speak out against it. The one small ripple will have an effect not only upon those who perpetuate evil and injustice, but also upon those who stand by and watch and say nothing at the time.  At some point in their lives, they will remember your one, small, voice.

We know that our voices are not always heard. We know that even when we tell the truth, it is a lie which is believed instead of the facts/truth which we assert. And make no mistake in thinking that it does not hurt, because it does.  So just would Dr. King have us do? He would never suggest that we remain silent.

    Ida B.Wells

How do we measure up? By challenging every lie, and injustice in a peaceful manner, through the courts, through marching, through petitions, but always peaceful. By challenging ourselves to continue to move forward in love, as hate cannot be allowed to rule the day. By moving forward with disciplined focus. And to speak truth to power without fear. A heroine such as Ida B Wells, who was one of the founding members of the NAACP is to be admired, as she, just like Dr. King, spoke out during a historical period when it was not ‘safe’ to do so but courageously spoke out and continued to do so.

Rosa Parks

We measure up by refusing to bury our heads in the sand. But, we also measure up by first having faith that we are right.

Celebrating his life is beautiful, but following in his footsteps in our own lives is a true tribute to his legacy, and will insure that his legacy will continue. Even if  your stand is frustrating and/or painful, and does not turn out the way that you, as an individual, would like, it is still a stand, for even the tiniest ripple moves the pond and a ripple in a river moves the water forward, even though the impact may be small.  Just remember these words which he spoke: “Truth crushed to the ground will rise again.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_B._Wells

Opinion: Why Is Pima County Consolidated Justice Court Unfair?

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Martin Luther King,Jr.

First of all, we are taught as soon as we can read and understand, that the American system of justice is fair and equal. And, there are some of us, who believed it, and some of us who continue to fight for that fairness and equity.  Now, some will say that this post is about ‘sour grapes’, but please be assured, it is not. And since I asked the question,  I will provide the answers which support my opinion that the court is unfair, biased, and, unfortunately, it has ‘pockets’ of racism.

In my opinion, there is a ‘circle of corruption’, and those who are within that circle make it a point to ‘steer’ a case to the other members of that circle.  In that way, they are assured of an illegal victory. And that circle does not stop at the doors of that particular court, it goes up to the next level, which is Pima County Superior Court. Now, the coincidences must be looked at objectively, and one being that Lisa Royal, the current Court Administrator for Justice Court, was also once part of the administration of Superior Court. That does not automatically translate into the existence  of a ‘conspiracy’, but when everything starts going south, and the rules are bent and/or ignored, then one has to, at the very least, explore that possibility.

For example, in Arizona, there is something that is called the Arizona Landlord Tenant Act, now in this particular case, the landlord, admitted that he was retaliating. The ACT says that if a landlord is asking a tenant to move based upon a complaint about living conditions, then it is retaliation, and it is prohibited.  Now, if a tenant not only has proof of the complaint, but has that proof in writing, the landlord is supposed to be prohibited from making a tenant move. When a judge sees a document that has a statement written by the landlord, under oath, then why would Judge Pro Tem say that he did not “see” retaliation?  This is the portion of that sworn document:

 

(As most people know, the word “troublemakers” is code for those who request their rights. That is the term used  in the 1950’s and 1960’s to describe Martin Luther King, Jr.) This was an admission to retaliating, written under oath, and to which he admitted on the record. So what stopped the judge from ruling as to retaliation?

When an agency director, who is paying a portion of the rent, testifies under oath that the landlord promised to  provide a lease, then why would the testimony of that independent third-party be ignored by the judge? And, then, why would a Superior Court judge mis-state the facts and state that the tenant “assumed” that there was supposed to be a lease,even though that issue is not properly before them?

Why would Lisa Royal and Xavier Verdugo promise to adhere to specific rules of Civil Appellate Procedure, then not do so? But instead, allegedly use their connections to speed up the process while ignoring those rules? Why would a Superior Court judge refuse to rule upon a Motion for New Trial when  it is within his purview to do so, and again, rush the case back?  Why would Justice Court then rule on that motion without jurisdiction, but delay in ruling on the motion to vacate the ruling? Why, when one of the other tenants/defendants no longer resides with the other, would Justice Court refuse to serve that party with notice of a hearing using their mailing address?

When all of the above questions, in and of themselves, represent judicial aberrations, then one must come to the conclusion which forms the opinion that the specific parties, and their court, are indeed, unfair. One must also, at that point, look at what is similar and dissimilar between all of the parties. If all of the parties are of all races except for Black,  but the defendants/tenants are Black, then one can fairly come to the conclusion, (based upon the judicial aberrations), that the issue of race, must indeed be a factor, and that the scales of justice are not balanced, and in this case, lady justice was not blind at all.

And yet, they boldly do it in plain sight, on the record, and blatantly.  It is my opinion, that the parties involved not only lack a conscience, but also lack a soul, and have neither integrity nor respect for the offices which they hold. It is my opinion that their loyalty is not to the law, but to one another. Could that be why the plaintiff’s attorney, Blythe Edmondson,  felt comfortable paying fast and loose with the facts, and, the truth?

It seems as if this were some re-creation of the feudal system, and the poor laborer has no rights when it comes to the wealthy landowner or the aristocracy. But wait … what? No, but that can’t be right? That was England, right? This is America, right? And, slavery has been abolished in America, right?  There is something called the U.S. Constitution, right? There is something called Due Process, right? There is something called “Equal Protection Under The Law”, right?

Based upon all of the above, this is not an issue of sour grapes, but an issue of injustice and  of justice denied.

So my friends, that is why my opinion is that Pima County Consolidated Justice Court is unfair and biased. That is why it is my opinion that this particular case was steered to those within the alleged ‘circle of corruption’.

I would say to each and every one of them – ‘Shame on you for what you have done.’

#EqualProtectionUnderTheLaw #MartinLutherKingJr #ArizonaLandlordTenantAct