Paris suburb names street for Mumia Abu-Jamal
We have lots of police officers in our family and among our friends, and this disgusts us:
Paris suburb names street for Mumia Abu-Jamal
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA - A street in a Paris suburb has been named in honor of Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of the 1981 murder of a Philadelphia police officer.
"In France, they see him as a towering figure," said Suzanne Ross, co-chair of the Free Mumia Coalition of New York City, who was part of an April 29 ceremony to dedicate the Rue Mumia Abu-Jamal in the city of St. Denis.
Ross said the street is in the town's Human Rights district, which includes Nelson Mandela Stadium.
Abu-Jamal, a former radio reporter and member of the Black Panther party, was sentenced to death in 1982 for the shooting of 25-year-old Daniel Faulkner. He has maintained his innocence. His writings and taped speeches have made him a cause celebre among Hollywood activists, foreign politicians and some death-penalty opponents who believe he was the victim of a racist justice system.
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year agreed to consider three counts of Abu-Jamal's appeal, allegations that there was racial bias in jury selection, that the prosecutor gave an improper summation and that a judge in a previous appeal was biased.
Faulkner's widow, Maureen, called the street dedication "disgusting" and urged Philadelphia residents planning a visit to Paris this summer to cancel their trips. In 2001, the Paris City Council made Abu-Jamal an honorary citizen.
"This is so unnerving for me to get this news," Faulkner said from Los Angeles, where she lives. "It's insulting to the police officers of Philadelphia that they are naming a street after a murderer."
Daniel Faulkner has been honored by a memorial plaque installed at the scene of the shooting at 13th and Locust Streets in Philadelphia.
posted by Peter Porcupine @ 3:36 AM
10 comments
10 Comments:
Mumia is charasmatic, articulate, and educated; much like Ira Einhorn (who hid in France while convicted of murder, in absentia). The French dislike us so naturally they take up the cause of American's who claim violations of their civil rights. At the time of his conviction there was no reason to believe Mumia was anything other than guilty. After all, Frank Rizzo - Philadelphia's Mayor and former Police Commissioner - oversaw the investigation. Unfortunately, Frank's legacy is a corrupt and abusive Philadelphia police department where all convictions during his era, especially those in which police were the only witnesses and the suspect was black, were tainted. Arrest now (or shoot now) and ask questions later was Franks's attitude. Was Mumia guilty? Possibly. But there's an equal change his brother did it. Does it matter, since Mumia didn't implicate his brother when he had the chance? Maybe. That all depends on whether you want to see the right person punished or just someone punished. And whether it's you or your brother.
I worked for Judge Sabo, I sat in on a few of the post conviction hearings I read the trial transcript. which included Mumia's confession that he shot the cop I know from the transcript that his brother was in the taxicab and from the angle of the wounds and the only person who could have shot officer faulkner was Mumia. The jury made the correct call the Judge made the correct call. There was no bias of any sort. If you just read the transcript this case was fair and open and shut.
Therefor I am disappointed by the actions of the residents of St Denis
Middletown Bomber -
Do you have a link to the transcripts?
You"ll find them at Justice For Daniel Faulkner
P.S. !uck the French.
franny ward:
I've heard it said that since Abu-Jamal didn't set out to kill Faulkner, but saw a man he had been raised to think was a threat detaining his brother, his killing of Faulkner was a crime of passion. And thus not first degree murder as the trial concluded.
Assuming what you say is true that the transcript shows Abu-Jamal's guilt.
Regardless, it is despicable for the French to name a street after this man. With all the worthies in the world, really France?
But if you think France is our enemy, you are confused.
Anonymous said...
franny ward:
I've heard it said that since Abu-Jamal didn't set out to kill Faulkner, but saw a man he had been raised to think was a threat detaining his brother, his killing of Faulkner was a crime of passion. And thus not first degree murder as the trial concluded.
"But if you think France is our enemy, you are confused."
I never said that France was our enemy, I just say !uck the French, those who honor a Murderer. You obivously don't remember your history, on how Americans died by the thousands to free the French from the grips of Nazi Germany.
You also did not know Kenny Faulkner (Danny's Brother), and sat there watching him with tears in his eyes watching Mumia supporters on Television spewing their racist rhetoric.
Mumia is still alive, and he killed a cop. In my eyes, deliberately kill a cop, you die.
Enjoy your Memorial Day.
Franny:
All sympathies to the Faulkner family. And there is something to the theory that anyone who would kill a police officer is especially dangerous. But I wouldn't put a police officer's life above any other citizen, and I don't think every murder must be met with an execution. Do you?
And, while I can understand your disgust with France, don't let it poison your judgment. We are fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan to make those countries liberal democracies like France. Without whose help, we arguably would not have won the Revolutionary War.
Shame on France if they can't tell the difference between a hero and a murderer. And shame on you if you can't tell the difference between our enemies and our friends in the world.
Anonymous wrote...
"Shame on France if they can't tell the difference between a hero and a murderer. And shame on you if you can't tell the difference between our enemies and our friends in the world."
It isn't Franny that cannot tell the difference between our enemies and our friends.
France has been decidedly missing in the War on Terror.
France never misses an opportunity to stick their thumb in the eye of the US.
Franny was correct about us saving France's ass in 1945. Franny forgot to mention that was the second time we had done so in a period of about 30 years.
There are tens of thousands of graves in France containing the remains of American men who fought to rescue France from the German jackboot in two wars.
The French are an arrogant nation unable and unwilling to overcome their own arrogance long enough to defend themselves. So we have to do it for them.
They keep insulting us about our race releations while they have race riots in their cities,,,far worse than anything we ever experienced.
It comes down to a question of What have you done for us lately?
Last thing I can think of is that statue standing in New York Harbor.
I've boycotted French products for several years now, which has lead me to discover the exquisities of Italian and Spanish wine.
I miss neither the French wine, nor the French whine.
Their government is despicable to allow this insult.
Do you boycott Pakistani products? Or don't you find using rape to keep young women in line offensive. And perhaps you think that Musharraf, who is currently hosting bin Laden (yeah, the tiny Taliban could have given him up in Afghanistan, but mighty, nuclear Pakistan can't), is helping with the bogus war on terror.
Without France's help during the Revolutionary War, we may have lost. And France was right, and the US was wrong about the need for a war in Iraq. Perhaps that is why you are so bitter towards them.
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