Is Paris Texas Still A "A Hotbed of Racial Unrest?"
A Paris News article now circulating via email and message boards, reads like a fair warning to those of Paris, Texas as well as those looking in from the outside. Mary Madewell, interim managing editor of The Paris News, in an article dated October 14, 2007, and titled "Differences lie in the telling of the tales," pretty much warns the citizens of Paris that eyes may still be on the town once again, now infamous for the national attention it drew in the Shaquanda Cotton case.
Cotton and her mother recently appeared on the The Montel Williams show; as such the town may have been thrust back into the forefront. Madewell warns "Now comes word that yet another large media organization may be coming to Paris to question our school, law enforcement and judicial officials, probably about perceived notions that this community is a hotbed of racial unrest."
In what has become a well known stance of the local newspaper, Madewell continues to blame Shaquanda's mother for seeking attention in her daughter's case of injustice. The interim managing editor goes on to make comparisons between the parents in both the Cotton's case and another teen's story who's parent did not seek attention. Yet according to the article, the second teen may have suffered sexual abuse at the same "scandal-ridden Texas Youth Commission detention center in Brownwood," where Cotton was held.
Apparently this particular mother pleased the town in not bringing attention to her daughter's case unlike Cotton who was said to have " challenged white authority." Not to make any innuendoes or force any hidden agendas, but this is the conversation that Paris, Texas has forced us to have in 2007. Articles such as this regular appear in the paper and its online version.
Is the article, linked above (subscription required), a fair warning to its citizens that all eyes are back on Paris, Texas???. A town that consults with it's "Caucasian community leaders" regarding its justice system, is it a hot bed for racial injustice and unrest? More telling than any article that appeared in the Paris News, was the story as it unfolded and drew the involvement of a nationwide community as a myriad of bloggers and these blog radio interviews from Texas, Ohio, Illinois, and Georgia. Listen for yourself, then ask is Paris, Texas still a "hotbed of racial unrest?"
Cotton and her mother recently appeared on the The Montel Williams show; as such the town may have been thrust back into the forefront. Madewell warns "Now comes word that yet another large media organization may be coming to Paris to question our school, law enforcement and judicial officials, probably about perceived notions that this community is a hotbed of racial unrest."
In what has become a well known stance of the local newspaper, Madewell continues to blame Shaquanda's mother for seeking attention in her daughter's case of injustice. The interim managing editor goes on to make comparisons between the parents in both the Cotton's case and another teen's story who's parent did not seek attention. Yet according to the article, the second teen may have suffered sexual abuse at the same "scandal-ridden Texas Youth Commission detention center in Brownwood," where Cotton was held.
Apparently this particular mother pleased the town in not bringing attention to her daughter's case unlike Cotton who was said to have " challenged white authority." Not to make any innuendoes or force any hidden agendas, but this is the conversation that Paris, Texas has forced us to have in 2007. Articles such as this regular appear in the paper and its online version.
Is the article, linked above (subscription required), a fair warning to its citizens that all eyes are back on Paris, Texas???. A town that consults with it's "Caucasian community leaders" regarding its justice system, is it a hot bed for racial injustice and unrest? More telling than any article that appeared in the Paris News, was the story as it unfolded and drew the involvement of a nationwide community as a myriad of bloggers and these blog radio interviews from Texas, Ohio, Illinois, and Georgia. Listen for yourself, then ask is Paris, Texas still a "hotbed of racial unrest?"
The prosecutor at first offered to reduce the charges against Shaquanda Cotton from aggravated assault to simple assault—a misdemeanor—and release her to her mother on a two-year parole. Her mother and defense attorney refused the offer. Following her conviction on the aggravated assault charge, the court offered to place Shaquanda on a two-year parole and release her to her mother. Since she disagreed with the jury verdict, the mother refused to provide the court assurances, as required by law, that Shaquanda would comply with the parole provisions. Therefore, the court sentenced Shaquanda to spend at least one year in the Texas Youth Commission’s Behavior Modification Program. The minimum time required to complete the program is nine months; however, all juveniles are placed in the program for an indeterminate time—as long as it takes them to complete the program. Since the Youth Commission cannot hold juveniles past their 21st birthday, all juvenile sentences contain the proviso that their sentences cannot exceed the number of years left before their 21st birthday. In Shaquanda’s case, this was seven years. A 16-year-old juevenile convicted of murder would have received a sentence not to exceed five years.
Shaquanda was released after spending the 12 months specified by the court.
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Mrs. Cotton nor Shaquanda were ever offered any "alternative" to the Texas Youth Commission. The Behavior Modification Program is more like intimidation. Shaquanda was placed in JAIL for an alleged petty shove.
Now can we talk about how ADULTS in this small "peaceful" town are attacking a teenage girl? It takes a lot of courage to bully a girl. (And to think Hillary ROTTEN Clinton thinks she has problems because she's a female. The Paris News has not ceased to give out false reports, not to mention DA Gary Young's daggers on his website. The comments on his website that were personal and had NOTHING to do with upholding the law.I'm sure you caught the news (LIES), started by adults, that Shaquanda beat up her mother. But hey what do you expect from a town that still celebrates how the "residences" of Paris Texas used to hang Blacks at the County Fair.This is a "peaceful town" whose children went all the way into Arkansas to drag a "criminal" back to Paris to hang this COLORED man at the Fair. In case you think I'm making this up...this is all documented HIStory.
When I order a burger I don't want the extra stuff like onions, mushrooms, and bacon. I would like for you to read Gary Young's own words on how he threw on a lot of EXTRA sauce on Shaquanda's burger:
“This girl had done a bunch of bad things,” Young said.
“I told him if Mrs. Cotton would release our records,I would be glad to give him a copy,” Young said. “So far she won’t release the school records and the sealed records here. I think everything should be released.”
Young said people can look at any case and judge it after the fact.“Could things have been done differently?” he said.“Yes, she could not have gotten in trouble 20 days out of 45 calendar days prior to this situation. She could
have not threatened to burn down the school, she could have not gotten in a fight and she could not have threatened to punch a teacher in the nose.”
Young said the outcome of the Shaquanda Cotton case is still to be seen.“If her behavior has changed and she doesn't do anything like this again, then we did the right thing without question,” Young said. “Without it, she was not going to do the right thing.“I hope she goes on and does well,” Young concluded.
WAIT STOP THE PRESSES: This is coming from the same man whose Spokesman Allan Hubbard said, "Shaquanda was a 'GOOD' kid". Some one is LYING. Good kids don't do what Gary Young is accusing Shaquanda of. Remind you this is coming out over a year and a half AFTER Shaquanda went to trial!
Please listen the to interview with Allan Hubbard as he tells what Shaquanda's REAL crime was..."SHE WOULDN'T RESPECT WHITE AUTHORITY". Can someone define WHITE Authority? Is it the same authority that says hanging nooses is a 'prank'? Hummmm...
For the record...Shaquanda was released after a Special Commission appointed by Gov Rick Perry sited that she and thousands of youths were being held at TYC facilities unjustly.
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