Comments on: This Week with Jasiri X — Stopping Violence Against Women

By: morphus

morphus — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:00:36 +0000

An ex-cop was sentenced to 25 years to life on Friday for the fatal shooting of his 22-year-old fiancée on a Queens street two years ago.

Former NYPD Transit cop Harry Rupnarine was convicted of second-degree murder in September following a three-week trial.

Queens prosecutors say Rupnarine fatally shot Guiatree Hardat in the back of the head with a service-issued Glock 9-mm. handgun during a heated argument on a Woodhaven street on May 10, 2007.

"The defendant's senseless act robbed a beautiful young woman of her life," said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

Rupnarine, 39, told jurors he accidentally shot Hardat while trying to protect her from two knife-wielding thugs.

"We loved each other," Rupnarine told Assistant District Attorney Jack Warsawsky. "We had a lovers' quarrel over the money for the wedding."

Lovers' quarrel over money of wedding: Ex-cop sentenced to 25 years for killing fiancée in argument

Police officers' abuse and murder of their companions is a huge problem.

By: morphus

morphus — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:24:50 +0000

A Queens judge Friday slapped Brigitte Harris with the toughest sentence possible for killing and dismembering her father to avenge years of sexual abuse.

Supreme Court Justice Arthur Cooperman sentenced Harris to five to 15 years for the suffocation slaying of Eric Goodridge in her Rockaway apartment on July 28, 2007.

Harris admitted plotting to sever her father's penis with a scalpel by researching the case of Lorena and John Bobbitt. She wanted to prevent Goodridge, 55, from returning to his native Liberia with his granddaughters, she said.

"I never intended to kill him, and I'm sorry for his family's loss," she told Cooperman.

Cooperman acknowledged the findings of mental health professionals who agreed Goodridge repeatedly sexually abused his daughter from age 3, but he cautioned against victims taking the law into their own hands.

"Sometimes the crime itself warrants punishment," Cooperman said.

The judge also chided jurors for giving in to sympathies for Harris in reaching a second-degree manslaughter verdict that was inconsistent with the facts.

Sexually abused killer Brigitte Harris gets 5-15 years for penis-severing death of dad

By: Jasiri X

Jasiri X — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:08:07 +0000

I appreciate Jack and Jill for including my video in this important discussion. I believe if more people would support artists that don't espouse the same misogynistic garbage found in most entertainment we would see a change in our behavior as a whole.

By: rikyrah

rikyrah — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:03:09 +0000

AFTERNOON OPEN THREAD IS UP

By: vdrome

vdrome — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:53:29 +0000

Exactly right! R Kelly urinated on a young girl and was given an award by the NAACP! Disrespect of black women is excepted in the community, so how can we expect people outside of the community to respect our rights?

By: miss_opinion

miss_opinion — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:42:44 +0000

I saw three twitter posts under the Rhinanna story at Huff Post. They were by three young black americans. And of course it was basically lets all make fun of Rhianna. It made my skin crawl. That some young people take only one thing away and that she should “shut up” and get her hair did. We have a long way to go. But it also needs to be stated that if you're a popular artist and you're accused of abusing a woman usually the response is a strug. Look at R Kelly. As long as its not a little boy you're allowed to move on with your career.

God bless Rhianna for speaking out. I didn't notice till recently just how much pressure was put on her. She was expected to get help and immediatly have the strength to become the spokeswoman for domestic violence. And when she didnt do that the gossip blogs were accusing her of everything from lying, deserving what happened to her, and possibly working with Brown because he had some dirt on her. I'm glad she could finally speak out when she was ready and not be forced into doing so.

By: RobM

RobM — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:37:06 +0000

I don't know if this is a sea change but the NYT put the lack of concern on the part of the police on the front page. WE all know what it is about just look at Matrice Taylor in LA.
I suggest everyone send the NYT a letter talking about this to keep them on the stick.
This is mine: I do not think you realize it but you have performed a valuable service to the poor, minority and disenfranchised communities of America you valued young African American Women's lifes. You correctly pointed out the Police were lapse in their response to complaints about young women disappearing in their own neighborhoods. We have long suffered in anguish as Nancy Grace turns into a fetish the disappearance of young blonde midldle class and up white women in America.

I ask that you assign staff to examine the actions of the NYPD in this regard. It is not for the story but for the safety of the community. NY will be grateful.

By: vdrome

vdrome — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:32:09 +0000

Will they discuss the fact that intimate partner homicide is among the leading causes of death for black women, but not for white, asian, or latino? What about the Dunbar Village case, that received almost no attention in the mainstream media or in the black community? Yet, the Jena six thugs got airtime out the wazoo.