Summary and Title: Tulia, Texas is a documentary about the 1999 drug bust in Tulia, Texas by a a single man undercover buying cocaine. Forty-six people were arrested, 39 of which are black– 15% of the Tulia’s black population. Many men were sentenced up to 99 years in prison when none of the evidence was ever proved. Coleman, the undercover cop was eventually named “Lawman of the Year.” Most of the “Tulia 46″ have been freed, and Coleman was later charged with perjury. Story of when justice is corrupt.
Publication Information: Pbs.com, premiere: Feb. 10, 2009. Cassandra Herman and Kelly Whalen, filmmakers. Multi-Media.
Support: The community of Tulia. Opinions on the drug bust and how it has segregated an already-racist town.
Audience and Agenda: Premiered in 2008 at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin and aired on PBS February 10, 2009.
Usefulness: This shows the racial tension in the court system and about how justice becomes corrupt when we declare war on something.
Works Cited: http://www.tuliatexasfilm.com/. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulia,_Texas.
Summary and Title: CARPE DIEM: Crack vs. Powder. These graphs show racial disparity with the 100 to 1 rule. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_otfwl2zc6Qc/RwJkPO03-8I/AAAAAAAACaU/jxHM2WbYGU4/s1600-h/cocaine3.bmp, http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_otfwl2zc6Qc/RwJn1u03-_I/AAAAAAAACas/8u3iq7cMevs/s1600-h/cocaine1.bmp. These are the links to graphs.
Publication Information: Professor Mark J. Perry’s Blog for Economics and Finance, Feb.25, 2009. http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2007/10/crack-vs-powder-cocaine-in-pictures.html.
Support: This is a personal blog.
Audience and Agenda: Dr. Mark J. Perry is a professor of economics and finance in the School of Management at the Flint campus of the University of Michigan. Perry holds two graduate degrees in economics (M.A. and Ph.D.) from George Mason University in Washington, D.C.
Usefulness: This shows the relationship between the drug and the majority race that uses it. Many African-Americans are associated with crack; therefore many are assuming the justice system is racist and that’s why more than 50% of drug offenders behind bars is black.
Works Cited: http://mjperry.blogspot.com/. http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2007/10/crack-vs-powder-cocaine-in-pictures.html.
Summary and Title: The differences in blacks’ and whites’ sentencing and how corrupt it is. Mandatory Minimum Sentencing: Racial Bias.
Publication Information: youtube.com. March 2, 2009. 20/20. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVXV55b8F0U. Multi-Media.
Support: Many news reporters and a judge who sentenced a 17-year-old boy to prison for life for a $2 theft and who sentenced a wealthy white man to probation after killing a man. One man from the streets commented on the 100:1 disparity saying that cocaine users go to rehab and crack users go to jail. Another reporter said that more needs to be done when people come out of prison so they can get their lives back.
Audience and Agenda: youtube.com
Works Cited: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVXV55b8F0U.
Summary and Title: President Obama talking about his opinion on mandatory minimums. He wants to give discretion back to the judges. Barack Obama Mandatory Minimum.
Publication Information: youtube.com. March 2, 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Ih6sqdSnQ&feature=related. Multi-Media.
Support: President Obama
Audience and Agenda: youtube.com
Works Cited: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Ih6sqdSnQ&feature=related.
Summary and Title: The 1984 Sentencing reform Act has created traps for drug users. Many drug offenders are sentenced to prison longer than plane hi-jackers and 2nd-degree murderers. Judicial News: Mandatory Minimum Sentences Result in Injustices.
Publication Information: youtube.com. Multi-Media.
Support: One judge feels very strongly against mandatory minimums because there is no discretion left to the judges. All the power is given to the prosecutor who is obviously bias and representing only one side.
Audience and Agenda: youtube.com
Usefulness: This is important because the judges feel very strongly about how the mandatory minimums are affecting the US.
Works Cited: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEYjLw5BB0w&feature=related.
