The Wink that Just Won't Go Away

The saga of former Cleveland Firefighters Memorial Pipes and Drums band drum major, John Coleman, took on a life of its own a few weeks ago. Coleman, who was suspended for six months after he broke marching orders by acknowledging President Obama and the First Lady as he passed the reviewing stand during the Inauguration Parade, said that he would do it all over again, as he quit the unit in protest over the suspension. "He waved at me first," was Coleman's defense, "how could I not wave back?"

Outrage over the incident has poured in from virtually all points on the globe, and Mike Engle, the band director (who served as the judge, jury and executioner that dished out the punishment) now seems to be running for cover. He said that he was afraid the band will be booed when it makes its annual St. Patrick's Day Parade appearance in March in Cleveland.

However, rules are rules and Coleman knowingly broke three of them with his nod, wave and (supposed) wink. No matter the occasion or circumstance, breaking rules have to bear some consequence in a civil society. Engle actually had very little choice in the matter — the marching unit is a reflection (almost an adjunct) of a paramilitary organization, and punishment had to be meted out. However, it seems obvious in this case there were some long-simmering internal tensions within the band and perhaps some members couldn’t wait to exercise kangaroo justice on Coleman. It will be interesting to see who takes his place at the head of the marching band.

The problem and controversy with this situation, however, is analogous to the problem and controversy with America’s criminal justice system over the last four decades: Severity of punishment, or does the punishment fit the alleged “crime.”?

In the eyes of most observers Coleman’s punishment far, far outweighed the “crime.” I seriously doubt that a mandatory minimum sentence exists for Coleman’s breech of protocol, and he could have no doubt received a wide variety of sentences for his misdeeds: anything from a verbal reprimand, to polishing the boots of all of the 17 other band members — but not a six-month suspension. Like I said, there is more to this than meet the eye, it seems suspiciously as some members wanted to force Coleman out.

The unstated question in many minds is … had the man standing in the reviewing stand been Republican John McCain, would the punishment for Coleman been as severe, or would there have been any punishment at all? Those kinds of damnable questions are going to haunt and nag much of the political discourse for the next four or eight years, so we might as well get used to it.

Part and parcel of the burden of being black in America is, always having to question the motives and fairness of white folks. “Did he (or she) mean what I thought they meant, or is my black paranoia just working overtime?” It really isn’t always paranoia, sometime s they really are out to “get” black folks and our prison system is proof of it. The “they” in this case is the criminal justice system.

Coleman had the ability to withdraw from the process when he didn’t agree with the fairness of the punishment; he simply quit. However, young black and brown men in America have no such option. When they are sentenced for far longer periods of incarceration — and far more often sent to prison rather than diversion — for the exact same drug crimes as whites (see statistics from The Sentencing Project), they just have to take what they get and roll with it… and there is no outrage from any quarter of the globe.

Coleman has already gotten offers from other marching bands across the country — a second chance of sorts (rarely offered to young minorities at the end of their sentences). And, to his everlasting credit he didn’t run out and hire an agent to get him a book deal and a guest shot on Oprah; in fact, he did nothing to prolong his 15 minutes of fame, he simply wants to put the incident behind him with as little damage to his former band members as possible.

I can only wish for the day when minorities who have been similarly overly abused by a shamelessly unequal and unfair system of justice have options to carry on with their lives in a reasonable fashion. However, as the case of Lorenzo Shepard illustrates, many folks are not very forgiving — even when it means cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Shepard, who has a rather extensive criminal record (he’s one of the few men I’ve met who has more prison numbers than I do) is set to be hired by the City of Cleveland as a traffic control officer — and some people are outraged. He wasn’t “given” the job over some laid off person with no criminal record, the job was posted, virtually no one applied, and, in conjunction with a program for formerly incarcerated persons run out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Shepard was given a shot.

Now, all of the conservatives who are howling over this should read what former President George W. Bush said about giving people second chances after prison. While he might not have been the swiftest deer in the forest, Bush was swift enough to realize that people gotta’ eat. If a person coming home from prison isn’t provided with some type of gainful employment they’re going to commit more crime … and maybe hurt you, me, or a member of our families the process.

Nonetheless, some people are betting (actually hoping is a better word) that Shepard falls on his face … which would justify their narrow-minded views. They’ve just love to be able to say “See I told you, a leopard never changes its spots.” We’ll, they're wrong, I changed mine, and Shepard has changed his. And after meeting the man, I’m so sure that he won’t blow it, I’ll make this standing offer: I’ll buy lunch for anyone who emails me if Shepard fails. Any and everyone — no excuses, no exceptions.

Frank Jackson is to be commended for sticking to his guns on this one: after all, how can government ask others to hire formerly incarcerated persons if it’s not willing to do likewise?

Since I’m on the subject of Mayor Jackson, it seems as if someone on his staff has just discovered email … or, maybe, just maybe, it’s because it’s an election year. Now I could be wrong, and don’t want to accuse them of being politically crass, but I haven’t received an email from the mayor in the entire three years he’s been in office; now, all of a sudden, I’m receiving one — and sometimes two — emails from his office a day. Does his staff think that people are so dense they don’t realize what’s going on here? Frank, what if I promise right now to vote for you … will you then have me taken off the email list? Hell, I’ll even do it Chicago-style, and figure out how to vote for you twice, how’s that?

From Cool Cleveland contributor Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com

Read Mansfield's book From Behind the Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race, and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate. It is available again in hardcover through the author. Visit him online at http://www.frombehindthewall.com.
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