November 5, 2008
Page A4
O pinion
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Stop the Foreclosures
Buy Local First
Helping the community
when it’s needed most
by
D ebbie M annings
•
closed on to find and move into seemed federal efforts to offer a
solution were nonexistent.
new housing.
The
Countrywide
program
is
a
Thankfully, leaders at the state
among
Arizona,
Califor
by J udge G reg M athis
level
took matters into theirow n
strong
model
that
should
be
ex
nia,
Connecticut,
Florida,
The federal govern
hands.
Because of their work, we
Illinois,
Iowa,
Michigan,
panded.
Not
only
is
it
mandatory,
ment recently bailed out
now
have
a foundation onto
unlike
programs
supported
by
the
North
Carolina,
Ohio,
Wall Street's failing finan
which
we
can
build a mortgage
Texas
and
Washington.
federal
government,
it
will
also
be
cial institutions, using
relief
program
that serves the
monitored
by
state
officials.
It
is
The
money
will
provide
more than $7(X) billion in
loan relief to roughly a viable program that serves to entire country.
tax payer dollars to do so.
Write and call your attorney
But the bailout does noth
general’s office. Find out if they
ing to assist the millionsof Ameri
are planning legal actions similar
cans who are facing home fore
to those taken in the California
closures.
and Illinois. If they are, leant which
Tired of waiting on help from
lenders they are targeting. If not,
Washington, some states took
demand that they go after the
matters into theirown hands, seek
mortgage companies that are fore
ing legal action against the
closing on homes during this cri
nation’s largest predatory mort
sis.
gage lender. Those actions are
Our federal leaders have made
paying off.
it
clear,
with the passage of the
Finally, buyers at risk of losing
financial
industry bailout pack
their homes have some support.
age,
that
the well-being of the
Led by Illinois and California A t
average
American
is not their first
torney General’s Lisa Madigan
priority.
Instead
of
looking
to them
400.(XX)
homeowners
across
the
not
only
support
families
duped
and Jerry Brown, 11 states filed
for
assistance,
it
is
ti
me
we
turn to
into
risky
mortgages
but
to
also
lawsuits against Countrywide country.
our
local
lawmakers
and
ask
that
The
program
will
waive
nearly
create
some
financial
stability
for
Financial, the country’s largest
they
work
on
our
behalf.
hundreds
of
thousands
of
Ameri
$
140
million
in
late
fees
and
pre
mortgage lender.
Judge Greg Mathis is vice
Though the lender didn’t ad payment penalties while also sus cans.
president
o f Rainbow PUSH and
pending
foreclosures
on
delin
This
country
has
searched
for
mit any wrongdoing, it did settle
a
board
member
o f the Southern
answers
to
the
mortgage
crisis
for
quent
borrow
ers.
A
dditional
the suit and created the largest
home loan modification program funds will be set aside to help over a year. As more and more Christian Leadership Confer-
ever. $8.4 billion will be divided those w ho've already been fore- Americans lost their homes, it
Time to support homeowners
In supporting local mer
chants, consumers also sup
port those nonprofit agencies
depending on local business
donations to keep them run
ning. When you buy local you
strengthen your government
services such as police and
fire. All business taxes and fees
come back into the community
to support better services.
Local shopping also means
local jobs. This is where neigh
bors directly benefit from the
economics. More jobs in the
neighborhood leads to more
money being circulated locally
which then leads to added
business and more neighbors
being employed.
Our local neighborhoods
have many products anyone
would want on an. everyday
basis. Realistically a person
might not purchase 100 per
cent of their merchandise within
a lOmile radius of their home,
but it would be worth their while
to try to change their shopping
habits and get their neighbors
to consider what’s available at
home before taking their money
elsewhere.
Negative economic news is
every where today. It’s diffi
cult for the average person to
have any influence in the lager
trends, but one way to control
our economic destiny is to
patronize local merchants.
Studies show that buying
close to home will have a posi
tive effect all through the com
munity. When people spend
their hard earned dollars in lo
cal stores they circulate wealth
in the community making it
richer and healthier.
“ Buying Local First” en
courages neighbors to stay in
their neighborhood before
going outside the area to buy
products.
This kind of shopping bol
sters our local economy when
it’s needed most. A consumer
doesn’t have to be motivated
by communal interests - Our
neighbors will benefit hand
somely by shopping locally as
often as they can.
Some of the reasons why
this is a sensible idea is that
you can save gas shopping
local and it is easier on your
Debbie Mannings is the
environment. You get better
service with merchants in your owner and operator o f the
community. Its easier dealing bungalow Rose Floral <5 Gift
Shop. 7545 N.E. Sandy Blvd.
with someone you know.
Thankfully, leaders at the state
level took matters into their own
hands. Because o f their work, we
now have a foundation onto
which we can build a mortgage
relief program that serves the
entire country.
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Death penalty case
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L inda J aramillo
“A threat to justice
anywhere is a threat to
ju s tic e e v e ry w h e re .”
These words were shared
over 40 years ago by Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr., but
they ring as true today as
they did then. Troy Davis
is a prime example of how
the justice system does
not seem to work every
where; nor does it work
for everyone.
Mr. Davis was tried
and convicted in 1991 for
the murder of police of
ficer Mark Allen MacPhail
some two years before.
Murder trials, especially
those asking for the death penalty, require a
higher degree of rigidness or at least they
should.
1 always thought that physical evidence
was essential in a trial that could result in the
state mandated death of another. I always
thought that "beyond the shadow of a doubt”
was the minimum standard in such cases. It
does not seem to be true in this one.
Looking back on the recordsofTroy Davis’
trial, we see that his conviction was not
based on any physical evidence; in fact no
murder weapon was ever found.
The conviction was Yeached after jury
members heard the testimony of nine wit
nesses. Seven of those witnesses have now
taken back or contradicted their original tes
timony. Some of them now say that they were
coerced or harassed by the police. In fact,
one of the nine has now been implicated by
others as the murderer.
Appeal after appeal has been denied. The
Georgia Supreme Court heard Troy Davis’
Why has no court been willing
to hear the new evidence in this
case? Is it because Mr. Davis is
African American and the police
officer was white? I hope not, but
I can ’t help but wonder.
motion for a new trial in November 2007, but
rejected the appeal based on technicalities
that were considered by a dissenting judge
who set an impossibly high bar for the recan
tations to be considered.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently declined
to hear the appeal of Troy Davis, meaning
that a new execution date can be scheduled
at any time by the Department of Corrections
of Chatham County, Georgia. Even though
this appeal will not be heard by the Supreme
Court, serious doubt remains as to Mr. Davis’
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Members of the Georgia Board of Pardon
and Paroles can still reconsider their deci
sion to deny him clemency.
Mr. Davis is entitled to have his case
heard again, especially because the primary
testimony against him has now been re
canted. Troy Davis simply wants his case
heard again. He is scheduled to die for a crime
that he did not commit; most of the witnesses
agree and they are no longer afraid to say so.
Why has no court been willing to hear
the new evidence in this case? Is it be
cause Mr. Davis is African American and
the police officer was white? I hope not,
but I can’t help but wonder.
Troy Davis has claimed his innocence
for all these years but he has been unable
to convince authorities, because he can
not afford a high priced legal team to
defend him. Severe cuts to Georgia’s legal
defense resources have resulted in only
two lawyers to represent 160 people on
death row.
Death row appeals are time-and-energy-
consuming for any attorney. Imagine having
a caseload of 80 people to represent! What
it comes down to is, “how much justice can
you afford?”
The family of Officer MacPhail certainly
deserves justice and our deepest condo
lences for their loss. But a wrongful convic
tion is not the way to bring about that justice.
M. Linda Jaramilo is Executive Minister
o f Justice Ministries fo r the United Church
o f Christ.
N ame :------------------------------ I
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