Justice for Martin Lee Anderson!!
Norma Field just called me!! It was so great to talk with her, and, as always, she gave me the low-down on things that really matter. She just got back from a trip to Florida, where she spoke at Florida State University. She was telling me about protests at nearby Florida A&M that made the headlines in today's Tallahassee Democrat. In case anyone has forgotten that a 14 year-old was stomped to death back in April, these students are out to make sure we remember! You can see what happened to Martin by going to this site. The 8-minute video is not easy to see, so be warned. The following comes from the Tallahassee Democrat
"Students protest slow justice in beating case: No arrests yet in boy's boot camp death"
By Stephen D. Price 
FLORIDA CAPITAL BUREAUUpset that the 10-month investigation into the death of Martin Lee Anderson has not resulted in arrests, more than a hundred students and protesters marched on the Capitol on Thursday, waving pictures of the Panama City teen while shouting chants.
''Justice delayed! Justice denied, Bush has lied! Wake up! Wake up!''
They held placards, some picturing a smiling Anderson, others showing him in a casket. They stomped the ground with broomsticks while protest songs blared from boom boxes.
''We're standing not only for Martin Lee Anderson but for the people who have no voice,'' Tallahassee City Commissioner Andrew Gillum said to the crowd. ''This is racism at work. This is bigotry at work. This is government at work!''
Anderson, 14, died Jan. 6, a day after he was hit, kicked and kneed by guards at the Bay County boot camp in a videotaped incident. No arrests have been made, and a criminal investigation into Anderson's death is ongoing.
An initial autopsy concluded Anderson died from sickle-cell trait, but another autopsy, requested by State Attorney Mark Ober, a special investigator in the case, said the teen died from suffocation by guards at the boot camp who forced ammonia tablets into his nose while covering his mouth.
Anderson's parents have filed a civil suit against the Bay County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice seeking $40 million.
Members of the Student Coalition, which organized the march, said they sought an appointment with Gov. Jeb Bush for Thursday, but he was in South Florida.
''That is what I expected,'' said Danielle Shackleford, a Florida State University student government senator. ''He knew that we would be here. To ignore our claims is not serving your position as a government official.''
Bush spokesman Kristy Campbell said the governor's office never received a request from the group to meet with him and they were not on his calendar.
Thursday's march was smaller than a rally and march in April when more than 2,000 protesters descended on the Capitol, and heard from civil-rights leaders Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
Last month, Ben Crump, who represents Anderson's parents in the suit, said he was told by someone in Ober's office that the investigation may take up to eight weeks longer, leading some to contend it was being delayed for political reasons because of the Nov. 7 elections.
Ober issued a statement at the time saying he could not provide a timeline for the completion of the investigation, but said it will conclude when he's satisfied he's gathered all the necessary information.
Florida A&M University student body president Phillip Agnew said he and other students spoke with Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist in May about the investigation, and he told them to be patient and said he has confidence in Ober.
''Of course he believes in Mark Ober, that's his buddy,'' Agnew said.
In a statement, Crist said, ''The people of Florida deserve a thorough, complete and expeditious review of this case. We look forward to the conclusion of this investigation by State Attorney Ober's office.''
Still, many aren't satisfied.
''If it were a white boy, a Hispanic boy or girl, it would be different,'' said Calvin McFadden, senior pastor at Tallahassee's Community of Faith Church, about the fact that no arrests have been made for the death of Anderson, who was black. ''We're tired of being swept under the rug.''
Anthony King, a freshman at FAMU, said he participated in the march to support Anderson's family.
''What they're trying to do is keep it under cover,'' said King, 18, of authorities not making any arrests in Anderson's death.
Before the students left, they plastered the front glass doors of the Capitol with colored paper that had a photo of Anderson, while the song, ''Fight the Power,'' by Public Enemy, played in the background.
Agnew said, ''A crime is committed every month they try to cover this up.''
Thanks, Norma!
Labels: In Loving Memory, murdered youth, Norma Field, white supremacy, youth
posted by adrienne at 12:00 AM
5 Comments:
I'm so sorry for what happened. Todays parents can not spank their own child without a chance of going to jail, but the if you work for the government you can beat children? And that Nurse if that's what she calls herself, where did she get her degree? As a woman and a Nurse myself, I think she should get life! She knew that that child was in trouble, but she walked around with her hands on her hips and did NOTHING! My heart breaks for the parents, $100 million dollars wouldn't be enough to make up for what those Monsters did to that child. Please know, I am white, and so ashamed of those white people who did this. If I was there I would be out infront of the court with all of you.
As a mother of a troubled 15 year old I feel for the family. They placed there child with these people in hopes that they could save him from the life that he was leading. They just wanted their very special boy back. They trusted these people to help their son but they only murdered him. These people should go to jail for a very long time.
When I saw that video of those people beating that defenseless child, it turned my stomach. How can those "men" live with themselves after what they've done? My deepest sympathy goes out to Martin's family. Please, somebody make those people pay for their offense.
How can they get away this? It saddens me to think that we can't get help for our children without worrying if they're going to be murdered by the people who are supposed to be helping them.
Except, of course, Mr. Anderson did not die of suffocation or of a beating. Dr. Siebert's diagnosis was medically correct. Exertional sickle cell death is well documented and a recognized risk of sudden death. There has never, in the history of humanity, been a documented example of laryngospasm due to ammonia salts.
One of the reasons that the jury acquitted the guards was that the prosecution medical witnesses were so unconvincing and self-contradictory that the prosecution eventually asked the jury to *ignore* the medical evidence.
It's unfortunate when the truth interferes with one's ideologic projections on a case, but that's the breaks.
For a medical discussion of how the demand for politically correct diagnoses in this case has poisoned the Medical Examiner system in Florida, see: this post . The National Association of Medical Examiners has come out in support of Dr. Siebert, as have Medical Examiners across the nation.
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