The Republican party of late has been waging a “religious freedom” crusade, claiming the right to discriminate is the foundation of the American dream. But in reality, civil rights, the right to a fair trial, and the right to vote are among the pillars of our democracy, and Sarah Palin‘s latest Facebook lie just made those inalienable rights just a little bit less secure.
Some Americans are obsessed with TMZ, US Magazine, and the Real Housewives of God Only Knows Where. But as obsessed as we are, rarely does anyone really believe that even those who are guilty of some terrible act shouldn’t have access to an attorney, and that even the guilty don’t deserve a proper and fair trial — from jury selection to deliberation.
Today, the U.S. Senate killed the nomination of Debo Adegbile to be the next Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. The Republicans were joined by seven Democrats: Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Mark Pryor (D-AR) and John Walsh (D-MT). The final vote was 47-52.
Civil rights lawyer Debo Adegbile certainly believes in a fair trial, and in 2009Â Adegbile filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court arguing that the trial and conviction of a man who may have murdered a police officer in 1981 — the man, by the way, insists to this day he is innocent — was unfair, given the racial discrimination on display during jury selection.
“You know evil reigns when America’s ‘leader’ gives full-throated support for a cop-killer advocate,” Sarah Palin just wrote minutes ago on her Facebook page — which is followed by over four million people. She titled her post, “Obama’s Palling Around with Cop-Killer Advocate…”
(No, seriously, she dug up that “palling around with” bullshit again.)
Wanting a fair and non-discriminatory jury selection process makes Debo Adegbile a “cop-killer advocate”?
Debo Adegbile seems to have spent his career fighting for justice, civil rights, and voting rights.
And he is, of course, everything the Tea Party and Palin hate.
“Born Adebowale Patrick Akande Adegbile in New York City, Adegbile is the son of a Nigerian father and an Irish immigrant mother,” his Wikipedia page reads.
He was raised by his single mother. He also was a child actor on the children’s TV show Sesame Street during the 1970s, playing the character Debo and performing in episodes for nine years.
Adegbile studied at Lehman College in 1986 and 1987 and earned a bachelor’s degree in 1991 from Connecticut College. He then earned a law degree from New York University School of Law in 1994.
Is there anything in those sentences that doesn’t strike fear and hate in the hearts of Palin and her cronies?
Why do I feel like it’s the 1960’s all over again?
The White House called today’s vote “a travesty based on wildly unfair character attacks against a good and qualified public servant.” It added that “Mr. Adegbile’s qualifications are impeccable,” and his “unwavering dedication to protecting every American’s civil and Constitutional rights under the law – including voting rights – could not be more important right now. ”
The fact that his nomination was defeated solely based on his legal representation of a defendant runs contrary to a fundamental principle of our system of justice – and those who voted against his nomination denied the American people an outstanding public servant.
Actually, Mr. President, I know you can see the politics and racism here.
Time to call it what it is.
Someday, a Republican is going to need someone like Debo Adegbile on their side. Only, that person will be too afraid to offer support, lest it harm his career.
Nice job, GOP.
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Image: NYU