the day after the story of atlanta-based rapper t.i.’s arrest on federal gun charges broke i was listening to the a-team on hot 107.9 (yes, don’t be so surprised, i have some pretty broad tastes.) anyway, they had an entertaiment lawyer on who was basically speculating that t.i. was probably set-up and he was probably set-up because white america doesn’t like the music he was selling to their kids.
so the question of whether t.i. was set-up or not is a factual one that will eventually be determined by a jury. if t.i. really did attempt to purchase machine guns and silencers as a convicted felon there is no doubt he is in violation of federal law. and if half the facts in the complain affidavit are true than he is certainly guilty. for example the complaint says that the atf has t.i. on tape asking for change from the $12K he gave his bodyguard to procure the guns.
the move to stand-up for t.i., or speculate about whether he was set-up, reminds me of a post i made a while back linking to a story about vick and his defenders. the story explained why there are many in the black community who rally almost instinctively to the defense of a black man accused of a crime.
and i get it. i understand that if the justice system has been used for decades to systematically ‘keep you in your place,’ you would be distrustful of it. i appreciate that if you image of law enforcement includes bull connor and his dogs, you might be reticent about a black man being taken down in a parking lot on piedmont and north.
i guess my real question is, is t.i. worth the defense though?
at what point is reflexively defending people like t.i. and mike vick doing a disservice to people who may really be the victims of inequality in the justice system.
cynthia tucker makes many of these points in her ajc editorial today, saying:
Last year, T.I. attended the funeral of Philant Johnson, 26, his best friend and personal assistant, who was shot dead in a gun battle among moving cars on I-75 near Cincinnati. Police said the gunfire followed an argument involving unidentified locals and T.I.’s entourage at a Cincinnati nightclub. If Harris had regrets about Johnson’s death, they apparently didn’t manifest as pacifism. He kept a small arsenal at his College Park home, according to police.
The criminal justice system — notorious for grinding black men down — gave the young rapper T.I. a second chance after he was convicted for selling cocaine. Not only has he launched a highly successful music career, but he has also won notice as an actor. He has a role in the new movie, “American Gangster,” starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.
But given that second chance, what did Harris do? If he had machine guns, as police say, at whom did he intend to point them?
Homicide is the leading cause of death among black men between the ages of 15 and 30. And it is a fratricidal enterprise. Young black men are killed by other young black men.
If white entertainers were making millions singing about the slaughter of black men and mistreatment of black women, city streets would clog with protesters. Demonstrators would pack the halls of Congress. Commerce would grind to a halt as black activists demanded boycotts. But somehow, the violence and misogyny of T.I., 50 Cent and Nelly are less inflammatory.
Yes, a lot of their music is purchased by white consumers, as a lot of it is marketed by white executives. But blaming The Man seems shallow and irresponsible when black Americans are abetting their own destruction.
add to that that t.i. will be able to afford the best lawyers in the country, that he has the resources to mount as effective a defense as anyone else, and the question becomes, again, is rallying around him doing the cause of greater equality in the justice system really a disservice?
i don’t know the answer, but it’s sure worth asking.
(oh and i am betting we will not get universal agreement in the comments either)