Robert Seth Hayes
Two stories of crime and punishment crossed my path today. One was about a 16 year old youth who was convicted of killing four persons while driving drunk. His defense lawyer and psychologist claimed he suffered from “suffered from “affluenza,” a condition in which “his family felt that wealth bought privilege and there was no rational link between behavior and consequences.” He was sentenced to 10 years probation by the Judge and “sent to a private counseling center that costs $450,000, which will be paid for by his father.”
The other story was an appeal for health care for Robert Seth Hayes, “one of the longest held political prisoners in the US.” In the 60’s he was drafted into the military and sent off Vietnam where he was “wounded and awarded a variety of military awards including the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.” Back in the USA his “troop was ordered to assist in putting down the massive rebellions which took place and spread across the United States” after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. He could no longer identify with the military. He joined the Black Panther party and later, forced underground, the Black Liberation Army. In 1973, following a shootout with police after they raided his house at night while he, his wife and two children were sleeping, he was arrested and convicted of the murder of a New York City police officer, and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Seth has always maintained his innocence and since 1998, after serving 25 years with a “charge free record”, has been denied parole. Seth has been diagnosed with Hepatitis C and adult onset Diabetes since the year 2000. Unfortunately, despite repeated request he has been denied adequate health care and now is very sick. The appeal was to the correction department of New York and his doctors to get him help immediately.
Two young men, one who is white and very wealthy was clearly convicted of killing four persons and gets probation. The other one, Black activist, was convicted of one murder, of which he claims he was innocent. The white wealthy one got 10 years probation and was sent to treatment in a very expensive treatment center. The other, African American male with the Black Panther movement, was sentenced to 25 years to life and now after 35 years in prison lies sick and dying in his jail cell.
In the case of the young, white, wealthy teen I heard about on TV, commentators pointed out how our justice system is not equal to rich and poor. In the case of African American male dying in a prison cell, I heard about in an email from a group called Alliance for Global Justice and the plea was for health care. I think many people know that our USA so called ‘Justice System’ is for the rich who can walk free from a crime.
The USA has the most persons per population incarcerated in world and the State of Wisconsin has the highest rate of any State of African American males incarcerated, many coming from and back to North Central Milwaukee. Justice is for the rich.
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