INI want Equal Rights and Justice, Here and Now!

From The Rastafari Expression,
A regular column by Kaya I IsesaJah, Aug 23, 2005         

INI nightmare began on a 'Memorial Day' weekend, an true to the Holiday's name, memories were made, very sad memories. How the Downpressor had his way wid INI family.

INI lived in this part of the city for over 5 years. INI loved the location, for the city, it was still a decent part to raise likkle children, so INI purchase INI first home, on Roosevelt Avenue, in Poughkeepsie, New York.

On this particular evening, I King man was traveling thru the streets of Poughkeepsie, wid I puppy, trying to find a place to walk it legally. While driving he goes thru a yellow light, and mek a turn onto a next street when him notice babylon following him. Same way him keep riding. Since dem nuh stop him.

Next thing, him aware dem a follow him a next few streets. Him wonder really a wha dem do? Allright, so him Itinue. Next few streets, dem follow, an all of a sudden dem put on di lights an sound dem 'urp urp' thing, lol. So I husband comply, an pull over.

I husband allready have him license, insurance card an registration (all up front an legal) ready when di officers come forward. Dem ask him what himm doing round di area, an him tell dem he have di puppy in di car, fi walk. Dem ask him where him live, an he tell dem. Dem ask where him work. He tell dem he is a musician an him tek care of INI pickney at home, during di daytime.

Alla dat him answer, an only then him ask why was he being stopped? Dem seh "you went thru a RED light." so him vex but him give his license an ting.

Well, next di officer come back an hand him license an ting back, an then spring on him a ticket for red light. I husband tek it, vex, an ball it up inna him hand an throw it pon di ground. di babylon then threaten him wid a next ticket fi litter, an I husband seh go on give him a next ticket.

So di babylon give I king a next one an I king ball it up same way an throw it. Now that action jus piss him off so di babylon seh "now yuh being arrested" an try fi grab I king...out di door of di car, an I husband jus really vex try fi pull away an di officer than try fi hit him...all di while di likkle puppy crying an barking. Now once dem cross di line wid I King, him gonna hit back yuh know.

Nuff people were coming out a dem house see di whole thing. Any ways, I king is no joke, him 6' 3" an him big Iyah, an him a crazy Jamaican man when him vex fi true, lol...so what start out jus 2 officers, trying to beat him down, to dem try fi hit him an DID HIT HIM WID BATON STICK, an then dem SPRAY HIM WID PEPPA SPRAY, NUFF TIMES AN STILL I HUSBAND SO VEX HIM STILL COMING FORWARD FI DEFEND HIM SELF AGAINST DI BABYLON...needless to say Iyah, dem call out somewheres like 5 cop car come an di rest a dem pull dem gun an ting on I King. Dem tek him down an dem arrest him an throw him in Dutchess County jail.

Now yuh haffi see mi. Mi wait pon di King, I am making dinner on a friday nite wid di pickney. 7 o'clock di man leave out to walk di puppy. Di pickney by 9 pm start fi fret, "maybe di puppy gone an daddy try fi catch him"...mi tell dem fi relax dem self. By 10 mi allready call nuff people where mi King deh?

Really come 11 pm mi think allright him got di puppy, an him go visit somebady, mi nuh worry. Jah tek care of him an true his sistah live in Rockland a next county, bout an hour away mabe him jus go deh an not call yet. So mi relax an fall asleep.

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When I wake, mi realeys it morning, an NO KING..WHA HAPPEN NOW???? Mi start fret, mi sistren an bredrin call an dem all help I calling hospital, an finally one sistren call di police precinct. When she ask if dem know anything bout an accident wid I King dem seh not no accident dem arrest him...I sistren was soooo SURPRISE, AN SHOCK SHE ASK DEM "FOR WHA? WHY YUH ARREST HIM?" DEM TELL HER "HE IS A DRUG SELLER AN HIM BROKE HIM 'PAROLE', SELLING DRUGS IN DI BRONX"...SHE CALL I RIGHT AWAY.

I TELL HER, IT CYAA BE TRUE, I KNOW I KING AN NO WAY HIM SELLING NOTHIN AN HIM NUH GO A BRONX WID OUT I WOMAN, EVER, SINCE INI BEEN TOGETHA!!

MI CALL DI PRECINCT an dem nasty to I an dem tell I di same thing so mi fly down deh...dem nuh let I see him, dem nuh let him call I, dem never let him call no lawyer, an dem strip him an handcuff him to a chair, naked while all di other mans deh was wid dem clothes. It was Sattaday. Imagine INI Sabbath day.

Mi beg dem, BEG, fi let I see him an wha happen to INI car an I puppy?????

Dem dis I, talk down to I, but dem tell I since him yelling an cuss, dat dem nuh let him see mi.

Dem finally tell I where is di car an di puppy dem nuh know nothin bout.

Mi go to di car, mi sight di likkle puppy a cry deh, an she shit an piss all over INI family car. Di car been ransake of course.

All day Sattaday, then mi try hard fi get HELP HELP HELP. Mi haffi wait dem seh for a 'hearing' since it was Memorial day, judge wouldnt hear case til the following TUESDAY. Mi cyaa stand fi dat...but true mi nuh have a lawyer, an INI mus wait fi a public defense. It nuh gwan so!!!!!!

Yuh mus realeyes dat I am no INTERNET RASTA AS JAH IS I JUDGE, MI NUH SISSY JUS LIKE I KING YUH KNOW....mi a Jah fearing woman but mi nuh sitdung. So, mi start fi dial this one an dat...all di while, came Sunday, mi still nuh talk even by phone to I king. Mi nuh see him ither.

Finally on Monday which was 'Memorial day' dem let him call I, an him give I all di runnings..an finally di judge come to di jail an tell him what di counts were, from red light, litter, drug selling an breaking parole, to resisting arrest an obstruction...alla dat. Just going through a Yellow Light brought alla dis!

Mi keep dialing yuh know, an screaming pon dis 'one' suppose to help I an dat one...all di while now, I pickney crying fi daddy.

Finally on the Tuesday following, mi get in touch wid one CITY ALDERMAN MARIO JOHNSON from Poughkeepsie, A BLACK MAN (AFRICAN AMERICAN)...AN WID IN 1 HOUR I KING WAS OUT FREE BUT TO RETURN TO A LATER COURT DATE, RELEASE IN HIM OWN RECOGNI-SENSE.

NOW HERE GO WHERE INI NEED A RASTAFARI REPRESENTATIVE TEAM...INI NEED:

RASTAFARI ALDERMAN
RASTAFARI SOCIAL WORKERS
RASTAFARI ADVOCATES/LAWYERS
RASTAFARI SPIRITUAL ADVISORS

IN EACH TOWN, CITY AN AREA OF US CITIES..INI NEED A CHAPTER TO ORGANIZE JUS SUCH A GROUP READY TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES IN EVERY CITY, AT ANY TIME OF DI DAY, OR NIGHT.

BY DI WAY, I KING WAS TRYING TO SUE FI FALSE CHARGES (DI PAROLE CHARGE A FARCE DEM SEH DEH WAS A SAME DONOVAN STEWART FROM BROOKLYN WHO DEM THOUGHT HIM WAS..LIE DEM TELL) AN DEM KEEP DI TRAFFIC CHARGE AN DI RESIST AN OBSTRUCTION. WHICH DEM TRY HIM WID A WHOLE WHITE REPUBLICAN JURY, AN INI HAVE A PUBLIC DEFENDER.

I KING LOOSE DI 'CRIMINAL CASE FIRST' DEM TRY FI DO A LETS MEK A DEAL THING...BUT DI 5 DAYS HIM SERVE WAS 'ENUFF FI DEM'

I KING DEN LOOSE DESPITE HIRING A CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY, SINCE HE LOST DI CRIMINAL CASE.

AT LEAST MI GET DI KING MAN HOME FI STOP ALL DI CRYING AT HOME. YUH SIGHT, I WAS JUS HAPPY TO HAVE SAFETY NOW.

Alla the above is Verifiable and True. I am emploring Rastafari to look into ways of REAL INITY, by ecouraging INI Bredrin an Sistren who have the education to fight system iniquities, to do so, and to those who do not have yet, the education, to please get it, and come forward. Until this happens to you, well, that is why dem seh "who feels it knows it."