The Philadelphia Black Panther Case

The refusal of the U.S. Justice Department to prosecute the New Black Panther Party in Philadelphia for its blatant acts of voter intimidation at the polls in 2008 is finally getting some of the attention it deserves.

Yesterday, J. Christian Adams, who resigned from the department over the matter, testified before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

Adams has said this is "the clearest case of voter intimidation that I've seen since I've been practicing law." And yet, it was ordered dropped by his bosses. Why?

Prior to his testimony Adams wrote that there is an "open and pervasive hostility within the Justice Department to bringing civil rights cases against nonwhite defendants on behalf of white victims. Equal enforcement of justice is not a priority of this administration. Open contempt is voiced for these types of cases. Some of my coworkers argued that the law should not be used against black wrongdoers because of the long history of slavery and segregation. ... Incredibly, after the case was dismissed, instructions were given that no more cases against racial minorities like the Black Panther case would be brought by the [Justice Department's] Voting Section."

That is a pretty serious charge and Justice Department officials have denied it.

What is undeniable is that the case against the two thugs who stood outside the polling place back in November 2008 was dropped, raising suspicions that there is a double standard when it comes to prosecuting these sorts of cases. Here's the video taken by a Penn student that day.



If two white Klansmen had behaved similarly in say, Alabama, it is hard to believe they wouldn't be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

UPDATE: Here's more video of the angry young man the Obama Justice Department decided to treat with kid gloves. Warning: He uses some bad words.



UPDATE: To be clear, this idiot has every right to his views and the right to spew them in a public place. The New Black Panther Party is identified as a "hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is known for being a lot more concerned about the racism of white hate groups. The good news is that all these groups exist on the far fringes of American society. The people who gravitate towards them are losers, race hustlers, and nut jobs.

Abigail Thernstrom, a strong critic of affirmative action and racial double standards, considers this case a sideshow to more important voting rights issues.