The Boondocks by Aaron McGruder for June 22, 2010

not because she’s white because she’s a celebrity— you think Whoopi would get jail time for the same offense? there is, of course, a notorious double standard, but not, I believe, in this case

I would tend to agree. Celebrities generally tend to transcend any color lines.

I think the transcending exists, but it only goes so far.

Personalities being equal, I think white celebrities are given an extra strike or two before the general public calls them Out. And then all of a sudden people start to doubt that they should have been so accepting of a minority celebrity in the first place. I see it a lot and it embarrasses me (because I’m white).

Of course, personalities aren’t equal. We seem awfully quick to call for dire treatment of that huge slew of celebrities these days who act idiotic and/or stuck-up as they screw up. And a whole lot of those are white.

Lil Kim, Martha Stewart.

She didn’t leave the store with anything. And whatever they claimed she was stealing was probably worth about $50 sans the label and location.

Martha Stewart was prosecuted on an entirely bogus charge, because giving money to Emily’s List was practically terrism to the Justice Department after Cheney appointed himself and his sock puppet.

Stewart was (deservedly) sent to jail for stock manipulation, not for giving money to anyone (but herself). And she got extremely preferential treatment.

Sorry Dawg, but she got a pass because she was a white female. Black males in America get stopped, detained and sometimes prosecuted unjustly at an alarmingly higher rate than any other ethnic group. Thank God for DNA admississions in past cases. Because of them, many have been released ffrom death row. Problem: DNA isn’t a factor in many of the other bogus charges Black men were accused and sentenced for.

Actually, IIRC, Martha got tagged for lying to an agent about whether she got a tip to dump her stock.

Lesson Learned: Refuse to talk to agents or police, explicitly now that Miranda is silent; “I have nothing to say. I want to talk to my lawyer now.” Period!