The Imbalance of Justice
What happens when the scales of justice tip so far in the wrong direction that society begins to lose sight of our Founding Fathers' intended goal of justice? Have we become a society more concerned with money than humanity? How much is a human life really worth in the United States today?
Throughout my career, I have traveled to other parts of the world where life is cheap, but I never thought I'd see a day where, in this country, we'd place more value on a dollar than life itself.
Consider this:
In 2005, L. Dennis Kozlowski, the former chief executive of Tyco International Ltd., was found guilty of grand larceny, conspiracy and securities fraud, stemming from a compensation package and bonuses he received as Tyco's chief executive. By all accounts he was an aggressive and successful corporate executive who helped make Tyco one of the most successful companies in the world, but one who also dared to flaunt his fortune and compensation package, one of the highest of any CEO in the country.
He did not commit an act of violence, he was not a pedophile, he did not rob, rape, or viciously assault or murder anyone, yet his conviction resulted in a sentence of 8 1/3 - 25 years in prison. He was also ordered to pay $90 million in restitution to his former employer and a $70 million fine, which according to published reports, he has already satisfied.
The sad reality is that given his age today, 64, Kozlowski was given a death sentence despite being a first time, non-violent offender, for which he has already paid nearly $160 million in fines and restitution. Is that justice?
Compare that to this:
On October 18, 2008, an 18 year old teenager by the name of Christopher Robinson, who was being held on Rikers Island pending criminal charges, was beaten to death by other inmates.
According to the Bronx District Attorney's Office, a three year investigation revealed that two New York City Correction Officers, Michael McKie and Khalid Nelson, were running a secret, sadistic society called "The Program" on Rikers, that encouraged and allowed a brutal squad of inmates, dubbed "The Team," to beat and extort other prisoners.
Robinson was allegedly singled out and murdered - savagely beaten to death - because he refused to go along with "The Program."
Five inmates have since pled guilty for their roles in Robinson's brutal killing and received sentences ranging up to 10 years in prison... substantially less than Tyco CEO Kozlowski.
To make matters worse, last Thursday former correction officers Michael McKie and Khalid Nelson pled guilty in a Bronx courtroom for their role in running "The Program," and allowing this brutal and sadistic group of inmates to savagely beat and extort the other inmates. Their sentence: Nelson will receive one year, and McKie will receive two years in prison.
These two men were sworn to protect the inmates in their custody, yet endangered their lives, and the lives of every correction officer in their facility by turning a blind eye to this brutal and barbaric group of inmates who acted as predators on the weak. Between the two of them, they were sentenced to only three years in prison for their heinous, outrageous and brutal conduct.
Dennis Kozlowski probably made more money than he should have and did things that he should not have done for which he should have been punished. However, he has already spent five years in prison and paid back nearly $160 million in fines and restitution. He still faces another 20 years in prison for a first time non-violent offense, yet those responsible for Robinson's brutal and savage killing will serve less than a 10 year term, and the two public servants who ran "The Program" will serve less than three years between them.
The imbalance in our criminal justice system is glaring. There are serious questions about crime, punishment, justification and fairness. However, for this moment in time, there's only one question that society should be concerned with: Where is the real justice for Christopher Robinson and his family?
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
23 Years Ago
23 YEARS AGO Yesterday
On October 18, 1988, in two separate incidents on the same evening, two New York City Police Officers were murdered; Chris Hoban - 26, was shot and killed during a narcotics undercover operation, and Michael Buczek - 24, was shot and killed when he attempted to stop a drug dealer in Washington Heights. Today, I think of them and the families they left behind, and their heroic colleagues in Manhattan North Narcotics and the 34th Precinct. May God Bless them all.
-BERNARD B. KERIK.... Follow Mr. Kerik at: www.twitter.com/bernardkerik
On October 18, 1988, in two separate incidents on the same evening, two New York City Police Officers were murdered; Chris Hoban - 26, was shot and killed during a narcotics undercover operation, and Michael Buczek - 24, was shot and killed when he attempted to stop a drug dealer in Washington Heights. Today, I think of them and the families they left behind, and their heroic colleagues in Manhattan North Narcotics and the 34th Precinct. May God Bless them all.
-BERNARD B. KERIK.... Follow Mr. Kerik at: www.twitter.com/bernardkerik
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Disgusting Political Attack Shows Cowardice
At 8:41 a.m. on September 11, 2011, just five minutes before most of the nation was prepared to stand in silence at the exact time the north tower of the World Trade Center was attacked ten years earlier, Paul Krugman, a columnist for the New York Times, thought not of those lost on that day nor the families they left behind nor the New York City first responders who put their lives on the line in one of the greatest rescue and evacuation missions in our country's history nor the ceremonies around the country that were about to take place.
When the rest of the country, Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, were all coming together to remember one of the darkest days in our nation's history, Mr. Krugman felt it was the perfect time to launch a cowardly smear campaign and political attack on those who were there in positions of leadership on September 11, 2001, and who did their best to get our country through those extremely difficult times.
After reading the words he posted on his blog, The Conscience of a Liberal, I feel compelled to respond.
In the aftermath of the worst terrorist attack in world history, this country did unite in every walk of life, in every political arena and in every community in this country. There was no "wedge issue" or division or disagreement about anything. The American people came together as one, as they should have, with incredible resilience and camaraderie. I'm not sure where Mr. Krugman was hiding at the time, but his own paper and employer wrote all about it.
As for President George W. Bush, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, or me racing to "cash in on the horror," I can only assume that relates to writing a book, promoting that book or speaking about the events of that day or its aftermath--no different than Mr. Krugman's colleagues at the New York Times. They used information they acquired through their investigative reporting to publish books, give media interviews and talks specifically about that day and its aftermath.
Did they race to cash in? Personally, I don't think so. I think their--and all our stories--need to be told...as many of them as possible.
Did Mr. Krugman attacked his own colleagues for "cashing in?" Did he throw a tantrum when former President Bill Clinton published his book or the Mayor of New Orleans Ray Nagin published his or when they gave speeches relating to their time in office? I'd bet not.
As Americans, we have a duty to tell the story and history of that day.
When the second jet airliner struck the south tower, I was there, dodging debris from the plane and building. When the south tower collapsed, Mayor Giuliani, me, and members of our staffs were a block away, trapped in a building. In dealing with the rescue, recovery and investigation, we all did the best we could at the time, which by all accounts, like it or not, was far better than the handling of others crises around the world, especially considering that we had no warning of what was about to come.
In the past ten years, Mr. Krugman and others like him who didn't have to deal with the death, destruction and devastation, and the rebuilding of a shattered city, have felt compelled to constantly attack those of us who did. Then, to make matters worse, on this 9/11, ten years later, when the entire country was once again united in memory of those we lost and that horrendous day, Mr. Krugman didn't have the common courtesy, decency and patriotism to unite. He chose instead to rant, and his rant was disgusting.
There's something else Mr. Krugman should know:
In 2001, I assisted in the development of a photo book about the first responders on 9/11. The proceeds of that book went to the widows and children of members of the NYPD and FDNY who died in the line of duty. The book raised more than $550,000 that was given to the charity. Between 2002-2004, I was paid $70,000 for my part in putting that book together. The media had a field day when this came to light. However, what they also knew, but refused to publish, was this: Between 2002 and 2004, my wife and I gave that much, plus another $50,000, to charities relating to the first responders of 9/11, the U.S. Military, and medical aid for Iraqi children and Coptic orphans. Included in the $120,000 we gave was $50,000 to the New York City PBA Widows and Orphans Fund, $10,000 to the New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation, and $5,000 to the FDNY Fire Safety Education Fund.
Something Krugman and almost no one else has ever known was that, within a few days after the attack, when I realized the 23 police officers who worked for me were probably dead, out of concern for their families' well being, I contacted a personal friend of mine in an attempt to raise money for them. Three days later, I was able to present each of those families with a check for $10,000, for a total of $230,000. I did so with no fanfare, no media hype, and no benefit to me or my family or my staff.
And then between 2001 and 2004, Mayor Giuliani and members of his cabinet, including me, created the Twin Towers Fund, a charity for the families and those first responders who were lost. In just under three years, we personally raised more than $216 million that was given to 600 families. I never took a dime for my work in the fund, and in fact, my wife and I contributed $20,000 to the fund in 2002.
Mr. Krugman, how much money did you personally raise for the families of the victims who perished on 9/11? I'm just curious to know.
Lastly, the "fake hero" comment in Mr. Krugman's blog was a combination of ignorance and childish immaturity. And although I don't need to defend my own career and heroics, established long before 9/11, I do feel obligated to respond to his stupidity concerning the others, given that I saw them in action.
When the entire nation was stunned and needed inspiration and leadership with the courage, compassion and dignity to get this country back on its feet, George W. Bush, George Pataki, Rudy Giuliani, Tom Von Essen and others did just that. You cannot change history or erase reality. Stop trying to politicize that moment in time. None of us were perfect, but we gave it our all. Mr. Krugman can write all the nasty political attack columns he wants, but they will never change the horrors of that day, the enemy who attacked us, the rescue and response that followed, and the work that was done by those of us who were there to help our city, state and country.
Now, ten years later, Mr. Krugman wrote that the "memory of 9/11 was irrevocably poisoned; it has become an occasion of shame."
The real shame, sir, is that you still hold a position with the New York Times. You, and those like you with your cowardly poison pens, are a disgrace to your profession, your newspaper, and to the country that provides you the very freedom that allows you to spew your political garbage.
When the rest of the country, Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, were all coming together to remember one of the darkest days in our nation's history, Mr. Krugman felt it was the perfect time to launch a cowardly smear campaign and political attack on those who were there in positions of leadership on September 11, 2001, and who did their best to get our country through those extremely difficult times.
After reading the words he posted on his blog, The Conscience of a Liberal, I feel compelled to respond.
In the aftermath of the worst terrorist attack in world history, this country did unite in every walk of life, in every political arena and in every community in this country. There was no "wedge issue" or division or disagreement about anything. The American people came together as one, as they should have, with incredible resilience and camaraderie. I'm not sure where Mr. Krugman was hiding at the time, but his own paper and employer wrote all about it.
As for President George W. Bush, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, or me racing to "cash in on the horror," I can only assume that relates to writing a book, promoting that book or speaking about the events of that day or its aftermath--no different than Mr. Krugman's colleagues at the New York Times. They used information they acquired through their investigative reporting to publish books, give media interviews and talks specifically about that day and its aftermath.
Did they race to cash in? Personally, I don't think so. I think their--and all our stories--need to be told...as many of them as possible.
Did Mr. Krugman attacked his own colleagues for "cashing in?" Did he throw a tantrum when former President Bill Clinton published his book or the Mayor of New Orleans Ray Nagin published his or when they gave speeches relating to their time in office? I'd bet not.
As Americans, we have a duty to tell the story and history of that day.
When the second jet airliner struck the south tower, I was there, dodging debris from the plane and building. When the south tower collapsed, Mayor Giuliani, me, and members of our staffs were a block away, trapped in a building. In dealing with the rescue, recovery and investigation, we all did the best we could at the time, which by all accounts, like it or not, was far better than the handling of others crises around the world, especially considering that we had no warning of what was about to come.
In the past ten years, Mr. Krugman and others like him who didn't have to deal with the death, destruction and devastation, and the rebuilding of a shattered city, have felt compelled to constantly attack those of us who did. Then, to make matters worse, on this 9/11, ten years later, when the entire country was once again united in memory of those we lost and that horrendous day, Mr. Krugman didn't have the common courtesy, decency and patriotism to unite. He chose instead to rant, and his rant was disgusting.
There's something else Mr. Krugman should know:
In 2001, I assisted in the development of a photo book about the first responders on 9/11. The proceeds of that book went to the widows and children of members of the NYPD and FDNY who died in the line of duty. The book raised more than $550,000 that was given to the charity. Between 2002-2004, I was paid $70,000 for my part in putting that book together. The media had a field day when this came to light. However, what they also knew, but refused to publish, was this: Between 2002 and 2004, my wife and I gave that much, plus another $50,000, to charities relating to the first responders of 9/11, the U.S. Military, and medical aid for Iraqi children and Coptic orphans. Included in the $120,000 we gave was $50,000 to the New York City PBA Widows and Orphans Fund, $10,000 to the New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation, and $5,000 to the FDNY Fire Safety Education Fund.
Something Krugman and almost no one else has ever known was that, within a few days after the attack, when I realized the 23 police officers who worked for me were probably dead, out of concern for their families' well being, I contacted a personal friend of mine in an attempt to raise money for them. Three days later, I was able to present each of those families with a check for $10,000, for a total of $230,000. I did so with no fanfare, no media hype, and no benefit to me or my family or my staff.
And then between 2001 and 2004, Mayor Giuliani and members of his cabinet, including me, created the Twin Towers Fund, a charity for the families and those first responders who were lost. In just under three years, we personally raised more than $216 million that was given to 600 families. I never took a dime for my work in the fund, and in fact, my wife and I contributed $20,000 to the fund in 2002.
Mr. Krugman, how much money did you personally raise for the families of the victims who perished on 9/11? I'm just curious to know.
Lastly, the "fake hero" comment in Mr. Krugman's blog was a combination of ignorance and childish immaturity. And although I don't need to defend my own career and heroics, established long before 9/11, I do feel obligated to respond to his stupidity concerning the others, given that I saw them in action.
When the entire nation was stunned and needed inspiration and leadership with the courage, compassion and dignity to get this country back on its feet, George W. Bush, George Pataki, Rudy Giuliani, Tom Von Essen and others did just that. You cannot change history or erase reality. Stop trying to politicize that moment in time. None of us were perfect, but we gave it our all. Mr. Krugman can write all the nasty political attack columns he wants, but they will never change the horrors of that day, the enemy who attacked us, the rescue and response that followed, and the work that was done by those of us who were there to help our city, state and country.
Now, ten years later, Mr. Krugman wrote that the "memory of 9/11 was irrevocably poisoned; it has become an occasion of shame."
The real shame, sir, is that you still hold a position with the New York Times. You, and those like you with your cowardly poison pens, are a disgrace to your profession, your newspaper, and to the country that provides you the very freedom that allows you to spew your political garbage.
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