By Alvin Benn
Montgomery Advertiser
SELMA -- Twelve suspected drug dealers were arrested and others sought Wednesday after an early morning sweep through a neighborhood said to have been held captive.
Authorities said the arrests were made without incident with some of those indicted picked up while they were walking around the neighborhood.
Larry Cooper of the U.S. Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said more than 150 officers took part in the neighborhood sweep .
"We will not stand by while victims are held captive in their neighborhoods," Rhodes said. "Those who commit drug and gun crimes can expect to do hard time."
Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson said those arrested and being sought had acted with "impunity" in the east Selma neighborhood "where they stopped cars out in the open to sell their drugs."
"The reign of terror on St. Phillips Street has slowed down," Jackson said at a news conference outside Selma's Federal Building.
Indicted were Derrick Andre Daniels, 35; Otto Davion Thompson, 25; Anthony Bernard Daniels, 26; Christopher Ford, 24; Frank Jeffery McGill, 29; Kashif Deondre Norwood, 26; Kordell Sharp, 19; Kevin Javon Moore, 25; Terrance Keoki Callen, 27; Darrell O'Neal Thompson, 28; Jakarta Algernon Bonner and Kenneth Taiwon Moore.
Those arrested were taken to Mobile where they were booked before arraignment later this week.
Federal officials said other suspected drug dealers were being sought following their indictments. They were not named.
If convicted on all the charges against them, those indicted could be sentenced to prison terms up to life, Rhodes said.
Selma Mayor James Perkins Jr. thanked authorities involved in the 15-month-long investigation, but said they should not stop with those named in the indictments.
"People want an upward trail of drug trafficking that leads to bankers, brokers and mega-deals," Perkins said, adding there are "legal ways" of making a living in Selma.
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Horray for Mayor James Perkins Jr. who is basically pointing out that this amounts to nothing more than new job openings on St. Phillips Street in Selma, AL. He knows that taking 12 young black men off the street and placing them in our already dangerously overcrowed prison system will do nothing to stem the flow of drugs in Selma.
I like to think I had something to do with that. Back in March I addressed The National Convention of Black Mayors in Selma on the eve of 41st Anniversary of Bloody Sunday and I focused specifically on how the drug war is undoing everything the Black community gained in the Civil Rights Movement and how if they don't do something soon there won't be enough of them left with their voting rights intact to be able to make a difference in politics.
While Mayor Perkins may not yet see that the laws themselves are the problem he at least sees that all of this posturing and grandstanding by the feds and local cops about the arrest of 12 young, black, low-level street offenders is bullshit because it is the rich white men in business suits who are the real 'kingpins' in the drug trade.
And this is what I pointed out in my speech. The drug war is designed to marginalize minorities and others the 'government' considers 'undesirable'. They will never take out the big fish because then there would be no small fish to fill up the prison system.
2 comments:
I do not live in Alabama. I live in Kansas City. But the story is the same everywhere you go. Drug dealers getting arrested left and right. Now, violent drug dealers should be dealt with. Violent gangs can take over entire neighborhoods, leading to things like drive by shootings, turf wars, and the like...
However, I think this general rule should be followed, and I see no harm in abiding by it. It's natural law...As long as you harm no one except for yourself, you are free to do as you please. I don't care what drugs people do, as long as they don't steal from me, or attempt to harm anyone else while they are doing them, or while they aren't if they so choose.
We say we are a free country, but are we really free to choose what we can and can't do? I think its ludicrous in a "free" country, a person who smokes marijuana in their own home, not harming anyone, can be arrested and sent to prison for it. Especially since marijuana was made illegal by a man who once said, "Reefer makes darkies think they are as good as white people." ~Harry Anslinger
I've lost hope that this country will one day legalize marijuana. We've gone too long demonizing it. But if you ask me, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out weed is a much more benign drug than alcohol...It's laughable that alcohol is glorified and marijuana is ridiculed. When was the last time you heard about a drunk driver? Or an abusive drunk? Now, what about a stoned driver causing an accident? And an abusive pothead?? The worst thing I ever abused on weed was a bag of doritoes and a six pack of gatorade.
Thanks for your time, whoever took the time to read this drivel :)
jonv2.1@gmail.com
I aggree with jonv2.1, I amprplexed to see other addictive drugs like cigarretes and alcohol being glorified and selling freely in every corner, Hollywood actors only boost the addiction by puffing and binging left and right. I never smoked weed but know people that did and them moved on in life and never got addicted , it's easy to see people that smoke cigarretes living a miserable life because they can't quit, too addicted to quit, their bodies weak and slaves of the nocotine, people that drink alcohol with hep.C and other diseases not to even mention innocent people getting killed by drunk drivers. Now if drinking cuban coffee made you so hyper that you would go crazy at the wheels you would see a sweep at every CAFETERIA in this country and every cuban getting tested at police checks. C'mom America, wake up and smell the coffee and not the alcohol breath or the unfiltered smoked.
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