GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA: FOR WHO THE BELL TOLLS NEXT.

Just five people shy of Sandy Hook elementary school mass shooting incident that claimed 26 lives, the Uvalde Texas Robb elementary school mass shooting at 21 victims, now ranks among the highest grossing gun carnage in America. It is sad that such frequent blood spilling has tragically become part of our culture as a society. May the souls of the killed now rest.

25th AMENDMENT: ITS NOW ALL CRICKET.

Madam Speaker Nancy Pelosi once questioned former President Donald John Trump's fitness to remain in office due to what she claimed was his declining mental capacity. Does anyone know what Madam Speaker presently thinks about the incontrovertible case which America is now saddled with? Just curious!

WHO WILL REBUILD UKRAINE?

The West should convert frozen Russian assets, both state's and oligarchs' owned, into a full seizure and set them aside for the future rebuilding of Ukraine. Like the Marshal Plan, call it the Putin Plan.

A HERO IS BORN.

I am staying put. I will not run away and abandon my people. The fight is here in Ukraine. What I need are weapons and ammunitions, not a ride out of town like former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani - President Volodymyr Zelensky.

IT IS WHAT IT IS.

"There is too much hate in America because there is too much anger in America." - Trevor Noah.

WORD!

A life without challenges is not a life lived at all. A life lived is a life that has problems, confronts problems, solves problems and then learns from problems. - Tunde Fashola.

NOW, YOU KNOW.

When fishing for love, bait with your heart and not your brain, because you cannot rationalize love. - Mark Twain.

JUST THE FACT.

In our country, you can shoot and kill a nigger, but you better not hurt a gay person’s feelings - Dave Chappelle

DO YOU?.

“What you believe in can only be defined by what you’re willing to risk for it." - Stuart Scheller.

HEDGE YOUR CRISIS.

Never get in bed with a woman whose problems are worse than yours. - Chicago PD.

PROBLEM SOLVED.

'The best way to keep peace is to be ready to destroy evil. If you Pearl Harbor me, I Nagasaki you.' - Ted Nugent.

OUR SHARED HUMANITY.

Empathy is at the heart of who we are as human beings. - Cardinal Matthew Kukah.

WORDS ON MARBLE.

"Birth is agony. Life is hard. Death is cruel." - Japanese pithy.

REPENT OR PERISH - POPE.

Homosexuality is a sin. It is not ordained by God, therefore same sex marriage cannot be blessed by the church - Pope Francis.

CANCEL CULTURE IS CORROSIVE.


FOR SAKE OF COUNTRY.


MAGA LIVES ON: NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER!

TWITTER IS BORING WITHOUT HIS TWEETS. #RestorePresidentTrump'sTwitterHandle.


WORD.

"If you cannot speak the truth when it matters, then nothing else you says matters.” - Tucker Carlson.

#MeToo MOVEMENT: A BAD NEWS GONE CRAZY.

"To all the women who testified, we may have different truth, but I have a great remorse for all of you. I have great remorse for all of the men and women going through this crisis right now in our country. You know, the movement started basically with me, and I think what happened, you know, I was the first example, and now there are thousands of men who are being accused and a regeneration of things that I think none of us understood. I’m not going to say these aren’t great people. I had wonderful times with these people. I’m just genuinely confused. Men are confused about this issue. We are going through this #MeToo movement crisis right now in this country." - Harvey Weinstein.


RON DELLUMS: UNAPOLOGETICALLY RADICAL.

"If it’s radical to oppose the insanity and cruelty of the Vietnam War, if it’s radical to oppose racism and sexism and all other forms of oppression, if it’s radical to want to alleviate poverty, hunger, disease, homelessness, and other forms of human misery, then I’m proud to be called a radical.” - Ron Vernie Dellums.


WHAT REALLY MATTERS IN LIFE - STEVE JOBS

“I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In others’ eyes, my life is an epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. Non-stop pursuing of wealth will only turn a person into a twisted being, just like me. God gave us the senses to let us feel the love in everyone’s heart, not the illusions brought about by wealth. Memories precipitated by love is the only true riches which will follow you, accompany you, giving you strength and light to go on. The most expensive bed in the world is the sick bed. You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone to bear sickness for you. Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – Life. Treasure Love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends. Treat yourself well. Cherish others.” - SJ

EVIL CANNOT BE TRULY DESTROYED.

"The threat of evil is ever present. We can contain it as long as we stay vigilant, but it can never truly be destroyed. - Lorraine Warren (Annabelle, the movie)


ONLY THE POOR WISH THEY HAD STUFF?

“I’m not that interested in material things. As long as I find a good bed that I can sleep in, that’s enough.” - Nicolas Berggruem, the homeless billionaire.

Saturday, June 26, 2021

DEREK CHAUVIN'S 22.5 YEARS SENTENCE: FAIR, GEORGE FLOYD CAN NOW REST.

ICHEOKU says if only victims of police brutality in America are always this reasonably compensated and their death atoned for, with award of huge death settlement and severe punishment of the offending police officer, things would have since changed for the better. The police would have adjusted their manner of law enforcement and victims' survivors would not be always as angry each time they are victimized through the loss of their loved ones in the hands of the police. With $27 million in wrongful death settlement and the killer police officer Derek Chauvin now sentenced to 22,5 years imprisonment, it is without doubt that George Floyd's death has been fully and adequately recompensed. 

So, yes, George Floyd's death was not in vain afterall, as in addition to his death calling world's attention to police brutality in America especially against black people, it also brought some financial succor to his family and now the police officer who strangled him to death has been maximally punished as allowed by law. George Floyd can now finally breathe, aware that he accomplished more in death than ever imagined alive and that his name is now indelibly written in the annals of history. It will be the first time a police officer was charged, convicted and then stiffly punished for an abuse of authority which caused the death of a citizen. The precedent has now been set in stone and it will serve as a guide going forward.

So, as former Minneapolis police officer and convicted murderer Derek Chauvin spends the next twenty two and half years of his life behind bars, in the cold concrete walls of a prison cell, he will have enough time to reflect on his action which put him in the tiny six by twelve prison cell. He will also have time to fully understand the ramification of arbitrarily wielding of force and over an unarmed citizen; and being ruthlessly so mean that he took his life in the process. 

Hopefully, each time he tries to catch some sleep, he will have George Floyd to always keep him company and together, they will relive the nightmare of kneeling on a man's neck for nine long minutes until he choked him to death. Finally, such experience will later become so unbearable for him to put up with that he will consider a noose exit out of his harried nightmare, assuming other prisoner's shank doesn't get at him first. 

In his pre-sentence remarks, the Judge said that Derek Chauvin was cruel, abused his authority, acted with others and in front of children. All aggravating factors which influenced the harsh sentence which was handed to him. The first time in the history of America that a police officer was punished so severely for a crime committed under the color of authority. It is a good sign that things have changed forever in America and the old days of giving them a slap on the wrist, when and if charged, is now over. 

The punishment is stiff as no matter how anyone weighs it, 270 months behind bars is not a walk in the park nor a vacation in the Bahamas. Even if he serves only two third of the sentence for good behavior or is someday pardoned, the fact  remains that the precedent has now been set and it will serve as a deterrent and help modulate overall bad policing. 

ICHEOKU had in a previous article following his conviction in April said that Judge Peter Cahill must also come through with justice for George Floyd by meeting the public's expectation of a stiff sentence. In the article, imposing at minimum, the half of the maximum allowed sentence for the highest convicted charge of second degree, 40 years, was suggested. So, 22.5 years is definitely more than 20 years and for this, ICHEOKU is completely satisfied that Derek Chauvin was sufficiently punished for the callous murder of George Floyd. 

ICHEOKU is also glad that the motion for a retrial was denied as there was no abuse of process and the convict was not denied his constitutional right to fair trial. In one other article, ICHEOKU had observed that it does not matter how many times the case is "retried" or in whichever venue it was moved to, the conviction will never be upturned and that such will be merely wasting the resources of the city or police union which will foot the bill. 

Anyway, it is good that the George Floyd's matter has now come to an end, admitted some Federal cases against Derek Chauvin are still evolving through the system. But the nation will now move on to other challenges facing the country, with the George Floyd matter now effectively put in the rearview mirror, where it now belongs. A sentence of 22.5 years, an order to register as a predatory offender and prohibited from ever owning or possessing firearms and/or ammunition for the remainder of his natural life are more than anyone could have anticipated. Therefore, it was a resounding victory for George Floyd who now laughs last, admitted in the land beyond. Rest on George and to Derek Chauvin, please do the time as you did the crime; and Judge Cahill's sentence was fair enough. 

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