QUEEN ELIZABETH THROWS HER SON UNDER THE BUS: STRIPS HIM OF ALL TITLES.

ICHEOKU says what misery a few minutes of pleasure could wrought, that a prince of the British monarchy has now been practically downgraded to a mere commoner. With his magisterial title "His Royal Highness" removed and his other military honorariums/titles also stripped off, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, is as good as completely banished from the monarchy. Put in other words, Prince Andrew has been disowned by his own mother, Queen Elizabeth, and is now an ordinary Brit. He was once an unapologetic international playboy and had unlimited fun in company of disgraced late Jeffrey Epstein and their convicted Lolita Madam, Ghislaine Maxwell. 

While the party lasted, the prince never knew that a day would come when he will be called to render account for his participation in the illicit sexual escapades with underage girls. The three musketeers' case was one which the passing of time could not and did not consume as the slow turning wheel of justice finally caught up with them and now is his own time to face lady justice, the other two's matter having been concluded. 

As the travails of his co-travelers in the illegality was going on, the now fallen from grace Prince of York, had carried on as if his royal status would shield and protect him from justice. He was so cocky about it that in one BBC television news interview, he brazenly denied knowledge of  photographic evidence of his close acquaintance with his accuser, despite holding her on her waist. If not for his arrogance and royalty induced stupidity, the prince would have simply owned up the dalliance by acknowledging the photograph as true; and then apologized for his "youthful" indiscretion. People would have understood, forgiven him and moved on. 

But no, instead, he damned everybody as unthinking fools who are incapable of understanding the photograph, and also believing that  his royal pedigree will provide him immunity from the long reach of the law. Today, everything has come crashing down on his disgraced shoulders as his mother, the Queen, has stripped him bare of both his royal title and honorary membership in the British military. What a disgraceful backbreaking downfall from his once epochal royal perch.

ICHEOKU is not passing judgment on the prince nor relishing the ill fate which had befallen the Duke of York, hope that title was not also yanked away; but says it is a strong affirmation that no one is really above the law and that when a prince breaks the law he too shall be held to account, regardless. 

The move by the monarchy to strip Prince Andrew of all his titles could not possibly have been made out of the altruistic desire by the monarchy to see that justice is done for victims of his sexual pervasion. In all likelihood, it was a deft tactical move by the monarchy to insulate the institution from the scandal by creating a buffer zone, pawning up their once most favorite beloved prince. They offered him as a sacrifice to inoculate the monarchy from any possible resulting fallout. But no matter how they try, Prince Andrew was sired by the monarchy and like his nephew Prince Harry, he was just another royal who loved to party and partied too hard, and now lost it all due to some old romp which has come back to haunt him. 

The only question now is whether the Duke of York will take the Jeffrey Epstein highway and get it over quickly and save himself from further odium, ridicule and shame; or he will just remain  another stiff upper lip British and tough it out. His fellow Brit Ghislaine Maxwell damned the consequences and stayed the course to its final resolution. At this stage there is no good that will come out of even settling the case because it will not give him back all the lost goodwill as well as make recompense for his damaged reputation. So, he will have to decide whether his quandary ends quickly or be long drawn out. But many brave and courageous people would say what use is prolonging the agony and opt for Jeffrey Epstein's solution and get it over quickly, and sooner than later. 

Anyway, while suicide is not good and ICHEOKU is not advocating here for Prince Andrew to "suicide himself", but all the circumstances considered, many in his shoes would ask themselves, what is the purpose of still hanging around and holding on. The Duke of York Prince Andrew is the last of the three publicly implicated persons in the Jeffrey Epstein's sexual exploitations of minors scandal to be served justice. He can decide today how he wants the final and last chapter of the scandal to be written; either concluded on his own terms or indulge the justice system with the privilege of doing the honors. What a fall from grace and it was with a deafening thunderous thud. A shame of British monarchy.

AUF WIEDERSEHEN ANGELA MERKLE: IS EUROPEAN UNION DOOMED WITHOUT THEIR MATRON?

ICHEOKU says she was one hell of a seasoned administrator and leader extraordinaire, and every fiber of her being was encoded with the right leadership DNA. She possessed the aura, stature, poise, presence, equanimity and brain of a well rounded off leader. She exudes such confidence and assuredness that she is the calmness in the face of a storm personified. With her around everyone had the confidence that no matter the tempest that everything will be alright. 

Simply put, she was such an exceptional leader that so many countries would, in a heartbeat, rather chosen to have as their own leader. It explains why Germans kept her in office for as long as they did and would have continued to retain her had she not decided to bow out. In short, the world has not seen a leader like the former Chancellor of Germany Madam Angela Merkel, at least not in the recent past. The fact that she is a scientist actually begs the question, whether the arts-background leaders should yield leadership positions in every country for their science-background counterparts? 

Germany and the world at large will miss her "things are under control" countenance, her calm demeanor and her overall very assuring presence. Her departure will surely cast a pall of anxiety  over the European Union as many people are wondering whether the boyish French President Emmanuel Macro can do it alone. He doesn't have that "IT FACTOR" nor commanding presence of a leader, especially after he was slapped by that French fella during a campaign stop; and then the humiliation France received being excluded in AUKUS. The two incidents drastically reduced his ability to project power and strength; and with it, comes his ineffectiveness to drive the European Union agenda. 

The impact of Angela Merkel's departure will be far reaching. She did brilliantly so very well for Germany and also for the European Union that it will be difficult to successfully fill her oversized shoes. She also stayed for a very long time in office, 16 years, that she and Germany literally became two sides of the same coin as so many Germans grew up only knowing her as their leader. It will be difficult if not impossible to ever find another one like her. She was such a good leader that left for Germans, her tenure would have lasted forever. But in life, everything always, eventually, comes to an end and so was her tenure as Germany's longest serving Chancellor; and she left on her own accord, not forced out by electoral defeat, scandal or all health. 

She was loved by her German people and admired internationally as a mother figure, who cared and nurtured. She was globally well respected by her contemporaries. She possessed everything which Hillary Clinton lacked, the charm, the warmth, the carriage, the personality, the calmness in the face of storm, the sense of sincerity, assuredness, trustworthiness, aura of everything is and will be alright. She does not look sneaky or treacherous. Her stellar qualities  are such that were she an American, she would have so easily broken the proverbial marble ceiling of the White House, in being overwhelmingly elected a female president. She is loved by her German people unlike our own Nurse Ratched who is largely despised and rubs many American people the wrong way. 

ICHEOKU says had Angela Merkel still been in power, it is most likely that Vladimir Putin would not be lashing out again over Ukraine as she would have pressured him to cut it off. Germans miss their matron, the European Union misses their assured foot and the world misses a leader who calms global storms. Hopefully someday, she will come back from her retirement to once again continue to provide Germany with her stellar leadership for which she became world famous and adorable and the envy of the world. May the good Lord give Germans the strength to accept a Germany without Angela Merkel. Hopefully the new guy will build on Merkel's legacy and continue moving Germany forward. ICHEOKU wishes Chancellor Angela Merkel a happy, healthy and joyful life in retirement. Auf weidersehen Angela.

UKRAINE BORDER DEBACLE: IT'S TIME TO DARE VLADIMIR PUTIN TO A WAR.

ICHEOKU has for a long time been a disciple of do no harm and do not make Vladimir Putin madder than he already is, forcing him to snap. But it seems that the Russian sit-tight dictator is increasingly feeling too emboldened and now strongly believes that the West is afraid of engaging Russia in a kinetic fiery war. This is the only plausible reason he every so often, makes threats and amasses troops on Russia's border with Ukraine, daring the West and setting certain ridiculous redlines. 

In April last year the world witnessed the same drama which nearly reached the blink until the former German Chancellor Angela Merkel put her matron-weight on and leaned on Vladimir Putin to ratchet down his threats and withdraw his troops from the border. Less than one year later, the petit tsar of Russia is back at his game again and this time, more emphatic that only an iron-clad security guarantee from the West that Ukraine MUST NOT EVER be allowed to join NATO will starve off an assured invasion of the country. According to his warped narrative, allowing Ukraine to join NATO will be having NATO in Russia's immediate backyard and that is not acceptable to him due to Russia's security interest. 

ICHEOKU says it is the lamest argument the little man can make because there are other countries which share border with Russia that are members of NATO including Estonia and Latvia, as well as the United States of America and Turkey, which each has a maritime border with Russia in the Bering Sea and the Black Sea respectively. So the argument is self defeating, otherwise why does Vladimir Putin not also feel that Russia's security interest is similarly being threatened by these other four countries' membership of NATO. 

The fact of the matter is that Russia's President Vladimir Putin is acting like a dog in the manger, reminiscing of the good old days when the Union of Socialist Soviet Republic existed and rues for it. He is trying everything he can to resurrect it and the West must stand their ground and not ever allow such a compelled co-existence of the unwilling to ever take root again. Even the distance from Latvia and Estonia to Saint Petersburg and Moscow are nearer than from Ukraine to those two Russian biggest cities. So, what exactly is Vladimir Putin talking about in pushing the narrative of security concerns with Ukraine membership of NATO since NATO can also bomb Russia from the four countries should it ever come to that. 

A matter made even more laughable in these days of advanced military warfare when military conquest no longer necessarily depends largely on the infantry as they once did. With long range missiles and bombers as well as drones and rockets, which can pierce through borders and penetrate other defenses, who needs a land border to attack and defeat a country's army. NATO must not therefore yield an inch in the latest face-off with Russia and should as a matter of actionable necessity, encourage Ukraine and Finland and Sweden and any other country that wants to become a member of NATO to apply for its membership and quickly admit them forthwith. 

Enough of the deference to Vladimir Putin's threats as it is now getting into his head that the West is afraid of fighting Russia. If he wants war let him have war; and if he defeats NATO and conquers the West, we shall be ready to learn Russian and enjoy drinking vodka and eating caviar and whatever delicacies that make Russians Russians. But whatever happens before then, his bluff should be called off now and let him do his worst. As Fela Anikulapo Kuti would put it, it is "unnecessary begging for area", trying to pacify Vladimir Putin or persuade him not to invade Ukraine each time he amasses his army at their border. 

Saddam Hussein was not begged over Kuwait but he was eventually forced out of the country, which eventually led to his demise. President Vladimir Putin is not any different from Saddam Hussein except that he has some nuclear weapons, but he is not the only one with access to the atomic destroyer. If he is tired of living or remaining a dictator or imposed leader of Russians, let the West grant him his wish and facilitate his quick exit. But in any other event, the West must refuse to be dictated to by Vladimir Putin and his intermittent mood swings that fuels his threats to invade Ukraine.

ICHEOKU used to sometimes defend him and have on some other occasions, pleaded for cutting him some slacks, but he is stretching his luck too far such  that it is now bordering on hostage taking. How can he be dictating to a sovereign independent country which organization to join and/or which countries to make diplomatic friends with. It is what comes with staying in power for too long, such that he is now seeing himself as invincible and untouchable; and that he can do whatever the heck he wants. But in his foolish arrogance, he has forgotten that the West is not Russian people, who he has completely emasculated and currently sitting on their collective heads, with their destiny totally atrophied by his very myopic and clueless understanding of the new world order where liberty nurtures enterprise and leadership is no longer a one-man knows-it-all affair. 

The other time he boasted that if Russia had sunk a British naval ship that nothing would have happened because the West knows that they cannot emerge victorious in a confrontation with Russia. He also bragged that Russia's response to any provocation will be asymmetrical, rapid and harsh; and that the West dare not cross his set deadline which he has now identified as Ukraine being admitted to NATO. ICHEOKU says unless NATO and the West has been intimidated by his fiery rhetorics, now is the time to permanently shut up Vladimir Putin and dare him to do his worst by crossing his redline, by admitting Ukraine into NATO. 

This is the only way to permanently solve the Putin problem because if the current impasse is resolved in his favor, he will up the ante the next time by demanding that every former Soviet country be handed back to Russia. He is testing the waters of resolve of the West and NATO to see what he can get away with; and it is about time he is cut to his size and told to take a hike on a lonely highway to hell and stay there until it freezes over. He is no longer behaving well and no more bone of sanction relief should be thrown to him, not this time; only a scorched earth approach should be deployed in order to force out a good behavior from him. 

It is doubtful that Russian soldiers and military equipments have become so good that they will make a mincemeat of NATO. They bleed and die just like any other soldiers and their weapons are also destructible as well. If millions perish in the process, so be it; but Vladimir Putin needs to be stopped now to end his petulance. He got away with South Ossetia and Abkhazia as well as Crimea and Donbas, and is now coveting a bigger prize, the entire Ukraine. He only became brazen because he was not confronted when he took these territories, but it is not too late to stop him and put an end to these despotic adventurism across Russia borders. Marriage is not by force and for a divorcee, it sounds rather contradictory that he is insisting that Ukraine cannot free itself from Russia's tentacles. 

It is very rude and overbearing of him to think that sequel to dictating for Russian people and micromanaging their lives in every minutia, that he can now freely export his dictatorship to other neighboring countries of Russia. Just one little man who has completely turned Russia into a laughable third world country-like place, believing that he alone knows what is best for Russians, having been glued to power for over 23 years now, since 1999. It is time to check his arrogance and force him to curb his Bonaparte syndrome's excessive enthusiasm. Let the West admit Ukraine into NATO now and let Vladimir Putin do his worst. Enough of his petulance.

OMICRON IS JUST A VARIANT: NO MORE SHUTDOWNS AND/OR LOCKDOWNS.

ICHEOKU says Omicron is fundamentally the same coronavirus which we have learnt how to cope with. It should not be singled out, made out and propagandized into something so eerily monstrous that civilization should be deathly afraid of it. So, it does not matter the name given to it, whether Omarosa variant or Omokri variant or Omicron variant, it is simply just another variation of the same virus. As a result, what worked on its other sister-variants such as the Delta variant and their mother-coronavirus herself, will also do the same number against the Omicron variant. They are all branches of the same tree and share the same genetic code which has already been cracked and for which effective palliatives now exist. 

Therefore, it does not warrant locking down of society or shutting down of the economy or any aspect of either as society can cope with the newest variant without being adversely affected and not halted. The lingering effect of the devastation of the nearly two years long shutdown and lockdown is still being felt and there should not be any more of such self inflicted hurt, never again. White House Press Secretary Jenifer Rene Psaki rightly articulated this position when she said that everyone is tired of the coronavirus and Vice President Kamala Harris also reiterated it, saying that Americans are suffering from coronavirus malaise. ICHEOKU agrees with both women and adds that not hurting the society and/or economy again will also help alleviate the lingering dark cloud over our general psyche. 

The generated hysteria over the Omicron variant by lobbyists of pharmaceutical industry and their media talking heads lackeys and accomplices, in their quest to continue bilking the government with their overpriced vaccines, is therefore not called for and must not be allowed any further oxygen. These profiteers are wreaking havoc on our civilization with their influenced  frequent shutdowns and suspension of living activities. It is not good for society's overall well being because a society in constant or permanent comatose is a society that will not be viable for a continuum existence and survival. We must therefore adapt to a new order, a manageable co-existence with the coronavirus until such a time a silver bullet panacea is finally found that will get rid of the virus for good. 

There should be no more shutdowns or further disruptions of our society, especially its economic activities. We should endeavor to end the panicky, knee-jerk reactions of locking down society and shutting down the economy each time the coronavirus morphs or mutates into some variant. Such reactions cause more harm to society's overall wellbeing and most times fall drastically  short of the expected reprieve that necessitated it. Such measures are therefore not worth the real cost of imposing them and it is about time they are ended. As a society, we should collectively say enough, no more and not anymore shall we hurt ourselves in this manner just because of a virus and its mutants. 

The worst of the coronavirus is definitely behind us, we have conquered the initial fear of not knowing what it was about. We also suffered untoward losses in human and capital because of it and now that we have found some protections against it, it is time we called its bluff and refuse to be dictated by it on how we go forward as a society. Although millions of people died from it globally, including over 800,000 Americans; but we should not forget too that billions of people also survived it, including more than 350 million Americans. We should therefore not live our lives in doom and gloom or act as if the coronavirus won because it did not as billions of people are still here and will continue to be for many moons to come, if not forever.

Humanity have accepted the incontrovertible fact that coronavirus is very deadly and may be here to stay, but they have also chosen to continue living their lives to the fullest and refuse to be held hostage by it or start live fearfully under a permanent cocoon of its overshadowing threat of death. Society has found some tools to help them navigate through living with the virus including vaccination, mask wearing and practicing some other hygienic imperatives which will help keep the virus at bay and/or render it less potent if contracted. Society will therefore continue living without being needlessly yoked down by a virus, afterall there are so many other things which regularly kill people and society does not shut down as a result.

We must therefore not allow ourselves to be completely emasculated by fear of the coronavirus or have our lives dictated and tossed around by its variants. As has been established, the coronavirus cannot and will never have the capacity to kill off everybody on earth. By the same token, locking down society and shutting down the economy cannot and will never protect everybody from getting the virus and/or possibly succumbing to it. There is no need putting the heart rates of everybody on a permanent rollercoaster, constantly racing exceedingly too high and worrying about what comes with every new variant. Many are still dealing with resuscitating and resurrecting businesses from the nearly two years lockdown and should not be burdened any further with thinking about the next hit. 

We should make an informed decision that the coronavirus is here to stay and that we have to be smart in making necessary adjustments accordingly towards sharing our planet with it, but not to completely surrender and succumb to its dictates. Going forward, pharmaceutical companies should be nudged into doubling their efforts and not to relax in trying to find a permanent fix to the virus. The only crux here is whether they still have any incentive to work harder towards this objective since they are already making out like bandits, raking in billions of dollars from their already overpriced existing vaccines and other medicines. But that notwithstanding, we should always give them the benefit of the doubt that they are not such Shylocks and vultures cashing in on human sufferings and that they will not relent in their effort to do right by and for society, and will some day, find a riddance to the rubbish.

Anyway, we must say no to a permanent surrender of our lives to the coronavirus by rejecting any future attempt at locking-down our society and shutting-down the economy. Everyone now practically understands the coronavirus, the chances of contracting the virus and the inherent risks of not being vaccinated against it. Those who are still obstinately holding out from getting vaccinated for whatever reason and despite all the currently available information on  coronavirus vaccines' safety and efficacy, should be left on their own devices, and if they get the virus and/or even die as a result, so be it. 

If families continue to allow unvaccinated members to be in their midst, that is a voluntary risk and they should be allowed to stew in their decisions and whatever resulting consequences. If a vaccinated person is reinfected as a result, it is a tolerable risk as being alive has its attendant risks; but with presently available medicines, the outcome will not be too devastating. As a society, we can also consider allowing the filing of lawsuits against and in a clearly established infection by an unvaccinated person. 

But as the cajoling, persuasion, messaging and campaign for the unvaccinated to get vaccinated continue, we should also take into consideration that the risks of infections and even possible deaths from the virus are no longer as high as they once were. The risks no longer outweigh the damage inflicted on society by shutdowns and economic atrophy hence the scale weighs heavily in favor of keeping the society and the economy open. There should be no more shutdowns or lockdowns; and anyone infected should be treated and managed until they either recover or die. The other good news however is that the Omicron variant is not as severe nor as deadly as initially hyped or compared to its other sister variants such as the Delta variant or even their mother coronavirus herself. #SayNoToShutdownsAndLockdowns.

WE ARE BACK: HELLO, WELCOME 2022.

ICHEOKU says while we were away for the holidays, a lot happened domestically and internationally, including the deaths of so many renowned and notable people. We hope that your holidays were as restful and less stressful as ours was and that normal activities have since returned in your lives. Please welcome back to our resumed time together on this forum, in this new year 2022, which is already ten days gone. 

Although it is always better late than never, admitted that never late is always better, so, still happy new year to you ICHEOKU's readers and viewers alike. We look forward to continuing holding conversations with you, the reason we reach out to you on this platform. We appreciate you bountifully for considering this forum worthy of the time which you generously spend on it. Thank you. We pray that you continue to find our insights engaging enough to elicit and warrant your time. Now, some of the developments:- 

The apartment fires in Philadelphia and New York City, nearly five days apart, which claimed the lives of 12 and 19 people respectively, were indeed terrifying and very horrific indeed. May their souls now rest. It is also noteworthy that many Americans are still dying from the Chinese ghoulish gift to the world, the dreadful coronavirus. ICHEOKU says is hopeful that the world will finally see the light at the end of the tunnel of the scourge this year so that life as we once knew it should finally return to its fullest. May the souls of the coronavirus killed continue to rest and those currently afflicted, find some respite through a speedy recovery. 

Interestingly enough, none of those notable departed persons fell victim to the coronavirus pandemic. They lived their lives fully to well wiped old ages and transited on their own accord, dying from old age related infirmities. Many of them died but we will mention here only those incredibly eventful ones, including Hollywood great Sidney Poitier at 94 years; Queen of infectious smile and another Hollywood great Betty White at 99 years; activist archbishop extraordinaire Desmond Tutu at 90 years; political heavyweight Senator Harry Reid at 82 and NFL great and wonderful coach John Madden at 85. May their souls now rest.

It is also noteworthy that the disgraced former governor of New York, the elder Cuomo of the two Cuomo Brothers CNN Comedy group will not be prosecuted for the crimes which forced him out of office. While it is a piece of good news for the embattled Cuomo family, those #MeToo trouble makers who lined up to point their accusing fingers are not finding it funny; otherwise why did they bother showing their faces. Anyway, ICHEOKU has always believed that the whole exercise  was meant to neuter him and render him politically impotent in 2024 so that he will not mount a challenge for President Joe Biden's second term. They succeeded and now have no more use of furthering the conspiracy against him.

The other development worth mentioning was the decision not to prosecute those two guards at New York Metropolitan Correctional Center who were on duty the night Jeffrey Epson "conveniently" decided to suicide himself. Anyone with the faintest idea about situational awareness relative to the security of very important prisoners or detained persons, knows that Jeffrey Epson did not kill himself and especially not in the manner they sold the public. Those two guards knew exactly what truly happened to Jeffrey Epson that fateful night; and the only way their lawyers would not have forced the issue out is to not prosecute them, period. Jeffrey Epson is gone; his guards will not be prosecuted and his Lolita Express madam Christine Ghislaine is convicted and soon going to prison, his issue has come a full circle, case closed.

What a huge relief it is that the worst mayor in America, Bill de Blasio, is finally out from office and that New York will now look forward to recovering from his mismanagement. ICHEOKU says provided Black Lives Matter anarchists will give the new black Mayor of New York Eric Adam a breathing space, we are hopeful that he will succeed once he puts into action the things he promised during his campaign for the office. We wish him well. On this same tangent, we appreciate the governor of Colorado for bringing reason into the conviction of the truck driver by commuting his 110 years prison sentence to 10 years. It was the right and correct decision as the crime was excessively over punished with the earlier sentence. 

ICHEOKU says Congresswoman Liz Cheney is suddenly realizing how lonesome and loathsome it could be being politically leprous as she is now completely deserted and isolated and flying solo in her anti party activism. It was so bad for her that she had to dredge up her tired and ailing old father, Darth Vader Dick Cheney to accompany her to the infamous January 6th anniversary celebration in Washington DC. What happened to her other fellow co-travelers in the ill-advised rebellion against the Republican Party, the 64 million strong MAGA family and their affable leader former President Donald John Trump. They rudely found out how small and inconsequential they are and they are paying a hefty price for their rudeness.

We will not end this article without mentioning the development in Kazakhstan where a president decided to rather kill his protesting citizens than listen to them and figure out how best to improve the conditions for which they came out on the streets in protest. Fortunately for him, Vladimir Putin has been looking to send his soldiers somewhere and his invitation was more than a welcome relief from the stalemated Ukrainian border adventure. Anyway, we shall see how many of his country's people he can shed their blood no matter the nomenclature he labeled them with including "foreign terrorists". It is a sad and primitive way of resolving an internal citizens protest, shooting and killing your own country men and women at sight.

It is also heart warming to note that those coronavirus profiteers were hugely disappointed when the Omicron variant which they had hyped and frightened people with did not pack the advertised punch and has now nearly fizzled out. It is a good thing to happen especially in a society where people are over-traumatized and dead tired of the coronavirus. Also, in ten days time President Joe Biden would have been in the White House for one full year and you ask yourself, judging from the way things are since he came on board, when Americans will finally apologize to the former President Donald John Trump for the hand which they dealt him on November 3rd, 2020.

Anyway, let's see what 2022 has in stock for the world and be hopeful that it will be an improvement from what 2021 came and went with. Like Sidney Poitier said, hope is the only tool in the survival kit of life, so we must have it in order to stand a chance at fighting through life. Reverend Jesse Jackson also implored us to keep hope alive and provided it is not the type of Barack Obama's styled hope and change, it is something worth trying in order to avert despondency and silly thoughts. We should therefore be grateful that we made it through yet another year and be optimistic that we shall improve our odds in the new year in every aspect of our lives as we desire and as shall only increase us and not diminish us in every way. God bless and once again, happy new year fellas.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON: MERRY CHRISTMAS AMERICA!

ICHEOKU says as the odyssey of Jesus Christ begins with his birth, the three wise men or Magi from the East with various gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh visiting to confirm his birth and worshipping him, may his birth berth for you all your heart desires that are good for you. 

As you enjoy the birthday of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, please don't forget those in real need who could use some gifts of kindness, love and sharing. Be their own Magi and on the authority of Matthew 25:40 Jesus will understand how and where you channeled his birthday gift. Merry Christmas people.

#METOO BELL TOLLS FOR SEX AND THE CITY'S MR BIG, CHRIS NOTH.

ICHEOKU says when Harvey Weinstein warned all men in America to wake up to the fact that the #MeToo train is barreling down on them, many men, in their attempt to be on the good side of the #MeToo hags, dismissed him as a "pig" who exploited women. But since his conviction and 23 years prison sentence several moons ago, many men have similarly been beheaded by the #MeToo hatchet wielders, the latest being Sex and the City's Mr Big, Chris Noth. 

Who would have believed or anticipated then when Harvey Weinstein's head was on the chopping block, that the Sarah Jessica Parker's tv paramour would himself be on the cusp of being taken down by these crazy feminists hound dogs. 

Anyway, it is unfortunate that the headcount keeps on rising and Chris Noth's head will soon increase the tally as just another statistic of men sexually abusing women. But when will American men collectively start fighting back to save themselves; and not wait for American women's hatred of them to continue to exact so much toll on them. 

Recall that Lenny Kravitz put his mouth on it, long before Harvey Weinstein acquired his poster-man status, in his song American Woman, where he succinctly captured American women's middle name, VENDETTA. They are going to get you, just don't make them mad enough to give them a reason to come after you. So, after Chris Noth, who is the next fall guy? But jjust an aside, does anybody know whether Sarah Jessica Parker has offered her support or mouthed off condemnation? 

GHISLAINE MAXWELL AND KIM PORTER TRIAL: BOTH WOMEN WILL BE CONVICTED.

ICHEOKU says both women did what they are accused of and charged with, and for which the jury in both cases are now deliberating their fate. The outcome in both cases is, to a logical assessment, certain; and both women will be convicted of their respective crimes, with the only exception being in what degree. This is where intent will play a huge role in either reducing or increasing the penalty each woman will be exposed to following their assured conviction. 

While Ghislaine Maxwell will get the maximum allowed penalty because she intended to achieve the outcome which resulted, playing the Lolita Madam and procuring young girls for sexual exploitation and gratification of Jeffrey Epson and his fellow revelers' the  former Minnesota police officer Kim Porter did not intend the outcome which resulted as she did not set out on that fateful day on training a newbie police officer, intending to shoot and kill the deceased. It was an accident and although otherwise avoidable, especially for an experienced police officer like her with over twenty years experience, stuff does sometimes happen. 

However, police is a stressful job and regardless of all their training, they are still human beings and we are not infallible. We make mistakes and we do cause and get involved in accidents. It happened in the heat of the moment and accompanying real time video of the incident aids her case very much. She meant to only taser the victim but mistook her gun for her taser and her reaction immediately following the discharging of the weapon couldn't have been a staged act, because it happened while the stress of the incident was still going on. 

But since death resulted, she will still be held responsible for causing it, hence the lower end of culpability, most likely manslaughter, to whatever degree applicable in Minnesota. She will do some time in the big house but for how long, ICHEOKU cannot definitively say. Also there was no gun found on the victim which could have caused a case of self defense to come to her rescue as being the only time killing of another person is ever justified and excused. 

It is sad that Daunte Wright acted a fool by resisting an arrest and it is also sad that Officer Kim Porter acted like a freshly minted rookie by mistaking her normal service gun for her normal service taser. It was carelessness on her part, bordering on negligence and recklessness; and it coming from a very experienced police officer like her will weigh heavily against her in the jury deliberation. But whatever weight it might exert, it cannot outweigh her lack of intent and she will get a light sentence. 

As for the spoiled English brat heiress of the Maxwell publishing family, she will get the maximum allowable sentence and will likely die in prison. She is as guilty as sin; and the jury will not waste much time in deliberating her case. She is the living Jeffrey Epson and whatever sentence the coward avoided by taking his life will now, by necessary implication, be transferred to his enabler and co-participant Ghislaine Maxwell. 

ICHEOKU says it is a safe bet to make that decisions in both cases will not survive Christmas and they will likely come down by Thursday December 23rd. The jury will like to be free so that they can go home to be with their families and spend the holiday together for Christmas. This imperative will persuade their speedy deliberations, and for such clear cut cases, it will make it much easier. The jury watch continues and hopefully they will also get it right like the jury in Kyle Rittenhouse and Ahmaud Arbery cases.

MANCHIN TORPEDOES BIDEN'S BUILD BACK BETTER AGENDA: THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS.

ICHEOKU says now Democrats can begin to understand what Republicans are plagued with in Senator Mitt Romney and the late Senator John McCain, having the proverbial "enemy within the house".  Their stab is usually felt the most, which forced Emperor Julius Caesar to remark, Et tu Brute? But unlike Brutus who waited for other conspirators to knife Caesar first, the senator from the great state of West Virginia went straight to the jugular and it was over in a matter of New York minute. 

ICHEOKU says is not sad nor pillorying the West Virginia senator for being gutsy and bucking his party. No, because as Democrats would say then of John McCain, each time he speared the Republican Party and then President Donald John Trump, that he was a man of great conviction who follows his conscience in doing what is right for American people rather than putting his party's interest first and above the American people. Recall that Trump's signature "repeal and replace Obamacare" agenda was deep-six by John McCain's NO VOTE; and Democrats celebrated him as a political hero. 

But unbeknownst to Democrats, their own day of reckoning was coming; a day when they will be the ones bemoaning the betrayal of one of their own. Senator Joe Manchin is now effectively their own albatross, a John McCain and Mitt Romney lumped into one; the proverbial fish bone stuck in the throat which cannot be coughed out nor swallowed down. Many would suggest  expelling Joe Manchin from the Democratic Party for bucking a Democratic Party's main domestic signature agenda. But if they do that, they will lose their razor thin majority in the senate which is currently split 50/50 with Vice President Kamala Harris providing the tie breaking Democratic Party's majority vote as president of the senate. 

However, where were all these people who are now castigating Joe Manchin for taking the wind out of the sail of Build Back Better, when John McCain and Mitt Romney were throwing their own darts at a Republican Party's president in the White House. They were gleefully enjoying it, feigning ignorance that sometimes what goes around does come around; and now that their own nemesis has finally rendezvoused with them, they are shouting like Chicken Little that the sky is falling down because Joe Manchin took a courageous stand.

It is Joe Manchin's eternal right to follow his conscience as a man of conviction who was sent to Washington DC by the great people of West Virginia to represent them. He knows what is in the best interest of West Virginians and only to them does he owe an eternal political duty; and not to the Democratic Party nor the Democratic Party's president. He simply followed his guts and everyone should respect his decision as only Joe Manchin knows exactly what West Virginians wishes are concerning the Build Back Better. 

He has now communicated that with a NO vote; and with it effectively laid to rest the woke effort at wealth retribution and incurring debts for generations yet unborn to be saddled with. The  cenotaph reads: 

"To a clueless government that has been wobbling right from the start, Build Back Better is now buried as another failure to launch, in continuation of the woeful tale of the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris inept administration. To a government which cannot get anything right and whose signature domestic agenda project has now bitten the dust courtesy of Joe Manchin's decision and is here interred." 

What a Christmas present President Joe Biden would rather not get from Senator Joe Manchin, except that nobody, not even a sitting president of the United States of America, has a choice in the matter whenever the grinch wants to steal Christmas. The green man this year as far as Build Back Better is concerned happens to have the face of Joe Manchin and he stole Joe Biden's Christmas. Madam Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be sulking too, ditto Chuck Schumer and all the other Democrats who wanted to hand Joe Biden a victory on his main and possibly ONLY domestic agenda project ever. They lost woefully thanks to one of their own party member. 

It is likely the starting of the feud of the Joes; and the Joe in the White House will be seething with anger and will take his pound of flesh as soon as any opening is spotted in the underbelly of the Joe in the Capitol. The long knives are out and the night is still early, who survives and will be still standing by the time the battle is over will depend on who outfoxed the other and the level of support of their home crowd. Will the Democratic Party make Joe Manchin pay a price for what he did by destroying their president's flagship domestic agenda? But what exactly can they even do anyway to a man who is so much loved by his fellow West Virginians. 

What a gift to the Republican Party, particularly to former President Donald John Trump, who is against the Build Back Better and had tried to persuade Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to kill it. But little did the former president know that help was on the way and it will be from Joe Manchin. Christmas this year in MarLargo will be very festive and probably the best Christmas ever, thanks to Joe Manchin's masterstroke that brought down the blimp of an administration which has been struggling to get airborne since its inception. Is this a precursor to Joe Manchin finally jumping ship and aligning forces with the Republican Party? 

Anyway, as the Build Back Better goes, so goes the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris administration as their whole essence was anchored on it. Without it, they are doomed politically and now, failure to launch will be their only lasting legacy. They got the White House by trickery, deceit and lies, and fat lady Karma was not amused by it and is increasingly getting more incensed and taking it out at them, both domestically and internationally. Almost one year after their inauguration, there is still nothing major or ground swelling to report, write home about or check in their column as a successful accomplishment. Hello, welcome a lame duck President Joe Biden.

110 YEARS FOR VEHICULAR HOMICIDE: AFFLUENZA DEFENSE NOT FOR HIS KIND?

ICHEOKU says what would ordinarily pass for vehicular manslaughter, with reasonable prison sentence, turned out to be overly punished and you wonder why? He is being punished for not thinking clearly in the heat of the moment when he lost the control of his timber-laden truck due to brakes failure; and did not have the presence of mind to take an immediate exit which would have assumedly prevented the accident. The ill-fated truck then rammed into other vehicles causing a fire which incinerated four people. The truck driver, Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos, was sentenced to 110 years in prison for the accident.

A very hard working 23 year old young man who was making a living driving a truck and hauling goods and commodities to help support his family. But he is of the wrong skin type, a Hispanic and not white; and also poor, and therefore not privileged of the Aflluenza defense. Recall that a rich underage white Texas boy, Ethan Couch, who was not even supposed to be drinking at his age, was driving drunk on his birthday when he rammed his brand new truck, a birthday gift from his wealthy parents, into some people trying to change their flat tire by the roadside, killing four of them. He was completely inebriated, high on drugs and drunk on alcoholic beverages at the time he was operating the vehicle (driving while intoxicated) killed four people and yet walked. 

Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos was not driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol as none was found in his blood. He was not over-speeding nor otherwise driving too dangerously and/or recklessly when the accident happened. It was an accident, his truck brakes failed and mechanical things do fail sometimes. Yet he was convicted on 27 counts including felonious vehicular homicide for an accident which was caused by brakes failure. But the Texas rich white spoiled kid, who did everything the opposite way, and killed the same number of four people as perished in this accident, walked away a free man. Really? Where is the justice in this case, juxtaposed with the Texas Affluenza defense kid. 

It is yet another example of the slanted application of justice in America or the perception of it; which fueled last year's summer destructive BLM's riot over the death of George Floyd by asphyxiation under the knee of convicted former police officer Derrick Chauvin. Such disparate, inexplicable and irreconcilable sentencing violates people's conscience and everything we hold dear about a fair justice system and should be discouraged. Two people caused two accidents, killing the same number of people, yet one walked away free and the other was sentenced to prison for more than 100 years, how interesting is this inequity.

The only major difference between both cases is the varied life circumstances of the two vehicle operators who caused the accident. One is a spoiled rich white kid with no real clue about life; and the other is an overworked and underpaid, struggling Hispanic young man who had a job, a duty and responsibility of providing for his family. Unlike the oblivious Texas spoiled white kid, this Hispanic guy Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos was very remorseful for causing the accident and even wished that the accident had claimed his own life instead of the deceased four people. 

But a judge claimed that her hands were tied by a sentencing guideline and you wonder why was an exception not made in this case by varying the said guideline, afterall as the name says, it is a mere guideline and not a binding obligation and judges are known to vary, amend and tweak rules with likely unjust outcome. Even in the Texas Affluenza defense case, the judge decided suo moto to rule as he did, despite the mountain of culpable evidence that would have sent the spoiled brat to prison for a long time. So, why did the judge in this Colorado case decide to rigidly tie the decision to the sentencing guideline.

ICHEOKU says if any case ever merited an appeal or the Colorado's governor's intervention this case sure does, as under no circumstances can the punishment be said to fit the crime. 110 years for vehicular manslaughter or homicide, however they may denote it. It is an overkill and simply outrageous and inexplicable; otherwise where is the callous mind of the driver in causing the accident that should operate as an aggravating factor. He wasn't on a joyride nor celebrating his birthday either; but was on duty, working hard to make some money with which to take care of his family and he was sober. Guideline or no guideline, the sentence does not make any rational sense no matter the prism it is seen.

So what if he missed an exit, millions of people miss their exits frequently; sometimes due to temporary distraction or not being in the right lane at the time they approached the exit or even for simply going at a speed that was impossible for them to make a safe lane change to accommodate an exit. Is this why a 23 year old young man will be going away for such a long time when even mass murderers sometimes don't get that many years in prison. It was an accident and four people died, alright; but it still does not justify the lengthy prison sentence. The 110 years prison sentence touches every fiber of the notion of justice for all, especially the circumstances considered in the light of the Texas Affluenza kid. 

NEW YORK CITY EERILY MIRRORING SAN FRANCISCO: ASSURED SAME OUTCOME?

ICHEOKU says the decay in San Francisco is so odious that anyone who knew the city will hardly recognize it now, the homelessness and general degradation currently being witnessed in the once golden city by the bay, considered. A city that used to be a Mecca of some sort for both tourists and holiday makers, but which woke liberal politics on steroids have turned upside down on its head that it is now headed straight into the sewer of decadence. 

All because of gross maladministration by a very incompetent female black mayor and a male black police chief who apparently has no clue on how to effectively police a city. The duo represent black folks in governance and their lackluster administration is giving credence to those naysayers who share the view that black people can hardly get anything right. 

To further elucidate their point, these doubters often point at Africa and the Caribbean as places being run by black people and how incompetently and inefficiently they are being run, the reason they are not thriving. They also segway to American cities such as San Francisco and Chicago as a continuity of the display of black people's lack of capacity to effectively govern. ICHEOKU says it is a bitter but true fact to concede that in many United States of America cities under black leadership, things are not going well compared to their white counterparts controlled cities. 

Whether it has something to do with genetical wiring or that these black folks are constrained by certain complexity which prevent them from effectively wielding the powers of their office, ICHEOKU does not know. Now that the big apple is awaiting its second black mayor, after the  not too stellar performance of first black mayor, with an also incoming first black female police chief, this question has once again resurfaced as people are very anxious about what another black governance of New York City will portend. 

The question on many people's lips is whether New York City will see a Mayor David Dinkins 2.0 in Eric Adams or will the incoming second black mayor redeem the sordid image which Dinkins left of black people in administration and governance. ICHEOKU says provided Eric Adams will be guided by his own election campaign promise to enforce the law and be fair to every New Yorker, his outcome might be different from the bad taste left in many New Yorker's mouth by the late Mayor David Dinkins. It is good too that New York state also has a black Attorney General, also a female; and they all can liaise with one another to achieve the compelling single common objective of restoring safety and security back to the big apple.

The other issue is the newly appointed first black female police chief Keechant Sewell and her chances of succeeding on her new assignment. She comes to the job with a resounding resume` as a proven crime fighter with the experience and emotional intelligence to deliver both the safety New Yorkers need and the justice they deserve. Hopefully she will live up as advertised, and stay laser-focused on keeping New Yorkers safe and improving the city's security situation. ICHEOKU wishes her well and wants her to succeed as her success will be very redemptive particularly for black folks and help rewrite the story. 

However, if the experience of San Francisco is anything to go by, then New Yorkers should curb their enthusiasm as they might not get the benefit of their bargain in electing their second black mayor, who also appointed the first black female police chief for the city. San Francisco is not doing well as a major American city as crimes and homelessness have exacerbated so exponentially that the city is now bordering on utter desolation. The state of affairs in San Francisco is another unfortunate testament that black city administrators succumb to the pressure of black activists, community leaders and religious leaders to go easy on black people committing crimes. 

These black city leaders are frequently persuaded to have a "heart" and not to be too tough on their own black people, resulting in making excuses for the violence and other crimes perpetrated by black people. Some of these frequently offered excuses include that these black crimes purveyors  are merely reacting to their harried upbringing and the lopsided maltreatment of their "white" oppressors. So, faced with the hard choice between effectively doing their job and keeping their black community happy, they often become undecided and equivocated, trapped in the middle and stagnated in a sort of fence-sitting situation, they end up weak and ineffective. 

San Francisco is suffering blithe today as a result of the knee-jerk approach to governance by the black female mayor and black police chief in charge of affairs in the city. Their weakness is once again portraying black people in governance in a very bad light as incompetent nincompoops who would rather frail their hands in utter resignation rather than do what is necessarily required to reposition their city and effectively starve off crimes. Hopefully the new black mayor and first female black police chief of New York City will learn from the ugly experience of San Francisco and be better; and in the long run prove the naysayers wrong by showing that black people can also make good administrators. 

All that is required of them to succeed is for them to be firm and fair; and always follow the law dispassionately, regardless of the color of the skin of the criminal offender. Once they can do this, they will succeed in their new assignments and make every New Yorker sing their praises. But whatever happens, New York City must not be allowed to degenerate any further than the parlous state in which the outgoing over-woke Mayor Bill De Blasio left it; or in a worst case scenario, be allowed to turn into a San Francisco of the East Coast. It is that bad in the city by the bay, overlooking the Golden Gate and Bay bridges, that it leaves people despondent. New York City cannot and should not aspire for such downfall.

Although, some people are already doubtful of the competence of the two incoming New York City leaders just because of the color of their skin, they must turn the handicap of low expectation around and use it as a motivating factor and disappoint those naysayers by proving them wrong with a splendid performance. Like millions of other people, ICHEOKU says will stay tuned; and also prayerful for both Eric Adams and Keechant Sewell to succeed because their success will be an overall success of and for black people. Congratulations Eric Adams and Keechant Sewell on your new positions. May the good Lord guide and protect you as you discharge your new duties to the city of New York, its residents and visitors alike. Please leave a lasting legacy, Make New York City Safe Again. Lets go EriKee!

ALEC BALDWIN: WHEN WILL HE BE ARRAIGNED FOR KILLING HALYNA HUTCHINS?

ICHEOKU says does not want to believe nor subscribe to the school of thought hedging that Alec Baldwin's playing former President Donald John Trump on Saturday Night Live purchased him some reprieve, a rather somewhat shifting immunity and is slow-walking his prosecution for causing the death of Halyna Hutchins. Any other lesser mortal would have since been indicted and most likely convicted and sentenced by now.

The argument is that Alec Baldwin is a bona fide woke figure who is fully vested in the leftist ideological drive to remake of America, and that the group protect and take care of their own. They also posit that you cannot get a more woke person than a feminist homosexual and that the Sante Fe District Attorney in charge of Alex Baldwin's case is both, hence the growing suspicion that there is a possibility of placing a finger on the scale to influence a different outcome and shield Alec Baldwin from justice. Will this succeed and will the nation stand idly by and watch Alec Baldwin be sprang out of the jaws of justice for the crime of killing Halyna Hutchins.

Nobody is saying that Alec Baldwin should be hanged for what he did; or that he should be charged with capital murder or even second degree murder. No, all that every dispassionate observer, who have been closely following developments in the case since that fateful day, wants is justice for Halyna Hutchins. These people are all agreed that the irate and irascible, choleric Trump impersonator did something which caused the death of Halyna Hutchins and therefore should be held responsible for her death. So many people who unfortunately took the lives of other people, in circumstances which could equally be explained away as "accidental and unintentional", have been indicted much sooner than the now prolonged and lingering expected indictment of Alec Baldwin. Why? 

A very explosive individual who has had several running ins with the law; who berated journalists and in fact punched someone in the past; and who merely now took his anger issues to the next level by in fact killing somebody. What is there to investigate that it is taking this long before bringing charges against him; and why is the investigation of what is an apparent open and closed case being seemingly slow walked? The crime scene is contained within the Bonanza Creek ranch and there is no debate in whose hand the gun was when it was discharged and killed Halyna Hutchins. 

Even if somebody allegedly shouted "cold gun", did the same voice also order him to pull the trigger? A matter made more indictable because we were equally told too that no scene was being acted at the time the gun went off, courtesy of Alec Baldwin's finger; admitted he now wants us to believe that he has no control of his finger or that the gun was a zombie gun capable of firing on its own. Can whoever is delaying the indictment of Alec Baldwin put himself or herself in the shoes of Halyna Hutchins' loved ones and how they must be feeling right now about an otherwise avoidable killing of their beloved Halyna and the fact that her killer is still walking around freely.

ICHEOKU says the least the Santa Fe District Attorney can do is to bring charges against Alec Baldwin and let the jury of his peers determine his culpability of lack thereof. This is not too much to ask of her unless she feels that the white life of Halyna Hutchins did not matter enough to warrant indicting the person that took it. If Halyna Hutchins was black, will the snail-speed in  "investigating" the case be the same or would the fear of the wrath of Black Lives Matter movement have forced a much sooner indictment of her killer. Why is Alec Baldwin still walking around a free man and making it impossible for her to complete her crossover and begin to rest in peace. Please Madam District Attorney, help Halyna Hutchins' soul to move on, prosecute her killer now, his name is Alec Baldwin.

HALYNA HUTCHINS' QUESTION FROM THE GRAVE: IS ALEC BALDWIN ABOVE THE LAW?

ICHEOKU says when you think that it is only Queen Crooked Crying Hillary Clinton and few other fellow democrats that are above the law, here comes the Trump impersonator Alec Baldwin saying me too, am above the law, so pease add me to the list. According to his body language,  he screams "am woke and the woke-centric liberal media are protecting me from facing the music of my action." 

Halyna Hutchins was somebody's child and daughter; aunt, relative, wife, mother and friend to others. These people have not been satisfactorily told why and how their beloved Halyna was killed; and their pain is not going away, at least not any time soon and not until her killer is brought to justice. 

The only way Alec Baldwin would walk is if he had killed her in self defense just like Kyle Rittenhouse; but even that will still require him first going through the process to establish his self defense. Alec Baldwin is responsible to a certain degree for the death of Halyna Hutchins and should be made to pay for his crime. Until then, there will be no rest for him as Halyna is still yet to rest in peace, waiting for her killer to be first punished before she can finally crossover.

SAY HER NAME: HALYNA HUTCHINS.

ICHEOKU says were Alec Baldwin a conservative, non woke and non white person, would he still be walking around a free man, after a zombie gun in his hand magically pulled its own trigger and fired the shot that killed Halyna Hutchins? Alec Baldwin is culpable to some degree in causing the death of Halyna Hutchins; and should be put through the justice system. Halyna Hutchins soul is crying for justice and she cannot rest in peace until justice is served for her killing. Her white life matters! Her name is Halyna Hutchins! Alec Baldwin killed her or at least had the smoking gun in his hand. No justice for Halyna, no peace for Alec Baldwin.

JUSTICE FOR HALYNA HUTCHINS.

ICHEOKU says who is shielding the killer of Halyna Hutchins, Trump impersonator Alec Baldwin from justice. Even if he did not intend to kill her, he still killed her; and therefore should be put through the process for some degree of accountability, at least manslaughter or as woke culture would rather have it, "woman slaughter" for whatever that might mean. The gun was in his hands when it went off, regardless of his tale of "it wasn't me" and that a phantom finger pulled the trigger. Bring charges against Alec Baldwin and do it now! Halyna cannot rest in peace until her killer is punished. Alec Baldwin did the crime and he should do the time as well.

JUSSIE SMOLLETT CONVICTED: A SHAMELESS INVETERATE LIAR.

ICHEOKU says for the fourth time this year, juries in America have proved themselves worthy of the trust and confidence reposed on them to follow the evidence in arriving at their verdicts. Four cases which captured the nation's and to a large extent, global attention, were decided by the jury and they came out in flying colors. 

First was the Minneapolis jury which convicted former police officer Derek Chauvin for murdering George Floyd. Then the Kenosha jury found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty by reason of self defense in the killing of two BLM knuckleheads. Third was the Brunswick Georgia jury which found the three white men who killed Ahmaud Arbery guilty as charged; and now the latest Cooke County jury which has formally determined Jussie Smollett a liar by convicting him for repeatedly lying to the police about a staged hate crime attack against him. 

For most people who dispassionately assessed these four cases, the four respective jury verdicts merely formalized outcomes that were expected because they were obviously predictable. So, the four verdicts were more or less affirmations; and also confidence builders in our justice system as the juries got them all right. They did not allow themselves to be distracted by the noise of the politics surrounding the cases, nor were they derailed into taking their focus off the evidence; rather they followed the evidence right to the very end. Their verdicts were all the correct and right verdicts, and for this reason the nation is grateful that the system worked as ordained and expected.

Although sometimes, some verdicts defies every imaginable logic and reason, the reason some people are oftentimes dubious about the American justice system. But these four verdicts clearly inoculated the jury system and reassured everyone that justice can still be served by the American jury, regardless of the pressure mounted on them to try and force a different outcome. The four verdicts are soothing development and also very big gifts to America's justice system as they banished all the doubts about getting justice therefrom. They also restored confidence and trust that justice is still capable of being served in America.

ICHEOKU says is not rejoicing that Jussie Smollett was convicted by a jury of his peers for repeatedly lying to the police during the course of investigating his hoax; but he did the crime and the jury agrees and so, he should do the time. What he did nearly set the nation ablaze as he tried to pitch black people against white people, and the homosexual community against the straight community in what would have been a very bad hate crimes disorder. He is openly gay homosexual black man and by his action, represented both the gasoline and match stick; only that the investigation stopped the striking of the match and saved the day.

Jussie Smollett is one heck of a weirdo as just being queer is not enough to encapsulate the disaster which he attempted to bring about with that hoax. He therefore deserves whatever comes to him by way of punishment for the crimes he committed and he should employ the same brazen audacity with which he perpetrated it in serving his time in prison. ICHEOKU says  he deserves to be given some time in the big house to enable him thinking through what he failed to think through before putting the wheel of his action in motion. Probation or fine or suspended sentence will not serve the justice which the jury intended by their verdict. He should do some time, no matter the length of its duration.

Now to other asides from the verdict: the verdict reiterates the need for politicians to learn to curb their enthusiasm, proceed with caution and not to always be in a rush to dabble into every evolving situation and development in the country to foster their political nest. It was the second time President Joe Biden should be regretful for rushing in to give his two cents opinion, one being when he called Kyle Rittenhouse a racist killer only to be later shamed into self-guilt by the jury verdict. Now, another jury has again forced him to eat the humble pie by determining that nobody attacked Jussie Smollett because of who he sleeps with or his diluted hybrid color. It was a hoax, he staged it and the jury agreed. 

The other politician who should be showing serious remorse right now because of her unguarded rush into the Smollett matter is the Cooke County District Attorney Kim Foxx. She rushed to give Jussie Smollett a free pass before getting all the facts of the evidence which showed otherwise. Now, she has once again been disavowed by the jury, in addition to the earlier rebuke by a grand jury which restored the dropped charges against Jussie Smollett. Everything in America must not always have to be seen through the prism of black and white skin colors; or pursued in the "we against them" warring mode. Jussie did it and the DA should have assessed the case dispassionately without factoring in the color of Jussie Smollett or that he prefers to sleep with his fellow men. 

Anyway, as the nation awaits Jussie Smollett's sentencing, in the interest of continuing the now undeniably restored fair justice, Halyna Hutchins' killer Alec Baldwin should be immediately indicted for discharging the bullet which pierced her heart, killing her instantly. He did it, the gun discharged in his hand and he too should be put through the process and if found guilty by a jury of his peers, do the time accordingly. But to allow Alec Baldwin to continue walking around a free man and giving useless interviews which insults our collective intelligence, offends and challenges everything about this newly restored faith in our justice system. His freedom needs to end now so that justice can be done for Halyna Hutchins because she cannot rest in peace until justice is served on her killer.