Category Archives: Politics

Charles Barkley Should Shut Up!

Posted on December 4, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Charles Barkley the NBA “great,” in response to the Michael Brown killing in Ferguson, Missouri, stated in a CNN interview that “this notion, that cops are out there just killing black men, is ridiculous.” Remember the “I am not a … Continue reading →

Posted in crime, Justice Chronicles, juveniles, MIssouri, Murder, NYPD, police involved shooting, police-involved killing, Politics, raising black boys, Uncategorized, Urban Impact | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

From my book, “Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats” — for Eric Garner, RIP

Posted on December 3, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Blue Knight Riders They don’t wear white sheets Or burn crosses in the night, But there’s an unmistakable connection Between these blue and white knights. They kill innocent Black males For horrific crimes real and imagined, And because grand juries … Continue reading →

Posted in crime, Justice Chronicles, Murder, NYPD, police-involved killing, Politics, Uncategorized, Urban Impact | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Excerpt from my book, “Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass: Remembering Things Past and Present”

Posted on November 4, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

From George Washington to George Bush. From the birth of a nation to a kinder, gentler nation. From Thomas Jefferson to William Jefferson Clinton. From Democratic Republicanism to the New Democrats. From honest Abe to tricky Dick to Slick Willie. … Continue reading →

Posted in Black patriotism, Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass, John F. Kennedy, Politics, Revolution, Slavery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Two Classic Speeches on Voting

Posted on October 31, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

With Election Day right around the corner, now is a good time to read or re-read two pieces, Frederick Douglass’ “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro,” given on July 5, 1852, and Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the … Continue reading →

Posted in Black patriotism, Education, John F. Kennedy, Justice Chronicles, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Patriotism, Politics, Revolution | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Frederick Douglass’ “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” (July 5, 1852)

Posted on October 31, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Mr. President, Friends and Fellow Citizens: He who could address this audience without a quailing sensation, has stronger nerves than I have. I do not remember ever to have appeared as a speaker before any assembly more shrinkingly, nor with … Continue reading →

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Vision Zero? A Whole Lot of Nothing

Posted on October 28, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On October 27, 2014, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio signed a law to lower speed limit in NYC to 25 mph. Granted, New Yorkers drive too fast and there are far too many injuries and fatalities caused by speeding drivers. … Continue reading →

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Parole, higher education, felony-murder and more

Posted on July 22, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

CPR has been in the forefront, advocating for fair parole practices in New York since it was founded in 1999.  Since then, other advocates and people who care about justice have looked at the issue of parole.  Right now, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice Chronicles, Life Sentences, Murder, Parole, Politics, Reentry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Waiting for Parole — Between Hope and Despair

Posted on July 19, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

One of the most powerful forces is hope, oftentimes counterbalanced by despair.  In the criminal justice system, nothing inspires more hope than the possibility of being granted and being released to parole supervision.  On the other hand, nothing drops one … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice Chronicles, Life Sentences, Murder, Parole, Politics, Reentry, Shawshank Redemption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Andrew the Ambitious

Posted on April 3, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Nearly two months ago, when Andrew Cuomo, New York’s Governor, announced that he would use public money to finance higher education in prison, in some quarters people thought that the state was finally wising up and was going to be … Continue reading →

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No Right More Basic Than the Right to Vote

Posted on April 3, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

In the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on political campaign contributions, McCutcheon V. FEC, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote, “There is no right in our democracy more basic than the right to participate in electing our political leaders.” … Continue reading →

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