EDITORIAL
BY KRISTOPHER SEALS
Hello Readers,
“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in…” – The Godfather: Part III (1990)
It’s me again. I thought that I would be able to step away from scribing one of these editorials, but the news cycle burst wide open, making this mandatory.
Where to begin? Well, let’s start at home. On May 9, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested at the Delaney Hall ICE facility. That we know is a fact. However, there are two wildly different sides to this story.
On one hand, Baraka and his supporters say that he did nothing wrong, and that Trump personnel wanted to flex and make an example out of the mayor.
On the other hand, Alina Habba, who was appointed by Trump as the interim AG for New Jersey, said in an X (fka Twitter) post that Baraka, “committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center…”
She then followed up with the obligatory “NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW” line that people in power love to preach, but is really just a farce at this point (more on this in a bit).
So, with all of that, here is the question, “Was Baraka hassled because of his disapproval of Trump, or was his actions a political stunt to help his gubernatorial bid?” At this point, who knows?
Here is what I have learned. I spoke with people to gauge if they thought this fracas would pretty much make Baraka a lock to win the election. To my surprise, most of them felt that it really didn’t move the meter in that direction. With that mind, here is how – wait, NOPE. Like I said weeks ago, if a real candidate wants to win, HIRE me as a consultant. Again, I’m serious.
Speaking of Newark mayors, Sharpe James – revered by many, hated by some – has passed away at age 89. During his unprecedented 20 year run from 1986-2006 leading Newark, he championed knocking down old projects, and rechristened Newark as a “Renaissance City” with attractions like NJPAC and the Prudential Center.
Unfortunately, his record also includes being locked up on charges of mail fraud and conspiracy. Years after his release, he tried an unsuccessful city council bid that was blocked due to his prior conviction.
It’s a complicated legacy. Some praise him for how much he loved Newark. Others dislike him over allegations of bullying and the infamous prison sentence.
Ironically, what James did as part of his criminality is nowhere near as bad as other politicians – who have not even been charged.
This harkens back to a previous point, which is “no one is above the law.” First of all, that is BS. There are PLENTY of people above the law. Here are a few: #1. The people upholding the law. If there is no one to “police the police,” or if you have people in that capacity who are corrupt themselves, then they are above the law.
#2. La Cosa Nostra. Yes, some members of the mob do get bagged by the feds. However, note that I wrote “some” and not all. If you even think about prosecuting certain members of the family, an angry crew will make Swiss cheese of your car. #3. “Undocumented migrants” – or “illegal immigrants” for a LOT of our readers (you have no idea what kind of emails we get). Sanctuary cities have put in rules that make it difficult to hold them legally accountable for anything.
And last but not least… #4. People with money. Enough said. Oh, and #5. Foreign diplomats. This is where the term “diplomatic immunity” gets tossed around.
In other news, we have a new Pope – and he’s American. Yeah! Years ago, a boy was born Robert Prevost in Chicago, and now he is known as Pope Leo XIV. He speaks multiple languages and has a missionary spirit. I wish him the best, as we live in a very hateful world.
Finally, the NBA held its annual Draft Lottery, and what a surprise (not really). Despite less than a 2% chance of winning, the Dallas Mavericks won the #1 pick. Now, there is only one question that comes mind… Why does this smell fishy? (Ha! You thought I was going say, “Who will they pick first?” Come on, unless they get a huge trade package, it’s Cooper Flagg. Duh.)
Think about it. They traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers, the NBA’s premiere team, making them relevant for years to come, and now they get the first pick. Years ago, the Lakers did everything but commit tampering to get Anthony Davis from the Pelicans. When the trade was essentially a done deal even though the season hadn’t even ended yet, the Pelicans just so happened to get the #1 pick themselves.
This nonsense is not just a recent phenomenon. The first lottery had the NEW YORK Knicks getting the #1 pick and with it, Patrick Ewing. In 2003, the Cleveland Cavaliers got quasi-hometown boy LeBron James, and a few years later, Chicago got the right to take its hometown kid Derrick Rose.
Sure, it’s nice that the NBA has a lottery to keep teams from outright tanking, but those ping pong balls seem to be “above the law.”
Have a nice day.
