|
Post by Willing Sniper on Dec 8, 2014 9:47:24 GMT -8
Mark Wahlberg shouldn't get a pardon for his teenage violence, but there’s one thing he’s right about Gwynn Guilford - December 6, 2014
An ex-con in search of redemption—and it's not even one of his movie plots. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson)
On the night of April 8, 1988, in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, a teenager named Mark Wahlberg wanted some beer—badly. So badly, in fact, that he attacked a man carrying two cases of beer, bashing his head open with a five-foot-long stick. A few blocks later, Wahlberg punched another man in the eye, blinding him. After his arrest—during which police found him carrying a small amount of marijuana—Wahlberg called his victims “slant-eyed gooks” and other ethnic slurs. Though 16 at the time of the assaults, Wahlberg was convicted as an adult and sentenced to three months in prison, reports the AP. He was released after serving about 45 days. His past hasn’t barred Wahlberg (as “Marky Mark”) from a platinum single, or from Times Square beefcake billboards. Nor from becoming an actor praised for his work in Boogie Nights, The Departed, and other films. Wahlberg, now 43, is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, and his company has produced popular TV shows such as Entourage and Boardwalk Empire. But his criminal record has prevented him from getting restaurant licenses in some states, and made him unable to conduct philanthropic work with at-risk youth. This is why Wahlberg is asking the governor of Massachusetts to pardon his convictions, according to his application (pdf): Wahlberg shouldn’t get a pardon.
Not because his crimes were so heinous. Though they certainly were—and the two assaults in 1988 weren’t even the extent of them. As The Smoking Gun reports, a 15-year-old Wahlberg and two friends attacked a group of black schoolchildren, hollering the n-word at them. And in 1993, he and a friend battered a man so severely that the victim’s jaw had to be wired shut. And not just because people seldom get pardons, even for 25-year-old crimes. If Massachusetts governor-elect Charlie Baker and the Governor’s Council pardon him, it will likely be because of his celebrity, not his contrition. Not even because, at a time when so many white men seem to be above the law when it comes to violence against non-whites, pardoning Wahlberg would send a message that whites can do wrong with impunity. He should not be pardoned, because, instead of pardoning him, state and federal governments should ease laws that prevent convicted felons like him from fully participating in society—that let past convictions for which felons have already been punished continue to “legally impact” them, as Wahlberg put it, for the rest of their lives. These laws bar ex-offenders from a whole host of things, from opening a restaurant or obtaining public housing to being eligible for student financial aid. Around 5.9 million Americans are barred from voting because they have felony convictions, says the Sentencing Project (pdf), a non-profit advocacy group. If Wahlberg lived in Nevada or Kentucky, for instance, he wouldn’t be allowed to vote at all. This systematic disenfranchisement disproportionately affects black people. For instance, in Florida, Kentucky, and Virginia, more than one out of every five black adults is not allowed to vote, says the Sentencing Project. Even though he’s a silver screen mega-star, Wahlberg is still affected by a vast latticework of laws and practices that makes it hard for ex-offenders to find jobs. As Wahlberg has discovered, his assault felony bars him from working with “vulnerable individuals,” including in childcare, healthcare, and education. Wahlberg’s ineligibility for running restaurants in California and other states is an example of the sweeping barriers against ex-felons hoping to work in licensed industries. In New York, for instance, licensing rules against ex-offenders bar them from becoming barbers, cosmetologists, and real estate agents, says Alyssa Aguilera of VOCAL-NY, a grassroots organization focused on HIV, drugs, and incarceration. If Wahlberg’s six-pack and clunky rapping hadn’t launched his early celebrity, he’d likely have joined the ranks of what are now 70 million people—one in four American adults—who struggle to find work due to past arrests or convictions. Unemployment rates for offenders a year out of prison are around 60 to 75%. One 2009 study in New York City found that a criminal record reduces the likelihood of a callback or job offer by half, and even more so for black candidates. Though a number of states limit employers’ use of arrest and conviction records in making hiring decisions, a majority don’t. And while excluding every candidate with a criminal record is generally illegal under federal law, enforcement favors employer discretion. This crimp on male employment is also bad for the US economy, contributing to an estimated loss of up to $65 billion in output, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Those that can’t get jobs have to make money somehow, which likely explains why employment is a major factor in slashing recidivism. This is slowly changing; in the last few years, at least 12 states have “banned the box,” as it’s called, striking the felony conviction box from job applications. Reform on voting rights is gaining momentum too. But poor ex-offenders in particular still face colossal hurdles to re-entering society, says VOCAL-NY’s Aguilera. “Employment, housing, and democracy are pretty major things in people’s lives,” she says. “So these laws end up having an impact on what your potential is.” Some argue that because the 70 million other ex-offenders still have to suffer the consequences of this bigotry, that Wahlberg deserves no special treatment just because he’s rich, famous, and white. But do people really think Wahlberg’s past—violent and racist as it is—has any bearing on whether he should be allowed to sling fancy burgers and help kids? If anything, Wahlberg’s plea for such mundane rights is a rare reminder of how profoundly this prejudice against ex-offenders is embedded in federal and state law. In that sense, the problem isn’t so much Wahlberg’s gall in asking for what seems like special treatment by the system; it’s the system itself. Wahlberg does indeed deserve the same thing as those tens of millions of other Americans: better. Source
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2014 9:59:43 GMT -8
I know people who have applied for and received a pardon.
If they process allows for such a thing, Wahlberg has every right to apply. He has lived 26 years on the straight and narrow, that is something to consider.
|
|
|
Post by Willing Sniper on Dec 8, 2014 10:03:23 GMT -8
A violent racist with money, and celebrity, is still a violent racist. "Mel Gibson"
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2014 10:08:05 GMT -8
A violent racist with money, and celebrity, is still a violent racist. "Mel Gibson" Imagine if the things you did when you were 15 and 16 were held against you for the rest of your life? 26 years have passed by without incident, I think it is safe to say that Wahlberg is not a violent racist nor a threat to society. In fact he seems to want to work with "at risk" youth, this would be a good way to use his celebrity status. IMO.
|
|
|
Post by Willing Sniper on Dec 8, 2014 10:09:17 GMT -8
It's the law. pfft.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2014 10:12:17 GMT -8
He was 15 and 16 at the time of the incidents. I think that has to be taken into consideration. Also, the pardon system is there for a reason. Besides, he is cute.
|
|
|
Post by Willing Sniper on Dec 8, 2014 10:16:06 GMT -8
he a POS racist. Sell the business to your brother.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2014 10:28:47 GMT -8
he a POS racist. Sell the business to your brother. For these two crimes, which occurred two months before his 17th birthday, Wahlberg was tried as an adult, and charged with attempted murder. He eventually pleaded guilty to assault, and was given a two-year prison sentence at Suffolk County Deer Island House of Correction, but was released after serving just 45 days. According to Wahlberg, his time in prison, as well as the guidance of a parish priest, helped him turn his life around. “As soon as I began that life of crime, there was always a voice in my head telling me I was going to end up in jail,” he said. “Three of my brothers had done time. My sister went to prison so many times I lost count. Finally I was there, locked up with the kind of guys I’d always wanted to be like. Now I'd earned my stripes and I was just like them, and I realized it wasn't what I wanted at all. I’d ended up in the worst place I could possibly imagine and I never wanted to go back. First of all, I had to learn to stay on the straight and narrow.” I am deeply sorry for the actions that I took on the night of April 8, 1988, as well as for any lasting damage I may have caused the victims,” he wrote in the petition. “Since that time, I have dedicated myself to becoming a better person and citizen so that I can be a role model to my children and others.” Source
|
|
|
Post by Willing Sniper on Dec 8, 2014 10:50:45 GMT -8
Boo fucking Hoo.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2014 10:53:07 GMT -8
I think he is a good example of a success story and a great role model. He came from a bad area of town, he had brothers who were also in trouble with the law.
Kudo's to him for turning his life around.
I think he should be considered for a pardon.
|
|
|
Post by Willing Sniper on Dec 8, 2014 10:54:14 GMT -8
Nothing like having money.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2014 10:57:17 GMT -8
Nothing like having money. Nothing like working hard for the good life and success, the fruits of which sometimes provide a decent income. Do you dislike him because he is successful? Don't be jealous.
|
|
|
Post by Willing Sniper on Dec 8, 2014 10:59:18 GMT -8
No, I just don't use his success and advantages due to his success to judge him any differently than any other violent racist.
|
|
|
Post by ♬ pkbucko ♬ on Dec 8, 2014 11:00:04 GMT -8
Screw Marky Mark.
And race has NOTHING to do with it. If he hadn't uttered any racial slurs, his crimes still would have warranted conviction.
|
|
|
Post by ♬ pkbucko ♬ on Dec 8, 2014 11:01:07 GMT -8
Nothing like having money. Nothing like working hard for the good life and success, the fruits of which sometimes provide a decent income. Do you dislike him because he is successful? Don't be jealous. He is in a unique position because of his fame and money, but that shouldn't affect him in the eyes of the law.
|
|
|
Post by Willing Sniper on Dec 8, 2014 11:03:31 GMT -8
His hate crimes are abhorrent. People have problems separating him from the characters he plays.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2014 11:04:40 GMT -8
No, I just don't use his success and advantages due to his success to judge him any differently than any other violent racist. He was a child at the time of the incidents, a teenager, not an adult. Don't you believe in second chances or rehabilitation?
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2014 11:05:20 GMT -8
Nothing like working hard for the good life and success, the fruits of which sometimes provide a decent income. Do you dislike him because he is successful? Don't be jealous. He is in a unique position because of his fame and money, but that shouldn't affect him in the eyes of the law. I agree, he should be judged on what he has or hasn't done in the last 26 years. That is what a pardon is about.
|
|
|
Post by Willing Sniper on Dec 8, 2014 11:05:51 GMT -8
No, I just don't use his success and advantages due to his success to judge him any differently than any other violent racist. He was a child at the time of the incidents, a teenager, not an adult. Don't you believe in second chances or rehabilitation? No, people don't change they suppress for their own benefit.
|
|
|
Post by Willing Sniper on Dec 8, 2014 11:07:15 GMT -8
He is in a unique position because of his fame and money, but that shouldn't affect him in the eyes of the law. I agree, he should be judged on what he has or hasn't done in the last 26 years. That is what a pardon is about. No the pardon is about him making more money. Pushing aside standing laws that continue to apply to others because he's a celebrity.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2014 11:07:30 GMT -8
He was a child at the time of the incidents, a teenager, not an adult. Don't you believe in second chances or rehabilitation? No, people don't change they suppress for their own benefit. So you are the same person now as you were when you were in your teens? I think the teen years are tough, that is why there are juvenile records and children are not usually charged as adults.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2014 11:08:04 GMT -8
I agree, he should be judged on what he has or hasn't done in the last 26 years. That is what a pardon is about. No the pardon is about him making more money. Pushing aside standing laws that continue to apply to others because he's a celebrity. No, he could put it all in his wife's name if that was all it was about.
|
|
|
Post by ♬ pkbucko ♬ on Dec 8, 2014 11:11:08 GMT -8
His hate crimes are abhorrent. People have problems separating him from the characters he plays. You're a one note samba. Race hatred doesn't matter. Actions matter. Those little bastards that beat the Bosnian man to death with hammers probably had hate in their hearts but that's irrelevant. Hitting a person with a hammer until he dies is what matters.
|
|
|
Post by Willing Sniper on Dec 8, 2014 11:12:11 GMT -8
No, people don't change they suppress for their own benefit. So you are the same person now as you were when you were in your teens? I think the teen years are tough, that is why there are juvenile records and children are not usually charged as adults. I am except for understanding how to color in the lines. Just because he can camouflage his inner self doesn't mean he should be able to sidestep the law.
|
|
|
Post by ♬ pkbucko ♬ on Dec 8, 2014 11:12:22 GMT -8
No, people don't change they suppress for their own benefit. So you are the same person now as you were when you were in your teens? I think the teen years are tough, that is why there are juvenile records and children are not usually charged as adults. Yeah, but we're not talking about underage drinking here or even just smoking pot. He actually did something to warrant jail time.
|
|
|
Post by Willing Sniper on Dec 8, 2014 11:14:08 GMT -8
His hate crimes are abhorrent. People have problems separating him from the characters he plays. You're a one note samba. Race hatred doesn't matter. Actions matter. Those little bastards that beat the Bosnian man to death with hammers probably had hate in their hearts but that's irrelevant. Hitting a person with a hammer until he dies is what matters. I like samba. Hate crimes matter. And if it's found that the little bastards committed a hate crime they should be charged additionally
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2014 11:14:19 GMT -8
So you are the same person now as you were when you were in your teens? I think the teen years are tough, that is why there are juvenile records and children are not usually charged as adults. I am except for understanding how to color in the lines. Just because he can camouflage his inner self doesn't mean he should be able to sidestep the law. His "inner self" as it was when he was a teenager? Give me a break, people DO change, they grow the hell up.
|
|
|
Post by ♬ pkbucko ♬ on Dec 8, 2014 11:14:43 GMT -8
You're a one note samba. Race hatred doesn't matter. Actions matter. Those little bastards that beat the Bosnian man to death with hammers probably had hate in their hearts but that's irrelevant. Hitting a person with a hammer until he dies is what matters. I like samba. Hate crimes matter. And if it's found that the little bastards committed a hate crime they should be charged additionally Seriously? What's worse than murder?
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2014 11:15:34 GMT -8
I like samba. Hate crimes matter. And if it's found that the little bastards committed a hate crime they should be charged additionally Seriously? What's worse than murder? If you just HATE everyone, then every murder is a hate crime.
|
|
|
Post by Willing Sniper on Dec 8, 2014 11:19:28 GMT -8
I like samba. Hate crimes matter. And if it's found that the little bastards committed a hate crime they should be charged additionally Seriously? What's worse than murder? Committing the crime based on something the victim could never change. There color or ethnicity, nationality, etc. Committing a crime on the basis of a status protected under the law carries extra charges. It's like making fun of people because of disabilities.
|
|