A Bitter Anniversary

Saturday, December 9th, marks a bitter anniversary for the family of Daniel Faulkner. Twenty-five years ago, Faulkner was a police officer in Philadelphia conducting what should have been a routine traffic stop when he met with his tragic fate.

A fate at the end of a gun wielded by Mumia Abu Jamal.

In the years since Mumia shot Faulkner, he's become a cause celebre for the faux left. He's written books, been a commencement speaker, had a radio show, was scheduled to be a contributor to National Public Radio, and has been made an honorary citizen of Paris and San Francisco. He's also threatened a judge, admitted to killing Faulkner while Mumia was being wheeled into the hospital because of a gunshot wound Faulkner was able to inflict on him before being killed in cold blood, and been granted more appeals than he's worth.

But, of course, Mumia is a victim, according to the faux left. He's a "political prisoner." His trial was "flawed." There were witnesses that "exonerate" him. It's all a "conspiracy to silence a black leader."

That's where the Hollywood Left comes into play. Actors like Ed Asner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, and Mike Farrell have all come to Mumia's defense, spouting the usual anti-death penalty lines about how people like Mumia are on Death Row in greater numbers than their white counterparts, thus there has to be racism involved. And because there's racism, there has to be flaws in the trial itself, so we can't put poor, innocent Mumia Abu Jamal to death!

And these arguments would be persuasive...if they weren't pure bull. Mumia shot Faulkner with a gun that he bought. Witnesses testified to Mumia being the one who shot him. Mumia admitted to it and has never once said he's innocent. The only thing keeping him from having Hitler as a bunkmate at Uncle Satan's Happytime Eternal Damnation Camp...is the will to give him the one-way ticket.

I don't have a vested interest in seeing Mumia fried instead of freed, but I do want to see justice done in this case. Faulkner's family deserves closure. Every day Mumia is alive denies Faulkner's family that closure. Twenty-five years is twenty-five years too long. The facts are out there. Mumia did it. Put him out of the Faulkners' misery.

And out of ours.