New Haven Independent

Posted by: Outta-order | January 23, 2008 1:49 PM

He'll get a lot of flack for vocalizing the truth.

Posted by: darnell | January 23, 2008 2:11 PM

Go Bill Dyson. The money spent in this bill could have beefed up police departments, or provided jobs to youth during the summer, or any number of positive activities.

Posted by: Webblogger 1 | January 23, 2008 5:21 PM

Dyson argued that the package voted on in the special session wouldn't have changed what happened in Cheshire. He also noted that in cases where black people are brutally murdered -- as opposed to white people, as in Cheshire -- the legislature sees little need to respond, let along hold a special session and seek to overhaul the system.

"I understand the desire for a response" to Cheshire," Dyson said. "I [also[ know a guy [who was African-American] got killed on Chapel Street in June by someone on furlough from the state [as in teh Cheshire case]. There was silence.... Someone gets killed in Cheshire, we turn this place over. What's the difference? I know the difference. You know the difference.

Bill,
Clearly there is obviously a major difference in the way the legislature has responded in this instance, nevertheless, it is a done deal.
In as much as the future is concerned, we expect that all victims, inluding minorities, will be represented under this new law. I do not believe you can afford to throw out the baby with the water. Good job Bill.

Posted by: robn | January 23, 2008 6:25 PM

I like Bill Dyson because he's got a finely tuned BS-Detector and seems to always lucidly and gracefully speak the truth. In this case though, he might be a bit off base.

This article isn't completely clear about Rep Dyson's critique, but if his critique of the bill has to do with WHAT event triggered an emotional public response, well you can't blame the majority of suburban CT residents for responding to an event that feels like it could happen to them.

If Rep Dyson's critique has to do with an perceived lack of sympathy for victims of inner city violence, well, the recent Advocate describing a pattern of self-censorship and silence in poor neighborhoods who have been victimized by gun violence certainly doesn't elicit sympathy from outsiders.

http://www.newhavenadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=5317

Maybe Rep Dyson's critique is really about the media portrayal of the value of the lives of urbanites vs suburbanites?

In any event, if theres something in the new laws that try "predict behavior", it sounds a bit orwellian and scary, but this article doesn't really cover that. If Rep Dyson is advocating patience for home invasion, he should reconsider the position.

Posted by: mort | January 23, 2008 7:33 PM

I agree with Dyson.

But I have been meaning to talk to him, because he killed a bill last year that would have helped further the criminal justice reforms he wants by demanding the death penalty repeal be added to it.

Posted by: josh jones | January 23, 2008 9:32 PM

I see where this man comin from. But he wrong. If a man do 3 big crimes he aint gonna stop. He need be put away a long time befor he do 4 5 or 6 crimes. they may get worse. he may kill. yo got to protect us from this. We all has rights. Right to live. Right to peace. Right to free speche. But the bad guy he has more rights. Right to kill. Right to free trail. Right to live of us tax dollars for years. Right to probation. Right to state help. Where the justis.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | January 24, 2008 9:45 AM

Webblogger 1

Well put.

As I read some comments and watched the hearings and debates I wondered if people where hearing what I heard. This was about getting VILOENT criminals off the street! Not drug dealers and petty criminals. RAPESTS, MURDERS People that are going to get to Rape 3 times...murder 3 times before we say enough is enough! And that is unfair???
I do think that walker and the hartford guy as well as dyson made very important points about offering real reform when people are in the dept of "corrections".
But that was not what was on the table.

ok get ready to throw some more stones at me.....

But.... The people of Cheshire organized in MASS numbers when this happened in there city..they had petions with 10's of 1000's of signatures. Protests and ralley in chersire and Hartford weekly. This is why it made it to the table so fast. Did I see Dyson out organizing for the owner of that shop on chapel? Did I see anyone in New Haven do anything to ask for justice in HARTFORD...or was it just a few weeks of lack luster complaints that the new haven police were doing nothing. Come on.... You want the changes that you all are complaining for then unit like Chershire did, go to HARTFORD every week demanding it. Scream and yell and get the 1000's of signatures. Don't picket the jail a few times saying this is not fair... do the leg work and make it happen. But I am sure most people will forget about this and move on a few weeks after it is over.
EX: 250 people showed up after the Billy White thing to a meeting...how many of those 250 people go to there block watch meetings and participate in makeing there areas safe now the the media is gone?
PS it is a lot of work

Posted by: cedarhillresident | January 24, 2008 10:07 AM

You can watch the house and the senate session here (it take a few to start)

http://www.ctn.state.ct.us/ondemand.asp

Posted by: Gary Holder-Winfield | January 24, 2008 4:33 PM

Cedarhill:
I agree that people need to get active if they want something to change, no doubt. But, the group in front of the Whalley prison has been to Hartford - on many occasions. I get the point you are trying to make but I think that as you paint your brush stroke is a little to wide

Posted by: darnell | January 24, 2008 6:32 PM

Cedarhill,

No one, I hope, will throw stones at you. We were all thoroughly disgusted at what happened in Cheshire, and many of us were afraid (my wife still makes sure that I check the windows and doors at night). That being said, it is unfair that the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Just because a 1000 people did not gather outside of the killing zone on Chapel street should not make this persons murder any less important to the "powers that be". That was the point that Dyson was making, and that is the feeling the African American community gets when one of these things happen. A young white girl disappears in Aruba, and it become the lead story for months. A young African American girl disappears in Detroit, maybe it makes page 10 in the newspaper on one day. That's the frustration, that our deaths are less important than others.

Posted by: observer | January 25, 2008 8:54 AM

I've been following these comments and find them interesting and thought-provoking. I made similar comments about crime against African-Americans in my feeble attempts at lobbying when I was a member of "Handgun Control" many years ago. However, that being said, it needs to be remembered here that the Cheshire crime was particularly heinous in its nature...the sexual assault and brutal murder (two by setting afire) of 3 females, one of which was clearly a child. This could be compared to the murders of Leroy "B.J." Brown and his mother---another case where the system was out of whack. In the respect that the outrage regarding the Cheshire case forced lawmakers to take a close look at what is happening to criminals AFTER they are convicted of crimes, it is, sadly, helpful to us all, whatever color or ethnicity. We cannot continue to have criminals conspiring with one another to commit more crimes after conviction, whether in prison, in half-way houses, or on the street. If our criminal justice system had been working the way it should, three children would be alive today. I dearly wish the legislation had gone much further than it did, for the sake of innocent children such as Leroy "B.J." Brown and Hayley and Michaela Petit.

Posted by: Ben | January 25, 2008 11:21 PM

What happens during internment, before parole? The situation and status of a potential parolee is what has not been addressed, this is everyones business.
Locking up so many citizens (repeatedly) is a sad commentary and a shared failure of this experiment we call civilization. Some prisoners serve their sentence in solitary and are then released to the street.....with what result? Our priorities must be re-inspected. Real reforms needs new ideas, methods
and participants from our community...which includes
institutions of higher learning.