When MAGA minions attack Black Prosecutors instead of wealthy white criminals!

So, I arose this morning and after a few moments of prayer, opened up my Facebook App and was reminded in the “Memory” section that six years ago, I wrote an article for The Hill criticizing then Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) for undermining then Orlando area State Attorney Aramis Ayala (D)—the first Black person to hold such position in Florida’s history—for exercising her discretion under Florida Law to not seek the death penalty for accused cop killer Markeith Loyd.

The irony in the timing of my former article is that later today, former President Donald Trump, per his own social media postings this past weekend, expects to be indicted by the Manhattan Grand Jury on charges that he paid hush money to pornographic movie star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to keep their prior relationship quiet during the waning days of his presidential race against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

For those unaware, the Manhattan Grand Jury is presided over by the duly elected District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Black man who has been harshly attacked by Trump, his political and media goons, and Trump’s MAGA minions simply for doing his job as DA.

Arguably the ugliest aspect of these right wing attacks on DA Bragg is the injection of tired old racist tropes, namely, that the DA should be more focused on “violent” crime (meaning crimes involving “The Blacks”), than on Trump’s “white collar” illegal acts. The falsity in this racist notion is that white collar crime is still a crime and under the law, the rich and powerful, be they white, purple, or polka dot, should be indicted if probable cause exists to charge an offense—the same as every other American accused of a criminal offense.

But the legal theory, equal justice under the law, rarely is equally applied among the rich and famous as we, the people, are reminded once more that the patrician classes in America, of which Mr. Trump is a lifelong member, rarely think that they should have to play by the same rules as everyone else. For good measure, just so that you know that Ol’ Hobbs is fair and balanced, a separate article that I wrote for The Hill, one that got nearly a half-million unique views in 2016, made the case that the legal rules were “different” for Hillary Clinton with regards to her deleted emails.

Such is why instead of hearing the usual Republican talking points about “respecting the rule of law” and the importance of “an independent prosecution and judiciary” this morning, the air waves are filled with right wingers going on the rhetorical hunt to diminish, denigrate, and even demonize Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, while calling on Trump’s MAGA minions to “protest” the charges to prevent the rule of law from, well, ruling!

Lest we forget…

Hobbservation Point is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Chuck Hobbs is a freelance journalist who won the 2010 Florida Bar Media Award and has been twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary.