Grey's Alter Anatomy

Hotep,

Last week was the much anticipated Grey’s Anatomy season premiere. Personally, I think it’s the best hospital drama show ever and I’m from the old school where the likes of “St. Elsewhere” (Denzel Washington), Trapper John, MD (The ever so lovely Madge Sinclair), and City of Angels (Blair Underwood) had viewers captivated from week to week. Na mean?

I applaud Ms. Shonda Rhimes, the show’s creator. The chemistry amongst the show’s characters leaves no room for boring moments. For example, one of the most memorable seasons of the show’s existence, was when Dr. Stevens literally killed the one true love she so deeply desired, to ensure he would be the recipient of the next available heart.

This particular episode hit me and my man Chino directly in the gut. Real recognize real. At that point, Dr. Stevens was ride or die, for sure! I’m feeling the show to the point where I thought about writing my own episode… with a death row twist, of course. I would introduce a new character to the show, Dr. Jalen Baxter. He’s an orthopedic surgeon who will team up with Dr. Torres.

All of the females in the hospital would be crazy about him. Dr. Torres even considers going straight just to get a shot at him. In the tradition of the other sexy male doctors (McDreamy, McSteamy and McYummy), the females nickname him “McMocha,” sweet, stimulating and addictive. LOL

Check out this storyline. Dr. Baxter’s first case is a death row prisoner who shredded his knee playing basketball. After several conversations leading up to the surgery, Dr. Baxter begins to see the human being within the death row prisoner. After repairing the prisoner’s knee, Dr. Baxter’s intrigue leads him to do a Google search of his latest patient. What he finds is shocking and life altering.

He realizes the knee he just repaired doesn’t belong to “the worst of the worst.” It’s the knee of a family man who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect his wife. Needless to say, Dr. Baxter becomes an avid supporter of the prisoner’s fight for freedom as well as an educator to the hospital staff, about the injustice concerning the death penalty. That’s what’s up!
Holla if ya hear me Ms. Rhimes. I’ve got much more in store. Word is bond!

Yo Chino! This one is for you Dunn

Be Easy,

MannofStat
Copyright © 2010 by Leroy Mann

Love... its gonna getcha

Hotep,


A great poet once said, “That word love is very, very serious, and if you don’t watch out, it’s gonna getcha.”

In 1958, eighteen year old Mildred Loving, a black woman, professed her love to Richard Loving, by becoming his wife, happens every day, right? Well, there’s one minor detail I didn’t mention. Mr. Richard Loving was a white man and in 1958, interracial marriages were illegal in the state of Virginia. Real talk.

The state of Virginia rewarded the “Loving union” by banning the happy newlyweds from the commonwealth state. Now unless you’ve been asleep in a block of ice for the last 50 years, you know that the Lovings endured hordes of potentially violent situations founded on the ignorance of racism. Feel me?

Personally, I’ve known love on several different levels. I’ve literally given my life to the faces of death, in the name of love. “If you don’t watch out, it’s gonna getcha.” Ya heard?

I may not be what I should’ve been, but my people love me for who I am. The love they’ve shown me is contagious. “And, if you don’t watch out, it’s gonna getcha.” That’s what’s up!

One,

MannofStat
Copyright © 2010 by Leroy Mann

Ladies 1st

Hotep,

This past Labor Day weekend, K97.5 FM paid homage to the old-school ladies of hip-hop. Salt-n-Pepa, Mc Lyte, Queen Latifah, Nikki-D and Ms. Lauryn Hill. A sweet scoop of some authentic hip-hop femininity. Ya heard?

These ladies were pioneers, not only because they mastered their craft, the art we know as 'MCing' and not only because they were sincere about their expression, never allowing success to dictate their messages to the masses. The fact that they did all of this as minorities in a male dominated industry brings true meaning to the term 'Ladies 1st.'

Andrea D. Lyon is a pioneer as well. Like the female MC's I just spoke of, she too, mastered her craft. She was sincere about her cause. Becoming a public defender at a time when women becoming attorneys was frowned upon. A minority in her own right, Andrea decided she was going to be a lawyer at the tender age of 15. The downside of the civil rights movement overwhelmed her with shame. She needed her fellow man to know that she was different from the people manning those fire hoses and brutally spraying young and old, men and women of African
American descent.

Ms. Lyon has tried more than 130 homicide cases. She has taken 19 capital cases through the
penalty phase and won all 19. This lady is known as the "Angel of Death Row." In her book,
"Angel of Death Row" (http://andrealyon.com/index.html) she acknowledges that first degree murder charges aren't always appropriate. She reveals that prosecutors will charge defendants with the highest level of offense, "The more a defendant has to risk by going to trial, the more likely he or she will cut a deal."

The visual of those fire hoses was never far from her memory. When she defended a client, she embraced her position of deflating those legal fire hoses and keeping the court in check. She interacted with her clients regularly, understanding them as human beings. She said, "How can I ask a jury to care about my client and his life if I don't. Sure, being human in this inhumane system comes with a cost. If you open yourself up to emotional involvement with your clients, the prospect of losing is frightening and the reality of losing hurts like he'll, but it's a price I am willing to pay. Or, maybe it's a price I don't know how not to pay." That's what's up!!

As a death row prisoner, I commend this lawyer for seeking justice before the eyes and ears of the unjust. A true craftsman of humanity, never intimidated by the pressures of society. As a human being, I'd like to thank Ms. Andrea D. Lyon for putting humanity before societal acceptance. Ya heard?

Live Well,

MannofStat
Copyright (c) 2010 by Leroy Elwood Mann

A Life Lesson in Appeals

Hotep,

I think reflection is essential to prosperity. Going through life trying to forget the past can be stressful. Personally I choose to embrace the past. All memories, good and bad play a part in preparing me today, for what I am to become in the future. Na mean?

I was living in Philly and a junior in high school when a person I'll call, John for the sake of privacy, was sentenced to die by a North Carolina jury. Twelve years later, I experienced a similar fate. John was one of the first cats to educate me on the appeals process. From July to December of 1997, I remained optimistic about my case under appeal, because I knew I wasn't guilty of the crime I was convicted of. I was still a virgin to state sanctioned executions.

John wasn't my best friend, but he was definitely someone I spoke with on a daily basis. Law, sports or women, the subject matter would vary. I had grown accustomed to John being around. John was given an execution date in mid-December of 1997. It was hard for me to talk to him about who was going to win the Superbowl, when I learned he wouldn't get a chance to see it.

He kept telling me that he wouldn't be executed . He said the state's protocol was to give him a date, because his attorney had missed a filing deadline. He said it so much that I thought he was in denial. Word is bond. The day before his scheduled execution, several officers came into D-block. They escorted John to his cell and commenced to packing his personal property in shipping bags. I felt helpless. John on the other hand, was at ease with the situation. I watched the C.O's stow his photo albums and transcripts without expression.

Before John left D-block, he gave me an unopened deck of cards, and an American Heritage dictionary. He told me I could keep the cards, but he instructed me to hold the dictionary until he came back. I was speechless. I thought, this cat is in a deep state of denial. Feel me?

Even though I really needed a dictionary, I was happy to give it back to John the following evening. It turns out John knew what he was talking about. He eventually got off of death row and is currently serving a life sentence.

As for me, I still have that deck of cards. A symbol of what I've experienced and a reflection that makes me a much better man. I haven't stopped writing since December of 1997. Ya heard?

Keep it 100,

MannofStat

Copyright (c) 2010 by Leroy Elwood Mann