Albany County Leadership Still Can't Accept A Black D. A.

The people of Albany County must have wanted David Soares to be D.A. because they elected him to office, but the people who run Albany County are less enthusiastic.

First, we had David Soares’ remarks at an international conference in Vancouver, Canada back in May. Soares attacked New York State’s Rockefeller Drug Laws as being ineffective. He said that most U.S. lawmakers support the system of ineffective drug laws anyway “because it provides law enforcement officials with lucrative jobs.” The Albany County police chief, sheriff, and some county legislators called for his resignation.

Now Soares has begun a grand jury investigation into how and where more than 200 million dollars a year in pork barrel spending is spent in New York State and Joe Bruno is having a fit.

It seems that Albany County is just not quite ready for a Black D.A. People forget that Blacks look at crime and justice in a different way than Whites do, and for good reason.

Blacks make up a disproportionate share of the prison population and death row. Blacks are more likely to be pulled over, searched, mis-identified by witnesses, and arrested than other races. The Rockefeller Drug Laws and the Drug Free School Zone laws have also placed a disproportionate amount of Blacks in prison.

I, for one, am glad that Soares has opposed the Rockefeller Drug Laws. And it’s about time that a law enforcement official took a close look at the State Legislature. Maybe it takes a Black D.A. to really take on the white collar crime that passes itself off as legislation.

It’s a good thing his name is David because he is taking on a Goliath.