There’s a lot going on right now. That’s true whether you’re young or elderly; politically active or not; black or white or neither; rich, poor, or in-between. There are huge developments currently in the U.S. of A.
The 2015 NFL Draft is underway. This is the time of year when hope springs eternal for fans of every franchise. Any player could be a game-changer for any team. The NFL Draft has a huge following. It began Thursday and will continue through Saturday.
The 2015 Kentucky Derby will be the 141st edition of what is called “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” The Derby occurs annually the first Saturday in May, and is the culminating event of the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival in Lexington. The history, tradition, and cultural relevance of the Kentucky Derby are all huge – even for non-sports fans.
Bernie Sanders – US Senator from Vermont – is officially running for President in 2016. Though his political affiliation is Independent, make no mistake: he’s a Democrat. Hillary Clinton’s campaign should not take him lightly. Sanders is smart, passionate, and well-respected. He has nothing to lose, and everything to gain. This is potentially a huge development. I’d compare Bernie Sanders to the Marvel Comics hero Daredevil – a man without fear.
Good segue. Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” finally arrived in American theaters. Although the film’s release date was Friday, sneak previews were screened Thursday night. I saw it Thursday night. I loved it. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” was filled with cool Easter eggs, great character development, superb special effects, action sequences which have to been seen to be believed, and some genuine plot twists/surprises. “Ultron” is an outstanding movie making massive amounts of money domestically and internationally. Expect a huge, record-setting opening weekend in the US of $225 million.
According to a just-released Associate Press report, the United States Navy will begin accompanying U.S. commercial ships during their transit through the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf to ensure they encounter no interference from Iran. Tensions there have been high recently. Keep your eyes on this, folks.
On Friday afternoon, a close friend/political ally of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s – David Wildstein pleaded guilty to 2 federal charges related to his role in the 2013 Bridgegate scandal on the George Washington Bridge.
Marilyn J. Mosby – State’s Attorney for Baltimore City – gave a live press conference Friday morning. As Baltimore’s Chief Prosecutor, she examined all the evidence and determined that 6 police officers – Officers Caesar Goodson, William Porter, Garrett Miller, Edward Nero along with Lt. Brian Rice, and Sgt. Alicia White – will be charged. Their individual criminal charges include assault, negligence, manslaughter, and murder. Felony warrants have been issued for their arrest. Mosby cited that the murder weapon was the police van itself. Gray’s death was ruled a homicide by the Maryland State Medical Examiner’s office. Mosby stated that Baltimore police had no probable cause for arresting Gray. She chastised the officers for not calling for medical attention for Gray much sooner. Very huge, indeed.
In Baltimore, more huge developments just came to light. Leaks to the Washington Post reported Wednesday night openly suggested that Freddie Gray somehow caused his own injuries while in police custody. Think about that for a second. How would a man who is already handcuffed, in foot restraints, and seriously hurt manage to break his own neck in a metal containment unit housed in the back of a police van? Am I to understand that Gray nearly severed his own spine? As of this moment, the BPD officer who drove the transport vehicle Gray was in hasn’t even given his/her statement to investigators. How is that possible? Thursday evening brought the revelation that a fourth, previously unreported stop occurred while Gray was inside of that police van. This bombshell calls into question the entire timeline presented by Baltimore police officials. While Gray lay dying in their custody, why did police stop at a neighborhood grocery store? Was it a bathroom stop? Did they grab a bite? By the way, an active video camera was mounted outside the front of that grocery store. Footage was taken. What’s on that footage?
It should be mentioned that now – weeks later – no one knows why Baltimore stopped Freddie Gray in the first place. Why was he arrested at all? There are still huge questions.
Protests for social justice have now spread beyond the Charm City. Protestors took to the streets of New York City, Washington DC, Boston, Minneapolis, and Ferguson, Missouri to demand justice for Gray. More rallies/marches are scheduled throughout this weekend. As more unarmed, black men are killed being pursued by police throughout the US, outrage grows in the absence of transparency. Human lives matter. Yours and mine.
Please join me in praying for peace. Huge developments in America are afoot.
