Letter to Editor of Paris News re Shaquandra Cotton

The Paris News of Paris, Texas, today published a rather balanced article on the imprisonment of 14-year-old Shaquanda Cotton for shoving a hall monitor, admitting that the story has made headlines across the nation.

The following is a letter to the editor I submitted to The Paris News:

I am outraged by the blatant miscarriage of justice in the case of Shaquanda Cotton. She had no criminal record and she should not have received such a harsh sentence for a crime that may or may not have happened. Since she is serving an indeterminate sentence she should be release immediately.

I’m calling on Governor Rick Perry to intercede on this matter and secure this child’s freedom from persecution—persecution because of her mother’s civil rights activism.

Governor Perry the world is watching. Don’t let this be another Tulia.