By BRIANNA
ROBLES
Staff Writer
Well-known rapper, Meek Mill, has recently been sentenced to two to four years in Philadelphia’s state prison for violating probation. There is the argument that this sentence in unjustified. In 2008, the rapper was arrested for drug and gun possession and was put on probation for these charges.
This year, however, he was caught popping wheelies on his dirt bike to impress some young children and “getting into a fight,” which led Philadelphia’s judge to bestow upon him these charges. He was processed at the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institute in Montgomery County and was pictured in his mugshot wearing a yellow jumpsuit, which is worn by new inmates at the jail.
Many celebrities have spoken publicly about Mill’s sentencing and it has brought about discussion and uproar about criminal justice reform. On Nov 6, Jay-Z, tweeted, “The sentence handed down by the Judge — against the recommendation of the Assistant District Attorney and Probation Officer — is unjust and heavy handed. We will always stand by and support Meek Mill, both as he attempts to right this wrongful sentence and then in returning to his musical career.” He even took to one of his shows to publicly express his disgust for the case.
Kevin Hart, famous comedian, also took to Instagram to speak on the topic and bring attention to the situation. He argues that the sentencing given to Mill was “personal” and “not fair.” He believes the judge used this as a payback method because he has countlessly asked for shoutouts and to be featured on one of Mill’s records and Mill declined. A petition was created in order to get the case reevaluated by the judge while the hashtags #FreeMeekMill and #Justice4Meek continue to trend on social media outlets.
I personally, have never been a fan of the judicial system in America. I never understood how young black boys can do years in jail for misdemeanors, but rapists and cops who kill these young black boys, can cheat the system and get off with “paid leave.” Growing up in America and knowing people who were wrongfully sentenced for years, I saw first-hand how the system tries to work against people of color; not only black men, but black women as well.
Mill has been on probation for about 11 years for misdemeanors. The case needs to be looked into because breaking probation three times in 11 years by doing minor things is actually not bad. As far as I know, the three times he broke his probation shouldn’t even be considered. The fight that he was supposedly involved in was a misunderstanding, he was actually breaking up a fight, but of course the judge decided to use that against him.
This man literally cannot do anything without someone being on his back. What makes it worse is the fact that he is a celebrity. All of Mill’s mistakes and failures are highlighted in the media and therefore, he does not get a break. Someone always has an opinion on how he lives his life. Also, his mistakes are constantly brought up in order for media outlets to profit.
When I think about it, I question if these media outlets are really rooting for Mill to be released from jail. If you think about it, why would someone want a source of income to stop? I am rooting for Mill and I hope everything works in his favor because he doesn’t deserve to be treated like this.
