Opinion: Trump and The Central Park Five, Justice, Corruption or Karma? History Will Decide

Karma? Donald Trump and the exonerated Central Park FivePhoto byAssociated Press Photo

On Thursday, the former president and now convicted felon, Donald J Trump lambasted the guilty verdict of his hush money trial. Donald Trump stood inside a Manhattan courthouse that was the site of one of the most notorious examples of injustice in recent New York history. And he plSyed a very large part in that injustice. The history books will reflect the irony of the momen.

In 1989, five black and Latino teenagers were convicted of brutally attacking a young white jogger in New York City’s Central Park. The crime, which came at the height of the crack epidemic and skyrocketing crime rates, enflamed racial tension in the city. About two weeks after the incident, Trump published a full-page ad in four major New York newspapers calling for the teens to be brought to justice—and suggesting that they should face the death penalty. But in 2002, all five men—who spent between 6 and 13 years in prison—were exonerated based on DNA evidence and a confession from the actual perpetrator, whose DNA was shown to match evidence at the scene.

Trump ran an ad in 4 New York City Papers calling for death penalty and justicePhoto byNew York Daily News Via AP

The crime dominated headlines in the city, inflaming racial tensions as police rounded up Black and Latino men and boys for interrogation. Former President Donald Trump, then just a brash real estate executive in the city, took out large ads in newspapers that implored New York to bring back the death penalty.

The teens convicted in the attack served between five and 12 years in prison before the case was reexamined.

A serial rapist and murderer was eventually linked to the crime through DNA evidence and a confession. The convictions of the Central Park Five were vacated in 2002 and they received a combined $41 million settlement from the city.

But on Friday, a day after making history as the first U.S. president convicted of felony crimes in a court of law, Trump blasted that same criminal justice system as corrupt and rigged against him.

The same Donald J Trump, now himself a convicted felon, who sparked racial tensions into a case from his past, indicated that the "Central Park Five" were guilty, despite being officially exonerated by DNA evidence decades after the notorious 1989 rape case.

"The police doing the original investigation say they were guilty. The fact that that case was settled with so much evidence against them is outrageous. And the woman, so badly injured, will never be the same, " Trump had said to CNN in a statement.

The facts here are clear: These men were exonerated. Another man has admitted to committing the crime, as proven by DNA evidence. Trump rushed to judgment on the case, has refused to admit he is wrong and continues to peddle yet another racist lie, a pattern for him and now he is a convicted felon, and a clear reason why he is unfit to be president and He claims he is a "target of injustic and a political prisoner." He certainly felt no emphathy when he targeted the exonerated, Central Park Five.

They in turn believe the conviction of the former president, making him a convicted felon, is indeed justice and karma.

Central Park Five exoneree Raymond Santana called former President Trump’s verdict in his hush-money case “karma.”

“For me, it was about karma,” Santana said during his Saturday appearance on CNN with anchor Victor Blackwell, highlighted by Mediaite. “It was the example of, this is what happens when rich billionaires who stand on white privilege now have to answer, right?

Santana said it was a “surreal moment” witnessing somebody of Trump’s “stature” having a similar experience in court. “And, so, I think now, it’s like, you get to see a person of Donald Trump’s stature right,” Santana said as reported in The Hill. “Who was a former president, and now you get to see that he’s not above the law, that he can be touched. That he can have this experience that’s very similar to mine. It becomes a moment that is a surreal moment. It’s a full circle moment for me.”

“Over 30 years ago, Donald Trump took out full page ads calling for my execution,” Salaam another of the exonerated Central Park Five tweeted. “On the day he was arrested and arraigned, here is my ad in response.”

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Photo by2nd Life Media

Rev. Al Sharpton also invoked the Central Park Five following Trump’s guilty verdict.

“These children had to hear vitriol from people whose anger was incited by a man who spent a small fortune on full-page ads calling for their execution,” Sharpton said. “Now the shoe is on the other foot. Donald Trump is the criminal, and those five men are exonerated. I’m reminded of Dr. King’s proverb that the arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice.”

The arc has bent toward justice but to Donald J Trumps, followers it's not justice it's persecution. Welcome to the world of American justice for the poor and people of color, Donald J Trump. The arc of lady justice is long, slow and just and now finally you have a taste of what it feels like. For the first time in history, white rich and middle class conservatives are questioning the system of justice in America, but only after it convicted, "one of their own." Karma, corruption or justice? History will decide.