Political Prisoners: Do Elected Officials Use Jail To Silence Opposition?

Rev. Edward Pinkney, Pastor of God House of Faith in Benton Harbor, Michigan and President of BANCO, is a hard working activist who found himself in an unexpected place. Jail.

Toni Meekey Stith, Chicago community activist working with Families of Those Wrongfully Convicted and candidate for Alderman of the 34th Ward, found herself also in an unexpected place. Jail.

Both recognize trumped up charges placed against them which seem to originate from those whose positions of authority they are threatening with their public activism.

We like to believe that America is a democracy where people are treated equally under the law but recent events have made it clear that this is not so. Many are outraged that those in "low income" communities tend to be arrested and jailed more often than those from affluent communities. But what about the injustice against those working people who are targeted simply because they dare to challenge those in authority? Sometimes those in power will become cruel and ruthless if threatened with the loss of a political position. Is jail being used as a tool by some in authority to silence their opposition?