Kwame Kilpatrick and Bobby Ferguson in court during trial.
As kids, at one time or another, we were pressed to apologize for something we said or did. Sometimes the apology was sincere, and other times, not so much. Often, people could tell by the tone, by the body language, just how sincere we were.
This month, we saw ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kipatrick, his dad Bernard Kilpatrick and his good buddy, Bobby Ferguson get sentenced, speak out in court and try to show remorse in one way or another.
It’s pretty safe to say their apologies didn’t move the judge much, particularly the rambling by Bobby Ferguson, who she essentially said was not only a thief, but a thug. Kwame got 28 years. Ferguson got 21. And Bernard Kilpatrick got 15 months.
After they spoke, I wished we could have had someone stand up and interpret what they really meant. That didn’t happen, so I'll offer my interpretation.
Ferguson told U.S. District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds he was bothered by the inordinate number of African-Americans in prison. Unfortunately, he didn’t seem so bothered by that when he was living like a fat cat.
“In America, it seems like genocide on black people,” Ferguson, 44, told the judge. “I’m not trying to make this racist, I’m just telling you how I feel. . . . The American Dream is supposed to be prosperity, liberty. I just don’t see it that way no more, judge.”
Translation: I was living the American dream judge, prosperous and all, until I got caught scheming and extorting from taxpayers and contractors with the help of my dear friend Kwame Kilpatrick. Now, my American dream sucks. I hired three lawyers, I certainly thought that would be enough to keep me from getting convicted. But no. This justice system obviously sucks.
Kwame Kilpatrick was a little more convincing that he was contrite, but never admitted wrongdoing. He said:
“I’ve been a tremendous problem for all the people who have felt that I let them down ... I say with every morsel in my being that I’m sorry. “I just hope that one day I can forgive myself.”
“I’m incredibly remorseful.”
Translation: I am incredibly remorseful that I got caught. I’m mad people found out about me and Christine Beatty. Sure, I was a crook. But People didn’t know that. I’m sorry they had to find out like this. I’m sorry I let them down. If only they hadn’t found out. If only I hadn’t got caught. I’m incredibly remorseful about that. I thought I could outsmart everyone. Darn. Oh yes judge, did I mention that I’m remorseful?
Then there was the elder Kilpatrick, whom some folks blame for showing his son how to game the system and profit from it. He was convicted of only one of four charges -- income tax evasion. He said:
"I stand before this court...a very different man, than I was before this ordeal, six years ago. I have brought misery on my family.... I messed up. No question about it."
He then apologized for failing to report all his income.
Translation: OK, that’s a real apology judge, better than the one you got from my son and his good friend Bobby Ferguson. But that’s as far as I’m going. I know judge, you think I’m guilty of conspiring with my son and Bobby to shake down contractors and take money as a bogus consultant. But guess what judge? The jury never convicted me of that. I’m sorry about the tax thing. As for the rest, tough luck. That’s as far as I’m going.
I'd say that's a pretty accurate interpretation.
As for the public, the people in Detroit, the people in the region who care about Detroit, we are the ones who are really sorry for this sad chapter in Detroit history. Very sorry.
That, I assure you, is sincere.
