In Refection
Jon lives daily with the knowledge that he
participated in actions that lead to the death of an innocent person. I know that Jon is remorseful and shares in
the grief of Paul’s family. I say this
because I have sat across from my son month after month, year after year and
understand in my heart and in my mind that my son had no intent to kill Paul and
will carry the burden of his actions that night for the rest of his life.
I am in no way trying to defend or justify the
actions of my son or the other individuals involved in Pauls death. However I am trying, through this blog, to
insure that my son is treated fairly by the legal system that we all except and
put our faith. It is when this system
breaks down or is abridge that steps must be taken to ensure that it is put on
a straight and narrow path. This ensures
justice for all of us and not just some.
Some time has passed since the first parole
hearing for my son Jon C. Buice back in 2003.
The Media frenzy continues each time that Jon comes up for parole. The populace has all but forgotten the
amusement park atmosphere that filled the television airways the year before. These
events have happened in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Each time the media networks bash and
reconvict my son without any due process. That time will soon be upon us again
as Jon is scheduled for a parole hearing in the immediate future. The media will probably gear up for a new
feeding frenzy. A public service some
say. However, from my point of view, it
is mindless and without any merit. The
reporters seem to consistently fail to get the facts, to insure their sources are
reliable and most importantly fail to present the subject without political or
personal bias. The fact is that almost any
act committed against another with malice is a crime. The difference between the Media’s actions of
reporting and Jon’s actions on July 4, 1991 are discernable. His was an act of passion and “teenage pack
mentality” while the media actions are an act of malice.
Reflecting on those past media events, and the
politics of Andy Kahan, a self proclaimed victims advocate and once Justice-For-All’s,
Houston’s spokesperson, I can only say that we live in a fanatical state of
delusion where truth and honesty no longer play any role in activism or
reporting. Andy Kahan is one-dimensional
in his rhetoric about my son, Jon and his role in the death of Paul Broussard
on, July 4, 1991. Kahan’s methods and tricks, utilizing the all
too obliging media, have shaped public’s thought processes and opinions through
"fixed images" of a "hate crime", which abridges the public
and the parole board members reasoning and cuts off any possibility for Jon’s
parole. Further, media cited contemporary examples of parole, where no one should
receive parole only helps to perpetuate Kahan’s goal of keeping Jon in
prison. His success in manipulating the
media, the public, political leaders and the parole board members with “hate
crime” dicta and erroneous detail pervert critical thought processes and secure
a non-release (NR) vote year after year.
The fact is that Jon was not indicted
for nor sentenced to prison for a hate crime. This term was coined during and after Jon’s
imprisonment. Andy Kahan actions along with
much of the media has preyed on the sentiments of the populace, with a
vengeance that is reminiscent of a person wantonly wishing to control the
thought, behavior, and feelings of those who were willing to listen.
Knowingly with media help Kahan has reached
out to the uninformed to promote a distorted account of the crime. Andy and the media have historically appealed
to those types of individuals and positioned them where they would refuse to
listen to any thought processes contrary to their lies. Consequently, justice has failed leaving Jon
no hope of overturning the perceptual state, established within the Houston
metropolitan area by the media many years ago.
It is human nature to believe the media.
Andy Kahan knows this and his liberal access to the media and politicians
will continue to promote his erroneous doctrine to the masses with little or no
resistance to any lie he wishes to perpetrate as long as they allow. Further Kahan realizes that there is little
or no consequence to any falsehoods he might promote through the media as he
can always refute them as misunderstandings as he is presently doing now that
he has been called out on the issues. Much
of the media seems to have been Andy Kahan’s lackey. Until very recently the media apparently feels
that they have little to lose. One might
think the media seems protected from slander and there is little or no recourse
by anyone caught in the snare of their sensationalism. Only in the last year
have we started to find reporters who have attempted to seek out the truth.
Andy Kahan and the media’s propaganda about Jon’s
release has been so depressingly negative without foundation, that I am
convinced that media is able to sway the parole board into not releasing Jon
even though Jon’s record is near exemplary.
Perhaps Andy even suggests some reprisal with his big city political
status and the media if the parole board did not capitulate to the dicta of the
day. I can rationalize my disdain, as
the truth about Jon is universally opposed to any of the rhetoric presented by
Andy Kahan, most of the Houston News media, Gay Blogs or Gay Media.
Until recently, all the years prior to and
including Jon’s incarceration the media has never published, hoped to publish
or sought to publish the truth in the matter of Paul Broussard’s death. Nor have they wanted to look into the person,
Jon Buice singled out, in error, as the sole responsible perpetrator of Paul
Broussard’s death with any fairness of facts. (There were 9 others
involved) Rather, the media, along with
Andy Kahan have promoted with a vengeance a hateful image of a boy with wanton
homophobic tendencies deserving of the death penalty. The Media has promoted this injustice without
merit as the facts that they presented are distorted, biased, and based on
nonfactual rhetoric.
“Gritsforbreakfast”,
“The Texas Tribune “and “The Dallas Voice”, Internet Blogs and News sites have recently published
articles or commentary on Michael Berryhill’s, investigative article about Jon.
Michael Berryhill is a Professor at TSU
and Investigative Journalist. The
article questioned the Media and Political Involvement and opened up the
investigation of wrong doing by Andy Kahan.
However the article did not get into the matter of Jon regarding Paul
Broussard’s death. Paul died of failure
on the part of many that night, not just Jon Buice.
The real facts of the night are:
§ There
were nine other assailants. Five others
went to prison and have been released for the best part of five years.
§ Jon,
was involved that night but not the perpetrator or the instigator. He was the last to leave the too cars these
then teenagers were in to join the ongoing fight.
§ Jon
turned himself in to the Houston Police and voluntarily walked into the police
station on his own.
§ Jon
never denied his involvement in the death of Paul Broussard. He made a statement to that affect the
police.
§ Jon,
did stab Paul Broussard.
o
Did Jon stab Broussard to death—? There is evidence that the stab wounds
contributed to the death, but that Broussard likely died of internal bleeding
due to a failure of timely care at the emergency room.
o
Stab, with the intent to commit murder? NO!
o
Stab, wantonly with the vendetta of a homophobic
killer? NO!
§ Jon,
was not the leader of a racial, homophobic gang called the “Woodlands”
Ten. This term was coined by, Ray Hill,
gay activist, in his pursuit to gain media support for the conviction of the 10
boys involved in the death of Paul Broussard.
§ Paul Broussard laid on the sidewalk for over
and hour and a half before being transported to a non-trauma oriented
hospital. Ray Hill was called to the
scene to motivate the paramedic’s to give aid to Paul. The paramedic’s on duty
that night were not those that normally monitored the Montrose area and were
probably afraid of Aids contamination.
Remember it was 1991 and little was known about the transmittal of Aids
at the time and Paul was gay.
§ Paul
Broussard was not transported by life-flight.
§ Paul
Broussard laid on a gurney for an hour prior to receiving the surgical help of
a physician. The medical records bear
this out.
§ The
Physician’s diagnosis’s is not conclusive of the nature of Paul’s trauma and he
is not medically secured in a manner that would sustain his life. Exploratory surgery was minimal for his type
of trauma. Paul’s wounds were a threefold injury, Trauma, contusions and two
knife puncture wounds, not three. Other medical experts reviewing the autopsy
report have seriously opinioned with proper E.R. care that Paul Broussard may
have survived.
§ The
sum of the three listed causes of death were not considered, at the time, life
threatening by the attending physician for Paul had been coherent up to the
point of admissions to the hospital. Paul had requested his transit to the
hospital where he was cared for. (That hospital was not one of the top trauma
centers in the Houston Medical Center). Paul signed all of his medical releases
and insurance papers. (Implying that he
was coherent and semi-stable)
§ The
knife wounds were not the immediate nor the sole cause in ending Paul’s
life. He had the wounds for nearly 6
hours prior to succumbing to the threefold injuries.
§ The
knife wounds were of the puncture type. The pictures of Paul shown to the
parole board and public have the surgical exploratory wounds of the autopsy leading
one to conclude that Paul, as it was put it in the media, “…gutted like a deer”. The knife wounds did not penetrate any vital
organs.
§ The
police report is written after the fact implying that Paul died on the scene.
Further facts prior to Jon going to prison never
reported by the media are:
§ Jon
waited for a year to go to trial. He was
released on $10,000 bond. He lived on
his own and possessed a valid U.S.
passport. He could have fled and did
not.
§ Ray
Hill, gay activist, fueled the media with sensationalism and what was to become
hate crime rhetoric. Ray gives the media
most of the initial misinformation about the beating, stabbing and death of
Paul Broussard that is still utilized. Hill
suggested it was a hate crime hoping to create public interest in assisting the
police. (Even now the original rhetoric
is used although Ray has admitted he created the hate crime language. Hill has
clearly changed his position about Jon and tried to purge the erroneous
information from the media)
§ Jon’s
crime was not processed under the current Hate Crime Laws.
§ Jon’s
incompetent lawyer was not prepared to go to trial and falsely had Jon’s bond
revoked the day prior to going to trial.
Justifying his actions through the media by implying that Jon was
preparing to go to Korea where his stepmother was from. Jon’s stepmother in fact is from Thailand not
Korea, and Jon had no plans to leave.
§ Jon’s
lawyer tells Jon that he must take the plea bargain of 45 years or else the
district attorney will go for capital murder with the possibility of the death
penalty. There is rhetoric that a ring
that Paul Broussard was wearing the night of the assault is missing. (This is
important because a murder committed during the commission of another felony is
a capital crime). Later the ring is shown
in the media by Paul’s family in remembrance of Paul.
§ Jon
is just barely 18 years old at the time and is frightened he will receive the
death penalty and succumbs to acceptance of the plea.
§ Jon
received 3 to 45 times the prison sentence of the others involved in the death
of Paul Broussard who received sentences.
Jon did not have a trial. To our
knowledge no hearings were conducted where evidence of any kind was introduced.
All defendants entered pleas of guilty.
Current facts about Jon:
§ Jon
has a near flawless record in the TDCJ. Only
a few minor infractions and two major.
If you were to review the major infractions you might even ask yourself,
”For What” (Your children have done worse just being kids) There is no
violence, no gang affiliation, and no legitimate lock down for any grave personal
infraction of prison rules. The claim of
Jon’s improper relationship with a Chaplain has been disproven. Both Jon and the Chaplin have passed
polygraphs which included the question of this being a hate crime. The test
reflected it was not a hate crime. The test also reflected Jon did not punch
Broussard with a board nor kick him.
§ Jon
has proven himself to be non-racial, non-homophobic or a threat to prison
personnel during his incarceration. He
is as close to being a trustee as possible considering the nature of his crime.
§ Jon
has 3 College degrees. 2 Associates and
1 Bachelor’s from Sam
Houston State
University. He graduated with honors with a 3.93 grade
point average.
§ Jon
is now in the Master Program at the University of Houston Clear Lake which
conducts classes at the Ramsey Unit. Jon
currently has an “A” average.
§ Jon
has 8 Microsoft Engineering certificates and 3 Cisco Systems Engineering
certificates. (I, Jon’s father, paid for
the above computer education not the state)
(Jon received a grant for his BS contingent on maintaining a 3.5 or
better grade point average) (Jon could not attend school of any type if in
trouble with any TDCJ rules - infractions)
§ Kahan
claims Jon never apologized to the victim’s family. The law prohibits an inmate
from contacting a victim’s family. However, when a member of the family applied
to meet with Jon via the prison’s Restorative
Justice Program, Jon accepted, but then the family backed out. Jon has
given talks to victim’s rights forums and even written to the gay community
about his involvement in Paul’s death.
He cannot by law write to Paul’s family for any reason.
§ Jon
is given set off after set off (a period of time given after an unsuccessful parole
hearing) while Andy Kahan goes to speak before the Parole Board in violation of
Government Codes, Section 508.117.
§ Ray
Hill is now trying to help Jon secure his parole. Ray has come to know Jon and knows that Jon
did not plan or construe and carry out the stabbing of Paul Broussard just
because he was gay.
§ Ray
Hill also has stated on numerous occasions that based on what Jon has
demonstrated over the past twenty two years that he deserves a chance to be
free.
§ All
infractions publicized by Andy Kahan in recent years have been proven to be
without merit. Andy Kahan is now under
investigation for illegal activities in this his pursuit to keep Jon in prison.
I implore the Media to rectify their inaccurate
position regarding my son Jon Buice. I
challenge the Media to resist the narrow mindedness of Andy Kahan and stop
being a tool willed in ignorance by him.
I question the politician’s roles
in Jon’s parole. In particular those
that know nothing of the case, especially those that use their power of office
only to promote themselves to the Gay community. I implore the Gay Community to stop being
part of a ‘Pack Mentality’ similar to the one that caused Jon to react rather
than respond to the actions of others that night in 1991.
You in the
Public, reading this posting, please do not support Andy Kahan and his
quest for fame and power over the parole processes. Jon is not a threat to anyone in society
today. Jon is at the center of
rhetorical untruths today. While he has
complied with all that has been asked of him by the judicial system these
untruths bias the public to unjustly speak out and derail the parole board
processes. I ask that he be given fair a
hearing and the misinformed Public and Media desist in their unethical biased
and slanted opinions without solid foundations.
Get the facts. Do not, without some viable research,
continue to conduct a trial, become the jury and reconvict Jon. Don’t be part of the Tabloids, Blogs and
Internet media until recent times have over and over again, overshadowed his
struggle to be worthy of freedom. Jon
has a lot to give to society and may well help others not pursue a path of
reckless abandonment that could lead to incarceration such as his.
James Buice
9/18/2013
