/Rubin "the hurricane" Carter/
Haig d’admetre com existeixen pel·lícules que permeten descobrir una historia de vida abans que el llibre on és contada i que, fins i tot, descriuen la mateixa historia d’una manera directa, tocant i molt bé interpretada, sense resultar un producte buit destinat a arrancar llàgrimes i engreixar unes quantes butxaques. Va ser una casualitat escollir com a entreteniment d’una mitja tarda The Hurricane, obra que esperava pacientment el seu torn gràcies a la promesa de bons moments de boxa i una segura actuació excel·lent d’en Denzel Washington. Descobrir que de boxa en veuria poca es va fer evident a poc a poc, amb els connotats d’història real que s’anaven fent visibles i ben delineats de mica en mica.
Rubin “The Hurricane”Carter va existir. Carter existeix. Més que com persona com a sobrevivent. Com algú que ha pagat per els seus errors, per els errors d’altres, i sobretot per un moviment d’odi racial que tocava el seu clímax als anys 50 i 60. Carter va fracassar a la seva experiència obligada dins d’un entorn massa disciplinat com un reformatori i amb l’experiència escollida dins d’un món subordinat com el militar. L’entrada i la sortida per mons paral·lels amb i sense uniforme el van marcar físicament i li van donar permetre moure els primers passos dins d’un ring.
Va descobrir la boxa. L'única cosa que podia fer, l'única cosa que el podia definir. “Vaig provar la meva pròpia sang i em va encantar.” Després d’un primer contacte amb la presó, va començar a fer-se un nom dins de la categoria de pes mitjà on, encara sent físicament més baix de la resta de oponents, va col·leccionar víctimes i victòries entre altres contra Emile Griffith i Jimmy Ellis, els dos futurs campions de la categoria. “L'huracà és el nom professional que vaig adquirir més tard a la vida. Carter és el nom d'esclau que li van donar als meus pares, que treballaven en els camps de cotó d'Alabama i Geòrgia. M’ho van passar a mi.”
Lluitat pel títol contra Giardello, es va veure una primera reacció adversa al color de la pell del guanyador donant la victòria a qui era evidentment perdedor del combat. Una posterior enquesta entre els periodistes presents a primera fila va mostrar com 14 de 17 d’ells donaven Carter guanyador. Absolutament no la pitjor derrota de la seva carrera a nivell esportiu, però una ferida molt profunda dins de l’home com a ser humà.
17 de juny de 1966 a les 02:30 aproximadament.
Tres morts dins d’un bar de Lafayette. Testimonis acusant sense haver vist res, una víctima sobreviscuda i més testimonis declarant a favor de Carter. L’opinió pública es va escandalitzar quan el jutges van condemnar a cadena perpetua Carter, que no va deixa mai de declarar-se innocent en un judici on els testimonis favorits de la policia van canviar repetidament declaracions i descripcions dels acusats fins a obtenir-ne un retrat manipulat i pilotat de Rubin Carter.
"The Sixteenth Round: From Number 1 Contender to #45472" és el títol de l’autobiografia que va escriure a la presó, on mantenia la seva innocència, i que el va ajudar a obtenir el suport de la gent que va impulsar un nou judici.
Carter va ser condemnats a cadena perpètua de nou per el mateix testimoni que, després de retratar-se va tornar a afirmar les mateixes acusacions sortides del no res del primer judici.
Bob Dylan li va dedicar una cançó, Hurricane (1975), amb l'argument de la innocència de Carter.
En el 1985, el jutge del Tribunal Federal Haddon Lee Sarokin dictamina que Carter no havia tingut un judici just, al·legant que l'acusació estava "basada en motius
racials." Els fiscals de Nova Jersey van apel·lar sense èxit contra la decisió de
Sarokin a la Tercera Cort d'Apel·lacions i fins a la Cort Suprema dels Estats Units,
que es va negar a escoltar el cas. El 1988, els fiscals de Nova Jersey van presentar
una moció per desestimar les acusacions originals presentades contra Carter al
1966, caient d'aquesta manera tots els càrrecs.
Després de 27 victòries, 12 derrotes i un empat en 40 combats, amb 8 per nocaut i 11 per nocaut tècnic, i després d’haver passat gairebé la meitat de la seva vida dins d’una presó, Rubin Carter va sortir sota la llum del sol.
“He estat innocent durant 16 anys. Aquest és el temps que he estat aquí. La innocència és un bé altament sobrevalorat.”
Hauria pogut ser campió del mon.
“Pistols shots ring out in the barroom night
Enter Patty Valentine from the upper hall
She sees the bartender in a pool of blood
Cries out "My God they killed them all"
Here comes the story of the Hurricane
The man the authorities came to blame
For something that he never done
Put him in a prison cell but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world.
Three bodies lying there does Patty see
And another man named Bello moving around mysteriously
"I didn't do it" he says and he throws up his hands
"I was only robbing the register I hope you understand
I saw them leaving" he says and he stops
"One of us had better call up the cops"
And so Patty calls the cops
And they arrive on the scene with their red lights flashing
In the hot New Jersey night.
Meanwhile far away in another part of town
Rubin Carter and a couple of friends are driving around
Number one contender for the middleweight crown
Had no idea what kinda shit was about to go down
When a cop pulled him over to the side of the road
Just like the time before and the time before that
In Patterson that's just the way things go
If you're black you might as well not shown up on the street '
Less you wanna draw the heat.
Alfred Bello had a partner and he had a rap for the corps
Him and Arthur Dexter Bradley were just out prowling around
He said "I saw two men running out they looked like middleweights
They jumped into a white car with out-of-state plates"
And Miss Patty Valentine just nodded her head
Cop said "Wait a minute boys this one's not dead"
Després de 27 victòries, 12 derrotes i un empat en 40 combats, amb 8 per nocaut i 11 per nocaut tècnic, i després d’haver passat gairebé la meitat de la seva vida dins d’una presó, Rubin Carter va sortir sota la llum del sol.
“He estat innocent durant 16 anys. Aquest és el temps que he estat aquí. La innocència és un bé altament sobrevalorat.”
Hauria pogut ser campió del mon.
“Pistols shots ring out in the barroom night
Enter Patty Valentine from the upper hall
She sees the bartender in a pool of blood
Cries out "My God they killed them all"
Here comes the story of the Hurricane
The man the authorities came to blame
For something that he never done
Put him in a prison cell but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world.
Three bodies lying there does Patty see
And another man named Bello moving around mysteriously
"I didn't do it" he says and he throws up his hands
"I was only robbing the register I hope you understand
I saw them leaving" he says and he stops
"One of us had better call up the cops"
And so Patty calls the cops
And they arrive on the scene with their red lights flashing
In the hot New Jersey night.
Meanwhile far away in another part of town
Rubin Carter and a couple of friends are driving around
Number one contender for the middleweight crown
Had no idea what kinda shit was about to go down
When a cop pulled him over to the side of the road
Just like the time before and the time before that
In Patterson that's just the way things go
If you're black you might as well not shown up on the street '
Less you wanna draw the heat.
Alfred Bello had a partner and he had a rap for the corps
Him and Arthur Dexter Bradley were just out prowling around
He said "I saw two men running out they looked like middleweights
They jumped into a white car with out-of-state plates"
And Miss Patty Valentine just nodded her head
Cop said "Wait a minute boys this one's not dead"
So they took him to the infirmary
And though this man could hardly see
They told him that he could identify the guilty men.
Four in the morning and they haul Rubin in
Take him to the hospital and they bring him upstairs
The wounded man looks up through his one dying eye
Says "Wha'd you bring him in here for ? He ain't the guy !"
Yes here comes the story of the Hurricane
The man the authorities came to blame
For something that he never done
Put in a prison cell but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world.
Four months later the ghettos are in flame
Rubin's in South America fighting for his name
While Arthur Dexter Bradley's still in the robbery game
And the cops are putting the screws to him looking for somebody to blame
"Remember that murder that happened in a bar ?"
"Remember you said you saw the getaway car?"
"You think you'd like to play ball with the law ?"
"Think it might-a been that fighter you saw running that night ?"
"Don't forget that you are white".
Arthur Dexter Bradley said "I'm really not sure"
Cops said "A boy like you could use a break
We got you for the motel job and we're talking to your friend Bello
Now you don't wanta have to go back to jail be a nice fellow
You'll be doing society a favor
That sonofabitch is brave and getting braver
We want to put his ass in stir
We want to pin this triple murder on him
He ain't no Gentleman Jim".
Rubin could take a man out with just one punch
But he never did like to talk about it all that much
It's my work he'd say and I do it for pay
And when it's over I'd just as soon go on my way
Up to some paradise
Where the trout streams flow and the air is nice
And ride a horse along a trail
But then they took him to the jailhouse
Where they try to turn a man into a mouse.
All of Rubin's cards were marked in advance
The trial was a pig-circus he never had a chance
The judge made Rubin's witnesses drunkards from the slums
To the white folks who watched he was a revolutionary bum
And to the black folks he was just a crazy nigger
And though this man could hardly see
They told him that he could identify the guilty men.
Four in the morning and they haul Rubin in
Take him to the hospital and they bring him upstairs
The wounded man looks up through his one dying eye
Says "Wha'd you bring him in here for ? He ain't the guy !"
Yes here comes the story of the Hurricane
The man the authorities came to blame
For something that he never done
Put in a prison cell but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world.
Four months later the ghettos are in flame
Rubin's in South America fighting for his name
While Arthur Dexter Bradley's still in the robbery game
And the cops are putting the screws to him looking for somebody to blame
"Remember that murder that happened in a bar ?"
"Remember you said you saw the getaway car?"
"You think you'd like to play ball with the law ?"
"Think it might-a been that fighter you saw running that night ?"
"Don't forget that you are white".
Arthur Dexter Bradley said "I'm really not sure"
Cops said "A boy like you could use a break
We got you for the motel job and we're talking to your friend Bello
Now you don't wanta have to go back to jail be a nice fellow
You'll be doing society a favor
That sonofabitch is brave and getting braver
We want to put his ass in stir
We want to pin this triple murder on him
He ain't no Gentleman Jim".
Rubin could take a man out with just one punch
But he never did like to talk about it all that much
It's my work he'd say and I do it for pay
And when it's over I'd just as soon go on my way
Up to some paradise
Where the trout streams flow and the air is nice
And ride a horse along a trail
But then they took him to the jailhouse
Where they try to turn a man into a mouse.
All of Rubin's cards were marked in advance
The trial was a pig-circus he never had a chance
The judge made Rubin's witnesses drunkards from the slums
To the white folks who watched he was a revolutionary bum
And to the black folks he was just a crazy nigger
No one doubted that he pulled the trigger
And though they could not produce the gun
The DA said he was the one who did the deed
And the all-white jury agreed.
Rubin Carter was falsely tried
The crime was murder 'one' guess who testified
Bello and Bradley and they both baldly lied
And the newspapers they all went along for the ride
How can the life of such a man
Be in the palm of some fool's hand ?
To see him obviously framed
Couldn't help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land
Where justice is a game.
Now all the criminals in their coats and their ties
Are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise
While Rubin sits like Buddha in a ten-foot cell
An innocent man in a living hell
That's the story of the Hurricane
But it won't be over till they clear his name
And give him back the time he's done
Put him in a prison cell but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world.”
(Bob Dylan)
And though they could not produce the gun
The DA said he was the one who did the deed
And the all-white jury agreed.
Rubin Carter was falsely tried
The crime was murder 'one' guess who testified
Bello and Bradley and they both baldly lied
And the newspapers they all went along for the ride
How can the life of such a man
Be in the palm of some fool's hand ?
To see him obviously framed
Couldn't help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land
Where justice is a game.
Now all the criminals in their coats and their ties
Are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise
While Rubin sits like Buddha in a ten-foot cell
An innocent man in a living hell
That's the story of the Hurricane
But it won't be over till they clear his name
And give him back the time he's done
Put him in a prison cell but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world.”
(Bob Dylan)