The power of an emotional issue picking up steam nationwide attracted roughly 300 people to Housatonic Community College Wednesday night for “I Am Trayvon Martin Rally.” Mayor Bill Finch and former State Senator Ernie Newton, who’s seeking his old legislative seat, attended the event organized by an HCC student. Martin, an unarmed black teen, was shot and killed in Florida last month by a neighborhood watch member.
From Tim Loh, CT Post:
Back in high school, while walking home along Hawley Avenue, Jerome Geyer said he was stopped and questioned at least three times by police looking for a burglar.
One night, while driving home from Fairfield, he can recall being pulled over by that town’s police and asked if he had weapons or narcotics in the car. When he said no, the officer replied: “You do know marijuana is a narcotic.”
On Wednesday, standing in the courtyard of Housatonic Community College, the 27-year-old with dreadlocks recalled trying to stay calm and cordial then.
“But it infuriated me,” he said. “I don’t even do drugs. How does that relate to me?”
Read more here.
The Bridgeport minority community is most definitely profiled when they are in our neighboring towns. I see it all the time. I drive a lot in the surrounding towns and when I see a car pulled over I bet myself it is a minority who’s pulled over. I win 9 out of 10 times. I have been pulled over when driving around the lower East Side. The cops want to know what I am doing there and am I buying drugs.
I believe the community and the police departments have to have training. The police by and large do not understand black and Hispanic culture and mannerisms. The police department has to understand 90-95% want the same thing the officer wants, a safe neighborhood free of gunshots and murder, they want their kids to be safe when outside. There is no difference. The minority community is no different, the same holds true for the community, they have to learn what it is to be a police officer in the inner city.
Oh how true. THINK about this, just think.
A great tribute to civil rights activist Ella Baker and her famous words:
“Until the killing of black men, black mothers’ sons, becomes as important to the rest of the country as the killing of a white mother’s son. We who believe in freedom cannot rest until this happens.” 1964.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=U6Uus–gFrc
Sweet honey in the rock–“Ella’s Song.”
Ron … well taken. The corollary is when Golda Meir said years ago, “We will have peace in the Middle East when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us.”
Zimmerman, by the way, is 1/2 Hispanic, 1/2 White. He was told by 911 NOT to follow Treyvon and to leave it to the police. Zimmerman didn’t follow those instructions and the result was Martin’s death.
Just so you know, President Obama is 1/2 African, 1/2 White American, but is considered African American. These racial descriptions are getting out of hand … How do you describe a 1/4 Native American who is also 1/4 Italian and 1/2 Hungarian Jewish in racial parlance? I’m talking about my wife.
Thanks, Ron. Great song, great performance; played it twice.
*** Who’s to blame? If Zimmerman’s overreaction lead to a confrontation in which a young man’s life was taken, shouldn’t the local P/D do everything in its power to investigate the incident and attempt to find the truth? Too little too late on the P/D’s part to get facts out to the media & the victim’s family thus leaving nothing but doubt and speculation on the investigation. *** TRAGIC ALL THE WAY AROUND ***
From CNN:
White privilege vs. racial profiling
ht.cdn.turner.com/cnn/big/bestoftv/2012/03/29/exp-nr-michael-skolnik-whiteprivilege.cnn.ipad.qtref.mov