Dear Editor,
I am proud of the Black Lives Matter movement for social justice. Last week was the 6 month anniversary of Breonna Taylor shooting death by police. Her case is going before the grand jury final. I was somewhat surprise that Donald Trump would pick that day to announce that the State Attorney of Kentucky as second person on his list of future supreme court nominees if he was elected to a second term . Of the 200 plus federal judges he has appointed during his time in office not one has been a person of color, not one black. The Kentucky state attorney is a man who happens to be black, in the mold of Justice Clarence Thomas.
I was the top activists on criminal justice system and prison reform in the USA in the 90’s. I was the vice president of the local chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. We fought the Okaloosa county sheriff department which employed 235 full time, part time and auxiliary personal, and only two deputies were black. They had a special unit that terrorize and brutalize the black community. The US Justice Department pull their top people on police brutality off our cases to prosecute the Rodney King case.
I spoke at the sentencing of a man defending himself who was given 22 years with no evidence. 30 months later the Supreme Court of the state of Florida order that he be set free. Sighting that hard cases make bad law. The Northwest Florida Daily News and media gave me all the credit. My SCLC nickname was the Gunslinger
My heart goes out to the chief of police in Rochester, NY, who resign last week due to unseen forcedes outside the city. Our humanity goes out to Daniel Prude the naked man who the police arrested. Daniel had to be very familiar with the police officers who arrested him. He cooperated with all the instructions and it is very unfortunate that he pass away seven days after being arrested.
Blue lives matter too. A total of fifteen police officers have been impacted. Seven who are on administrative leave, the police chief and seven others police officers in leadership positions who lives have been devastated. Daniel death has brought about creative solutions in the way the system will deal with the mentally ill people in the future. Over 20% of the people in America have some type of mental health issues, I know because I ‘am one. Our humanity, and our prayers goes out to the good men and women who protect and serve our community . These are difficult times for them with officers in California who were ambush and shot in their cars. With all the missed conduct of bad officers who are immediately fired in Atlanta. Communication and understanding between law enforcement and the public is a wonderful thing. There are over a million human being who wear their badges with honor, in our nation of 330,000.000,people. As we work together to find solutions for the betterment and safety of all peoples. We need to encourage all the men and women in law enforcement to, “Keep Your Chin Up” for this too will pass.
Ted Harris ,Midway