The Whole World Witnessed a Murder. Are the Fixes Proposed Enough?

FIRST PERSON--We shouldn’t have to protest for humans to be treated like humans.

What’s equally sad is that our congressional and Senate leaders are at odds over legislation that addresses systemic racism, police brutality, and get this, the lynching of black people.

Several things have changed across the nation since the riots and protest:

1. Many states are banning the use of choke holds and carotid holds, tear gas and no- knock warrants.
2. Confederate monuments are being destroyed across the nation.
3. The officers involved in the death of George Floyd are facing charges
4. Budget cuts to law enforcement have been made, which I personally think is a bad idea.
5. Gang members are uniting on this issue. Do you understand the volume of this message? 

BUT, IS THIS ENOUGH? WILL THESE ACTS SOLVE A 400-YEAR-OLD PROBLEM? ABSOLUTELY NOT. The problem is that there are no viable consequences for these vigilantes.

This is what I feel needs to happen:

We need legislation that requires autonomous audit of officers of the law and a correction of specifications in which they can be prosecuted.

We need a viable and increasing path to justice reform to include murderous acts by law enforcement to be deemed as hate crimes and domestic acts of terrorism, and we shouldn’t be satisfied until they are convicted as such.

Congress needs to address the 1994 bill that presidential hopeful Joe Biden helped craft and former president Clinton sign off on, as it is one of the key contributors to mass incarceration, and places the harshest sentencing on people of color.

There needs to be a thorough investigation of sentencing practices of judges in our county courts and the District Attorneys Offices throughout the nation. Especially in the Antelope Valley area of California.

Instead of making budget cuts to law enforcement, here’s a novel idea, how about being more thorough in background checks and psychological evaluations. In other words, do your due diligence and drain your swamp. All law enforcement is not bad and all bad law enforcement is not white. They come from all ethnicities, including black.

KEEP PROTESTING! NO COLOR LINES! UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL!

(Diedra M. Greenaway, MS/MBA, is a long-time community activist who lives and works in Los Angeles.)

-cw