Excessive Police use of force, profiling and accountability; the matter of Kevin D Turner, a police riot and a callous public January 12, 2011 at 11:10pm Dear Editor: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 Re: Excessive Police Force, Profiling, and Accountability; the matter of Kevin D Turner and callous public attitudes. The first week of April 2010, a 19 year old evangelical Christian from Mastic Beach was guilty of nothing more than a thoroughly justified fear of the 7th precinct Suffolk County police. He had no convictions … just some open traffic matters and a criminal contempt for allegedly approaching his ex-girlfriend on a bicycle and asking for his clothes. Appointed to represent him in this mundane matter, this is what I tried to say, to explain his absence in a Central Islip Courtroom, what I would have said for the record if procedure and decorum allowed: There is an open wound in the civic body of this county, a hole that is still open in the earth into which my client is being lowered, like a spear between the ribs of Christ this county is wounded and will not stop bleeding until all the questions are answered. The Kevin D Turner case is not yet abated by death because I have no certificate in my hand, he is not dead by the letter of the law before this tribunal-- so I rely on the word of his mother both that Kevin will never be coming to Court and that his Life is everlasting...according to her faith and Kevins... That is something that requires no proof. It is a matter of faith. Nor can I tell you with absolute certainty that he will not rise and walk through these doors. Given the state of his physical body it would be miraculous; as Lazarus rose he may rise –not likely that if he were to rise he would come here. He has no quarrel with this Court. No. I think he would go to his Church of Abundant Life and from there to the 7th Precinct with whoever would follow to bear witness. I will not describe what the police allegedly did to body while in handcuffs. Nor will I repeat the vile and naive comments in response to Newsday’s article in the spring of last year” Now I am a citizen of the County of Suffolk in the State of New York in the United States of America. I was born in 1955. Until 1962 I was told that I was a Christ Killer, then maybe not. My ancestors were in Jerusalem in 33 AD. I was not and will not accept collective guilt for the murder of my cousin. But I have practiced law since 1980, much of it here in this county...Mea Culpa. I spoke too softly, trusted the system to mend itself, counseled my clients who were victims of excess police force to complain and if enough did about the same officers something would be done, I did not stand up and cry bloody murder or rush to file a 1983 Civil Rights Action. It has been more than 30 years since I defied arrest to see justice done. For that I am a coward and for that I share in the blame for what happened to Kevin. On a DVD I have seen blood on the asphalt and on blue uniforms and on the last clothes my client wore in public -- now in an evidence locker across the street in the federal building -- and I see blood on my hands that will never wash off. This murder I did, by my timid actions and omissions this manslaughter is mine. The police work for every person in this county and are our agents -- whatever they did we did if we failed to call them to account. The Police are my friends and colleagues; but they have a systemic breakdown of accountability. That is what must change. And the new age racism of Suffolk must change. Shine a light in the dark corners, look under the rocks, and stand on high ground as you shout how laws must change and people must reeducate themselves. Dont trust blindly in Authority. The Police work for you. What they do they do in our collective Name. Call them to account or share in collective Shame. At a place called Calvary in the County of Suffolk, there is fresh sandy earth exposed through the pure snow…to one side a headstone marked for perpetual care –“Here Lies the Great Society”, to the other side a mass of unruly roses and thorns, untended. “Ask Not Who Lies Here, Hast thou forsaken Liberty?”--- seeing clearly that Liberty needs tending --- a group of scouts and bystanders without any tools --- pruned and trained the vines. A loud stern Voice “You can’t do that… Union shop rules” So try and stop us, our hand are full of thorns. But Liberty simply rests. So now there is a hole in the civic body of Suffolk, and a small piece of broken ground in from which there may be a heard a still small voice in whatever tongue -- English, Spanish, Creole-- but so softly…what is it saying? Everything has been said before but because no one listens it must be said again? Didnt you hear me the first time? Where is thy brother Able? That shalt NOT KILL. THOU SHALT NOT KILL TO THE POWER OF TEN! Thou shalt Honor thy Father and the Mother and obey them and to you I am both. No you do not have the privilege of knowing my name and it matters not if you who is speaking nor does it matter if you are deaf ... You were made to be born knowing this: THOU SHALT NOT KILL! Made in the image of the one who made you so that you would know this without being taught: Whoever is not your brother is your sister and all are my children...THOU SHALT NOT KILL! Respectfully Yours, Mark Geoffrey Kirshner, Esq. Attorney and Counselor at Law
Posted on: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 14:18:53 +0000
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