Friends, I provided a statement to the Pioneer Press for the story below, in which the heads of the Minneapolis and St. Paul Police unions issued an open letter requesting restraint in public comments about law enforcement. From where I sit, the concerns that we are raising about the need for accountability are legitimate. We should be able to voice our concerns without fear of reprisal or retaliation, which has been the case here and elsewhere. We have seen many of our elected officials like Mayor Betsy Hodges, St. Paul School Superintendent Silva, Mayor Chris Coleman and others face backlash from the unions for making public statements. This creates a culture of fear and intimidation that makes true reform and accountability difficult to impossible to achieve. Incidentally, the last black law professor to take a public stance against police abuse, my friend Professor Robin Magee, had her job threatened at Hamline Law, her photo was plastered on the unions website, and Hamline was threatened with losing police business and support because of Prof. Magees presence on the faculty. In spite of the risks, I have made a personal and faith-filled decision to not remain silent on this issue. And neither should anyone else who wants to see a more fair, just, and equitable system. Too many lives and livelihoods are at stake to remain silent.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 01:21:57 +0000
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