Silence in Matters, Means You’re in Agreement

Once again we have been faced with watching an individual being violated and mistreated by several of our city of Newburgh policemen. Wow!

While watching the city of Newburgh’s City Council meeting this past Monday I could not believe their seemingly lack of concern re: this incident. Councilman Shakur was the only one that expressed “SERIOUS” concern. Councilwoman Sofokles stated her support of the policemen’s behavior and that’s quite understandable due to the fact that her son is a policeman in another city. This type of response or no response towards such behavior of our police puts many of the citizens of Newburgh in “Serious” danger.

Recently, I was made aware of two letters that have been sent to our City Manager, Mayor, and City Council, from the city of Newburgh’s NAACP and the Christian Ministerial Fellowship.

I had an opportunity to speak with the heads of both of these organizations, Mr. Harvey and Rev. Mays, and they both expressed their concerns re: the police’s behavior towards our community. Both of their organizations are requesting and urging that the process for selection of the next police chief be transparent and moved forward with a dynamic that informs and includes them in the process. I also spoke with Juanita Lewis, the Hudson Valley Organizing Director of “Community Voices” and she said that her response is coming forth as an individual and not “Community Voices.” She said that she would like to know what is going to be the disciplinary aspect coming forth from the city government towards the two policemen involved in this incident. Have they been suspended? She feels that this needs to be “Seriously” addressed.

The three mentioned above have voiced their concerns re: this most recent incident, so what are the rest of you going to say about it? Your silence will mean that you are in agreement with this very atrocious behavior that has been continuously coming forth from “some” of the city of Newburgh’s police. Why should we be surprised about this behavior? This is nothing new that we see going on. This type of behavior has been displayed towards people of color for many, many years.Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. talked about it, Malcolm X talked about it and throughout the years there have been many more that have done so. In a nation that professes to be largely a Christian nation how is this possible? Jesus said, “I leave Ye another commandment and that is that Ye love one another and then the world will know that Ye are my disciples!” That is why one day many are going to hear “depart from me ye workers of iniquity, I know ye not!”

I personally have seen the many complaints that have been brought forward re: some of our police for I am a member of the “Police Community Relations Review Board” and I must say that this board is a joke. It does not have any “Serious” power and I have frequently stated that. In fact, when the board was first created I came to the first meeting and stated this to them. Several years later I was appointed to be a member and I have continuously shared my opinions, but they were never “Seriously “ listened to. I continuously told them that we needed to revamp and start a “Police Civilian Review Board” for that type of board has more power to address complaints. Because of the cost factor of a board such as that it was decided not to go in that direction.

Oh well, what can I say? Truthfully, the “PCRRB” board has not had a meeting in almost a year. WOW! Why not? Because many of the appointed members resigned for one reason or another. Truthfully, it’s a board in name only and the city council has not properly supported it. In the past there was a specific complaint re: the treatment of a pregnant woman, which also happened to be the daughter of one of the members that was once on the board. That really caused me to want to resign, which the mother of that young woman did. WOW! “If they asked me I could write a book!” In fact, I should because it would most definitely be a million seller. Oh well!

Let me share with you an excerpt from the book “Black Robes, White Justice” (Why our Legal System Doesn’t Work For Blacks”) written by New York Supreme Court Justice Bruce Wright: “Most people regard the police as the first line of protection against criminals.

Because so many blacks are arrested and charged with criminal conduct, white society normally sides with police and tends to regard officers in the heroic image those guardians project of themselves. The outrage is spoken loudly in the black residential areas of New York every time a white officer is acquitted when charged with killing a black. Such acquittal confirms the oft-repeated belief that no white officer will ever be convicted for shooting or killing a black. Jury verdicts have borne out that view as a fatal statistic.”

In addition to the “Serious” problems going on with our police department there are other issues that we should be very concerned about which are namely 1) We have had 5 police chiefs in the past five years; 2)The city of Newburgh is 80% Hispanic & African American but 60% of the employees of the city of Newburgh are Caucasian! This means that our “GREAT” city of Newburgh is most definitely not an “Equal Opportunity” employer. Wow!
Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up!

Hopefully, like my friend Sam Cook said, “A Change Is Going To Come!” Hopefully, it will come forth as the result of organizations such as the “NAACP”, “Christian Ministerial Fellowship”, “Nu Voters Movement” and “Community Voices” continuously voicing their concerns and opinions. You, my readers also need to do so. Yes! Yes! Yes! Praise God From Whence “All” of our blessings flow! Say so, say so, let the redeemed of the Lord say so!

This is “Lillie’s Point of View” and I’m just having my say! Now you can have yours! PEACE!