My Son
My son is a loving father, and husband. I worry about him every day. I worry because of what happened to Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and now, Walter Scott. I fear that my son might be unlawfully stopped and frisked, intimidated or even shot. A mother should not have to live with this fear. Walter Scott, a son and father of four, was yet another unarmed African-American man, shot and killed by a police officer.
I recently celebrated my son's birthday. Walter Scott's mother will never celebrate another birthday with her son. She lost a loving son, like so many mothers, from Missouri to Florida.
The criminal justice system must be reformed, nationally. This year, 2015, we have seen a new civil rights movement; a movement for criminal justice reform. We need to be unafraid of this journey, unafraid to examine our existing system’s failings, and unafraid to propose a positive vision for the future. We must commit to seeing this journey through. We must pledge to listen with open hearts and open minds, and we must take decisive action to make the justice system worthy of the confidence of all Americans.
In an effort to better understand and address the issues of criminal justice in New York State, and the country, I created the Know Your Rights Criminal Justice Task Force, with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Senator Jesse Hamilton. Together, with community members we will reform the criminal justice, starting with New York State.
With Action,
District Leader Shirley Patterson
P.S. Click here to join the Know Your Rights Criminal Justice Task Force.
Photo courtesy of The Post Courier
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