“There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, ‘When will you be satisfied'; we can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from the “I Have a Dream” speech
BY LEROY COMRIE
This year our nation will rightfully celebrate the 78th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I believe it is appropriate that our city and nation honor this moment by having an honest discussion about the state of race relations and civil rights in our society today. Dr. King spent his life, through his deeds and words, fostering a public discourse and critical analysis of these issues and how they affect our community. Today, nearly four decades after his assassination, the people of this city expect the very same from their elected officials, which is why I have chosen this opportunity to speak out.
I am also motivated by the events of the last few weeks that have taken place in the community of southeast Queens, which I represent. The tragic slaying of Sean Bell, as well as the shooting of his friends Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield, has triggered a depth of emotion throughout this city. The demand for justice is resoundingly clear and everyone responsible for this tragedy should be held accountable. This situation is a clarion call for the need for consistent, strong public review and governmental oversight of NYPD training and tactics. Sean Bell and his family paid a horrible price for the unprofessional actions of these officers.
As we wait for the wheels of our judicial system to turn in this case, there is a growing feeling of anxiety in our community. Because justice has often been denied in similar cases, there are many who feel impatient and that history will repeat itself. These troubling times in our city have prompted me to look to the words of Dr. King. His words clearly speak to the crisis we face and I find a great comfort in them as I hope you will.
On that momentous August day in 1963, when he delivered the “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. King talked specifically about police brutality in our community. He talked about communities under siege from heavy-handed police tactics, such as the ones we have seen in the aftermath of the Bell shooting. He said such communities are “veterans of creative suffering.” Dr. King urged the masses that gathered on the Washington Mall that day that they must never be satisfied with accepting things the way they are.
In the years since Dr. King's birthday became a national holiday, there have been many who have tried to use his pacifist nature to extol a message of peace and acceptance of the way things are. They tend to willfully rewrite history and bury the revolutionary context of Dr. King's words and deeds. I prefer to remember that this man led mass demonstrations for social and economic justice. He willingly defied unjust laws and put everything he had on the line for the betterment of his community.
So as we await the system of jurisprudence to play out in the Bell shooting, I want to reiterate the words of Dr. King today. We must not seek to satisfy our thirst for justice by drinking from the cup of hatred. We must conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must meet physical force with spiritual force. As he so rightly stated, “We must continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.”
My colleagues in the City Council and I, under the leadership of our Speaker, Christine Quinn, will conduct a series of community meetings that will attempt to foster an honest, public dialogue and critical analysis about police enforcement in our city. Additionally, under the leadership of New York State Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm Smith, there will be a series of tri-level government hearings to examine law enforcement procedures. As Dr. King said, “We are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I am encouraged by the vigil begun by the Bell family this past week. Their courage and their dignified approach should be applauded and supported. This entire city should be standing shoulder to shoulder with the Bell family and demand that Sean Bell's tragic death not be simply accepted.
We must not be satisfied and continue to make our voices heard on this issue. Let us mark Dr. King's birthday this year by not simply singing his praises but emulating his words and deeds. Our goal should be getting the city to recognize all the elements that led to the Bell tragedy, to embrace the tough decisions that have to be made and to insure that this never happens again.
Leroy Comrie is the Deputy Majority Leader of the New York City Council and represents the 27th Council District in Queens.
