one feels a bit helpless before the face of such injustice. here's a small action we should take, just so as to swell the numbers of those crying out for change. maybe the good people of cleveland will hear this. if i lived there i'd campaign for a recall of their prosecuting attorney who biased the process and sought to exonerate the policeman who killed the boy.
ken
-------- Forwarded Message --------
| Subject: | Sign the petition: Justice for Tamir Rice |
|---|---|
| Date: | Wed, 30 Dec 2015 04:14:49 +0000 |
| From: | Rev. Traci D. Blackmon <moveon-help@list.moveon.org> |
| Reply-To: | talkbacks@moveon.org |
| To: | Kenneth Harrow <harrow@msu.edu> |
Dear fellow MoveOn member,
Yesterday, a grand jury decided not to charge the police officer who shot and killed Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old Black boy who was playing with a toy gun at a Cleveland park.1 Will you join me in demanding justice for Tamir? Click here to sign the petition to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
The petition says:
Yesterday, yet another Black child's life was rendered disposable, not by a grand jury of his peers, because he was only 12 years old. His peers are not even old enough to serve on a jury.
Tamir Rice was murdered by law enforcement. His only crime was being a 12-year-old Black male child in a poor neighborhood. Those factors alone robbed him of his youth, robbed him of protection, and robbed him of any benefit of the doubt.
And then Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty robbed him and his family of all due process under the law.2 If we are a nation of laws, then those laws should apply equally to all citizens. If we are a nation of compassion, then that compassion should not be determined by the color of one's skin. If we are a nation of justice, then that justice must be available to everyone.
Even when filmed, the killing of a Black child is rendered justifiable.
Even in an open-carry state, the killing of a Black child carrying a pellet gun is rendered justifiable.
Even in a playground with no sign of threat, the killing of a Black child is rendered justifiable.
Within two seconds of the arrival of the police, it is acceptable that a 12-year-old is dead.
We demand a thorough investigation into the killing of Tamir Rice. We demand equal protection of Black children, both under the law and, when necessary, from those hired to enforce the law.
Thanks for all you do.
—Reverend Traci D. Blackmon
Sources:
1. "Cleveland Officer Will Not Face Charges in Tamir Rice Shooting Death," The New York Times, December 28, 2015
http://act.moveon.org/go/462?t=6&akid=160676.3118274.qCiyWY
2. "Officers Won't Be Charged for Killing Tamir Rice as Family Says Prosecutor 'Abused' Grand Jury Process," Slate, December 28, 2015
http://act.moveon.org/go/474?t=8&akid=160676.3118274.qCiyWY
This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. Rev. Traci D. Blackmon didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.
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This email was sent to Kenneth Harrow on December 30th, 2015. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.
-- kenneth w. harrow professor of english michigan state university department of english 619 red cedar road room C-614 wells hall east lansing, mi 48824 ph. 517 803 8839 harrow@msu.edu
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