Stop-and-frisk police tactics is not the solution to the violence problem in Indianapolis or any other city for that matter.
Rev. Charles Harrison’s plea that the sudden surge in violence in Indy justifies the use of that tactic was a tactical mistake on his part. I understand and share Harrison’s frustrations at the violence and the rampant use of illegal weapons, and use of weapons by those under 18, but his advocacy of the tactic engendered a fierce negative reaction from our African-American community.
Not just among leaders, but the masses, especially those under 35 whose negative encounters with police shape their negative view of the tactic.
So, Amos, you’re saying, if that tactic is off the table, what can we do?
Well on the gun issue, while recognizing the 2nd Amendment, the answer is simple; but complex to implement.
Indianapolis needs to mobilize to convince the Republican legislative supermajority, lawmakers from violence free, law abiding gun owner communities, to allow Indianapolis/Marion County, and perhaps a couple of other counties with similar problems, to have the ability to tighten our gun laws and regulations to make illegal and irresponsible gun ownership more difficult.
In my WTLC-AM (1310) “Afternoons with Amos” interview last week with Harrison, he called out the larger church community. I agree with him.
It’s time for Catholic Archbishop Joseph Tobin, who’s been invisible on civic matters, to engage in the anti-violence efforts; also the heads of Indy’s other white mainstream and evangelic denominations.
Unfortunately, they aren’t involved. That’s not Harrison’s fault or Black leadership’s fault. That abdication of responsibility belongs to the mayor of this city/county – Greg Ballard!
Even if (and when) Black leadership all came together, checked their egos and competing claims at the door, we still couldn’t handle the task on our own. We’d still need partnerships with the broader community.
The blueprint created by Indy’s Your Life Matters/My Brothers Keeper effort is comprehensive and tackles many aspects of the violence problem.
That blueprint’s similar to violence reduction programs in other major cities.
The difference between Indianapolis’ plan and other cities’ is the role of the mayor.
In other cities, their mayors are actively engaged and involved.
In Indianapolis, our mayor has abandoned the battlefield!
Last week, President Barack Obama, in New Orleans, learned first hand about their Nola For Life violence reduction program, under the leadership of Mayor Mitch Landrieu.
Unlike Indy, Landrieu is front and center leading the charge, engaging all aspects of the community in the effort. They’ve raised $1.3 million in a special fund for the program.
In Indy, we’ve got a plan, little money and no hands-on involvement from the city/county’s chief executive.
Recently, with great mayor hoopla, Ballard presided over the unveiling of the controversial Blue Indy car-sharing scheme.
Under Ballard’s prodding, city officials bent and broke rules, regulations, even ordinances and possibly laws to push, prod and implement the mayor’s electric car jones.
Imagine if Ballard had used the same energy and drive (without the rule bending and breaking) and pushed and prodded Indy’s institutions to really get behind Your Life Matters/My Brother’s Keeper?
Lives could’ve been spared. Killings and shootings could’ve been reduced. Illegal guns purged from our streets. Young people could be getting the mental treatment they need. Ex-offenders could be employed. Broken and bent families with kids could be getting the help they need to come together; to heal.
It’s shameful that our mayor cares more about electric cars, than about Black/brown/white lives!
What I’m hearing in the streets
The Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) school board made some fateful decisions last week. Not many of them beneficial to minorities in the district.
First, the board approved raises for IPS teachers. Great! Long overdue!
But no word, or even the start of negotiations for the rest of IPS’ employees. The majority of IPS’ teachers are white/non-Hispanic. The majority of the IPS’ support staff is minority.
I hope the board isn’t sending a signal that raises for white employees are OK; not for minority employees.
The board also insulted IPS’ Hispanics (25 percent of IPS students; 10 percent of the overall IPS population) by missing the opportunity to elect a Hispanic – Karen Celesstino Horseman, an attorney and former City-County Councilwoman – to fill the board vacancy left by Caitlin Hannon.
IPS has no Hispanic administrators – none! And the district is seriously tone deaf in relating to Hispanics.
Two of the Board’s three minority members – Gayle Cosby and Lanier Echols – voted for Horseman. Sam Olde voted for former Bart Peterson deputy mayor and Lilly exec Mike O’Connor.
I was deeply disturbed by comments O’Connor made during his interview with the board.
Asked about IPS’ Innovation School concept, the scheme by school reformers to allegedly provide quality school choice options to all IPS residents, O’Connor endorsed the concept to “keep young adults who live downtown in IPS when they have kids.”
Problem is those young adults are nearly all white, mainly because the marketing of downtown housing opportunities specifically excludes marketing to African-Americans.
O’Connor’s insensitive remark reinforces fears that he’ll be a captive board member of the moneyed interests trying to make IPS a laboratory for their failing educational reform policies.
See ‘ya next week!
You can email Amos Brown at acbrown@aol.com.
