The following petition is being circulated by the national Black Radical Congress. I am posting it to the Minneapolis issues list because of the ongoing discussion of police brutality and its effects on our city. I wouldn't mind hearing some discussion about this... more and more people are calling for federal intervention in police brutality cases, as it is very difficult to charge or convict police officers of misconduct, because of the close relationship between the police force and local judicial systems. -- Holle Brian Bancroft (612) 822-6593 --------------------- Black Radical Congress Petition to make Police Brutality and Misconduct a Federal Crime http://www.blackradicalcongress.org/organizing/campaigns/index.html Government sanctioned violence, particularly abuse by law enforcement agencies, has represented a persistent pattern of civil and human rights abuse against people of color, especially African Americans, and the poor, since the origin of the United States of America. Contemporary police brutality consists of the use of excessive force: shooting of unarmed individuals, fatal chokings, and physical assaults. Police misconduct is inclusive of planting evidence, making or condoning untrue oral and written reports, keeping silent, threatening suspects, arrestees, and witnesses, and engaging in illegal activities. We believe that because police officers operate under "color of law," civil and human rights violations committed by officers undermine respect for law and government. Furthermore, we believe the logical consequence of police violence is a society ruled by the force of arms, not law, and represents another step closer to a police state. We believe that existing local, county, state, and federal policies and laws have been ineffective in ending the persistent and pervasive practices of police brutality and misconduct federal crimes. Police brutality and misconduct are the most serious and recurring violations of U.S. citizens’ civil rights and permanent residents’ human rights. Thus, we the undersigned petition Congress to make police brutality and misconduct federal crimes because: · Police brutality and misconduct are pervasive across the nation at all levels of law enforcement, municipal, county, state, and federal; and · Race, ethnicity or nationality, class, and age (i.e., youth) have been demonstrated to be major factors in the occurrence of police brutality and misconduct; and · Existing remedies have proven ineffective at all levels of government in curtailing the unwarranted use of excessive force and misconduct. Police brutality and misconduct are serious offenses that threaten domestic peace and tranquillity. We call upon the Congress of the United States to pass legislation making brutality by law enforcement agents a federal crime. Signature________________________________ Printed Name_____________________________ Address_________________________________ Phone______________ Email_______________ (duplicate signature section as needed) Black Radical Congress, National Office Columbia University Station P.O. Box 250791 New York, NY 10025-1509 Phone: (212) 969-0348 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.blackradicalcongress.org _______________________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
