September IO, 2014
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^ìortlanò (Bbaeruer
Page 7
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Our Criminal Justice System on Trial
Needed reforms
a lesson of
Ferguson
by
M arc H.
M orial
The funeral is over.
The protests have died
down. The lax and listless wheels
o f justice in Ferguson, Missouri
are beginning to turn. A St. Louis
County grand jury has convened
to consider whether to bring
charges against Officer Darren
Wilson for the Aug. 9 shooting
death o f 18-year-old, unarmed
Michael Brown.
As I have said before, I have
never witnessed a situation more
poorly handled than this one.
While we are pleased that the
grand jury has begun its work,
questions of fairness in the St.
Louis County criminal justice
system and in the culture o f po
licing in Ferguson continue to
demand answers.
involving Michael Brown was a ing peaceful voting rights dem
of force generally against youth
The latest slap in the face to the blatant attempt to taint a poten
onstrations in the south during and people of color and the de
Ferguson community occurred last tial jury pool. As of this writing, the 1960s.
velopment o f national use of
month when Missouri State the prosecutor has failed to ar
It is unthinkable that we find force standards; the universal
Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, after rest or charge Officer Wilson
those tactics acceptable today. use of dash cameras in police
initially being threatened with who remains on paid administra
That is why the National Urban vehicles and police officer body-
arrest, was finally able to de tive leave. McCulloch has vowed
League last month joined a coa worn cameras; and taking con
liver a petition with 70,000 to stay on the case unless Gov.
lition of more than a dozen na crete steps to ensure that fed
signatures to the office of St. Nixon orders him to recuse him
tional civil rights organizations in eral military weapons do not end
Louis County Prosecutor Rob self. Established legal proce
issuing “A Unified Statement to up in the hands of local law
ert McCulloch.
dures and the concerns of the Promote Reform and Stop Po
enforcement.
T he p e titio n c a lls fo r Ferguson community continue lice Abuse.”
Make no mistake about i t - i n
M cCulloch to recuse him self to be ignored.
Our statement proposes a the wake of the killing of Michael
from the Michael Brown case
The heavy-handed, militaris number of police reform s in
Brown, the criminal justice sys
because o f his close ties to the tic tactics employed by Ferguson
Ferguson and elsewhere that are tem in America is on trial. De
police and previous questions of and St. Louis County police in
designed to ensure a greater re spite the tremendous civil rights
impartiality. McCulloch’s father, response to citizen protests fol
liance on community policing and progress we have made over the
brother, uncle and a cousin were lowing the killing of Michael
that police departments are more past 50 years, we will never truly
all police officers. In addition, in Brown are also a powerful wake
reflective of the racial, ethnic “overcome” until we honestly
2000, McCulloch refused to pros up call.
and gender diversity of the com acknowledge and address the
ecute two white police officers
While there were isolated ag munities they serve. These re
insidious vestiges of racial seg
for the shooting deaths of two gressive acts by a few rogue
forms include:
regation and dehumanization that
unarmed black men who it was protesters, the majority of pro
An independent and com pre remain in this country, and un
later determined were not ad tests and protesters were peace
hensive federal investigation by fortunately, in law enforcement.
vancing towards the officers.
ful. Yet, the use of tear gas, stun the Department of Justice of the
Marc H. Morial is presi
Some wonder if M cCulloch’s grenades and armored vehicles
fatal shooting of Michael Brown; dent and chief executive of
decision to release the video o f a was reminiscent of ugly police
a comprehensive federal review ficer o f the National Urban
convenience store altercation confrontations with citizens dur-
and reporting of excessive use League.
Mascot
Decreasing
negative
stereotypes
team name.
In L.A., I began working for a issue today. Now, I know better.
very different lifestyle than the
I grew up in a small, Native American nonprofit orga Most of America doesn’t.
people of the Southwest. But
picture-perfect north nization that helps Native youth. I
In 2005, the American Psy with mascot imagery, everyone
ern California town. I wanted them to be exposed to the chological Association called for
thinks all Natives are from the
was adopted by Cau real Native role models. We put an end to Native American mas
plains area. With more than 550
c a sia n p a re n ts and posters of great past and modern- cots, citing research that the
tribes in this country, these limit
by J ennifer
raised in a loving fam day Native leaders on walls. We presence of these mascots re
ing images automatically leave
V arenchik
ily, but the one thing I didn ’ t have purchased books and DVDs that
sults in lower self-esteem among out a large amount of Native
Until recently, I never really was exposure to my N ative positively portrayed
N ative youth and increased Americans.
paid much attention to the N a American culture.
Native people, so the youth negative attitudes by non-Na-
Shouldn’t we get to choose
tive American mascot issue. “It’s
I remember glimpsing major could see that Native Ameri tive youth.
how we are known? Me, I don’t
not my fight,” I thought.
sporting events on television and cans are more than history les
A lot of the low self-esteem want to be known for feathers,
I live in Los Angeles County, seeing fans dressed up in the sons and mascots.
and high levels of suicide among tomahawks and war paint. I want
home of the largest urban N a stands. As a child, I wondered if
A few years later, I had the Native youth go back to not be
to be able to say I’m Native
tive American and Alaska N a that was how my people dressed.
privilege of being able to travel ing able to see positive portray
American and the likely response
tive population in the United How was I to know? I didn’t
to Indian reservations around the als of role models in the media. is, “Oh, the first people.”
States. When I first moved to have any Native American ref
country with another Native non Many Native people know that
Until I can tell people I am
L.A. in the 1990s, I was con erences around me.
profit group. I learned about dif most of America doesn’t really
Native American and receive
stantly being asked if I was
Sure, I learned tidbits about ferent tribal traditions, met many know much about us because
instant recognition, I will con
Latina. Sometimes people would N ative A m erican history in
wonderful people and grew a w e’re not seen, especially on tinue to do what I can to de
get upset because I w asn’t able school, but nothing about mod
deeper appreciation for my cul mainstream media.
crease negative stereotypes.
to speak Spanish.
em Native American life. My ture. I was able to participate in
With our culture being so wide
Please join me in this struggle.
Occasionally, I would resort exposure to my culture as a child
various ceremonies and to hear and diverse, we want you to Let’s create a new understand
to sticking two fingers behind was fans on television pretend
speeches by some of the same know more than the lim ited ing of what it means to be Native
my head to act as a feather to ing to be Indians and tragic his
people we had posters of at my knowledge that comes from root- American.
illustrate being American Indian. tory lessons in school.
first job. I was able to connect ing for a team with a Native
Jennifer Varenchik (Tohono
Unfortunately, that’s all I had to
And you know what? That is with many elders, tribal leaders mascot.
O ’odham) is a speaker, writer
reach for to explain my heritage. all most of America has been
and community organizers about
Each area of this country has and director and a member o f
Thinking back on those times is exposed to as well. Just add
what life was like on their reser a different climate, and the first the Native Voice Network. This
what has helped push me to get casinos, and that’s what most vation.
people here learned to adapt and article from American Forum
involved with the campaign to non-Native people know about
This brings me back to why I live off the land. The Native first appeared in Equal Voice
change the Washington football our culture.
am involved with the mascot people of the Northwest lived a News.