In a statement released earlier this afternoon, Mr. Liu equated the attitude officers use when stopping New Yorkers with George Zimmerman, the Florida neighborhood watchman who was found not guilty Saturday in the high-profile fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
In particular, Mr. Liu blasted Mayor Michael Bloomberg‘s response to the controversial verdict, which had largely focused on criticizing Florida’s “shoot first” laws.
“Mayor Bloomberg’s statement on Saturday’s verdict rings hollow. If he were truly concerned, he would realize that the same mindset that allowed Zimmerman to believe he was justified in following an innocent young black man permits the NYPD to justify the targeting of black and Hispanic youth in its stop-and-frisk operation,” Mr. Liu said.
“We must work to undo the misguided perception that black and Hispanic youth are guilty until proven innocent,” he added. “Just as states like Florida must repeal their dangerous Stand Your Ground legislation, the City must abandon its stop-and-frisk campaign.”
NYPD Commissioner Kelly has been quoted as saying the goal behind stop-and-frisk is to "instill fear" in every young black and Latino male in the city "that every time that they left their homes they could be targeted by police."
Liu is correct to say that stop-and-frisk is every bit as racist as Stand Your Ground laws and to call Bloomberg out for his hypocrisy.
The mayor's office did not respond to Liu's statement.
In all honesty, that's because there is no way to respond to it.
What Liu said is absolutely true.
Stop-and-frisk and Stand Your Ground come from the same infected place.
Go Mr. Liu..."
ReplyDeleteYes, he hit it right on the head, but nobody else wants to come out and say this. Cowards all.
ReplyDeleteAnd Liu will get very little coverage too.
ReplyDeleteBarely any. That's the way it is when you have a corporate owned media shilling for corporate interests.
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