Badger Club continues to discuss police brutality | Guest Opinion
The conscience of the nation was shocked by a viral video of a white policeman seeming to nonchalantly press the life out of George Floyd, a Black man, on a Minneapolis street.
The response was visceral. People of all ages, races and political persuasions took to the streets to protest. The police were caught squarely in the middle.
Two weeks ago, the Columbia Basin Badger Club presented the first of a two-part webinar forum with former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper, author of To Protect and Serve: How to Fix America’s Police.
Those who missed it can go to bit.ly/NormStamper and watch the recorded video.
The Badger Club is taking the unusual step of presenting a follow-up webinar Thursday, July 30, at noon offering three community leaders who have much to say about the role of police in our neighborhoods. To register, visit the Badger Club website: columbiabasinbadgers.com.
Leo Perales, Latino community advocate and vice president of Consejo Latino, puts it this way, “This (protest) movement, now the biggest of its kind, has been different from past movements. Participants make up a multi-ethnic and multi-generational coalition saying ‘Enough is enough.’”
He adds, “The typical rock-like intransigence we see from elected officials and police departments won’t be tolerated … It’s fair to say that things will get uncomfortable. We must acknowledge the deep wounds of injustice as there can’t be reconciliation without recognition of those injustices.”
Poet Jordan Chaney, who is Black, was just named to the Governor’s Task Force for Independent Investigation of Police Use of Force (first called the Task Force on Policing and Racial Justice).
While he’s disappointed in the apparent change of focus, Chaney says, “I still believe that being a part of the Task Force for Independent Investigation of Police Use of Force is worthwhile, and that this is an opportunity for those involved to really learn about the pain and suffering of racial injustice and the impact of the culture of police brutality against Black people starting with “just the blood” from the ground up. This attitude is not to diminish the intent but to keep the whole problem of systemic racism in full view.”
Ken Roske, who is white, was a captain when Pasco’s most-noted police shooting took place. Antonio Zambrano-Montes was killed by Pasco Police who fired multiple gunshots at a busy intersection in 2015. Named chief last October, Roske credits a 20-year effort to create community partnerships for helping to heal the wounds.
“During this challenging time,” Roske said, “we are fortunate that we made a concerted effort to engage with our community to strengthen trust and transparency. Much of our success in policing a culturally diverse community rests in their confidence in the police. Open lines of communication and problem-solving with a focus on the quality of life will continue to be our policing style.”
The Badger forum will ask these three community leaders to consider if the problems that are bringing people to the streets in protest should be up to the police to fix. And are today’s law enforcement organizations even capable of bringing lasting change to the many facets of the American experiment?
Advance registration is required for the noon July 30 forum at columbiabasinbadgers.com. There is no cost to attend.
Kirk Williamson is a founding member of the Badger Club and was its first Vice President for Programs. He is semi-retired and currently serves as program manager of the Benton-Franklin Community Health Alliance.
This story was originally published July 27, 2020 at 1:38 PM with the headline "Badger Club continues to discuss police brutality | Guest Opinion."