Avoyelles Mayors Symposium calls for focus on 'greater sense of hope'

Problems, perspectives and progress were the main topics at a meeting of parish, municipal and civic leaders held in Bunkie's Haas Auditorium on June 10.

The symposium, sponsored by the Avoyelles Mayors Association, was prompted by the national debate on racial injustice and inequality sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd, who was black, died while being subdued by a white police officer who had put his knee on the back of Floyd's neck.

Locally the case has been compared to the death of Armando Frank in October 2017. Frank died after he resisted arrest and was placed in a choke hold. A pathologist said the cause of death was "manual strangulation."

Simmesport Mayor Leslie Draper, the Mayors Association president, told the small group assembled and the many more watching via Facebook that the hope was that the leaders would "leave here better,stronger and wiser with a greater sense of hope."

Moreauville Mayor Beryl Holmes said watching a televised video of Floyd's death "broke our hearts, opened our eyes and unlocked our lips.

"It is time to take a stand against racial injustice and racial discrimination," she added.

Hessmer Mayor Travis Franks noted that true and lasting change starts in the home, with parents who raise their children to respect all people. The path to achieving that progress is to "change the world one person, one family, one home at time."

Guest speaker Chris Washington, a Baton Rouge attorney, started his 30-minute address by telling the mayors that the solution to the problem of racism and excessive force by their police officers begins with the mayors. He said a police chief who tolerates racism and excessive force in the department should be fired. If a police officer exhibits racism and brutality, Washington said it is the police chief's responsibility to fire that officer.

'ZERO TOLERANCE'

"There should be zero tolerance, from the top down," Washington said.

Washington noted another side of the problem is that when "good officers report bad deeds, the department comes after them."

He cited an example in another parish where a police officer refused to lie to cover a misdeed by a fellow officer. A short time later, he was arrested and charged with a crime. Fortunately, Washington said, the officer was acquitted when he went to trial.

Washington told the officials that procedures and protections need to be put in place to encourage police officers to speak up about problems they see and to protect them from reprisals.

In his comments, Washington used everyday examples to give a different and clearer perspective on issues in the overall debate.

He noted two statements are prevalent in the current discussion over the Floyd death -- "Black Lives Matter" and "All Lives Matter."

"Both are true," Washington said.

While these statements often seem to be used to counter one another, they shouldn't exclude each other, he noted.

For example, he said, if there are several patients in the ICU and the nurses' station is in the middle of the unit, all of the patients' lives matter to the doctors and nurses tending them. If a patient's heart stops beating and his vitals plunge, the doctors and nurses rush to his aid.

Washington said that doesn't mean the other patients' lives don't matter to the doctors and nurses. It only means that one of those patients needed their attention more at that time.

"Black lives are in the ICU and 'coding,'" Washington said.

Another issue has been the practice of kneeling during the National Anthem or Pledge of Allegiance. Washington said he supports those who stand for the Pledge, but he also supports those who kneel because "it isn't about the flag, but what the flag stands for."

Kneeling is not a sign of disrespect or disloyalty, he noted, but merely a symbolic way of saying, "Give me what I was promised."

THOUGHT AND ACTION
Washington also said the issue of racism is an internal fight in everyone, a battle between subconscious thought and conscious action.

He said if he is walkingdown the sidewalk and he sees a man with a beard and tattoos, he has no control over his immediate thoughts and preconceptions about that man. However, he continued, he can gain control by consciously making a decision not to discriminate against him or mistreat him based on preconceived notions.

It is not "racist" to have those thoughts as long as they are not part of a person's actions.

District Attorney Charles Riddle said that talking about concerns and problems can solve many problems. He said he is always available to talk with people about their concerns.

Riddle said training for police officers has changed over the years, but perhaps officers should be trained better in handling stressful situations. He said people make mistakes when they are under stress. In the case of Floyd's death, the officer made a terrible, fatal mistake. Riddle said.

One new weapon in the pursuit of better security for the public and police is the body camera, Riddle noted.The use of body cameras on police officers has been very beneficial in exposing mistreatment of individuals, police brutality and false accusations against officers. Cell phone videos have also been valuable in making authorities better aware of problems.

Riddle said the Mayors Association symposium was "a great start," but warned that if "we don't join together, 10 years from now we will be talking about this same thing."

Avoyelles NAACP President Allen Holmes echoed that sentiment, saying, "The way to fix the problem is to come together and work together. Don't go around trying to fight each other."