Fight for Justice

Another rally for justice was held last Thursday, June 17, 2021 at the Benoit Community Center in Monroe, LA , as a sign to city officials in the Friday Ellis administration that the fight for justice is not over. In the past several years, there have been numerous controversial incidents involving law enforcement against unarmed African-American men. Several of those men, Ronald Greene and David Harris, died after encounters with law enforcement. The rally held at the community center further shows the anger and frustration of the Black community, as investigation after investigation lingers on for months with no charges filed that have led to any convictions in court. This is the same criminal justice system that law enforcement personnel seem to have a "built in" protective system called "implied immunity, " making it almost impossible to secure a conviction. In addition to Greene and Harris, names such as Timothy Williams, Jeffery Scott, Aaron Bowman, Earl Grant, and Alphonso Brown cry out for justice. The public knows what happened to Ronald Greene and Timothy Williams from released videos that have led to firings. Still, no convictions have the community angry because the community is well aware that if an individual attacks/injures a police officer, charges would be filed more swiftly and most likely result in a conviction/jail sentence. Community leaders and attorneys for the victims are tired of hearing "no comment" from city/law enforcement officials who say that "any comments would impugn the integrity of ongoing cases". Community leaders/attorneys respond with a simple request: if there are videos of controversial incidents, they should be made public. After all, it is the public that paid for the video equipment. It has been two years since Ronald Greene died. Not long ago, a video surfaced that forced the Louisiana State Police to release the video of what happened, showing that other officers were involved. Still, it appears that some of them "withheld evidence", which in the mind/eyes of the community, makes them accessories to Greene's death. That is why the rallies continue, as the community is not easily fooled. That is why there is a severe lack of trust in police officers, including those who lead the departments. The line in the sand has been drawn by both sides, as a segment of the community cries out for justice constantly to an organization that is sworn to "protect and serve", while at the same time is not supposed to be "above" the law. The names of the above-mentioned men that have been beaten/killed are not isolated incidents. These incidents continue to happen frequently. Justice is supposed to be blind, in that everyone is supposed to be treated equally, no matter race, economic status, or prestige in the community. Justice is supposed to be done in God's name, which is why the Ten Commandments are inscribed in courthouses. Some may say that justice in this nation's system is mocked, and if it is "done in God's name" without regard to fairness, then He is mocked. Other rallies will be held, and those concerned about fairness in the justice system related to brutality cases will continue to make their voices heard. As of June 23, an in-custody investigation of David Harris' death by the Northeast LA Sheriff Investigative Unit returned findings to the Fourth Judicial District Attorney's office. According to Ouachita Fourth District Attorney Steve Tew, the case will be reviewed, and a decision will be made soon. The question that we keep asking is, are those who can effect change listening?

Photo Rally for Justice