Quan & Schaaf: Issue statements now! Ease tensions before the Ferguson Grand Jury decides

Mayor Jean Quan and Mayor-elect Libby Schaaf 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza Oakland, CA 94612

Re: Oakland residents need their government to ease the tensions surrounding the St. Louis County Grand Jury investigation of the death of Michael Brown

The atmosphere around the country in response to events in Ferguson, MO is no more highly-charged than here in Oakland where the statement “We are all Michael Brown” embodies the experiences of so many of our residents long-oppressed by the racist culture of policing. In Oakland, people of all races and creeds are outraged by the persistent and official tolerance of the excessive and sometimes deadly use of force by falsely-named “Peace Officers” against residents profiled racially, meaning they are thought of as being disruptive of law and order, defenseless, and responsive only to brutal intimidation. Oaklanders oppressed and alienated by law enforcement have more-than-sufficient grounds to assert that official racism is a national standard; therefore, we anticipate that either the Grand Jury hearing the case of Darren Wilson will not decide that he be tried for the wrongful death of Michael Brown due to the lack of zeal shown by the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, or that a subsequent trial will not hold Darren Wilson and the command structure of the Ferguson PD sufficiently accountable for Brown’s execution. The chant, “No Justice, No Peace”, will be shouted righteously here as it will be in many cities across the country, but impassioned speeches and marching through the streets will not by seen as enough of an answer to yet-another instance of official murder.

It is neither more nor less than common sense to conclude that the government of the City of Oakland must do all it can to proactively address the outrage here before it erupts in violence similar to the response to the first Rodney King verdict in 1992. It is long past time that the government of the City of Oakland stand with the people, not against them, in a quest for justice. In 2010, the explosive atmosphere surrounding the death of Oscar Grant was subdued when the Alameda County Prosecutor ordered BART Police Office Johannes Mehserle to stand trial for Grant’s murder. In light of these facts, and with the utmost concern for public safety, we demand that Mayor Jean Quan and Mayor Elect Libby Schaaf publicly issue the statement to show that Oakland is now a City that stands for both justice and peace:

The City of Oakland shares in the grief of the family of Michael Brown for his untimely death. We, elected representatives of the people of Oakland, empathize with those who fear that justice will not be served in this case. We know full-well that, without the respect of residents, law enforcement is not effective. And we know that, as leaders of our community, we must do all we can to assure our fellow-residents that the law is color-blind and that we will not shield those who overstep their prerogatives as law enforcement officers from accountability.

Therefore, I insist that the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office do all it can to bring about an indictment of Darren Wilson for the wrongful death of Michael Brown. Further, I call upon the Attorney General of the United States to indict Darren Wilson on federal civil rights charges. The course of justice must not be blocked by official policy that tolerates the use of excessive force against people of color by law enforcement or by a culture of racism infecting government. All those who seek protection in a democratic society must see the agents of justice working transparently and tirelessly to assure that law enforcement is even-handed. Indictments are not convictions. No harm can be the result of a fair trial of Darren Wilson, but, if Wilson is not tried, a tragic miscarriage of justice will have been perpetrated, the ramifications of which could be felt many years into the future for our country.