The Sullivan County Democratic Committee recognizes that despite its best efforts, persons of color or those experiencing poverty have not always been treated with the fairness and insight they deserve. As a Committee, our goal must be to foster an inclusive culture that sparks community pride, emphasizes kindness and respect and ensures that all persons are valued and supported. However in this time, it is imperative that we directly and specifically support the call and efforts of the Black Lives Matter movement to ensure that the voices of persons of color are not only heard, but echoed by all of us. We must commit to addressing systemic racism throughout our society and bring positive changes to all levels of society and government. We must solve the income and wealth inequality gaps that lead to systemic poverty throughout communities of color. These conditions lead to poor health, and early mortality for those condemned to live within them. They lead to crime, despair and disproportionate policing and incarceration. Together, these conditions create a vortex that can be impossible to escape.
What can we do? As a group, we condemn any and all instances of bigotry and discrimination, based upon ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and specifically race. Period. However, while showing kindness, respect and support are positive, we must do more. We must demand more of ourselves and the Governments that represent us.
The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks are only the latest in a long list of sad reminders of the work we must accomplish. Their deaths may rightfully disgust us, but they must also inspire us to do more…to do better.
We must demand of our local governments, state governments and federal governments to embrace and implement diversity training, community outreach and support programs to increase employment and educational opportunities. We must demand that our Governments re-examine the traditional models of policing, and provide more support for social and economic programs that will bring lasting improvements to poor communities and limit the interactions with police going forward. While we must avoid demonizing police agencies, we must also demand that all Police agencies have the training, and oversight necessary to prevent another George Floyd murder.
We cannot by ourselves undo centuries of our history or address the underlying conditions that disadvantage so many of our neighbors, but we also cannot support symbols of a racist past such as confederate statues and flags to remain in places of honor. These symbols of hate are rightfully left in history books, and not in our Town Squares and Parks.
Together, we must reshape our institutional culture around an ethic of equity and declare that hate can have no home here.