Faith community Press conference, Real or Illusion?

Faith Community Press Conference against Hate Speech, Illusion or Reality?

Councillor Sarai Rivera is a good and sincere person. She has fought against racism since I have known her. She was a leader in the Justice for Chirstino Hernandez Committee in the 1990s and she has taken courageous positions subsequently. Like Sarai Rivera others in the community who took part in the Clergy against Hate Speech are good people seeking only social justice.

That being said I question the timing and organization of the so called press conference of the Clergy against Hate Speech held on April 13, 2015.  The event was probably organized by the City Manager or people associated with the City Manager who likely hand picked the participants  to exclude all of the Black Lives Matter protester and supporters.

 There was almost no publicity before the event in the community; possibly to prevent people who might disagree with the City‘s scripted lines or who might embarrass the City Manager. What working person can go to a 2:30 PM meeting? Was this press conference called by the Manager or his friend as a preemption of the Black Lives Matter demonstration the next day?

The City Manager is under some pressure for his oppressive application to the Clerk Magistrate to charge Black Live Matter protesters. There is no evidence that can be used in court which is why the City Manager or the Chief Gemmed did not to the District Attorney.  A large demonstration is planned on April 14, 2015 at City Hall to protest the continued killing of unarmed Black men and other working people by the police.  These demonstrations, including the demonstrations in Worcester have compelled a change in police policy. Now the police are arresting police officer for violations that are committee while on duty. 

This Clergy group has been absent when hate speech has appeared in Worcester previously and it still does not want to say what hate speech it opposes. It was absent when the Nazis used the Library as their bunker headquarters in 2011. It was absent during the Tea Party’s racist activities against immigrants. It was absent when TurtleBoy called our students “savages”.  It has been absent as a group at the City Council when Black Lives Matter protesters called for better scrutiny of the Worcester Police Department.  In fairness the Clergy group is relatively new and seems to have taken on some of the goals of the City Manager’s Committee against Bias and Hate.

It is my hope that this group is not being used by the City as a wedge to divide the Black Lives Matter new civil rights movement; the same way that the Department of Justice discussion on race might be used. Let the City talk directly with the people. There is no need for an interlocutory.  I would like to see who from the Clergy goes to the Black Lives Matter demonstration on April 14, 2015.  During the old civil rights movement some of the clergy disassociated themselves from the street people in the hopes that the bosses would perceive them to be more respectable.

I am hoping that this Clergy group is real and not pawns for the City Manager.