Members of Fordham Law Community Issue Statement Regarding Michael Brown and Eric Garner - Fordham Law

Members of Fordham Law Community Issue Statement Regarding Michael Brown and Eric Garner - Fordham Law:
"Statement by Members of the Fordham Law Community on Justice for Michael Brown, Eric Garner and all Americans

 We are members of the Fordham Law School Community and we are deeply troubled by the evident failures of our criminal justice system in recent days. The failure to bring either police officer to a public trial after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, or Eric Garner in New York City is further painful proof that our nation’s criminal justice system is deeply broken.
Racism against people of color was and remains the distinctively American evil. We cannot deny our history and inheritance, however much we abhor it. Our laws and criminal justice practices are deeply infected by endemic structural racism. Every day, our neighbors’ well-being and even their lives are put at risk. We must act for change. The facts overwhelm us. We live separate lives in often segregated communities. People of color and particularly young black men are too often subject to coercion and violence by police officers who are themselves trapped in the same ugly divisive and racist system.
As members of the Fordham Law School Community, we have particular duties. We must teach about justice, and we must seek justice every day. We applaud the efforts by engaged communities and leaders of goodwill who seek to heal the relationships between the police and communities that have been the object of long, deep-rooted repression. It is hard work but we believe in reconciliation. We can never justify, explain, or excuse the raw injustices that pervade the lives of too many Americans.
We support thoughtful reforms such as demilitarization of our nation’s police forces and shifting the focus of enforcement away from tactics that have disparate racial impact. We are mindful of the deep challenges, yet we are hopeful. We have seen positive change through law, and we have experienced the enormous power of community. We must seize this moment and work for change.
 This statement reflects our views as individuals and is not an official statement of Fordham Law School or Fordham University. Our titles and affiliations are offered only for identification."

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