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Saturday, 13 June 2020
The 29th Annual Pan African Film Festival Opens Its Call For Entries
Barack Obama''s Essay on Racial Equality
How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change
As millions of people across the country take to the streets and raise their voices in response to the killing of George Floyd and the ongoing problem of unequal justice, many people have reached out asking how we can sustain momentum to bring about real change.
Ultimately, it’s going to be up to a new generation of activists to shape strategies that best fit the times. But I believe there are some basic lessons to draw from past efforts that are worth remembering.
First, the waves of protests across the country represent a genuine and legitimate frustration over a decades-long failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system in the United States. The overwhelming majority of participants have been peaceful, courageous, responsible, and inspiring. They deserve our respect and
support, not condemnation — something that police in cities like Camden and Flint have commendably understood.
On the other hand, the small minority of folks who’ve resorted to violence in various forms, whether out of genuine anger or mere opportunism, are putting innocent people at risk, compounding the destruction of neighborhoods that are often already short on services and investment and detracting from the larger cause. I saw an elderly black woman being interviewed today in tears because the only grocery store in her neighborhood had been trashed. If history is any guide, that store may take years to come back. So let’s not excuse violence, or rationalize it, or participate in it. If we want our criminal justice system, and American society at large, to operate on a higher ethical code, then we have to model that code ourselves.
Second, I’ve heard some suggest that the recurrent problem of racial bias in our criminal justice system proves that only protests and direct action can bring about change, and that voting and participation in electoral politics is a waste of time. I couldn’t disagree more. The point of protest is to raise public awareness, to put a spotlight on injustice, and to make the powers that be uncomfortable; in fact, throughout American history, it’s often only been in response to protests and civil disobedience that the political system has even paid attention to marginalized communities. But eventually, aspirations have to be translated into specific laws and institutional practices — and in a democracy, that only happens when we elect government officials who are responsive to our demands.
Moreover, it’s important for us to understand which levels of government have the biggest impact on our criminal justice system and police practices. When we think about politics, a lot of us focus only on the presidency and the federal government. And yes, we should be fighting to make sure that we have a president, a Congress, a U.S. Justice Department, and a federal judiciary that actually recognize the ongoing, corrosive role that racism plays in our society and want to do something about it. But the elected officials who matter most in reforming police departments and the criminal justice system work at the state and local levels.
It’s mayors and county executives that appoint most police chiefs and negotiate collective bargaining agreements with police unions. It’s district attorneys and state’s attorneys that decide whether or not to investigate and ultimately charge those involved in police misconduct. Those are all elected positions. In some places, police review boards with the power to monitor police conduct are elected as well. Unfortunately, voter turnout in these local races is usually pitifully low, especially among young people — which makes no sense given the direct impact these offices have on social justice issues, not to mention the fact that who wins and who loses those seats is often determined by just a few thousand, or even a few hundred, votes.
So the bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both. We have to mobilize to raise awareness, and we have to organize and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform.
Finally, the more specific we can make demands for criminal justice and police reform, the harder it will be for elected officials to just offer lip service to the cause and then fall back into business as usual once protests have gone away. The content of that reform agenda will be different for various communities. A big city may need one set of reforms; a rural community may need another. Some agencies will require wholesale rehabilitation; others should make minor improvements. Every law enforcement agency should have clear policies, including an independent body that conducts investigations of alleged misconduct. Tailoring reforms for each community will require local activists and organizations to do their research and educate fellow citizens in their community on what strategies work best.
But as a starting point, here’s a report and toolkit developed by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and based on the work of the Task Force on 21st Century Policing that I formed when I was in the White House. And if you’re interested in taking concrete action, we’ve also created a dedicated site at the Obama Foundation to aggregate and direct you to useful resources and organizations who’ve been fighting the good fight at the local and national levels for years.
I recognize that these past few months have been hard and dispiriting — that the fear, sorrow, uncertainty, and hardship of a pandemic have been compounded by tragic reminders that prejudice and inequality still shape so much of American life. But watching the heightened activism of young people in recent weeks, of every race and every station, makes me hopeful. If, going forward, we can channel our justifiable anger into peaceful, sustained, and effective action, then this moment can be a real turning point in our nation’s long journey to live up to our highest ideals.
Let’s get to work.
‘I started sleeping with my daughters because my wife died’
A 50-year-old father, Peter Ayemoba, has been arrested by the police for having carnal knowledge of his two daughters.
Ayemoba told the police during interrogation that he had been sleeping with his daughters since his wife died about seven years ago.
He said that sleeping with his daughters made him to feel close to his late wife, adding that the romps he had with them allowed them to bond more.
Ayemoba said: “I started sleeping with my daughters about seven years ago when I lost my wife in 2013.
“The death of my wife got me so confused that I did not even know when I started sleeping with my daughters.
“In fact, I don’t know what has come over me.
“The death of my wife devastated me to the point that I did not know what I was doing.“I suspect that somebody placed a curse on me, because what I have done in the past seven years is not ordinary, frankly speaking.
“What I did after my wife’s death was to bond with my children and they became closer to me until gradually I started sleeping with the girls.“Honestly, I cannot explain why I should do that to my own daughters. But there was a spirit that kept telling me that I would not be the first man to sleep with his daughter and at such, I should not worry too much about it.”
Ayemoba insisted that he got the consent of his daughters before sleeping with them, adding that it was with their consent that the relationship continued even after he took a second wife.
He said: “After my wife’s burial, I started having feelings for my daughters. I would go to their room and play with them until it metamorphosed to having sexual intercourse with them separately on a regular basis but with their consent.
“Whenever they rejected my sexual demand, I would tell them that I wanted to be closer to them since their mother was no more.
“At times I would threaten to kill them and commit suicide if they did not allow me to sleep with them.
“One day, I had to refer them to the Bible about Lot who had sex with his daughters and was not punished by God.
“I told them that the intercourse between a father and his daughters was normal and it is written in the Bible.”
The father of six said his second wife was not aware of his romps with his daughters, neither did his four sons know about them.
He added that his daughters probably did not tell his second wife because they were not close to her.
He said: “My daughters, after noticing that I was doing something abominable, forced me to get another wife that would satisfy my sexual urge. But despite the marriage, I still made love to them at the slightest opportunity my new wife was not in the house.
“Honestly, what is happening to me is not ordinary. I need to go out to sort myself out either physically or metaphysically so that I will have peace of mind.”
Apparently tired of the sexual demands of their father, the girls decided to report to a family member who turned him in to the police.
Ayemoba, however, expressed surprise over the action of his daughters.
He said: “They voluntarily, willingly accepted to be having sex with me any time I demanded it.
“What baffles me is that for the number of years we were having sex, we were happy. Then all of a sudden, they reported the incident to a family member who brought us to where we are (police station). I am still surprised at what they did.”
“But maybe my cup has filled to the brim, so let the law take its course, I am ready for any eventualities.
Source: The Nation
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