Statement by the Soltysik/Walker Campaign
The non-indictments of Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann for the murder of twelve year-old Tamir Rice, and of Texas officer Brian Encinia in the murder of Sandra Bland are the salt in a wound that has never been allowed to heal. They are a continual reminder that the devaluation and destruction of Black life under this capitalist system is just business as usual to the people who believe they are in charge. They are also a reminder to those of us who truly believe in justice and freedom for all people that our fight is far from over. We are at a place where we need to be clear about what this country needs to be for all who live here, and what accountability needs to be called for. Sandra Bland was a motorist, on her way to another city for a new job. Tamir Rice was a child playing in a public park, no different than other children around the country who do the same things every day. Do we want to continue to live in a country where Black and Brown people are not safe anywhere they go, because of the color of their skin? Do we, the folks who shared this country with both Tamir and Sandra, believe their murders were justified because an officer said “he feared for his life”, or an officer felt insulted by Sandra’s assertion of her rights? Do Black lives, in all their dignity and complexity, truly matter to us?
We stand with Samaria Rice and Geneva Reed-Beal, the mothers of Tamir Rice and Sandra Bland. We stand with Tamir’s sister, who was not allowed to help or comfort her little brother after he was shot. We stand with these families in their demands for justice:
A full Department of Justice investigation into these crimes.
The immediate firing of all officers involved in these crimes.
The disciplining of Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty for his mismanagement of the Tamir Rice murder case.
We stand with people everywhere who are ready to indict the very SYSTEM that allows the murders of young Black and Brown people to go unanswered almost daily in this country.
Sandra Bland. Tamir Rice. We say your names and hold you and your families in our hearts.
December 29, 2015