In a broken city, questions remain

As Christians, this is a very important time of year for my family, my friends and my community. But as we enter this holy season, the faith community should be questioning the timing of a controversial decision that has had such a traumatic impact on the City of Milwaukee.

Almost eight months ago, an incident occurred here in the city that caused divides and an unsettled environment that have continued for members of the public and law enforcement. In the months that followed, we saw verdicts come down in other cases of death at the hands of law enforcement elsewhere in the country. Meanwhile, we sat and waited patiently for local authorities to address the issue of Dontre Hamilton’s shooting death in Red Arrow Park.

In a public space, no one should get shot 14 times by anyone, especially here in Milwaukee. The district attorney has had almost eight months to make his decision. But whether his choice today was right or wrong, we have to question why he chose a time three days before Christmas to render this controversial decision.

Was the timing of this decision influenced by the recent decisions in Ferguson and New York City? Was it influenced by the murder of two law enforcement officers this weekend in Brooklyn? Was it influenced by the civil disobedience that took place on the freeway here in Milwaukee?

In this holiest of seasons, we should be gathering together with family and friends to celebrate the birth of Our Lord and Savior. It’s not a time of year when the justice system should be competing for our attention to render such a divisive verdict. Politics should have no place in justice.

I don’t know what role politics played in the timing of today’s announcement, and this is not about the law enforcement officers who get up every day and serve this community with integrity and courage. But I do see it as evidence of a growing divide, and I truly believe that Milwaukee is a broken city.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

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