By: Ed Gray, NDG Senior Columnist
Mothers Against Police Brutality and hundreds of their supporters made history with their Mother’s Day protest against the Balch Springs murder of Jordan Edwards by Balch Springs Police Department, Officer Roy Oliver. In addition to Jordan’s murder, the many civilian deaths at the hands of the police with Edwards being one of the latest have led to community unrest.
Instead of receiving flowers this past Mother’s Day weekend, they wore red hoodies representing the blood shed by the rash of police shooting of unarmed citizens. The Mother’s Day weekend is symbolic of love between children and mothers. This weekend was touching because they gave birth to their children, and now they are giving birth to movement seeking to change the traditional no billing of police misconduct resulting in this moment.
We must stand with these brave women who have lost their children. Mothers like Shirley Harrison, whose son Jason Harrison, a mentally ill, man was shot dead in his doorway. Officers opened fire within seconds upon arriving and then lied about the incident. Let us remember the name Jason Harrison, and his mother, Shirley Harrison.
We must stand with brave women like Charmaine Edwards. The mother I escorted from District Attorney Faith Johnson’s office. Woman to woman they talked, no doubt compassion was felt for Mrs. Edwards. However, will there be justice for Mrs. Edwards for her son Jordan?
The Dallas District Attorneys, a succession from Henry Wade to Faith Johnson, have never convicted the police for murder on the job. The mothers who marched for their sons, have a lost their loved ones, we the community have lost our faith.
Faith can be regained if District Attorney Johnson can convince the grand jury to indict Roy Oliver, that nobody is above the law, not even the rifle packing police officer who gunned down a 15-year-old honor roll student sitting in a car. A long list of mothers who cried over caskets like, Virginia Bradford whose son Fred Bradford was unarmed, mothers Collete Flanagan whose son Clinton Allen was unarmed.
“If the grand jury does not indict Oliver, it would be game over. The Department of Justice could pursue separate charges, but probably would not. The civil suit would survive, but even it would be extremely undermined. We need an indictment,” according to Lee Merritt, the attorney representing Jordan Edwards’ family.
We all must honor these mothers who have lost their sons at the hands of the police and the Justice system. We must push our Faith, that is District Attorney Faith Johnson. We must push for an indictment, conviction, and incarceration. Let us not have another Mother’s Day watching the Mothers of our community weeping sorrowful tears over Justice denied and their sons.
I am Ed Gray working for you, the American People.
Ed Gray, the host of The Commish Radio Show airing Saturdays 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. on FBRN.net, can be reached at eegray62@att.net.
This wanton and wild pattern of police murder of innocent Afro-Americans is a national problem. Therefore it deserves a national solution. The data that defines this problem must first be collected and assessed. Then the problem must be addressed on a national level. Of course in these times of Trump, Abbot and the gang – that is like asking the moon to kiss the sun. However, we ( the people who are the victims) can make this happen. We have to support and join with groups like the Mothers Against Police Brutality. This support is very important to our survival as well as the survival of the “freedoms” of this entire country.