The nation is still in shock over what happened in Dallas.
While we’re still trying to find out a motive behind the shooting that left five officers dead, the tragedy has amplified the discussion on race relations in our country and the growing divide between the black community and law enforcement.
We spoke this afternoon with Dr. B. Lamont Monford, the president of the Lima Area Black Ministerial Alliance about this incident and others he’s concerned about.
“Any good-natured person should have wept and feel some sort of sadness for the officers who have lost their life, just participating and doing their jobs escorting peaceful protesters and here’s a person who is not affiliated with the protest committing such a heinous crime and we should weep for them but then I think a bigger concern is that the reality is there’s a great divide in the country because there are people who or a segment of people in the country who can weep for what’s transpired in Dallas but they dismiss what happened in Minnesota and Louisiana and Ferguson,” said Dr. Monford.
Monford is also concerned about the relationship between the black community and the justice system here in Allen County.
“Until we get to a point where we can have an open and honest dialogue about the reality of relationship, not just with law enforcement but the justice system as a whole because in Allen County if you go to Grand Jury it’s probably a slim chance to none that you’ll have a maybe one or two at most minorities in the Grand Jury. You go to court in Allen County. You don’t see very many minorities sitting on the jury. Now someone will say, hey it’s because we don’t vote. That’s ridiculous,” said Monford.
Monford also acknowledges some in the black community are celebrating the death of the five Dallas officers. He calls that behavior "ridiculous, ungodly, wicked and evil" and also adds that there are white people that could care less about what happened in Louisiana and Minnesota.
