A LOOK AT THE JOB OF SERVING AND PROTECTING – WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY

Jaws of Justice Radio investigates how we can achieve justice from a system of laws deeply rooted in economic, social and political inequality.  We want to dispel misconceptions created by the news and entertainment industry, politicians and our educational system. We hope you will listen.

Tune in Monday to hear about what started out as a local fight over a $90 million, 85-acre militarized police base near Atlanta, Georgia, known as “Cop City,” that has turned into one of the most extreme cases of government overreach, oppression, and violence in recent years. An unarmed environmental protester defending the forest site of the development, “Tortuguita” Terán, was shot and killed by heavily militarized State Patrol officers in January, 2023.  Rather than reassess their approach to opponents of Cop City, law enforcement continued to detain dozens of protesters and charged them with trespassing and domestic terrorism. Those charges are still in court.

Our rights to free speech and assembly and our due process rights to defend ourselves against politically motivated government charges are under attack, and it’s not just in Atlanta. Every person in our country should be able to advocate for what they believe in, which is why it is crucial that we pay attention to what is happening in Cop City.

Atlanta’s elected officials keep moving Cop City forward. Militarized police tactics were recently on display in response to campus protests against the genocide in Palestine.  We must transform our approach to public safety and adopt policies and practices that will truly keep our communities safe. Instead of funneling taxpayer dollars into militarized policing and prosecutorial abuse, we must invest that money in the basic needs of our communities and provide universal health care, public housing, universal childcare, strong unions, and livable wages.

This is not a new question – do we feel safer when armed law enforcers have qualified immunity to harm unarmed citizens?

To begin our discussion on Cop City, we will replay from Final Straw Radio’s 12-23 broadcast.

Calendar for the week of May 20th:

• Legal Aid of Western Missouri provides free civil legal services to low-income and vulnerable people in Jackson CTY Missouri. Interested individuals can call 816-474-6750 to apply.
• Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a very active group of Mothers and others. You can learn where their virtual meetings this week will occur at https://momsdemandaction.org/events/
• Please check the calendar at https://more2.org/ for events you can attend.
• TUES, May 21, 6 – 7:30 PM at1613 Wilson BLVD Kansas City, KS, A FIELD HEARING: People VS. KCKPD. You can give testimony – please contact More² if you would like to give testimony about how KCKPD has impacted you or your family. Contact LORA at (816)277-5912 today! Also at this event, you can ask questions. The panel will include attorneys and survivors of KCKPD corruption and brutality. You can ask them questions about their experiences. You can show support for an investigation into KCKPD by the United States Dept of Justice. Please write a statement or bring written testimony to share with the Department of Justice. More info at https://more2.org/
• TUES, May 21, 6 – 7 PM, at the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library, Truman Forum Auditorium, The Women of Brown: 70th Anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education, Donna Rae Pearson, Presenter. Twelve Black women were at the forefront of the civil rights movement as plaintiffs in the landmark – and now 70-year-old – Brown vs. Board of Education case. Their contributions to the Civil Rights Movement have often been overlooked, yet they are essential to the story of the ruling and its impact on American society. More info at https://kclibrary.org/events
• THURS, May 23^rd, 5 – 6 PM, Community Justice Coalition Meeting has a virtual meeting. The Community Justice Coalition is a multi-sector team of dedicated advocates who envision a future without mass incarceration. More info and access at https://empowermissouri.org/events/
• FRI, May 24^th, NOON, WRAPPING UP THE 2024 LEGISLATIVE SESSION is on line. In May, the Missouri General Assembly will adjourn.   You can join as Empower Missouri recaps everything that happened in anti-poverty legislation over the last few months. We’ll discuss the highs and lows of what got done, where we made progress but didn’t quite get over the finish line, and what’s ahead as we start planning for the next session. Register at https://empowermissouri.org/events/may-2024-friday-forum/
• FRI, May 24^th, 3 – 9 PM, You are invited to join Corey’s Network for games, fun, and food at Chuck E Cheese in Kansas City. 20% of what you spend will go directly to the surviving victims of homicide families with children 12 and under. All YOU have to do is show up, eat pizza, play games, and HAVE FUN!  The more the merrier!! This is at Chuck E Cheese, 9196 N. Skyview Ave., Kansas City, MO

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