GSBA, a business organization committed to equality, has
been engaged in a number of community dialogues as we all grapple with the
violence that has touched Seattle and many communities across the country.
Violence, biased policing and public safety have been at the forefront of many
conversations this summer and GSBA is committed to provide leadership in our
community and work with our elected officials on addressing the underlying
problems of violence.
Communities Come
Together Around Senseless Tragedy
After the horrific
double-homicide at the intersection of 29th Avenue and King Street,
GSBA was invited to participate in a meeting of
community leaders brought together by Mayor Murray to address the
tragedy. We are grateful to the Mayor for bringing together many Seattle
communities which are often marginalized and giving us all an opportunity to
meet one another and express our collective grief over the heinous nature of
the crime, as well as the start of a longer conversation about how to continue
reaching out across communities that often do not know each other very well.
LGBT Leadership
Roundtable
Last week Representative Brady Walkinshaw facilitated a
roundtable of LGBT community leaders at the GSBA office to continue this
conversation. The thrust of the conversation was a commitment to create new
mechanisms and avenues of communication to build bridges among communities
across neighborhoods.
Westlake
Demonstrations Turn Ugly
Similarly, GSBA was invited by our nonprofit member, the
Jewish Federation, to join them in meeting the Mayor about recent
demonstrations at Westlake Center which included hate speech and
signage against the Jewish community. We applaud the Mayor for his commitment
to be clear that, regardless of political beliefs, he will speak out loudly and
clearly against behaviors that incite violence and spread hate. He will also
remind department heads and elected officials to act responsibly and speak out
against intolerance and hate.
Welcome New Chief
Kathleen O’Toole
Like nearly everyone else in the city, we are very
encouraged by the appointment of new Seattle Police Department Chief Kathleen
O’Toole. Everyone in Seattle, regardless of neighborhood, should feel safe and
protected by our police department. Reiterating his commitment to reforming the
Seattle Police Department, Mayor Murray, in his comments on the
situation in Ferguson, Missouri, remarked “a police service should
not suppress the rights of the press to cover news events, nor should peaceful protesters be threatened with militarized force.” The problems in Ferguson are
not limited to that city and should indeed be a moment to reflect and learn,
but also to act, for every city in our country.
Mayor’s Leadership
We are incredibly appreciative to the Mayor for his
responsiveness in addressing violence, convening community gatherings and commitment
to making important changes in the Seattle Police Department. Violence and
intolerance directed at any community is unacceptable and it is the
responsibility of each of us to speak out and address. GSBA takes this
responsibility seriously and is committed to creating a safer, respectful and
inclusive Seattle for us all.
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