As we celebrate the legacy of arguably the greatest community uniter in the last 100 years, I cannot help but feel saddened and disappointed about the recent events at Mayfair Mall.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., challenged us to respect one another before passing any judgment. We’ve come a long way toward addressing discrimination, redlining, and other policies aimed at restricting the liberties promised in our Constitution.
It hurts even more when the very people that Dr. King marched to protect are the source of policies aimed at undoing everything many in community marched and ultimately died for.
The behavior of youth in public, regardless of ethnicity or background, should be a benchmark for how far we’ve come and how far we have to go. Respect crosses all boundaries. What happened at Mayfair is another example of the lack of respect permeating our community. Children of all backgrounds and races disrespect themselves, their neighbors, and our city.
A tightened curfew does nothing to curtail cruising (youth just find another stretch of road), reduce youth violence (statistics reflect an increase), or improve neighborly respect. If we are not careful, these new curfew rules will be confused with 21st Century policies used to reintroduce policies and practices from the 50’s and 60’s.
I hope that, as we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., there is a component of unwavering commitment by all to reintroduce respect for our neighbor.
Milwaukee County Supervisor Johnny Thomas represents the 18th District.
