During a Public Comment portion of the Trenton City Council meeting, a young woman offered testimony about Jerell Blakeley, a first-term at-large council member.
Kristen, a Caucasian woman, spoke about a proposal that will limit to ten minutes comments made by city council members. She referenced Blakeley who “likened (Ordinance 18-46) to being muzzled”…”I believe that people in a public forum who have the privilege and right of speaking this way are symbols. Along with that I believe Mr. Blakeley is a positive role model for young black men in our community. And that is unfortunately but to be honest, sorely needed,” she said.
“Hypothetically speaking, allowing Mr. Blakely to speak about whatever he wants for as long as he wants sends a clear ringing message to our young African-American men in this community that it is safe and good to engage in open and public civil discourse without fear of being fined, jailed or hanged.”
First, a concept must be expressed that Councilman Jerell Blakely, college-educated, graduated, well-dressed, well-spoken, engaged publicly and distanced from marijuana smoking, makes for a strong role model for any person, African-American, Latino, Italian, Polish, German, Haitian, Martian, etc. I get the young woman’s point but at some point thoughts and ideas referencing humans will move us beyond the chains of race.
During a conversation about medical marijuana and potential weed legalization, Blakeley inquired about how long an ounce of weed might last. People giggled as if every African-American man has smoked weed.
While Mayor Reed Gusciora, the city’s first openly-gay mayor and his story, can impact members of the LGBTQ community his rise to success in politics and life certainly includes tales of perseverance, suffering, doubt, joy, disappointment, family and love. That Mr. Gusciora’s life would confine to a specific group only, sounds incredibly minimalistic.
We must understand that our lives unfold as humans with a short amount of life time to deliver impact, to love and inspire.
Kristen’s other insights about freedom of speech strikes to the heart of concerns black men who raise their voices register as a threat or disrespectful. Criticism of city council members’ performances seems appropriate and part of the governmental experience.
Perhaps, some people who take the podium lack the eloquence of Blakeley or passion of Darren “Freedom” Green but their insights and concerns matter. Frustration, poverty, pain, suffering, death, violence, unemployment, police indifference, etc. can drape a person in rage.
Shouting remains a wonderful outlet, a sort of pressure relief valve that offsets emotional explosion. All people deserve the opportunity to rage against the dying of the light and the machine.
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