What the heck is Breanna thinking on Day #158 of Her Reign as
Miss Medford 2020/2021 ?????
"There's no Freedom without a Free Press" Season 7 Ep 12 Concluion of Law & Order Special Victim's Unit
You Want Conflict of Interest?
Let us dissect this letter to the Meford Patch
Medford: We Will Do Better For You, And With You
Mayor Lungo-Koehn, Chief Buckley, Superintendent Edouard-Vincent and Director of Equity & Inclusion Osborne write a letter to residents.
https://patch.com/massachusetts/medford/medford-we-will-do-better-you-you?fbclid=IwAR0g4vLUC9uVllbVXpUGSzfOX6JvFq0cgzL-y8v5b9lfV0axTdOOnpugPQU
public domain letter from city hall
MEDFORD, MA – The following letter was submitted by Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn, Police Chief Jack Buckley, Superintendent Marice Edouard-Vincent and Director of Equity & Inclusion Neil Osborne.
To the Medford Community,
The events transpiring across the country this week are devastating. Following the senseless killing of a Black man at the hands of some members of the Minneapolis, MN police department, we continue to see and hear of more acts of violence throughout the nation. These, though, are far from senseless. The protests – both peaceful and not – are the result of decades of systemic racism against persons of color that create barriers to equal opportunities and make persons of color targets of atrocious acts of violence.
This is a pivotal moment in our nation's history. How we respond will determine how quickly we can begin to heal and to unite.
We respond, first and foremost, by condemning the acts of violence that have been carried out against persons of color. We offer sympathy to the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and the countless other victims of racism that have been perpetuated against our innocent fellow Americans.
We respond by offering these words while at the same time acknowledging that words alone will not solve the problem with racism in this country. When words and voices are brought together, however, true dialogue within communities can be the spark that ignites systemic change. So today, we vow that we will convene a community conversation to begin the tough dialogue that needs to be had in order to better understand what we need to do and how the community can move forward together.
We will respond by ensuring that the City of Medford is a safe place to live, work, and learn for all of our residents, and we vow to strengthen our communication with our communities of color to be sure that this is the reality for all.
We will respond by recognizing privilege and vowing to use our positions and our voices to amplify those who have been systemically underrepresented. We recognize the reality that the lived experience of persons of color within our community does not equate to equal opportunity and we vow to do the work necessary to create these opportunities, recognizing that discomfort is necessary to create effective change.
The City of Medford and the Medford Police Department are committed to the safety of all residents and visitors, and to increasing and expanding training – including de-escalation, implicit bias and anti-bias training – for police officers and for City staff. To that end, all Medford Police officers currently undergo de-escalation and implicit bias training and Chief Buckley has been an outspoken advocate for increasing access to anti-bias and other important trainings. As recently as this May, the City worked with All Aces, Inc. to offer a workshop on equity for City staff to incorporate these important principles into the delivery of critical services, and we hope to expand these workshops and trainings as part of our evolving conversations and actions.
With over 45 different languages currently spoken in our schools, extending dialogue and action is critical to creating and maintaining equal opportunities among our young residents. The district continues to provide online resources to support all students and families, including offering social emotional support and faculty and student support groups. The Medford Public Schools are committed to fighting for equity and justice for all students.
The City of Medford, in the Medford Police Department, and in the Medford Public Schools reject racism and are committed to working together with the community for equity through understanding, compassion, and opportunity.
We hear you.
We see you.
We will do better for you, and with you.
Sincerely,
Breanna Lungo-Koehn,
Mayor
Jack D. Buckley,
Chief of Police
Dr. Marice Edouard-Vincent,
Superintendent of Schools
Neil Osborne, Esq.,
Director of Equity & Inclusion, City of Medford
