Just cause for the call ‘enough is enough’
I WATCHED a 30-minute Panorama programme on BBC1 (June 20), which covered the Black Lives Matters protests in the US which have been going on ever since George Floyd was killed whilst in police custody.
And I came away believing more strongly than ever that the systematic abuse of black AfricanAmericans is currently very widespread in police forces across the US. And I also believe that similar abuse is also carried out by the authorities in many other countries also where the protests have been in the news .
The Panorama programme definitely aimed to be impartial in its coverage. Because it also gave the viewpoint of the smaller minority of the American public – such as an member of the public who said that he believed the problem was caused because there were a few bad apples in the American police. And that Donald Trump was right to treat the matter as a security issue.
But, the commentator on the programme went on to say that most US citizens were sympathetic to what the protesters were saying with regard to the significant systemic abuse of black people in a great many police forces across America.
And to back this up to a certain degree, the commentator pointed out the large number of white faces seen in many of the demonstrations - as well as black faces - among the protesters.
My heart goes out to the great number of injustices which I believe are not only suffered by black African Americans – but which are also suffered by black people in many countries around the world.
To produce some further evidence to back up what I am saying – if you go on the internet you will see that it is revealed that there are currently 40.3m people in the world caught up in modern slavery! This is all a part of the message that the campaigners in the Black Lives Matter are trying to get across in their overall worldwide protests.
I know that a breach of the peace and other disruptions (some a lot worse than that as well) which have been reported as having occurred by a small minority of the protesters can never be condoned in an organised society. But consider the slavery that vast numbers of African Americans have suffered for the past few hundred years, which is still quite extensive in the world today – plus all the other injustices such as the excessive force applied by the police in many countries against black people, often leading to deaths or serious injuries whilst in police custody.
Isn’t it a just cause for black people all around the world to say ‘enough is enough, we demand equal rights for all black people everywhere’?
Howard Gardner, Sale
Help us on leaflet drop
GORTON Corona Helpers Mutual Aid Group is asking for support with distributing leaflets to people’s homes throughout Gorton and Abbey Hey.
The leaflets are being distributed to help all those experiencing difficulty accessing food and other supplies, or anyone affected by domestic abuse or so that they can access the support that they need during the current crisis.
The group is asking everyone in the area who is willing and able to help with getting these leaflets out through every letterbox in the community. Whether dropping a few to your neighbours and the people on your street, or if you are able to cover a few streets, it would make all the difference to people who need help and support in your community.
If you are able to help please get in touch by phone 0161 231 7401 or email: Craig@gortonchurch.org in the first instance.
Noah Mellor, Manchester Health and Wellbeing Service
What of our missing link?
I’M really glad they’re planning to build a new direct link from the clockwise M60 at J18 at Simister Island onto the southbound M60. But the real missing link is from J25 at Brinnington to the A6/A555 at Hazel Grove.
The clockwise M60 here was built to go straight ahead and the deserted road lays there, languishing in weeds waiting 40 years for the connecting road.
The new A555 should have been built to motorway standards and connected onto the M60; it would have drastically reduced the famous Sharston Link bottleneck congestion.
John Walsh, Oldham