OP/ED: Black Lives Matter organizer’s public response to my effort to unite our community

Taken from a thread on Black Lives Matter IE Facebook page:

See original article here.

 

ATTENTION! A WORD OF WARNING FROM BLACK LIVES MATTER IE CONCERNING SATURDAY’S PROTEST!

We have already expressed concern about the apparent planned action this Saturday involving shutting down the 60 freeway. Upon further investigation, it has come to our attention that this action is being reported and spread by a source calling themselves the “Riverside County News Source”.

The Riverside County News Source is not an established news organization such as The Press Enterprise, The Sun or Inland Empire Community Newspapers. They are a crime-focused WordPress blog run by Trevor and Robin Montgomery, two people who are heavily associated with the Riverside Sheriff’s Department.

We still have not been able to uncover who would have set this action up and find it suspicious that THIS source would be spreading the word. And so we strongly encourage you all not to attend for the safety of your body and your freedom. We don’t know if this is legitimate, and the more we find out, the more we don’t trust it.

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J.L. : I have contacted BLM central as well. I acted preemptively; before attempting to seek out BLM IE directly. But now that I see this thread, I am glad that I did. Intervention may well be needed.

I implore BLM IE as a supporter: Please Repair your relationship with Trevor Montgomery, who is a well respected local journalist. While he has updated his sites concerning this problem he has not spoken out against BLM. He has expressed his confusion.

This scuffle has already been used by gloating naysayers to embarrass me and the BLM. People know about this.

Please. Fix this.

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My response to Julianne and Matthew and my effort to quell what I feel is a vicious and unnecessary personal attack against me, my wife and my efforts to bring news and information to our community:

As far as I am concerned this incident was yesterday and today is a new day. I carry no grudge against Matthew or BLM IE and I will never write a bad word against him, them or the parent organization.

I will admit I was surprised and confused by Matthew’s unexpected attack on me, my character and my motives, as our e-mails and phone calls seemed very friendly and not at all confrontational or argumentative. I truly thought we were working together to resolve a confusing situation. All of that apparently changed the moment he learned I was once a law enforcement officer, even though that was quite some time ago.

So just as he and others feel they are judged by the color of their skin, I was judged by the color of the uniform I used to wear.

Regardless, as far as I am concerned this is over and I hope Matthew feels the same way. If Matthew was standing in front of me right this moment I would shake his hand and wish him the best in his efforts and endeavors.

Peace and blessings to all and no hard feelings from me.

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Open response on Black Lives Matter Facebook page from Matthew Young of BLM IE:

Hi, I’m Matthew. I’m glad Trevor sees why I turned down his offer to publish our public statement. Don’t ever try to read my thoughts by my tone, I have this thing called poise that allows me to maintain my composure and not act out. And thank you, Trevor, for directing me to the people organizing that action so we could contact them and help them in their efforts instead of doin what you did and playin tattle tell to the police. Its also good to see you answer yo own question as to why we didn’t and never will work wit you, you a former cop. Why the HELL any Black person would trust or work wit anybody that spent 13 years as an enforcer of white supremacy is beyond me. And don’t compare being targeted for being Black wit bein stereotype as untrustworthy for bein a cop. You chose to be a cop and chose to stop bein a cop, my Blackness ain’t a option. FUCK THE POLICE. You and yo wife can put that on yo bullshit site.

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My response back:

I feel very saddened and disappointed that my efforts to bridge a gap in our community was met once again with Mr. Young’s continued aggressive, divisive language and behavior. This is the man who is an organizer and representative for BLM IE, part of the Black Lives Matter national organization.

For the record, I served my country with pride in the US Army for ten years as a medic and orthopedic specialist. I then served with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for 13 years as a sex crimes and child abuse investigator until an off-duty accident forced me into early retirement.

As I have previously pointed out, I have numerous black children and children of other races whom my wife and I adopted during more than 13 years as foster parents and I have always had nothing but respect for the efforts of Black Lives Matter, although I have not always agreed with their tactics.

Apparently, Mr. Young is not at all interested in bridging the gap between the white and black communities, no matter what I have to say. My olive branch and offer to end this unnecessary personal feud has been met over and over again with hatred and verbal abuse.

Whereas I have made every effort to keep this matter civil and reasonable, Mr. Young has chosen repeatedly to answer my efforts with ugly and vicious personal attacks.

How can we, as a community, ever hope to come together with peace and unity when such seething anger is propagated by a leader of one of the most highly visible organizations meant to bring to light the plight of those who believe – often correctly – that they are suffering abuse and discrimination at the hands of others?

Feel free to comment this article as well as the thread on BLM IE’s Facebook page. All I ask is that you remain civil and responsible in your choice of words and do not bring or cause further division and hate to an already delicate and tenuous situation.

See original article here.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]