Dear Editor:
We attended the October 29 community forum hosted by the Village of Flossmoor because we care deeply about our community, about police accountability and about working together to make Flossmoor safer for everyone.
The community is very interested in learning more about how officers are trained, especially with respect to how they respond to situations where individuals are dealing with a mental health episode. Another theme that emerged from the dialogue was that the Village and its police department should be finding ways to communicate with the community on an ongoing basis, not just when there’s some crisis unfolding.
We applaud each participant who brought their suggestions to the forum and thank the Village for creating an event where residents can express their views, offer constructive criticism and put us on a course where civil dialogue can take place on an ongoing basis.
We are looking forward to continued participation in this process. We all need to stay engaged and hold the village’s feet to the fire to ensure that their words are backed up with action.
It was very disappointing, however, to have been subjected to the constant disruptions from members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), a self-described revolutionary Marxist organization that showed up to protest the event.
It was abundantly clear to every Flossmoor resident who attended Saturday’s forum that this organization is not interested in the hard work of finding solutions, but only disruption in order to get attention.
When one protestor associated with this organization called a member of our Flossmoor community an anti-gay slur, it confirmed to everyone present that these people are not here seeking harmony, common ground, and genuine solutions. Rather, they want to divide us and stir up hate.
This isn’t how adults work together toward a common goal. Adults assemble, take a seat at the table and engage in reasonable, civil discourse. Children have tantrums when they don’t get what they want. The protestors associated with this PSL held a tantrum at our forum. That is their First Amendment right for sure. But it is our right as Flossmoor residents to turn the other cheek and focus on the hard work of healing and mutual understanding.
Everyone interested in a safer Flossmoor and stronger police/community relationships is welcome to the table. But, if all you want to do is shout for the TV cameras and disrupt a genuine process aimed at finding solutions, please stay home next time.
Leonard Harris, Sandra Hatcher-Holmes, Craig and Debbie Knot, Dale and Ann Mitchell, Erik O’Brien, and Cecil Porter
Flossmoor