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To the Martinez Community:
I am appalled at the brutality and racism that continues to pervade our country. It is beyond my comprehension that those entrusted with power and authority abuse their positions to the detriment of other human beings. Quite simply, that should never happen, just as the death of George Floyd should never have happened. It was, as Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo stated, a “violation of humanity.”
I, along with my colleagues on the City Council, support the peaceful protests that are taking place throughout the country. We all share a fundamental and Constitutional right to speak out against injustice and seek change. Here in Martinez, those of us in positions of power must stop and take the time to listen and work to understand where people within our community have been marginalized. Government at all levels, including cities, exists to advance and create communities, not to tear them down.
Our City Council encourages constructive dialogue and genuine engagement through our interactions with one another to decide together how we – as a community – will make our City a better place. We will discuss ways to celebrate our diversities and solicit input from our community to ensure racial inequalities and injustices are not tolerated in Martinez. Let us work together to find meaningful ways to honor the life of George Floyd, and let that collective work reflect the character of the community we strive to be.
