Fort Worth Mayor Says “I’m Sorry”
On the same night as the 4oth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York, a gay bar in Forth Worth, Texas experienced an unlawful police raid of its own. Now, according to the LA Times, the mayor of Forth Worth has apologized for the incident.
Fort Worth — The mayor of this Texas city apologized Tuesday for a raid on a gay bar that sparked claims of brutality and procedure violations.
About 250 people packed City Council chambers and an additional 150 watched on televisions in the hallway or overflow rooms as officials briefly discussed the June 28 raid that left one man hospitalized with a serious head injury.
At one point during the meeting, someone in the audience called out for an apology. Mayor Mike Moncrief said: “If you want an apology from the mayor of Fort Worth: I am sorry about what happened in Fort Worth.”
A nice gesture, to be sure. But I want more. I’d like to hear the police officers themselves make public apologies, especially to one man, Chad Gibson, who suffered a severe head injury as a result of the raid and spent a week in the hospital. I want them to own up to what was so obviously an excessive use of force in a situation they instigated themselves. I want them held responsible for their actions and I want them to know that what they did was wrong.
I will offer no round of applause, and I will not smile in their faces upon their apologies, because such an action suggests that it merits a pat on the back and an “Aw, thank you for coming to your senses.” No. Chad Gibson, and the gay community in Forth Worth, deserve an apology and owe nothing in return. Until that happens, I will remain nonplussed. I’m waiting…
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