People throughout Baton Rouge have struggled to put into words the events of July, from the shooting of Alton Sterling to the murders of three law enforcement officers. Here are some of the sentiments our community members, as well as the president, have expressed in these tumultuous times during interviews with the media and press conferences.
“They all aren’t bad. There are some that are bad, but all aren’t bad. How I feel? I feel all police shouldn’t be punished for other police’s crimes. The police in Dallas, Texas … they didn’t deserve that because nobody knew if they had kids to go home to. Those kids need their parents.”
—Cameron Sterling, son of Alton Sterling, on CBS This Morning, July 13
“The federal government is here now taking over the investigation, which many of us called for. That was the first thing that we asked for: independent investigation. That’s only one small step. We don’t want the federal government to just investigate; we want them to do a thorough investigation. We don’t want any stone unturned. And as the family has continued to pray with us, they want justice, and we want to see justice for Alton Sterling, as well.” —Rep. Edward James on Democracy Now, July 7
“I don’t know if it’s good or bad for our governor to cry, but I do on occasions like this. It hits home for all of us.”
—Gov. John Bel Edwards during a press conference addressing the July 17 police shooting, before stressing that the killer came from out of state and does not represent Baton Rouge
“Too many view the lives of people in north Baton Rouge as the cumulative result of poor choices, weak values and dependency. This is more than just lazy thinking. It’s an intolerable lie predicated on the erasure of all of our city’s and nation’s history. Like many urban communities, north Baton Rouge is the result of specific policy choices, social patterns and the toll that all of it eventually takes on neighborhoods, families and individuals. It’s a very American story of how black people have systematically been denied the opportunity to live in safe and stable neighborhoods. No amount of ‘individual responsibility’ or ‘bootstrapping’ will ever change that.” —LSU Law Center professor Christopher J. Tyson in a New York Times opinion piece July 11
“At the end of the day, when these people call their families, and they tell them that their daddies and mommies aren’t coming home, I know how they feel. Because I got the same phone call. … Stop this killing. Stop this killing. Stop this killing.”
—Veda Washington-Abusaleh, Alton Sterling’s aunt, in an interview with WVLA July 17
“It’s devastating that our community is now present-day Baltimore, is Ferguson, New York City, and even now is also aligned with St. Paul and what’s going on out there.” —Forward Arts’ Donney Rose on Democracy Now, July 7
“Sunday, our brothers gave their lives in service. Their commitment to law enforcement and public service was evident throughout their careers and on that tragic day as well. We honor their ultimate sacrifice and salute their service.”
—BRPD Chief Carl Dabadie in a public statement July 20 ahead of Montrell Jackson’s and Matthew Gerald’s funerals
“We don’t need inflammatory rhetoric. We don’t need careless accusations thrown around to score political points or advance an agenda. We need to need to temper our words and open our hearts. All of us.” —President Barack Obama addressing the nation following the fatal shooting of three Baton Rouge law enforcement officers July 17
“This is what I want Baton Rouge to do today: I want every person in Baton Rouge to find somebody who’s different. … Go find somebody who looks different than you, and you extend your hand, and you say, ‘My name is such-and-such, this is what I like. What do you like?’ And when you get beyond that color, you’re going to find out that we’re not that far apart.”
—Jeff Leduff, former BRPD chief, on WAFB This Morning on July 18
“You should not be surprised to find a man of color selling CDs at night to support his family in north Baton Rouge. Until we as a community are ready to wrestle with those issues, then we’ll keep dancing around incidents like this until the anger dies down and something else happens to gain our attention.” —Pastor Raymond Jetson in the Washington Post, July 11
“Pray harder every day. Our kids have to grow up in this generation.”
—Leonard Fournette, LSU running back and father of a young daughter, following the July 17 police shooting
