EP Black Roundtable Leader: “All lives matter, violence is not the answer”
Leaders of El Paso’s African-American community say “all lives matter” in the wake of the deadly attack on Dallas police.
“I think enough is enough. Violence is not the answer,” Mosley Hobson, the leader of the El Paso Black Roundtable said.
“(The violence) has not hit El Paso, but that does not make us exempt,” Hobson said, “It started in Louisiana, it started in Minnesota, but we saw what happened in Dallas on the news and these cops are losing their lives. Their lives are just as equally important.”
Hobson says rallies and protests around the country are held to raise awareness about the injustice some African Americans communities face, but said there’s a misconception the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement promotes violence.
“It is not another Black Panther movement or another movement to say we’re better than anyone else. It is a movement to get us down at the table to start making America aware these issues exist,” Hobson said.
Community leader Sam Morgan echoes Hobson, saying these issues have existed for years. “It seems new, but it’s not. I think if you looked back, if you looked back at the statistics, you would see that there hasn’t been any more police-involved shootings then there were 10-20 years ago. The technology is what has changed,” Morgan said, “That sends people into a whole other stream of consciousness, that is why I believe we feel that it’s either us or them.”
Morgan and Hobson both say America is experiencing a “divide” that shouldn’t exist. They are calling on local leaders to help promote change by leading a discussion and helping strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the community.
“We want people to know that if the crisis came to El Paso, that you would be the first to stand with us to say we’re here to support whomever,” Hobson said, adding he’s reached out to local leaders about having a discussion but has not heard a response.
After a news conference held by the County of El Paso, EPPD Police Chief Greg Allen said, “Black Lives Matter, as far as I’m concerned, is a radical hate group and for that purpose alone I think the leadership of this country needs to look into the this group. The consequences we saw in Dallas are due to their efforts.’
