by Robert Lederman(3/26/99), President of A.R.T.I.S.T. (Artists' Response To Illegal State Tactics)<ARTISTpres@aol.com>
provided through OPENAIR-MARKET NET
The notion that the Mayor is "reaching out" or has achieved a, "breakthrough" by holding token meetings with a few carefully selected black elected officials is absurd. Giuliani is on the ropes, under fire from a diverse selection of civil rights leaders, much of the public, the Governor, Federal officials, black and Latino police organizations and even some of his own allies. His Police Commissioner is likely to be fired. The truth about Giuliani's transformation of New York into a fascistic police state is going to come into the light. He's desperate to salvage his political future and will do anything, including holding staged "Town Hall Meetings" in which no hostile questions are allowed to be asked and fake reading sessions for minority children. Now that the four police officers who shot Amadou Diallo have been indicted for 2nd degree murder, let's move on to the real resolution of the problem of racism in this City. Giuliani must resign or be removed from office. That, not phony meetings, is the only olive branch Rev. Sharpton or other black leaders should be willing to accept.
Robert Lederman, President of A.R.T.I.S.T. (Artists' Response To Illegal State Tactics), (718) 369-2111
Email: ARTISTpres@aol.com
Website: http://www.openair.org/alerts/artist/nyc.html