On November 19th, our “justice” system again showed who and what it is set up to protect: abusive white men and the patriarchal system of white supremacy that first teaches them they can use violence to dominate others, and then ensures they get away with it to do it again. It’s a self-reinforcing cycle. And it needs to be stopped.
For most around the country, this lesson in the justice system’s priorities came from the “not guilty” verdict in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse. But here in Geneva, this lesson hit much closer to home. On the same day that the nation was reeling from the not surprising but still rage-inducing Rittenhouse acquittal, here in Geneva, former GPD officer Jack Montesanto was sentenced to 15 days in jail and 3 years of probation for strangling a woman in his custody, on camera, in our “Public Safety” building. He will likely only serve 8 days. We can’t lose sight of the victory of his conviction. But this is not enough—not the misdemeanor charge, not the 15-day sentence.
Recognizing that the system wasn’t built for the people, that it wasn’t built to create and sustain the world we want to live in, the response is obvious: We must replace the system.
We are doing that work in Geneva. In the last year alone, we established the Police Review Board, the Body Camera Task Force, and the Police Budget Advisory Board. But the creation of these boards is the beginning of the work, not the end. And it will take all of us to keep up this momentum!
Looking for ways that you can commit to being part of this movement for change? We’ve got some ideas:
– Write to the School Committee and tell them that you don’t want to see armed police officers in our schools, that this will only make our schools less safe
– Keep yourself informed about what our new boards are doing and spread the word so our community stays engaged—this will keep the city accountable!
– Donate to the GoFundMe for Maria, the survivor of Montesanto’s attack: https://gofund.me/71d17377
– Come to the “Rally Against Racist Vigilante Terror: Justice for the Victims of Kyle Rittenhouse” tomorrow (Sunday November 21st) 3pm at Bicentennial Park
– Write to your city councilors and tell them that when they choose someone to replace Councilor Pruett, that that person must be committed to supporting the PRB
– And our favorite idea: Join GWA! We meet Mondays at 7pm, generally on Zoom. Message us for the link.