Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson said Trayvon Martin was killed because he was black and that the same bias drives the NYPD’s stop and frisk policy.
The former City Comptroller, who is black, made the comments before a congregation at Abundant Life Church in Brooklyn on Sunday.
Thompson said New York City has “institutionalized” George Zimmerman’s suspicion with a policy that requires all police officers to treat young black and Latino men with suspicion.
Every year, police officers briefly detain and question hundreds of thousands of innocent New Yorkers in an attempt to find weapons or drugs. The police department says the stops deter crime.
Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch leader, was acquitted of murder in the Florida teenager’s 2012 shooting death. He says he was acting in self-defense.
(AP)
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12 Responses
Why is he using a race card. I she try
Why is he using a race card. I he trying to get black votes, suddenly he’s speaking up. Fake candidates
Another politician who will say whatever that particular audience he is addressing wants to hear.
According to this logic, Zimmerman is pursued because he’s white Hispanic.
Thompson was a decent candidate when he was running against Bloomberg. He seems to be pretty straight with regard to moral issues- at least straighter than Wiener and Quinn.
What a waste a decent guy like him is starting to make himself crazy with these racially charged comments. I actually was planning to vote for him before these comments…
and this is the person you all want running our city. it sounds like dinkins to me again.
Sounds like another Dinkins. He just lost my vote.
When a former mayor says he only lost because of race when he was the worst mayor ever, and electing a black president dosn’t make else less racist it seems like we will never get over these issues, why bother try anymore?
Very disappointing! I agree with commenters 5,6,&7. This seems like a clear sign, we have another Dinkins in the making!
I also thought that Thompson WAS a credible alternative to the OTHER Democratic candidates who either make it clear by deed or statement that they DON’T REPRESENT US. Last time around, he spoke as a more middle of the road person. Now he’s Dickens II and only one community interests him.
By the way, I jest received some campaign literature from Thompson that seems to be a playback of a Dickens campaign
Number 5 is right on the money. Until Mr. Thompson felt he had to pander to his audience he was viable. The fact is that The FBI, the Justice Department ,the Sherrifs office, and the jury,reached precisely and explicitly the opposite conclusion. Mr. Thompson, focus more on the problem of blacks killing blacks. as to which there is no question. Frankly this city should avoid at all costs another Dinkins; and we as a community are being slowly but surely given a choice of viable republicans.
It seems from the blacks I listen to don’t play the race card because it does nothing to help but make worst the situation.Dinkins was a disaster; he wants to follow his footsteps? Idiot