Marc Morial: We are Disappointed in the Grand Jury’s Decision to Not Indict Officer Darren Wilson

“We are of course indescribably disappointed.  We are disappointed in the grand jury’s decision.  We are disappointed in St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch’s focus more on the media’s reaction to this injustice than to the loss of Michael Brown’s life.  We are disappointed that this does not reflect the best of what our nation can be.  This is not a proud day for America.  We uphold the justice system and legal structure that has helped to guide the course of America and many of the rights we all enjoy today.  But nothing is perfect.  When we abandon the very foundational tenet of justice for all, we abandon a core part of who we are as a nation.

We respect the grand jury’s decision in the course of due process of our legal system.  We will, however, continue to fight for justice and accountability in the death of Michael Brown.  As such, we first and foremost urge the Department of Justice to continue a full and thorough investigation to determine whether federal civil rights charges should be filed against Officer Wilson, as well as to carry out federal reviews of police misconduct and implement key recommendations for police reform.  The excessive use of force by law enforcement in our communities is unacceptable, and we know that we cannot prevent future similar tragedies unless and until there is systemic change across the nation in the area of police reform.

Most critically, we want to reaffirm our commitment to nonviolent peaceful protest and expression of our demands and to discourage any violent acts.  We fully support and align with Attorney General Eric Holder’s comments on Friday that ‘History has also shown us that the most successful and enduring movements for change are those that adhere to nonaggression and nonviolence…Peaceful protest has been a hallmark, and a legacy, of past movements for change, from patriotic women who demanded access to the franchise, to the civil rights pioneers who marched for equal rights and equal justice.’

Those who seek to perpetuate injustice should know that we will not stop, we will not quit, we will not rest…until justice for all has been served.”

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