Latest shooting illustrates why so many Black Americans totally distrust the police

On the police

The police are out of control.

They are abusing their authority while citizens of color live in fear of death every time we leave our homes.

This isn’t “paranoia” — which is the term that many use on talk radio and television when they try to explain away what is happening to Black people.

I am tired of seeing my fellow Black men, women and children dying.

Are we only supposed to be Black in private spaces?

Isn’t it enough that we’re also dealing with the threats of possible unemployment and COVID-19?

The worst thing about this is that it’s not even anything new. For some time now Black people have been dying at the hands of those who are sworn to serve and protect all citizens.

When George Floyd was killed by police in May, it was just the wake-up call.

Yet while we see protests going on across America after the recent police shooting in Wisconsin, President Donald Trump continues to talk about the protesters as though they are the problem.

To those people of color who still support Trump, I say, “Shame on you.”

Quentin Moore, Orangeburg

On Hilton Head

The dust up between Hilton Head leadership, Beaufort County leadership and the Beaufort Country Sheriff’s Department will only get worse —and the anger, finger-pointing and the inevitable legal expenses involved in settling this mess will continue.

It’s time for island leadership to wake up; we are becoming more urban by the day.

Despite being the wealthiest community in the county, the fact is that we are the only municipality without an in-house police department.

As a community activist, I work on a regular basis with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department. Overall, it does a pretty good job — but at times it is stretched and response times for a call for service can vary.

From my perspective we need better coverage, and by “better” I mean we need to have more deputies on each shift.

It’s time for a committee to be create to explore our options, because the advantages of having truly local law enforcement are undeniable.

Community based policing and quicker response times should only be the beginning — safety and security are paramount to maintaining a successful resort community.

Bruce Bartow, Hilton Head Island

On AmeriCorps

National service brought me to South Carolina, and when I left active duty in 2017, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do. But I did know that I wanted to continue to serve out of uniform.

A military spouse had told me about her experience as an AmeriCorps VISTA, and it sounded like the perfect opportunity to serve my new Lowcountry community.

I completed my VISTA year with an early literacy organization in Charleston, leveraging community volunteers to serve some of the area’s most under-resourced schools.

It was a rewarding experience, but not without its challenges.

Living in Beaufort and working in Charleston meant a three-hour round trip commute each day. And if we’re being honest, going from my military officer salary to that of an AmeriCorps member was a shock to my bank account.

Still, I recommend the program to anyone looking for a year of purpose and service — and with new legislation seeking to expand the program, these positions will be more accessible to folks of all backgrounds and locations.

The CORPS Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Lindsay Graham, would increase national service positions from 75,000 to 250,000 over the next three years.

It would also increase the education award and the national service stipend, which would remove a current barrier preventing many from applying for or completing a service year

These changes would benefit more American workers, and that in turn would benefit more American communities.

In South Carolina alone this bill would mean at least $12.5 million in additional funding and 400 additional national service corps members throughout the state.

This bill would have lasting impact across the country, and that’s why it enjoys bipartisan support. In a time of hyper-partisan politics, the CORPS Act serves as a refreshing reminder that national service is about more than common politics.

It’s about patriotism.

Maggie Seymour, Beaufort

Seymour is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and a former AmeriCorps VISTA.

This story was originally published August 27, 2020 at 4:15 PM.