Kappa Alpha Psi Just Released This Statement About Police Brutality And Gun Laws

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. released the following statement on via social media on July 11 2016:

According to Grand Polemarch, Thomas L. Battles, Jr., “there has been enough killing in the United States of America.” He has announced that Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity has announced a call for the establishment of police community relations programs in communities across the nation.

Gun violence across America reminds Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity (Kappa) once again that violence, unfortunately, is an integral part of the nation’s culture. Kappa offers its condolences to the families of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile recent victims of the continued saga of police shootings of Black men. Kappa also offers condolences to the families of the five police officers killed and the seven wounded at the peaceful protest of Black Lives Matter in Dallas, Texas where protesters were calling attention to police shootings of Sterling and Castile. The despicable killings of these peace officers have no place in a civilized society and are outrageous.

At this sad moment, it is incumbent on all persons to come together across the nation to effectuate better police community relations locally, statewide and nationally. Police officers who unjustifiably shoot Black men must be held strictly accountable. Likewise, the mass shooting of the police officers in Dallas with an assault type weapon is reprehensible and reinforces Kappa’s recent “call for a Ban on Assault Weapons.” It is ironic, and most tragic, that Texas has gun laws that actually encourage persons to arm themselves thus suggesting that gun violence is an appropriate vehicle for dealing with conflict. Such laws send the wrong message and fuel the notion that guns are solutions to frustrations. The failure of legislators to take action, because of political donations from gun lobbyists, is the root cause of this proliferation of guns and the culture of gun violence.

As for the recent police shootings of the Black men in Louisiana and Minnesota, Kappa, in addition to its previous call for a ban on assault weapons, now calls on its Provinces, Chapters, members and other community organizations to join together locally, statewide and nationally to encourage each unit of government to formally establish a police community relations program that involves both police and community leaders working together to develop and execute community police practices in their respective jurisdictions that ensure police officers are properly trained and fully understand and respect the communities they are sworn to protect. Finally, Kappa believes that if unjustified police shootings of Black males occur, each should be investigated by an independent agency of government and not the local jurisdiction of the occurrence.