Woman sues New York Police Department...

Check out the link before it disappears forever. Things like this have a tendency to do so.

This is an American story. It's a story that's been told before, and it will be told again. It's a story of suffering, and it's a story of hope, but mostly; it's a story of despair.

If you're a New Yorker I'm sure you're familiar with the story of Imette St. Guillen, the young, attractive, John Jay student, who was found discarded, sexually assaulted, and strangled to death. For the last week or so, we have been flooded with images of victim that are as cute as her accused murder is menacing.

And yet not too many of us have heard the story of young Romona Moore. Described as a "shy Hunter College student," Romona was tortured and raped just as Imette was; only her cries fell on deaf ears. Even before she was murdered--Romona's case was closed by the NYPD.

The police had been warned. Elle Carmichael, Romona's mother, filed a missing persons report with the NYPD, but her pleas were met with insults and sarcasm. The policeman handling her report told Elle that Romona was, "off somewhere with a boyfriend."

In case you don't know that's pretty much code for, "come back when you're a lighter skin tone." If you live in Harlem you'll know that anytime a black person goes missing that's the NYPD response.

In light of these events, Ms. Carmichael has sued the NYPD charging that: "The NYPD has a policy of not making a prompt investigation of missing person claims of African-Americans, while making a prompt investigation for white individuals."

We, the editorial staff of Word of the People, support Ms. Carmichael's suit, and her attempts to bring the public's attention to the racial situation between the NYPD and African-American citizens, a situation that has gone on long enough.

Cynics would say that this is about the money--Ms. Carmichael is looking for over one million in damages. Well let me ask you, what is the price of a life? What is the price of the pain of losing a daughter, when her daughter could have been saved? What is the price of sitting at home, night after night watching the news, watching the Imette St. Guillen case unfold, and knowing that the only difference between the two victims is that one was light skinned and one was dark--which is the only difference between action and inaction, justice and apathy.

Many of us expect these kind of results from our police force. My own father asked me, "Did you expect anything different?" I answered, "I expect nothing different if I don't ask for anything different. Anyway, why do you get upset about Bush? Do you expect anything different from him?"

Touche.

How much longer can tragedies like what happened with Romona Moore occur without raising our hands in protest? This is the year 2006 and they are still using the same "okey-dokes" they used with Blacks in 1906. How much longer? Tavis Smiley does have it right. It will continue to go on as long as Black's aren't thought of as Americans, but as some separate entity. I am hesitant to think of reform coming from the top down, but something like this must be a grassroots movement, and I hope that Ms. Carchmichael's suit will be the spark that ignites the people. Both Imette and Romona's lives were horribly taken, but the dead not only ask for justice for theirselves but for the living as well. Let's give the parents of both these beautiful girls the respect and comfort that they deserve.