Rally encourages ‘dialog’ on race

Community members and leaders spoke Monday in Morgan City about a need for people to listen to one another to address issues facing the area and told people to make their voices heard in peaceful ways.
Roughly 50 people gathered Monday afternoon outside City Hall in Morgan City for a Unity in the Community Rally that stayed mostly peaceful.
Rally organizer Gale Thomas chose to hold the rally because of the killings of young black men who weren’t provoking anyone, she said. Thomas said the purpose of the rally was to promote change, and speakers encouraged people to register to vote as well.
“We’re also out here to rally against those who are killing policemen that are out trying to serve and protect us,” Thomas said.
The news of Sunday’s shootings of law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge broke Thomas’ heart, she said. The Dallas shootings hit home for Thomas, too, because she has a niece and nephew who are Dallas police officers.
Patterson Police Chief Patrick LaSalle sent his prayers out “to those lost officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge.”
“I knew some of them. They had families. And every day we put a uniform on, we don’t ask anything. We want to serve. But we deserve the same respect. … No life is worth losing,” LaSalle said.
“Without your input, without you talking to us, we cannot change the injustice that occurred,” LaSalle said.
No police department is perfect, but LaSalle said it’s his responsibility as chief to make sure everyone is treated fairly.
LaSalle said he is well-known for having a “zero tolerance” policy on crime, but he also respects others’ rights.
People have to start communicating with one another to make change possible, LaSalle said.
St. Mary NAACP President Reginald Weary said the goal of the rally was to unite the parish. Through the rally and other forums, Weary hopes the community can address issues that affect people in St. Mary Parish.
Weary stressed the need for people to vote and make sure the people in office “reflect the way that we feel.”
In response to the most recent killings of officers in Baton Rouge, Weary said, “No senseless murder is OK.”
“As a community, we have to get behind our police force. We have to support them,” Weary said.
At the same time, Weary said the community wants to hold officers accountable for their actions and for officers to respect rights that “we have fought so hard for.”
Patterson resident Ritchey Arceneaux said it’s awesome “to see a lot of love right here.” Arceneaux has many friends and family in law enforcement and believes “meetings like this are what’s going to make a difference in society.
“We’ve got to put a stop to all this violence,” Arceneaux said.
More people should come together to help anyone who’s in need. There are a few “bad apples” in law enforcement, but people have to identify the problem first and then unify to fix it, Arceneaux said.
“The answer to the police brutality is not killing police officers,” Arceneaux said.
Morgan City resident Renita Augman, who wore a Black Lives Matter shirt, said she wore the shirt because police were established “during slavery to catch slaves.” Augman said the movement she is involved with is peaceful.
Black youth need a positive place to go because they don’t have one in the area, she said. Instead, black youth get harassed by law enforcement officers for walking in the streets, Augman said.
Former State Sen. Butch Gautreaux of Morgan City said he was “very saddened” by what happened in Baton Rouge and Dallas.
Gautreaux said there has always been “a disparity between treatment of races,” and it still exists today, but society has to rise above fear because “fear drives evil.”
Lettia "Sunshine" Griffin of Morgan City, who has been doing bail bonds for 16 years, said she sees “non-privileged and privileged” people treated differently in the court system.
Having a gun and badge doesn’t give an officer “the right to decide if he’s going to kill or not,” Griffin said.
Griffin became a Girl Scout leader to make a difference despite not having kids herself. Kids need a place in the community to go after school, Griffin said.
Griffin encouraged others to not just fuss back and forth with one another and, instead, have constructive discussions.
Chaplain D. Alan Lowry, of Mt. Era Baptist Church in Morgan City, said the community needs healing and dialogue and that it’s great for people to express different views. Lowry preached love for people “who don’t speak like us” and “who don’t look like us.”
St. Mary Coroner Dr. F.H. “Chip” Metz said people should focus on addressing the problems in St. Mary Parish and violence that occurs here. The parish’s 2015 murder rate of 25 per 100,000 was six times the national average. There were 12 murders in the parish. St. Mary’s murder rate has stayed around the same for the past five to 10 years, Metz said.
Morgan City Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi, who arrived at the rally near the end, said he has “an open door policy” for anyone to talk about any issues they may have on any topic. Grizzaffi said he will try to solve any issues immediately.
Though many people spoke passionately, the rally was peaceful with the exception of a couple of verbal arguments and one arrest for illegal carrying of a handgun.
Hunter J. Rhodes, 18, of Saturn Road in Bayou Vista, was arrested during the rally on the charge of illegal carrying of a weapon.
Officers responded to City Hall on Second Street near Everett Street in regard to a subject carrying a weapon during a peace rally gathering, Police Chief James Blair said in a news release. Officer located Rhodes, who was detained and searched. Officers found a concealed handgun for which Rhodes did not have a proper permit to carry, Blair said. Rhodes was escorted away from the gathering, arrested and booked into jail.