Speech on 04/25 Dinner Party
Dear SDAAFE members and friends,
SDAAFE has decided to join the National Asian American Coalition in support of NYPD Officer Peter Liang after following of the case closely and having in-depth reviews of details of the case.
While our sympathy and condolences are with Mr. Akai Gurley and his family, we are deeply concerned that the pent-up pressure from other racially charged cases in Staten Island and Ferguson, the grand standing of politicians with their own agenda, and the media hysteria, are having an undue influence in the grand jury selection and the deliberation process, making Officer Peter Liang a scapegoat for larger issues in the country that he is not responsible for.
As details of the case emerge, all evidence points to an unfortunate tragic accident. We believe that the six-count charges against Officer Peter Liang, including second-degree manslaughter, are too harsh for a rookie police officer who carried his duty in good faith. We believe that the unjustified indictment is politically driven rather than the result of impartial application of laws.
Public confidence in our judicial process hinges upon fair and consistent application of the same rules and regulations governing police actions, regardless of race and ethnicity of the persons involved. In accordance with our mission to advocate equal protection for Asian Americans, SDAAFE decided in March to join the National Asian American Coalition in support of Officer Peter Liang.
There will be marches on 04/26 in support of Officer Peter Liang in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley and Texas. In support of this Rally-Across-the-Country, we organize a special program tonight to join this nation-wide movement. If you support Officer Peter Liang, please join us at the networking room after this announcement. We will have photos taken showing our support to Officer Peter Liang. We will share photos and our messages with the National Asian American Coalition in New York and other major cities.
It is our mission at SDAAFE to advocate full equality for Asian Americans. On behalf of the Board and Executive Directors of SDAAFE, thank you for your support.
SDAAFE Board of Directors
April 25th