I found Alvin Reid’s article on the Meacham Park tragedy to be most moving! My condolences to his family for his loss so many years ago, to the family of Joseph Long and Kevin Johnson and to the entire McEntee family.
My greatest fear is that the actions of the Kirkwood Police Department on July 5, the subsequent death of Long and the alleged murderous actions of Johnson against McEntee will set the racial relations in this region back some fifty years. I further fear that such events will turn up the “low tones” of racism to a much higher pitch. I also fear that the county prosecutor’s office will ask for and get the death penalty for Johnson.
What I hope is that somehow, somewhere, in some way, there will be healing for the Johnson family, the McEntee family and for the people of Meacham Park. Healing comes from understanding. Understanding comes from dialogue. Dialogue comes from the willingness to break out of old behaviors and reach out across the Great Divide of racism to one another. God bless all involved in this situation!
Michael Grady
Spanish Lake