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Budish Issues Statement Regarding MLK Day
Contacts:
Devyn Giannetti: (216) 225-9813; dgiannetti@cuyahogacounty.us
CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OH - County Executive Armond Budish issued the following statement:
"Every year we take the time to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – a man who stood up against injustice and who, because of his incredible grace and commitment, was able to shift the American perspective on race and inequity.
"This year King’s message and purpose is more urgent than ever. In 2020, we saw the COVID virus ravage the lives and health of Black Americans at a higher rate than whites. And we witnessed with horror the killing of Blacks by police, some, like Breonna Taylor, in what they believed was the safety and comfort of their own home. "Our streets have been filled with people from all walks of life and all colors demanding justice and change. Institutions and governments (including Cuyahoga County) declared Racism as a public health crisis.
"I believe that Dr. King would have been both proud and sorrowful. Proud that we know how to stand together and demand change. Sorrowful that we are still asking ourselves the same questions – why are opportunities and basic rights still so unevenly divided?
"Dr. King showed us that we CAN demand change and express our pain and anger without resorting to violence. Dr. King knew that violence only breeds more of the same.
"Unfortunately, recent events with the incursion into our nation’s capital reveal that there are many who believe that violence and disruption is a way forward.
"When we are faced with adversity, we can choose how we respond and who we want to be. It is up to all of us. Do we want to destroy our democracy? Do we want to further divide? Or can we meet each other with an understanding that the person we face is a human being with the same basic desire – to be healthy, loved and safe. Can we learn from Dr. King’s most basic lesson – that love can prevail, even in the face of hate?
"Today, let us each reflect on how we can embody Dr. King’s principles of love and his refusal to accept the status quo. Let us each make a commitment to refuse to allow structural racism to continue and to each understand how we can personally make change within ourselves and in our communities."
Devyn Giannetti: (216) 225-9813; dgiannetti@cuyahogacounty.us
CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OH - County Executive Armond Budish issued the following statement:
"Every year we take the time to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – a man who stood up against injustice and who, because of his incredible grace and commitment, was able to shift the American perspective on race and inequity.
"This year King’s message and purpose is more urgent than ever. In 2020, we saw the COVID virus ravage the lives and health of Black Americans at a higher rate than whites. And we witnessed with horror the killing of Blacks by police, some, like Breonna Taylor, in what they believed was the safety and comfort of their own home. "Our streets have been filled with people from all walks of life and all colors demanding justice and change. Institutions and governments (including Cuyahoga County) declared Racism as a public health crisis.
"I believe that Dr. King would have been both proud and sorrowful. Proud that we know how to stand together and demand change. Sorrowful that we are still asking ourselves the same questions – why are opportunities and basic rights still so unevenly divided?
"Dr. King showed us that we CAN demand change and express our pain and anger without resorting to violence. Dr. King knew that violence only breeds more of the same.
"Unfortunately, recent events with the incursion into our nation’s capital reveal that there are many who believe that violence and disruption is a way forward.
"When we are faced with adversity, we can choose how we respond and who we want to be. It is up to all of us. Do we want to destroy our democracy? Do we want to further divide? Or can we meet each other with an understanding that the person we face is a human being with the same basic desire – to be healthy, loved and safe. Can we learn from Dr. King’s most basic lesson – that love can prevail, even in the face of hate?
"Today, let us each reflect on how we can embody Dr. King’s principles of love and his refusal to accept the status quo. Let us each make a commitment to refuse to allow structural racism to continue and to each understand how we can personally make change within ourselves and in our communities."
