In three months it will be 5 years since the summary execution of my father Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. Since that time regardless of any obstacles or criticism I have continued to stay the course, thinking positive as we wait for a judge to decide whether we will be permitted to move forward in civil proceedings.
As always I want to thank all of you who have been supporting my family and I because unlike some of the other cases past and present the killing of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. has not gotten the strong social media, or celebrity backing that it clearly should have especially now with the country’s heightened sensitivity to police misconduct, brutality and criminality.
They say the fight to get justice is a marathon not a race and for family members of victims and even the victims themselves we have had to learn patience, but the sad reality is that many of us will never know what justice looks like and while justice to us is about accountability and fairness as the years pass justice can seem like an unrealistic expectation.
We have seen a justice system fail us time and time again, but I guess that’s to be expected as W.E.B Dubois said “A system cannot fail those it was never meant to protect.”
This is why positive change is so desperately needed and new laws need to be put in place but what will it take to bring about that change? In July 2015 Governor Cuomo signed Executive Order No. 147, which appoints the New York State Attorney General as a special prosecutor in matters relating to the deaths of unarmed civilians caused by law enforcement officers.
Although the actual order says that the executive order shall continue until modified, suspended or terminated Governor Cuomo said that he would allow Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to investigate such cases for one year, while Albany tries to come up with a law creating a permanent special prosecutor.
The current system that this nation of ours operates under places no value on Black or Brown life which is why reform is needed but unfortunately far too many people even with all the recent cases of police misconduct, brutality, and criminality still have an it’s not my problem attitude about it. Well at the risk of sounding a little emotional I lost my father; he was taken from me in a senseless murder that did not have to happen by those who swore an oath to serve and to protect. 5 years later and still nothing.
They say justice delayed is justice denied and all these adjournments and postponements in our courts only place physical and psychological duress on the families affected by this behavior, I call it going through official channels to give the appearance of justice. This has to change and justice needs to be carried out immediately but for now when it comes to justice let’s just say what I read and that is Justice delayed is NOT justice denied; it’s just delayed and there will be justice.
Black Westchester
Black Westchester - News With The Black Point Of View is an online news magazine for people of color for Westchester and the Tri- State area of New York at every economic level. Our mission is to promote the concept of “community” through media.
