Unsolved murders, Karrington Penny, and corporate power

Latest

Rev. Edward Pinkney speaks at a Detroit event to discuss plans to fight the mess banks and corporations have forced on the city. PHOTO/DAYMONJHARTLEY.COM
Rev. Edward Pinkney speaks at a Detroit event to discuss plans to fight the mess banks and corporations have forced on the city.
PHOTO/DAYMONJHARTLEY.COM

BENTON HARBOR, MI—The Public Safety Department of Benton Harbor, Michigan, is in need of citizen input, an independent evaluation of its services and employee practices.  Public works of Benton Harbor are limited:  there is poor snow removal, limited parks, civic activities, and public services. In addition, numerous questions have been voiced regarding racial profiling, police abuse and unsolved murders. It has recently been revealed that officers plant drugs and get benefits for arresting citizens, leaving residents living in a state of fear.
Nothing in Michigan compares with Benton Harbor’s police-like state and the use of tax dollars for this. Peaceful protests are surrounded with police in riot gear. The police videotape and take pictures of participants as a means of intimidation.  Now Berrien County has acquired a vehicle with extraordinary military power. This 20-ton armored vehicle can be used for “terrorist-type attacks.” It is odd that Berrien County, an unlikely place for a national terrorist attack, would seek such a monolithic machine.
At the same time, African Americans have been found floating in the river in Benton Harbor.  A young man of 18 years old, Karrington Penny, was found dead in a snow bank under suspicious circumstances.  Such deaths leave many residents wondering why. Where is the thorough investigation and the publicity to expose and understand these horrors?
Gentrification and corporate profits underlie these events—the city sits on Lake Michigan. The corporations are raking in millions as the city is transformed around their interests. With the automation of industry and the runaway plants, the majority of residents are jobless and living in poverty. The police state aims to keep the poor community quiet and “in their place.”
What is being created is a different Benton Harbor from the small enclaves of white gentrification that has infiltrated the shoreline in upscale gated-like communities, developments that make millions for the corporations.
It is time for an impartial, non-political, and ethical service to evaluate the use of tax dollars, the need for public parks that serve the community (not the up-scale developments along the beach or the visiting golfing community), the police department, the use of racial profiling, the recreational facilities, and all the amenities needed to increase residential satisfaction and quality of life in Benton Harbor.  Benton Harbor should be made comparable to St. Joseph, and any other lakeshore community.
The Benton Harbor story is important because it is a harbinger of the future of all of America. The only way that Benton Harbor, and all American cities, can be given an opportunity to develop the great community they can be is if the people unite to take over the corporations. A place to start is for the people to stand together to fight the corruption inside the city of Benton Harbor, and to recall Mayor James Hightower. His interests are with the corporations.

+ Articles by this author

Free to republish but please credit the People's Tribune. Visit us at www.peoplestribune.org, email peoplestribune@gmail.com, or call 773-486-3551.

The People’s Tribune brings you articles written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Unsigned articles reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: ©2024 peoplestribune.org. Please donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff.

1 COMMENT

  1. It sounds to me like Benton Harbor’s leadership needs to be replaced with one that has respect, empathy, and genuine concern for all of its constituents. The current leadership along with its corrupt actors is begging to be replaced.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Featured

No, Immigration Is Not Making Housing Less Affordable

Despite politicians' claims to the contrary, immigration is not making housing unaffordable. In fact, immigration can be part of the solution.

Make Your Vote Count 

This 2024 election is gaining on us and the pressure to get to the ballot box is intense and...

Michigan’s Prescient Lesson: Vote While You Still Can!!! 

Michigan's non-elected Emergency Manager dictatorship made Flint's water crisis possible. Pay attention to the danger of losing our Democratic rights as we’ve known them in this election. Vote while you still can!

US Doctors Tell Biden, Harris They ‘Witnessed Crimes Beyond Comprehension’ in Gaza

US doctors who visited Gaza tell Biden, Harris they've never seen such horrific injuries, on such a massive scale, with so few resources, that our bombs are cutting down women and children, and that a ceasefire must be imposed.

Abortion Tragedies and a Georgia Victory

Grassroots organizations filed a lawsuit against Georgia's cruel abortion laws, and the county judge took a firm stand on the side of justice, writing in his ruling that “liberty in Georgia" includes "the power of a woman to control her own body . . . and to reject state interference with her healthcare choices.”

More from the People's Tribune