1. July 11, 2016 Good Afternoon!
Please take out your research homework and make sure it’s ready to turn in.

2. A few of your comments about St. Louis:
It’s a lie that it’s affordable.
InspireSTL a good opportunity.
It is a good place to raise kids (but I’m not raising kids!).
It’s main flaw is crime.
Hard to get around if you don’t have a car.
To fix our problems doesn’t take one person. It takes a community.
To have a safe environment, we need activities where we can all get together.
St. Louis is a great place to come to. You have to know where to go and where to be safe at night.
StL has creativity and many opportunities to volunteer.
There may be a subjectively high murder rate, but murders occur everywhere.
Law enforcement agencies need to listen to protestors.

3. Agenda for remaining Mondays--Change of Plans
TODAY: Events happen that need our attention, so we will be discussing them.
Next Monday, July 18, MEGAN GREEN, Alderwoman of the 15th Ward, will be here to answer your questions. The 15th Ward includes the Tower Grove East and South neighborhoods.
On Monday, July 25, RASHEEN ALDRIDGE, community activist,
will be here to answer your questions.

4. Last Tuesday, July 5, in Baton Rouge, LA
Alton B. Sterling, 37 was shot to death by two police officers.
Sterling was selling CDs outside a convenience store.

5. Last Wed., July 6 in Falcon Heights, MN
Philando Castile, 32, was shot and killed by two police officers.
Castile was pulled over for a broken headlight.
Castile worked in a school cafeteria.
His girlfriend videotaped the shooting.

6. Last Thursday night, July 7, in Dallas, TX
During a peaceful demonstration protesting the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, a sniper open-fired on police.
Five officers were killed and seven wounded.
The lone gunman, Micah Johnson, was killed by a bomb-equipped robot.

7. What are your thoughts?
Please raise your hand to speak. Once you have spoken, give others a chance to respond.
What are some solutions?

8. The experts say:
Frank Bruni, of The New York Times, “...all of us want the same thing: for the killing to cease and for every American to feel respected and save.”
David Brown, Dallas Chief of Police, “We're hurting," "Our profession is hurting. We are heartbroken,” "All I know is this must stop – this divisiveness between our police and our citizens."
Jeh Johnson, Director of Homeland Security Secretary, “Violence never solves anything. An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.”
Cornell William Brooks, NAACP President, “Protestors believe change can happen.”
President Obama,"There is sorrow, there is anger, there is confusion about next steps. But there is unity in recognizing that this is not how we want our communities to operate. This is not who we want to be as Americans.”

9. Ideas for making positive changes:
Create citizen review boards for police complaints/accountability
Require transparency/papertrail with police officers’ caseloads
Increase minority officers
Convict cops who are guilty of hurting citizens
Take complaints about cops who use “excessive force” seriously
Form community partnerships with local cops (let the neighborhood & the police know each other)
Educate citizens on right to videotape & what to do when interacting with police
Purchase/use body cameras while policing
Require de-escalation training for officers