(ANTIMEDIA) Philadelphia, PA — The Philadelphia police lashed out at Hillary Clinton and her presidential campaign in a statement issued Wednesday by the president of the Fraternal Order of Police union, John J. McNesby. The letter expressed the FOP Lodge 5’s anger at the campaign’s choice of speakers scheduled to address the 2016 Democratic National Convention, which will be hosted in Philadelphia July 25th-28th. The FOP expressed particular disdain for members of “Mothers of the Movement,” who are slated to speak Tuesday evening.
“Mothers of the Movement” is made up of the mothers of seven black men, women, and children whose deaths have sparked outrage across the country and brought attention to issues of racism, police brutality, and gun violence. According to Politico, the lineup includes:
“Gwen Carr, Mother of Eric Garner; Sybrina Fulton, Mother of Trayvon Martin; Maria Hamilton, Mother of Dontré Hamilton; Lucia McBath, Mother of Jordan Davis; Lezley McSpadden, Mother of Michael Brown; Cleopatra Pendleton-Cowley, Mother of Hadiya Pendleton; Geneva Reed-Veal, Mother of Sandra Bland.”
According to DNC officials, also speaking at the convention will be former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsay, as well as NYPD detective and first responder Joe Sweeney. But FOP 5 Vice President Roosevelt Poplar doubts this, telling NBC, “We don’t know at this point until we see exactly what happens because the agendas change on a daily basis.”
The letter from the FOP to the Clinton campaign reads:
“President John McNesby and the membership of Philadelphia Lodge 5 FOP are shocked and saddened by the planned choice of speakers at the upcoming DNC in Philadelphia.
“The Fraternal Order of Police is insulted and will not soon forget that the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton are excluding the widows, and other family members of Police Officers killed in the line of duty who were victims of explicit, and not implied racism, and ‘being on duty in blue.’”
“It is sad that to win an election Mrs. Clinton must pander to the interests of people who do not know all the facts, while the men and women they seek to destroy are outside protecting the political institutions of this country.
“Mrs. Clinton you should be ashamed of yourself if that is possible.”
It appears Philadelphia police would be okay with the exploitation of tragedy for political gain if it painted them in a better light.
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