Checkin’ in with: Councilman Justin Brannan
BY MEAGHAN MCGOLDRICK
Justin Brannan is a city councilman
serving the neighborhoods
of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst
and Bath Beach.
To celebrate the relaunch of the
Bay Ridge Courier, we’re sitting
down with each of the area’s representatives
to discuss a topic of their
choosing. This week, we caught up
with Brannan about some of the
contentious protests and counterprotests
enveloping the city — and
how he hopes his community can
come together to move forward.
Brooklyn Paper: There
have been several contentious
protests and counter-protests
throughout the past month or
so, some of which got heated.
Why do you believe this is happening
right now?
Justin Brannan: I believe the
media has taken a long overdue
and incredibly complex national
reckoning with racial justice and
police accountability and turned it
into an all-or-nothing war of Black
Lives Matter vs. the police. And because
of this, there are some who
think saying “Black Lives Matter”
is the same as saying “I hate cops.”
This is a false choice.
My stance on the police has
never changed. I respect our local
cops. I work closely with our
local precincts every single day
to help keep our neighborhoods
safe. I’ve always said it takes an
extraordinary amount of courage
to stare down the unknown each
day as a New York City cop and
they deserve respect. Cops have a
tough and dangerous job, but they
also have an enormous amount of
power. And that’s why accountability
and transparency are critical.
I also strongly believe that
Black lives matter. I know we
have a lot of work to do to make
sure that Black people are treated
with the same dignity and respect
as everyone else, and that doesn’t
just mean in terms of policing,
it means across the board. This
needs to be a priority for our city,
state, and country.
BP: What are some ways
that we can start communicating
more effectively with each
other on these issues?
JB: It is incendiary to suggest
that all police offi cers, and the
people who support them, are racists
or white supremacists. I don’t
believe that and I’ve never said it.
Language like this leaves no room
for discourse. We have lots of work
to do but I believe an all-or-nothing
mindset will prevent us from
DO IT FOR THEM.
COURIER LIFE,10 JULY 31-AUGUST 6, 2020
making real progress and it will
not help us heal or move forward
together. I also do not believe the
majority of my constituents agree
with “abolishing” the police department.
Yes, we absolutely need
real reform to end inequality and
police brutality. At the same time,
we should not demonize good cops
who help keep our neighborhoods
safe every day. Those are not contradictory
thoughts. No one is beyond
reproach.
BP: You’ve called for your
colleagues across the aisle to
condemn some of the violence
that took place at recent protests.
Why was that important
to you? Do you feel you’ve done
your part in addressing the issue
within your district?
JB: In order to rebuild and restore
respect and trust between
the police and the communities
they serve, there needs to be equal
application of the law under all
circumstances. And actions must
have consequences. If a cop uses
excessive force, there must be accountability.
If you throw rocks
at a cop, you must face consequences.
If a “pro-cop” protester
punches someone in the face,
the cops still need to make an arrest.
As elected offi cials, we cannot
pick and choose what we call
out because all of it is wrong, and
unacceptable. We all must condemn
violence, vitriol, and property
destruction at all protests, no
matter the cause.
I know many attend pro-police
marches in good faith to show
support for their friends and family
members who put their lives
on the line everyday as cops.
But when some people start getting
violent, spewing aggressive
and racist vitriol at women, waving
Trump fl ags, and giving raging
political speeches, it becomes
something else entirely ... But I’ll
be damned if I’m gonna let the
media or anyone else portray my
district as rotten and racist. The
only way to counter that narrative
is by condemning ugly behavior
and immediately calling
out violence, ignorance, hatred,
and racism in all its manifestations.
Too often it seems our leaders
struggle to fi nd the words and
that is not leadership but cowardice.
It’s not divisive to call out injustice,
it’s divisive to ignore it.
BP: How should we as a city
and as a community move forward
from here?
JB: Our community has always
come together like a small
town when things get tough.
When our neighbors fall down,
we pick them up. We need to dig
deep and fi nd that same spirit
now because the challenges we
face today are real, they are serious
and they are many. We need
to look out for each other, not tear
each other down. What brought
us here didn’t happen overnight
and it won’t be solved by sunrise.
But while all of it may seem insurmountable,
I know that if we
are united through love, patience,
empathy, and understanding,
there is nothing we cannot overcome
together.
This conversation has been edited
for brevity. For the full interview,
visit BrooklynPaper.com.
Councilman Justin Brannan. Jason
Jamal Nakleh
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