Submitted by JoLinda Ruth Cogen, Nov 27, 2006 13:15

I am an African-American businesswoman, Precinct Council President, a community advocate, wife and step mom to a son who lives in Harlem.

I am a product of a Brooklyn law enforcement family. When my husband and I heard the first reports of this incident, I saw fear in his eyes and I had a very bad feeling. We both thought this could be one of us or one of our relatives.

Your editorial is very insulting. This incident has nothing to do with police officers out in the dark, on a holiday, or the establishment. Malarkey. You have not given any respect or regard to this deceased individual or his family. You called Commissioner Kelly, Mr. Kelly, why have you not extended the deceased the same courtesy.

Sean Bell is Mr. Bell, not Bell. He's the victim, not a criminal!

I am not a fan of most of the leaders in these protests.

However, Mr. Bell is dead. Two people were shot, in the hospital with no crime committed, no charges pending against them and no weapon found on any of the three persons or in the vehicle.

Yet, Mr. Bell, the other two victims, the tragic family are invisible. You immediately addressed the politics of it all vs. the humanity. Regardless of who is in front of the pact, African-Americans protest and are in an uproar for exactly what you have done. We are consistently, treated as invisible and inhumanely.

The message is we can be shot and killed for it is always justified, explained away or solved by an "I'm sorry, but we followed procedure". According to you and greater society, our outraged is only "politics" not justified.

Yes, there are calls for Commissioner Kelly's resignation. Where does the buck stop?

A Republican Congressman just sent "emails" to pages and he resigned. Is not a man's life worth more?

Yes, I agree with you on the point that serious investigations of this matter must take place. The purpose of the investigations is for justice for the victims. Moreover, to review and change police policy for obviously present policy demonstrates death by gunfire if you have a car accident with an unmarked police car.

There are consequences to every action and the consequences must equate or surpass the action even if that means heads have to roll.

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