Community Church of Boston Supports Chuck Turner!
December 14th, 2008We, members of Community Church of Boston, are writing to express our support for Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner. Many of us have worked with Chuck and his staff for more then 10 years. Some of us have attended his monthly round table meetings. Some of us live in his district. We have worked with Chuck to oppose Boston University’s proposed level IV Bio-lab for the South End and Roxbury. We have marched with Councilor Turner in anti-war demonstrations and rallies. We see and hear him at public meetings representing our interests on a variety of issues including: CORI reform; rights for tenants and homeowners facing foreclosure; rights and services for prisoners and formally incarcerated people; jobs and basic services for low-income people; improvement of public education; rejection of ROTC in the public schools; and misplaced priories such as our bloated military budget.
Last year, we gave Councilor Turner our Sacco and Vanzetti Social Justice Award for his outstanding service. We choose Chuck because he shares our values and acts on principle to represent people with the least power. We admire Councilor Turner as a leader and an organizer. We see his commitment to empowering local citizens at his monthly round table meetings where he exhibits his real democracy. Chuck speaks truth to power. He values people over profits. He says and does what is needed at personal expense.
We are very disturbed and concerned by the efforts of the media and members of the city council to discredit Councilor Turner. We are highly suspicious of recent FBI efforts to “entrap†him. As his supporters and constituents, we demand that the City Council postpone any sanction or reduction in duty until the legal case is fully resolved. We ask that Councilor Turner be considered innocent until proven guilty.