Dear honorable mayor and City Council: Thank you for scheduling the special meeting coming 5:30 p.m. Thursday about community safety after the July 4 killing of Xavier Bautista.
The July 8 community meeting was very emotional and difficult, especially for the family members, close friends and co-workers of Xavier. I hope you will reflect on their voices and sentiments as you discuss these issues and recognize that asking folks to repeat themselves is inappropriate and insensitive. The July 8 meeting represented voices not often heard and gave precious insight into how shooting victims felt – particularly the families of victims of gun violence in Cambridge.
I want to urge the council to take seriously its responsibility to come together in consensus and compromise in a way that meets the community’s needs and expectations during this very difficult time…