PRESS RELEASE October 19, 2016
I have known Bob Fitrakis on both a professional and personal basis for over twenty-six years. The more I know about him, the deeper my respect for him becomes. He is a person of high moral and ethical standards. He is a man that has h both depth and breadth of character, of interests, of professionalism, of scholarship, of political responsibleness and of faith. He is the consummate role model: a man who leads first by example. Bob exhibits tolerance and respect for everyone without regard to their economic status, gender, race, color, national origin, age or sexual persuasion. Bob’s commitment to the African American community and equal enforcement of the U.S. Constitution has been unwavering by his action.
Bob has been recognized extensively for his commitment to the improvement of law enforcement, social welfare, voting rights, and human rights. When people were talking about disfranchised of African American voters in Ohio, Bob was filing law suits and using social media to bring this issue to the forefront throughout the United States. He has always supported the Police officers for Equal Rights. (P.O.E.R.). Since the concept of our Community Breakfast on Martin Luther King, Jr’ Holiday (1995), Bob has given financial support every year and he has been our guest speaker on several occasions. He has missed one breakfast only because he was ill. He has supported our efforts for police reform by using his newspaper, The Free Press to publish our information. Also, I have been a guest numerous times on his radio talk show.
When the POER organized a march from John Waddy’s Law Office to First AME Zion Church against police brutality, Bob marched with us When the late great Bill Moss and I marched against racial profiling by the Columbus Police Department: Bob marched with us! Bob has always been with us for justice and equal protection under the law which is the right of every citizen guaranteed by the U.S. constitution. Bob has always been in the struggle for civil rights in our community. He is not a visitor in our community because he lives in our community.
The surging murders of unarmed African American men and youth have created an atmosphere of distrust of law enforcement and our criminal justice system. We need someone in the Franklin County Justice System that we can trust. We need someone with high ethical and moral values. We need someone with track record of doing the “right thing” in the criminal justice system not the “the same white thing.” Mr. Ron O’Brien and Mr. Zach Klein have been absent in the African American Community on issues that has plagued our community: police brutality, racial profiling, and police shooting of unarmed African American citizens. They have never supported the P.O.E.R. including our Community Breakfast. We need to send a strong message to Mr. O’Brien and Mr. Klein. Let’s bring integrity and justice to the Franklin county Prosecutor Office.
Join my friends, neighbors, the Police Officer for Equal Rights and citizens of Franklin County and vote for a NEEDED CHANGE: Vote for my friend, Bob Fitrakis of the Green Party for the office of Franklin County Prosecutor on November 8, 2016.
James E. Moss, President of Police Officers for Equal Rights