Hello Everyone,
Evelyn here,
with excerpt from the Attorney General, Bill McCollum's "Generally Speaking on the close of Black History month and the continual fight against racism.
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 Weekly Message from Attorney General Bill McCollum
As Black History Month draws to an end today, I wish to remind Floridians that while we have made significant progress fighting racial injustice, we cannot assume that it has been eradicated. As my Office of Civil Rights is all too aware, we must continue to fight to protect the ideals of freedom, equality and acceptance because we have not yet reached these noble goals, in spite of the more than four decades since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became the law of the land.
Just within the past few weeks, my Office of Civil Rights became aware that an apartment complex in Central Florida was turning away African Americans looking to rent apartments. Several were told there was no space or were asked to leave, when there were not only several vacancies but also invitations extended to others of a different race to rent immediately. This is such an outrage that I struggle to comprehend that it is happening in this day and age. Needless to say, my office has launched a full investigation and we intend to protect the civil rights of those who were turned away from this complex. Such an injustice cannot go unaddressed.
Situations such as this should make us consider and appreciate our valuable rights to be free and to live in a country where all men and all women should be treated equally and should be able to exercise the same freedom. Next Tuesday, we will see one of the greatest exercises in freedom and democracy as our state Legislators travel to the Capitol to convene the 2008 Florida Legislative Session.
As Florida?s Attorney General, I am working with your senators and representatives on several important pieces of legislation this session, including one to protect our communities from gangs, one to eradicate marijuana grow houses, one to protect homeowners facing foreclosure from additional scams, and one to ensure that victims of Florida-based child pornography have a voice in court and the ability to pursue civil remedies for their victimization. I want to encourage the leaders of Florida to keep the public safety of all our citizens a top priority.
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Evelyn out.
