Clergy responds to Miami police mugshot scandal
January 27, 2015
In the wake of a scandal in which snipers from North Miami Beach Police Department (NMBPD) were caught using the mug shots of black teens for target practice, a wave of protest has broken out on social media. Once again, the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter has been used on social networks to draw attention to the latest incidence that activists feel demonstrates injustice against black people by the authorities.
"I am not a mug shot," Woody, whose photo was used in the target practice, told reporters.
"I am not the tragic mistakes I made 14 years ago," he added.
A statement by the police department that it would stop using the photos for target practice didn't end the discussion on social media. Clergy members of the Lutheran Church turned to Twitter to voice their outcry. Using the hashtag #UseMeInstead, ministers posted images of themselves on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and asked police to use them for target practice.
A Facebook event, "North Miami Beach Police, use our pictures for your target practice," encourages people to participate. More than 1,000 people have taken part.
While many twitter users have praised the campaign, some are critical.
Despite the fact most of the pictures posted with the hashtag #UseMeInstead show white people, minorities are also represented.