By Chris Hoenig
Bill Thompson is known as a relaxed politician, more of a tamer than a tiger in the three-ring circus that is modern politics. But comments he made over the weekend are drawing national attention to the race to become the next Mayor of America’s largest city.
The former New York City Comptroller—the only Black candidate in the mayoral race—slammed the NYPD’s controversial “Stop and Frisk” policy, comparing it to the events that led to George Zimmerman’s killing of Trayvon Martin. “Here in New York City, we have institutionalized Mr. Zimmerman’s suspicion with a policy that all but requires our police officers to treat young Black and Latino men with suspicion, to stop them and to frisk them because of the color of their skin,” he told supporters. “Trayvon Martin did die because he was Black. Of that there is no doubt.”
