Ferguson has been waiting for justice. We can help make it happen
When no charges were filed against the police officer that murdered Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the nation was outraged. Now, four years later, there’s finally a way to take action and create real, lasting change.
Wesley Bell is running for Prosecuting Attorney of St. Louis County, where he promises to usher in a new era of civil rights and progressive criminal justice reform. And he has the resume that proves he can make it happen. Bell was elected to the Ferguson City Council after the city was rocked by the murder and the militarized police occupation that followed, and he immediately got to work fighting for a more fair and just criminal justice system. Bell was part of the taskforce with the Obama administration that overhauled the police system, and also helped eliminate the discriminatory cash bail system through his work with the municipal court.
Bell has a big, progressive agenda to make the St. Louis County justice system a model for the entire nation. He pledges to protect immigrant communities against detention and deportation; treat the opioid crisis as an addiction issue instead of criminalizing people who need our help; and put an end to the discriminatory practice of police stop and frisk.
His opponent, meanwhile, is the embodiment of the outdated, out-of-touch approach to criminal justice that no longer works for working people. Bob McCulloch has been district attorney in St. Louis County for nearly 30 years, and in that time, he has proven again and again to be deaf to the needs of his constituents. He passed on pressing charges on Brown’s killer — no surprise, as he’s spent his whole career siding with police officers over the people they’ve hurt.
In his 30 years in office, McCulloch has created a lot of very powerful allies, from senators to state legislatures and police departments. But his entrenched power is just another reason why St. Louis County desperately needs a change. It’ll be an uphill battle, but the Working Families Party is committed to helping Wesley Bell get the people power he needs to win this election.
