Former Philadelphia Police Capt. Ray Lewis Speaks Out on Poverty in His City (Video)
Outside the Democratic National Convention, Truthdig columnist Sonali Kolhatkar spoke with the retired officer about social justice and his political activism. Outside the Democratic National Convention, Truthdig columnist Sonali Kolhatkar spoke with the retired officer about social justice and his political activism.Retired Philadelphia police Capt. Ray Lewis may at first glance seem like an unlikely figure at protests, but he’s one of the thousands of activists who participated in demonstrations outside the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia this week. It isn’t his first time protesting: Five years ago, he garnered national attention when he was arrested at an Occupy Wall Street protest.
Truthdig columnist Sonali Kolhatkar caught up with Lewis outside the Democratic National Convention and asked him to discuss poverty, social justice and his political activism.
Noting that “Philadelphia really distinguishes itself” with its “interesting, diverse neighborhoods,” Lewis explains how voting is the only power many poor people in the city have. Philadelphia was once “thriving,” Lewis says, but its wealthy citizens and business leaders abandoned the city to go south, to areas with no unions. Now, they’ve shipped those jobs overseas. “They don’t care what happens to people,” he says. “They have no heart. They’re sociopaths.”
Tying the issue of economic distress to the current election, Lewis says that both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton “are nothing but the 1 percent.” He also discusses his extreme disappointment in Bernie Sanders for endorsing Clinton. “Bernie Sanders made a mockery of every single one of us, millions of people, who supported him.”
Watch the full interview below:
Check out more of Kolhatkar’s video reports from the convention here.
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