Sister Patricia Rogers (Photo by Andrea Waxman)

Sister Patricia Rogers, Executive Director of the Dominican Center for Women, writes an open letter regarding the recent developments regarding Red Cross.

Dear Milwaukee,

The Red Cross’s decision, recently rescinded, to not visit victims of a fire in their homes in ZIP codes that are predominantly of people of color should be no shock to the City of Milwaukee and especially not to the Mayor of Milwaukee. The Red Cross’s regional chief executive, Patty Flowers, gave one reason for this action: safety —volunteers’ safety.

Is this the beginning of Milwaukee’s City and County services being cut in these ZIP codes? The escalation of service providers’ fear of the people in these ZIP codes was all orchestrated by the Chief of Police, Edward Flynn,  and the recent BBC documentary “Dark States: Murder in Milwaukee.” Construction workers recently brandishing their firearms and displaying symbols of racial hatred exhibited the first wave of service workers’ fear in these ZIP codes. The fear expressed by the Red Cross administrator (volunteers not feeling safe) gives just cause for lawmakers to make the same claims to reduce or eliminate City and County services.

Some of these ZIP codes are adjacent to the new arena. Might that have something to do with these fears?