All We Want is Justice!

Cookie Thornton has long standing grievances with the city of K-wood. They have mitigated the situation (which has been parroted by the local and national press) by saying that it was all about parking tickets for his fleet of trucks. While parking ticket fines and court costs had skyrocketed to tens of thousands of dollars, most black people who heard about the massacre knew that it had to be more than tickets. He used every method at his disposal to raise what he declared where violations of his human and civil rights. Cookie was standing up for the voiceless and faceless citizens of Meacham Park who have been marginalized and disenfranchised for decades.

There are few who believe Cookie succumbed to some mental breakdown. Many believe that he was of sound mind when he killed police officers Tom Ballman and William Biggs; council members Michael Lynch and Connie Karr; and Public Works Director Kenneth Yost. Mayor Mike Swoboda remains in critical condition and reporter Todd Smith sustained minor injuries. He tried unsuccessfully to get to City Attorney John Hessel. Aside from Smith who appears to have been caught in the crossfire, Cookie felt his targets were the enemies of black folks’ pursuit of life and liberty.