NEW YORK, NY, Mon. Mar. 31, 2008: A popular Guyanese community leader is slamming a decision by a Queens grand jury to dismiss all charges against a white Howard Beach man who allegedly threatened a Guyanese national and his family.
Chuck Mohan, of the Guyanese American Workers United, says he`s extremely angry and disappointed at the decision last week in the case of Kris Gouden and his wife Cherry. Mohan, along with Queens attorney Albert Baldeo were among those who had last year lobbied early on to bring attention to the plight of the Goudens.
The family, who moved into the neighborhood in 2006, said they had faced continued harassment from several of their white neighbors in the Caucasian-dominated area of Hamilton Beach, in Howard Beach, Queens.
The alleged racial harassment heightened last August 11th when neighbor, Michael Hussey, 19, apparently threatened Gounden and his family with a baseball bat.
Kris Gouden claimed Hussey told him, `F--- you, n----r. You don't belong in here. I will burn this house. I'll kill all of you.` Last week a grand jury returned a `no true bill.` This means that all charges against Hussey will be dropped, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
Last night Mohan told CWN that the decision is a `travesty of justice.` He also slammed black politicians in Queens for not speaking out against the case, which he claimed was definitely a `hate crime.`
He said the silence by these leaders, with the exception of Councilman Charles Barron, of Brooklyn, sends a very bad message to white racists. `They are being told that you can do anything to a minority resident of Queens and they`ll get away with it,` said Mohan.
The community activist also urged Guyanese nationals in Queens and across the city to stand up and speak out about such injustices and to use the power of their vote to deny City Councilman Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., a seat on the Senate.
Addabbo had faced tremendous criticism from Mohan and several members of the Guyanese community after he was quoted in a WABC news story last year as blaming Gounden for being attacked by breaking the city`s building codes.
`He done everything that is up to code ...` Addabbo told WABC` Jim Dolan. Then asked, `So what he did on the property is why he got attacked?,` Addabbo responded, `That's right.`
The Guyanese activists rallying by the Goudens last year slammed Addabbo`s remarks as racist and divisive. Addabbo represents the 32nd Council District that includes the area of Howard Beach, Ozone Park and Richmond Hill and is running for the senate seat occupied by Queens State Senator, Serphin Maltese.
The Goudens' problems with their white neighbors are only getting worse. `It's not safe for me and my family,` Gounden told the Daily News.
Councilman Barron has promised demonstrations at the property to stop the `ethnic cleansing` of Howard Beach while Gounden is also seeking the help of the NAACP and the National Action Network to help him stay in Howard Beach. – CaribWorldNews.com
