We have seen this movie before!
A 75-year old man is pushed by police officers; he falls on the sidewalk, blood oozing from his ear; a cop tries to attend to him, another cop pulls him away; and all the cops walk by. He lies there on the sidewalk, blood oozing and forming a puddle on the concrete pavement.
We shudder.
This just days after the whole nation is gripped in protests against police brutality in Minneapolis!
The two cops are fired.
We say: ‘justice is served.’
Not so fast.
Fifty-seven officers resign in disgust because of the treatment of the two fellow cops. “They were simply executing orders,” Buffalo Police Benevolent Association (PBA) President told WGRZ.
Orders!
Orders to leave a man bleeding on the sidewalk!
Whatever happened to humanity!
Can it get worse? Yes. And it did.
I didn’t hear any local elected official say: “The PBA is wrong. They should not defend police brutality. They should call it out.” Correct me if I am wrong.
I heard protestors calling for change. I see some change in the works at the federal level. But change is executed at the local level.
I didn’t hear any local elected official say: “We will hold cops ACCOUNTABLE.”
Correct me if I am wrong.
I didn’t hear any local elected officials call for punitive measures for cops who commit assault & battery, cause injury; leave a man bleeding on the sidewalk; use their knee to snuff the life out of a man; commit murder. I hear them proposing a little here and a little there: re-allocating and reducing police department budget, transparency, training . . . . but I am not hearing the term: ‘police accountability.’ They won’t touch that.
Why?
Why did the cop push his knee down on Floyd’s neck? Why did they push & shove an old man, and leave him bleeding? Because they know they can get away with it. They know they won’t be prosecuted, and if prosecuted, won’t be convicted.
Why are they shielded from acts of crime?
Because the PBA negotiates contracts with clauses that raise the bar on presumption of innocence, making it difficult to prosecute the cases; and they have succeeded in passage of a law that provides ‘qualified immunity’.
Why is the PBA able to get unfair laws passed?
Because they have the power to help law makers and prosecutors get elected and appointed.
What power?
They fund their campaigns.
FOLLOW THE MONEY.
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