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Police
officers not all heroes; should not be exempt from law Heroes, yes (well, sometimes). Gods? Absolutely not. Unfortunately that is the new status given to police officers throughout America in the post Sept. 11 fallout. My regular readers may notice that somehow each of my articles makes some reference to Sept. 11. But unfortunately, as Alan Jackson sang, it really was “The Day the World Stopped Turning.” It is also turning into the day that people stopped acting like rational beings. The fire for my fury has been fueled by the Thursday, Feb. 28 announcement in New York that the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the convictions of three police officers involved in the savage and barbaric act of sodomizing a black Haitian immigrant with a broken broomstick, back in 1997 in a police station bathroom. The confessed perpetrator of the act is still convicted (I wonder for how long). However, his cohorts and assistants who were being held on obstruction of justice charges were released due to “insufficient evidence.” Insufficient evidence? Sounds more like, “Hey they’re cops, that means they’re heroes, so I guess that means we can’t have them sitting in jail, having their acts of kindness returned!” Please people, let’s not get caught up in the hype. Yes, there are many wonderful, honest, brave and fair people who don the blue and abide by the oath to serve and protect. However, there are still many criminals hiding behind badges and service revolvers. These people are lining their own pockets, instilling fear in the innocent, brutalizing and attacking, stealing, lying and cheating. They do not deserve to be glorified, or even respected. They give police officers a bad name. They are the reasons why people of color fear and distrust police officers. But, the fact of the matter is they cannot thrive on their own. It is when we, the public, turn a blind eye to the truth, lumping all police into the category of being deities, and worship them at every given moment, that we create a vacuum for crime. And when thugs like those involved in this New York case are set free, it sets a dangerous precedent. Talk about a license to kill. Police officers do not have an easy job. I would never apply to be one. But working to uphold the law does not exempt you from following the law. The power and the privileges that come with the job are sometimes too much, even for the most pious and devout. That is why the justice system needs to be unbiased in dealing with those who break the law regardless of their stated profession. In addition this system must not be influenced by media images. I am sure that this ruling must have civil rights leaders turning in their grave. The timing couldn’t be any better, especially coming on the last day of Black History Month. I guess it just goes to show how much farther we need to go. Samuel Rose is a senior social work major from the Cayman Islands, British West Indies. He can be contacted at (s.j.rose@student.tcu.edu). |
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TCU Daily Skiff © 2002 |
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