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July 23, 2009
KNUCKLE-HEAD JUSTICE - NOT ACCEPTABLE.
By
Joseph Chez
The law that binds us all, derives from the will of the people. We expect that justice is fair and equitable, and that the arm of the law understands that it is not judge and jury.
Society as we know it was once a dangerous place to live. Each day, one's freedom or life could well be in peril and appropriately, it is said, that the law of the jungle ruled. Consequently, man reasoned that in order to be free from harm, the community had to bind together as a group, as there would be safety in numbers. Thus, these tenets were the beginning of threading the fabric for which we now call our common good - our society. Additionally, early man conceived: to further guarantee the people's safety, freedom, and common interest, the best and the brightest of the community would be chosen to be the community's leaders, while others who were strong and loyal would safeguard the community's safety and freedom.
However, many of us still remember when constables or community officers were respected for their mediation skills and the sense of safety their official capacity provided. Regrettably, the mood in our communities has changed; we no longer feel safe in the presence of the police. In fact, COPS instill fear in all of us. We look out for them, we fear being pulled over by them, and we dare not call them, as we may fear for our own lives. But, if you disagree, just ask yourself: will you dare speak up to a police officer and robustly invoke your rights under the law? Will you dare question the police officer's motives for stopping you? The answer is perhaps no. Yes, we all fear for our safety.
So how did we get here? Is this what society envisioned for a perfect society? Did the people want law abiding justice, or have we settled for knuckle-head justice?
Today, we require our doctors , lawyers, teachers and other professionals to meet certain educational requirements. We impose intense academic standards so these professionals will serve the greater good of the community. However, for our police, we require the minimum. Thus, any knuckle-head can apply and become a law enforcement officer. And to add more injury to justice, today's law enforcement enjoys an atmosphere which many believe, is above the law. Yes, in many states, they are granted special license plates for their own private vehicles and this keeps them from being pulled over - for any reason. Their wages in many cases rivals those of many highly educated professionals or even judges. We name highways after them. We seek their support to become elected into office. Moreover, police officers today employ amongst themselves, what they refer to as "professional courtesy" which allows them to protect each other, cover up for each other and thus, not be subject to the dictates of the law. And yet, we frequently witness police brutality on our television, but we acquiesce to the police department's PR person and accept that the beating of a citizen, misconduct by an officer or the death of an innocent person, will be investigated - internally of course.
So how can we remedy this unintended situation our society has created? RESIST: If you believe that a COP is being a knuckle-head, invoke your Constitutional rights, file a complaint, file a civil complaint in court, fight your ticket in a jury trial and appeal- if need be. And when you choose your leaders for the community, tell them you want the law to apply to COPS as well.
KNUCKLE-HEAD JUSTICE - NOT ACCEPTABLE.
By
Joseph Chez
The law that binds us all, derives from the will of the people. We expect that justice is fair and equitable, and that the arm of the law understands that it is not judge and jury.
Society as we know it was once a dangerous place to live. Each day, one's freedom or life could well be in peril and appropriately, it is said, that the law of the jungle ruled. Consequently, man reasoned that in order to be free from harm, the community had to bind together as a group, as there would be safety in numbers. Thus, these tenets were the beginning of threading the fabric for which we now call our common good - our society. Additionally, early man conceived: to further guarantee the people's safety, freedom, and common interest, the best and the brightest of the community would be chosen to be the community's leaders, while others who were strong and loyal would safeguard the community's safety and freedom.
However, many of us still remember when constables or community officers were respected for their mediation skills and the sense of safety their official capacity provided. Regrettably, the mood in our communities has changed; we no longer feel safe in the presence of the police. In fact, COPS instill fear in all of us. We look out for them, we fear being pulled over by them, and we dare not call them, as we may fear for our own lives. But, if you disagree, just ask yourself: will you dare speak up to a police officer and robustly invoke your rights under the law? Will you dare question the police officer's motives for stopping you? The answer is perhaps no. Yes, we all fear for our safety.
So how did we get here? Is this what society envisioned for a perfect society? Did the people want law abiding justice, or have we settled for knuckle-head justice?
Today, we require our doctors , lawyers, teachers and other professionals to meet certain educational requirements. We impose intense academic standards so these professionals will serve the greater good of the community. However, for our police, we require the minimum. Thus, any knuckle-head can apply and become a law enforcement officer. And to add more injury to justice, today's law enforcement enjoys an atmosphere which many believe, is above the law. Yes, in many states, they are granted special license plates for their own private vehicles and this keeps them from being pulled over - for any reason. Their wages in many cases rivals those of many highly educated professionals or even judges. We name highways after them. We seek their support to become elected into office. Moreover, police officers today employ amongst themselves, what they refer to as "professional courtesy" which allows them to protect each other, cover up for each other and thus, not be subject to the dictates of the law. And yet, we frequently witness police brutality on our television, but we acquiesce to the police department's PR person and accept that the beating of a citizen, misconduct by an officer or the death of an innocent person, will be investigated - internally of course.
So how can we remedy this unintended situation our society has created? RESIST: If you believe that a COP is being a knuckle-head, invoke your Constitutional rights, file a complaint, file a civil complaint in court, fight your ticket in a jury trial and appeal- if need be. And when you choose your leaders for the community, tell them you want the law to apply to COPS as well.
Of course, not all cops are knuckle-heads and they deserve our respect and admiration, but it is time for change in the direction their role is perceived and put into practice. Police officers must be required to have greater respect for the law, greater educational skills that will include more emphasis in the humanities, plus they must be held accountable to the law just like the rest of us.
In the case of the Harvard Professor, Henry Louis Gates, the knuckle-head arm of the law was completely out of line. Even after ascertaining identity of the elderly (African-American) professor, he was arrested for invoking the sovereignty of his own home. The officer's reason: disorderly conduct. The department soon dropped charges as they reasoned that it was two hot-heads in a bad situation. Lame - they realized that there was not justification for the apprehension.
Professor Gates, a man's home is his castle and you must uphold that right. The community supports you. Your fight is our fight.
In the case of the Harvard Professor, Henry Louis Gates, the knuckle-head arm of the law was completely out of line. Even after ascertaining identity of the elderly (African-American) professor, he was arrested for invoking the sovereignty of his own home. The officer's reason: disorderly conduct. The department soon dropped charges as they reasoned that it was two hot-heads in a bad situation. Lame - they realized that there was not justification for the apprehension.
Professor Gates, a man's home is his castle and you must uphold that right. The community supports you. Your fight is our fight.
2 comments:
As far as I can tell the police officer did nothing wrong. Gates needs anger management. Also, it's a nice jesture to say hello to your neighboors once in a while so they know who you are. If a police officer is asking you to do something you don't like but it isn't hurting you, just do it. You can take it up with the system (supervisor) later. Why make a petty scene. Also, it isn't nice to label someone a racist. Please use the R-word sparingly. A disciplined mind should think and act as if it is...
We have three observations about the Harvard professor incident:
1. We find it interesting that the fact that this was the professor's home was evidently not established early on way before the dispute escalated;
2. We find it fascinating that the versions of two members of society, who most would ordinarily view as responsible and honest citizens (this obviously does not include politicians), would vary so dramatically from a factual point of view.
3. Finally, considering that the reading and viewing public were not present at the scene (and thus have no first hand knowledge), and that there is no video tape to our knowledge of the sequence of events and what was said, how so many have formed conclusions, and made assumptions, about who did what and who was wrong.
There are some things which Professor Gates might have considered upon the arrival of the police, no matter how incensed he may have been.
On the issue of the right to know the truth, we'd be curious to have your response to this
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