As we closed the books on 2014, a group of the most recognized news editors in the entire country voted on the most important news story of the entire year. If you’ve paid any attention to the news lately, you’ve seen all the coverage of the police brutality cases in Ferguson, Missouri, New York City, Cleveland, and many other cities across the nation. In many cases, the results looked very similar. A white police officer killing an unarmed black man, and then hiding behind the badge to avoid criminal prosecution. As you might now, the lady portrayed in the national symbol of justice wears a blindfold. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo explained why. Many politicians, Governor Cuomo included, have suggested revamping and overhauling the racial composition of local police forces. If the community is 70 percent black and 30 percent white, the police department should look very similar in comparison. That’s not a bad idea. But it’s not foolproof. It still doesn’t eliminate the possibility of police use of unjustified force, and it doesn’t fix any problems in the legal system that allow this kind of injustice to happen. Police might THINK they’re doing themselves a favor when they cover for one another, or as they say, circle the wagons. But in reality, if police officers avoid transparency, fight the system and continue to try and evade investigation, it only hurts their cause. They’re trying to serve themselves, and protect their reputations, but in doing so, they only galvanize the opposition against them, and stir the angry pot of police opposition. The job of a police officer could become much easier if they weren’t afraid to stand up to public scrutiny. It’s really very simple. If the public feels one of their own is gunned down without a cause, they will only lie down and accept that for so long. The more police officers who exert deadly force against US citizens, the more they cement all police in a “bad guy” image. In many cases, perception is reality. If the majority of police are so committed to protecting their community and upholding the law, then shouldn’t they also hold themselves to the highest standard of that law? Instead of relying on a legal process in Ferguson, Officer Darrin Wilson should have turned himself in for indictment. If he truly cared about the safety of his fellow officers, and if he truly felt he was innocent, he should have volunteered to take the witness stand and go through the justice system he fights to protect. The same is true in New York. Officer Daniel Pantaleo choked and killed Eric Garner, and now, two officers are dead, a whole police force angry with a mayor, and an entire city on edge, protesting their own police officers. Had Pantaleo owned up to his own actions, and admitted his guilt, it might never have come to this. But he didn’t. He put his own personal interests above the law, and the justice system rewarded him for it. Historically, we’ve seen moments like these change countries, overthrow governments and spark global revolutions. In France, 12-year-old Joseph Viala was unarmed, and shot dead in the streets, sparking the French Revolution in the 1790s. A moment of unjustified violence sparked a revolt. In Italian history, when government corruption got so bad, families started fending for themselves, forming the beginnings of the organized mob, taking justice into their own hands. And of course, the Boston Massacre, in 1770. British soldiers shot and killed 5 civilians over a snowball fight. And of course, the rest is history. The American Revolution led to the end of British Tyranny. Fast forward 240 years, and the same principles are still true today. Unjustified acts of violence against unarmed citizens will always backfire against the aggressor. We’ve seen it in Iraq and Afghanistan. We’ve seen it in our own cities. And now, there’s a massive divide in this country. Transparency and justice have never been more important. And those police officers who do truly care about the rule of law will hold themselves to the same laws they’re paid to enforce. Support Indymedia! Donate USD: http://nnn.is/donate-dollars Donate BTC: http://nnn.is/donate-bitcoin Download your free Next News "Heroes & Villains" Poster here: http://bit.ly/KgbQD5 LIVE: http://bit.ly/1eChpVo Facebook: http://on.fb.me/18RdIek Twitter: http://bit.ly/1eChqZD Sub: http://NNN.is/the_new_media Meet the Next News Team: http://bit.ly/18RdIen Hashtag: #N3 #SR
Unjustified Force Raises Police Risk
As we closed the books on 2014, a group of the most recognized news editors in the entire country voted on the most important news story of the entire year. If you’ve paid any attention to the news lately, you’ve seen all the coverage of the police brutality cases in Ferguson, Missouri, New York City, Cleveland, and many other cities across the nation. In many cases, the results looked very similar. A white police officer killing an unarmed black man, and then hiding behind the badge to avoid criminal prosecution. As you might now, the lady portrayed in the national symbol of justice wears a blindfold. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo explained why. Many politicians, Governor Cuomo included, have suggested revamping and overhauling the racial composition of local police forces. If the community is 70 percent black and 30 percent white, the police department should look very similar in comparison. That’s not a bad idea. But it’s not foolproof. It still doesn’t eliminate the possibility of police use of unjustified force, and it doesn’t fix any problems in the legal system that allow this kind of injustice to happen. Police might THINK they’re doing themselves a favor when they cover for one another, or as they say, circle the wagons. But in reality, if police officers avoid transparency, fight the system and continue to try and evade investigation, it only hurts their cause. They’re trying to serve themselves, and protect their reputations, but in doing so, they only galvanize the opposition against them, and stir the angry pot of police opposition. The job of a police officer could become much easier if they weren’t afraid to stand up to public scrutiny. It’s really very simple. If the public feels one of their own is gunned down without a cause, they will only lie down and accept that for so long. The more police officers who exert deadly force against US citizens, the more they cement all police in a “bad guy” image. In many cases, perception is reality. If the majority of police are so committed to protecting their community and upholding the law, then shouldn’t they also hold themselves to the highest standard of that law? Instead of relying on a legal process in Ferguson, Officer Darrin Wilson should have turned himself in for indictment. If he truly cared about the safety of his fellow officers, and if he truly felt he was innocent, he should have volunteered to take the witness stand and go through the justice system he fights to protect. The same is true in New York. Officer Daniel Pantaleo choked and killed Eric Garner, and now, two officers are dead, a whole police force angry with a mayor, and an entire city on edge, protesting their own police officers. Had Pantaleo owned up to his own actions, and admitted his guilt, it might never have come to this. But he didn’t. He put his own personal interests above the law, and the justice system rewarded him for it. Historically, we’ve seen moments like these change countries, overthrow governments and spark global revolutions. In France, 12-year-old Joseph Viala was unarmed, and shot dead in the streets, sparking the French Revolution in the 1790s. A moment of unjustified violence sparked a revolt. In Italian history, when government corruption got so bad, families started fending for themselves, forming the beginnings of the organized mob, taking justice into their own hands. And of course, the Boston Massacre, in 1770. British soldiers shot and killed 5 civilians over a snowball fight. And of course, the rest is history. The American Revolution led to the end of British Tyranny. Fast forward 240 years, and the same principles are still true today. Unjustified acts of violence against unarmed citizens will always backfire against the aggressor. We’ve seen it in Iraq and Afghanistan. We’ve seen it in our own cities. And now, there’s a massive divide in this country. Transparency and justice have never been more important. And those police officers who do truly care about the rule of law will hold themselves to the same laws they’re paid to enforce. Support Indymedia! Donate USD: http://nnn.is/donate-dollars Donate BTC: http://nnn.is/donate-bitcoin Download your free Next News "Heroes & Villains" Poster here: http://bit.ly/KgbQD5 LIVE: http://bit.ly/1eChpVo Facebook: http://on.fb.me/18RdIek Twitter: http://bit.ly/1eChqZD Sub: http://NNN.is/the_new_media Meet the Next News Team: http://bit.ly/18RdIen Hashtag: #N3 #SR
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