I show restraint in this moment, not to curry favor or present a certain persona. I’m not trying to pull a political dodge, or play both sides. I hesitate to cast speculation on guilt or innocence in these recent cases of police brutality, out of an assumed sense of DUTY.
I believe in our Rule of Law, and will NOT allow my personal opinion of a particular set of circumstances to effect the process…
Because Justice MUST be served.
No matter how disgusting the idea is, that an officer of the LAW could harbor such animosity toward the PEOPLE they’ve sworn an OATH to protect and serve…
No matter how disturbing the thought, that a man with a BADGE could go from servant of the PEOPLE, to counterinsurgent, at the flip of a switch…
UPDATE (June 9, 2020):
“In a statement, the police department said it released a series of videos — including surveillance at every entrance and exit at the public safety training center — because social media posts are still identifying Pederson as ‘Umbrella Man.’
‘This type of disinformation can jeopardize the officer’s reputation and safety and chip away at the trust this police department has worked so hard to build with its community,’ St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell said in a statement.
Minneapolis police, the local agency responsible for investigating the incident, said information related to the incident and who ‘Umbrella Man’ might be is investigative and unavailable for release.”
http://www.twincities.com/2020/06/08/umbrella-man-st-paul-police-officer-george-floyd-minneapolis/
Video footage and eyewitnesses must not be ignored.
No matter how many times it’s seen, in countless cities in EVERY STATE…
“Georgia father, son charged in killing of Ahmaud Arbery.” Washington Post (05/08/2020)
No matter how many times this has happened over the course of the last 4 years in this city alone…
No matter how angry or frustrated I become, I will NOT allow my opinions to influence my decisions… because that is the person I one day hope to BE. That is what I want for myself. Because that’s how I would want to be treated… if that were me.
As it is with any case, everyone is afforded the right to a FAIR TRIAL. Everyone has their day in court. But that process cannot START without an arrest. JUSTICE comes, both for the victim and the accused, with an ARREST. Let the FACTS be known, and let the TRUTH speak for itself…
All we need to do is LISTEN.
Then we can start to HEAL.
-JC
End The Electoral College NOW!! 