Retired city firefighter Andy Fardy defends police action in the latest grand jury controversies in Ferguson Missouri and New York City. He presents the following supposition:
We have all read and watched the demonstrations about the police shooting in Ferguson Missouri and the death of Eric Garner in New York who died as the result of resisting arrest. What I have not seen on TV or read in the paper is any demonstration about our children being innocently killed due to gang violence.
What I have not seen or read about are demonstrations about black-on-black violence in America. Many fine upstanding innocent people are killed this way.What I have not read about or viewed on TV are the 85 police officers killed in New York City after 911. No demonstrations about this loss of life.
HERE IS A QUESTION FOR THE READERS. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
A police officer is called to a second-floor apartment where he is told the man in the apartment raped his girlfriend. The man admits to the rape but tells the cop he is not going to be arrested. The cop asks the person to put his hands behind his back. He refuses, now the cop takes action to arrest this person, they grapple with each other and fall down a flight of stairs, the rapist dies from a broken neck. What should happen to the cop?
A police officer is called to a second-floor apartment where he is told the man in the apartment raped his girlfriend. The man admits to the rape but tells the cop he is not going to be arrested. The cop asks the person to put his hands behind his back. He refuses. The cop then tasers the suspect and he dies of a heart attack. What should happen to the cop?
In both cases internal affairs should investigate and the cops cleared. The same circumstances should or could go before a grand jury.
Andy,
You and I have talked about one of Bridgeport’s less-than-proud moments regarding the attempt to subdue by police an individual who was challenging their actions. So he got tasered and while on the ground was kicked and/or stomped by each of three “men in blue” on the scene. Because of the race or ethnicity of each of the four men involved, this was not identified as a “racial incident” but it was an abuse of power. Unfortunately for those involved, it did show up as a video and the end result was a $200,000 settlement from the Bridgeport taxpayer to a guy serving time.
Do we trust men and women “in blue” trained to protect the public? Do we trust the way our legal system works? Can we count on the accuracy of what our elected leaders tell us? Can we depend on having our “public” interest served by those we elect to legislative bodies? Have these things changed in recent years? Time will tell.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=g-xHqf1BVE4
I watched it and think this guy is part of the problem.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=ldNWOpxTADg
You really are an asshole. BTW buy a house yet and where are the names of the 350 people in BR getting tax breaks?
You couldn’t even get the cops to come to your house when when someone was vandalizing your cars. So who’s the real asshole? … Asshole!
At least I own a house. The police did not come, you are right, but we found out who did it and they got good old-fashioned street justice and the vandalism stopped. A girlie girl like you would not understand that. You are really a jerk.
Hey asshole, you did not answer the questions. Did you buy a house yet and where is the list of 350? You don’t have a list and you are full of it; all talk, no action.
Oh Andy, my goodness, did you really think about this prior to putting it to pen? Are you insinuating blacks aren’t outraged and appalled by the senseless violence that takes our children? We’re deeply concerned by our children getting killed by gang violence just like we are concerned when white children are being killed in Sandy Hook, Washington and Colorado even though most of these shooters are young white males. When black children are killed by black gang violence and white children are killed by white school shooters, those individuals go to jail and any sensible person wants that for those individuals. For the most part when a white cop beats or shoots a black male, they go back to work.
These demonstrations across the country aren’t about the prognosis of white cops killing black males; they are about the symptom of why they are being killed. Why are black males considered criminals when they are approached by some white cops? Black males during police stops are being disrespected, intimidated, arrested, beaten and murdered for a lot of times because what we say during these stops and how the police take what we said. Why black males aren’t given the benefit of doubt maybe, just maybe they aren’t of the criminal element? Why not associate a young black male with Barack Obama? Let’s say Barack Obama is our president and he’s a black male, that kid walking down the street is a black male, he’s probably a future president! People of all ethnicities are marching because they think, feel and believe there is a disparity in the way some white cops view black males and it needs to be addressed and stopped.
It’s a damned shame when blacks have to have the TALK with our young black males. When I was young the TALK was what was sexually appropriate and acceptable at a certain age. Now the TALK has turned to how to stay safe and alive if stopped by a white cop. What not to say or do that will get you arrested, beaten or killed. Let’s put aside the 140 blacks who were killed by white cops last year and address the numerous times black males have been harassed, hassled and beaten after being stopped or just walking down the street by a white cop. Black-on-black crime isn’t any more serious than white-on-white crime, but having said that, you don’t have to have the TALK with your sons for fear they will be arrested, beaten or killed because some cop who stopped them doesn’t like blacks.
People across the country are saying there appears to be a problem and for us to move forward as a nation and as a people, this glaring disparity has to be addressed. It’s not going to change until white people with a sense of righteousness say what is happening to black males is wrong, immoral and unjust.
Don, I am saying while individuals may be angry and upset with the killing of innocent children by gang member gunfights, my story is where are the demonstrations about these kids, where are the demonstrations about the overall killing of young black males, they are not there.
It’s funny you mention President Obama, as race relations since he took office have become worse according to the latest polls.
Don, it’s always the white man’s fault, that comment in and of itself is racist. It’s everybody’s fault, including blacks.
One last thing is Garner and Brown would be alive today if they followed lawful police orders.