So I read an atricle that came out in the Seattle PI about a seattle police officer (Officer Pomper) who complained about the city telling them not to write tickets for some offences if the offender was an African American. The following is a clip from the story that can be found at http://www.seattlepi.com/local/434051_cop25.html?source=rss
"Pomper, writing in December for The Guardian, stated that through the initiative, the city "continues its assault on traditional and constitutional American values such as self-reliance, equal justice, and individual liberty. But more to our immediate concern, the city is inflicting its socialist policies directly on the Seattle Police Department."
The Guardian is a union newspaper published primarily for current and former Seattle police officers. It's not distributed to the general public.
Pomper told Carlson what got him fired up was the department's policy on stopping people driving with a suspended license in the third degree. Officers are instructed not to issue a ticket to the individual, but send the information to the city attorney's office so they determine who merits punishment.
City Attorney Pete Holmes said last year he wanted to reduce the number of those tickets by 90 percent and in a July interview with Publicola, Holmes said it was in part a social justice issue because 44 percent of all charges for that crime are against African Americans."
I am appalled that we have come so far from the advances of the 60's and the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. Where is the judgement based on character or action? Why are we basing who to prosecute based on the color of their skin? Why is it that we feel ok to dole out justice based on whether or not you are white or black?
Where is true Justice? It is lost to social justice. We have decided that in order to make life fair we need to allow some people to get away with breaking the law. This is wrong. In all ways this is wrong. There is no justice in social justice. There is only racism. Racism against anyone who is not African American. This is no better then the south in the 60's. It is just a different group who is getting special treatment and those who do not belong to that group are being treated differently because the color of their skin.
Seattle is out of control. Add to this that yesterday was the official "John T. Williams Day" honoring a homeless man who walked around the streets of Seattle carrying an open knife. He ignored a policeman's order to drop the knife, forcing the policeman to shoot him. That policeman did what he had to do to protect the public and himself. If he hadn't, we probably would have heard about yet another killing of a police officer.
ReplyDeleteInstead of honoring the officer for doing his job, the officer's good reputation was dragged through the mud by the city, the mayor and even his own police chief - even after an inquest found no evidence he acted maliciously. Because he wasn't supported for acting as he was trained to do, he had no choice but to resign from a career he loved.
And Seattle is left honoring a criminal with a rap sheet who ignored a policeman's command to drop a deadly weapon.
Greg
+1 Greg...
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that the SPD has done some things very wrong recently, not every officer involved shooting is a hate crime, nor is it racially motivated.
When are we as a nation going to stand up and act like we believe that all mankind is created equal instead of saying it, but then arguing in the next sentence for different penalties based on ethnicity?
I don't understand why anyone would want to be treated differently. I am part of two minority classes and I don't want it to be easier for me to get into college or get a job. And I don't want to work with other people who were able to get into college or a job with lower standards. I definitely don't want to live in a society where crimes aren't prosecuted if the criminal is of a certain minority class.
ReplyDeleteJill
Well, the time has come...
ReplyDeleteI have accepted an offer which will relocate me to Colorado by the end of the month. I'm not sure what will happen with this blog, but I do hope that you will all continue to read, think about, and research what is happening in politics these days. Good luck everyone!
Bart,
ReplyDeleteYou will be missed. We have enjoyed your comments and hope that you have some time to check in now and then.
All the best to you and your family. have a wonderful new adventure.
Bart,
ReplyDeleteYou will definitely be missed. Please continue to visit the blog and let us know if Colorado has more common sense than Washington St. Best to you in your new adventure!
Debbie
Gee, Greg, just because a homeless and alcoholic street person, whatever his race, didn't drop his whittling pocket knife on command...doesn't mean a police officer had to do "what he had to do to protect the public and himself". Get some perspective and try placing some value on a human life! Shooting someone to death should be the last resort in responding to a threat, not a reaction when someone fails to follow a command. The officer clearly failed to hold himself to the required ethical and professional standard in the view of the Seattle police chief. He's lucky not to have been prosecuted. Larry
ReplyDeleteHey Greg, What say ye to that comment?????
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Larry. If the officer is not willing to protect the public and himself then who will or who should? I am not saying that this particular situation was handled perfectly but I will say that in this type of situation that the benefit of the doubt should always go to the officer.
ReplyDeleteHere is a rhetorical question for all of you to ask yourself: If a criminal were in your house holding a knife threatening you or your family and a Police Officer commands him to drop the knife and he refuses, what do you want the officer to do? How do you want him to handle the situation?
How about one of those nifty tazors they carry ... or old fashion pepper spray ??? I'm just saying .... but a 9mm bullet is alittle harsh.... we have seen a lot of film on S.P.D. using hand to hand combat lately stomping, punching, kicking "criminals" that I find it hard that that was this officers "last resort" ... and I'm sure this "menis to society" has walked the streets of Seattle PLENTY of times with his open "wittling" knife in the "open" position ... Sooooo... why has not any other of Seattle's finest not met him with the same fate??? Maybe because the other Seattle's finest do their job and know their environment and "know" who he is and what he is about. Then there is the thought "why not call for some HELP?? " ... as far as his rap sheet .... not one violent crime ..... for 50+ years ..... last I heard the officer quit..... just can't play cop in the Washington state sand box.... BUT... HE can play anybody else's sand box .... one last thing .... when I played basketball in my back yard with my dad he taught me the old saying that I seemed to grasp pretty easy as a kid and lived by it through out my life " no blood no foul " I'm guessing there was a lot of blood on that street that sunny afternoon ...."FOUL!!!".... And one.....
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteI think the gist of your comment was you were unhappy with officer Birk but ok with the rest of Seattle PD as long as they use tazers or pepper spray but not a handgun.
It was a little hard to follow with all the random "quotes."