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 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 safety or fear for our life. 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, there is a fear factor when dealing with the very same individuals entrusted to keep us safe.

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 what they refer to as "professional courtesy"  which allows them to protect each other, cover-up for one another, 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 created by our society?  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 if need be, appeal.  But more importantly, when choosing your community leaders, 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. However, society must require that our police be better educated, more understanding of their role in society, and that police officers be held accountable to the same rules of society and the law, for which we are all subject to.

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 no justifiable cause 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.