Cavatt
Hall-of-Famer
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2008
- Messages
- 29,273
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Of course it didn't. But there wasn't anything close to the level of discussion there is now, and Obama had zero obligation or pressure to comment on this thing at all. Which would have been the wiser course.
I've been saying consistently that there are two sides to the issue, and that if you don't address both 1) police misconduct and 2) false allegations of police misconduct/racism, the problem is going to get worse.
You consistently describe the issue as being just police misconduct/racism, and haven't said a peep about the harm caused by false/bogus accusations of racism.
In fact...do you recall President Obama ever talking about the harm caused by false accusations of racism, that people should not use racism as an easy excuse when the real problem was their own conduct?
Police are consistently completely cleared of any wrongdoing, despite not following the procedures of their own department. So, your argument works exactly in reverse as well.
When police that have done wrong suffer 0 consequences and are let off scott free while unarmed victims lay dead, it makes the situation worse, just as you argue that false accusations of racism make the situation worse.
If you want the people to trust the police there must be accountability. I don't believe there is right now, but even if you believed there was, the appearance at the very least is that there isn't. You need to at least have them say, "this officer clearly did not follow protocol and will be dismissed" or suspended or put on leave without pay, but they don't do any of those things. Just nothing.
A new category for police who kill people on the job through negligence that isn't manslaughter or murder, so they could even be charged with a less crime would be useful, but no one is even asking for this. It is continually "trust us" while there appears to be no way to get justice from the system.
I mean there are massive pay outs in cash for excessive force and wrongful death, but no criminal charges. You can't pay out all this money from the state and then say you did nothing wrong on the other hand.