Rabbit, Rabbit, Ho, Ho, Ho!

First day of a new month. That’s why we say rabbit, rabbit. But with the holiday season upon us the ho ho ho is a flare added for seasonal sake! Forgive me this small decoration.

With violence running amok throughout our nation and world, we wonder what there is to celebrate. We have doubts about our police who lose self control and kill citizens seemingly without provocation or with too little cause for the stark deadly results. Chicago understands this with the Laquan McDonald shooting that has sparked public protests.

Laquan’s death occurred in October 2014. Thirteen months later, nearly fourteen, a police officer was indicted on first degree murder charges. It is right that formal charges have been levied and processed against the officer. It is also proper that he is held with no bail, is no longer on the city’s payroll and has been stripped of his police powers. He is now a citizen facing a grave murder charge and, if found guilty, will face prison for the rest of his life. [Note: the officer has since been released on bail of $1.5 million requiring a cash bond of $150,000; the police union helped him collect the funds necessary to put up the bond. He was released 11/30/15 from jail.]

That’s all OK so far, but here are the problems that so many of us are raising:

1. Why did it take over a year for the officer to be arrested and jailed for his actions?
2. I can understand police procedures and those kicked in immediately; the office was stripped of his officer authority, gun and duties; he was placed on desk duty but remained on payroll.
3. Did the police union (Fraternal Order of Police – FOP) have procedural jurisdiction over this case, and if so, how does this square with the existing authority of the criminal justice system? Why would FOP procedures, if they did, slow the criminal case’s progress?
4. Why did the State’s Attorney office take so long to process the case to the court, get a judge’s ruling, and proceed? What held them up? Was the delay all on them? Or was the delay caused by the combination of police, FOP and State’s Attorney procedures?  The delay seems egregious.

Here’s what I think is OK:

1. Chicago Police leadership has done a very good job of refreshing the police force, establishing renewed professional standards of operations, and renewed training of its entire police force. Are there bad eggs on the force? Most likely there are, like in most large groups of people, professional or not. We have bad doctors and nurses among the millions who are practically saints! Same for clergy, police officers and fire personnel. Not all people will do what they are required to do. It is a fact of life. When this happens, find them, change them or fire them.
2. City leadership has performed admirably in refreshing the entire face of city operations. Much was needed to be done. Much has been done. More is on the agenda to be done.  All of that is good. We don’t single out specific failures to punish. That is not objective action.
3. The public supports fairness and is fundamentally not prejudiced against minorities. Oh sure, there are vestiges of prejudice remaining in our society, but it is not the sick society of the 1960’s regarding African-American citizens. Back then it was a huge fact of life; so much progress has been made since then and should be celebrated. Are there still pockets of ethnic prejudice? Of course. It will take more generations to erase the injustice of the past. But it will happen.
4. Immigrant prejudice remains on our to-do list for elimination. It is a black eye for America, the land built of, by and for immigrants. Evidently each generation and wave of immigrants is expected to pay their dues as unfair and unjust as this is. Our immigrants are our national strength, not weakness or threat. 

Regardless of our strengths and weaknesses, much remains to be done if our nation is to prosper and become the shining beacon of justice we hope it to be. None of that work will be accomplished if we turn a blind eye towards them in the first place.

Education is a primary need for every one to the extent of their interest and ability. Society’s job is to provide that education accordingly if we are to become the pinnacle of our talents.

Housing and Food access is a right, not a frill. How expansive the housing and food is defines the frill part. But basic housing and nutrition is a must to be guaranteed.

So is access to effective, expert medical care. Without this access health and long life belong only to the wealthy among us. That’s plain wrong. And most of us understand this.

If America cannot solve the problems related to these three concerns, then we have no business claiming a leadership role in education, religion, or world history. America is not about specific people or America alone. America is about all of its people living life fully and with justice.

America then can press forward to help the world with its problems and help lead the way forward. But we have no moral authority in this regard if we have not yet met the needs of our own people.

Life is not solely about guns and defense systems. It’s time we got this basic message.

Rabbit, rabbit, indeed!

December 1, 2015