To the Editor:
I feel a need to respond to letter writer Craig Elliott’s rant in the Dec.18 edition where he ironically accuses Susan van Alsenoy of racism for her altogether proper denunciation of the virulent racism that is rampant in many urban police departments. (“Disgusting and racist” Page 4)
The Michael Brown case was just one of hundreds over the past two decades. In fact, recent research has shown that, on average, every 28 hours a black or brown unarmed U.S. citizen is killed by trigger happy police or vigilante (e.g. George Zimmerman, with regard to Trayvon Martin).
Yes, they do it “with impunity,” since they inevitably get off without punishment, or token punishment at best. This is a matter of fact, not conjecture. I will give Mr. Elliott the benefit of the doubt and assume he did not know this. Now he does (if he reads this)!
The reality here in rural Maine is much different from the major urban areas, where parents have to teach their non-white boys to be very careful in interacting with police or their lives are in danger.
Here we do expect, and generally do find police to be the public servants of the people they are supposed to be. Good!
As for his account of what happened in the Michael Brown case, Mr. Elliott is buying the police version hook, line, and sinker. Neither of us was there, but there were other witnesses who reported something much different. The proper procedure would have been to indict the officer in question (and the one who strangled Eric Garner) which simply means there is enough evidence to have a trial.
In a public trial, evidence and witnesses for both sides can present their case. Failure to indict means the evidence will not be heard in a public court. Therein lies the scandal, and the outrage.
It is long overdue for such police as who have been involved in these cases to learn what our precious Bill of Rights is all about, and act accordingly unless they are directly threatened or assisting another person who is being threatened, in which case force (though rarely lethal force) is necessary.
Then let a full trial determine guilt or innocence. Until this happens regularly, mass protests are the order of the day, to preclude Nazi-like storm trooper behavior.
