You cannot blame them for not knowing. Where would they have learned differently? Who would have taught them?
They are the members of the word brigade, chasers of cliches. They stop for the photo and word op so that their actions can be placed on the internet as permanent unerasable souvenirs of their involvement in moments of tragic history–before they go onto their next scheduled stop. For a few seconds the sorrow and pain are part of the permanent campaign. Cry now, smile sooner than later. An email sent with words and pictures can create new reality.
So it was this past weekend. Two members of the NYPD were shot. Police Officer Jason Rivera was executed and his patrol partner Wilbert Mora, 27, critically wounded. They were responding to a domestic violence call. A third cop shot the killer, wounding him.
Cops of all ranks kept vigil outside the hospital where Mora remained. They have spent years now being blamed for the nation’s domestic ills. The City Council passed something referred to as the diaphragm compression law making it a crime to use chest pressure during the course of a lawful arrest as if suspects gladly and willingly assist officers taking them to jail. They opened up personal information contained in disciplinary records. They said nothing about civilian complaint review board investigators abusing their authority by among other things refusing to close out cases, which delay promotions, retirements, and fair outcomes for complainants and cops alike.. They watched as so called bail reform was passed, blamed for putting more gunmen on the street. They said nothing as the poorest of our poor listened to the morning firearms pop popping in the Bronx. They were silent when the new Manhattan DA decided he could change the law, use it as he sees fit, for a social agenda he believes more important than ending the disease plaguing this once glorious city.
Now they appear as death arrives to mourn before going onto the next stop in the permanent campaign.
They stood by and watched as the previous administration with no public notice cut school safety agents by 1200 or more, cut detectives to their lowest levels in 20 years, cut police patrol strength, cut correction officers and cut probation officers.
It’s not working.
The photo op sound bite op permanent campaign never ends. Cry now and smile later. Say the words, stand together with others who too have come by to salute the dead, the dead that did not have to die.
The problem? The families of the dead are too frozen in this moment to say a word. They are suffering from wounds that never heal. There will be no photo ops or word ops for them. They will wonder why and what would lead up to a gunman destroying their lives. And tragically those who would serve the City, the region, the nation, by putting on that blue uniform, will say no. Not because they fear criminals. No. Because they fear the lawmakers. Period. There is nothing else to say.
