Where’s the Outrage for Dead Police?

Who was Eulia Love? David Kubley? Paul Verna? Rodney G. King? O.J. Bryant? Gary Murikami? Tina Kerbrat? Danny Pratt? Most people will remember Eulia Love and, of course, Rodney G. King, the subject of the much-viewed videotape of his arrest.

There was a great deal of protesting, picketing, political rhetoric and news coverage over the shooting death of Love, as there is now over the force used against King. Where was this outcry for the cops killed protecting you? People will not even remember who they are, even though they died for you. There was no picketing in front of Parker Center. There were no special hearings by the City Council or the Police Commission. There were no community leaders or ACLU attorneys demanding that officers be provided more protection or concerned about why it happened. Where were the protesters? Where was their outrage?

And, just as important, the police officers of this city did not picket or demonstrate in various communities to protest the failure of those community leaders or parents or peers to adequately control those in their environment who committed such heinous crimes. We don’t blame communities or a class or group of people for the acts committed by individuals, because we know that everyone is responsible for his or her own actions. Those who attempt to blame an entire group are playing a fool’s game and trying to dupe the public.

Archbishop Roger Mahony, at the funeral of Officer Tina Kerbrat, said to the 4,000 law enforcement officers present, “We owe you an apology for not doing our job by allowing people to commit vicious crimes against you. We ask you to please forgive us.” We do! We forgive because we understand human frailties and imperfections in others as we do in ourselves.