Power Without Accountability?

IN FOLLOWING THE NEWS coverage and
comments made regarding the murder
of Kiwane Carrington-Williams, I am
disturbed to see how many people are
quick to jump to the defense of an officer
who took the life of a 15 year old
boy. Perhaps I’ve overlooked something,
but I have yet to see any reports that Carrington-
Williams was holding a weapon. Neither has it been
reported that the life of an officer was in danger. This is the
second time that this officer has killed someone during a
14 year career. They are painting this kid out to be a thug
who was on the way to being a career criminal just because
he attended the READY school. He was just a kid and it’s
my understanding that their brains are still developing
even at the age of 15 so it’s unreasonable to hold these children
to an adult standard. If this situation involved a couple
of white kids in Cherry Hills would this have happened?
As a mother of a teenager I know that there are
times when kids will simply react to a situation instead of
thinking first.
Personally, I think Finney is going to defend the actions
of Officer Norbits if for no other reason than to save his
own skin. After all, if Officer Norbits committed a senseless
murder then our Chief of Police is an accessory to a criminal
act. History in this community has shown many times
that a badge gives one a free pass to engage in unlawful acts
towards the very citizens that police officers have sworn to
serve and protect. How many women did Kurt Hjort stalk,
harass, and assault before someone finally had the courage
to report him? How many people were in grave danger the
night that Lisa Staples went out and drove the wrong way
on I-72? How many inmates at the County Jail were subject
to the unlawful use of tasers by Sgt. Myers at the Champaign
County jail before he was charged with a crime? Yet,
Hjort, Staples, and Myers are free and able to live their lives
without having to bear responsibility for the abuse of public
trust and safety they committed. Perhaps I’m naive, but
when officers are not held to the standards they are expected
to uphold then how can we teach our children and
grandchildren to ‘respect’ the police.
To make a comparison let us look at examples of
churches who have leaders that abused their positions.
Perhaps the most well known examples involve priests
who spent years abusing children and being moved from
parish to parish before finally facing criminal charges.
How much money has this cost the church in lawsuits
alone? Then you have the Rabbis in New Jersey who have
been arrested in connection with money laundering.
Some years ago a local minister was caught in a lie when
he was having an affair with a member of his congregation
who had been to counseling with him – and he married
her after divorcing his wife. Just as we have members of
the public who defend the police there are church members
who refuse to see any wrongdoing on the part of
priests, rabbis, and pastors. It’s as if we train ourselves to
leave our brains at the door or bury our heads in the sand
to avoid dealing with the discomfort of these situations.
I was taught that, as human beings, we are as sick as
our secrets. I believe that the reason why these situations
are allowed to continue is due to the conspiracy of silence
that is ingrained into these institutions. We see this when
Special Prosecutors and outside police agencies rule in
favor of officers. We see this when bishops transfer priests
to another parish or when a local church chooses to retain
a pastor until he can find another position. We see this in
church members and citizens who refuse to believe that a
trusted servant is capable of evil. In the case of young
Kiwane—his death came not only at the end of an officer’s
bullet—but as result of the secrecy and silence that has
long festered within the police department and poisoned
the surrounding community