Lady Justice is trying to figure out why her name has been raked through the coals; misunderstood abused, violated, ignored, denied her voice, falsely accused over uncountable years. “Yes, without her consent, amounting to “rape” figuratively. Lady Justice doesn’t even have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame acknowledging all she’s been through and how famous she is!?
I know why. She’s supposed to be “blind” and “impartial.” She’s only supposed to look for righteous justice. Lady Justice gets caught up in the middle. Her identity becomes blurred. Because there are some [many] who say that “presumption of innocence” [Lady Justice] is righteously applied. But, countless others who say the arrived at verdict and the criteria to determine “presumption of innocence” has been misapplied! So many people who are imprisoned may not agree that presumption of innocence: Lady Justice was rightly redeemed by Judge Vincent Gaughan.
Her voice was heard in Chicago. Jason Van Dyke, [Chicago police officer] was found guilty of second-degree murder for the shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014. [New York Times: “Mitch Smith, Timothy Williams and Monica Davey] “Chicago was racked by emotional impact of a chilling video lasting seconds: showing LaQuan McDonald was gunned down, life withered away. Officer Van Dyke was convicted of second degree murder and other charges. No Chicago police officer had been convicted of murder in an on-duty shooting in nearly 50 years.
Police union leaders were angered and called the trial a shameful verdict while officers are just trying to do their jobs and stop crime. Officers are human too [me]. They sometimes make irreparable mistakes in the line of duty. We need good police officers. They need more training in assessing situations before acting impulsively. More training badly needed! It’s a message to the public in all arenas. “Presumption of innocence” and “agony in the garden” were experienced by Laquan McDonald’s family and community; deeply saddened at his demise and circumstances. But, wait a minute! What about Officer Van Dyke? It’s a sad day for him. He may have a family, children too. WoW!…a hard learning experience for him! He might say, “I was just doing my duty.”
“I’ve been on the force for 20 years.” Maybe officers need psychological venting; take off, get some rest; reflect, regroup and remember Lady Justice/ Presumption of Innocence. Officers can share their on duty experiences to help fellow officers. It’s a wake up call for all officers to pray together before and during duty! Remember, Officer Van Dyke was not just accused, but, he was tried by a jury, charged, convicted; now awaiting sentencing possible imprisonment. He had the advantage of “presumption of innocence” by the court before being tried. Was “presumption of innocence,” a Constitutional right, vindicated?
