What about that cop just standing around, watching while doing nothing?

The offending “incident” is nearly a month old, yet people are continuing to get p-o’ed about it for various reasons. I’m referring to that woman at a Chicago-area forest preserve who had to put up with a drunken jerk who took offense to her t-shirt depicting the Puerto Rican flag and its colors.

The idea that there’s a nitwit out there who felt compelled to start shouting and screaming because someone of Puerto Rican ethnic origins wouldn’t feel shame about her background isn’t the least bit surprising to me.

THERE LIKELY WILL always be nitwits out there who think they can shout down the existence of anything that isn’t exactly like themselves.

But this incident, which the woman used a video camera to capture for all of us to see, sticks out in my mind because of the presence in the background of that officer with the Cook County Forest Preserve District police.

He’s the guy in uniform (and body armor, in case a gun-wielding nutcase hiding out in the woods tries to attack him) who can be seen watching the incident and doing nothing about it.

Not even after the woman, who actually obtained the proper permit to use the picnic area at the Caldwell Woods forest preserve, pointed out to him that the drunken jerk was trying to harass her. Personally, I always thought more highly of the Forest Preserve cops (I have an uncle who is a retired officer) than that!

PRECKWINKLE: Pushing for investigation

I SUPPOSE SOME people will say this is evidence of how times have changed for the better. Because there probably would have been a time when the police officer would have seen the incident, heard the woman complain, and would have chosen to arrest HER on the grounds that she was offending the sensibilities of the man and had the nerve to claim offense for herself.

For what it’s worth, more Forest Preserve District police officers arrived at the scene later, and the man with the boorish behavior ultimately got arrested. He now has charges of assault and disorderly conduct pending against him – charges for which he likely will get hit with some sort of fine.

But it means that the split of our society seems to also exist within our law enforcement – and we have to hope that if confronted by such an incident, the cop who winds up coming to our “aid” is one with a proper sensibility.

GARCIA; Wants 'hate' crimes charges added

And not somebody who thinks he exists to protect the rights of the troublemakers.

WHICH IS WHY I’m pleased to learn that Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle herself has taken in interest in the on-the-job behavior of the law enforcement types on the county payroll.

Although I also don’t doubt that the officer in question (who submitted his resignation Wednesday before police disciplinary hearings could be held) probably thinks he’s being harassed and that if we had REAL government officials in charge, they’d be backing him up!

There may even be people out there in total agreement with that train of thought. Wondering why our society has gone so loony as to be backing this woman with her Puerto Rico-motif t-shirt. Even though I suspect many of those are also the types who think there’s some legitimacy to that “heritage” argument people make when defending Confederate battle flag wearers.

Personally, I’d say her “heritage” is a part of the United States (Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens by birth) while the other pays tribute to a movement to split away from this nation’s ideals.

I AM INCLINED to think that focusing too much attention on this loud-mouthed guy misses the point. I’m not inclined to get worked up like Congressional candidate Jesus Garcia, currently a Cook County Board member, who says he wants the charges against him upgraded to include a “hate” crime.

ROSSELLO: Demanded an apology

Or Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello, who has been vocal in his disgust that someone would face harassment because of her ethnic origins.

The guy is a nitwit who probably has read too many Donald Trump-written Twitter tweets and ultimately will have to live with his contemptable self. Punishment enough. But that officer. He, and other officers like him, are the ones we’re going to have to rely on for protection.

Not all cops are alike – there are those who do act nobly with the best intentions of protecting society. We just have to hope they’re the ones who respond when called to our incidents; which amounts to a real crapshoot along the lines of a Las Vegas slot machine.

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Getting fined for posts on Facebook? Could be the wave of the future

A woman living in suburban Bolingbrook could be the first of many who will face fines because they couldn’t control what they decided to post about themselves on Facebook.

Actually, in this instance, the woman won’t face a fine because officials with the Will County Forest Preserve District decided to rescind the ticket they initially issued her – one that called for a $50 fine.

BUT THE FACT that someone reading a Facebook page who was in a position of authority decided that something posted there could be worthy of some form of discipline could be something we see more of.

And it’s likely that in the future, some official won’t back down from insisting on collecting a fine. Some municipality is bound to think they need the money badly enough to want to have someone scour through Facebook in search of something that could hint at a violation.

One that needs to be punished!

“Big Brother” really is watching you! Even all the stupid, trivial things you elect to post on your Facebook account page.

PERSONALLY, I ONLY use Facebook to promote this weblog and its sister site. Anybody reading my page is only going to get tidbits about what is published here. Along with the occasional comment my aunts in the greater Minneapolis, Minn., area decide to post.

Although I suppose someone offended by my opinion could try to harass me in the same way. Not that I’m overly concerned about what some anonymous crank thinks of what I choose to write.

But the larger lesson is that Facebook does put our comments out there to a wide audience – many of whom are people we don’t know. That’s kind of the whole point of the concept – which is why I don’t post much personal material beyond what I write here.

It’s kind of like asking the local police to prod in your life, which is what happened to the Bolingbrook woman.

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE reported Thursday now the woman got a $50 ticket on May 20 because of a comment she posted on a page related to the Whalon Lake Dog Park in Bolingbrook.

There have been problems at the dog park related to “kennel cough” being passed around area dogs. The woman, according to the Tribune, posted a comment saying she hadn’t bought a permit to use the dog park this year, but wrote it in a vague way that could be interpreted to say she had used the park.

One forest preserve district read the comment, passed it along to a superior, and then the ticket was issued.

It seems the woman hasn’t been at the dog park this year, so the ticket for using the dog park without a permit turned out to be premature.

THE DISTRICT’S POLICE department said it is reviewing its policies, while saying it does not plan to routinely monitor social media accounts. They also say there are no plans to discipline the officer who issued the citation, or any others involved, because they tell the Tribune there were “good intentions” involved.

But what happens when we get a governmental entity that isn’t quite so understanding about the concept of social media and a person’s desire to express themselves?

Will we someday get overzealous officials who view social media comments the same way they now view traffic violations – as something to be routed out in great numbers so that citations can be issued and fines can be collected.

People should keep this in mind, and perhaps learn to be overly precise in what they write. Because even though they think they’re writing for a select audience of like-minded people, other people are reading. And reacting.

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