VAN DYKE: Protector of the public? |
Come
Sept. 5, the Cook County courts will finally get around to holding the trial
that will decide the fate of officer Jason Van Dyke – the man who got captured
on crude video firing 16 shots into the body of a 17-year-old who may, or may
not, have been acting irrationally.
McDONALD: Could he have been a scholar? |
THERE’S
NO DOUBT that Van Dyke fired the shots that killed Laquan McDonald. The issue
in this trial is going to be whether his actions were justified as part of his
duties “to serve and protect” the people of Chicago.
Which
is going to be a judgment call. It’s clear that no matter what, the public
perspective will be such that Chicago will be seriously split. This verdict is going
to leave the populace of Chicago seriously p-o’ed.
For
every single person determined to believe this is an instance of a police
officer committing cold-blooded murder, there’s going to be another individual
wanting to believe that McDonald got what he deserved – and that perhaps we
ought to be thinking of giving him a medal.
A
concept that will seriously offend those who have been outspoken in their
rhetoric that Van Dyke belongs in prison. They probably won’t be happy until
they hear word that “inmate” Van Dyke was assaulted by fellow inmates while in
prison.
THESE
FACTIONS OF people are going to be going at each other once the trial gets
underway. Which means we ought to regard the next few weeks of August as being
the calm before the storm.
How will their reputation be altered? |
Before
the sides start going at each other with full force. Before the rhetoric gets
ultra-ugly, and before things get said and done that manage to bring
embarrassment to the public perception of Chicago.
I
say full force because we got a little taste of what will be forthcoming this
very weekend.
It
was the Bud Billiken Parade, and the parade’s co-grand marshal, rap singer Vic
Mensa, managed to ruffle the sensibilities of police. Mensa on Saturday carried
a “Convict Jason Van Dyke” banner. Police officers on duty to maintain order
during the parade gathered around him.
WORDS
WERE SPOKEN between the two sides, and Mensa at one point taunted the police to
arrest him. Daring them to make a national story out of the event by taking him
into custody!
Police
maintained enough professional restraint to avoid escalating the incident. But
it is likely once the trial gets underway and we begin getting the daily
dribble of testimony, we’re likely to learn something that offends the public
sensibility to the point the outbursts will get out of control.
I’m
not making a judgment, as the outburst could easily come from either side of
those in our society who are going to take offense.
It
could easily come from those people who are offended by the testimony that will
be presented in the form of animation.
FOR
IT SEEMS that the Van Dyke legal defense team wants to give us a very technical
version of what happened – depicting some 5 of the 16 shots, according to the
Chicago Sun-Times.
Even if relocated, Cook will get tainted by trial |
Perhaps
they think that an overly technical visual version of what happened will
somehow make the incident seem less offensive and brutal.
Which
is a concept that will offend those inclined to believe the worst about police
and their brutality towards the people, particularly the segment that could
never be described as Anglo in complexion.
I
don’t know if it will become (I hope it doesn’t turn out to be) a race riot.
But I suspect the next few months will provide anecdotes that will embarrass
our city’s public perception – and we’ll all be very grateful come the arrival
of 2019.
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