As an African-American and taxpayer, I am outraged that there was even the consideration of paying line-of-duty benefits in connection with the murder of Chicago Police Sgt. Michael Garner.
While my heart goes out to his widow, it would send absolutely the wrong message to “bend” the rules in this instance. Notwithstanding the moral issue of a married man out drinking with a woman not his wife on a deserted street in the middle of the night, the fact that he had a civilian in his city police vehicle put not only that person at risk, but also city taxpayers. If that woman had been injured or killed while in the vehicle, the city would most certainly have been sued.
What is especially galling is the opportunistic posturing of Congressman Bobby Rush, Ald. Robert Shaw and others who seek to make political hay of the unfortunate loss of Mrs. Garner. Those who rant “racism” all the time desensitize the public to the point that true charges of racism are turned a deaf ear. Instead of marching to the 5th floor of City Hall, these “tragedy pimps” should march on their own communities and protest the black-on-black crime that is the true villain in this case.
