Surprise! Grand Jury Doesn’t Indict The Cop That Killed Eric Garner


Before I started writing this story about the lack of indictment for the cop that killed Eric Garner, several of my fellow Liberal America writers said they were simply too angry to even attempt this one right now.

Photo source: By Thomas Altfather Good (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons
Photo source: By Thomas Altfather Good (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons

I’m angry, too.

I’m angry that my children are growing up in a country where in?one?week’s time we have allowed not just one, but two killer cops to walk away without ever having a day in court. I’m angry that we have placed a shroud over racism and have ignored it over the years to the point that we’ve cultivated a dangerous level of apathy. I’m angry that we place blame on the victims while ignoring the blatant abuse of power by a select few.

Wake up! Cops are killing people and getting away with it!

Absolute power is one of the most frightening beasts within a society. It is something our founding fathers attempted to squelch by placing checks and balances within our government. Unfortunately, corruption has blossomed like a bacteria bloom and it is now a systemic infection.

Each and every one of us has unalienable, constitutional rights. The role of our law enforcement is not to be judge, jury, and executioner. Yet, without ever having a day in court, these men have been permitted to walk free, unaccountable for their actions that resulted in United States citizens dying.

We really must take a stand. We must demand from our local leaders accountability for our law enforcement. There are many ethical, upstanding officers within police forces that are also threatened by these unscrupulous actions of a few. Those civil servants don’t deserve to have their reputations ruined and good works completely destroyed by the unethical and outright illegal behavior of their peers. Often, there is no recourse for the whistleblower that crosses the blue line in an endeavor to protect the rights of the people.

http://youtu.be/4b8WgcEblxU

Protesters are currently chanting in Times Square, ?The people, united, will never be defeated.?


It’s time to unite. It’s time to demand change. Don’t let this one pass. Do it now. Write your local leaders. Write your representatives. Just do it. Don’t allow another life to be lost through violent actions taken by those that are here to protect us.

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Elizabeth Preston is a thirty-something wife and mother of three living in Florida. She is a fierce liberal with a passion?for equality and justice. She is a skeptic by nature and often the Facebook friend that rains on the urban legend parade with fact checking. Give her?Facebook page?a?like, follow her on?Twitter?and check out her personal blog,?My Four Ha? Pennies.

I had a successful career actively working with at-risk youth, people struggling with poverty and unemployment, and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. In 2011, I made the decision to pursue my dreams and become a full-time writer. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.