A young, unarmed black mother with a baby in the car was shot down more than a week ago by a virtual firing squad of Capitol Hill police.
Why do I appear to be the only person in America with a platform troubled by this senseless execution in cold blood?
I’m trying to imagine if this would be the case if George W. Bush had been residing in the White House at the time.
Miriam Carey’s only “crime,” as far as I can tell, is that she got terribly confused while driving in Washington, D.C.
To that misdemeanor, I plead guilty to countless violations.
From what the record shows, the 34-year-old dental hygenist inadvertently bumped a White House barrier and didn’t follow officers’ instructions to stop. Instead, she fled. Did she deserve a citation? Sure. Did she deserve to be subdued, apprehended and arrested? Sure. Was there anything preventing this from happening from what we know? No way.
After fleeing from the White House, she drove to the Capitol, a short distance away, for those Americans who have not had the misfortune of motoring in Washington. Yes, she seems to have been evading the police. But her path was eventually blocked. She got out on foot and was gunned down by a fusillade of gunfire. Some eyewitness reports suggest police had enough time to remove the baby from the car before ripping her body to shreds with a hail of bullets.
All that would be tragic enough if it weren’t for the reaction of the nation – particularly elected officials, who gave the cops a standing ovation for their handiwork, and the press.
Where is the black community on this atrocity? Where is Al Sharpton?
Is it all right to act like this when the president and the attorney general are black?
I guess it is as long as they continue to search for ways to subject George Zimmerman to double jeopardy.
Where is the American Civil Liberties Union? Where are all the so-called “civil rights activists”?
Where is the police review board in Washington?
I tossed and turned most of the night after this shooting. Did anyone else in America have that reaction?
Videos show the woman emerge from her automobile in an apparent attempt to surrender. She posed no threat to anyone at that point. Why did police open fire without attempting to handcuff her and take her in for questioning?
I’m no expert, but I believe the behavior of law enforcement that day was despicable, outrageous, tragic. An investigation should be launched. Standing ovations by members of Congress are out of line, inappropriate, in bad taste and a danger to the rule of law.
America is not supposed to be a police state.
This was no terrorist.
This was a confused, perhaps even mentally unstable, young mother. She hadn’t injured anyone. A reckless driving charge would have been sufficient. A charge of failure to heed a policeman’s order would have been in order. But, in the America I grew up in, those charges do not warrant summary execution by firing squad.
Many police officers have been drummed out of law enforcement for far less questionable offenses than those committed by the Capitol Hill police a week ago yesterday.
Most of all, I wonder, where is Barack Obama?
Why hasn’t he been asked about this unseemly spectacle?
Why hasn’t he offered his take on the shooting?
After all, Miriam Carey had delusions that Obama was stalking her – at least we assume they were delusions.
It’s been a sad week for America for many reasons. I mourn for Miriam Carey. I mourn for America. Does anyone else?
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