Being a police officer in the United States was always viewed as a noble occupation. If you went into the armed services, were trained in armed protective services, infantry, Military Police, Rangers, so many areas, you came home well situated to protect and serve.
I grew up poor, ostracized by the people on my street. When we had nothing to eat, no clothes, no means to get out of our situation, in 1969. We would go to the Bronx to visit our relatives. A group of youngsters, who were black, showed my family where to get food, clothes, supplies for the house we were barely living in on Long Island.
One of the ways this group of kids helped us, by pointing out all the different borders within the area. There were Spanish gangs, black gangs, Jewish gangs, and the biggest gang, the Mafia.
The mafia had a particular way to handle other gangs. They would generate disfavor within the neighborhood for rival gang leaders, then they would kill the rival and blame the rivals gang.
This way of dealing with rivals can take many forms. One of the best ways to handle protests is to blame the protesters.
Any time someone is violently killed there is horror. All murder is heinous and unacceptable. Especially when it is the murder of a police officer who is just doing the noble job they were hired to do.
Every BLM chapter I have interviewed the executives reminded me they have a very good relationship with the police in their areas. The divide seems to be in large cities where a core management in the police unions don’t want to work with the minorities they are sworn to protect.
In all these cities the black gangs, the white gangs, the Mexican gangs and the police all fight amongst themselves. The mafia targets police, often, the Neo Nazi populate the police, the fight against BLM is losing because it is not hard to see that protesters are not violent.
The violent murders of cops is not going to help any cause. Blaming only one group of opposing sides leads to suppression. The violent attacks by police on protesters is seen as oppression, and the police must accept responsibility for their actions, especially the police who must maintain a higher standard and greater fortitude when dealing with a crowd. Not less tolerance.
Often media plays an important role in what we see as Social blight and plight. The gangs who are targeting police and civilians the most are the Neo Nazis and the Mexican gang MS 13.
This should not in anyway be meant to mitigate the grief and suffering of any family who have lost a loved one to violence. The clearest path to healing is to surrender to the anger at the loss, and fight for justice, not against one group or race.
Staten Island is not forgotten, it is the secret home to the executive branches of many gangs, especially white gangs. Make no mistake, there are many thousands of good people on Staten Island, overshadowed by a few not so good gang leaders.
That is my thoughts.
