| A reader asked me, referring to Mexico, "How | | | | Using the same reasoning, let's take a look at |
| could you live in a country that is so corrupt?" | | | | American police behavior and see if we can come |
| This was based partly on a cited incident in a | | | | up with the same conclusion that in America you |
| story by Tim Donnelly entitled, Sanctuary Lost, in | | | | are just as liable to be beaten as helped. |
| which Mr. Donnelly says, | | | | · Rodney" Glen King (born April 2, 1965, in |
| "Almost 80% of the illegal aliens in Los Angeles | | | | Sacramento, California) was an African-American |
| County come from Mexico, where corruption is a | | | | motorist who, while videotaped by a bystander |
| way of life, where you are just as likely to be | | | | (George Holliday), was struck repeatedly by Los |
| robbed and beaten by a policeman as helped."[1] | | | | Angeles police officers (LAPD) during a police stop |
| For the record, I want to say that Mr. Donnelly | | | | on March 3, 1991. [3] |
| makes some excellent points in his op-ed piece | | | | · According to Amnesty International: "There |
| and I encourage you to go to the website I have | | | | is a widespread and persistent problem of police |
| cited in the footnote to read the entire article for | | | | brutality across the USA. Police officers have |
| context. I don't agree with everything Mr. Donnelly | | | | beaten and shot unresisting suspects; they have |
| says about this issue but would love to sit down | | | | misused batons, chemical sprays, and |
| over a cup of coffee and hash it out. I think he | | | | electro-shock weapons; they have injured or killed |
| sounds like an interesting fellow-someone I would | | | | people by placing them in dangerous restraint |
| like to meet. | | | | holds."[4] |
| I take issue, however, with Mr. Donnelly's | | | | · Excessive force has been used against |
| statement about Mexico, "where corruption is a | | | | mentally ill or disturbed people, who are engaged |
| way of life, where you are just as likely to be | | | | in nonthreatening behavior. In Fairfield, California in |
| robbed and beaten by a policeman as helped".[2] | | | | June 1996, James Parkinson, an unarmed, mentally |
| He cites as his proof an incident reported by Sara | | | | ill man running naked around a swimming pool, died |
| Carter. I spoke with Ms. Carter about Pelé | | | | following being sprayed by police with pepper |
| Hernandez, the subject of her reporting, whom | | | | spray, hit with a taser gun and shackled |
| the Mexican police allegedly beat so severely that | | | | face-down. [5] |
| he suffered loss of his vision. | | | | · Police brutality changes journalist's life By |
| I was not able to get much information from Ms. | | | | Art Marroquin, Cal State Fullerton June 14, 1996 |
| Carter. I was not able to get, for example, who | | | | "Racially motivated police beatings are stories |
| the witnesses were to this attack (whether they | | | | most reporters want to cover. But for minority |
| were credible) or what the circumstances were. I | | | | reporters, these beatings are more than stories. |
| was not able to ascertain what the provocation | | | | They represent horrors minorities potentially could |
| was for the alleged beating. I was not able to | | | | suffer everyday. Such was the case for |
| ascertain whether there was credible evidence | | | | syndicated columnist Roberto Rodriguez. Five |
| the police committed the act. There was no | | | | Whittier, California, policemen cracked his skull |
| photographic or video evidence. | | | | when he was 24 years old."[6] |
| As far as I know, the beating by police is only | | | | And to what should be everyone's horror the list |
| what Mr. Hernandez alleges. | | | | goes on and on and on--right here in America! |
| However, let's say for the sake of argument that | | | | Go to the Internet search engine and type in this |
| Mr. Hernandez is telling the truth. Let's even say | | | | search term: Police brutality in America and you |
| that he was involved in a criminal act of some | | | | will get to spend quite a bit of time reading more |
| sort and was resisting arrest. Is that any | | | | than 697,000 hits on this subject-RIGHT HERE IN |
| provocation for beating the man so severely that | | | | AMERICA! |
| he is now blind? | | | | Shall we use these incidents to paint the picture |
| Probably not. | | | | with a large and broad-brush that |
| I suppose the ultimate answer would depend on if | | | | AMERICA is where corruption is a way of life, |
| Mr. Hernandez were armed. Then the beating and | | | | where you are just as likely to be robbed and |
| its consequence is better than being shot by the | | | | beaten by a policeman as helped? |
| Mexican police. | | | | Based on these reports of police corruption in |
| I was not there. No one is forthcoming with more | | | | America shall we indeed tell the world that if you |
| evidence for me to report. | | | | come to the U.S. you are just as likely to be |
| What sticks like a "bee in my bonnet" is that this | | | | beaten senseless by the American police as |
| incident is cited as a sweeping statement to | | | | helped? |
| prove that, | | | | I guess my point is that I truly do not understand |
| Mexico is where corruption is a way of life, where | | | | the statement coming from the mouth of an |
| you are just as likely to be robbed and beaten by | | | | American, "Mexico is where corruption is a way |
| a policeman as helped. | | | | of life, where you are just as likely to be robbed |
| Am I wrong here? Am I reading into this? Does | | | | and beaten by a policeman as helped." |
| not the language of this statement explicitly say | | | | Maybe we should have that cup of coffee, Mr. |
| that in Mexico you are liable to be the victim of | | | | Donnelly, Sir, and perhaps a little Danish and hash |
| the Mexican police as helped? | | | | this out. |
| I find this logic astounding! | | | | I'm buying! |