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