Protecting the Children

Recently there was a hearing about a one-year-old boy killed by a cop who was shooting at a vehicle to stop a shop-lifter from fleeing the scene. I was shocked when I heard that the district attorney declared that the shooting was justified. I viewed the body cam video of the incident and thought it looked a lot like what happened to Renee Good. Only this time, the victim was a child. Where is the public outcry over this situation and why is the media not giving more time and attention to this story? Are there any safeguards that are going to be put in place so that this type of a tragedy does not happen again?  

I fear that the excessive force used by ICE agents is now spilling over into the regular police force. When did it become more acceptable to kill someone than to allow them to flee from a scene? And shouldn't protecting children be a priority for those who swore an oath to protect and serve? I don't think that the problem is that there are more "bad" cops than there were before. I just think that the whole law enforcement system is being influenced by a societal culture that has become so obsessed with power and control that nothing else seems to matter. It is an end that justifies whatever means you have to use to get it and it doesn't matter who gets hurt in the process. It doesn't matter if it hurts innocent people - not even innocent children. 

Mahatma Ghandi said, "The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members." This society used to be beautiful but it is quickly losing it's humanity. We are all responsible for making sure that children are protected. We must demand that every person in law enforcement is properly trained to deal with these types of situations and held accountable for their actions. We must also work on changing the culture to one that is based on respect, fairness and actions that are humane. Don't sit back and wait for someone else to do something. As Eldridge Cleaver said, "You either have to be part of the solution, or you're going to be part of the problem".