Fri Dec 5, 2014, 11:41 AM

What I Did After Police Killed My Son

After police in Kenosha, Wis., shot my 21-year-old son to death outside his house ten years ago — and then immediately cleared themselves of all wrongdoing — an African-American man approached me and said: “If they can shoot a white boy like a dog, imagine what we’ve been going through.”

I could imagine it all too easily, just as the rest of the country has been seeing it all too clearly in the terrible images coming from Ferguson, Mo., in the aftermath of the killing of Michael Brown. On Friday, after a week of angry protests, the police in Ferguson finally identified the officer implicated in Brown's shooting, although the circumstances still remain unclear.

I have known the name of the policeman who killed my son, Michael, for ten years. And he is still working on the force in Kenosha.

Yes, there is good reason to think that many of these unjustifiable homicides by police across the country are racially motivated. But there is a lot more than that going on here. Our country is simply not paying enough attention to the terrible lack of accountability of police departments and the way it affects all of us—regardless of race or ethnicity. Because if a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy — that was my son, Michael — can be shot in the head under a street light with his hands cuffed behind his back, in front of five eyewitnesses (including his mother and sister), and his father was a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who flew in three wars for his country — that’s me — and I still couldn’t get anything done about it, then Joe the plumber and Javier the roofer aren’t going to be able to do anything about it either.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/08/what-i-did-after-police-killed-my-son-110038.html

60 replies	Author	Time	Post
What I Did After Police Killed My Son (Original post)	Man from Pickens	Dec 2014	OP
We live in a police state. end of story.	KG	Dec 2014	#1
no no no! Where's Hitler?	Warren Stupidity	Dec 2014	#3
It hurts because it's true. :(	AtheistCrusader	Dec 2014	#4
"Police state" is a gross exaggeration	Major Nikon	Dec 2014	#8
I tend to think of it as a spectrum of problems.	AtheistCrusader	Dec 2014	#12
Certainly they are genuine and serious problems which a civilized society needs to address	Major Nikon	Dec 2014	#18
Yes, a police state is being constructed around us. And yes, it's used to further political goals	woo me with science	Dec 2014	#28
one HELL of a post Woo...	druidity33	Dec 2014	#32
That deserves its own thread	Man from Pickens	Dec 2014	#34
Here's the problem with your theory	Major Nikon	Dec 2014	#36
Ah, this goes hand in hand with sexism = women's fault / what we want or deserve....	bettyellen	Dec 2014	#39
Pantload	Major Nikon	Dec 2014	#40
close	grahampuba	Dec 2014	#51
I pick my words carefully	Major Nikon	Dec 2014	#58
But we voted Obama in to dial down the wars and the spying, only to find	Nay	Dec 2014	#52
Which only proves that we are a nation of low interest voters	Major Nikon	Dec 2014	#57
I 'm not sure what you're getting at here.	Nay	Dec 2014	#59
+1 on the "OP of its own" reply. Thanks woo!	Scuba	Dec 2014	#47
That was like the Death Star of posts! Blasting away at the bullshit with an unimaginable magnitude	TheKentuckian	Dec 2014	#49
more here ...yea that's right ...I saved this stuff ...I think it was one of your posts.	L0oniX	Mar 2015	#60
the same people will tell you sexism is not an issue because we're not Saudi Arabia, LOL.	bettyellen	Dec 2014	#38
Exactly! And then when we get ordered into burkas, they say, "Who could have	Nay	Dec 2014	#53
no need for hyperbole, when so many women have no access to reproductive choice, but thanks	bettyellen	Dec 2014	#56
If the cops can accost anyone for any reason and demand papers	Man from Pickens	Dec 2014	#13
I don't agree	Major Nikon	Dec 2014	#15
Try not having id if the police as for.	Hatchling	Dec 2014	#23
I can't think of any dealings with police that are pleasant	Major Nikon	Dec 2014	#37
Such nice company to keep....	daleanime	Dec 2014	#14
Since cops can shoot and kill people with impunity . . .	Brigid	Dec 2014	#16
Kim Jung * maps to Hitler.	Warren Stupidity	Dec 2014	#17
Not a Police State? Look at Occupy Wall Street!	RoccoR5955	Dec 2014	#45
Apparently all you really need to have a police state . . .	Brigid	Dec 2014	#10
Corporate is the new dictator. -nt	CrispyQ	Dec 2014	#22
Another good point. Present police states certainly don't have to resemble	Nay	Dec 2014	#54
Gulp. n/t	dixiegrrrrl	Dec 2014	#2
Very few of us are legal experts in here, except for those with law degrees, but we all	world wide wally	Dec 2014	#5
"Shelter in place"	Man from Pickens	Dec 2014	#6
Awesome response to the worst thing a parent	cleduc	Dec 2014	#7
I think it is of value to recognize that black men are the majority of the people target because	jwirr	Dec 2014	#9
Our Government has placed the police above the law. That is what we have learned	sabrina 1	Dec 2014	#11
Well said.	woo me with science	Dec 2014	#31
Another excellent point. nt	Nay	Dec 2014	#55
"IF they do this to one person they can do this to any one of us" gets blank stares	mulsh	Dec 2014	#19
You are so right. I dared ask a question the other night	cpamomfromtexas	Dec 2014	#44
Nice how none of the media got back to him...	joeybee12	Dec 2014	#20
Title is misleading	The Blue Flower	Dec 2014	#21
He got the law passed in Wisconsin -	TBF	Dec 2014	#24
Something's fishy	treestar	Dec 2014	#25
Well attested story and the author is the victim's father.	Pacifist Patriot	Dec 2014	#27
This message was self-deleted by its author	Pacifist Patriot	Dec 2014	#26
The policeman who shot this kid committed suicide	ConservativeDemocrat	Dec 2014	#29
That guy wasn't he shooter.	GeorgeGist	Dec 2014	#33
Oh, you're right. I missed that.	ConservativeDemocrat	Dec 2014	#35
Do Conservatives just make crap up?	Tsiyu	Dec 2014	#42
Yes, conservatives as a matter of course just make shit up and distort what isn't whole cloth.	TheKentuckian	Dec 2014	#50
K&R The police state is deliberately constructed around us.	woo me with science	Dec 2014	#30
So This dad has to know Albert Gonzalez the murderer	Tsiyu	Dec 2014	#41
Experiencing violent death with personal involvement is often illuminating	seveneyes	Dec 2014	#43
A man who went into the wrong house after a night of drinking was killed by a cop	undeterred	Dec 2014	#46
terrible story. thanks for the link. eom	LittleGirl	Dec 2014	#48

What I Did After Police Killed My Son

1. We live in a police state. end of story.

3. no no no! Where's Hitler?

4. It hurts because it's true. :(

8. "Police state" is a gross exaggeration

12. I tend to think of it as a spectrum of problems.

18. Certainly they are genuine and serious problems which a civilized society needs to address

28. Yes, a police state is being constructed around us. And yes, it's used to further political goals

32. one HELL of a post Woo...

34. That deserves its own thread

36. Here's the problem with your theory

39. Ah, this goes hand in hand with sexism = women's fault / what we want or deserve....

40. Pantload

51. close

58. I pick my words carefully

52. But we voted Obama in to dial down the wars and the spying, only to find

57. Which only proves that we are a nation of low interest voters

59. I 'm not sure what you're getting at here.

47. +1 on the "OP of its own" reply. Thanks woo!

49. That was like the Death Star of posts! Blasting away at the bullshit with an unimaginable magnitude

60. more here ...yea that's right ...I saved this stuff ...I think it was one of your posts.

38. the same people will tell you sexism is not an issue because we're not Saudi Arabia, LOL.

53. Exactly! And then when we get ordered into burkas, they say, "Who could have

56. no need for hyperbole, when so many women have no access to reproductive choice, but thanks

13. If the cops can accost anyone for any reason and demand papers

15. I don't agree

23. Try not having id if the police as for.

37. I can't think of any dealings with police that are pleasant

14. Such nice company to keep....

16. Since cops can shoot and kill people with impunity . . .

17. Kim Jung * maps to Hitler.

45. Not a Police State? Look at Occupy Wall Street!

10. Apparently all you really need to have a police state . . .

22. Corporate is the new dictator. -nt

54. Another good point. Present police states certainly don't have to resemble

2. Gulp. n/t

5. Very few of us are legal experts in here, except for those with law degrees, but we all

6. "Shelter in place"

7. Awesome response to the worst thing a parent

9. I think it is of value to recognize that black men are the majority of the people target because

11. Our Government has placed the police above the law. That is what we have learned

31. Well said.

55. Another excellent point. nt

19. "IF they do this to one person they can do this to any one of us" gets blank stares

44. You are so right. I dared ask a question the other night

20. Nice how none of the media got back to him...

21. Title is misleading

24. He got the law passed in Wisconsin -

25. Something's fishy

27. Well attested story and the author is the victim's father.

29. The policeman who shot this kid committed suicide

33. That guy wasn't he shooter.

35. Oh, you're right. I missed that.

42. Do Conservatives just make crap up?

50. Yes, conservatives as a matter of course just make shit up and distort what isn't whole cloth.

30. K&R The police state is deliberately constructed around us.

41. So This dad has to know Albert Gonzalez the murderer

43. Experiencing violent death with personal involvement is often illuminating

46. A man who went into the wrong house after a night of drinking was killed by a cop

48. terrible story. thanks for the link. eom