Originally Posted by
Mott the Hoople
I can't argue with that. It's what I want to see too but my point is, as the producers of the movies Parthian shot was, it's only there turf if we let them have it.
I'll tell you another story. A young man was drunk and abusive at his mothers home in Troy, Ohio back in the early 80's. Police were called. They walked into his room and the dumb fool waved a knife at him. He didn't approach the cops he just waved a knife. One of the cops didn't heistate. He shot his dumb ass dead.
Now the police officer did have some justification. The kid did have a knife! But many in the community, including former police officers, thought it was over zealous. No charges were file against the officer and again, there was justification in that but a lot of people didn't agree so they had a protest rally near the courthouse. It was legal, the required permits, designated area, etc. The rally occurred and though vocal, was non-violent. Until the police charged in, started busting heads like storm troopers with no provocation. They created a riot, assualted a lot of people, arrested quite a few and made the fatal mistake of ignoring the local TV media who made a famous video of a police officer repeatedly bouncing a young ladies head off a car who turned out, wasn't even part of the rally, she just happened to be walking by when all hell broke loose. Wrong place at the wrong time.
Well here is where things get good. The next day there was another protest rally. This time it wasn't those upset about the young man who had been shot. It was the leaders of the community shocked at an abuse of power. It was the business leaders, the political leaders, the professionals and teachers and clergy and they didn't say squat! You could of heard a bird chirp a mile away. There were no signs, no shouting, no slogans, just an erie silence and the sound of thousands of footsteps as they marched down Main Street past the Courthouse and the Police Station. They city of Troy could not have gotten the message across louder with a cannon. You could visibly see the fear in the police officers eyes.
The Mayor gutted the police force. He, with the support of the city council, fired the Chief, the City Manager, the DA and many of the police officer involved in the riot were discharged. Some with cause, some without cause and severence packages, but let go non the less, as they were not the kind of persons the City of Troy wanted representing them. In short, they took their turf back.
I'll never forget that protest march and it's other worldly silence. It was such a powerful message. You knew the storm trooper mentallity at the Troy Police department has just come to an abrupt end.
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