Hiding Behind Dead Cops

The president of the NYPD union has opportunistically used the murder of two good NYPD officers to further his political agenda with the Mayor of New York City (NYC). Patrick Lynch has blamed the Mayor of NYC for the deaths of officers Liu and Ramos. 

Not only is Lynch hiding behind two dead cops in making his comments, he is also creating a racially charged climate in NYC by insinuating that the Black community want to kill cops. We in the Black community want justice and bad cops off the job. The Mayor of NY has Black children.

Some people have raised the issue that there is a connection between the protests against the racist conditions faced by dark skin people and the shooting of police officers.  Beside NYC another police officer was murdered in Tarpon Springs Florida. The shooting in NYC was done allegedly by a man who allegedly  also shot a woman in an act of domestic violence and he killed himself. In Tarpon Springs the alleged murderer was trying avoid a return to prison. There is no direct connection between the protests and the murders; there is an indirect connection through the media.

The irrationality of Patrick Lynch’s rants are seen when he said nothing when two White people indirectly connected to the Neo Nazis ambushed and killed two police officers in Las Vegas earlier in the year. He also said nothing when the “survivalist” Frein ambushed two police officers in Pennsylvania, killing one officer.  Although the union has reportedly agreed to refrain from these rants, the harm is done.

A modern definition of White supremacy and White privilege is Black people having to apologize for our race when one person commits a crime, while the bosses such as Patrick Lynch never apologizes for the acts of the White neo Nazis nor for a White survivalist who kill cops.  Patrick Lynch never even said he was sorry for the victim of domestic violence as she was also like the police officers a victim of a mentally ill man.

I recently read a story where some Black cops of New York City have said that they feel threaten by other cops when they change into civilian clothes and are off duty.  A fear that is magnified by unarmed Black people who when confront by the police understand the cop can shoot and kill us with impunity. Cops can kill us based on their “belief” their lives are in danger. This logic is nonsensical as the definition of a first res ponder is that they put his life in danger. The standard for the police using deadly force must be a higher bar.

Many times I have agonized over this issue as I have relatives who are cops and I love them dearly and wish only that they remain safe. I hope that other police departments do not create a more racially charged environment by repeating the shameful, slanderous, and racist comments made by Patrick Lynch.

In many ways Patrick Lynch comments are an indicator of how effective the protests have become. He has taken notice of them as has the Mayor of New York.  I can only think that City bosses have also taken notice.