June 26, 2020

Letters to the Editor

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Dialogue must include law enforcement, who put their lives on the line each day

I recently received the June 12 edition of The Criterion, and I would like to comment on the article “Panelists discuss ‘virus’ of racism, praise protesters demanding justice.”

I am a retired deputy sheriff that served the community for 32 years. Anytime a “bad cop” was discovered in our midst, the entire law enforcement family would become that person’s worst critic, and every effort was made to remove that person from our profession.

I would like to think that Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory would certainly understand that there are “bad people” in any profession, including “bad priests.” I feel the law enforcement profession has done a much better job of removing “bad employees” than the Church has done.

While the article mentioned “dialogue,” the participants were lacking in any kind of diversity. How can a dialogue be started when you do not hear from the group that you are demeaning and criticizing?

I did not read any mention of the hundreds of law enforcement officers that have been injured during the recent protest, which often contain a violent element and a radical group that is intent on revolution.

I did not hear of the federal law enforcement officer that was ambushed and killed protecting the U.S. Federal Building in Oakland, Calif. I did not read about the police officer that was shot in the head in Las Vegas.

No one in our profession will ever condone the treatment of George Floyd. I agree with the article that “it was hard to watch.”

Law enforcement officers in the U.S. make several thousand contacts with the community daily, including the worst elements of society, and do the best they can in a very dangerous profession.

There are many issues that need to be discussed, including black-on-black crime, single parents raising children, drug abuse and racism.

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., in a speech, mentioned judging people by their character, and not the color of their skin. It would be nice if the so-called experts could keep this in mind instead of being so one-sided.

- Mike Robison | Lawrenceburg

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