Time to Change “To Serve and Protect” to “To Serve and Protest?”
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If the Boys in Blue want to keep that positive color instead of being seen as “Bullies in Black,” they are go to have to do some real soul searching when it comes to their actions in managing protestors in the Occupy Wall Street Movement.
The good news? For those who fancy themselves to be the ones in the white hats: they chanced upon an excellent model after which to pattern themselves, retired Philadelphia police Captain Ray Lewis.
The bad news? On November 17 they chose to arrest Ray Lewis instead when he stood with others at a Wall Street demonstration – on his 60th Birthday, no less.
The bad news worsened when both national and international press filmed Captain Lewis seated on a NYC sidewalk in dress blues (and un-matching handcuffs) and wrote strong copy in support of him. This coverage, naturally, created a corresponding ripple of anger through the police community.
Turncoat! Traitor! Not to mention the fingers pounded into his chest along with low-voiced threats. Yes, threats. But, they had no effect on Ray’s determination.
“The role of police in managing protest movements is coming to an important juncture,” Ray declares. “At what point do they stop being civil servants and start being illegitimate oppressors of free speech and rightful assembly?”
Is he a renegade, or does he embody the characteristics of the “true American” that people think about when we picture “common” people in history who have stood up against powerful forces?
Those questions will likely come to your own mind when you listen to this interview. What answers you arrive at and what you choose to do about those answers will be of real interest to this man. Ray can be reached on Facebook as Captain Ray Lewis (http://on.fb.me/K9aIxf), or write him at 218RayLewis@gmail.com.
Fifteen Minutes of Fact is brought to you by Jerry Ashton and the WeEarth Global Radio Network.
