By Roy
Douglas Malonson
Continuing from my last week’s editorial of “To Serve and Protect Who”, how can authority officials expect for citizens to uphold and respect the very laws that many of them readily violate at any given time?
W.E.B. Dubois stated some years ago that, “Daily the Negro is coming more and more to look upon law and justice, not as protecting safeguards, but as sources of humiliation and oppression.”
The laws are made by men who have little interest in him; they are executed by men who have absolutely no motive for treating the Black people with courtesy or consideration; and, finally the accused law-breakers is tried, not by his peers, but too often by men who would rather punish ten innocent Negroes than let one guilty one escape.” Oh how true I have found this statement to be, over and over again as it relates to injustices that are prevalent and committed within the African-American community on a daily basis.
It just never ceases to amaze me the amount of uniformed corruption that goes on within the very walls of those responsible for serving the public.
Furthermore, I don’t know how true it is, but I heard through the grapevine, that members of the KKK decided to trade in their white sheets and robes for police badges and guns. Although it may be hearsay the actions and demonstrations that have been exemplified from authority figures have sure given it a valid basis regardless of its validity.
After the amount of injustice that has been approved, condoned, and constituted by the Houston Police Department many citizens of the African-American community have lost all confidence and hope in the justice of the ‘system’. Primary example is clearly evident in the Bloomberg and Chad Holley case illustrated on the cover story of this very issue. Need I say more?
Concluding, I do have a couple of questions as it relates to the matter. If the individuals who vow to protect and serve are not holding true to their obligation which holds them liable and responsible for protecting and serving the public; who then is responsible for protecting the public from them?
Obviously not the judicial system who time and time again has ruled in the favor of HPD officers who abuse the honor of the badges that local Houstonians compensate for. Once again I ask exactly who are they out to protect and serve? It has to be only the members of HPD, because it certainly is not the citizens of Houston, Tx.