Whose Blood is on Whose Hands? The Eric Garner Decision Edition!

There has been quite the blame-game in New York following the execution of two Brooklyn police officers, but who is really at fault?

Mayor de Blasio? Sure, there are plenty of reasons to criticize him and his policies, and the city would probably be better off with someone else running it. But as far as the recent shootings were concerned… what could he realistically have done differently? Do you sincerely believe that the killings were caused by de Blasio’s so-called “climate of mistrust?”

Let’s think about it another way: Let’s pretend you are the Mayor of New York, and you have an opportunity to prevent the shootings from happening… except there’s a catch: you won’t have any idea of who, where, or when. All you know is that two cops will die in retaliation for the Garner verdict. So how would you stop the shooting? Make the police stay home? Prohibit protesting? Declare Martial Law? Put the whole city under lockdown? Or would an overreaction risk a far worse outcome? The point is, how could you possibly micro-manage that many moving parts in a city of 8 million people? Can we sincerely blame this all on the Mayor? Even if we really want to?

How about the supposed “black leaders” like Al Sharpton? He certainly plays a role in the overall problem… what else should we expect from a race-hustling, tax-cheating federal snitch and professional agitator? But how much blame can we honestly place on Al for these specific cop killings? Did he tell the man to pull the trigger? Was the shooter even a fan of his? Did he actually watch his never-ending clown-show on MSNBC? Al Sharpton is a national embarrassment and needs to go away, but is he individually responsible for this double-murder? Doubtful.

So should we blame the protesters? After all, some of them did chant hateful things. But did they truly represent the majority of the people that were there? Or were they just a few isolated incidents that were cherry-picked for a purpose? Perhaps even made-up using deceitful editing?

Of course it would be easy to put all the blame the shooter, right? Except it’s an obnoxious oversimplification, and overlooks one obvious problem: the murder wasn’t just some random action, it was an act of retaliation! So if this crime was a matter of cause and effect, what caused the effect?

The Grand Jury Decision of course! Because if the verdict had gone a different way, it’s quite possible that the future could have been completely changed! Imagine: no outrage, no protests, no racial agitators, no political dramas, and most importantly: no dead police!

But did the jury get it right? Of course not! And they didn’t even have to determine guilt, they just had to decide whether the case deserved a second look! But they couldn’t find a good reason for it? Seriously? And no explanation was even necessary? Agree or disagree, at least Bob McCulloch (the Ferguson prosecutor) made a lengthy prime-time statement, and took the time to answer questions! But who was held accountable in New York? Apparently no one… Welcome to Staten Island, what are you gonna do about it?

But what do you think? Did they get the decision right or wrong?

Whether you want to call that resisting arrest or not, the excessive use of force seems severely uncalled for. Especially when it amounted to trivial tax evasion. And was it really necessary for several more officers to pile on top of him on top of it? For peddling piddly loosie puffs? Are you kidding me?

And even though the officer claimed the takedown was a “wrestling move,” it was quite clearly a chokehold. The coroner even ruled his death as a homicide!

Then the initial press conference comes, and the head of the police union (straight out of central casting) blames the victim for “resisting” and “lack of respect” for law enforcement!

Where is the justice? Where is the humanity? There wasn’t any of course; this was all about protecting their own, regardless of the facts and circumstances. Can you believe the balls on this guy? Their head goon (Patrick Lynch) just excused the entire event, blamed the victim, and used it as a warning to the rest of us to keep in line!

With that kind of arrogance on display, is it any wonder why some people feel hostility towards law enforcement? People like Patrick Lynch give the police and unions a bad name. And while it’s unclear how much he personally influenced the unidentifiable Grand Jury’s super-secret decision making process, the results have proven… problematic.

To make a point, let’s imagine that the Eric Garner decision went in a different direction: the prosecutor announces that the case merits a more thorough examination, and outlines the following list of suggestions for the family’s future trial:

• Conviction of six months for involuntary manslaughter
• a transfer by the officer to another department
• another six months of training to earn his badge back
• a 3 to 5 million dollar settlement for the Garner family
• a re-evaluation of appropriate use of force for the NYPD
• a re-evaluation of New York’s tobacco tax laws

Sure, perhaps that list only takes place in a purely hypothetical legal structure, but ask yourself: if that really was the outcome, would there still have been national outrage? Mass protests? A public relations disaster between the mayor and the police union? A pair of unfortunate funerals?

I guess we’ll never know, but the jury didn’t need to make a list! All they had to do was agree that it deserved to have a second opinion! But they didn’t! And look how easy it was for the system to cheat justice! Is it any surprise that people are upset and marching on the streets? Can we even trust these prosecutors to police the police? Or should they be required to recuse themselves? And did you know that Grand Juries have been abolished from virtually every country in the world except for one? Is the Eric Garner decision a good example of why they don’t work?

How are people supposed to respect the rule of law when the system is allowed to act above it? What kind of precedent does that set? Where do we the people draw the line? The Grand Jury didn’t just get it wrong, they proved that the system truly is rigged when they need it to be.

What do we do when the people responsible for justice can clearly commit crimes right in front of us, but can’t be held accountable? And it’s expected to be accepted? Hey, that’s just the way things work… now sit down and shut up!

And for what purpose? Think about how much easier this whole situation could have been if the New York “justice system” could just admit they got this wrong and give a simple apology? Would it have been that big of an issue to put one blue-privileged policeman into a white-collar resort for a few months? And pay the Eric Garner family a few million dollars? While simultaneously saving themselves from the hassle of indefinite protests and bad publicity? And the unintended consequences that led to the deaths of two peace officers?

Apparently not, and that’s why the blood is on their hands. The legal system is a disgrace… now what are they gonna do about it?

About The Author

Blake Walley

Blake Walley is a writer, reporter and producer. An idealist and truth-seeker obsessed with the future. A new media trailblazer and outside-the box-thinker. Former Las Vegas bartender influenced by Gonzo journalism. Inspired, eccentric, and always up for a challenge. Blake has been making waves for 10 years with his original analysis and creative style.

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