If one member of the church, club, or service organization of which you are the leader became the victim of violence from an agency tasked with protecting and serving citizens your silence on the matter would make your leadership suspect. While no informed person would jump to conclusions or condemnation, our communities (the commonwealth, the United Nations) expect an expression of solidarity with the victim first as the gold standard of public service. The agency that is responsible for the violent incident also deserves a statement that recognizes the damage done to its reputation and an unambiguous reiteration of the community’s abhorrence of the behaviour. Telling us “never again” does not work because we have seen the repitition of glorification of violence against people in police custody by the chief executive of the United States.

We expect an expression of solidarity with the victim out front first as the gold standard of public service.

Most of us know that statistically the rogue cop is not “one bad apple”. The label is highly inappropriate and misleading. The other apples on the scene where deadly force is used seem to have no power to apprehend the bad apple who violates the law and his solemn vow.

To approve or to disapprove

The 21st. century is not a good time to trot out the barbarism of the 1st century AD or the 13th to 10th centuries BC. The legitimizing of every person does not extend to their views of life, love, and liberty. Are we that stupid. When Canada’s constitution embraces immigrants from the Syrian or German communities there is no embrace of misogyny or nazism. Even in the privacy of one’s home misogny and nazism are crimes. Violence as the final recourse seems to be a thing happening more as the opening moves when police interact with citizens. But, they say, people should not worry: it was violence that paid for our freedoms, and our kids can walk right up to the line of assaulting their parents and be called the good generation. Are you going to wait until your friendly neighbourhood cop abuses you or you child punches you in the face? The abuse of one citizen is an abuse of all citizens.