"The Derek Chauvin Verdict - Three Lessons"

                                                                  Sydney M. Williams 

Thought of the Day

“The Derek Chauvin Verdict – Three Lessons”

April 21, 2021

 

This is spontaneously written; so please excuse it if it is not well expressed.

 

The first lesson is that police, if they use excessive force that turns lethal, will be held accountable. The police operate in a milieu that most of us would find difficult, if not impossible. Decisions, often, must be made in split seconds. But they are human, and mistakes can be made. And, as in every other profession, there are “bad apples.” But how many of you would want to swap professions with a policeman? Without a police force anarchy would reign. Nevertheless, they must be held accountable and, whenever possible, exercise restraint.

 

The second lesson is for the youth of our country. Avoid the use of illegal drugs, for they lead to crime and crime to apprehension by police. George Floyd would not have been arrested had he not been on drugs and had not tried to pass a counterfeit bill. Young people must develop a purpose; they must recognize the value of diligence, hard work and respect for others, including the law.

 

The third lesson is for politicians and the media: Trust the jury system and don’t interfere in its process. Interference can lead to a mistrial. Of course, there are rigged juries, corrupt lawyers and judges. But, on balance our system of a jury of one’s peers has worked well. Members of the jury are the only ones who have listened to the entire trial and then debated the merits of the prosecution and defense. Trust them to do the right thing. Trust them but watch them.

 

Everyone charged with a crime deserves a defense. In 1770, John Adams, then a thirty-four-year-old lawyer in Boston and a committed patriot, agreed to defend eight British soldiers and their officer in charge for murdering five colonists in what was called the “Boston Massacre.” The British soldiers were acquitted. It was the law that acquitted them. Our Country is not perfect, but it is more equitable, just and fairer than most any other. Most of us, no matter our origins, would rather live here than in any other country.