Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

It was horrifying to watch. A man should still be alive. A family should not still be seeking justice two years later when so much of the truth has already come out. Will there be accountability for the actions of those who beat a man to death? Will there be accountability for those who stood by and did nothing? The videos of Ronald Greene's last minutes on earth are one of the most painful things anyone with a heart could witness. The treatment of Greene by police officers who had him completely surrounded calls into question exactly what kind of police officers are on the thousands of departments around the nation. What kind of "rational" reason (no excuse, because there is none) could an officer cite (especially one at the top level) that would justify how Ronald Greene was handled? How can a police officer who allegedly bragged on an official police video of how he beat the "you know what" out of Greene feel no remorse? How can top-level officials see and hear with their eyes and ears and not take immediate action is incomprehensible. These are questions from many across the nation. They are also questions from the Black population, who have been on the receiving end of what happened to Greene so many times before. Perhaps, the biggest question is why did it take so long? Many will say that with the evidence of a man being beaten to death and the "suspects" as people who are seen daily, why wasn't action taken sooner? Was it to protect someone? Was a coverup manufactured? Who decided to let the impending controversy run its course, as long as "too much" information didn't get out to the public? A man died at the hands of people who are paid to protect him, even after he pleaded for his life. A man who, when he saw his pleas were being ignored, cried out, "Oh Lord," because perhaps, he knew that he was going to die. Were many of you were repulsed when the man was dragged out of his disabled vehicle with nowhere to run? How could you not feel sympathy for a man who would be unjustly injured or killed? How can there be justification for beating a man when he is down and still maintain that a "struggle" is going on? A man begging for his life is not about to be combative, especially when there are those with guns waiting for the moment that they can "legally" use them. How can those who swear to protect and serve drag a handcuffed man face down on concrete, causing further harm and trauma? Where is the humanity? Now that the videos are out, the response from some leaders has not been as strong as if someone had shot a police officer. All lives we would hope are equal, but it seems that not all lives are treated equally in a system that touts "equal justice". George Floyd is a prime example. It appears that only one officer will be held accountable. What about the others who could have stepped in and de-escalated the situation? We are now hearing more about diversity training, but bias towards Blacks has been an issue for decades. We are asked to "trust" the system while at the same time, fight for transparency and the truth. There is not a community that doesn't want a good police department. However, there have to be "good" people with good intentions to be of service to the community. Somewhere, the word "serve", seems to have lost its meaning to some police officers. Only we, the people can effect change. And now more than ever, we need that change in our law enforcement community.