Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

The quest for justice in the case of Ronald Greene has been a long, tedious one, and it appears that the road is about to get a little longer. Much longer. Greene’s death made national headlines when videos surfaced of how Greene really died, as it wasn’t from an automobile crash as northeast Louisiana law enforcement characterized it. The videos, which law enforcement officials at Louisiana State Police possess, were kept hidden from public view, causing many to believe that there was a coverup at the agency. The fact that it has been over three and a half years since Greene’s death shows that justice for those who die at the hands of police officers is slow. Very slow. However, the indictment of Troopers Kory York, John Clary, (former) Dakota Demoss, (former) John Peters, and Union Parish Deputy Chris Harpin on counts such as Malfeasance, Obstruction of Justice, and even Negligent Homicide, lets the public know just how difficult it may be for this case to finally be resolved. The fact that videos held by LSP showed Greene being beaten, not restrained, as he was dragged while handcuffed as he pleaded for his life is not supposed to happen in a nation that prides itself as “being one of the laws”. Too many times in public, particularly in the Black community, those are empty words because the list of Black people, men, women, and children is a long one where justice has been almost non-existent. It hasn’t seemed to matter that despite the “changes” implemented by law enforcement agencies and after the millions of dollars that communities have had to pay, change is slow in coming. When a video shows a man’s body that is totally limp from the impact of repeated blows to his body that top officials seemingly ignore in a police agency, that is a cause for concern. Nonetheless, it has happened repeatedly, and some from the public seem unconcerned because it hasn’t happened to someone they know. Also, what makes things so agonizing for the Greene family and others in a similar situation is that the Governor (of any state) seems to want to keep their hands clean like the proverbial ostrich, which can be seen as shirking their responsibility. A more important question probably should be that as the trial appears to loom on the horizon, will officials at the very top of LSP and even from Union Parish be questioned? This terrifying incident happened in the dark of the night in the middle of nowhere. There might have been thoughts that as long as no witnesses appeared, those officers had nothing to worry about; after all, this wasn’t the first time a Black person had died under circumstances where justice was denied. The amazing thing about the indictment is that even as the LSP videos were uncovered, all that we heard was that the “investigation” was continuing while, at the same time, law enforcement asked the community for its trust in them.

We often hear that one of the reasons communities have difficulty attracting business is because of crime. Everyone is concerned about crime and the impact it has on people living in those communities. As the Monroe Dispatch has said countless times, we are in favor of diligent work by law enforcement in getting criminals off the streets. On the other hand, we have also been living in times where those who commit crimes are wearing law enforcement uniforms. The “law” is supposed to cut both ways, not where it is stacked in favor of those who represent the law. If the evidence of crimes happening by police officers was there and where there have been few convictions when a crime is shown to have been committed, people will ask, where is the justice? Everyone will have to give an account of their deeds on earth. Police officers are no exception, no matter what kind of laws man has written. Some may escape justice on earth.

Nevertheless, God's laws and commands are for all men, and it is His laws on which we will be judged. People may say that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of sexual immorality. Read the scriptures, and you will come to know other cities were destroyed by that and other sins. America is no exception. The road to justice for the Greene family has been long, and as stated earlier, it may be even longer before justice is served. Uneven justice in the name of God is one of those sins.