You had the ability to stifle much of this anger
By simply modifying your nonchalant demeanor
Express a symptom of human compassion and remorse
For ending a life early, in the line of duty, you enforced
Words you so carefully choose with an inexpressive face
Reflects solely on your disgrace and fuels community rage
Break your silence with something worth hearing; a sincere apology
Give the distraught community something else to believe
Or continue to maintain a faultless conscious as protests rage
Across this great and mighty nation where justice can’t assuage
Exclusive Inflictions 
Nicely said Kelly! ” a symptom of human compassion”-great!
I love this line:
“Break your silence with something to hear, a sincere apology” I would possibly suggest: ‘Break your silence with something worth hearing: a sincere apology” to pack a little more punch in the delivery but that’s just me, feel free to ignore that. Thank you for voicing this, there is strength in your thoughts 🙂
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Are you kidding me? It’s a great suggestion and I’m thankful to have it from such a talented, beautiful writer as you!
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aw thanks Kelly! Link me to your future writings as well, I’d love to keep up with your work but I suck at keeping up with things if they aren’t directly in front of me lol
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With all due respect, nothing the police officer says or how he says it at this point makes one bit of difference to those who choose to break the law and commit criminal acts of violence and evil. Blaming the actions of a violent crowd on the perception of his expression and words during any interview sounds like someone wants to excuse their own actions instead of taking responsibility for their own actions.
It’s easy to second guess someones’ motives, actions, and decisions if you have never been placed in a similar situation of making life and death decisions within seconds. I remember being accused of being a “child/baby killer” back during Vietnam when I returned home after 2 tours in a dangerous war zone. I followed “rules of engagement” and had to make life and death decisions more often that I would have liked. I live with myself everyday for many decisions I made and some I still question myself with “what ifs.”
Even I can’t judge this officer’s decision or conduct at the time of the shootings. Without viewing every piece of evidence that was presented to the Grand Jury, I can’t judge their actions either.
I pray that none of this was ever necessary, but evil exists and as long as people make bad decisions, there will be bad outcomes and the unnecessary killing and wounding of guilty and innocents. Not all killings are murder, and not all police officers are “trigger happy.” Until we all make good decisions every day, such killings will be repeated, sadly. Just because I can talk calmly about my experiences during a war, doesn’t mean I don’t have feelings that I refuse to express in public. How I express myself would never be judged as a determination of my guilt or innocence in any legal proceeding. Why are we judging this officer by his demeanor or his self control under a difficult interview? Are we judging the victim’s step-Father for his words with the same yardstick and standard when he was telling protestors “Burn this bitch down” after hearing the decisions of the Grand Jury?
Just saying.
Sometimes it seems we’re quick to judge and slow to understand situations that we aren’t involved in, or does it just seem so?
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Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I absolutely agree we’re too quick to judge, want someone to blame, and that there is very little, if anything, that can be said at this point to detour the reckless criminals who are caught up in the frenzy and feeding from the chaos. With that being said, I still believe a little humanity shown (earlier) would’ve carried significant weight, at least for me. I realize an officer was faced with a split second choice, and I support his decision, I do. What I have trouble with is what didn’t transpire afterward. I appreciate your double service and can’t even begin to fathom all that you’ve had to endure. I’m happy you are here to share your perspective, and I respect your opinions.
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Sadly, the community didn’t have the guts to stand up to outsiders and tell them to peacefully join or leave the areas. If you have to wear a mask, you’re, in my humble opinion, not there for any good reason. Outsiders jumped into this poor community without regard for decency and respect for a community already rocked for months of violence and terrorism. What did the business owners have to do with anything? What businesses will stay now or can afford to rebuilt under such pressure and instability?
While I believe there are many things that weren’t thought out, I believe the agitators from outside should be held accountable. Under our system of laws, a person is innocent until proven otherwise. The grand jury in the Zimmerman case buckled under outside pressure and threats of violence from outsiders, took the case to trial and spent enormous amounts of state monies knowing going in that when only one actual eyewitness survives, there’s already reasonable doubt as to what happened in any given situation. It may not always be fair, but it’s the fairest system in the world, and I have lived in over10 other countries in Europe and Asia&US. Protestors with evil intentions don’t care about humanity, they’ve surrendered their morals and are only looking for any excuse to commit criminal acts and get away with it. We had same problems on coast during and after Katrina and Rita. Our firemen couldn’t respond due to snipers, until we brought snipers into the area and forced them to flee. Instigators are cowards and evil at heart, they’re no longer decent or respectable humans or animals, they are subhumans. It’s sad when you have to tell someone you can’t respond to a heart attack victim who dies because an ignorant evil Ahole decided he wanted to shoot anyone in a uniform or official car. After all only evil or ignorant people don’t know what an ambulance or firetruck looks like, or? I try to evaluate all the evidence before I make a real decision, until then, it’s only an educated guess or assumption. We all know about assuming, well, most of us))))
Thanks for your reply and understanding and patience with an old man.))))))))))))
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I’m always happy to listen to a wise (old) man who speaks from the heart. May you have a bountiful Thanksgiving.
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