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By: Mardra Sikora
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Welcome, all you dedicated A-Z bloggers and readers! It is in deference to you that I chose today’s topic: Patience, Police, Pathetic
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“I often say that 95% of the world is great to Marcus. Then I do everything I can to protect him from the other 5%. I never dreamed that 5% would include the police. The news about Robert “Ethan” Saylor, who died in police custody, is a nightmare.” From the first post I wrote when the news began to come out about Ethan’s death. Many posts followed. Yet, have you heard of Ethan Saylor? Have you heard of the young man who (forensic evidence shows) received a blow that resulted in a crushed trachea while in the hands of three off duty officers moonlighting as mall security?
The deputies involved never faced any charges, although the death was ruled a homicide. No independent investigation was done, in spite of public outcry and direct requests to the Governor. (That I can sum up with one word: Politics.)
At worst, this is a case of a hate crime against a young man who these officers felt they should “teach a lesson” about community involvement.
At best, it is an example of use of excessive force.
In any case, it remains a painful tragedy that could have been prevented with 3 minutes of patience.
Patti Saylor, Ethan’s mother, bravely fights on and calls for action in the form of better training of first responders in hopes for a safe future for others.
Why am I telling you?
It is only with continued attention to this tragedy that the media and politicians will take seriously the rights of every person, regardless of ability. Until people both within and outside the “disability community” call for justice and equal rights for all of us on the humanity spectrum, there will remain an “us and them” mentality that prevents inclusion, partnerships and progress.
What can you do?
The deputies involved never faced any charges, although the death was ruled a homicide. No independent investigation was done, in spite of public outcry and direct requests to the Governor. (That I can sum up with one word: Politics.)
At worst, this is a case of a hate crime against a young man who these officers felt they should “teach a lesson” about community involvement.
At best, it is an example of use of excessive force.
In any case, it remains a painful tragedy that could have been prevented with 3 minutes of patience.
Patti Saylor, Ethan’s mother, bravely fights on and calls for action in the form of better training of first responders in hopes for a safe future for others.
Why am I telling you?
It is only with continued attention to this tragedy that the media and politicians will take seriously the rights of every person, regardless of ability. Until people both within and outside the “disability community” call for justice and equal rights for all of us on the humanity spectrum, there will remain an “us and them” mentality that prevents inclusion, partnerships and progress.
What can you do?
- Bookmark and share. (Maybe next month…we know you’re busy in April.)
- Be part of the positive comments force, because the trolls are out and in force on this one. :(
- Although the petition was delivered to the Governor with over 340,000 signatures, you can still sign and show your support here.
- And most of all, you too can show patience.
My son works very hard just to make a sentence. Not because he doesn’t understand, not because he doesn’t know what to say, because that’s the way he was built. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to have a voice or to be heard. Want to make the world a better place?
Choose Patience.