Moody Amphitheater
A Hollow Letter
RECEIVED Thu., June 11, 2020
Dear Editor,
The letter from Craig Casaday with the Austin Police Association calling for a delay of defunding vote (6/8/20) is riddled with moral issues. To accept this letter as reasonable will show complicity on the part of City Council Members.
Casaday is correct that George Floyd was killed by Derek Chauvin and the officers that stood by. Past that, his words show the moral depravity of police being above the law and hiding behind the badge. If he was serious about institutional racism, then he would have addressed many issues before now. The police union contract wouldn't provide so much immunity to their members. Body cam video would be released immediately from shootings like that of Mike Ramos. Police actions would be available to public scrutiny and not hidden behind a blue wall of silence. So, yeah, we all get that Chauvin is a bad guy. That's the easy thing to say. Holding a police force whose silence is betrayal of public trust is the next step.
"Several of the officers fired bean bags into the crowd.” The video of Brad Levi Ayala being shot in the head further shows Casady's words are a flimsy self serving half truth. He's hiding his department behind the blue wall. To accept his letter makes you complicit in his half truths. Your silence is betrayal. You’re part of institutional racism.
It's precisely because defunding the police department is on everyone's minds that he has written this hollow letter. "Defunding" the police department doesn't mean no police- no one is that naïve. However, if this is what it takes to make a police department that hides behind its badges enact meaningful changes, then they've brought it on themselves.
Please defund/reduce funds to the Austin Police Department and use that money for a safer Austin.
The letter from Craig Casaday with the Austin Police Association calling for a delay of defunding vote (6/8/20) is riddled with moral issues. To accept this letter as reasonable will show complicity on the part of City Council Members.
Casaday is correct that George Floyd was killed by Derek Chauvin and the officers that stood by. Past that, his words show the moral depravity of police being above the law and hiding behind the badge. If he was serious about institutional racism, then he would have addressed many issues before now. The police union contract wouldn't provide so much immunity to their members. Body cam video would be released immediately from shootings like that of Mike Ramos. Police actions would be available to public scrutiny and not hidden behind a blue wall of silence. So, yeah, we all get that Chauvin is a bad guy. That's the easy thing to say. Holding a police force whose silence is betrayal of public trust is the next step.
"Several of the officers fired bean bags into the crowd.” The video of Brad Levi Ayala being shot in the head further shows Casady's words are a flimsy self serving half truth. He's hiding his department behind the blue wall. To accept his letter makes you complicit in his half truths. Your silence is betrayal. You’re part of institutional racism.
It's precisely because defunding the police department is on everyone's minds that he has written this hollow letter. "Defunding" the police department doesn't mean no police- no one is that naïve. However, if this is what it takes to make a police department that hides behind its badges enact meaningful changes, then they've brought it on themselves.
Please defund/reduce funds to the Austin Police Department and use that money for a safer Austin.
Frank Schaefer