All posts by theblogman99

Federal Politics, Local Politics, State Politics

Will women pave the way to better governance? More of them deserve a chance to try.

I hope that it doesn’t turn out that women are more reasonable when it comes to governance than are men.  I want us to be just as reasonable as women and I want us to be a steppingstone rather than a stumbling block.  Ok, so maybe I’m a little bit biased in favor of men.  I try not to be but if I am to be honest, that’s the way that it is right now; I’m making progress.

But sometimes I think that as men, we might think with the wrong mix of testosterone versus brain; too much testosterone and too little brain.  We think in terms of things like, you want a piece of us (the United States)?  Bring it!  I heard that ‘bring it’ thing somewhere before; I think it was an extremely high top-level US elected official who said it but I’m not sure.  Anyway, I think that women are somewhat less prone to take that approach.  I don’t have any empirical data that says it is because they use a greater mix of brain than testosterone but it would not surprise me if that is the case.

Anyway, if women can help to get us back on track to more positive governance, whether or not it is related to the testosterone versus brain mix does not matter.  What we need as a country is to find a way to get back to governance instead of partisan politics and gridlock.

I read an article in the Tribune Washington Bureau by Lisa Mascaro titled ‘House abortion bill switch reveals emerging clout of moderate Republicans.’  Although these conservative Republican women bristled and some even fumed at being called moderate, at least they worked to make the Republican anti-abortion bill that the House passed more acceptable.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi felt that the Republicans had an ulterior motive for making this bill more palatable and was not at all impressed by what these women did but that’s okay.  At least it is a start.  Hopefully it is a start in the direction that will lead to meaningful compromise that will allow our country to move forward toward a more perfect union and grow in those areas where we desperately need it most right now; the areas of tolerance and understanding.

Don’t get me wrong, as a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat I am suspect of these seemingly forward-looking Republican women just like Minority Leader Pelosi is but no more so than they would be, especially lately, of a Democrat who acted as if they were interested in compromise and governance rather than partisan politics and gridlock.

To me, what these women did is refreshing and, at least for now, it appears that even though they are committed to holding on to their principles – which deserves our respect, they are still willing to work toward compromise in an effort to find common ground.  With all of the political posturing directed at voters in the name of ‘principle’ in order to justify the current gridlock in Washington that too, is refreshing.

Even if women are not the catalyst that will stimulate a more cerebral approach to governance and willingness to compromise, they still deserve greater representation in what has long appeared to be the good-ole-boy club that is the Senate… and I would even include the House.  Both Parties, especially the Grand Ole Party, could use more women in leadership and non-leadership positions.  I hope that this will happen.  I also hope that, as a result, governance will be infused with a fresh way of thinking and all of us will be better for it.

Eulus Dennis

Federal Politics

Are Republicans Desperados Too?

Because of some of the recent executive orders that President Obama has issued the Republicans have labeled him as a lawless president.  While it may be true that he is working in some gray areas because the law is opaque and has not yet clearly and specifically stated that it is within his power to issue these executive orders, neither has it clearly and specifically stated that it is not within his power to issue them.  It is well documented that many presidents have issued executive orders.

But for whatever reason, it seems that President Obama is hated by the Republicans more than any other president in history.  There are many other presidents who have issued executive orders who have not been vilified in the way that this president has.  Why is that?  I will leave the answer to this question up to each reader.  But I still think that it will be interesting to take a closer look at these Republicans who have labeled President Obama as a desperado.

Let’s start with a few quotes from some of the accusers.  According to John Nichols’ blog, ‘House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan , R-Wisconsin, declared, “We have an increasingly lawless presidency where he is actually doing the job of Congress, writing new policies and new laws without going through Congress.  Presidents don’t write laws, Congress does.”

‘Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, announced’, “Of all the troubling aspects of the Obama presidency, none is more dangerous than the president’s persistent pattern of lawlessness, his willingness to disregard the written law and instead enforce his own policies via executive fiat.”

‘House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, accused the president of’ “feeding more distrust about whether he’s committed to the rule of law.”  ‘And Congressman Steve King, R-Iowa, said that when Obama told federal contractors how to treat their employees, the president had acted in an “unconstitutional” manner.’

According to Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, …”Presidents don’t write laws, Congress does.”  Well, let’s take a look at what Speaker John Boehner just did.  Speaker Boehner did not inform the administration ahead of time of his invitation to Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to a joint session of congress.  According to a CNN article by Dana Bash, Speaker Boehner said “There is a serious threat that exists in the world and the president, last night, kind of papered over it, there needs to be a more serious conversation in America about how serious the threat is from radical Islamic jihadists and the threat posed by Iran.”

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Speaker Boehner’s statement about Iran is interesting and maybe even worth debating in congress and writing a bill that encompasses that perspective and sending it to President Obama for his signature.  But congress does not determine foreign policy, the president does.  I wonder how Mr. Paul Ryan feels about what Speaker Boehner has done; I wonder if Speaker Boehner feels that he, himself, is “feeding more distrust about whether he’s committed to the rule of law.”

Since he disagreed with what President Obama is doing with regards to Iran, Speaker Boehner decided that he would go against his own president and pursue his own foreign policy agenda by inviting Mr. Netanyahu to speak to a joint session of congress without informing the White House or House Democrats.  He did this knowing that Mr. Netanyahu and President Obama are diametrically opposed with regards to how Iran should be handled politically.  He went against his own president!  Yet his spokesperson said that they trusted the judgment of Mr. Netanyahu.  Obviously Speaker Boehner does not trust the judgment of President Obama.

When we consider the accusations that Republicans have leveled against President Obama, if we juxtapose them on what Speaker Boehner has just done, with the knowledge of House Republicans, in trying to have congress write foreign policy – those are obviously his intensions in inviting Mr. Netanyahu to address a joint session of congress, does that make Republicans lawless too?  They may not be doing anything wrong but they are certainly operating in gray areas because the president is supposed to determine foreign policy for the United States; not Congress.

With all of the partisan politics that is too often played, sometimes it is very hard to determine if the leadership of our leaders is sincere and in our best interest.  When you look at politics now and see the things that our political leaders are being accused of and those who are being convicted of felonies, it is very discouraging.  It is hard to believe that these are people whom we have selected.  It is even harder to believe that those leaders – whom we have selected, as a conglomerate, continue to select those who have been indicted and/or convicted on felony charges as their leaders!  What is happening to us?

Until more voters decide to take their responsibility to vote more seriously, vote in elections other than presidential elections and hold those whom we elect accountable, the likelihood that things will change is low.  Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent you should decide right now that you will meet the challenge of your responsibility as an American voter.  When you do, things are more likely to get better.

Eulus Dennis

Federal Politics

The Supreme Court And Politics

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Whether individuals, organizations or otherwise, is there anything powerful anymore that isn’t politically motivated?  What about the United States Supreme Court?  My thoughts are that it is obviously the most powerful court in our land, is in place to assure – without bias of any kind – that our laws are fairly interpreted, there is equal justice for all, and that the spirit and intent of these laws are not abused.

There was a time, before I became an avid student of politics, when I felt confident that no matter how other courts throughout our country might conduct themselves, the Supreme Court would eschew political pressure, all other outside pressures, and always focus only on the law.  After all, it is the ‘Supreme Court’, I thought, and its justices are extra special.  They are chosen because they are the crème de la crème.

Perhaps I was naive.  I would still like to think that way but much of the naiveté has since been ‘ruled’ out of me: especially with rulings like Citizens United and the one that recently gutted the Voting Rights Act.  The new Republican majority that was elected in 2014 is talking about rolling back everything without a conservative label attached to it so we still have to wait to see what will come of that.

Even some of the Supreme Court Justices do not attend the State of the Union speeches because they feel that they are either just a ‘childish spectacle’ or [they] “have become so partisan and it’s very uncomfortable for a judge to sit there, or, [they] have become a “political pep rally.”  Absent from the State of the Union speech this year were Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

It is not just Republican politics that seem to have tainted the Supreme Court; Democrats have their hands in the cookie jar as well.  I don’t want to feel and sound cynical.  I still want to believe that the U.S. Supreme Court will put its integrity first and focus on the ‘law’ and not politics but my head is in a real struggle with my heart to maintain some semblance of what I sincerely hope was not simply naiveté on my part.

I think that we need to find some way to take politics out of the Supreme Court.  But if the challenge is on par with big money and elections in our country it is going to be a real tough job.  What do you think?

Eulus Dennis

State Politics

Fragile: Handle With Care

Does it seem that everyone, including the media and politicians, is gingerly handling the New York Police Depart (NYPD) and its police officers even though these officers are openly and regularly provoking and defying authority?  Does it seem that they are afraid to criticize the Department and these officers even if they believe that what the officers are doing is wrong?  And if they are, is there a reason why they are treating them with kid gloves?  Or, am I just overreacting and they are simply handling a delicate situation in the way that it should be handled?

Isn’t Mayor de Blasio the person who appoints the NYPD Commissioner?  For the NYPD to feign a show of respect for the commissioner but openly disrespect the mayor in the commissioner’s presence not only shows disrespect for the mayor but it also shows disrespect for the commissioner who is the NYPD Chief’s boss.  In most cities if police officers conducted themselves in this manner and the person who was appointed by the mayor and is at the top of the organization chart did not hold them accountable, wouldn’t that person be replaced?

If the commissioner is treading softly at the behest of the mayor the two of them are doing an outstanding job of keeping it secret.  As I have said before, even if these NYPD officers do not respect the mayor, they should respect the position and office that he represents.  If they have grievances they certainly should be able to air them but the funeral of a fallen police officer is not the time or the place for this and neither should it be done by a public showing of disrespect for the mayor.

I realize that Mayor de Blasio is not the president of the United States or even the governor of New York but it is not hard to imagine what would happen to someone who serves at the pleasure of the President of the United States or the Governor of New York if they witnessed this kind of conduct by subordinates and did not hold them accountable; especially if it happened repeatedly.  For me, it is somewhat disconcerting to watch this scenario play out while these police officers act so boldly and with such an air of impunity.

There are those who say that Mayor de Blasio should apologize to the NYPD and tell them that he made a mistake.  What I would like to know is exactly what it is that he said that he should apologize for.  If he is at fault, does that mean that it is okay for the police to all but stop doing their job?  Is the mayor, who was elected by the people of New York City, looked upon by the NYPD police officers as just a figurehead and that they are the ones who really run the city?

There are many of us who believe that a large majority of NYPD police officers and police officers throughout the country want to be fair and even-handed with all of the people that they police.  They want to stop and question citizens only if they truly have reasonable suspicion to do so.  If they need to use force, they want to use only the required amount of force.  If a situation becomes heated, if possible, they want to deescalate it.  They just want to do their job and not be demonized for it.  If they are appreciated for it then they see that as an added bonus and graciously accept it.

I believe, as probably do many others, that this large majority of police officers know that some of their fellow police officers – who are in the minority – profile citizens, use excessive force and in other ways abuse their authority.  Those officers in the majority may not participate in these activities but they turn their heads away and remain silent because of the so-called ‘blue code.’  Their silence is deafening!

I don’t know if police departments around the country need to provide police officers with more training while paying special attention to what, right now, appear to be problem areas for almost all police departments.  But I do know that it is time for brave police officers in that large majority to step forward and speak up.  It is not the only way to change things and improve police departments so that they will work better and begin to build mutual respect and trust between police and the communities that they serve and protect but it absolutely must be a key part of the solution.

Eulus Dennis

Federal Politics

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  Politically speaking, you either got the Christmas gift that you wished for or a lump of coal and either way; you are headed into a brand new year.  As for me, I got a lump of coal.  And I don’t know about you but I don’t think that it’s going to be a happy new year either.

If you love red you got Christmas in November but if you are like me and prefer blue then you got a lump of coal.  If you are a Democrat who voted this past November and still received a lump of coal then you are justified in feeling down and out and disappointed.  If you did not vote then there is no room for you in this boat; you belong in the pity party boat!

It is bad enough to be in the down and out and disappointed boat but although it has sustained damage and is taking on water, at least those on board are working hard to pump out the water and repair the damage.  We have great expectations of repairing the damage and moving forward from November and eventually claiming victory.  Those in the pity party boat, however, only have a slight glimmer of hope and urgently need to dawn their life vests and hurry into the lifeboats.  They have only themselves to blame for their predicament because they did not vote.

Those Republicans who did not vote in November but received the gift of a Republican victory rather than a lump of coal should not feel good or comfortable about accepting their gift.  As a matter of fact, they should feel very uncomfortable about even attending the victory party since they know that they were not a productive member of the team but simply somehow managed to fool Santa.  I am not sure what to call it but they should be in a separate boat from the rest of the Republican revelers just like the pity party Democrats are in a separate boat from the down and out and disappointed Democrats.

Although the damage has already been done I hope that those pity party Democrats are salvageable.  I hope that they can be made to realize that they have a responsibility not only to themselves as American citizens but an overall responsibility to America to stay informed and vote.  I also hope that those non-contributing Republicans who slinked into the Republican victory party unnoticed will come to realize this same responsibility.

Republicans in Washington are once again saying that they have a mandate from the American people to change things since they now have full control of congress.  So if you were not able to afford healthcare coverage for you and your family before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed and want to go back to being without insurance, the Republicans have vowed to continue in their effort to repeal it.  If you are against an increase in the minimum wage, the Republicans will work to assure that there is no increase.  If you are against equal pay for equal work, once again, the Republican Party is the one for you; and the list goes on.

If you are a Republican who wants to keep the healthcare coverage you got via the ACA, happens to need an increase in the minimum wage, have a spouse or significant other who would benefit from equal pay for equal work, or are someone who lives in a state where Republicans are blocking the expansion of Medicaid simply because they want the ACA to fail thereby denying you the opportunity to even purchase healthcare that you could afford under the ACA, then you have got a problem with this new Republican majority.

However, you must accept the probability that this problem is of your own making if you are one of those Republicans who slinked into this Republican victory party.  This does not necessarily mean that you should have held your nose, swallowed hard and voted for a Democrat; although a Democrat would better represent your interest if you fit into the category mentioned above.

What it does mean is that, had you voted, you might have had an impact on electing a different Republican from your state to fill that seat who would have better reflected your best interest and perspective on these issues.  There is no guarantee that the person you voted for would have been elected but at least you would have made your voice heard.

All politicians are already jabbering about the 2016 elections and those who are considering a run to become our next president are continuing to put their political machines into place and fine-tune them.  This likely means that they will focus even more on the big money donors and pay even less attention to the 99-percenters until after the 2016 elections are completed.

Whether or not you voted in the 2014 midterm elections and whether or not you like the direction that the newly elected Republican majority congress takes us in over the next 22 months, we can and should make our voices heard through our votes in November 2015.

For far too long politicians have taken voters for granted because too many of them feel that we are uninformed and can easily be influenced by sound bites during election cycles.  Inundate the airwaves with these sound bites, they reason, and they will be elected; all else will be forgotten.

We must prove them wrong by showing them that we can and will be informed and that it will take more than sound bites to win our votes.  To the greatest extent possible, everyone – whether they are Democrat, Republican or Independent should always vote because this makes our Democracy operate more effectively and smoothly.  And always remember, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis

Federal Politics, State Politics

Mayor Giuliani Responsible For Heckling?

Is former mayor Rudy Giuliani responsible for New York Police Department (NYPD) cadets heckling Mayor Bill de Blasio during his speech to them at their graduation ceremony?  Well, it depends on which standards one chooses to apply.

If you apply the standards for laying blame that former mayor Giuliani used to conclude that Mayor de Blasio somehow shares responsibility for the deaths of two NYPD police officers, he is definitely responsible.  However – if you choose to apply more reasonable standards, laying the responsibility directly at his feet will prove to be more difficult if not impossible.

Mayor Giuliani may not be responsible for these cadets heckling Mayor de Blasio but by conducting himself in the way that he has recently, he certainly isn’t doing anything to help the NYPD, New York or the country to move toward finding a solution so that we can come together and begin to heal.

While Mr. Giuliani has a lot of power and influence that he could and should use to lead and help bring all of the previously mentioned entities together so that reasonable conversations can be had, they would be better off if he remained silent rather than make divisive comments.  As a seasoned politician, he no doubt knows this.

Mr. Giuliani has a right to his perspective and a right to express his opinions and concerns just as does Mayor de Blasio.  But in order for him to help solve the problem he would have to not do exactly what he has accused Mayor de Blasio of doing; give the appearance of taking sides.  He would have to exercise an open mind and side with right or wrong rather than cops or protesters.

If those on both sides of this issue side with right or wrong rather than cops or protesters then we will stand a reasonable chance of finding a solution; even though there is bound to be a dichotomy of what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’  If both sides choose to limit their choice to cops or protesters then the chance of finding a workable solution is greatly reduced and reaching an agreement unlikely.

Upon reviewing this article before posting it I began to feel as if the articles that I post are, to some degree, a repeat of previously posted articles.  At first I felt like; the reason why I feel this way is because they are, and that I would stop posting until different and fresh newsworthy information presented itself.  Upon further evaluation though, I realized that these articles are not repeats of themselves but an expansion on the coverage of what is happening as it continues to evolve.

As a result, I decided to continue posting my thoughts about what I observe as I continue to read articles and watch coverage by various news media on what is happening with these issues.  What I share with you via my posts hopefully will keep you engaged and stimulate your thoughts on current political events.  Then – if you chose to do more research and learn more about them, you can.

That way, you will continue to build a foundation on which you can base your more informed decision-making the next time that you speak to your elected representatives or go to the polls.  Or – it may simply cause you to leave a comment expressing your thoughts, which might generate other comments that will, in conglomerate, culminate in what will have amounted to a healthy discussion.

That would be great because, after all, that is what this site is all about!

Eulus Dennis

Federal Politics, State Politics

NYPD Unions Have Gone Too Far

All of New York and citizens throughout the United States feel the pain that the New York City Police Department (NYPD) feels for its two fallen police officers.  Everyone should be allowed to express those feelings, including Mayor Bill de Blasio.  For NYPD officers to turn their backs on mayor de Blasio at the urging of NYPD unions is shameful.  Not only is it shameful but it seems to me to, at least, border on insubordination.

The killing of these two innocent police officers was committed by someone who apparently had some mental problems.  Under these circumstances, even if the killer did evoke the names of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, it is ludicrous for anyone to lay the blame for what he did at the feet of peaceful protesters who are protesting against police brutality and unequal justice under the law.

For the NYPD unions to blame protesters and use it as an excuse to encourage NYPD police officers to turn their backs on the mayor does not make sense.  This is not the kind of leadership that those with such a grave responsibility as police officers should have.  They should expect more from their leaders.  New York is not a police state and neither is any other state in America.

Citizens have the right to peacefully protest and mayor de Blasio has a right to be a father and counsel his son as he deems necessary.  His situation with his son is unique because it is on the cusp of black and white.  He must recognize and effectively navigate both sides of this black and white dilemma; literally.  Probably all black parents have had the conversation with their children, especially if they are boys, about how they should conduct themselves with police officers.  I know that I had that conversation with my children.

Even if the NYPD unions feel that Mayor de Blasio does not support them and disagree with what he said about counseling his son to be careful in how he conducts himself if confronted by a police officer, they are still completely out of line to encourage NYPD police officers to turn their backs on the mayor out of disrespect for him because of this.  Even if they did not encourage officers to turn their backs on the mayor, as soon as union leaders became aware that officers had done this, they should have discouraged them from continuing to do it.

Whether this statement was a gaffe by the mayor or was something that he meant to say, he is still the mayor of New York and should be respected as such.  What if every angry citizen turned their backs on police and the heads of police departments every time an unarmed innocent citizen was killed whether accidentally or on purpose?  What kind of a society would we live in?

Mayor de Blasio may not be the direct manager of these NYPD officers who turned their backs on him or of the officers who head these unions but he is no doubt at the top of the NYPD organization chart.  What would happen if any of you reading this article treated your boss, let alone the Chief Executive Officer, the way that these NYPD officers treated the mayor?

The NYPD union leaders need to be more responsible and look at the big picture rather than allowing their anger and frustration to dictate their actions.  And if every manager from the chief of police down to the lowest level supervisor hasn’t addressed this issue with their subordinates and let them know that they do not condone such behavior, now is the time to do so.

Eulus Dennis

Federal Politics, State Politics

Politicians Police and Posturing

Do politicians ever stop posturing?  This is a valid question because as the situation surrounding the protests that began in earnest as a result of the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown continues to fester, some powerful people – including current and former politicians, are seeking to take advantage of the limelight.  The President Obama haters have come out in force.

They are throwing the president into the mix right along with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Reverend Al Sharpton and accusing him of having blood on his hands as a result of the recent deaths of two New York Police Department (NYPD) police officers.

According to a story in The Washington Post, former mayor Rudolph Giuliani made the following statement while on ‘Fox and Friends Weekend.’  “We’ve had four months of propaganda, starting with the president, that everybody should hate the police.  I don’t care how you want to describe it: That’s what those protests are all about.”  The same story said that Patrick Lynch who is the president of the Patrolman’s Benevolent Association said late Saturday “There’s blood on many hands tonight; those that incited violence on the street in the guise of protest, that tried to tear down what New York City police officers did every day.”

This kind of pointed criticism was not leveled only by former mayor Giuliani but also by Representative Peter King, a Republican who currently represents New York, and George Pataki who is a former governor of New York.  Based on this story, also in The Washington Post, these men have blamed Reverend Sharpton for being among those who have created the anti-police environment.  It also said that “former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik said Sharpton and others had ‘blood on their hands.’  The story further said that “conservative commentators posted pictures on Twitter of Sharpton with President Obama to paint the president as a radical on issues of race.”

President Obama is eons away from being a president who is a radical on issues of race.  Although the president was not mentioned directly by these men, the fact that they mentioned ‘anti-police’, and ‘blood on their hands’ seems to not-so-subtly seek to tie the president to this situation as being a part of the problem and not the solution.

It seems that these times would be among those when politicians put the partisan posturing aside and come together to work to resolve a grave problem that America is grappling with.  But it seems that too many of them have forgotten about why they were elected in the first place; to work together for the greater good of America and the American people!  They are not there to become political rock stars, garner the admiration of their constituent fans and gloat about their personal gain and how great they are!  They are there to work; and they certainly have not done much of that over the past few years.

Many of the young protesters are saying that Al Sharpton does not speak for them and that is okay.  They say that he is too tied to the ‘system’ so cannot be effective; he is inextricably tied to the way that our current leaders – civic and elected – do things.  To them, this way of doing things no longer works so they must take a different approach.  Again, that is okay.  They must find their own path.

That notwithstanding, our elected and non-elected leaders must realize that while these young leaders are seeking their own path, they need guidance; even if it is guidance that they are resisting.  They need to be under the auspices of leaders who have been tried and tested in civil and human rights efforts: someone who has the platform and ability to help assure that things remain below the boiling point.  Reverend Al Sharpton is among those people who can do this.

All of those politicians who are busy honing their thespian skills, positioning themselves for reelection, constructing the catapults that will propel them back into office and place them in chairmanships on coveted committees and perhaps someday make them President of the United States should wake up right now.  They should pull their heads out of the sand and step up and do the job that they were elected to do.  They should commit themselves to work for the betterment of America and the American people.

It does not matter whether they like or dislike the president, Al Sharpton or anyone else and disagree with their politics.  What matters right now is that we work to clean up this mess that we find ourselves in before it gets completely out of control.

Eulus Dennis

Federal Politics, State Politics

Cooler Heads Must Prevail

These are very challenging times since the deaths of a number of unarmed Black men and boys by police officers around the country.  This situation has only been made worse with the recent death of two New York police officers by a Black man; especially since he claimed to have killed them in retaliation for the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown.

The anger and frustration harbored by those who support protesters who came together as a result of the killings of unarmed Black people and that by the New York Police Department (NYPD) has now exploded into finger-pointing and unreasonable accusations.

NYPD Police Unions claim that protesters and New York mayor Bill de Blasio are responsible for the current situation and said that the blood of these two police officers is on the hands of the mayor.  They are angry with Mayor de Blasio because – according to an article by Howard Koplowitz in International Business Times – he is “seen as unfriendly to police in part because of his coziness to the Rev. Al Sharpton, who has led protests in support of Brown and Garner, and the mayor’s public statements about the circumstances of Garner’s death.”

I have read a number of recent articles where Mayor de Blasio and the protest leaders have been bombarded with blame by police unions.  While I understand the anger and frustration that is vented in these articles by the leaders of these unions, I think that this is exactly the wrong thing to do.  Their anger also prompted some police officers to turn their backs on the mayor at an appearance he made to talk about the death of the police officers who were killed.  They should not have done this.

Loved ones in both the NYPD and on the civilian side of this challenging issue have been lost.  The death of these two innocent police officers is no more the fault of Mayor de Blasio and the protesters than are the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown the fault of every single police officer in the NYPD and Ferguson Police Department.  Although these union leaders are the official spokespersons for these policemen, it is unlikely that the majority of them share these unions’ opinions.

Now is the time for all of our leaders, from President Obama down to the leaders of the protestors, to speak words of peace and healing and not heated words of anger and frustration.  These leaders include the leaders of the police unions.  Words of anger and frustration from those on either side of this issue do not help.  They only serve to escalate a situation that needs to be deescalated.

It is not hard to understand why both sides are angry and frustrated but what is hard to understand is why leaders on either side would choose to escalate rather than deescalate the problem.  A part of what we expect from our chosen leaders is for them to separate their emotions from their decision-making responsibilities and make well-founded rational decisions.

The likelihood of the masses to make irrational decisions based largely on their emotions is not unusual; but that is why we choose leaders.  The leaders of the police unions need to take a step back from the situation, take a deep breath, reevaluate their responsibilities as leaders and then move forward from there.

If they make a serious evaluation, especially in light of the implications of our current situation – even though they will no doubt still be angry and frustrated, they will take a different path in moving forward from here.  This does not mean that they should change their minds and not continue to stand against the mayor and protesters if they feel it is the right thing to do.  It simply means that they should fully evaluate the situation and find some way to calm things down yet still make their point.  Cooler heads must prevail if we are to make a reasonable effort to solve this problem and effectively mitigate its root cause and eradicate it.

Eulus Dennis