There is and has been a lot of talk about personal responsibility of late and I recently ran into a news article that got me thinking about that concept on several fronts at once.
A New York City Police officer has been charged with first-degree rape, forcible rape and predatory sexual assault and the victim is a NYC teacher. Now there have been a few high profile rape cases in the news of late but this one sticks out like a really bad, sore thumb.
The officer while off duty, is accused of forcing this teacher into an alley and raping her at gunpoint. It was repeated calls to 911 that actually managed to get officers on the scene where they found Mr. Pena with his pants still down. This assault was WITNESSED by the individual that called 911. Did I mention he pulled a gun on this woman as well.
Now that the officer is lawyered up and his lawyer is speaking to the accused being a “family man” and it is being put out into the atmosphere that his client fears that the Manhattan District Attorney’s office will “pursue his case with a vengeance” because two police officers were acquitted of rape in another high profile case this past spring.
While it is common, in particularly among CHILDREN to deny wrongdoing when caught red-handed this takes that concept to a whole new level. As an officer of the law, it is even more appalling that with inherent knowledge of the laws and the judicial system – when presented with the opportunity to “do the right thing” instead the way of the coward is taken.
Responsibility to protect and serve as well as a sense of personal responsibility seems to be put on the back burner over the responsibility of getting off on criminal charges.
Then people wonder why in many urban and minority communities, there is a distinct lack of trust for law enforcement.
Thank goodness most law officers are not so completely bereft of a sense of personal responsibility for their actions and to their communities. However as they say, one bad apple….may not spoil the bunch but will sure make you look at the rest sideways..
