For Whom Sean Bell Didn't Toll

You know, times really have changed. Think about Rodney King, and about O.J. Then think about the latest to come out of New York, namely the dismissal of all charges against three police officers in the shooting (with 50 bullets!) of Sean Bell. Oh sure, there was shouting and shoving, and the predictable rant by Al Sharpton. But did the city erupt? Does a pall of smoke lay over all the "inner city" neighborhoods? Have riots broken out in other cities, in a show of solidarity? Well, no. Apparently that particular way of petitioning the government for the redress of grievances has gone out of style. Of course, one factor that added a hint of ambiguity to the proceedings was that, of the three accused officers, two were black. It's an awkward turn of events when more and more of the people charged with enforcing the law come from the same victim group as the people who typically get a pass (from liberals) for breaking it. The liberal axiom that any crime committed by a black person is not a crime at all but a "political statement" runs up on the rocks when either (1) the victim is also black; or (2) the public servant who is sent in to deal with the criminal act is also black. Of course, I guess the two black officers could have used the "political statement" defense themselves, right? But perhaps there is a growing sense that that whole concept is a crock, and that a crime is a crime, and that law enforcement is law enforcement. Oh wait, are we veering closer to that mythical "colorblind" society the liberals claim to want? Well, if so, you won't find any more fierce resistance to it than from liberals. The last thing they want is a society where race is not a factor. As Chief Justice Roberts said, in a stunning display of clarity, "The way to stop discriminating on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race." But to a liberal, these words are like unto a mirror held up to a vampire. Anything but that! The way to stop discrimination is to discriminate all the more. This is kind of like someone's definition of addiction -- it happens whenever the more you get, the more you want. There is no "off" switch for liberal political ideas, i.e. delusions. The more wrong, and failed, they are, the more they are held on high. And their true victims are people like the folks outside that courthouse, who can't figure out what went wrong since those nice (white) liberal politicians promised them, over and over, "never again".

But! It ain't over 'til it's over, and of course the feds are moving right in on the situation, clearly not trusting the New York City justice system to insure that justice is done. They (the feds) will be looking for a "prosecutable violation of federal criminal civil rights statutes" -- which is another way of telling New York, "You got it wrong, and we're not stopping until you get it right." Gee, you think this is why Giuliani dropped out? He didn't want to have to betray his home town. This time I'm on his side.