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BOHEMIAN
Rhapsodies Tragedy Again BY ADRIANNE DESANTIS
M
y heart goes out to the family and friends of Andy Lopez. The finality of Andy’s passing from this life, like that of my own son, brings another terrible wave of urgency that we keep our fingers on the pulse of what is happening around us, and that we express our love often, before it is too late. Regarding the many unnecessary deaths by law enforcement, given that the policies in place bring cruel results, why do we let them continue? There’s something backward and very inhumane about shooting first then handcuffing the dying or already dead person and then administering first aid. All lives have worth, so we must insist on policies that attempt to save all lives. To accomplish that, law enforcement officers must act under the assumption that people are not robots, but are thinking, feeling individuals. When weapons are aimed by police, and orders are shouted, we can expect that fear, confusion and a desire for self-preservation will be one natural reaction. A delayed response is another possibility, while the person is processing what is happening. It is not reasonable to insist under those conditions that commands must be obeyed or else the person annihilated. How about talking to the person in question, in a nonthreatening manner? How about asking relevant questions? The old refrains of “I thought he had a gun” or “It was a quickly evolving situation” just don’t wash any more. We pay officers to think on their feet and to be courageous. Responders must take an honest look at their part in how things evolve, and comprehend that by taking a threatening posture toward citizens, the officers themselves are escalating the situation. I know the difference between a competent response by police and a disastrous one. I have had both. And when it was unexpectedly helpful, I took the time to say so to the responder’s supervisor. If police want to be respected and trusted in the community, they must not only be courageous and respect the people they are paid to serve, but also be truthful when things go wrong, and refuse to align themselves with indefensible patterns of conduct that give the whole profession a bad name. Let’s work together for positive change. Adrianne DeSantis is the mother of Richard DeSantis, who was shot and killed by Santa Rosa police in 2007. Open Mic is a weekly op/ed feature in the Bohemian. To have your topical essay of 350 words considered, write openmic@bohemian.com.
Justice for Andy
This story makes me heartsick (“13-YearOld Boy Fatally Shot by Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputies,” Oct. 23). All of the details will be analyzed by those investigating, and the public will only hear about the most obvious and least critical details. There is so much that is not published, not shared and can’t be rationalized; few people ever hear the whole story unless it goes to a jury. The debates over “toy vs. replica” or “shoot first ask questions later” ultimately are just factors in the more important issue of the lack of communication. My prayers are with the Lopez family and all others who are feeling pain at the loss of Andy Lopez. My prayers are with the investigators, that they will look into every factor and truly find where justice lies. My prayers are with the officers that if or when they return to duty, it will be with a greater sense of diplomacy and compassion.
PATRICIA DESANTIS Via online
I think that the police officers need to adopt the policy from the military: do not fire unless fired upon. This will 100 percent designate who is an enemy. I can tell from the picture that this is a toy gun. If you ever held an AK-47, you know this is a bulky heavy weapon and not easily carried. I feel for the parents for their loss; I played with toy guns all the time, and never did I have an issue with cops or any law enforcement over it. This officer now has to live with knowing he gunned down a child because he couldn’t tell a toy from the real thing.
JAKE BAUER Via online
The Personal Is Political
It made me sad to read Rachel Kaplan’s snarky reaction to your article on Bea Johnson (“Refusing Waste,” Oct 23). Full disclosure: I own Kaplan’s book and admire her work. But I live in a regulated senior mobile home park, and can’t raise chickens or even have a compost pile. I’ve enjoyed Johnson’s blog, “Zero Waste Home,” for the past year. It has given me many great ideas, which I have implemented to pare down my own waste. Scientist Jane Goodhall recently stated that “the world is in a terrible mess, but the place to start making change is in your own life.” I don’t choose to go up against Big Oil, Ag, Pharm and Coal, since these are remote entities to my every day struggle to buy food, pay the bills and keep a roof over my head. Rather than diss Johnson for being a “material anorexic,” Kaplan should keep in mind that we are all in this world together, doing our best to evolve and change as rapidly as the circumstances around us. Please keep publishing articles about local people contributing their own unique skills to creating positive change.
SUSAN L. MILLER Novato
People Movers Veolia provides essential human services to both Israelis and Palestinians (“Bus Stop,” Oct. 23). I traveled on the light rail, as it twisted through Arab and Jewish neighborhoods. It was filled with all sorts of people, and was lovely, efficient and affordable—just what you’d want people-movers to be. I hope that, ultimately, our elected officials make their decision based on what’s good for Sonoma County—not on some conflict thousands of miles away.
SAM XIE Via online