Let's talk about another side of police racism — less deadly, but every bit as insidious.
On a night where some neighborhoods in Chicago were experiencing mostly protests, but also some looting and violence, thirteen police officers broke into U.S. Congressman Bobby Rush's office. Official business? Hardly. They slept, relaxed, talked on the phone, ate his food, drank his coffee. For five hours. At least two of them wore white shirts, indicating supervisor rank.
Kate Bolduan asked Rep. Rush about his reaction to this disgraceful violation of his space and their abdication of their duties. He read them for the filth that they are, but with fierce dignity and political genius, as well.
REP. RUSH: Again, once again, the Chicago Police Department has revealed its true nature, its true character. They entered into my office without being invited. They in the midst of looting and rioting in the midst of their fellow officers being pummeled and roughed and bricks and violence thrown at them, all across the city, during those tumultuous days and here they are these 13 officers decided that they were going to abandon their posts, and they were going to relax in my office in the midst of this chaos and confusion. They decided that they were going to use my coffee drink and make coffee for themselves, and decided to eat my popcorn and eat my popcorn. So these popcorn police completely abandoned their fellow workers, abandoned the call, their sworn oath to serve and protect and they came into my office, some fell asleep. Some were on the telephone. Some had their feet up on my desk. And some were laying, had their head down on my desk as their supervisors came to and fro in and out of my office. It was a totally reprehensible video and really broke my heart, and broke the heart of my mayor. And I want to applaud my mayor, because she quickly rose to the occasion and condemned the actions of these police officers. And I really salute her.
Their feet up on his desk. Supervisors coming in and out. Broke his heart. On top of it all, he is the gracious genius to be gentle (they came into my office uninvited instead of those thugs broke in...) and painted them as being cruel not to HIM, but to their fellow officers! Oh, he is a sly one...this is serious mental jujitsu going on.
Bolduan asked him what consequences he'd like to see for the officers, and if an apology would be enough. Get ready for more of this compassionate brilliance along with righteous criticism.
REP. RUSH: Well, an apology would first of all they should apologize to the citizens of this city. For in the heat of battle, in the heat of where in this city actually expressing some of its extreme trauma, where looting was going on, where business people were having their properties totally destroyed, these individuals need to apologize to the city of Chicago for their cowardice, inaction, for their withdrawal from the front line, for their retreat in the midst of these assaults. Apologizing to the city, apologizing to their fellow officers, they owe their fellow officers an apology and they need to apologize. I will be open to minimally accept an apology toward them but I'm going to -- I have turned this matter over to the police superintendent. I think that he is an honorable man and we'll see what he comes up with. We'll see what kind of punishment he will mete out to the cowards on the police force. I don't really think -- I don't -- I tell you. I don't feel safe when the level of abandonment of their post. They deserted their responsibilities, their duties to America, their duties to the city of Chicago. They deserted their responsibility and I don't really feel comfortable with them being on the force.
Damn. Listen to him talking about the protests, and even the looting as the underserved in his city expressing their extreme trauma, and you cannot help get some perspective into why we are finally — hopefully — at an inflection point. Listen to him say the first ones who deserve the apologies are the business people who had their shops destroyed, and next are the fellow cops they abandoned, and you know you have a true public servant who cares about his city. Listen to him describe those thirteen cops as cowards, retreating from the action, leaving their fellow officers to absorb the blows while they lounge, and you know they aren't fit to shine Rep. Bobby Rush's shoes.
Read up on Rep. Rush, and know he is a former Black Panther and civil rights icon, and tell me those police officers didn't know exactly what they were doing, and to whom. Letting his district get destroyed, while they invade his space, put their disgusting feet on his desk, their racist heads on his couch pillows, just so they can perpetuate the lie that Rep. Rush's district is out of control.
Fire and charge every last one of them.
