Danielle Hicks-Best, 18, holds her son, Levi. After D.C. police questioned her account about being sexually assaulted, Hicks-Best spent years in detention and secure treatment centers. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)
I feel for anyone who is the victim of police abuse but who are these miscreants, who even our own honorable President Obama called criminals? No where do you see community activists demonstrating black on black crime. The defacto parents of this preteen (at the time) were concerned but the police and judge basically called a child who was tortured by her birth parents…. a liar. Her attackers were late teens and more and they raped her twice. Child experts who deal with rape and the trauma of other abuses are startled and alarmed at this story and they should be. We should be.
I am angry for the girl who is now 18 and feels the system has run all over her. I am angry at community leaders too worried about stuff that does not matter relative to abuse. I am upset with a system that treats women so shoddily but talks about feminism.
And it upsets me that we are doing nothing to help at-risk children and at-risk adults. It is not about police and it is not about punishment as much as prevention. And I am NOT saying that offenders get off, but how do we prevent this in the first place? Education should be a lifelong practice and the saying ‘It takes a village’ is utterly correct. Abusers hide behind their hate and mental issues and so reporting is delayed.
We care more what idiots like Ismus has to stay and other bigots who promulgate by default, abuse, hate and misunderstanding. I have an issue with cops who act like superiors to suspects. They are not lawyers and they are not judges. They enforce and are there (ideally) to serve and protect. I know there are more than a handful of creepy cops. I have seen the good cops but cops who trip soccer playing girls after a game is a scum bag or the police officer that nearly killed a 90 year old man. I would love to have a whack at that jerk off. He is a jackbooted scum bag.
We spend billions enforcing drug and prostitution cases while these kinds of abuse is happening even though we have rapes happening and too many feminists wanting to hear themselves moralize. I do totally support women and men who contribute to the alleviation of pain and suffering and the fear that blacks have with cops. Bullying happens every day and by those who are supposed to make us all safer.
So while we are at it, let’s help now! There are kids living in hell on streets, in foster homes and with drug-crazed and mentally unfit parents. Hollering doesn’t seem to help and building cargo aircraft that are barely used being sent off to the aircraft graveyard is a waste and irreconcilable.
So let’s start getting to know each other. Stop being rich and condescending and assuming these problems are just going to go away.
Or like above, we get crimes by sex offenders who are left to watch over kids? In what world is that acceptable or any person you do not know?????
We all need to look at ourselves and what we value most. None of us are exempt to helping others.
Floyd, Times Are Changin 
Well said.
Especially –
“We all need to look at ourselves and what we value most. None of us are exempt to helping others.”
This is so true because until people examine themselves can the world begin to change for the better and the best way to do that is meet people. There is more in common than most people would admit or think.
Not only do we need people to voice their thoughts about this, we also need them to be committed to the cause itself through their active support.
Absolutely!!!
🙂
I am angry that blacks are treated like crap and many times by other blacks and no one or very few are saying a word about it. That is a crisis. That young woman has a right to be a bit crazy. good lord
It’s true. It’s easier to bring attention to black on white or white on black crime than it is to take a serious look at black on black crimes. Blacks are still perceived by some to be the equivalent of an animal, so they almost expect black to act “savagely.” It doesn’t sell. It doesn’t breed controversy. It doesn’t incite open hostility.
Crime is crime. It doesn’t recognize colors. It doesn’t recognize socioeconomic barriers. It doesn’t recognize levels of intellectual functioning. As officers of the law, police personnel are supposed to uphold the law. As officers of the courts, lawyers are supposed to represent the letter of the law. As officers of the judicial branch, judges are supposed to interpret and protect the spirit of the law. As citizens of the republic, we are supposed to respect and abide by the law.
None of us can function appropriately if there is a malfunction in even one societal cog…everyone must do their part…
Yes to not find a way to help is to waste the gifts we are given.
yes indeed.