Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Long Story Short
by Ralph Routon
What's wrong with asking questions of government?
What's wrong with suggesting our leaders be more accountable? What's wrong with believing our police overstepped their boundaries four years ago, and again at the St. Patrick's Day parade?
Nothing, of course.
We have seen a disturbing trend since Sept. 11, 2001, as more and more Americans feel it's unpatriotic to speak out against government.
The events of March 17 and conclusions in recent days have given us fresh reason for alarm. Mayor Lionel Rivera saw nothing wrong with police actions at the parade. Chief Richard Myers told City Council that media descriptions of certain police tactics were "irresponsible and inflammatory."
We beg to differ (see the coverage starting on page 14). We see officials acting as if they're above criticism. They didn't even know the parade was city-subsidized, and nobody bothered to check. We did.
Meanwhile, we look at Los Angeles, where police overreacted last week. The mayor and police chief quickly stepped in, admitted serious mistakes had been made, and punished top-level officers.
Here, nothing of the sort. And so we elevate the bigger story, hoping for a better attitude, a better outcome and a better Colorado Springs.
