The testimony of Aiyana’s cousin, Mark Robinson, age 19, on Wednesday was damning. He lived at the house but was outside just prior to the police operation. As he was being forced to the ground by officers involved in the raid, he warned them that children were inside. The warning was ignored. The proceedings in the courtroom are being stage-managed in an attempt to put the police in the best light. For example, Weekley’s defense attorney, Steve Fishman, asked one police officer, “Would you consider Officer Weekley to be a damn good cop?” Servile media reports describe officers “fighting back tears” when they spoke about seeing Aiyana’s fatally wounded body being removed from the home. From the time of the killing the media has acted as apologists for the police. In response to community outrage over the death of Aiyana Jones, Detroit Free Press columnist Rochelle Riley, went so far as to try to implicate ordinary Detroiters in the child’s death. In her column she chastised residents for failing to cooperate with the police, writing, “Embracing a zero-tolerance attitude toward crime will make it easier for police officers to do their jobs” and “make the city safer for children.” She claimed those “demanding justice” for Aiyana, were “looking for someone to blame” other than themselves. wsws.org/en/articles/2013/06/08/aiya-j08.html
Posted on: Sat, 08 Jun 2013 20:07:46 +0000