Streets, Halls, & Offices
"There's blood in the streets, it's up to my ankles
(She came) Blood in the streets, it's up to my knee
(She came) Blood in the streets, the town of Chicago
(She came) Blood on the rise, it's following me
Just about the break of day. ..........
(She came) Blood in the streets, run a river of sadness
(She came) Blood in the streets, it's up to my thigh
(She came) Yeah, the river runs red down the legs of the city
(She came) The women are crying red rivers of weepin'."
The Doors, Peace Frog
Blood in the streets has never been rare in our country. Blood in the halls of schools has become common in recent decades. These are not the symptoms of a healthy society.
Some people have made jokes about the CEO being shot in the streets this week. Others are upset by the jokes. Although I would admit under oath to having laughed at two jokes in particular, I recognize the killer must be caught, tried, and incarcerated.
Knowing this, I recognize that there has been blood in the halls of justice. In September, the last murder that really caught the public's attention -- for a few days -- was when the sheriff of Letcher County, Kentucky shot and killed the judge in his chambers. The public would attempt to identify what motivated the sheriff, much like people are trying to do today.
There were a number of "clues." The two had just returned from lunch. The sheriff's teenaged daughter's phone number was on the judge's cell phone. The sheriff would say "they are trying to take away my wife and daughter" after the shooting. There are reports that the sheriff's wife had kicked him out of their house the night before.
On top of that, a deputy had pleaded guilty to having sex with a female inmate in the judge's chambers. The inmate has filed a civil case against the deputy and sheriff. This week, "NewsNation" obtained an audio recording of the woman's deposition. According to her, the deputy and the judge were engaged in "sex for favors" with the female inmates in the judge's chambers. This included filming the incidents. (She did not implicate the sheriff.)
In theory, I do not like the idea of incarcerating human beings. Yet I know it is necessary for crimes of violence. I remember that Gandhi said that poverty is the worse form of violence. I consider not being able to afford bail or an ankle monitor for release on non-violent crimes to be evidence of poverty. I do not think this was unique to the appropriately named Letcher County.