Nikki Keisler
North County Times
"Retired Philly officer again protests in uniform"
http://www.nctimes.com/news/national/retired-philly-officer-again-protests-in-uniform/article_e6cb1733-1000-5711-883b-b8ae416e19a3.html
Government/ Economy
Link at the bottom
This article is about a retired police man named Ray Lewis from Philadelphia that participates in the Occupy Movement... wait for it... in his full police uniform. He says he has joined the movement because he wants to stand out against greed and corruption. The current police force has asked him to not wear his outdated uniform on account that he is being disrespectful in doing so, but Lewis claims he is not breaking any laws by wearing his old uniform. Even the Fraternal Order of the Police has asked him to stop wearing is uniform. They are conducting an investigation which could end up with Lewis no having a FOP membership, no longer providing Lewis with life insurance or representation. Lewis was arrested while he was in his uniform for no obeying police order, but as long as he doesn't get arrested in the next six months he will not be charged. "I have never tried to influence anybody with any false authority," he said. Lewis also traveled to the Comcast cable company head quarters along with petitioners that were fighting for Comcast to carry a news program donated to covering a Demonstration in Al-Jazeera.
This connects to what we are studying in class because like Washington when he was rejected from the British army, Lewis is being pushed away from the Philadelphia police. For example, Washington being rejected from the British army relates to Lewis being pushed away from the FOP because Washington was pushed away only because he was not directly for britain, just like how Lewis is being pushed away just because he wears his old uniform. Another example of how they are alike is that washington went to go lead another participant in the war( Patriots) just like Lewis who sides with the Occupy protesters. In conclusion this man connects to George Washington and and when the General joined the Continental Army.
This connects to my life because every other day I along with many other people see protesters on the news being reprimanded by police. A lot of the time some people are being violate and they do need to be handled, but also some people that are being perfectly peaceful are driven out of the place they are protesting. Of course the police are right to drive people off private property but not public. This also connects to me because I have seen the Occupy San Francisco and police are required to be there and people do get arrested.
My opinion on this topic is that the current police shouldn't focus on people wearing old uniforms but the bank robbers, murders and robbers of the world. For example, in the time it will take the police to get this man to stop wearing his uniform a child could be kidnaped and long gone by the time they settled something as frivolous as a uniform ordeal. So if people have terrible things happen to them every day then then why not try and prevent them rather than waste it on something so unimportant ? Some people claim he could order people around with false authority, but as he stated he wasn't ordering people and that he was just protesting peacefully as he has the right to according to the Bill of Rights.
To read the orignal article click here!!!
The article you chose is awesome! The connections you made are perfect, I didn't even think about your connections until you mentioned them! Awesome job- I loved it!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your opinion on this subject. The police need to stop being dramatic about someone wearing their old uniform when there is so much more crime- that is way more important- to be fighting. It's ridiculous that the police are that worried about someone seeming disrespectful by wearing their old police uniform. The police seem more disrespectful for arresting a man just for wearing his old uniform.