Shooting shows all of us ought to respect the law

I am probably preaching to the choir, as I doubt that the people protesting to drop the charges against Andre Thompson and Bryson Chaplin read letters to the editor. It is not up to me, nor is it up to the protesters, to decide what happened and why, in the dark of night on May 21, when police officer Ryan Donald felt it necessary to fire his weapon. What part of “don't break the law” do these people not understand?

The protesters seem to think that being shot somehow cancels out the crimes (theft and assault) that these young men allegedly committed. In being shot, these men have faced consequences they could not have foreseen. But being shot does not entitle them to a 'freebie,' in my opinion.

Yes, black lives matter. Yes, racism exists in the United States and, probably, everywhere. I believe that police officers' lives matter too. I believe that their jobs are incredibly difficult. And I believe that far too many people have no respect for the laws of this land, and for those whose job it is to enforce them.

Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters? Probably not. 911 doesn't go there.

This story was originally published September 23, 2015 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Shooting shows all of us ought to respect the law."