Sheldon Richman Loves Loosies and the People Who Sell Them
The cops who ganged up on Eric Garner, put him in a chokehold, and mashed his face into the sidewalk didn't intend to kill him. They intended only to show him who's boss on the streets of Staten Island—and show him in a way he would never forget. Instead they showed him in a way he will never remember. This pretty much explains the cops' reckless disregard for Garner's life that day, and it is what makes the grand-jury sham especially appalling. This was about power, writes Sheldon Richman. Garner was a threat to no one but the politicians who need that revenue to play their destructive games and to assure they remain in power