Honor among theives?

Not long ago Oliver Thomas upped on the "Don't Snitch" pledge and refused to even talk to DoJ officials after making very pubic admissions of guilt and pledging to make it right. He isn't even a good "Stand Up Guy". A "Stand Up Guy" would have "taken the fifth " from the beginning and "taken the fall" for his crew.

I am in many ways antique, I believe in nineteenth century ideas of honor, like the VMI honor code which says simply,

A cadet does not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those who do.

Similarly the United States Military and Air Force Academy codes are virtually identical.

The college of William and Mary established a similar code in 1779 and during orientation every student pledges;

As a Member of the William & Mary community I pledge, on my Honor, not to lie, cheat, or steal in either my academic or personal life. I understand that such acts violate the Honor Code and undermine the community of trust of which we are all stewards.

At the beginning of every elected official's term they are "sworn in". The President takes an oath which says,

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

I wonder why we, in Louisiana and New Orleans don't enact a similar tradition, making it an offense, punishable by summary dismissal, for any elected official not to "rat" on anyone who either makes an illegal offer or takes one.

As an Servant of the People of the State of Louisiana I pledge, on my Honor, not to lie, cheat, or steal in either my public or personal life, nor tolerate those who do. .

I am not naive enough to believe that the crooks won't take the oath and snicker up their sleeves at the fools who elected them, but at least we could employ "secret shoppers" to ferret out the potential crooks.

Dead Young Black Men

Last week every news outlet in town devoted significant coverage of a police shooting of a Lakeview Doctors dog. There was a lot of video of the dead dog.

The police were responding to a false burglar alarm.

I may be in the insensitive minority but I wonder about the news media devoting so much time to the killing of a black dog owned by white doctor when so many young black men are killed in our streets that no one bothers to keep track of the number any more.

According to the AP

There were 54 murders in the first quarter of this year, compared to 59 last year, Riley said. Of those, 60 percent have been solved and 30 people arrested. The national average for clearing homicide cases is 55 percent, Riley said. Of the remaining open 2008 cases, nearly 90 percent have possible suspects and are close to being solved, he said.

The chief cites the reduction from 59 to 55 as progress, doesn't seem like it to me. The Time Picayune says there were only 42 murders in the first quarter. I wonder where the difference comes from. It's not an insignificant discrepancy. Thanks to M. D Filter for pointing that out to me.

We also have the trial of the accused killer of Dinerral Shavers. David Bonds was exonerated by a jury of his peers.

That trial was, it seems to me, a perfect illustration of everything wrong with New Orleans criminal justice.

A witness recanted under apparent pressure from her family and possible intimidation from the accused.

The police apparently failed to find witnesses necessary for the prosecution.

The public defender seems to have been given latitude to suggest all sort of things without any proffer of proof.

Reports say the jury voted 11-1 to convict.

Every component of the criminal justice seems to have failed.

A seriously and deeply divide citizenry with no confidence in a police department with a history of incompetent leadership, brutality and corruption.

A prosecutors office historically more concerned with its own reputation than protecting the community it serves.

An elected judiciary that fails to impose discipline on an out of control system.

Guy McEwan a witness in the trial was murdered not much later. Many have called it revenge, I'm not so sure. McEwan had drug charges pending so his killing might have been over something else.

It seems a murdered black dog is more likely to get justice than a murdered young black man.

Now for Something Completely Different

The third former Illinois governor in the past three decades to be convicted of federal felonies was sentenced today.

George Ryan (#41 Republican 1999-2003) was convicted of corruption for steering state contracts and leases.
Dan Walker (#38 Democrat 1973-1977) was convicted of corruption involving bank loans.
Otto Kerner (#35 Democrat 1961-1968) was found guilty in a racing-stock scandal.

It's a little out of my area but, given all of the heat we have taken over the "corruption" hereabouts I thought this might be interesting to note.