I think you've probably all seen the story by now of Congressman Patrick Kennedy's early morning car "accident" and the ensuing special response by the Capitol Police. This is all I'm going to say since it's too easy to make a Kennedy Drunk joke: should I ever be pulled over here in DC, I am going to respectfully request of the officer that I receive the same treatment as Congressboy Kennedy. Equal protection under the law, right? If he can dodge a field sobriety test and be driven back home with no questions asked, then surely all of us can request the same high level of service from our dedicated law enforcement professionals, right?
I certainly think that anyone who has been involved in a suspected DUI but did not have the opportunity to opt out of the field sobriety test ought to ask the ACLU to represent them in their lawsuit against the Capitol Police. Don't you?
At the very least, two things are evident:
1) People with power and substance abuse problems (be it driving under the influence of alcohol OR Ambien) are only having their addictions enabled when law enforcement doesn't push the consequences of their actions---the same consequences all of the regular people have to face on their road to sobriety (or discussing their Ambien dose with their doctor).
2) In 2006, anyone benefitting from special treatment, including those with the last names Kennedy or Bush, cannot possibly think that no one will find out.
2 comments:
While what you say is true, this almost looks like a case where he didn't even ask for special treatment, but was given it anyway. And I do not think that he was coherent enough to politly decline the treatment.
Whether he verbally asked for special treatment or not that is not the point. How can society, particularly those who already distrust police, expect equal protection, equal enforcement, and equal benefit of the doubt, when situations like this only serve to reinforce their views. Kennedy WAS wrong and SHOULD have been arrested if the Officer on scene had developed probable cause for arrest. The muttonhead of a supervisor who was obviously more interested in his looking good to the elite rather than doing his/her job SHOULD be suspended or possibly demoted for such an egregious use of authority. If the Chief of the Capitol Police Department wants to do the right thing he should allow the original officer to file the case with the State/District Attorney to include the public statements of culpability made by Kennedy. It won't happen. But it should.
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