Panelists answered the following: Are you OK with police officers’ decision to turn their backs on the mayor of New York during the funeral for an officer killed last week?
Richard Herrera: “Yes. The police force and residents need to heal and the mayor needs to unify the city and support the NYPD.”
Mary Zanger: “No. I do understand their feelings though. In grief they blame the mayor for the senseless killing of a fellow police officer. In fear they are afraid for their own lives, as any one of them could be the next target. In anger they blame the leader of the city. In confusion they forget that this heinous crime was committed by an out-of-state, mentally deranged, psychotic criminal. In forgetfulness they neglect their duty to respect all the people of the city of New York.”
Cesar Flores: “NO! I believe such actions are ‘symptoms’ of deeper troubles within a public agency which should have the trust of the public it’s alleged to serve and protect. A funeral is not a place for this type of actions from public servants. It’s a total disrespect for the dead. If we cannot show respect for our chosen leaders, WE JUST MIGHT HAVE A PROBLEM.”
Ruth Erickson: “The police officers were there to honor their fallen comrades, not to disrespect their mayor. They should have put aside their differences and agreed to come together at a future date, to discuss their opinions and disagreements, to work out positive solutions into unifying the city.”
